Just another 2015 NOBO PCT gear list (input needed/welcomed)

[Brendan Lammers]

Hello all. I had tentatively planned on hiking the PCT back in 2012 after graduating college, but ended up joining this cult called "the workforce" and had to cancel. Now, my life circumstances have fortuitously changed, and barring injury or catastrophe, I'll be starting my NOBO hike around April 22nd. I will need to finish by Sept. 1st, so I will need to go relatively light and fast if I want to finish (which I do!).

Here is the list: Brendan's 2015 PCT NOBO gear list

A few notes about the spreadsheet: the cells marked in dark blue are items that I currently own, and the weights that are marked in red are estimates / educated guesses. I may be missing a few stuff sacks or minor items, but of course let me know if I left out anything out. I tried to be conservative with weights where I did not know them.

Here are my main observations and problems:

My current sleeping bag is not warm enough (for the Sierras at least):
By itself, the Western Mountaineering Highlite (35F / long) bag that I own and love is clearly not going to be warm enough for the Sierras, and possibly elsewhere. The clothing that I currently have listed (Uniqlo extra warm leggings + power stretch hoody + down jacket) is probably enough to boost the rating, but I'm not sure by how much. I have used it at 9000ft in the Sierras during summer before without warm layers and was fine, but I'm not sure to what temperatures.

Two options that I have thought of so far are: to make a supplemental lightweight inner quilt / blanket (either synthetic or down) for use in the Sierras and maybe early on in the desert. This would save me money and allow me to bring my beloved WM bag. I'm very lean, so there is extra room in the WM Highlite bag for such an addition–and I also rather enjoy feeling constricted when I sleep. The other option is to get a ZPacks 20F quilt and shed one of my warmer layers (although I love the flexibility and comfort having both a fleece hoody and down jacket–and the Uniqlo UL down parka is a gem).

I have no idea what to do regarding a wind/rain jacket:
I am one of those rare people that does not tend to get particularly sweaty or overheated when hiking in a rain jacket. Maybe I am some form of zombie? Regardless, I could live with bringing only a breathable rain jacket as my only shell (perhaps a ZPacks WBP cuben rain jacket…but it's $$$, or a MYOG Pertex shield jacket assuming the waterproofness is adequate–wearing a fleece underneath it should boost this factor). I do own and enjoy a Houdini, but it's covered in tree sap and has been heavily used, so I don't know how much longer it will last. If I do bring separate wind and rain shells, I would probably opt for a cheap and lightweight rain shell, maybe something homemade out of soft Tyvek? Is the Patagonia Alpine Houdini waterproof enough? I don't want to use something as my wind shell for the whole hike, and then get to WA with a leaky rain jacket.

I do not like wearing pants:
Being a skinny person, I have never found a pair of hiking pants that don't feel like this:

I would much prefer to glide through the wilderness with my legs open and free in my minimalist soccer shorts. However, I do take seriously the need to protect my legs from the sun. Would Patagonia Capilene 1 tights be suitable for hiking in the desert? I could bring these as my bottom baselayer (for leg warmth and protecting my sleeping bag) and put them on under my shorts during peak sun hours (or just avoid hiking during that time altogether).

I have no knowledge of trekking poles:
I have also been resistant to using trekking poles in the past, but my knees were unhappy during my last high mileage trip. What would be a good pair of lightweight trekking poles that I can use without having to worry about snapping them in half?

What is the best non-Sierras food protection system?:
I've actually gotten used to hiking with my BearVault since most of my trips have required it, but I'm certainly not bringing that the whole way. The ZPacks bear bagging system is currently listed, but I'm not thrilled with the idea of hanging my food every night. Are Ursacks and an odorproof sack suitable for non-Sierra use? Are there other options aside from something crazy like sleeping on top of your food?

A couple other random things:

I know most people will recommend not bringing a fleece since it's too heavy, but I'm more worried about getting cold in wet rain than being chilly in camp at night. It also would be a nice sleeping layer to protect my bag–not to mention it's just comfortable to slip into a fleece hoody at night. I also own a 5.1oz Uniqlo UL down vest (their down products are absurdly good for the price), or I could probably just go downless. It greatly depends on what sleeping bag I opt for.

