I plan to start my PCT thru-hike on April 24, 2026, without my Sierra Mountains gear. Since it is a very low snow year, I do not need Micro-Spikes or an Ice Axe for Mount San Jacinto. I will ship my Micro-Spikes to Wrightwood, CA, as I expect to need them to summit Mount Baden-Powell. That adds 13 ounces to my gear. I will ship the Micro-Spikes home once I got to the next town, as I will not need them again until I reach the Sierras.
For the desert section of the PCT, there are no requirements on how you store your food. However, there are strict regulations in the Sierras and the first part of Northern California that require a bear resistant hard sided container called a Bear Can. My Bear can weighs 2.5 lbs empty and takes up a lot of space. I am not looking forward to carrying that thing for almost 500 miles, but the fines are nasty and I could get my permit revoked if I am caught without it. Once I get north of the Desolation Wilderness in Northern California, the hard-sided container rules go away, but there are still requirements in various areas for bear resistant food storage. When I send the bear can home I will switch to an Ursack. The Ursack is a lighter weight (13 ounces) soft sided food storage container that meets the new food storage regulations in Northern California, Washington, and Oregon.
I will ship my Sierra gear, including my Bear Can, Ice Axe, and Micro-Spikes, to Kennedy Meadows South. I will send the Ice Axe and Micro-Spikes home from Lake Tahoe. Unfortunately, the new regulations make me keep my Bear Can until I get through the Desolation Wilderness north of Lake Tahoe. I will ship the Bear Can home from Sierra City, CA, and exchange it for an Ursack.
My starting base weight is 19.45 lbs, and my total weight with 2.6 days of food and 2 liters of water is 27.77 lbs.
My starting base weight for the Sierras is 23.07 lbs.
My starting base weight for Northern California, less the Bear Can and with the Ursack, is 19.95 lbs.
A few gear and clothing notes:
- My backpack is heavy by ultralight standards but quite reasonable by traditional standards. I can’t go any lighter due to needing a beefy suspension for my bad back. Trust me, I have tried.
- My body is always hot. Both while hiking and in camp. I sweat like crazy, hence the multiple bandannas, and I can’t wear a knit cap or anything else on my head unless it is way below freezing and not sunny.
- After a lot of thought, I once again decided NOT to start with a puffy jacket. Most people carry a puffy for cold evenings in camp. I also see videos of people wearing a puffy on trail even though that is a BAD idea since they do not breathe at all. I used my puffy one time on the AT and just don’t need it. I have a good lightweight fleece that I can pair with my ultralight rain jacket when additional warmth is needed or I need a wind blocker.
- I prefer to wear long hiking pants unless it is well into the upper 80s and humid. The long pants also help with things like poison ivy, poodle dog-bush, mosquitoes, etc. Plus the hiking pants breathe, unlike rain pants. I wear convertible pants that allow me to remove the lower legs (mid-thigh) when I am too hot.
- My electronics are a little heavy, but I use my phone all day for audiobooks or music. I take lots of pictures and do my blogging throughout the day. The two 10,000 mAh batteries can get me through 5 days if I am careful. I can stretch that to 6 days if I am extremely careful.
- In hot humid weather, I carry an ultralight USB-powered fan. It does not weigh much and is a lifesaver for me. I just can’t sleep in hot humid weather in a tent with no breeze.
- I always carry a decent-sized (3′ x 4′) lightweight towel. Some hostels and other locations on the trail have showers, but you need to provide a towel. It is great if I want to jump in a creek/river/lake to cool off. And did I mention I sweat like crazy in humid weather?
- My rain gear is highly tuned to fit my needs and experience. I can use my umbrella for the vast majority of rain situations. Some people think they are useless or a waste, but I have many thousands of trail miles and my umbrella has only failed me in very high winds above the tree line. Plus it makes for great shape in the desert or above the tree line. For cold driving rain, I have a very light rain jacket and a pair of pop-up rain pants. The rain pants also come in handy when doing laundry.
A more detailed description of most of my gear including pictures can be found on my overall Gear page.
