Pacific Crest Trail Gear List 2008

Backpack
Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone backpack, 48 oz
I used an earlier generation of this pack on the AT and loved it! I'm weight-conscious but not really an ultra-lighter, so this capacious pack was perfect for my extra warm layers, my book, and half of the three-season tent I carried. My biggest complaint is that the Bear Vault BV 500 canister does not fit sideways inside this pack. Granite Gear really stands by their products and has excellent customer service. The pack can be customized based on torso length, hip belt girth, and shoulder strap length and width. The narrow women's shoulder straps keep their hands to themselves - you ladies will know what I mean.

Equinox pack cover 3.4 oz
Nice sil-ny fabric, not-so-great design. I'm not sure there is a perfect pack cover, but I keep using this one anyway. When it rains, it pours, so my first line of defense is a trash compactor bag inside my pack. Perhaps this pack cover just isn't a good fit with my pack, because the cover seems to funnel water towards the back pad of the pack. The cover also tends to collect water at the bottom and has no outlet, meaning that I have to reach back and try to let the water pour out of the bottom of the cover before I take my backpack off and set it down in its very own puddle of water.

Clothing
Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat 2.7 oz
Quite possibly the world's dorkiest hat, but it provides excellent sun protection. I like the ventilation on the sides, the extra wide brim, and the long legionnaire's drape for neck protection. The adjustable chin strap is a necessity in the high desert winds, though I often felt like I was being strangled. We named ours BaDuSH, for Big Dorky Sun Hat. Can be washed, though I would avoid the dryer.


Rail Riders Women's Eco Mesh sun shirt 6oz
Again, not the most stylish item of clothing I've donned, but excellent for sun protection. The mesh fabric under the arms and along the sides provided great ventilation. I recommend a beige or dark color for the reason that the desert is dusty and clothing quickly becomes dingy. Dries quickly.

Ice Breaker 190 Superfine v-neck short-sleeved shirt
I was so disgusted with my dirty self in Ashland that I threw out my clothes and bought new ones. I found this great wool shirt, which did prove to be both cool and warm. It is not especially quick-drying, and does have a faint dog smell when wet, but was imminently more stylish than my Rail Riders shirt. I felt pretty again. The short sleeves were probably a bad idea. The sun does not stop shining in Oregon and Washington.

Mountain Hardwear skirt
I started in some old Columbia zip-off pants. These were great for sun protection, but there was no need for the zippers. I switched to the REI Sahara zip-offs after the old pants became too baggy, but these also had too many useless zippers. Their seams quickly split, which seemed common to others also wearing the same pants. Many folks had the Rail Riders Eco Mesh pants, which only come in men's sizes, but look comfortable with good ventilation. I think Mountain Hardwear may have discontinued the skirt, but I thought it was very comfortable. I might prefer the Mountain Hardwear Kilt, which can be clipped into "shorts" for modesty and has more room for climbing over blowdowns, etc. Another downside of the skirt is the lack of sun protection for the lower legs.

Patagonia thermals
Who can keep up with Patagonia's shifting base-layer names and weights. They seem to change from season to season. At any rate, I had a mid-weight top and bottom, and a Capilene 3 top and bottom. Yeah, I get cold. I wore all layers at night for most of the trail.

Marmot Precip pants and jacket 8 and 12 oz
I'm not sure these actually keep you dry, but they do keep you warm in the rain. After being rained on for most days of April, May and June, I had no intention of being without these in the desert. That was ridiculous, of course, but I did wear the jacket as a windbreaker. I would rather have had the Marmot wind shirt/jacket. These are handier in Oregon and Washington, but they made good warm layers on colder nights elsewhere. I've been using the same rain pants I bought for the AT. I'm sure their DWR has long since worn out, but I'm sure the layer was thin to begin with. Like I said, I'm more interested in staying warm in the rain.

