Pacific Crest Trail Gear List

Pacific Crest Trail 10 Pound Base Weight Gear List Review

It’s been almost four (OMG!) years since I hiked 2,600+ mile Pacific Crest Trail in 2019, and quite a bit has changed. One thing that has remained constant throughout the tumultuous past few years is the people’s craving for good ol’ fashioned gear reviews. Before I dive into my PCT Gear List Review I just want to note that having the lowest base weight won’t be what gets you from Mexico to Canada, but it can certainly help. A low base weight reduces injury and is going to make your hike more enjoyable overall, but you don’t need to stress about every single gram. Take what works for you, leave what doesn’t (from this blog and on your hike).

With that out of the way — In this 10 pound base weight PCT gear list review I’ll be going over all the gear I started with, what gear I kept, what gear I switched out and what gear I ditched completely.

Note: I wrote a slightly different version of this blog right after my hike, you can find that on The Trek here.

The Big Four

The big three (sometimes four) are typically referred to as such because they are often the heaviest items you’ll carry. The big three (or four) consist of your pack, sleeping bag, shelter, and sleeping pad and they are the best opportunity to lower your overall base weight. You can leave behind as many snickers bars as you want (and why would you want to?), but if you’re rockin’ a 3 pound pack it’s going to be very hard to keep your weight low.

Tent (Kept): Zpacks Duplex, weighs 19 oz.

Not only did I keep my tent for the entire PCT, I continued to use my duplex on many backpacking trips after (until about half way through the CDT, for more on that, check out my CDT Gear List). Feel free to refer the next person who tells you ultralight gear isn’t durable enough right to this blog.

I absolutely loved using the Zpacks Duplex on the PCT. I loved having enough space for all of my gear when I was alone (and still having enough room to spread out), and I loved having plenty of space to share (when it got ridiculously cold in Washington at the end of my hike). My bathtub even survived a VERY poor pitching decision when it dumped rain and hail before going over Sonora Pass. I was literally camped in a puddle and the bottom of my tent felt like a water bed, but I was completely dry inside. For those worried about not having a freestanding tent on the PCT, I never ran into any issues. You really can’t beat this baby for the weight (19 ounces!). I do, without a doubt, recommend the Duplex if you can justify the price point.

(Side note: Like all single walls, the inside will sometimes get wet with condensation. I found that leaving at least two storm doors open at all times helped with this.)

Sleeping Pad (Kept & Replaced): Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol (short), weighs 10 oz.

I did a few shakedowns with the NeoAir but ended up switching to the Z Lite before my hike because; 1) the NeoAir really is pretty loud and 2) I apparently consistently fall right off air pads.

While I should preface that I’m the kind of person that can pretty much sleep on anything (read: on a plane, train or automobile), I could not be happier with my decision to use the Z Lite. I laid out my pad for siestas in the desert while my friends with air pads looked on in envy. I chucked that baby into my tent every night without wasting precious breath to blow it up. And I never had to spend an exorbitant amount of time in a motel bathtub trying to figure out where it was leaking from. If you’re comfortable sleeping on a foam pad, a ZLite is the move.

You can save more weight by getting the short pad, and using your pack as insulation when it’s super cold (although I almost never had to do this).

I did replace this pad in central Oregon because after several months of use it became compressed. If I was a princess in this scenario, I was starting to feel the peas. Buying two of these for a hike is still way cheaper than most air pads.

(Update: I’ve since used both a NeoAir Xlite and Nemo Tensor, and love both. Turns out my 23-year-old-self was much more tolerant of sleeping on nothing but a foam pad than my 28-year-old-self.)

Sleeping Bag (kept): Zpacks Classic (5 degree, Medium/Standard), weighs 23.2 oz

I got a 5 degree bag from Zpacks because I sleep cold, and I wanted to be prepared for the coldest sections of the PCT without having to send gear back and forth. While I was happy with the features of the bag (closed foot box, partial zipper, drawstring close top), I wasn’t impressed with the warmth. Thirty-degree nights were colder than they should have been in a 5-degree bag, and I often resorted to sharing my tent for warmth in Washington (early October). That said, I’ve used this bag since the PCT and will likely continue to do so until it falls apart.

