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You are here: Home1 / Blog2 / Hiking Gear3 / PCT gear list

Lightweight PCT gear list

As the PCT class of 2018 might be already busy preparing, I finally got around to update my lightweight PCT gear list for the Pacific Crest Trail.

Choosing the right hiking gear for my first long-distance hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016 was a very challenging undertaking. Weeks and months of doing my research turned me into an expert about backpacks, tents and hiking shoes, different materials used and how they affect weight and durability. My PCT gear list developed over a few months and I am especially proud to say that I could realize some last minute weight savings before I hit the trail.

When it comes to long distance hiking every gram or ounce (for Americans :-)) counts. Ultra-light hiking and hence the gear is by now not very common in Germany. People start looking at you in a different way once you are saying something like “It weighs 50 grams, sorry that’s too heavy.”

By reading tons of blogs and gearlists from experienced thru-hikers and simply by asking some questions I could venture a guess what might work for me on trail. I decided to be a “not very ultra-light” hiker and carry maybe too much or too heavy items. But as I said before finding appropriate gear in Germany has been quite a challenge so I was very happy with my still lightweight gearlist. I decided to adjust along the way and to use a bounce box (That’s a box you can send ahead of yourself on trail and if you don’t open it you can forward it to the next post office for free.) giving me the opportunity to send gear I don’t need ahead of me.

How to choose the right hiking gear for the PCT?

Regarding the selection of your own gear all the PCT gear lists and reviews on the internet are more than helpful. Lots of products are very successful and that’s for a reason. Actually more important than to look at what others use is actually to try and use gear and find out what works for yourself. So go out and hike!

Just in case you want to get an idea of what I was carrying in 2016 scroll down and have a look at my lightweight PCT gear list. My approach was to separate the gear I used for hiking the first section from the stuff that is in my pack. In the end the numbers showed a total weight of my backpack of 7.6 kg and another 1.1 kg I would wear or use initially (including hiking poles).

Overall I was very happy with my gear. I still use most of it and will definitely take it on my next hiking adventure!

Gear used while hiking

shoes: LaSportiva Women’s UltraRaptor

hiking poles: Leki Micro Vario Carbon     478g

desert pants: lightweight convertible pants

sierra pants: Lundhags Traverse WS pant

shirt: Craghopper’s Nosilife longsleeve shirt     200g

underwear: Craft women’s boxershorts     70g

underwear: Icebreaker sports bra     60g

socks: darn tough vermont womens socks     50g

sunhat: Arc’teryx Sinsola Hat Woman’s     53g

scarf / neck protection: Buff     35g

gaiters: Dirty Girl Gaiters     30g

GEAR USED WHILE HIKING
(not in pack)

Bicycle Touring Gear List - hiking gear

THE BIG THREE
– Backpack
– Tent
– Sleeping Bag

Backpack, tent and sleeping bag

Backpack: Osprey Exos 58     1170g

raincover: Osprey UL raincover    104g

Tent: MSR Hubba NX (without pack)    1260g

Footprint: Hubba NX Footprint     131g

Sleeping bag: Western Mountaineering Apache MF     922g

Stuffsack: Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Dry 20l     50g

Sleeping mat: Therm-A-Rest Neo Air X-Lite W’s + Pack     330g

Clothing

rain jacket: OR Helium II Jacket Women     168g

rain “pants”: ÜLA rain skirt     72g

puffy jacket: Arc’teryx Atom LT Hoody     313g

extra hiking socks: darn tough vermont socks     50g

sleep socks: Smartwool W’s PHD Outdoor medium crew  50g

extra underwear     30g

top for sleeping/cold: Woolpower Zip Turtleneck 200     200g

pants for sleeping/cold: Odlo Evolution X-Warm Pants     152g

gloves: OR Backstop Sensor Gloves     60g

glove liners: Icebreaker Merino Oasis Glove Liners     22g

beanie: Mountain Equipment Alpine Hat      31g

CLOTHING

PCT gear list

COOKING GEAR

Cooking gear

Cooking

custom “pot” for rehydration     70g

cutlery: Esbit Titan longhandle spoon     21g

2 small nalgene bottles for hot sauce, olive oil     30g

Water & Filtering

waterfilter: Sawyer Squeeze Mini     55g

backup waterfilter: Micropur Forte 100l     21g

Evernew Softbottle 2l     43g

Platypus Softbottle 2l     39g

2x 1l Smartwater bottle

self-made adapter for filtering

Bathroom stuff

towel: PackTowel Nano Gr. S     20g

trowel: MSR Blizzard Snow Stake (for digging catholes)     33g

toilet paper: wet ones

Liquid Hand Sanitizer

toothbrush & Toothpaste

sunscreen

insect repellent

BATHROOM STUFF

ELECTRONICS

Electronics

Headlamp Petzl Tikka R+     113g

Camera Olympus Tough TG-4     250g

Camera Mounter Stick-pic     12g

iphone 4     160g

USB Travel Adapter: Anker Power Port 4     132g

Portable Battery: RAV Power 7800 Ah     181g

cords for electronics     103g

Miscellaneous

stuffsack: Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack 8l (for clothes)     24g

stuffsack: Sea to Summit Ultra-Sil Nano Dry Sack 2l (for electronics)     16g

trashbag: Opsak     18g

Euroschirm Swing Liteflex silver     230g

Repair Kit (fire starter, duct-tape, repair kit matress)     40g

rope parachute cord 5m     31g

knife: Leatherman Style CS    43g

Compass Suunto M3-G     50g

Sea to Summit Nano Headnet     13g

Oakley sun glasses     32g

Halfmile maps printed (first section)     100g

Aloksak + passport, permits, paper, pen     64g

Aloksak + money, credit cards     35g

MISCELLANEOUS

TEMPORARY GEAR

Temporary gear

I carried temporary gear in the Sierra Nevada. The required bear canister made for a heavier backpack from Kennedy Meadows to Kennedy Meadows North. The micro spikes were with me for nearly the same stretch and very useful while crossing some of the high passes in snow. Not having had a proper training in it’s usage, I didn’t carry an ixe axe though. But on trail there were nearly no sections where I really would have needed one.

Bear Canister BearVault BV500     1160g

Kathoola Micro Spikes     337g

What gear will you take on your hike on the Pacific Crest Trail?

I hope you’ll find my PCT gear list helpful for your selection. You can find more information in my detailed gear review. If you have any questions, feel free to use the comment section!

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail is about more than gear and there is much more to consider before you can actually pack you backpack and start on your hike. Therefore I have written another blogpost about planning and you can also find a list of good books to read.

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Planning in a nutshell…

April 9, 2016/by lifetimetrails

Books, books, books…

April 11, 2016/by lifetimetrails

San Diego Times

April 24, 2016/by lifetimetrails

PCT Class of 22nd of April

April 24, 2016/by lifetimetrails

Day 2: First times

April 25, 2016/by lifetimetrails

Day 3: Slowing down

April 25, 2016/by lifetimetrails

Day 4: Windy California

April 26, 2016/by lifetimetrails

Day 5: The beauty of the desert

April 28, 2016/by lifetimetrails

Day 6: Fighting for 100

April 28, 2016/by lifetimetrails
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