PCT Section J – Stevens Pass to Snoqualmie pass Gear list.

[Taylor D]

Hello I was hoping to get some opinions on my gear list,  I am doing this section of the PCT in 5 days and its going to be about 65-70 miles( I am taking a trail that cuts off about 6 miles from the trip)  I’m doing this trip to prepare for a JMT through hike, and I have hiked 15 miles in a day with my pack on ( not at elevation or climbing) but I do feel that if I am hiking for the majority of my day I will be able to accomplish that.  Anyways, I will probably start a new thread for advice from people who have completed that section of the PCT.  Here is my gear list. It ended up being about 20 lb which is a little more than I expected.  As far as food goes my BV500 is at about 10 lbs right now and i did make the mistake of putting two canned food items inside which takes up a bit of space so I am looking to change that also.    Any input /criticism is welcome. Thanks!

Gearlist:
Atmos AG 65 – 4.5 lbs

Rei co op magma 10- 1.8lbs

Therma rest pro lite plus sleeping pad- 1.7 lbs

Big Agnes hv UL 2 copper spur- 3 lbs

Big Agnes footprint
Bv 500- 2.6 lbs

MSR pocket rocket- .25 lbs

MSR fuel- .5 lbs
Vargo stainless steel bot 1 L- 1 lb

RAV power charger 26800 battery – 1lb

Garmin mini .25 lbs

LEKI micro vario cor Tec trekking poles-1.15 lbs

Injinji 2.0 socks

Baleaf quick dry light weight running shorts

Saucony Peregrine 8 shoes

Rei ducks back rain cover 80L – .4 lbs

Platypus big zip LP 2L- .35 lb

sawyer squeeze .25lbs
Black diamond storm headlamp- .25 lbs

Bens insect repellent wipes . 2 lbs

Sea to summit wilderness wipes – .25 lbs

Patagonia Houdini jacket- .25 lbs

hygiene- 1lb
extra clothes – 1 lb
compass
lighter

First aid kit

[Elliott Wolin]

I’m more of a lightweight backpacker and UL wannabe, so I’m not that picky, but here are some suggestions (assuming you have some money to spend):

A 4.5 lb pack seems excessive, you can drop over 2 lbs just on that alone with little loss of comfort.  Get a 3/4 length NeoAir at 9 oz or something like that, saving another pound over the TR ProLite Plus.  You could save another 1.5 lbs by going with a tarp instead of the BA UL2.  There are much lighter pots than the 1 lb Vargo bot.  There are lighter sleeping bags, too, but they can be expensive.

Beyond that it seems to be an ounce or two here or there, which can really add up in the end.

[Tom K]

Ditch the BV canister in favor of an Ursack with aluminum insert.  Better yet, cook,move on, and double bag your food in Nylofume bags.  I slept with my food when I did this hike.  Never saw a bear.  Other than that, along the lines of what Elliot said.

[Taylor D]

Thanks for the input! I am going to do my best to make those changes before the trip .

as far as the bv500 goes I would like to keep it as I’m doing this to prep for the JMT.

 

[Franco Darioli]

I did that section , we just hung our food inside stuff sacks.
Is that still done there ?
( we used a technique that was explained here at BPL, we don’t need to do that here in Australia…)

[Katherine .]

also:

*skip the footprint

*I do trash compactor bag inside the pack instead of an exterior pack cover. More for function (don’t trust covers not to pool) than weight, but would prolly save a few ounces.

I’d encourage you to go with the Ursack over the BV.  This is an awesome trip in it’s own right (i might do it next year) and you want to give it your best go with the lightest weight possible. Philosophically I wouldn’t use it as training for another. (and other than carrying the weight, BVs are dead simple to use)

[Cheerio]

I would recommend a different pot. 1lb is a lot for a pot. I have a 3-piece titanium set from snow-peak (2 pots and a pan/lid) and it weighs 7oz which is still kind of heavy for some people. Titanium is far superior for heat transfer and as a natural non-stick I’ve found as well, I used to use stainless and I’ll never go back just for the ease of cleaning titanium alone.

Also the sleeping pad seems fairly heavy, these can cost money obviously but there’s much lighter options, sub 1 lb for an air pad.

The battery pack seems heavy too, I understand you may need to get in contact with family/friends but a fully charged phone staying off or on airplane mode will last 4-5 days no problem if you are only using it to contact someone 1-2 times a day.  A smaller back-up battery pack might be a better option?

[Taylor D]

Yeah the charger I got is too heavy I figured I would have to charge it once a day but didn’t take into account I will hardly be using my phone, awesome replies I’m going to make a couple changes to my pack and make my pack a little lighter hopefully it makes for a better trip!

[Matthew S]

—-

[Adam]

So…  how did it go?  :).

Section J is nearly my back yard.  I hope it was a blast.  We did the White/Chinook Pass section nearly the same time you were doing yours.

[Taylor D]

That’s awesome Adam! I learned a lot on it but didn’t have enough time to finish I just did an out and back . I’m going to try it again this August or September w more days and a lighter base weight

[Author]

Posts