Pacific Crest Trail Thru Hike Gear List

Written By Shawn

OVERVIEW

For my 2018 Pacific Crest Trail thru hike gear list I tried to stay pretty lightweight but not ultra-lightweight. Originally I was shooting for a base weight of 14-15lbs and I started at just under 14.  A lot of the gear I already owned from a couple of mountaineering expeditions and our 15 month around the world trip, but some of it I bought specifically to bring the weight down a bit for the thru hike.

My gear changed throughout the thru hike as I learned more about what I did and didn’t need.  I have added some post hike notes below each section such as things I ditched, things I swapped, and (gasp!) things I added.  I’ve also included some information on gear that failed, and stuff I lost along the way.

I finished a true thru with a few pounds less gear and 30 pounds less body weight!

THE BIG 3 (4)

I include the sleeping pad in this category. Butters and I split the tent weight (I took tent and fly, she took poles and stakes)

Total for Big 3: 6lbs 3oz

Gear Ditched

TYVEK Footprint. Only used this once in the first 2 months. Finally just tossed it to save weight.

Gear Failed

Thermarest Neo Air X Lite.  Had 4 baffles blow out in my pad after about 3 months of use. It created a large uncomfortable bubble in the center of my pad.

Thankfully I got ahold of Thermarest and they forward replaced me a new one on the trail! Thanks Thermarest!

Other Notes

My pack, tent, and quilt all took a beating and held up perfect.  I wouldn’t hesitate to use any of these again in the future!

A tent with 2 doors and 2 vestibules is key to a happy marriage

PACKED CLOTHES

In addition to a warm jacket and rain jacket, I originally planned for one extra set of hiking clothes that could double as sleep clothes and one pair thermal bottoms which I’d put on under my shorts if I got cold. But that changed.

Total for Packed Clothes: 2lbs 6.8oz

GEAR DITCHED

All of my “extra” hiking clothes. Turns out I don’t mind just sleeping in my hiking clothes and wearing the same thing every day. I got rid of any extra I was carrying and completed the trail with 1 shirt, 1 pair of running shorts, and 1 pair of socks (listed below).

I almost ditched my thermal bottoms too, but was nervous I would need them in WA. I only wore them twice on the entire trail.

GEAR ADDED

I added rain pants (OR Helium) and rain glove shell (OR Revel Shell Mitts) at Kennedy Meadows South heading into the Sierra and carried them the rest of the way.  I never used my rain pants for actual rain, but they were invaluable for protecting against mosquitoes. I only used my rain gloves one time when we climbed Mt. Whitney and it was mostly to protect for wind.

WATER/COOKING

Some people choose to go stove-less for the Pacific Crest Trail thru hike, I planned to at least start with a stove (spoiler alert, I ended up cold soaking). The whole system was still pretty light. I planned to have 6L of water capacity to start for the desert stretches.

Total for Cooking Gear and Water: 1lb 1.69oz

GEAR DITCHED

The gravity part of my Sawyer Squeeze. Never used it.

GEAR SWAPPED

I swapped out my entire cook system by the end of California. I got rid of cook stove, cook pot, stuff sack, and lighter. I replaced it all with a plastic Telanti jar to cold soak both lunch and dinner with. See my post on what to eat on a PCT thru hike for more info on what I ate.

I also swapped out my dirty water reservoirs for 1.5L Smartwater bottles after the desert effectively reducing my capacity from 6L to 5L. At PCT days I was finally able to obtain one of the coveted 2L CNOC water bags which is what I used for the remainder of the hike.

My Zpacks personal towel literally disintegrated and I can’t recommend it. Instead I picked up an ultra small REI pack towel which was awesome.

Replaced my entire cook system for this little plastic jar and pretty much ate Ramen Bombs (Ramen noodles + Instant Mash) for the remainder of the trail.