Gear List – Equipment Name, Description, Quantity, Weight in Ounces, Notes
Pack
| Pack Liner | Kirkland 18gal Compactor Bag | 1 | 2.2 | |
| Pack | Osprey Atmos AG 65 LT minus brain | 1 | 56.5 | |
| Trekking Pole Holders | Toggle bungee front and back | 2 | 0.07 | |
| Water Bottle Holder | Mountain Mike Hiking bottle holder | 1 | 0.5 | |
| Phone Holder | REI Rain Shield | 1 | .9 |
Sleep System
| Sleep Pad | Big Agnes Zoom UL Insulated Wide 25×72 | 1 | 17.4 | |
| Spring Quilt | EE Revelation Down 20 degree regular wide | 1 | 22.62 | |
| Quilt repair patches | Gear Aid tape x 4 | 1 | 0.14 | |
| Foam Pad | Gossamer Gear Thinlight Foam Pad – 1/8″ | 1 | 3.3 | |
| Pump sack / storage | Big Agnes pump sack | 1 | 2.4 | |
| Pad Patch Kit | Comes with pad | 1 | 0.14 | |
| Pillow | Sea to Summit Aeros Premium | 1 | 3 | |
| Dry Bag | Sea to Summit ultra-sil dry bag for quilt | 1 | 1.5 |
Shelter
| Tent | Durston X-mid 1 | 1 | 25.7 | |
| Tent Footprint | Durston X-mid footprint (lighter than Tyvek) | 1 | 3.6 | |
| Tent Tie Downs | Shock cords on 4 tent tie down points | 4 | 0.25 | |
| Guylines | guylines + carabiners for alt/windy setup | 3 | 0.6 | |
| Tent Repair Kit | various patches | 1 | 0.14 | |
| Tent Stakes | 4 large, 7 short groundhog stakes | 1 | 4.37 | |
| Tent Stake Bag | zippered dynema clear bag | 1 | 0.5 |
Kitchen
| Stove | MSR pocket rocket 2 | 1 | 2.57 | |
| Pot | TOAKS LIGHT TITANIUM 650ML POT W. Handles | 1 | 3.21 | |
| Spork | Sea to Summit Alpha Light Spork – Long | 1 | 0.42 | |
| Cozy | Large cozy. Avoid simmer time on stove. | 1 | 0.95 | |
| Fuel | isobutane-propane 100 gram (empty) | 1 | 3.5 | |
| Lighter | Mini Bick | 1 | 0.39 | |
| Wash Cloth | Light Load hand towel | 1 | 0.49 | |
| Bear Hang | Mtn Laurel Design Rope, rock bag, lock carabiner | 1 | 1.9 | |
| Quart Bags | Ziplock Freezer Bag | 9 | 0.21 | |
| Food Storage Bag | Liteaf Dyneema 19L bag | 1 | 1.1 | Use Ursack + Opsack OR Bear Can OR Food Bag depending on regulations. |
| Ursack | Ursack Major XL | 1 | 7.45 | Use Ursack + Opsack OR Bear Can OR Food Bag depending on regulations. |
| Opsack | oder proof bag for food | 1 | 1.6 | Use Ursack + Opsack OR Bear Can OR Food Bag depending on regulations. |
| Bear Can | BearVault 500 + Bear Can Key | 1 | 40.3 | Use Ursack + Opsack OR Bear Can OR Food Bag depending on regulations. |
Hydration
| Primary Water Filtration | Sawyer Squeeze | 1 | 2.4 | |
| Backup Water Purification | 50 Aquatabs | 1 | 0.25 | |
| Dirty Water Container | CNOC Vecto 3L | 1 | 3.35 | |
| Sawyer Coupling | attach Sawyer Squeeze to Smart Water bottle | 1 | 0.18 | |
| Spare water bottle cap | Spare sports cap for Smart Water bottle | 1 | 0.18 | |
| Water Bottle | Smart Water 1L with Sport Cap | 3 | 1.38 | |
| Spare O-ring | Spare sawyer o-ring | 1 | 0.04 |
Clothing
| Long Sleeve Shirt | Camp Shirt Cold Weather – Under Armour Heatgear | 1 | 6.0 | |
| Shorts | Camp Shorts – Nike Challenger 7’’ Running Short – no liner | 1 | 4.0 | |