I’ve also washed this bag, and while it’s a bit of an undertaking, it helped with loft and the funk it had acquired after 2,600+ miles.

Note: Zpacks no longer offers a 5 degree option, I’m not sure if that’s because they raised the rating to 10 degrees to more accurately reflect the warmth of the bag or because they just no longer make it.

If you want to read more about my thought process when choosing sleeping bags, check out this blog.

Pack (kept): Zpacks Arc Haul (w/two hip belt pockets and T-strap), weighs 22.1 oz.

I wanted to love this pack, but I’ll settle for liking it. My main issue is that the frame doesn’t really work the way it’s supposed to without a lot of finagling and frustration. I usually just settled for the frame resting on my back however it decided to that day, which usually meant it wasn’t creating any suspension or was bending sideways.

After an accidental glissade, my hip belt completely popped out of the pack. It was easy enough to reinsert and worked the same, but then I seemed to have the same issue every time I glissaded. Eventually, the hip belt stay broke and I had to get a new one (Zpacks did send it for free). I also had one hip belt pocket break and toward the end, both of the zippers broke (but again, Zpacks replaced the hip belt pocket for free).

I did love the single pocket, roll-top closure, and mesh. That mesh held whatever I wanted it too and held up to quite a bit of abuse with no holes. This pack will also hold a BV500 bear can sideways in the bottom, which is a huge plus. Overall, this bag put up with an entire thru-hike and served me well enough.

(Added features note: Don’t bother with the T-strap if you want it for holding a bear can. I found that it worked better to just put the can in the bottom of my pack. The T-strap didn’t always hold it down (it would slip out and sometimes roll down a hill, yikes). Also, the chest water bottle pouch is useless; your water bottle will fly out a million times before you decide to just use it as a convenient trash pocket.

I still have my Zpacks ArcHaul and with it’s repairs I lend it out to friends who are getting started with backpacking and aren’t ready to spring for a pack of their own.

Clothes (and Rain Gear)

Hiking Shirt (switched): PFG long sleeve

In the desert and Sierra I wore a long-sleeve PFG to protect me from the sun while staying cool. I loved hiking in it and only switched because I wanted something more fun (read: thrifted Hawaiian shirts) to wear in NorCal.

Hiking Shorts (switched): Nike Running Shorts (with built-in compression shorts)

*I can’t find the original shorts, but linked similar ones.

Instead of buying new shorts, I wore a pair from Nike that I already owned (yay sustainability!). The shorts stuck with me until Sierra City, where I treated myself to a cute Outdoor Voices skort (which I loved) because I was craving an outfit change. Both bottoms had the one thing I look for in every hiking bottom — built-in compression shorts. I’ve found compression shorts are key to reducing (unfortunately not eliminating) chafe when thru-hiking.

Puffy (kept): Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer 850 fill power (w/hood), weighs 7.8 oz.

I loved my puffy and loved having a hood on it even more. I’m a cold person, and I snuggled up inside that thing like it was my forever home. Layering became necessary when it was in the 30s in Washington, but my puffy along with my base layer kept me warm. I did find, as a broad-shouldered lady, that it was a bit tight in my armpits but not tight enough to make me get a new puffy.

Base Layer Top (kept): Arc’teryx Rho LT Zip Neck, weighs 8 oz.

This base layer kept me warm and happy while sleeping on my entire hike, and then kept me warm and happy while hiking in Washington (it really got cold, y’all). It was nice to have the quarter-zip once I was using it as an active layer to adjust for temperature (I had an extra base layer at this point that I did NOT wear while hiking). I also loved having the arm pocket to keep my cards and things when I was in town, as this often became my town shirt due to lack of hiking funk.

Base Layer Bottoms (kept): Minus 33 Merino Wool Leggings, weigh 8 oz.

These were the cheapest merino wool leggings I could find on Amazon, and they outdid themselves. They got softer and softer throughout my hike, and I want to live in them forever and ever. Some holes have cropped up in them after a few more years of use, but they still do their job.

Bra (kept): Lulu Lemon Sports Bra (not exact, but close!)

This was the most comfortable bra I owned before starting the trail, and I didn’t want to take my chances with getting something else. I wore this the whole hike, including during dips in alpine lakes, and don’t have a bad thing to say about it. I also still wear it in everyday life which is pretty incredible considering everything else from my hike is too smelly to wear for anything but hiking.

