PCT Gear

Here’s the gear that I used during my 18-day hike on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2025. I started on April 27 from the US-Mexico border near Campo, CA and finished at Interstate 15 (approx. NOBO mile 350). In general, I thought it was well-suited to the conditions, though I would have preferred to carry my Zpacks Plex Solo rather than my old tarp. I bought the tarp specifically for my 2015 PCT thru-hike, so I decided to bring it this time for old times’ sake.

Other thoughts:

• I probably would have been just fine without my wind jacket.
• My MLD sleeping pad was new to me. It was awful at first, but folding it double was comfortable enough. I placed my feet on my pack in this configuration.
• I had roughly 6.5 liters of water capacity. This full quantity was only handy once in 2025, but 2015 was a much drier year, and I carried up to 9 liters that year.
• This trip was the first time that I almost maybe wished that I used gaiters. I hate how they look and I’m stubborn, but they are perfect for SoCal grit.
• I did not carry microspikes or an ice axe. I checked trail conditions ahead of time and decided that they were probably unnecessary given the snow levels. Each year is different and hikers have died after pushing into unsafe conditions. Judge for yourself and use caution.
• The bidet system that I usually use didn’t make a lot of sense through the dry sections of trail. Carrying extra water felt stupid, so I regularly used TP and packed it out.
• Adding all this stuff up results in an 11 lb base weight. In reality, it was closer to 13 lbs. Don’t ask me how that happened, but it always does.

If you have any quick questions for me about gear, please feel free to contact me. And if you want to dive deeper, or talk about other aspects of backpacking, I offer Thru-Hike Coaching. I’d love to contribute to your journey!

Clothing:

What	Description	Weight (oz)
Insulated Jacket	EE Torrid APEX jacket (Review)	7.3
Extra Socks	Darn Tough Light Hiker x 2	3.8
Warm Hat	Purple beanie	3.0
Gloves	REI Liner Gloves	2.5
Shell Gloves	REI Minimalist GTX Mittens	1.7
Rain Jacket	Sitka Vapor SD (Review)*	5.3
Wind Jacket	Houdini Come Along Jacket (Review)*	4
Wind Pants	Dance Pants	3.5
Sleep Shirt	Smartwool Classic Longsleeve	6
Sleep Leggings	Nike Leggings	7.8

The Big Three:

What	Description	Weight (oz)
Shelter	Zpacks custom flat tarp + groundsheet + stakes	16.1
Sleeping Quilt	Katabatic Gear Palisade 30	18.6
Sleeping Pad	MLD Goodnight EVA 1/4″ Foam pad	6.6
Backpack	Durston Kakwa 40 (Review)*	28

Electronics:

What	Description	Weight (oz)
Camera	Sony RX-100 MVI	10.1
Camera Extras	Camera case+battery	3.9
Battery	Anker 10,000mAh	9
Plug+Cord	Anker plug+USB cord	1.4
Headphones	Aftershokz	0.7
Phone	iPhone SE	5.5
Navigation	FarOut Guides and/or Gaia	0
PLB	Garmin InReach Mini	5
Headlamp	Nitecore NU25	1

Gear:

What	Description	Weight (oz)
Knife	Mini Swiss Army knife	0.7
Water Filter	Platypus Gravityworks 2L	9.1
Water Storage	Smartwater bottle x 2	0.8
Water Storage	70oz Platypus soft bottle x 2	2.6
Fire	Bic lighter	0.7
Wallet	Money and Stuff	0.3
Trowel	Humangear GoDigg	1.4
Bidet	CuloClean (Review)*	0.5
Pack Liner	Compactor bag	2.3
Umbrella	Euroschirm Chrome (similar)	8.3
Guardian	Ganesh	0.5

Kitchen:

What	Description	Weight (oz)
Bowl	16 fl. oz. Nalgene	3
Spoon	The best spoon ever	1
Food Bag	Reusable plastic grocery bag	1

Toiletries:

What	Description	Weight (oz)
Tooth Hygiene	Paste+brush	1.5
Nerd Stuff	Retainer+case	0.8
Nail Clippers	Generic	0.6
First Aid	Custom kit	1.8
Brace	ACE bandage	1.8
Pills	Vitamin I + other	0.8
Sunscreen	Sun Bum Face Stick	0.6

Total:

Total

Base weight

11 lbs

Worn while hiking:

What	Description	Weight (oz)
Shoes	Altra Olympus 5 (Review)*	22
Socks	Darn Tough lightcrew	2.1
Shorts	Superfly paisley trunks	5.2
Leggings	Lululemon from thrift shop	5
Shirt	Patagonia Tropic Comfort	6.3
Hat	Sunday Afternoons Vantage	3
Sunglasses	Suncloud Respek	1.1
Watch	Coros APEX – 46mm	2
Trekking Poles	Fizan Compact 3 (Review)*	11.2 (pair)

Secret Weapon:

What	Description	Weight
Hiker Fuel	Beans	As much as you can handle
Hiker Fuel	Beans for the less hungry	3 pounds

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