Most Common PCT Gear

Gear I most frequently saw on the PCT in 2016, with notes. All of these items have gotten good reviews and would serve reliably on a thru-hike. If you don't want to do much research you could just go with these. I've also listed what I think are good alternatives, with associated tradeoffs.

Backpack: ULA Circuit

Probably the most tested pack on the trail, it's been a PCT standard for years. Fits a wide range of body types. Not the lightest thing, arguably not even "ultralight" today, but lighter than most packs you'd find of similar volume at REI. Also, not waterproof. Use a packliner (trash compactor bag) instead of pack cover, since the latter doesn't block water that seeps down your back. Probably too large if you're fast, stoveless, or using a single-wall shelter. Large hip belt pockets, enough to store snacks for an entire day of hiking. Mine looks like it could handle at least another thru-hike. It employs a carbon fiber frame and should be handled with care (no dropping it, or throwing it out of car windows)

Alternatives: Hyperlite Mountain Gear, more expensive lighter, waterproof, smaller hip belt pockets. ULA Ohm 2.0, smaller, lighter, a good choice for faster hikers or those going stoveless or bringing a single-wall shelter, cases in which the Circuit will probably be too big.

Shelter: Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1

A little cramped for taller people. Often seen patched up with Tenacious Tape, seemed to use thin fabric. Very light, pitches fast.

Alternatives: Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 is larger, tougher.

Sleeping Quilt: Enlightened Equipment 20°F (various models)

The delicate fabric absorbs water readily, but this is not a major concern for the mostly fair-weather PCT. Really good quilt. Can be sized by length and width to save weight. Definitely go for the hydrophobic down.

Alternatives: Feathered Friends bags are heavier but use tougher, more water resistant fabric (Pertex). Could definitely be used in wetter conditions, like Cascade hiking in shoulder seasons. ZPacks also makes some well-regarded quilts.

Sleeping Pad: Therm‑a‑Rest NeoAir XLite

Many people used these the whole trip, including the desert. I never got punctures, but my experience seemed to be the exception and not the norm. Annoying to roll up in the morning. Really comfy and light though, I usually slept with it deflated 30% as a side sleeper.

Alternatives: Therm-a-Rest Z-Lite, quick folding, never deflates, the foam does compress after a while and lose insulating ability, and not so comfortable for side sleepers. The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xtherm is REALLY warm and suitable for snow, but some people really appreciated it for very cold ground in Oregon and Washington (this may be particular to the 2016 season).

Warm Jacket: Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer

Pricy but often found on sale. Mine lost a lot of loft because I used it as a pillow, so don't do that (washing it revived it). Fabric feels fragile but there was surprisingly little wear after my thru-hike. Almost everyone preferred getting it with the hood to keep your head and neck warm.

Alternatives: Patagonia Nano-Puff is cheaper, synthetic and thus retains more warmth while wet, but has an inferior warmth/weight ratio.

Shoes: Altra Lone Peak 3.0

The PCT shoe these days. Should last 600-800 miles (one hiker reported 1,100 miles) depending on terrain, with small tears (still keep out most rocks) appearing in the forefoot at 400 miles or so. Tread held up really well. Lugs wore down evenly and never ripped off, I was seriously impressed by the treadwear. Most people wore these with Superfeet insoles and Dirty Girl Gaiters.

Alternatives: Brooks Cascadia is narrower, heavier, with more cushion. Altra Olympus has more cushion, also probably heavier.

Ice Axe: Camp Corsa

Incredibly light. I used my BD Raven Pro and regret it due to its weight. You're carrying so much in the Sierra Nevada that the half-pound I could have saved using the Corsa would have been welcome relief. Readily eBayable after the hike.

Alternatives: Any other straight-shaft mountaineering ice axe, they're all pretty similar with cost correlating inversely with weight.

Bear Canister: BearVault BV500

Best compromise in volume/weight ratio and cost. Opening tip: press the little ridged patches with a narrow, rigid object to save your fingernails, like a flat-head screwdriver on a multitool.

Alternatives: Bearikade, very expensive but you can easily rent it.

Stove: Jetboil

These are really well-designed stoves that I have never used. But I have met so many backpackers and mountaineers over the years who swear by them. For the PCT, one of the models with the wider pot (much easier to cook in and eat out of) would work well. Saw various models on the trail.

Alternatives: Various, most canister stoves work well Saw everything from a $10 Chinese stove from Amazon to ultralight titanium models on the trail.