Underwear (kept): Ex Officio Bikini Briefs, weigh 1.6 oz.

Ex Officios were great and awesome for when you wanted to go swimming but not be walking around in wet underwear all day. They held up to washing and wearing for my entire thru-hike. I highly recommend them but did get chafing from them on occasion (switching between these and another pair of underwear (just some basic Target undies) helped). It also might be worth trying the string bikini cut to reduce chafing.

Socks (ditched): Injinji Midweight Mini-Crew

I liked how toe socks made me feel but didn’t like how they got holes SO QUICKLY! One pair even got a hole without hiking any miles in them. I didn’t have issues with between-the-toe blisters, so I ditched them (if you do get in-between the toe blisters, I would recommend pairing Injinji liners with Darn Toughs).

Socks (kept): Darn Tough Hiking Sock, weigh 3 oz.

There’s a reason pretty much every hiker you know wears these. My Darn Toughs served me well, and my mom somehow had access to cool colors and sent me some retro teal ones. I felt like the coolest kid on the trail. I always carried two pairs of socks so I never had to hike in frozen/wet ones.

Sleep Socks (ditched): Smartwool women’s socks

Unless it was extremely cold, I just didn’t find sleep socks necessary.

Trail Runners (kept x5): Saucony Peregrines (size 10)

I usually wear an 8.5, sized up to a 9.5, and then needed to go up another half-size (consider this your warning that thru-hike foot swell is real). The traction on the Peregrines is amazing, and I felt they did well on lots of terrains.

I didn’t love that, without fail in all five pairs I wore, my pinky toes would tear through the sides after about a week of hiking. It didn’t affect my hiking other than dirt and snow got inside a lot easier, and I was too worried about messing up my feet to switch. I’ll be on the search for something else for my next hike, though.

Camp Shoes (kept): Jiyaru Shower Shoes, weigh 3.4 oz.

These things are amazing. They are comfy, and weigh only 3.4 ounces (much lighter than Crocs). I was very grateful for them not only when I had to pee late at night and couldn’t be bothered to put on my trail runners, but also when I had to stand in the many questionable shower stalls along the PCT.

(Side note: Size up in these bad boys.)

Gaiters (ditched): Outdoor Research

I’m not blaming Outdoor Research, but these gaiters gave me a heat rash on day three that sent me into a panic thinking I’d gotten poison oak at Hauser Creek. I stopped wearing them after that and it never felt worth it to get a different pair.

Gloves (switched): Serius Gloves + work gloves (Purchased from a gas station), weigh 2 oz.

After leaving the Sierra, I naively sent home my gloves. They kept me warm there and I had no complaints; however, when we hit Oregon and Washington they were useless because they were 1) not with me and 2) not waterproof. I purchased some bright orange, fleece-lined work gloves from a gas station for $12 and they worked wonders.

Baseball/Sun Hats (ditched)

I went through multiple baseball/sun hats and discovered I am just not a hat girl in the heat (I was carrying them but never wearing them). Instead, I used lots of sunscreen + my sun umbrella and sent the hats home.

Beanie (keeping forever): Carhartt, weighs 3 oz.

You can bury me in my Carhartt beanie. I slept in it when cold, and lived in it in Washington. I will not take it off till spring, and you can’t make me. The update on this in 2022 is that I still wear it even though the Carhart tag is fraying and falling off, it adds to the hiker trash aesthetic.

Rain Gear (kept, but replaced three times): Frogg Toggs, weigh 11 oz.

Frog Toggs are my favorite and I don’t care who knows it! If I didn’t use them to glissade, I wouldn’t have had to replace them so many times. They keep you dry and they are cheap. I knew lots of people on trail who spent $150+ on their rain gear, and I was consistently more dry than them in my $20 Toggs. Plus, they help you keep a low base weight.

Kitchen

Water Filter (switched): Sawyer Mini to Sawyer Squeeze, weighs 2.6 oz. + Aquatabs

I started out with a Mini and upgraded to a Squeeze. Honestly, do not even bother with the Mini. The years you will lose off your life trying to filter with that thing is not worth the weight you will save. I’m very happy with my Sawyer Squeeze though (never got Giardia, 10/10 would filter again).