Montbell Thermawrap jacket 7.6 oz
Amazingly light! I admittedly enjoyed the trendiness of this new acquisition, but I had mixed feelings about it. I never wanted to hike in it, because I'm a sweaty girl even when I'm cold. I'm not sure yet how to wash the thing. So far, I have soaked it in a bathtub of luke warm water and then air-dried it. It can't be twisted or wrung-out or it will be damaged, so I don't know what to do. It is moderately warm, but I would have preferred the Marmot wind shell as I wouldn't have worried about getting it wet. I never hiked in mine, but I put it on as soon as I made camp.

Isis Daisy bra
This is the piece of clothing I was most anxious about. No matter what Patagonia says about their bras, they DO NOT dry quickly. I made that mistake on the AT where wet-bra was a chronic condition. While the dry western weather was certainly a contributing factor, the thin fabric of this whisper-weight bra kept my girls dry and happy. Not for the well-endowed.

Undies
8 pairs of black, synthetic undies.

Smart Wool beanie
Not the warmest hat in the world, but not the heaviest, either.

EMS balaclava
Made from a lightweight Capilene type material. Great for the really cold nights.

EMS fleece gloves

Footwear
Montrail Hardrock trail runners
I started the PCT in Merrill Moab Ventilators. Let me just say that I felt every grain of sand under my feet. I will give them credit for breathability and decent footbox width, however. As soon as I could, I chose the Montrail Hardrock for its thick orthopaedic-looking sole. These shoes are quite narrow and tend to run small, so I wore a half size larger than my normal shoes. I replaced the insoles with green Superfeet for the arch support. I used one pair of Superfeet for the entire trail as the arch support doesn't really break down. I used three pairs of Hardrocks. I think they will go for 700 miles or more, though the pair I used in the Sierra were really toxic after being wet so frequently.

Socks
Socks just seem to break down quickly due to all of the sand and dust. I always wore gaiters, but my feet were always black with dirt at the end of the day. I used some light weight WigWams and later on some Darn Toughs, which I don't think were all that tough. My advice regarding socks is to change them frequently, especially in the desert. I'm not kidding when I recommend changing your socks every hour in the desert. Just hang the wet ones on the back of your pack and they'll be dry in an hour. It makes all the difference in blister prevention. Also, take off your socks and shoes and let your feet dry every time you break.

Montbell Stretch Gaiters 1.5 oz
I love gaiters as my gait tends to flick dirt into my shoes. I started with Outdoor Research low gaiters. The snaps on these fit so tightly that they often stick and pull out of the fabric when you try to remove the gaiters. After 200 miles, I was down to only one functioning snap. I lost one in a stream crossing and couldn't have been happier. In Mammoth Lakes, I found these Montbell gaiters that worked very well until the last few hundred miles. They come with nifty shock cord instep strings that don't last a minute. I replaced them with old shoe laces which were easy to come by in every hiker box. After a while, the nifty Japanese-designed "grommets" through which the instep strings are threaded began to wear out. Bottom line, you'll have to make do with them at some point, but they are great for dirt, dust and light snow. Just remember to put them on before you put on your shoes! Many folks had DirtyGirl gaiters. These are colorful and seem ideal for the dusty West. They are made by a totally cool trail-running lady.

Shelter
Gossamer Gear SpinnTwinn tarp 8oz
This tarp is the lightest shelter I have ever carried. I really loved it - during the day! Night was a different story. I was surprised to learn how incredibly windy it is in the desert, in the west, even. There is a reason that the wind features so prominently in Walkin' Jim's PCT song! This tarp was unnecessary and completely useless in the windy desert. But great to carry! We set it up with two trekking poles. I'd like to try it out again in different conditions. Sleep under the stars as much as you can!

REI Quarter Dome T2 tent about 64 oz
Though it embarrassed my husband tremendously to be seen in this heavy REI tent, I thought it was a palace. It is freestanding, which makes for quick set-up, and the tent body is nothing but net with a bathtub floor. Many nights we slept in just the bug netting, often cooking with our hands through the zippers of the doors to get away from the skeeters. The fly kept us dry the few times it rained or snowed and kept us warm in the High Sierra and in Washington. The plentiful headroom make it comfortable for sitting up (and eating), and the length allows not-too-tall people to keep their stuff at their feet. Pretty comfy for two, especially when you share the weight during the day.