On Rain Gear

Rain gear was all over the map. Some didn't bring any, some relied on umbrellas, some went for trash compactor bags. Ultralight 2-2.5 layer breathable fabrics like Patagonia H2No and Gore-tex Paclite work ok, but will soak through in sustained rain or when pushing through extended wet brush. Pockets on such garments, even with sealed zippers, should not be considered waterproof (another hiker and I both found this out the hard way with our damaged phones). A rain skirt and poncho made out of trash compactor bags might work better because they're impermeable. Light rain clothes are useful as wind/bug protection. I mainly used my rain pants as a cold weather layer. Doing Mt. Whitney in the morning would have been impossible without them.

On Cuben Shelters

A lot of raves about these. They're light and pack up super small. Some mentioned pinholes, but not large enough to let in water. They can also be patched easily with duct tape (the adhesive won't permeate the fabric, unlike with nylon). Tricky siting, takes a large area to stake out fully due to the lack of poles, hikers mentioned getting "creative" with the pitching. Probably ideal if you think you will cowboy camp a lot and need an emergency shelter.

On Cowboy Camping

I did this a lot less than I expected. Some hikers reported cowboying anywhere from 60-90% of the time on the PCT. I probably did it 10%. I like having a bug/rodent barrier (though ants, rodents occasionally chew through the fabric), and setting up and taking down my shelter was pretty quick. There's some psychological comfort in having four walls that helped me sleep better. Still, the mornings waking up to an uninterrupted view were really nice.

Random tips

...that I haven't heard elsewhere.

At each town, machine dry any down-insulated gear for 15-30 minutes at the lowest setting. Leave it in a bit longer to let it absorb residual heat to remove additional moisture. Drying it out like this in every town will preserve loft.

In southern Oregon, wash down with down detergent (e.g. NikWax Down Wash) per manufacturer instructions. My sleeping quilt had lost much loft by NorCal, but it only becomes bothersome in Oregon where the nights finally become cold. Note that Enlightened Equipment quilts must be handwashed in a bath tub so as not to void the warranty. Washing and drying mine took 6 hours. It came out of the dryer puffier and the warmth was restored.

Bounce all warm clothes except puffy jacket from Chester (mile ~1,300) to Ashland (~1,700), or somewhere around those places.

Ship packages to private businesses via UPS or FedEx as much as possible, and avoid the PO. PO's have inconvenient hours, often closed on weekends, and will cause delays. Pretty much any business described as "hiker friendly" in Guthook or Yogi was ok with receiving my boxes when I called to ask. Some hikers had luck calling up random businesses (barbershops, restaurants), finding that they were fine with receiving and holding hiker packages. 

As of 2016, the mobile carrier with the best reception in the Sierra Nevada was AT&T. Many hikers were disappointed by this. Some never got reception in Kennedy Meadows, so this can make for a long stretch off the grid. Also lots of photo ops, and no Instagram.

Mammoth Lakes is a much better place to stop for resupply than VVR. It’s got a great outfitter (Mammoth Mountaineering Supply), full size grocery, and good restaurants.

For what is likely to be your final resupply, the General Store at the North Cascades Lodge in Stehekin (i.e. "the Stehekin general store") accepts packages via UPS and can give them to hikers any time the store is open, seven days a week. This is way more convenient than the PO which is closed on Sunday and open only in the morning on Saturday. There were huge numbers of hikers stressing over getting to the PO before it closed, a source of anxiety that was completely avoidable.

Off-trail

I finished the trail on 19 October. All 2,600 or so miles (fire closures, skipping bits due to glissades, and losing the trail under snow). Total hike duration starting from 6 May was 167 days, extra lengthy due to the three weeks of off-trail time during which I lost my trail legs, and for transit from the Northern Terminus to Northern California. Without the injury it might have been around 135 days. Any way, I'm calling it done.

The last two days of the hike were pretty mellow. I got to Quincy by bus at 7 am on the 18th and was driven up to Quincy La Porte road by a pre-arranged ride. Oh man, I remembered waiting there 1.5 hours with a swollen knee. It was chilly but dry, good hiking weather. There was a descent for a few miles in dense forest, and a couple of interesting bridges. The one over the middle fork of the Feather River was a huge arch, a hundred feet over the green water with small rapids. I spent an hour there drying out my tent which was still soaked from condensation. The trail climbed from there at a moderate grade. Ran across a campsite at 5 pm. I was so jacked on coffee that I decided to push it and knock out the climb, hiking into the evening. Reached this awesome rock outcropping at the top and setup camp, ate tuna and crackers while watching the moon rise. Next day was cold, and I hiked 8 miles out to Bucks Lake Road. Fired off a message via satellite on InReach to my ride, and got back to Quincy around 1 pm.

It was actually really nice ending my hike in Quincy. Probably the most livable small trail town in California. Great organic food co-op and some good restaurants, nice locals.