I also kept aquatabs as a backup for any potential instances of filter failure, if I was too lazy to filter, or if a source was particularly concerning.

Stove (kept): MSR PocketRocket, weighs 2.3 oz.

It’s tried, it’s true, and it has cooked me lots of ramen. The PocketRocket is a great stove for the weight and if I felt I needed a windshield I would take my sleeping pad and hold it up while I cooked.

Pot (kept): Stanco Grease Pot, weighs 3.2 oz.

This was a cheap aluminum pot I found because of Dixie (yes, the YouTube Dixie). It worked well for me throughout my entire hike, but I will probably upgrade to something with handles for my next long haul.

Bear Can (kept): BV500, weighs 41 oz.

I quite liked my bear can, even though it was heavy. This one worked well for me, worked nicely as a seat, and worked to keep the critters away. Anyone who says they can fit all their food in a BV450 is lying, insanely fast, or not eating enough.

Spork (kept): Sea to Summit Titanium .35 oz.

It’s a spork, and it sporked how it was supposed to. I would switch to a long handle in the future.

Electronics

Phone (kept): iPhone 8+, weighs 7.13 oz.

It was the one I had and so it was the one I brought. I put an Otterbox case on it and threw it around like it was not an expensive electronic I was extremely dependent on for directions, etc.

Battery Pack (kept): Anker 20000 mAH, weighs 11.7 oz.

Call me bourgeois but I loved having a battery BRICK. This thing was huge and I never once ran out of battery, even with charging my InReach, phone, headphones, and headlamp. The security of charged devices is worth the extra weight for me.

Headphones (kept): Anker Wireless Headphones

I picked these up in Tahoe after my very old pair finally died. I like them a lot and have continued to use them off-trail. The battery on them would last me a full hiking day as long as I turned them off at lunch.

Headlamp (kept): Nitecore Nu25, weighs 1 oz.

I switched to this headlamp after my Black Diamond became so dim (even with new batteries) that it was essentially dead weight. I will never buy another headlamp. This one is so bright, the battery lasts for so long, and it even has a red light.

GPS Location Device (kept): Garmin InReach SE+, weighs 8 oz.

My parents bought me an InReach for Christmas, and I agreed to carry it to make them happy. Turns out, I was very happy to be carrying it too. I will probably switch to a Mini at some point just to save a bit of weight but I felt much safer having this on me (especially in the High Sierra with no service for days, and in Washington when we were running into lots of storms).

Joby iPhone Tripod, weighs 8oz.

I used the Joby tripod to take photos when I was all by my lonesome.

Miscellaneous

Liteflex Umbrella, weighs 9 oz.

Say what you will about carrying a hiking umbrella, but I was extremely grateful to be (what felt like) 10 degrees cooler in the hottest parts of the desert. I could tuck this into the chest strap of my backpack and still have my hands free for my trekking poles or snacks (mostly snacks).

Mini Swiss Army Knife (picked up), weighs 1 oz.

This tool has a little knife (for cutting cheese mostly), tweezers, and scissors (I used these for cutting my nails so I didn’t have to carry nail clippers).

Travel Brush (kept), weighs 1.28 oz.

This little travel brush is made from bamboo so it’s super lightweight. I might switch over to a smaller plastic comb, but this worked well for me.

Microspikes (kept): Weanas, weigh 15 oz.

I just got some cheap ones on Amazon and they worked phenomenally. It didn’t seem to me like you needed to break the bank for microspikes that worked. Also, I really never felt the need for crampons; microspikes will do the job (unless you are going into the Sierra unusually early).

*Note: I can no longer find the originals, but linked similar ones.

Ice Axe (kept): Camp Corsa, weighs 7.32 oz.

I legitimately did not use it once, so I couldn’t really tell you how well it worked. This was the lightest one I could find and I pulled it out a grand total of three (maybe four?) times.

Trekking Poles: Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork, weigh 17 oz.

I loved my trekking poles! They also functioned as my tent poles, and my only complaint is the clasps were sometimes hard to open so I could adjust their height, but most people probably won’t be doing that very often. Also, the plastic pieces on the clasps fell off almost immediately, but it didn’t bother me at all.

2019 Thru-Hike