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

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.

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

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

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.

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!