So, the entire NorCal flip-flop portion was way more stressful than I expected. Hiking southbound, I was basically fleeing winter weather. It was colder than the high Sierra, and the shorter days were rough on morale. From Etna to Quincy I met like four other hikers. Back in Oregon, I had talked to a couple other NOBO thru-hikers intending the same kind of flip-flop as me due to injury (everyone got hurt right around the half-way point). I didn't see any of them or their names in the registries in NorCal.

As the weather moved in in early October, there were still hikers in Washington. The trail up there got a few feet of snow. Some hikers opted for a clear, lower elevation alternate that reached the border but not the terminus, others switched to boots and postholed it. Their photos showed recent avalanches on the trail, it looked insane. One group kept hiking through the night, because they weren't sure they would stay warm if they stopped moving. Another hiker who reached the terminus borderline hypothermic said the last days were some of the scariest of his life. So I'm glad I flip-flopped where and when I did.

Future of this blog: I might do some debriefing type entries, and something about Pacific Crest Trail trips near Los Angeles. Right now errands have rushed back into my life and I'm watching a lot of TV.

Day 165, mile 1,329 (50% of the trail)

I can't believe I made it to Chester. I've hiked through multiple rainstorms in 7 days all the while not seeing a single other person on the trail.

From Shasta to Burney the trail wasn't very interesting. Found many gooseberries though, which are ripe in the fall. I got to the Burney Mountain Guest Ranch at 6:30 pm. Ate a home cooked meal with homemade ice cream. Weather was on everyone's minds. The storm of ages was supposed to slam the PNW and NorCal, and I was planning to hike into it. I asked the hosts about where I might bail out and bought some trash bags. Met 2-Pack whose total load was 160 lb (!!) and who went 62 days without a food resupply. Not my style, but it's eye-opening to see a different approach. He did a lot of an spur-of-the-moment sidetrips so the extra weight meant he was ready for anything. I left in the morning after doing my laundry.

Normally one of the hottest parts of the trail, Hat Creek Rim was cool and shaded all day. There were some white cow bones by the trail. The water cache at FS Road 22 was fully stocked. I camped a few miles past it at the "communication facility," which had some flat spots around it. Winds were picking up quickly and it was time to give my tent a proper wind test.

My tent warped and flexed like crazy that night, but held. Rainfall was heavy, sounded like gravel. In the morning the rain stopped. I stepped out into a world of grey. My pitching was not good; a few stakes had popped out because the ground had gone soft (should have used rocks), and some of the guylines I didn't tighten enough. Nothing broken though. Walked 17 more miles into Old Station in fair weather.

Old Station was tiny but useful. I got a burger at JJ's, whose menus had printed on them a Cheryl Strayed quote. First time I've seen her mentioned on the trail without revilement. Some townies said the trail would be snowbound and urged me to bail. One said I'd be fine though; I chose to believe him, plus the NWS was saying the snowline would stay above trail elevations. Not by a huge margin, but enough that I thought any snow would not be deep. I bought some candy bars, saved a few weather forecasts to my phone, and hiked out the next day.

Just past noon, the precip started. The wind picked up, a 30 mph headwind gusting to 50, blasting my face with cold rain. I braced myself with my poles and pushed steadily uphill. The rain fell in curtains. I stopped a few miles later in a slightly sheltered depression right of the trail. I couldn't go on in those conditions, so, 12 miles in, at 1 pm, I was calling it a day.

The wind absolutely roared through the forest. It sounded like a jetliner. I wore my earplugs as soon as I got into my tent. Through the afternoon, the rain was mixed with small hail and sleet. Stopping at that time was the right move.

It was miraculously quiet and dry in the morning. Even my tent rain fly had dried out. I checked the hourly forecast on InReach. There was an 8 hour window before more rain and I planned to maximize it. I kept a 3.0 mph pace. The trail was clear of snow. At 4 pm it started raining, on schedule, falling straight. I had walked 24 miles and setup camp next to the Feather River.

Next day was clear. Walked for half a day to make it to the road leading into Chester. Took 20 minutes to get a hitch, not bad. So I returned to the town where I had spent 9 days injured. Caught the bus to Quincy at 6 am the next day. My last remaining trail segment is 33 miles and starts/ends in Quincy, while I had already done the segment between Quincy and Chester (passing through Beldentown), hence the bus. 

Day 156, mile 1,498 (57% of the trail)

Since reaching the northern terminus at the US/Canada border, I've traveled back down to Etna in NorCal and have hiked 100 miles southbound to Mt. Shasta city. I have about 200 left to complete my hike.

So, what was the terminus like? Well, you can tell you're near by the whoops and cheers echoing through the forest. I got there on 29 September at around 10:30 am, and honestly, I've been so insistent on not being "done" because of the chunk I skipped, that I didn't feel very much. I wrote in the registry how many miles I had left and after quaffing some champagne from another hiker (glass bottle and all), started marching into Canada alone.

