At the point the decision was made to hike the PCT neither Conrad or I owned a single piece of the kit that we required. Fully unqualified as backpackers – that none of our family took seriously – we therefore had to discover from Google searches and fellow blogs what lays inside the ‘average’ pack these days. It wasn’t easy. As most of the crazy thru-hikers who take on the trail and blog about it do so with far more hiking experience, the trend of research seemed to lean towards the bare necessities and full into the ‘ultralight’ philosophy. A lightweight backpacker (LW) carries a base weight under 20 pounds (9.1kg). An ultralight backpacker (UL) carries a base weight under 10 pounds (4.5kg).
Not ‘ultra-light’!
Conrad and I struggled to find a balance between ‘light-enough’ to carry a long distance, and the ‘comfort’ factor, knowing that we would need to adjust to living night-after-night in the wild. I knew our bags were never going to fit into any ultra-light range! The one thing we did have going in our favour was that despite some cold nights, we only hiked during the summer months. Had the hike extended into the fall our weight would have been higher, as our tent and sleeping bags were designed for only 3-seasons.
Below is our list of kit. It is a slightly complicated by the fact there were two of us, meaning some items we split between bags, or we decided to share just one collectively. The overall base weight of our packs fluctuated as some kit was actually added along the way – after deeming the item worth the extra weight trade-off (see green coding). Every single item was painstakingly researched. Without the luxury of time to test kit extensively beforehand, we simply went with the reviews on most items, and brought the bulk in our first 2-weeks in the US. Much of this stuff didn’t come cheap – we spent somewhere in the region of $3500-$3700 US – despite doing everything we could to buy items on sale.
Base Weight (kit without food/ water/ fuel) therefore averaged around:
Me: 9.3 kg (20.5lb)
Conrad: 9.5 kg (21lb)
[Maybe this is obvious – but it wasn’t to us – food and water is very heavy! Water weighs 1kg per litre. Most of the time we carried 2 litres each & started out with 5 days of food after each resupply stop!]
My Kit List
Shelter + Pack + Sleep System
| Item | Details | Comments | Weight (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tent | Big Agnes Fly Creek UL3 | 3-season, 3-person tent, but really only big enough for 2 people with pads. Lightweight + simple = did the job! | [1496g total]
I carried poles & pegs only 574g |
| Pack | Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 (S with hip belt) | Loved this pack for large hip pockets & many external pockets. Comfortable up to 16kg, not really designed to hold more than that! | 870g |
| Sleeping Bag | Nemo Nocturne 15 (Reg) | Chosen for the spoon-shape design because I’m claustrophobic. It’s a good bag, but I didn’t LOVE it – my feet tended to get a bit cold with so much space, & the ‘blanket fold’ bit stuck to face. Definitely only 3-season! | 1060g |
| Sleeping Pad | Nemo Astro Insulated Air Lite (Reg) | Good for insulation, & lasted well, but could be less noisy! | 590g |
| Pillow | Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight (Reg) | I needed this to support my heavy head! Good non-sticky material. | 56g |
What I Wore
| Item | Details | Comments | Weight (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiking Shoes | Merrell Moab Ventilators | Loved these shoes! I started the hike with La Sportiva trail runners, which were in pieces after less than 400 miles! The Merrells offer good cushioning & breathability. [NOT WATERPROOF] | 726g |
| Insoles | Superfeet Orange | Replaced standard shoe insoles with these for added support. Highly recommend. | 136g |
| Gaiters | Dirty Girl gaiters | Great for keeping small stones/ dirt/ sand, out of shoes, & colourful design got lots of compliments! | 40g |
| Trekking Poles | Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork | Used them everyday – so practically ‘wore’ them. Helped with stability & my back so much. I liked the adjustable flip-clip design & cork handles. | 510g |
| Socks | Darn Tough Quarter Cushion Hiker (2 pairs) | Great socks & have lasted beyond the hike. | 65g (per pair) |
| Top | Nike Dri-Fit Knit short-sleeved top | Stayed pretty cool & dry + still looks brand new! | 200g |
| Hiking Skirt | Purple Rain Adventure Skirt (black with grey waist-band) | I had never hiked in a skirt before, but this was recommended by a friend who hiked the PCT in 2015. I loved it for the practical pockets, light-weight & ease for a quick bush toilet break! Always looked clean too. | 127g |
