PCT Pack List:

I learned a lot about my gear preferences with my through hike of the AT and applied the leanings to my PCT . Some of the items are the same items I carried on the AT, some are upgrades or replacements since its really just a bonus if any of your gear survives a thru hike. I have never done any serious backpacking with a partner before so I am taking a stab at what items can be shared and what items its best to have two of to keep us both sane. I am not Ultra Light which is to say I have a base weight of more than 10lbs. It would be nice to be sub 10 lbs, but in reality I am targeting between 15-16 lbs and ended up closer to  17lbs. To get a sub 10 lbs pack I would have to not carry a stove, buy a higher end shelter system that is supported by your hiking poles and go with a frame-less backpack, as well as leave all of my luxury items behind; to me its very important to be light, but carrying a few extra pounds for comfort is okay, there are plenty of people who would disagree with me, but it all comes down to your hiking style. The list below is what I plan to carry, I may have left something out on accident but this is 99% of what I will be bringing with my comments included. 

Gear

  • Backpack
    • ULA Circuit (2lbs, 7 oz.)
      • Important your pack can fit a bear canister on the PCT
  • Tent System 
    • Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3 (3lbs. 11oz)
    • Foot Print (9oz)
      • Yes I know this tent is big, I mean really big, and much larger than anything I would dream of on a a solo hike but since Clara and I will be together almost 24/7 we figured it would be a nice luxury to have a slightly larger tent in case we want to get away from each other and with 2 people splitting the weight it will work out to about 34 oz each assuming we can split the weight evenly; the foot print will help the life of the tent as well as give us a ground cloth for when we are cowboy camping.
      • If I was hiking solo I would go with the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 (2 lbs, 4 oz.) with footprint, if you wanted to go ultra light you should look at a Hexamid Solo Tent by Z-Packs
  • Sleep System (3 lbs, 11.9 oz.)
    • Western Mountaineering Versalite 10 degree sleeping bag (2lbs)
      • I would have gone with the Western Mountaineering Ultra lite 20 degree bag if I was buying new, but I already owned the versalite (Clara is carrying the Ultralite). When I hiked the AT I used the Western Mountaineering Hight Lite 35 degree bag which weights 16 oz, this bag is in reserve if we hit a warmer section of the trail and I want to shed  a pound. 
      • Western Mountaineering is very expensive, but I carried their bags on the AT and I will say you get what you pay for
    • Thermarest Neoair Extherm Sleeping Pad (15 oz.)
      • This is a nice thick sleeping pad with a high R value, it will probably be a pain in the ass to blow up every night, but I think one of the most dangerous things on the trail is not getting good sleep, which makes you tired through the day and unsure on your feet, increasing your risk of injury.
    • Ultra-Sil Compression Dry Sack (3.2oz)
      • I use a thick contractor grade trash bag as a liner in my backpack, but like the additional protection of a dry sack for my sleeping bag, plus the versalite is a big bag and needs to be compressed to fit in my pack
    • Sea to Summit  Silk Liner (4.6 oz.)
      • I always use a liner to keep my sleeping bag as clean as possible on long stretches of not showering, its a lot easier to clean a liner than it is a sleeping bag, even using a liner my sleeping bag on the AT had a lot of "character"
    • Sea to Summit Aeros Pillow (2.1 oz)
      • I did not hike with a pillow on my AT hike, but swore I would on my next thru-hike, you can always use your pile of clothes as a pillow, but when its cold and you are wearing all of your layers you are out of luck
  • Cook System and Hydration (1 lb, 10.8oz.):
    • Jetboil Flash cooking system (1lb)
      • Clara will have her own separate cooking pot ( Mountain Laurel 850ml Titanium pot) so we can split meals immediately after they are made in the jetboil; two hungry hikers eating out of the same cup would be a disaster even for the most grounded relationship. Also a titanium pot is nice, because if we run out of fuel and have to build a fire to cook on we can use her pot, a jetboil has insulation on it and can only be used with a fuel canister and not put in a fire.
      • I carried an alcohol stove on the AT. I could spend an hour listing out all of the Pros and Cons of an alcohol stove, but the decision was easy. An alcohol stove would not be good for anything but a solo hike, plus they are illegal on the PCT since there is no shutoff valve making them a fire hazard, so the decision is basically made for us. 
    • Vargo Titanium Spork (0.4oz)
    • Mini Bic Lighter (1 oz)
    • Sawyer Filter (2.5 0z)
      • Huge fan of the sawyer filter, they have no moving parts and are easy to maintain, just make sure you don't let them freeze
    • Three Platypus 2 liter bags (3.9oz)
      • The desert will require us to each carry anywhere between 6-8 liters of water, I imagine after the desert I will send two of them home and carry a spare 2 liter bag just in case. 
    • Two Smart Water Bottles (3oz)
      • I like smart warter bottles for their design, as well as the nozzle on the bottle allows you to use it to back flush a sawyer filter
  • Utility (10.6 oz)
    • Petzl Tikka Headlamp (3.0 oz)
      • Make sure any lamp you have has a red light on it, if you are not night hiking, you will use the red lamp more than the white lamp to keep you from loosing your night vision when looking at maps, or taking a leak
    • Benchmade 560 knife (2.6 oz)
      • This is a sentimental knife, and given to me by the person who made we want to become an engineer. It is larger than a knife needs to be on the trail, if I did not have this knife I would have a classic Swiss army knife which weighs 1.3oz (Clara is carrying the little knife) 
    • 30 Feet of 550 Parachute Cord (5.0 oz)
      • I think its always good to hike with cord, for random uses around camp, 30 feet should be plenty for the both of us
    • Compass
      • I have a small compass, but unlike the AT, you actually need a compass and map.
    • Yana Hiking Poles (9.0 oz)
      • Great light weight poles, I don't think you are going to find lighter poles that can take the abuse, I dont include their weight in in my overall pack weight since 95% of the time they are in my hands

