Another PCT list.

[JC]

http://lighterpack.com/r/5dtry7

I'm pretty sure I've got my pack dialed in but I wanted to know if I'm missing anything or if anything seems unnecessary. My BPW should be around 9 lbs for the desert, 14 lbs for the Sierra, and 11 lbs the rest of the way. For some reason my Zpacks bag weighs about 5 ounces more than advertised. My biggest concern is the 40 mile dry stretch in the Mojave due to the destruction of golden oak spring. I will be leaving Tehachapi with 9 lbs of gear 14 lbs of food and at least 22 lbs of water for a total of 45 lbs. This is 10 lbs more than the recomended max for my pack, should I be concerned about it failing? Should I use a front pack for this section to carry a few litres? Thanks.
– Judd

[Jennifer Mitol]

looks like a great list! I'm so envious…I wish I were leaving this year ;)

I've been doing a fair amount of hiking the desert these past two years with some pretty large water carries, and honestly it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

The reason is that unlike food or fuel, the water weight goes down really, really fast. Yes, you may have 22 pounds to start with, but you'll be drinking that up and soon it's 18 pounds, then 16, then 10, etc etc. So it's not like you are hiking the full 40 miles with 10 extra pounds.

You can also choose to hike at night during that stretch which does lower your water needs a teeny bit. Make sure whatever food you are going to eat does not require much water to rehydrate – for example, I've been eating a lot of PackitGourmet's all-american burger wraps: 2 oz of water to rehydrate. Perfect!

That way whatever water you are carrying is for your drinking needs only – NOT for cooking.

Anyway – use the bladders on your list for the long water carries, pack them safely in your pack and IMHO don't worry too much about it – other than wow that's going to feel really heavy when you start walking out of Tehachapi! You aren't going to rip your pack with a day of being way over capacity.

[Scott S]

A few comments:

– You are going to have plenty of cold mornings before KM. Are you okay hiking with just your shirt in 30 degrees? Or wearing your down jacket while hiking? Despite the drought, it can rain in SoCal. I would carry the rain jacket from Campo, even with the umbrella.

– What are the tyvek booties for? Camp? Once you get going, camping on the PCT means: hike til dark, set up tent, cook dinner, go to sleep. There are not hours of hanging out like at an AT shelter. The weight is negligible, obviously, but almost no one i knew on the PCT had camp shoes or missed them.

– Vinyl gloves? They're going to get so wet on the inside that you may as well not bother. And when you need them (like when you get a multi-day storm in WA or OR), you will be wearing them all day long. Find some breathable rain mitts.

– E-lite is too heavy for a backup light. Plus you have your phone. If you want a second light, get a little photon.

– I'll bet anything that alcohol stoves are banned everywhere on the PCT by June or July. Either get a canister stove or be prepared to go stoveless.

– Get a few waterproof matches as a backup.

– Carry sunscreen from the border and use it. Your umbrella will not keep the sun off of you completely (a lot of your UV exposure comes from light reflected off the ground). Also, get chapstick with SPF.

– I hope you're planning to carry out those wet wipes after you use them. They do not biodegrade.

Good luck out there. Between the drought and the big crowds it's gonna be an interesting thru-hiking season.

[Clint Lum]

Agree with most of what Scott said.

I carried a wind shirt and umbrella through the desert and was fine although most people get nailed once or twice before KM.

For cold mornings I hiked in my down with wind shirt over to protect it.

I was unaware of Golden Oak spring damage, that really sucks because that climb out of Tehachapi is pretty rough. I would hike it early morning (like start at 4 am) or late evening and into the night so you dont have to carry so much water.

Ditch the elite, iphone flashlight is better anyways

I would only use a canister cookset, everything else will likely be banned and in my experience I HATE mnessing with alcohol or esbit stoves when I am on long trips. My Jetboil is heavier but is worth the weight do to convenience

I dont think you need baselayers but that is just my opinion, I know a lot of people would disagree but I rarely carry them and am rarely uncomfortable YMMV

I carried snow baskets through the Sierra last year even though we had a historically low snow year and I was glad I did, some of the passes can be sketchy on the north sides. I just ditched them at Yosemite

Nothin to do with gear, but I recommend stopping at VVR. Free camping for hikers and awesome food/beer selection. It was such a treat when I went there.

Have fun!

[Scott S]

Echoing Clint, yeah, that super sucks about Golden Oak Spring. I remember that being a wonderful little oasis after the slog out of Tehachapi Pass.

We didn't start hiking out of Tehachapi until almost 10am on a hot day. With 40 waterless miles ahead of me, I would think about night hiking that whole stretch.

Screw the rancher who let his cows destroy the spring and BLM or USFS or whatever agency let the cows be there in the first place

[Frank T]

https://anthonyspct.wordpress.com/2015/05/10/out-of-the-desert-and-into-the-sierras-744/

[D M]

Yes a trail crew fixed it up and are going to repair it more soon, holes in the tank still need filling but it's functional.

[Author]

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