I reached Manning Park a few hours later. MP is a wilderness retreat spot with a restaurant, cabins, a modest hotel, and a gift shop. It's a pretty basic establishment, but to a thru-hiker at this point it might as well be Las Vegas. Figured out the best way to Etna would be a bus to Seattle, then a train to Dunsmuir in California, and two more buses to reach my end point. That night I got dinner with a few other hikers, the parent of one graciously picking up the tab. Some of them talked about just being done with backpacking entirely. All of us were ready for the end.

I caught the bus at 2 am. Spent two nights in downtown Seattle. Got some Ethiopian food for dinner, went to REI and Trader Joe's to resupply. I sent one food box to Burney Mountain Guest Ranch, which is on trail, so that I won't have to hitch into town.

I left Etna on 4 October after a dump 5-6 inches of snow on the trail the previous night. It was really cold and my shoes were soaked through. I was about to turn back when I ran into another southbounder. We talked about the conditions and how I might be a tad short on food, and decided to hike together. What followed was 12 miles of snow covered trail, foggy ridges, and a night camped in a cloud that coated our tents in ice. This had to be my coldest night on the trail, maybe in the teens °F. We split up when I decided I was going to reach Shasta as early as possible, while he was doing a relaxed pace because his hike ended there.

The whole segment from Etna to Mt Shasta city was really beautiful. Russian River wilderness had jagged peaks almost like the Sierra. Castle Crags was this massive formation a few thousand feet tall of granite buttresses gleaming in the sun. This is definitely the nicest part of NorCal I've seen thus far, and I'm glad I decided to not just leave it out of my hike.

I reached the interstate leading to Mt. Shasta at 5:30 pm. A little late to be hitching. A pickup stopped and told me they weren't headed my way, so I told them to have a good day. Then ten minutes later, came back and said they figured it'd be more interesting to talk to a hitch hiker than go on with their picnic that evening. The trail provides. They dropped me off with a slice of home made apple pie, which was still warm and incredible, and gave me their number for tomorrow so that hey could drive me back to the trail.

It was a typical town stop: laundry, calories, sleep. Went to a cafe and after talking about the trail a bit with the cashier, he gave me two cookies. Omg so much magic. Got a ride back with the guy from the day before, told me to call him if needed. People are awesome.

Now I'm camped 8 miles south of Mt. Shasta. There was a bit of solo night hiking, during which i was pretty anxious about mountain lions and bears, oh my. An hour ago I heard a series of twigs slowly snapping maybe thirty feet away. Started banging my poles together and shouting. Don't know if it had any effect. I never saw any eyeshine in the dark so who knows. I have two more nights until I reach Burney, at which it is forecast to rain for five days (seriously). I'll be doing two one-night segments following that, passing through Old Station where I can recuperate, so it shouldn't be too bad. 

Day 146, mile 2,644 (99.8% of the trail)

Been going a lot faster recently. Did 31.5 miles with 6,000 ft gain in 10.8 hours, giving an average speed of 2.9 mph. The day before, I did 30.0 miles, 7,400 ft gain in 10.1 hours, 3.0 mph. My usual speed in this kind of terrain is around 2.3-2.5 mph, so this is a big jump. The only things I've changed are that I'm eating less and taking much smaller steps. The latter seems to preserve my legs much better throughout the day. Did I really just get a free 20% boost in hiking speed? I'm also feeling less tired when I get to camp, so it's not that I'm just exerting myself more. If I can sustain this, I could do the 301 miles I skipped in NorCal, which is much flatter than Washington, in 9-10 days. I can't believe it took 2,300 miles to figure out my gait was wrong.

I'm also 6 miles from the northern terminus. Going to tag it in the morning then head up 8 miles into Canada to Manning Park. From there, I'm going to Vancouver by bus. Then I have to figure out the cheapest way to get back to Etna, mile 1,597.

Mice are scurrying around my tent. They already chewed through a like-new pair of Arc'teryx gloves. Very annoying. 

Day 140, mile 2,518 (95% of the trail)

Hiked 27.2 miles with 7,600 ft of cumulative elevation gain, overall speed 2.2 mph. Oof. Gorgeous views of the Cascades. Did not see another northbound hiker until I reached camp at Mica Lake. Fog rolled in at 6 pm, continued hiking in decreasing visibility for 1.5 hours. Everything was grey-blue, uneasy hiking alone in such conditions on a steep, scree-covered trail. Noticed new snow as low as 6,000 ft. The PCT has five more climbs that top out at 6,000-7,000 ft.