Is there a better case option for a MSR Pocket Rocket stove? The red case that it comes with seems like overkill, but I'm not sure I want it floating around my pack. Maybe a heavy duty cuben or even dyneema stuff sack?

I can probably ditch the inner tent if I'm feeling like I need to go lighter later on in the trip, but I want to use it as my only shelter on clear nights, and I have a (probably irrational) fear of spiders/scorptions/snakes crawling on me in the desert night.

Can the iPhone compass be relied upon? I've heard of people never pulling their compass out of their pack, yet it doesn't seem smart to hike without one. Are their any good tiny backup options?

The Petzl Tikka XP2 headlamp that I own is pretty disappointing for the weight. Are there newer options in the 1-2oz range aside from the Petzl eLite?

Since this is BPL…has anyone found a lighter USB charger than the standard issue Apple one? I got a 6 inch cord, but the plastic square component is a little 1.0 oz brick. Also, could I get away with lighter stakes than the MSRs?

My Cascade Craftworks egg crate pads have not arrived yet, but I plan on folding one up and using it as a frame (or, ideally, modding my pack to include a Gossamer Gear style back pad), and strapping the other to the top of my pack for use as a sit pad. The weight is probably overstated, since I'll end up cutting one down. I may also supplement with a 1/8 in Evazote pad if needed.

Thank you all for your input, and sorry for all the words. If you've ever read one of my BPL posts, you know that I don't have the gift of concision.

[Eli Zabielski]

I think this is a good looking, well thought out list.

Like you said, I don't think you need the fleece. For the windshirt and rain jacket, do you really think you'll need to hike in a windshirt that much? Hiking in a rain jacket to stay warm in early morning hiking isn't very comfortable but it's not for long that you need to do it.

[Seth Brewer]

Can a faster paced hike be done ? Yes. But go light. Very very light. I bumped into Scott Williams during my NOBO thru in 2013, and he made my 8 pound baseweight seem heavy. If you want high mileage – you need light weight / very multi-purpose gear, and very good shoes (not be mention some SERIOUS training before you actually begin the hike.

I would lose both fleece garments and go with just shorts / leggings / windpants, windshirt / umbrella, and most certainly NOT the Highlite – you will be cold (sell it and get an Ultralight – or better yet , a Zpacks 20* quilt.

Feel free to check out what I brought, as well as the hundreds of other gear lists on this site.

Either way – enjoy the walk!

Seth

http://www.peaksandvalleys.weebly.com

[Link .]

if you haven't read THIS THREAD already it has Richard Banks sub 7lb PCT list and what worked and didn't.Here is Greg(Hiking Malto's) PCT VIDEO ( he did the trail in 98 and a half days, starting May 21st and finishing August 27th)and here is his journal at POSTHOLER it gives his gear list and the training that he did along with his whole trip. HERE he talks about Fueling for short duration (weeks) hikes and Maltodextrin 101

[Scott S]

I don't have time to pour over your list, but I can maybe help answer some of your questions:

Sleeping bag: why not just get a good liner? I used a 30 degree bag with a bivy sack and a silk liner and was okay (a few cold nights but nothing terrible). You could just add a warmer liner like the S2S Thermolite or something. I think an extra inner quilt would be overkill, unless you're a really cold sleeper. In that case, I'd just get a 20-degree bag.

Jackets: you should be able to remove tree sap from your Houdini with rubbing alcohol. It works great on nylon pants. If you still want a rain jacket on top of that (I suggest you bring one because when it rains on the PCT it gets COLD), just get some Frogg Toggs or O2 Rainshield. There's no brush to deal with, and those jackets are highly breathable, dirt cheap, and light. I tend to bring a rain jacket and my houdini with me on long hikes, but the combined weight is just 9 oz. and those are the only layers I ever wear while hiking.

As for the fleece, if you really enjoy having it, then keep it. Personally, I think that carrying two insulating jackets is overkill, but clothing is individual.

Food protection: Outside the Sierra, I slept with my food every night.

Compass: I carried one on the PCT but only used it once the entire trip.

Good luck out there.