Wearables

  • Outerwear 
    • Outdoor Research Helium II Rain Jacket (6.4 oz.)
    • Mountain Hardwear Ghost whisper Down Jacket (7oz) or Patagonia Nano Puff Sythetic Insulated Jacket (12 oz)
      • I don't like to rely on down for all of my insulation (sleeping bag and jacket), down is far superior to synthetic insulation, but if my sleeping bag ever got wet, I would want a fighting chance of survival by having a synthetic jacket that can still insulate when wet; there are plenty of people on the AT (which is much more wet and humid than the PCT) that wore down jackets and had no problems. I figure I will start with my down jacket, and if the weather gets really wet, I will have my synthetic jacket sent out to me
    • Icebreaker Carve Reversible Beanie Hat (3 oz)
      • Find the warmest wool hat  you can, per ounce nothing will keep you warmer than a good hat
    • Outdoor Research Radar Pocket Hat with Drapes (1.7 oz)
      • Makes me look like french legionare or just a giant dork, but I don't tan, I burn so....
    • UV Buff (2 oz)
      • Did not hike with a buff on the AT, but being exposed in the desert I wanted the extra protection on my face
    • Dirty Girl Gaitors (2 oz)
      • I did not hike with gaitors on the AT, but liked the look of them and since the PCT is dustier I figured they would help keep crap out of my shoes
    • Ice Breaker Sierra Gloves (3 oz)
    • Duduma Polarized Sports Sunglasses (3 oz)
    • Bandanna (1 oz)
  • Clothing 
    • Out Door Research Convertible Pants
    • Prana Shorts
    • Ice Breaker Merino Wool T-Shirt
    • Exofficio Long Sleeve Shirt
    • Ice Breaks Wool leggings
    • 2- 1/4 length Darn Tough Hiking Socks
    • One Pair of full Darn Tough Hiking Socks to Sleep in
    • Clothing Bag: Sea to Summit 15 Liter Bag
    • 2-Under Armour Boxer Jox 
      • I hiked the AT in two Boxer Jocks, and still wear them. So I am sold on their durability
  • Shoes
    • Hiking Shoes- Cascadia 11
      • Do your own research and try out plenty of shoes before you purchase them, its okay to spend 2 or more hours trying on shoes, if you dont find what you like, go to another store. You dont want to get knocked off the trail due to foot problems caused by your shoe. Most people who do long distance hiking do not wear boots, personally I think hiking boots are a giant marketing gimick and nothing beats a pair of lightweight trail runners. I went through 4 pairs of shoes on the AT and plan on going through 4 pairs on the PCT
    • Camp Shoes- Vivo Barefoot Ultra II
      • Some people would consider camp shoes a luxury item, I personally think they are necessary for my feet. I started the AT without camp shoes but picked up some in Hot Springs and then upgraded to Vivo in Rutland VT and never regretted the added weight. There are plenty of camp chores and work to be done once you are done hiking and for me its a pain to walk around barefoot and a huge moral boost to be out of my shoes for the day. 

Technology anD LUXURY

  • Samsung S5
  • Anker 10,000 mAh external charger
  • Ipod Nano
  • Write in the Rain notepad
  • Book