Even now, I still wonder what possessed me to attempt a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail.
I’d love to be able to say that it was the sheer challenge of the undertaking, to see if I had what it took, both physically and mentally, to hike 2650 miles in one months-long blast of willpower. No, that wasn’t quite it. I’d also like to believe that it was curiosity and wonder that drove me to discover the trail in all its beauty and glory, laid out before me like a string of pearls to be collected, one mile after the other. This was closer, but still not quite right. Of course, it might be the fact that I was finally turning 65, and that the mid-life crisis I’d never had was finally catching up with me. But that seemed ridiculous on the face of it. I’d already hiked over 800 miles of the trail, in sections, piecemeal, over the last fifteen years, so I knew full well what I was in for. I easily could have continued section-hiking indefinitely, picking and choosing the most interesting and scenic parts. Why would I do the whole thing at once? It was rash, foolish, a duplication of effort! It made no logical sense. And yet, there it was: The Dream of the Thru-Hike. I’d been dreaming it for years.
In other words, I’m still not sure why I signed up for a long distance PCT permit, but I sure as heck got one! Not surprisingly, as soon as I had a formal Start Date, I began to get more and more excited about preparing for it.
And we all know that the best way to get prepared for a big backpacking trek is to BUY MORE GEAR!!!
Oh, yes, I have to admit that I really love backpacking gear! In fact, I already had a ton of it. Every year, for the past fifteen years, I’ve been getting myself an expensive present for the holidays, plus another for my birthday, so why should this year be any different?
The first step in perfecting my backpacking gear was to catalog what I already had. As a proper Type A Personality, I immediately started a spreadsheet. I also ordered a kitchen scale that would weigh up to five pounds, to the nearest gram. Weight is important when backpacking. Luckily, almost all of my gear was already rated somewhere between “Light” and “Ultralight” in grade. The main purpose of the spreadsheet was to give me a good idea of my “Base Weight” (the lowest-limit weight of the pack, before adding food and water) without standing on a bathroom scale over and over again. It also let me discover room for improvement in my gear list.
Just the same, I already knew that I was going to carry a heavier load than many younger hikers. I like a bit of comfort, and I’m willing to work harder to get it, even if it results in a lower mile-per-day total. In other words, the Air Mattress was non-negotiable. I had enough of sleeping on the cold hard ground back when I was a teenager. Ultralight wasn’t even a word at that time, way back in the Bad Old Days when people carried axes! I have to say that it has been a joy to watch the evolution of hiking gear over the intervening years. The world really is getting better every day. And I get to buy new gear each year because of it! Win Win!
The Big Three – Pack, Sleeping Bag, and Tent
As a former external-frame refrigerator-style backpacker, I learned to appreciate the benefit of a sturdy frame — when coupled with a hip belt, it allows you to carry heavier loads without putting weight on your shoulders. Modern ultralight packs can’t do this unless the total weight carried is very low, as the pack sags down under load, transferring the weight to the shoulders. That’s why I stayed with my Osprey Exos 58 backpack. They don’t really admit this, but it is actually an external frame pack! The springy metal frame is integral to their touted “Airspeed Suspension” and it really works well. There is plenty of ventilation between your sweaty back and the pack, and I find that the frame allows me to comfortably carry a week of food, up to a total weight of forty pounds. Does this mean that the pack itself weighs more? Of course it does. It’s considered to be at the heavier end of the “ultralight” spectrum, but I don’t care – I’m sticking with comfort on this.
I made up for the heavier pack by choosing a Western Mountaineering SummerLite goose down sleeping bag. It’s only rated down to 32 degrees F, which is cutting it close to tolerances on frosty nights in the mountains, but it only weighs 19 ounces. I designed my own “Layered Sleeping System” by also carrying a full goose down suit (see below) so on icy nights I can apply extra insulation on demand.
One of my new gear purchases was the very pricey Tarptent Aeon Li one-pole dyneema tent. It weighs only 19 ounces total, not including the single hiking pole, which I carry anyway for balance when crossing streams. This purchase saved me a pound and a half over my Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 tent. This comes out to $400 per pound in weight savings cost! Ouch! Happy Birthday to me, I guess.
I already had the ultralight Thermarest Neoair Xtherm air mattress, which the manufacturer claims has the highest warmth to weight ration of any sleeping pad ever made. A Deluxe Comfort Item. I also like to use a thin foam sheet underneath it. This protects the mattress from puncture and also keeps me a bit warmer when camping on cold ground. I bought it from Gossamer Gear.
Clothing and Insulation:
PCT hikers don’t really carry a lot of spare clothing. They simply wear the same stinky clothes, day after day, rain or shine. Their “spare” clothing is usually a base layer for nighttime, to protect the nylon sleeping bags from skin oils, and for cold weather use. As a cold-averse person, I added some extra goose down as part of my layered sleeping system. It also works well if, like me, you often have to get up in the middle of the night to take care of business due to excessive rehydration during dinnertime. I also carry a Goretex hard shell for windproofing and hiking in the early morning hours. All of my underlayers and socks are Smartwool, which I found does not retain body odor. This is a major plus!
