PCT Gear

When in doubt, leave it out…

Nearly everybody who sets out to thru-hike the Pacific Crest Trail puts a lot of thought into the gear that they’ll rely on. We were no different. Below is a list of the gear that we utilized throughout the hike. We made a few changes along the way, which are described along with the changed item.

Joint Gear

• Tent – Big Agnes Tiger Wall 2 (replaced Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 in Sierra City, NorCal)
• Pot – Katadyn Optimus Terra HE 1.75 liter
• Stove – MSR Pocket Rocket 1
• Sporks – 2 Snow Peak titanium
• Coffee cup – Snow Peak titanium 600 mug with HotLips (replaced two Sea to Summit X-Shot collapsible espresso cups in South Lake Tahoe)
• Knife – Razor blade found in a hiker box
• Lighter – Bic
• Power pack – TQKA Myriad 10,000 (replaced Goal zero Venture 30)
• Bear box – BV500 (only carried from Kennedy Meadows South to South Lake Tahoe)
• Cell phone – Moto X4 (yes, we shared 1 phone…)
• Rope (sent home at South Lake Tahoe)
• First aid/personal hygiene kit – we carried very few items and used even fewer
• Poop trowel – TheTentLab The Deuce #2 UL Backcountry Trowel
• Food bag – older Sea to Summit lightweight dry sack

Renee’s Gear

• Backpack – ÜLA Ohm 2.0
• Sleeping bag – Feathered Friends Egret Nano 20°F Women’s Sleeping Bag (now the Egret YF , see full review here)
• Sleeping bag liner – Cocoon Mummy 100% Silk (sent home from Seied Valley, NorCal)
• Sleeping pad – Thermarest Z Lite Sol – short
• Water filter – Sawyer mini
• Smartwater or Lifewtr bottles (2-3 as needed)
• Cold Soak Jar – Talenti Sorbetto jar for cold hydrating lunches
• Head lamp – Streamlight Bandit (not recommended), USB Rechargeable
• Hiking poles – REI telescoping
• Fanny pack (added at Kennedy Meadows, SoCal)
• Snow Traction – Kahtoola Microspikes (only carried through the Sierras)
• Dry sack – 20L Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack

Tim’s Gear

• Backpack – ÜLA Circuit
• Sleeping bag – Marmot Phase 20 Regular
• Sleeping bag liner – Cocoon Mummy 100% Silk (sent home from Seied Valley, NorCal)
• GPS watch – Garmin Fenix 3(for recording data from our hike)
• Sleeping pad – Thermarest Z Lite Sol – short
• Water filter – Sawyer squeeze
• Smartwater or Lifewtr bottles (2-3 as needed)
• Cold Soak Jar – Talenti Sorbetto jar for cold hydrating lunches
• Head lamp – Black Diamond Iota, USB Rechargable
• Hiking poles Black Diamond Distance Z (replaced REI poles in Sierra City)
• Fanny pack (added at Kennedy Meadows, SoCal)
• Snow Traction – Kahtoola Microspikes (only carried through the Sierras)
• Dry sack – 20L Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Dry Sack

Renee’s Clothing

• Shoes – Altra Lone Peak 3.0 (450 miles, replaced with 1/2 size larger), Altra Lone Peak 3.0 (950 miles), Altra Timp (750 miles), Altra Lone Peak 3.5 (500 miles)
• Pants – REI zip-off hiking pants
• Long Sleeve Shirt 1 – Columbia Omni-Freeze hiking shirt (wore in desert & Sierras; sent home from Seied Valley, NorCal)
• Long Sleeve Shirt 2 – Patagonia synthetic pullover (bought in Leavenworth, Washington)
• Short Sleeve Shirt – synthetic t-shirt
• Bra – synthetic sports bra
• Underwear – 3 pairs ExOfficio
• Socks – 2 pairs Darn Tough light cushion (replaced 1-2 times along the trail – great warranty!)
• Gators – Dirty Girl Gators (replaced 1 time)
• Base Layer – Patagonia lightweight capilene base layer
• Puffy – Marmot Jena
• Rain coat – Outdoor Research Helium II
• Rain poncho – found in a hiker box in Stehekin, Washington
• Hat – Outdoor Research Sun Runner Cap in desert & Sierras, then switched to standard baseball cap
• Sunglasses – nothing fancy
• Buff – BUFF brand
• Gloves – Lululemon synthetic thin running gloves

Tim’s Clothing

• Shoes – Altra Lone Peak 3.5 (550 miles), Altra Timp (650 miles), Altra Superior (800 miles), Altra Timp (650 Miles)
• Pants – REI zip-off hiking pants
• Long Sleeve Shirt 1 – Columbia hiking shirt (wore in desert & Sierras; sent home from Seied Valley, NorCal)
• Long Sleeve Shirt 2 – Generic polyester (bought in Leavenworth, Washington)
• Short Sleeve Shirt – synthetic t-shirt
• Underwear – 2 pairs ExOfficio
• Socks – 2 pairs Darn Tough light cushion (replaced 1-2 times along the trail – great warranty!)
• Gators – Dirty Girl Gators (replaced 1 time)
• Base Layer – Patagonia light Capilene pants and shirt
• Puffy – Marmot Zeus
• Rain coat – Merril
• Rain poncho – Cheap poncho bought in Stehekin, Washington
• Hat – Synthetic and mesh bucket hat in desert & Sierras, then switched to bandanna
• Sunglasses – low end hiker box find
• Buff – generic brand
• Gloves – generic knit gloves

Unneeded gear

• Solar panel – Goal zero Nomad 7 (piece of junk, sent home from desert)
• Power pack – Goal zero Venture 30 (piece of junk, replaced in desert)
• Bladders – Platypus x2
• Nalgenes
• Folding knife
• Umbrellas
• Frogg Togg’s rain pants (Low quality and prone to ripping. We sent them home in Norcal. Better rain pants would have been nice in Washington though)

A note about weight:

Before we started hiking, we tried hard to minimize our “base weights”, or the weight of our packs excluding food, water, and fuel. When we set out from Campo, CA to start the PCT, our packs were by far the lightest packs we had ever backpacked with. Renee’s base weight was approximately 12 lbs and Tim’s was approximately 15 lbs. But, over time, these relatively light packs started to feel heavier and heavier. With a full load of food, water, and fuel, our backpacks could easily exceed 30 lbs in the desert. We got in the habit of identifying and eliminating extra weight whenever we could. We mailed things home or donated them to “hiker boxes” to be picked up by other hikers with different needs. We never re-weighed, but by the time we hit Canada we estimate that we were both down to base weights under 10 lbs. We basically carried nothing but the absolute essentials. When you spend all day walking or sleeping, there really isn’t much you need beyond food, shelter, and a single outfit. Our philosophy became, “when in doubt, leave it out”.

Some of our gear:

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