Gossamer Gear Spinnsheet ground cloth 4.2 oz
Somewhat delicate. It would be a good idea to remove sharp debris from your camping spot before setting this cloth down. Very light.

Sleeping
Marmot Helium 15 women's down sleeping bag 29 oz
Like a non-stop hug all night long! I love this bag! I used it every single night on the PCT. The provided stuff sack is way too small and will probably contribute to loss of loft if used. I picked up a Granite Gear waterproof stuff sack that was a little bigger than I needed instead. I'm a cold sleeper, but this bag only let me down one night when it was probably 15 degrees outside and I was sleeping under the stars.

Blue closed-cell foam pad
Just a cheap one. Probably on the heavy side, and I kept it full-length. It kept me warm and dry.

Cooking
Etowah Outfitters alcohol stove
A fantastic alcohol stove. Reason rejected the provided cross-bar pot stand in favor of a lighter mesh/carpenter's cloth stand that fits inside our pot. Though Reason must have made dozens of alcohol stoves in preparation for this trip, we finally decided on this one. We used this on the AT as well. Fuel: denatured alcohol or yellow Heet bottle.

MSR titanium Teapot 4oz
A fantastic little pot! It holds about .8 liters and is just enough to cook one Lipton side, a box of Near East couscous, or a package of ramen. The alcohol stove handily fits inside the pot. We were told that titanium has a coating that can be scratched and ingested, so we padded the pot and stove with a bandanna.

Lexan spoon .5 oz
Mine has almost 5,000 miles on it!

Water and Treatment
Platypus bladders and hose
For the desert, I had a capacity of nine liters. You probably just need seven, but you never know. The Platypus bladders will wear through at the neck over time, but it takes a while. Another good reason to have a trash compactor back pack liner. I thought I would replace my bladders at some point on the PCT, but then just decided to keep track of where the leaks were and turn them to the other side. I always keep the bladders at the top of my pack.

Nalgene wide-mouth 96 oz canteen 2.25 oz
I picked this up because of the wide mouth. The extra capacity was great in the desert, but since it didn't fit my Platypus "system", I sent it home from Central Cali. The wide mouth turned out not to be necessary. I used the cooking pot to scoop water instead. Many folks experienced leaks from these, so you must treat them with care.

Polar Pure iodine 3oz
I wasn't sure what to expect as far as water goes in the west. I had the impression that we would see a lot of cows. I also thought that getting to towns and resupplying was going to be difficult. It wasn't. At any rate, I decided to go with Polar Pure for several reasons. The first is economy. One bottle will last the entire hike. The second is that I wanted to have a renewable treatment in the event that we couldn't find Aqua Mira, etc. The third is that I was thinking of getting pregnant and decided that iodine might be better for my body than chlorine dioxide or bleach. This is pure conjecture on my part - I don't know which is worse. The fourth is that I didn't want to carry a filter. I started off treating all water and occasionally pre-filtering with a bandanna. Reason started with Aqua Mira, but only treated some of his water. Just after leaving Agua Dulce, Reason came down with something that may or may not have been giardia. After that point, he stopped treating water completely. I continued treating my water with iodine. However, iodine does accumulate in the body and can cause problems. For this reason, I often allowed untreated water to warm up before treating it as this meant I could add less iodine. I swiped chlorine dioxide tablets from hiker boxes whenever I could to change things up, and left towns with plenty of tap water. I didn't always treat water in the High Sierra, and I didn't always treat snow melt. The jury seems to be out on snow melt. I liked the Polar Pure. It is cheap, I don't mind the very mild taste, and I knew I always had a way to treat my water. By the way, you cannot ship liquid Aqua Mira to California. I don't think they even sell it in CA.

