Gear List: Pacific Crest Trail

Everything you need to hike the PCT And Nothing More

My starting gear for the PCT contained many unnecessary items.

My starting gear for the PCT contained many unnecessary items.

The most important thing you can take into the backcountry is knowledge and experience. But brains aren’t everything. Without the right gear, you’re going to have a much more difficult, and possibly dangerous time on trail.  When I began the PCT, I was carrying a ton of extraneous crap that I gradually found I didn’t need. Over the hike, my pack became more and more minimal. The list below reflects my pared-down gear list for the Pacific Crest Trail. My base weight came in around 10 lbs, and there are certainly areas where further cuts can be made, but by the end of the trail, this was the gear that was working well for me for my 2017 NOBO PCT thru hike.

This post is meant to be more of a checklist and example of a full PCT ultralight load-out. I won’t be discussing the decision-making behind each choice. If you’d like a deeper dive on the rationale behind these choices, or to discuss, debate, or troll me, click or tap on the section header to link to where I discuss details.

 

By Washington, my system was minimal and dialed in.

Clothes And Equipment On-Body

 

Choose lightweight wool or synthetic hiking clothes that will wick sweat and dry quickly. Avoid anything cotton and plan for a good deal of sun exposure.

Many hikers wear long sleeve button-down shirts as they provide great sun protection and versatile ventilation options.

Thru hikers on the PCT often wear long sleeve button down shirts. I started with one, but half way through, the mesh liner on the shoulders began causing chafe. I switched to a lightweight polyester baselayer and haven't looked back.

 

Rain Gear

 

The Pacific Crest Trail is notoriously dry. In the nearly six months I spent on it, I was rained on six times, with four of them in my last week in the North Cascades. All you really need for most of the trail is a rain jacket. Leave the pants behind and save a few ounces.

PCT hikers wearing their rain jackets as wind shirts on the summit of Mt. Baden-Powell.

 

Sleeping-SysteM

 

I've become a big fan of treating my insulation layers as part of my sleep system, I also love taking torso length closed cell AND inflatable pads to sleep on. While it ads a few ounces, the total pad weight is still less than a pound. Sleeping quilts are the new rage, and after using one on the PCT, I may never be able to enjoy a sleeping bag again.

An effective sleeping system is versatile. It includes clothing that can be worn to bed as well as the use of a sleeping quilt or bag that can be worn in camp. This multi-use approach prevents you from carrying additional items.

An effective sleeping system is versatile. It includes clothing that can be worn to bed as well as the use of a sleeping quilt or bag that can be worn in camp. This multi-use approach prevents you from carrying additional items.

 

Shelter

 

I chose a two-person ultralight tent. It only weighed 21 ounces but provided enormous amounts of space to chill and stretch out. This comes in handy during the mosquito-infested stretches through the Sierras.

The Zpacks Duplex is an ultralight 2-person shelter perfect for thru-hiking the PCT. It uses trekking poles, you won't need to carry tent poles. the $600+ price tag will also ensure your wallet is ultralight.

A single hiker inside a two-person tent has ample space to spread out. This is key in the Sierras when evening hours are prime feeding time for mosquitos.

 

Hydration SysteM

 

There are many lightweight water treatment systems for backpacking the PCT. I'm partial to the Sawyer Squeeze as it is inexpensive, easy to use, nearly indestructible, and it's not a consumable like Aqua Mira and other chemical treatments.

I prefer the Evernew bladders over the Sawyer options. To make collecting water even easier, I made a ultralight water scoop out of a larger bottle.

lightweight-water-filter-pct-thru-hike.jpg
 

Toilet Kit

 

The extreme ultra-lighters may turn their nose up at the notion of packing a trowel. However, I argue that on a thru hike, you may prefer a couple lightweight single-function items to bring some convenience to an otherwise unpleasant task. I also like to buy my toilet paper as it comes rolled tighter than when I roll my own.

 

Cook Set (Stoveless)

 

I went stoveless for the first time on the PCT. I will probably backpack stoveless in everything but Winter. It was liberating. I made a small bowl from the bottom of a large bottle and cold-soaked anything that needed rehydration. Mashed potatoes, Pack-it Gourmet meals, and instant oatmeal. No complaints.

