The Gear I Used
On this page, I hope to answer some common questions about my gear on the
Pacific Crest Trail. I tried to go as lightweight as possible. What is below represents
my gear at the end of the trip and this list is very similar to what I started with. If
I were to hike the trail again, there is little I would chance, except for taking a
warmer sleeping bag through the Sierra. I've listed the weights of various things. My
base weight (weight without food, water, or oil)
fluctuated between 11 and 13 pounds during the trip.
Please email me at
cwillett@pierce.ctc.edu if you
want to know more.
Base Gear
- ULA Zenith Pack (19 oz)
- Silnylon pack cover (2 oz)
- 3/4 length Z-rest pad (12 oz)
- Western Mountaineering Highlight Sleeping Bag, with stuff sack (19.3 oz)
- Integral Designs Silk Sleeping Bag liner (4.8 oz)
- Dancing Light Tacoma tarp, with stuff sack (11 oz)
- 9 stakes (5.1 oz)
- Fibraplex carbon fiber tarp pole (1.4 oz)
- Tyvek groundcloth (5 oz)
- Homemade alcohol stove with pot support (1.5 oz)
- MSR windscreen (1.6 oz)
- 1.3 L Evernew Titanium Pot (5.8 oz)
- 20 oz soda bottle for fuel (1.5 oz)
- 20 oz soda bottle for oil (1.5 oz)
- 2 Bic lighters (1.6 oz)
- Lexan spoon (0.3 oz)
- 2.4 L Platypus waterbag (1.4 oz)
- 3 Silnylon stuff sacks: 2 food, 1 clothing (3.2 oz)
- Polar pure (2 oz)
- MEC midweight thermal top (8.3 oz)
- MEC midweight thermal tights (6.2 oz)
- Wigwam hat (2 oz)
- Fox River liner gloves (1 oz)
- MEC Rapidi-T (5.1 oz)
- Frogg Toggs Anorak (7.7 oz)
- 2 pair Wigwam Ultimax socks (4.6 oz)
- Patagonia shorts (5 oz)
- MEC Northern Lite II pullover (13.3 oz)
- Toothpaste and brush (2 oz)
- Toliet paper and gelled alcohol (2.8 oz)
- Medical kit (4.9 oz)
- 2 Photon II Microlights (0.8 oz)
- Compass (1.2 oz)
- Documents (Drivers license, ATM, health, phone, 2 credit cards)
- Cash
- Guidebook sections
- Databook sections
- Contact info
- Olympus Sylus Epic Camera (5.3 oz)
- Film (2 36 exposure rolls) (2 oz)
- Journal and Pen (3.3 oz).
Added in Southern California
- 2 2.4 liter Platypus water bags (2.8 oz)
- Sunscreen
Added for the Sierra
- Camp XLA 210 Ice axe with leash (10.6 oz)
- Dancing Light Sleepnet (2 oz)
- DEET
- REI Glacier Overglasses (1.4 oz)
The sleepnet and the DEET would travel the rest of the way with me, but
the sunscreen, extra waterbags, and ice axe were sent home or put in the
bounce box after clearing the half way point, Chester, CA.
What I'd wear
From Mexico to South Lake Tahoe, I wore:
- MEC Prospector Shirt (8.2 oz)
- MEC River Pants (9.1 oz)
- Wigwam ultimax socks (2.3 oz)
- Sunday Afternoons adventure hat (2.9 oz)
- Kmart watch (1.5 oz)
- Bandana (1 oz)
- Andiamo skins (2.9 oz)
From South Lake Tahoe to Canada, I wore the Columbia shorts and MEC
Rapidi-T listed above.