Other
Leki ultralight titanium trekking poles from 2002
These poles have almost 5,000 miles on them and they're still going. They are pretty light, but the shocks/springs are wimpy. I like the feel of the Super Makalus better. Occasionally I get "short pole" when I bear down on a pole too hard going up or down a steep section and the pole gently collapses, but that may be because the locks unwind with use. I like trekking poles for the rhythm they provide, and for the buff arms that result, but I'm not sure they are necessary on the PCT. The PCT is so gentle, that towards the end of the trail it became a chore to use them. They were great in the snow in the Sierra, though.

Bear Vault BV500 large bear canister 41 oz
This bear canister was approved for use in Yosemite in 2008. I could barely get the thing open, until I learned to quickly spin the lid. While camping in Evolution valley, a bear came along and sniffed our group's canisters but didn't touch them. Cons: the thing is heav-vy, and it only fits upright in the Granite Gear Ozone and Vapor Trail packs. You also need to think about the kinds of foods that fit best in a canister, ie not potato chips.

CAMP Corsa ice ax 60 cm 8oz
Made of aluminum. Not the most aggressive piece of equipment, but it may be perfect for a PCT hike. I hardly used mine in the High Sierra, but it was a low snow year. Where it did actually come in handy was on the Tahquitz range above Idyllwild in SoCal. I hacked out steps in the icy snow. Could I have arrested on the icy snow? Not sure. I would like to have a leash, though. The ax became slippery when wet and I could easily have dropped it. Why did I have an ice ax in SoCal? Well, we started April 1 and thought we might encounter snow in the high elevations around San Jacinto. We were right. If only we'd kept the crampons, too.

CAMP Punte Light 6 crampons
Made of aluminum, so the points can't be sharpened, but very light. Perfect for trail runners, although they won't fit over very wide shoes. I had never used crampons before and I loved them. I used them on the way up Baden Powell, and again over Forester Pass and a few other High Sierra passes. I probably didn't need them, but they gave me peace of mind. The straps are confusing and only come with a tiny diagram. Practice once or twice. The ULA crampons weren't available in 2008 for some reason.

Reason
Amazing husband/hiking partner. My favorite piece of gear. Bonus: he carries his own weight!


Check out my AT and CDT gear lists, too.

Appalachian Trail Gear List 2003

Figuring out gear on the Appalachian Trail was trial-by-fire for me. I hit Springer with much of the wrong stuff, and many heavy items. You can do better!

By the end of the trail, I had lightened up considerably and was tough and lean to boot. I'm really a mid-weight hiker, but I try to do better each time.

Below I will outline the gear I finished with. Gear has become lighter and more sophisticated since 2003, so be sure to take a look at my PCT and CDT gear for ideas as well.


Backpack
Granite Gear Nimbus Ozone backpack, 48 oz
I found this pack at Neels Gap. I loved it! I started with a Lowe Alpine that a friend gave me. It weighed seven pounds when empty! I don't like to buy new things when I have something perfectly good at hand, but this doesn't always work on a thru-hike. The Nimbus Ozone is a nifty mid-weight pack that can hold up to 40 pounds, which is great for those just-resupplied hikes out of town. There are no zippers to break, rather there is a tall collar with cinch that folds up as your load gets smaller. My complaint about this pack is that the foam back pad soaks up sweat and rain, which is difficult to dry in the humid East. Granite Gear has excellent customer service and really cares about its reputation on the trail. Neels Gap didn't have quite the right hip belt and shoulder straps for my frame, but the Granite Gear rep at Trail Days fitted me with a complimentary set of small/narrow shoulder straps and a small women's hip belt. Many sizes of strap and hip belt are available, and the pack comes in at least two torso lengths. I recommend ordering directly from Granite Gear so that you can customize your order.

Equinox pack cover, 3.4 oz
I didn't know pack covers existed until I hit Neels Gap. It sure came in handy during the Wet Year of 2003. The silicon-nylon cover is light. It has an elastic cinch so that it can be adjusted to fit a fuller or less-full pack. One problem with this cover is that water tends to pool at the bottom as it lacks drainage grommets. I made a habit of reaching back and pouring the water out before setting my pack down. I used trash bag liners for the entire contents of my pack as well as for my clothes and sleeping bag.

