PCT | Final Gear List
Before flying to the US to hike the Pacific Crest Trail, both Chef and I were quite stressed out by the topic of “gear”. We indeed wanted to have the perfect gear list and desperately tried to reduce our base weight to a minimum, while keeping a certain level of comfort and luxury items. We wanted to have it all figured out before even setting foot on the trail. A few days into our thru-hike, we however realized that the trick was all about being flexible, adapting and improvising.
A few tips
You don’t need it? Get rid of it!
While hiking, we quickly noticed which gear we were not using and got rid of it by placing it in a hiker box or by sending it back to Petra, our “Trail Mom” based in the USA.
Lilo at the post office in Idyllwild.
Gear breaks. Be patient and learn how to repair it!
We also learned a bitter truth: gear, no matter the quality and the price, when used day after day during a thru-hike, will eventually break. Therefore, we learned to be patient and to react quickly, either by buying new gear online and sending it to towns ahead of us, or by finding out how to repair it on trail.
💎 The sleeping pad odyssey:
I have to admit I did loose my shit when my sleeping pad deflated for the 1000th time at night after I thought I had repaired it.
During the day, I was stopping at every damn lake, inflating my pad and desperately trying to find the damn hole… in the end, I just found myself sleeping on the cold tent floor over and over again.
I ended up buying a new pad and guess what?! It deflated the first night I used it, because of a manufacturing defect (how funny).
Cleopatra and Lilo at Chicken Spring Lake, peacefully floating on the sleeping pads, hoping to spot the hole that was causing their deflation the previous night.
⛺️ The tent zipper nightmare:
Oh… and did I tell you about our tent zippers? They failed exactly when we needed them the most, as we were crossing the “mosquito hell” in the Sierra. We therefore ended up sleeping with an open net for a few weeks (hello insects!).
We learned what the actual problem was: the zipper was not closing anymore, because the metal of the sliders wore down over time due to the dust on trail. We quickly ordered the replacement sliders and two weeks later we repaired the zipper during our zero in Truckee. The procedure took us 3 hours, but I am proud to say it was a success!
Our advice it to always have a pair of extra sliders in your repair-kit.
Petra and Lilo repairing the tent’s zippers in Truckee.
Try out new things!
I thought I already knew my equipment very well, but it turned out I was wrong. During the PCT, I got to try out different product brands and models, and often got positively surprised by gear that I thought I would never need. I guess there is always something new to learn when it comes to gear!
☀️ The sun hoodie example:
I initially planned to wear a normal merino t-shirt for hiking, as usual. However, once in the US, Chef decided to buy a sun hoodie: a long sleeve hooded shirt that provides UV protection. I therefore decided to also give it a try and simply fell in love with it. I’ll never hike without it again!
Lilo proudly wearing the hoodie.
Final Gear List
Here is a list of the gear we would pack for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, a list that was refined day by day over the entire duration of our thru-hike. We’ll keep updating it on a yearly basis, based on our growing knowledge and experiences on the trails.
Separately below, you can find the lists of:
♥️ Important note:
Use this gear list for inspiration, but don’t take it as the one and only way to go! “Gear” is a very subjective topic, as every hiker is different and therefore has different needs while on trail. Find what suits you best and HYOH!
And what about the axe from “The Shining”? Well, that was too heavy to steal from the hotel…
Section-specific gear
☂️ These are additional items we carried on specific sections of the trail (all included in the list above).
Gaiters: useful to keep dirt and sand out of your shoes. We used them in the Desert only, although many people kept them for the whole trail.
Micro Spikes: we used them in the Desert on the San Jacinto mountains (from Idyllwild to Cabazon), and in the Sierra (from Kennedy Meadows South to Tuolumne Meadows). They proved to be very useful for additional grip on the snow!
❄️ Depending on the snow conditions, you’ll maybe need them more often or even not at all!
Ice Axe: we carried it, but never actually used it, in the first stretch of the Sierra (from Kennedy Meadows South to Bishop).
⛄️ Depending on the snow conditions, you’ll maybe need it more often or even not at all!
Chef on the snow-covered descent from Forester Pass.