| Bra | Patagonia Barely Sports Bra | Super comfy. Non-wired, but sportive. I’m still wearing it! | 57g |
| Undies | Exofficio bikini briefs (X2) | Tip: Buy black underwear for the trail! Great pants. | 35g (per pair) |
Clothing I Carried
| Item | Details | Comments | Weight (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp leggings | Patagonia Capilene thermal weight leggings | A bit see-through & thin, but warm & light-weight. Put my skirt over the top to walk around if other people were about! | 140g |
| Camp top | Icebreaker Oasis long sleeve crewe | Great wool top, non-itchy, but has shrunk in the wash. | 193g |
| Warm jacket | Rab Alpine microlight down jacket (hoodless) | Good choice for weight:warmth. | 330g |
| Waterproof jacket | Mammut Methow Jacket | Not the lightest waterproof on the market, but I was happy with it for the cost & large hood. | 476g |
| Waterproof trousers | Outdoor Research Aspire pants | Great product! Not the lightest choice but the Gore-tex fabric is quite tough, & has zippers all the way up leg, making them easy to pull on mid-hike. | 277g |
| Long-sleeved top | Nike Element half-zip running top | I feel the cold, so had this polyester half-zip as an extra hiking layer. Often wore it first-thing as I preferred to sweat in this than my down jacket. I’ve worn this top so much, on & off the PCT = good value! | 198g |
| Hiking leggings | REI base-layer leggings | [Not sure about exact details, as emergency end-of-line purchase from REI Medford when I felt cold in Oregon! Kept them until Washington] | 200g |
| Camp shoes | Teva Verra sandals | Comfortable, great in-town & for water-crossings, but a bit heavy | 453g |
| Camp socks | REI Merino Wool Hiking Socks | Another ‘luxury’ item, but I especially hate having cold feet! Slept in them too. | 85g |
| Sun hat | Brooks Sherpa hat | Really great light-weight cap. Have purchased another one since. | 25g |
| Gloves | Outdoor Research Outdry mittens | Keeps cold wind off & water-proof. | 28g |
| Warm hat | Arc’Teryx Rho LTW beanie | Love this. Light, warm, & non-itchy wool. | 30g |
Conrad’s Kit List
Shelter + Pack + Sleep System
| Item | Details | Comments | Weight (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tent | Big Agnes Fly Creek UL3 | [See above] | [1496g total]
Conrad carried fly sheet & inner tent parts: 922g |
| Pack | Osprey Exos 58 (size L) | Conrad struggled in choosing a backpack. He got on OK with this one, but it frustrated him that the hip belt pockets were so small, & because it was designed to be light-weight like my pack, when fully loaded the bag didn’t offer much in the way of cushioning. | 1050g |
| Sleeping Bag | Nemo Salsa 15 (L) | Not as warm as the Nocturne. Conrad complained it often felt cold in foot box & got condensation on the material. | 1190g |
| Sleeping Pad | Nemo Astro Insulated Air Lite Sleeping Pad (L) | [As above] | 652g |
| Pillow | Sea to Summit Aeros Ultralight (L) | [As above] | 74g |
| Ground Sheet | Gossamer Gear polycro footprint (L) | Looks & sounds like walking on thin plastic, but didn’t rip! | 45g |
What Conrad Wore
| Item | Details | Comments | Weight (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hiking Shoes | La Sportiva Wildcat Trail-Runners | Lasted about 800 miles. Non-waterproof. Not overly cushioned, but wider in the toe-box. Would try another brand next time. | 709g |
| Gaiters | Dirty Girl gaiters | [As above but more ‘manly’ design!] | 42g |
| Trekking Poles | Black Diamond Alpine Ergo Trekking Poles | Would recommend for tall-frames. | 567g |
| Socks | Darn Tough Quarter Cushion Hiker (2 pairs) | Also liked these socks, but occasionally added a pair of liners for extra comfort under-foot. | 70g (per pair) |
| Toe Liners | Injinji Run 2.0 Lightweight no-show socks | Conrad used these as a thin liner when we got blisters between 2 toes. | 50g |
| Hiking Trousers | Columbia ‘shants’ | [Old pair, details unknown]. Light-weight, fast-drying & convenient to have convertible shorts / full length | 400g |
| Top | Nike Dri-Fit Knit short-sleeved top | Good choice. | 200g |
| Underwear | Jockey Microfibre Active Trunk (X2) | Switched to these after the ExOfficio Give-N-Go boxers started coming apart. Loved them, but apparently don’t sell same ones anymore? | 65g (per pair) |
Clothing Conrad Carried
| Item | Details | Comments | Weight (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camp trousers | Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight bottoms | Found these warm & light, but they are easy to snag, so not good for sitting along on logs in! | 129g |