 

Food StoragE

 

Here is an area that sets me apart from many thru-hikers. I store my food properly. It's just not worth the risk to myself or the animals. (A fed bear is a dead bear.) An URSACK is a bit weighty at 8oz, but I loved knowing my food was safe from both bears and mice.

 

Electronics

 

I took a lot of photo and video on the trail. By mile 600, I'd ditched all my paper maps, in favor of the Guthooks app. I never ran out of batteries on my phone thanks to a 13000 mAh power bank. It lasted over eight days on0trail. If you're less liberal with phone usage, you can get by with about half that.

 

Medkit & Hygiene

 

Don't overdo it here. A small, lightweight blade and a scissors will solve 90% of the issues.  You don't need to carry a mini-ambulance of medical supplies—especially if you don't know how to use them. Chances are you'll just need things for bumps, bruises, and scrapes and blisters. So make sure you're skilled in the art of avoiding blisters as well as treating them.

Repair gear quickly with duct tape or Gorilla Tape. Wrap some around your trekking pole for easy storage.

 

Rucksack

 

There are many commercially available, lightweight internal-frame packs. I began the trail with a 2016 Osprey Exos 48L (no longer available in the same configuration). By mile 109 I had removed some unnecessary gear and upgraded to a slightly smaller, lighter, more minimal ultralight pack. I love it and have never looked back. At mile 1200, I removed the aluminum stays and shipped them home. The pack weighs less than 2 lbs and is considered 'heavy' by my current standards.

 

Desert-Specific Items

 

In the desert, you will need increased water carrying capacity. Weather and your own adaptation to the environement govern how much you need. I recommend a 7-8 liter total capacity, though I never needed more than 6.

 

Sierras-Specific Items

 

PCT hikers often add a fleece layer to their Sierras kit to help cope with the colder temperatures at altitude.

The Sierras take you into the highest elevations and cooler temperatures. Expect your pack weight to increase as you add required items like a bear canister and optional gear like warmer layers. This is the section to bring back rain pants and cary warm gloves—possibly with waterproof shells. You may want to consider self-arrest protection like a ice axe—but if you bring one, please know how to use it!

If your hiking year happens to be a high snow year, as mine was, you'll experience conditions more like long-distance mountaineering than hiking. In such cases, choosing heavier, but more bomber items like crampons and boots (vs micro-spikes and trail runners) may be a more comfortable choice.

IF IT's A Regular Snow Year

If it's a high snow year

 

NorCal-Specific Items

 

Northern California on the PCT feels a lot like the desert again. You can ditch a lot of your cold weather gear and really lighten up. I bounced my fleece and sent my down jacket home, opting to go with synthetic layers for the remainder since I sleep in my puffy and didn't want to worry about down collapse from my own sweat.

 

 

Cascades-specific-items

 

Synthetic layers really shine in the Cascades. By the time you make it to Northern Washington, there is a good chance you'll run into some damp and cold weather. I used a lightweight fleece with a lightweight puffy and was comfortable even in the cold, rainy weather—though just barely. You'll definitely want full rain pants for Washington. The dew soaked plants can carwash your legs in the morning, leaving you feeling super-cold.

 

Conclusion

This is the gear that I would choose were I to hike the trail again. It represents a minimalist approach, while retaining a degree of pragmatism, and an eye for specific creature comforts that I found helped me keep my mental game sharp.  If you are inexperienced, you may feel more comfortable carrying an extra warm layer. This is totally fine. You'll eventually notice you don't ever use things in your pack and you can always mail them home at the next town. It took me several years of backpacking before I felt comfortable not having an extra 'emergency' layer just in case I got too cold. Over time you'll develop skills that help you keep warm without that extra layer. The important thing is to find equipment, systems, and techniques that work for you. HYOH.

Did I miss anything? Do you disagree with any of my choices? I'm always happy to have a healthy debate or to geek out about gear, so please strike up a conversation in the comments and let me know what gear you would put on your PCT thru hike packing list!

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