| Waterproof Socks | Sealskinz Unisex / camp socks | 1 | 3.3 | |
| Toe Socks | Injini sock liners – second set of hiking socks | 1 | 1.31 | |
| Underwear | Spare set of dry underwear – helps with chaffing | 1 | 3.0 | |
| Long Underwear | Under Armour Heat Gear – year round | 1 | 5.19 | |
| Light Weight Mid Layer | Mountain Hardware AirMesh Hoody | 1 | 6.8 | |
| Insect Net | Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net | 1 | 1 | |
| Buff | generic | 1 | 1.4 | |
| Camp / Water Shoes | Merrill Men’sHydro Moc | 1 | 14 | Only carry these when there are water crossings. Otherwise carry 10oz Xero Z-Trail Sandals. |
| Clothing Stuff Sack | Zpacks Slim Dry Bag 4L – replaced with schnozzel | 1 | 0.54 |
Rain Gear
| Umbrella | Zpacks Lotus UL Umbrella | 1 | 6.7 | |
| Carabiner | Top of pack to hold umbrella | 1 | 0.85 | |
| Hat | REI Active Pursuit Cap | 1 | 2 | |
| Rain Pants | Generic Nylon from Amazon – good for cold | 1 | 7.7 | |
| Rain Jacket, Medium | Montbell Peak Shell Large | 1 | 7 | Gortex with pit zips |
| Rain Gloves | 8 mil XL Nitrile gloves from Amazon | 2 | 0.6 |
Hygiene
| Wash Cloth | Light load Towel | 1 | 0.5 | |
| Tooth Paste | travel size | 1 | 0.85 | |
| Tooth Brush | Oral-B cut in half | 1 | 0.25 | |
| Dental Floss | Glide pro-health 54yd | 1 | 0.63 | |
| Soap | Dr. Bronners in .33oz bottle | 1 | 0.63 | |
| Chap Stick | Blistex | 1 | 0.35 | |
| Diaper Rash Cream | A&D Prevent Gel | 1 | 1.5 | |
| Hygiene Bag | zippered dynema clear bag | 1 | 0.5 | |
| Nail Clippers | Generic | 1 | 0.46 | |
| Tinactin | Anti-fungal | 1 | 0.75 |
Toiletry
| Trowel | Dutchwear Duce Scoop | 1 | 0.75 | |
| Toilet Paper | In quart ziplock bag | 2 | 1 | |
| Waste Bag | Gallon Ziplock | 2 | 0.42 | |
| Wet Wipes | Cottonelle | 0 | 2.5 | Stopped carrying them. Dead weight. |
| Anti Chaffing | Body Glide | 1 | 1.5 | Never leave home without it! |
| Toiletry Bag | half gallon ziplock | 1 | .35 |
First Aide
| Tweezers | Metal | 1 | 0.25 | |
| Mole Skin | 4.5’’ X 3.5’’ | 1 | 0.18 | |
| Self adhesive bandage | 1’’ X 5yds | 1 | 0.32 | |
| Q-tips | 10 generic | 1 | 0.07 | |
| Anti-diarrheal | 6 tablets | 1 | 0.14 | |
| Motrin | 2oo Mg packets | 10 | 0.02 | |
| Triple antibiotic ointment | Generic packet | 5 | 0.04 | |
| Band-Aide | 3’’ X 1.5’’ | 6 | 0.03 | |
| Band-Aide | 2’’ X 4’’ | 4 | 0.07 | |
| Sterile Gauze Small | 2’’ X 2’’ | 2 | 0.06 | |
| Sewing Needle | Large…use with floss or similar for repairs | 1 | 0.01 | |
| Oral Meds | Prescription – as needed | 1 | 0.8 | |
| Inhaler | Asthma Inhaler | 2 | 1.09 | |
| First Aid Dry Bag | Red Space Bear Bags DFC small dry bag | 1 | 0.28 | |
| Antibiotics | 100mg doxy x 6 | 1 | 0.11 | |
| Safety Pins | Generic | 4 | 0.01 |
Electronics
| Power Bank | Nitecore NB10000 Gen 3 | 2 | 5.47 | |
| Wall Charger | Anker 523 dual port USB-C | 1 | 2.86 | |
| Phone | iPhone 17 | 1 | 8.6 | |
| Head Phones | Shokz OpenRun Pro bone conduction | 1 | 1 | |
| GPS Device | Garmin in-reach mini 2 + carabiner | 1 | 4 | |
| Headlamp | Nitecore NU25 | 1 | 1.68 | |