ELECTRONICS

Admittedly I am a bit of a techie but I tried my best to not bring much. I planned to use my iPhone for most everything (pictures/video, GPS/apps, podcasts/music, Instagram/Facebook etc.) and just back up to the cloud. The two port charger and dual USB cables allowed charging of phone and battery pack at the same time in town.

Total for Electronics: 1lb 8.3oz

GEAR LOST

I lost my iPhone8 doing a river crossing in the Sierra mountains. Replaced with a new one when we got to Bishop.

ESSENTIALS

Everyone brings their own luxury items. For me, having something to sit/lay on during breaks and having a good pillow were essential for morale.

Total for Essentials: 11.87oz

GEAR DITCHED

I ditched my bear bag hang kit as I just didn’t use it. I only had to hang a bag twice on the whole trail and it was just for precaution. Instead of carrying a poop trowel, I just used a rock to dig. I started with a food koozie pouch was a nice idea but again I never used it and it became obsolete anyway when I switched to cold soaking. Same with the stick pic, a nice idea but I never took the time to actually use it.

GEAR SWAPPED

I swapped my sit pad for a full length Thermarest Z-Lite and am so glad I did. Yes it weighs a bit more, but it was so great to be able to lay out a full length pad and get out of the dirt for breaks. Yes I carried both this pad and my inflatable. I tried scaling down to just the Z-lite but never found it comfortable enough to sleep on.

GEAR ADDED (for the Sierra)

I added an Ice Ax, Microspikes, and the required bear can for the Sierra section starting in Kennedy Meadows South. I never used my Ice Ax and only used my spikes twice just because I had them. Got rid of the ax and spikes in Mammoth and sent the bear can home in Kennedy Meadows North.

GEAR LOST

I left my credit card at the brewery in Mammoth and didn’t realize it for a couple hundred miles. I ordered a new one and had it sent to Tahoe.

Full length pad was crucial for end of the day tanning sessions

TOILETRIES

Not much to say here, just a few things to keep relatively clean, groomed, and protected from the sun.

  • Small Toothbrush: Colgate Travel (0.5oz)

  • Toothpaste: Crest Pro Health .85oz (1oz)

  • Hand Sanitizer: Purell (1.2oz)

  • Sunscreen: Sunbum SPF50 3oz (2.7oz)

  • Lip Balm: Sunbum Mango SPF30 (0.4oz)

  • Bug Spray: Repel Lemon Eucalyptus (1.9oz)

  • Nail Clippers: Basic Lightweight Clippers (0.9oz)

  • Medical Kit: Bandaids | Leukotape | Tylenol | Antibiotic/Chaff Creams (1.4oz)

Total For Toiletries: 10oz

GEAR DITCHED

I ditched the sunscreen and anti-chaff cream in the desert when I realized I wouldn’t need them.

WHAT I WORE

Here’s what I originally started with for everyday wear while thru hiking the PCT and the changes I made. Items here not included in base weight.

GEAR DITCHED

I ditched my Dirty Girl gaiters after about 1k miles only because I wore holes in them and they didn’t really work anymore.  I also sent one trekking pole home in Tahoe and hiked with one for the rest of the way.

GEAR SWAPPED

I swapped my hat, buff, sun sleeves, and t-shirt for a single Arc’Teryx long sleeve sun hoody which was awesome. The sun hoody was still super light and the sleeves and hood protected from sun and mosquitoes.  I would highly recommend a long sleeve sun hoody for anyone planning a thru hike.

GEAR FAILED

I wore through 3 pairs of Darn Tough socks along the trail. However, true to their word, they carry a lifetime warranty and I had them replaced 3 times for free.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Wow when I write this out it seems like I carried a lot, but I really didn’t. I tried to be as minimal as possible while not sacrificing comfort in some areas. It’s a delicate balance!

I was able to finish a true thru in 146 days with this kit which is pretty respectable for a first ultra long thru hike if you ask me!

Shawn

explorer | photo taker

https://wanderinthru.com
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What To Eat on a PCT Thru Hike
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Life Off the Trail: Eating all the Things