Clothing
Patagonia silk weight shirts
I think Patagonia now calls these Capilene 1. I had a long sleeved-shirt for April and the beginning of May as the trees were bare and sun was an issue for my lily-white self. Eventually I switched to a short-sleeved shirt, which I later discarded in favor of a Hind workout shirt. The shirt had become so nasty, so permeated with sweat, rain and mildew, that it emitted an awful ammonia stench. Some folks look for light-weight poly/synthetic button downs at thrift stores. I think this is a nice way to save money, avoid buying something new, and possibly add some flair to your look.

North Face nylon shorts
I've never been skinny. Fit and lean, yes, but skinny, never. Even when I summited Katahdin my legs were strong and beefy. The shorts I chose were merely the ones I picked after trying on a million pairs. They were just roomy enough in the leg that they didn't cause any chafing, which is a common problem for men and women on the AT. I cut out the mesh liner to reduce weight and also to eliminate yet another piece of cloth that was capable of soaking up and retaining moisture.

Patagonia mid-weight thermals, top and bottom
I think these are comparable to the Capilene 3 these days. Darn Patagonia and their ever changing systems. At any rate, one top and one bottom is enough for 95% of the nights on the AT. In the summer, I dropped down to silkweight/Cap1 pants and probably kept the mid-weight top.

Marmot Precip pants and jacket, 8 and 12 oz
I wore these a lot. In 2003 it rained most days of April, May and June. Do they keep you dry? I'm not sure, but they do keep you warm while hiking. I love the pit-zips in the jacket. I wear it a lot as a windbreaker or warm layer in the cold New England mornings. The pit-zips make for great ventilation as you warm up but before you are ready to remove a layer. The Precip rain gear is relatively durable, but after time the white inner layer will peel away. They still make for good windbreakers. I'm still using my Precip pants six years later.

Sportif fleece jacket
I named mine Sassy Pink and I still wear it all the time. These days it is probably considered heavy, but in 2003 the micro fleece material was pretty cool.

Patagonia Capilene bra
I liked the support of this bra, but the thing was always wet. The Appalachian Trial is very humid and can be very rainy, so I would recommend finding a thin bra that will dry faster than this one. Patagonia says it is quick-drying, but I think they mean it dries quickly overnight in a dry and air-conditioned room. Trust me, this one won't dry overnight in the humid mountain air. Even if it does, it will be covered in dew in the morning. I recommend the Isis Daisy bra.

Undies
I carried multiple pairs of synthetic black undies.

rag wool Polyclava
Can't remember who makes this. Sadly, I shrank mine in the dryer. But it was amazing while it lasted. It was a rag wool beanie that unfolded into a balaclava. This was just something I had in my closet. The balaclava was great for spring and fall.

EMS fleece gloves
I picked these up in Manchester Center, VT. It really began to get cold in Vermont!

Footwear
Asolo TPS 520 GTX boots
Beautiful leather boots. These fit my feet very well. I recommend trying on lots of brands and sizes of leather boots if that's the way you want to go. I loved these heavy clunkers. They kept my feet dry and clean and well protected. The AT is very rocky, and these kept me from stubbing my toes all day long. The AT also has many bare rock surfaces where the Vibram soles served me well, especially in the rain. I now hike in trail runners, but still love boots. My best advice for breaking in leather boots is to wear them around the house for 60 hours while cooking, reading, and watching TV before logging 60 hours of walking in the boots. After those two break-in periods, put on your pack and log another 60 hours. Tedious, but good for training and well worth it.

Socks
I used the heaviest weight Smartwool socks with white Wigwam polypro liners. I had another pair of dry socks for sleeping.

Mountain Hardwear Nut Shell Ventigaiters
I think the zipper is overkill and the mesh allows dirt and debris to get inside the gaiter. However, this is what I had, so I kept using them. I love tall gaiters for their protection against the sun, muddy trail, and poison ivy. I looked pretty cute in them, too. I recommend gaiters no matter what height for good foot care. They prevent debris from working its way into your socks and causing blisters and the general breakdown of the sock. Of course, this isn't the case with trail runners, but it does keep irritating debris away from your ankles.