Ten Essentials and Electronics:
I probably could have (and eventually did) remove a few things from this part of my gear. I’m an old Boy Scout, and “Be Prepared” has been my motto for years. That said, there is such a thing as being too prepared. Sad but true. The true gram-weenie would have cut this stuff down to size in a hurry. Especially the electronics. But I decided to carry two phones after removing my three-pound DSLR Camera, so please give me a break here. As a photographer, this was a very heart-wrenching decision.
Cooking Gear and Water Purification:
My other new gear purchase was the Jetboil Flash cooking system, which saved me at least half a pound. Some people decide to eat only cold food rather than carry a stove, but not me. I like the ritual and relaxation of a hot breakfast and dinner. That’s when I take the time to read a book while munching on tasty food. This is one of my comfort items.
Water purification is another comfort item. I really don’t like squeezing water through a filter. It takes forever and my hands end up frozen. That’s why I use Aquamira chlorine drops. Also, I’m a biochemist, and I’m not afraid of chemicals that actually work. I carry the Sawyer filter as a backup “Be Prepared” item, in case the water I collect isn’t clear enough for the drops to be effective. The collapsible gallon jug is perfect for using the Aquamira drops, so I only have to do it once per day. I could get rid of it, but it makes my life easier.
Outer Backpack Pocket Contents:
I keep my raingear, butt pad, and mosquito net in the back stretchy-pocket of the pack, ready to deploy at any moment. The smartwater bottle is a PCT thru-hiker fashion statement, of sorts, and the 1.5 liter size is enough for dinner and breakfast. The Platypus bladder and hose are used while hiking, and weigh more than a second water bottle. I carry the extra weight because I tend to keep on hiking for hours without stopping, and if I didn’t have the hose available I would surely end up even more dehydrated than I already get.
Elephant in the Room (the Bear in the Woods?):
No explanation necessary.
This is the list of gear (with weights in grams, ounces, and pounds) that I started the trip with. My Base Weight came out to about nineteen pounds, which was a bit on the heavy side. Most hikers strive to get it down to fifteen pounds, if possible, although the average is somewhere in between. The best place for checking out real-world thru-hiking gear is probably at HalfwayAnywhere.com which compiles data from a thru-hiker survey each year. It’s a great resource when planning a thru hike, and the results of the survey are enlightening in many ways. Highly recommended!
| Items Carried in Pack | weight (g) | weight (oz) | weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exos 58 Backpack | 1250 | 44.17 | 2.75 |
| pack rain cover | 114 | 4.03 | 0.25 |
| WM Summerlite Bag | 634 | 22.40 | 1.40 |
| Thermarest and pillow | 572 | 20.21 | 1.26 |
| 1/8″ foam pad | 78 | 2.76 | 0.17 |
| Jetboil Stash Stove | 232 | 8.20 | 0.51 |
| fuel canister | 211 | 7.46 | 0.46 |
| Ziplock container/cup | 49 | 1.73 | 0.11 |
| folding spoon | 10 | 0.35 | 0.02 |
| soap | 35 | 1.24 | 0.08 |
| Carbon Hiking Pole | 163 | 5.76 | 0.36 |
| Tarptent Aeon Li | 546 | 19.29 | 1.20 |
| polycryo ground sheet | 39 | 1.38 | 0.09 |
| butt pad | 22 | 0.78 | 0.05 |
| hikingtales cards | 13 | 0.46 | 0.03 |
| thermometer | 8 | 0.28 | 0.02 |
| Food Sack | 87 | 3.07 | 0.19 |
| CTUG dyneema wallet | 9 | 0.32 | 0.02 |
| Frogg Toggs Rainsuit | 270 | 9.54 | 0.59 |
| Goretex Hard Shell | 597 | 21.10 | 1.31 |
| AquaMira drops | 95 | 3.36 | 0.21 |
| Sawyer filter | 80 | 2.83 | 0.18 |
| CNOC bag | 77 | 2.72 | 0.17 |
| screen coupling | 8 | 0.28 | 0.02 |
| smartwater bottle 1.5L | 49 | 1.73 | 0.11 |
| 1L platypus w/ cap | 25 | 0.88 | 0.06 |