Bear Hanging Rope: we both carried a 50 ft. long cord for hanging our food on trees from Big Bear Lake onward. We mainly used it from Truckee (where we got rid of our bear canisters) until the end, hence in NorCal, Oregon and Washington.
Bear Canister BV500: a bear canister is mandatory in the Sierra (from Kennedy Meadows South to Kennedy Meadows North). However, we recommend to keep it until Truckee or Sierra City (NorCal), as it is also required in the Desolation Wilderness (just after South Lake Tahoe). We rented ours from Triple Crown Outfitters in Kennedy Meadows South, and sent it back from Truckee.
Lilo and her “beloved“ bear canister.
Mosquito Net: this head net was essential for our survival in the Sierra during the first half of July, as the mosquitoes were the worst. We carried it from Kennedy Meadows South until the end of the trail.
🦟 Depending on snow conditions, temperatures and start date, you’ll maybe need it at a different time / section of the trail! For example, we were expecting mosquitoes to be much worse in Oregon, but it thankfully did not happen.
Heavy Gloves: I kept them in my pack from Kennedy Meadows South until the end of the trail, and used them in cold weather in the Sierra, Oregon and Washington.
☁️ If you have an early start date (March - April), you’ll maybe need them in the Desert as well!
Beanie: same as the gloves, I carried it from Kennedy Meadows South until the end, and loved wearing it on cold evenings.
Thermal Pants: I carried them in the Sierra (from Kennedy Meadows South to Truckee) and again in Washington (from Cascade Locks until the end). However, I actually only used them in the first stretch of the Sierra, especially while summiting Mount Whitney at sunrise.
Lilo, Cleopatra, Pacman and Chef, wearing thermals and beanies on top of Mount Whitney.
Rain Pants: Chef and I had different strategies regarding pants. He walked in shorts and had rain pants for colder evenings and rainy days. I also walked in shorts but preferred wearing wind pants in the evening and colder days, which were more breathable and lighter in the pack, but not waterproof. It was a bit risky but it worked out, at least until Oregon. I then got my rain pants in Bend and I carried them until the end.
⚡️ In Oregon, the weather got worse and we walked through two miserable days of cold temperatures, constant rain, hail, thunder and lightning storms. This showed us the power of nature’s elements and made us realize how exposed and vulnerable we were while on the trail. We therefore decided not to risk it anymore and carry the rain gear until the end of the PCT.
Rain Poncho: we would recommend carrying a rain poncho in/from Oregon.
💧 During the two-days of insistent rain we faced in Oregon, my backpack cover started failing and the inside of my pack started getting wet. I was very lucky to find a rain poncho on the second day at the Olallie Lake Resort. It served as an additional cover on top of my pack and additional layer against the cold. I carried it until the end.
The miserable weather we had in Oregon. I am cold just by looking at this picture.
Gear we got rid of
📦 These are items we decided to ditch (not included in the list above).
Bag for Sleeping Bag: I initially had a compression bag to compress and store my sleeping bag. However, I then realized I could just stuff the sleeping bag at the bottom of my pack, so I ditched the compression bag and saved some weight.
Fleece: I figured that I was sufficiently equipped for cold evenings with a thermal shirt, a puffy and a rain jacket. I sent my fleece home while hiking in the Desert and never regretted it.
Light Gloves: I realized that either it was cold and I needed to wear heavy gloves, or it was warm enough not to need any type of gloves. However, Chef kept his light gloves for the whole trail… so that’s really a “cold vs warm hands” subjective matter!
E-Reader: we were both way too tired for reading in the evening, and started listening to audiobooks instead.
Mirror: it turned out to be useless.
Menstrual Cup: I had my period the day I started hiking the PCT (of course). I just hated the whole process with the menstrual cup… it was a messy nightmare for me, so I switched back to tampons and pads, but that’s just my personal preference.
Journal & Pen: it was easier for me to write a diary on my phone using the “notes app”.
Sunglasses’ Neck Loop: it broke during week one, and I never felt the need to buy a new one.
The content of our backpacks before being decluttered. Jokes aside, this was a trail angel’s garage containing a lot of useful (and useless) stuff for thru-hikers.