| Charging Cable 1 | USB-C to USB-C | 1 | 0.21 | |
| Charging Cable 2 | USB-C – USB-C short | 1 | 0.11 | |
| Apple Watch Charger | USB-C and Lightning | 1 | 0.67 | |
| Headphone charging adapter | USB-C to proprietary magnetic | 1 | 0.11 | |
| Waterproof Bag | Quart ziplock | 1 | 0.21 |
Misc
| Insect Repellent | Ben’s 100% DEET – hip belt pouch | 1 | 1.9 | |
| Duct Tape | Small roll | 1 | 0.8 | |
| Multi Tool | Gerber Dime | 1 | 2.3 | |
| Cordage 2mm | 30’ w min carabiner | 1 | 1.23 | |
| Carabiner, large | Black Diamond Mini Wire 20x7kN load bearing | 1 | 0.85 | |
| Carabiner, small | metal mini carabiner – on clothes line | 1 | 0.11 | |
| Reading Glasses | Thinoptics + small case | 1 | 0.15 | |
| Lighter | Bic Mini – spare | 1 | 0.39 | |
| Pen | Mini sharpie | 1 | 0.21 | |
| Cloth | Swedish Dish Cloth | 1 | 0.2 | |
| Mini bungees | multiple uses | 2 | 0.05 | |
| Bug Bite | Hydrocortisone cream | 0 | 1.13 | Carry only when needed |
Luxury
| Sit Pad | REI sit pad | 1 | 1.34 | |
| Towel | Light Load Towel 3’x4’ | 1 | 4.3 | |
| Fan | Hot Weather – USB fan for hot humid nights | 1 | 2.2 |
Worn/Carried
| Pants/Shorts | REI Sahara Convertible | 1 | 13 | |
| Long Sleeve Shirt | Black Diamond AlpenGlow Sun Hoodie, quarter zip | 1 | 9.9 | |
| Socks | Injinji Trail Midweight Crew Socks | 1 | 3.2 | |
| Underwear | Long bike-short style | 1 | 3.42 | |
| Bandana | Generic | 2 | 0.85 | |
| Wallet | Zpacks Wallet Zip Pouch – CC, ID, cash, insurance card | 1 | 1 | |
| Reading Glasses | Skyoak | 1 | 1.2 | |
| Sun Glasses | Ombraz Teton | 1 | 0.85 | |
| Shoes | Hoka Challengers | 1 | 22.2 | |
| Trekking Poles | Black Diamond Pursuit | 1 | 20 | |
| Camera Mount | Accessory Basics mount – right trekking pole | 1 | 3.95 | |
| Knife | Hoback Knives – Jeremiah Johnson | 1 | 1.67 | |
| Gloves | Fingerless hiking gloves | 1 | 1.2 | |
| Knee Brace | Donjoy Performance | 1 | 14 | |
| Knee brace sleeve | Generic from Amazon | 1 | 1 |
Consumables
| Water | 1 liter and .75 liter in smart water bottles | 2 | 2.2 lbs | |
| Fuel | isobutane-propane | 1 | 4 | |
| Food | 21.5oz per day | 2.6 | 21.5 |
Cold Weather
| Gloves, lightweight | Cloth lightweight | 1 | 1.4 | |
| Mittens, midweight | Convertible mittens | 0 | 2.4 | Swap out for summer gear |
| Ear Cover | Under Armor head band | 1 | 0.42 | Swap out for summer gear |
| Balaclava | Generic | 0 | 1.48 | Swap out for summer gear |
| Puffy | Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer 2 | 0 | 8.8 | Swap out for summer gear |
| Long Sleeve Thermal Base | Under Armor | 0 | 8.1 | Swap out for summer gear |
| Rain Gloves, heavy | SHOWA 282-02 Waterproof Breathable Gloves | 0 | 4.05 | |
| Dry bag | Zpacks small dry bag | 0 | 0.39 |
Added/Modified Gear Throughout Hike
| Micro Spikes | KAHTOOLA MICROspikes Large | 1 | 13.1 | For Sierras |
| Ice Axe | CAMP Corsa Ice Axe 70cm | 1 | 7.1 | For Sierras |
| Ice Axe leash | Home made | 1 | 0.4 | For Sierras |
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