Shelter
Sierra Designs Clip Light something or other 2 person tent, heavy
This used to be the classic AT tent. It is too heavy, and doesn't have enough ventilation or headroom. On the AT you can probably get away with a small tarp, because most nights you will probably use shelters. You do need an option when the shelter is full-- I know they say the shelter isn't full until everyone is inside, but I have been one of 20 in an eight person shelter and I'm not sure we could have fit anyone else. Also, having a shelter means that you have the option of camping between shelters to suit your mileage. Dew and condensation are two things to consider, especially with single wall tarps and tents.

Tyvek ground sheet
You will want a ground sheet for the very wet AT. You will at some point sleep in a puddle.

Sleeping
old North Face Blue Kazoo 20 degree down sleeping bag
A bit heavy, but awesome. I owned it before I thought of hiking the AT, so I went with it.

REI Travel Down 40 degree down sleeping bag
Compact and very light. Perfect for those hot, sticky AT summer nights. I had mine sent to Pearisburg, VA.

old school Ridge Rest
I've had mine since about 1992, and it still works great. It has a few wounds and may not be the lightest, but it remains comfy and uncompressed.

Cooking
Etowah Outfitters alcohol stove
A nice little alcohol stove with cross-bar pot stand. I do love my MSR Whisperlite, but this alcohol stove weighs so much less. I primarily used Heet in the yellow bottle, but I'm sure these days you can buy denatured alcohol by the ounce at hostels and outfitters.

MSR titanium Teapot. 4oz
Perfect for one Lipton, one package of ramen, or one box of Near East couscous, and cute as can be. It holds about .8 liters.

Lexan spoon, .5 oz
Regular plastic spoons are lighter, but will melt if used while cooking.

Water and Treatment
Platypus bladders and hose
These work great. The Platypus will develop weak spots around the neck due to the crumpling of the bladder as water is sucked out of it, but only over time. I try to be gentle with mine. I keep them at the top of my pack to reduce pressure and stress. You will only need a capacity of two liters for the AT, and rarely will you need to carry this much. Aqua Fina one liter bottles with a wide mouth are strong and cheap. You can put these bottles in the side pocket of your pack and insert the Platy hose if you like to use a hose.

Aqua Mira liquid solution water treatment
This was new and exciting in 2003. I still like this water treatment option. It has a slightly sweet taste that I don't mind at all. I started the AT with a Katahdyn Hiker pump filter, which I like and use for weekends, but it was a bit heavy for the AT. At some point I also used a Visine dropper full of bleach. I used three drops for two liters. It smells like a swimming pool. I'm not sure whether this is better or worse than iodine or Aqua Mira in the long term, but it is the cheapest option. You can buy a bottle of bleach for a few dollars, refill your dropper, and leave the bottle in the hiker box for someone else. Keep the dropper of bleach inside an plastic bag to avoid any leaks which will eat all of your synthetic gear.

Other
Leki ultralight titanium trekking poles from 2002
I'm not sure my knees would have made it through the AT without poles. These were indispensable for going down hill as they allowed me to shift some of my weight to my arms and shoulders and go easier on my knees on steep descents and long steps down big rocks. I preferred Reason's Super Makalus to my lightweight ones, however, because I think the shocks are beefier and kinder to the arms. Poles are great for what I call the Power Boost, which just means pushing yourself forward with the poles on the flats and ascents. After a few hundred miles of using poles, you'll be rolling up your sleeves and showing off your muscles. I've put almost 5,000 miles on my poles and so far have only replaced the tips a few times.

Wingfoot Guidebook
OK, so I started with the data book, state guides and maps, and the ATC town guide. But Reason had the Wingfoot guide, which gets to the point and has most of the info you'll need. You're not going to get lost unless you drink too much beer and forget which way you came in to a shelter, so you don't really need the maps and long state guidebook trail descriptions. The profile maps are nice, but chances are someone else will carry them for you :)

Check out my PCT and CDT gear lists for more ideas.