| Camp top | Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Crew | Same as above – warm/ light, but see-through & easy to pull. Designed as an under-layer though, so work well to just sleep in, or under a jacket. | 129g |
| Warm jacket | Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket (hooded) | A good choice weight-wise, as very light, but the compromise was a thin filling & a fabric that sounded like garbage bags. Did the job for a long-hike, but haven’t worn since. | 221g |
| Waterproof trousers | Outdoor Research Helium Pants | Very light-weight, & neatly fold into their own pocket for storage. Good choice. Very thin fabric. | 160g |
| Waterproof jacket |
Marmot PreCip Rain Jacket |
Not the lightest jacket, but great hood, and under-arm zippers. Stood up well. | 312g |
| Long-sleeved top | Nike Element half-zip running top | [As above] | 226g |
| Camp shoes | Xero Shoes Barefoot-inspired Sport Sandals | Light-weight, but fell apart quite quickly. Would not use again. | 312g |
| Gloves | Outdoor Research Gripper Gloves | Quite thick choice for a thru-hike, but Conrad wanted extra-warm! More wind-stopping, than waterproof though | 88g |
| Sun hat | Columbia Bora Bora Hat | Wide brim and SPF50 protection, with neck toggle (good in wind). So the sensible choice – as opposed to the stylish one! | 80g |
| Neck Buff | Buffwear – original buff | Instead of a warm hat Conrad packed this last-minute. Can be used around the neck, or on head. Ended up shedding it from our pack after realising his down jacket hood was sufficient. | 35g |
Additional Kit We Carried Between Us
Camp Kitchen
| Item | Details | Comments | Weight (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stove | MSR Pocket Rocket | Replaced our alcohol stove with this one a week into the hike! Compact & easy to use. | 85g |
| Cook Pan | Snow Peak Titanium Trek 1400 | Good enough size for 2 people. Could have done with rubber gripper as burnt myself on the handles, but otherwise good choice, & lid serves as extra pan. | 210g |
| Spork | Snow Peak Titanium Spork | Good, but if buying again I would have chosen a longer handle for eating out of foil packets. We started with one each, then ended up sharing as only had one pot anyway! | 17g (each) |
| Mug | Snow Peak Titanium Single 450 Cup (X2) | Decent mug, with foldable handle so easier to store. [Had one each as made cooking oatmeal easier] | 68g (each) |
| Fire lighting | Lighter and waterproof matches | Disposable lighter; a few waterproof matches in plastic ziplock (for back-up); some homemade firelighters – cottonwool dipped in Vaseline. | |
| Food Sacks | Ursack Minor Critter food bags (X2) | Made with Kevlar, so very strong. A bit on the heavy-side, but as we didn’t have bear canisters, used these to carry food & hang from trees, (Had one each – one for camp food, & other for daytime snack food) | 150g (each) |
| Water filter | Sawyer Squeeze original (X2) | Used standard size (instead of mini) & by far the most popular filter on the trail. Needs looking after, but good choice. Started sharing one, but due to time added another. | 85g (each) |
| [Dirty] Water reservoir | Evernew 2L water bladder (X2) | Did LOADS of research on this & had to buy online. Great because the threads screw directly onto the Sawyer Squeeze & can be hung up (with help of some cord) to create a drip gravity filter. | 42g (each) |
| [Clean] Water bottles | Smartwater 1L plastic bottles (X4) | Added the sports cap push-top lid from smaller Smartwater bottles. Threads also compatible with the Sawyer. Did the job. | 42g (each) |
Electronics
| Item | Details | Comments | Weight (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Headlight (me) | Petzl E+Lite headlamp | The elastic pinged me in the face a few times as it quickly retracted, but super light & compact. Would not recommend for night hiking, but for getting around camp in the dark/ in the tent it worked fine. | 27g |
| Headlight (Conrad) | Black Diamond Storm headlamp | Much heavier, but brighter light & more comfortable to wear. We really just relied on this light most of the time. | 110g |
| Camera | Canon PowerShot G7 X Digital Camera | Really great piece of kit for a compact camera. Large sensor, 4.2X zoom. Spent ages researching a decent camera and glad we chose this one. | 278g |
| Phone (me) | iPhone 6S with Lifeproof FRE case | This was a newish phone so I wanted to protect it, hence the relatively heavy case. It did keep it protected – both from being dropped & dirt! | 143g + 100g |
| Phone (Conrad) | iPhone 5 | Old phone, so he didn’t bother with a case! The camera wasn’t so good on it, so Conrad generally used the Canon. | 112g |