Gear we added
🎁 These are items we did not initially pack, but purchased at a later point (all included in the list above).
Pot Scraper: we bought this scraper to clean our pots after dinner and we loved it!
Imagine the luxury of not going to bed with sticky hands smelling like Mac & Cheese :)
Fuel Transfer Device: this tiny device allowed us to save some money on fuel, as we started filling our gas canister with the leftover fuel of the cans found in hikers boxes.
KT Tape: this tape was very useful, both for relieving pain from the bottom of my foot and for generally keeping plasters in place on top of blisters and wounds.
Anti Chafing Cream: before adventuring on the trail, we definitely underestimated the problem of chafing. This cream was a “must have” for us!
Lilo applying “baby butt paste” on her thighs, desperately trying to relieve chafing.
Repair Glue: combined with a tear-aid kit patch, it was perfect for sealing holes in our sleeping pads.
Zipper Sliders: the tent’s zipper sliders often wear down over time due to dust and dirt. When this happens, you’ll need to replace them, otherwise you’ll not be able to close the zipper anymore! Therefore, we highly recommend to carry a pair of extra sliders in your repair-kit.
Just to give you an idea of how miserable we felt when our tent zipper broke… this was our situation while walking through “mosquito hell“ in the Sierra. KT tape also proved to be a useful temporary solution for keeping the net “closed“ at night.
Massage Ball: I never thought this little piece of gear could literally save my hike! In Oregon, I started feeling sharp pain in the sole of my feet, and every step I took was a torture. I tried to massage my feet by hand during every break but it did not really help. One day, Popeye threw at me his little massage ball and, although reluctant at first, I started massaging my feet with it. It was revolutionary, and I ended up buying one!
Gear we swapped
🔄 These are items we replaced at some point (new items included in the list above).
Backpack Rain Protection (external cover to internal liner): I initially had a pack cover from ULA to put around my backpack in case of rain. However, after a few days of insistent rain, the waterproof textile failed and water got through. I therefore decided to change strategy and try out the nylofume liner, a very light plastic bag that lines up the internal walls of my pack, hence containing all the gear I want to protect from rain.
Sleeping Bag (bag to quilt): we both swapped our sleeping bags for quilts at the end of the Sierra (in Truckee) and honestly, I think I’ll never go back to a sleeping bag. My Katabatic Flex quilt had a higher comfort temperature rating (15°F) than my Western Mountaneering Versalite sleeping bag (10°F), and it just felt perfect. However, what really made me fall in love with it was the freedom of movement it gave me at night!
Head Lamp (new model): I initially had the Petzl TIKKA, a headlamp with batteries. The light was strong when inserting new batteries, but it was getting weaker quite rapidly over time. I also had issues with the extra batteries I was carrying, which were destroyed by the heat of the desert. I therefore ended up buying a new, lighter and rechargeable headlamp, the Nitecore NU25 UL, and I am very happy with it!
Water Filter (new model): our initial water filters (Chef had a Katadyn BeFree, while I had a Sawyer Mini) slowed down so much that we decided to replace them. We both tried out the classic Sawyer Squeeze filter and it was the best decision ever! The filtration process was very fast and the coupling device allowed us to filter water using gravity… we could actually relax during our breaks!
Lilo sweating while filtering water with her previous filter, the Sawyer Mini.
Shorts (new model): I started hiking with Patagonia Baggies, but ended up hating them. Their quite rigid textile was rubbing against the skin of my thighs and caused terrible chafing. I switched to Patagonia Strider Pro shorts and it was a much better option for me!
This were the shorts that gave me chafing… RIP beautiful Patagonia Baggies :(
Sitting Pad (sitting pad to sleeping pad): we decided to replace our small sitting pads with bigger Therm-a-Rest Zlite Sol pads, that we placed underneath our inflatable pads at night. We adopted this strategy to better protect our inflatable pads from being punctured again and to provide safety insulation in case of disaster. The foldable pads were very comfortable during breaks too, as they allowed us to lay down like proper hiker trash people!
Chef wearing his foldable sleeping pad like silver wings… “He was a fairy”.
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