[Brendan Lammers]

Hey guys,

Thank you for all of your suggestions. I just spend 3 weeks backpacking/training in the Southwest and shaking out my gear list. I made some updates and was able to drop down to about 9.0lbs baseweight.

I bit the bullet and got a ZPacks 20F bag in extra long / regular (with the new blue 'Ventum' material that they offer). I like the bag (zippered quilt?) a lot, though nothing quite touches the WM bags as far as finish quality. Oddly, it's the warmest bag I have owned, yet I had some quite cold nights in it despite temperatures in the mid-30s. I don't think this is the fault of the bag. It may be because we cowboy camped and I was missing the wind protection factor from a shelter, but I suspect that I actually overheated early in the night by wearing too many layers to bed, and then woke up with cold sweat on my legs. That, or my sleeping pad is insufficiently warm (especially for sleeping directly on rock, as we were). If my sleeping pad combo continues to be an issue, I'll just take the weight hit and bring my 25oz Klymit Static V insulated pad so that I can actually sleep.

I found a good solution for my minor pants vs. shorts conundrum–soccer pants. The Adidas Condivo 14 pants are a nice breathable material that should also be warm enough to function as a baselayer of sorts for sleeping (even though I tend to get freezing cold legs at night–I'm a colder sleeper than I remember). They fit fairly tight around the ankles and calves but are loose enough on the thighs that they should be comfortable in hot temperatures. I like them a lot and recommend them to conscientious hiking pants objectors such as myself.

I brought both my fleece (a Sherpa Ananta hoody–which is light for what it is and has a nice long fit for my long torso and arms) and down jacket (a cheap Uniqlo hoody). While I like the fleece a lot, and I can cinch it around my head to form a nice sleeping hood (in addition to my Buff, which I use as a balaclava at night), I think I'll stick with the down hoody since it's simply more practical–especially for a cold human such as myself. I'd still prefer a lighter/warmer jacket, but I'm bereft of options that fit either my torso or budget (I tried on the Montbell Ex-light Parka and it literally was up to my belly button, it's kind of a joke).

I also discovered that on longer hiking days, I'm not in the mood to cook or set up much of a shelter. For that reason, I'm going to swap out my gas stove for Esbit (I usually cook simple things like instant potatoes or ramen) and my Yama bug shelter for a simple bug bivy to cowboy camp in (yet to be ordered). I'm also planning on getting an Ursack for food protection for the same reason–easier and faster than hanging at the expense of a quarter pound (I still have the BearVault for the required sections).

On the rain/wind jacket front, I made a somewhat impulsive purchase (though it was a screaming deal) on MH's version of a eVent pullover. It's not that light–9.2oz–but I'm tired of purchasing rain jackets that fall apart after a year. I may actually leave it at home until OR / WA and bring my DriDucks jacket. The Houdini is obviously a tried and true piece of gear, but I can live without it, especially since I'm hiking in a sun hoody which keeps me a bit warmer in the wind or during breaks.

I carried 7-8L on my recent trips in Canyonlands / Capitol Reef / etc., which lasted me about two full days. However, that was in mild temperatures, so hopefully 7L will be enough water capacity for a thirsty water hog. Does this sound like enough, or should I be more conservative? In the Sierras onward, I'll drop down to 3L.

I finally found a pack that fits my long torso in the HMG SouthWest 3400. It carried well, but unfortunately it did not live up to its namesake–I had 3 separate and large tears in the black Dyneema gridstop fabric after a few days of use. I don't recall being particularly rough or careless when setting down my pack, so I'm none too thrilled about it. I own a ULA Ohm and it took me months to develop a tiny pinhole in the outer mesh pocket, and never had a scratch on the Dyneema gridstop or nylon body fabric. In any case, I also find myself unbuckling the hip belt a lot and hiking with all the weight on my shoulders, so if I feel like I need extra weight savings–I may dip in to the coffers once more and get a MLD Exodus or similar beefy frameless pack.

One thing that I have not figured out yet is the ice axe and/or crampons issue. Are microspikes or similar (plus trekking poles) sufficient for safe travel, or should I invest in an ice axe (and training, since I don't really know how to use it except in theory)?

Also, my start date is April 26, so maybe I'll see some of you at the second session of ADZPCTKO!

[Author]

Posts