| Headphones | Bose in-ear (X2) | [Just took the headphones we already had.] Wireless would have been better, but due to battery life, probably wouldn’t have practically worked! | 18g |
| Camera Mounting Clip | StickPic | Nifty piece of kit, that acts like a monopod, by utilising your trekking pole for selfie shots! | 18g |
| Battery Pack | Anker PowerCore+ 13400 | Provided enough charge for 2 phones & our camera in-between stops. Heavy for 1 person! [Also required a micro USB cable] | 306g |
| Extra Cables | Lightening cable + Lightening memory card + Adaptor for camera’s battery (annoying) + USB wall plug | Approx 150g |
Miscellaneous Kit
| Item | Details | Comments | Weight (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stuff sacks | Sea to Summit Ultra Sil Nano Dry Sack (2L) | Probably a luxury item, as used to compartmentalise our packs – 1 for clothes & another (below) for sleeping bag. Some hikers just throw everything into pack, but liked to keep things easy to access & ‘clean’ separate from dirty. | 16g |
| Stuff sacks | Exped Ultralite Waterproof Compression Bags (13L) | Used for our sleeping bags – maybe excessive, but helped create space in our bags! I liked them, & have used them since. | 40g |
| Multi-tool | Leatherman Style CS Multi-tool | We ended up returning this because the scissors were not very good. | 41g |
| Pocket Knife | Gerber STL 2.5 pocket knife | I carried this (unnecessarily) as it made me feel safer! Great light-weight, 2-inch knife. Never used it though… | 42g |
| Head Net | Coghlan’s Mosquito Head Net (X2) | These were relatively cheap, simple nets, that did the job, but did have a habit of sticking to faces because they didn’t have a structure/rim. Still, I’m glad we decided to buy them! | 20g |
| Waterproof Pack Cover | Osprey Ultralight Raincover | Large & Extra Large. A bit expensive, but good light-weight rain cover, with easy to fit elastic, & most importantly, kept water out. | 90g |
| Paracute Cord | REI PMI 3mm Utility Cord (50 ft.) | Used this bright orange cord for hanging our food (and a bit for making a gravity water filter). Strong stuff. | 113g |
| Seat pad | Therm-a-Rest Z-Seat Pad | Totally a luxury item! Added these after finding camping with no seat so uncomfortable! Doubled as a porch mat for the tent, & inside tent when kneeing to do things like get dressed! Not much weight really for the practical uses! | 57g |
| Carabinas | Gossamer Gear mini (X2) | Small & handy for hanging things (like wet washing) on the outside of my pack. | |
| Shoulder Pouch | Zpacks Backpack Shoulder Pouch | Added to the shoulder strap of my pack. Very handy for keeping things like phone & sunglasses. Weighed next to nothing. | |
| First Aid Kit | Misc. | Zip-lock containing selection of dressings, band-aids, antihistamines, ibuprofen, silver tape etc. | Approx 80g |
| Water Purification | Katadyn Micropur MP1 Purification Tablets | Emergency back-up in case filters failed. Never used these, but last a long time! | 20g |
| Towels | PackTowl Ultralite Towel (L) | I added this after realising I had nothing to use when I reached a shower. Luxury item. | 99g |
| Towel | PackTowl Ultralite Towel (S) (X2) | Handkerchief-sized. Used as my ‘piss cloth’ & Conrad used his to wash with. Ultra-light & super-super-absorbant. | 14g |
| Soap | Dr Bronner’s Peppermint Liquid Soap (2oz) | Recommended this bio-degradable, natural soap on-trail. Loved the tingling, fresh feeling – only needed a drop to feel ‘clean’ again. | 57g |
| Hand Sanitiser | Purell Advanced Naturals 2oz pump bottle | Both carried these in hip pockets & used religiously before eating/ water filtering & after bush toilet duties. Fragrance-free, so bear-friendly! | 57g |
| Moisturiser/ Sunscreen | Neutrogena Healthy Defence Daily Moisturiser with SPF 50 | Non-greasy & did the job. Decanted into smaller bottles & posted into re-supply packages. | 28g |
| DEET bug spray | Ben’s 100 Max Tick & Insect Repellent 3.4oz | Potent stuff, but much needed. Made plastic & rubber melt, but worth it for any mosquito respite. | 96g |
| Toilet Paper & Sanitary items | [Posted in each box, or whenever needed] | ||
| Pack Liner | Waste Compactor Bags | [+ lots of Zip-locks for carrying food items] | |
| Passports/ Permits/ Maps | [We carried paper HalfMile maps as back-up, posted for each section] | ||
| Credit cards/ cash | |||
| Sharpie pen | [Useful for writing signs when hitch-hiking] | ||
| Sunglasses | Cheap polarised ones! | Essential kit. Brought ours from Walmart. Mine unsurprisingly broke towards the end. |
Testing perspective kit
a life to wander 