| 1 gal platypus | 107 | 3.78 | 0.24 |
| 2L Platypus Hoser Bag | 47 | 1.66 | 0.10 |
| drinking hose | 57 | 2.01 | 0.13 |
| Compression Sack | 64 | 2.26 | 0.14 |
| WM Flash Jacket | 284 | 10.04 | 0.63 |
| WM Flash Pants | 209 | 7.39 | 0.46 |
| Down Booties | 112 | 3.96 | 0.25 |
| Down Hat | 41 | 1.45 | 0.09 |
| Dry Sack (clothes) | 42 | 1.48 | 0.09 |
| smartwool beanie | 24 | 0.85 | 0.05 |
| briefs (hanes) | 52 | 1.84 | 0.11 |
| long sleeve smartwool | 167 | 5.90 | 0.37 |
| long john smartwool | 157 | 5.55 | 0.35 |
| crew smartwool | 71 | 2.51 | 0.16 |
| liner sock smartwool | 45 | 1.59 | 0.10 |
| waterproof socks | 124 | 4.38 | 0.27 |
| waterproof gloves | 106 | 3.75 | 0.23 |
| battery pack and cable | 222 | 7.84 | 0.49 |
| garmin inreach | 216 | 7.63 | 0.48 |
| GoPro batteries charger | 108 | 3.82 | 0.24 |
| AC adapter | 53 | 1.87 | 0.12 |
| USB-C 12″ cable | 12 | 0.42 | 0.03 |
| kindle touch | 156 | 5.51 | 0.34 |
| extension cord UL | 18 | 0.64 | 0.04 |
| NU-25 headlamp | 55 | 1.94 | 0.12 |
| Map | 74 | 2.61 | 0.16 |
| compass | 17 | 0.60 | 0.04 |
| First Aid kit | 17 | 0.60 | 0.04 |
| KT Tape | 11 | 0.39 | 0.02 |
| space blanket | 48 | 1.70 | 0.11 |
| knife | 22 | 0.78 | 0.05 |
| lighter | 11 | 0.39 | 0.02 |
| nail clipper/scissor | 49 | 1.73 | 0.11 |
| vaseline, sunscreen | 45 | 1.59 | 0.10 |
| mini-towel | 26 | 0.92 | 0.06 |
| deuce shovel | 16 | 0.57 | 0.04 |
| Toilet Paper | 69 | 2.44 | 0.15 |
| Wet Ones 20-pack | 99 | 3.50 | 0.22 |
| toothbrush | 6 | 0.21 | 0.01 |
| bug spray 100% FEET | 54 | 1.91 | 0.12 |
| whistle | 11 | 0.39 | 0.02 |
| pen | 10 | 0.35 | 0.02 |
| aspirin | 13 | 0.46 | 0.03 |
| caffeine | 20 | 0.71 | 0.04 |
| weed | 24 | 0.85 | 0.05 |
| Rope 30ft | 18 | 0.64 | 0.04 |
| Base Weight | 8482 | 299.72 | 18.68 |
This is the gear I carried on my person (shoes, clothes, phone, camera, etc.)
| Worn While Hiking | weight (g) | weight (oz) | weight (lb) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrell Moab low shoes | 1006 | 35.55 | 2.22 |
| Gill Sailing Gloves | 73 | 2.58 | 0.16 |
| Dirty Girl Gaiters | 48 | 1.70 | 0.11 |
| T-shirt smartwool | 122 | 4.31 | 0.27 |
| liner sock smartwool | 45 | 1.59 | 0.10 |
| Darn Tough Socks | 76 | 2.69 | 0.17 |
| long shirt (nylon) | 204 | 7.21 | 0.45 |
| cargo pants (nylon) | 350 | 12.37 | 0.77 |
| Motorola G7 Phone (navigation) | 261 | 9.22 | 0.57 |
| Pixel 3A Phone (photos) | 189 | 6.68 | 0.42 |
| GoPro Hero 11 | 154 | 5.44 | 0.34 |
| Panama Jack Hat | 93 | 3.29 | 0.20 |
| total worn | 2621 | 92.61 | 5.77 |
I have to admit, getting my gear together was a lot of fun. I’ve been backpacking for years and years, from overnights to ten-day treks, but this trip posed more interesting gear challenges. Weight was paramount, but so was utility and durability. This stuff had to last! The good thing was that I had plenty of experience under my belt. Maybe that would make up, in part, for being 65 years old!
I’m not going to go into the food I purchased, as that is a very personal thing. It would be useless information to most people. We all like what we like, and none of us are the same. I’m a person who finds what he likes and sticks with it. I never get bored of the same old food. Plus, I thrive on Junk Food, which would drive many people nuts. To them I say: Eat what makes you happy! I know I do.
And that’s about it. I was prepared quite early, a month or more in advance of my late-March Start Date. I went on one test trip to the Anza-Borrego Desert, and everything performed flawlessly. After that, I spent my mornings dayhiking for miles near my house, and spent the afternoons finishing writing last Summer’s entries here on hikingtales. I like to finish one year before starting another.
For a topographic map of the hike see my CalTopo Page
For LOTS more photos of the trek see my Flickr Page
Onward to Day 0 >> 
hikingtales.com 