Gear

I have been all over the place with my choice of backpacks.

I started out with a Zpacks Arc Haul 60L ultralight pack. This pack weighs 22 ounces and is a trail favorite. However it is only rated to about 30 lbs load capacity. In reality, many people say that the actual load capacity is more like 23-25 lbs MAX before becoming uncomfortable. I tried this pack with a total load around 30 lbs for several 2-4 day hikes, and it killed my back. One of the primary ways that this pack cuts down its weight is by minimizing the frame, shoulder straps, and hip belt. This pack now severs as Pit Crew’s overnight pack.

I switched to a Six Moon Designs Swift X pack. This is a 50L pack weighing 40 ounces. It has a unique vest harness that transfers some of the load from the soldiers to the chest. I like this pack as it has a beefier frame and belt than the Zpack. However, the load capacity is still rated for mid-20 lbs MAX. I really like the vest configuration and continue to go back to this pack for lighter loads under 25 lbs.

After a lot of research, I settled on the ULA Circuit Ultra to start my AT thru-hike in 2024. This is a 68L pack weighing 37 ounces. The Circuit has been the top pack on the PCT for many years and has an even beefier suspension than the Swift X. It is still an Ultralight pack which means the suspension system is not on the same level as a more traditional pack. While the maximum load capacity is still 35 lbs, many people comfortable carry mid-to-upper 20 lbs with this pack. I tried this pack on my 7 day shakedown hike in late 2023 and really liked it. Unfortunately, I had back problems in the first half of my 2024 thru-hike and had to ditch this pack about midway through the hike.

When I was in Duncannon, PA on my 2024 thru-hike I went to REI and talked to an older experienced pack fitter. I explained my back issues, my gear load, and my past experiences. He shook his head and told me that ultralight packs were a young man’s game. He fitted me with the more traditional Osprey Atmos AG 65L pack. This is a 4.75lb pack with a very beefy internal frame, wide thick shoulder straps and hip belt, a large brain (the detachable compartments on the top of the pack), and a great load rating. All that heavy suspension plus the extra pockets, brain, and other attachments makes this pack weigh almost twice as much as the ultralight packs I had been using. On the plus side, this thing is amazingly comfortable even with HEAVY loads (35-40+ lbs). This has become my goto pack and has never given me any back issues. I carried this for the second half of my 2024 AT thru-hike as well as all my hikes in 2025. I love this pack and its beefy suspension system, but I hate the weight!

While prepping for my 2026 PCT thru-hike, I was determined to reduce my base weight by at least 5 pounds. The first big thing was a lighter tent which saved about a pound and ditching my iPad mini for another 11 ounces. After that it was mainly tweaking some items which still left me almost 3 pounds heavier than I wanted. That led me to looking at ultralight packs again.

After a lot of research and reading reviews, I decided to try the Durston Kakwa 55. This is a 31.5 ounce 55L pack. It is an ultralight, which I was nervous about, but it has a few very interesting features that seem to solve a lot of the load capacity issues that I ran into in the past. The key feature that is typically only found in traditional packs is that the internal frame is attached to the hip belt and it is a u-shaped full frame, per the manufacturer:

Other packs this light generally sacrifice load carrying by omitting load lifters, using frame stays that lack horizontal structure, and relying on less ergonomic shoulder strap and hipbelt shapes. 

The Kakwa 55 improves this tradeoff through more efficient design and advanced materials including UHMWPE fabric and hollow aluminum tubing to provide better load carrying in an ultralight pack. The hollow aluminum tubing is a more efficient use of structural weight than the solid metal bars found in competing packs and allows us to create a rigid frame with both vertical and horizontal structure at a similar weight to competing packs with only vertical frame structure. 

Our frame connects directly to the hipbelt for maximum load transfer and directly to the load lifters, which are rare on packs this light yet highly functional for shifting more of the weight off your shoulders and onto the hips.

Extra bonus, this pack is basically waterproof. Not 100%, but pretty close. It has two shoulder strap pouches for my water bottle and phone builtin, so no addons with additional weight.

Unfortunately, the backpack saga continued. The Kakwa did okay with loads up to 20 lbs, but when I loaded it up to 27+ lbs, my back started killing me again. It isn’t specifically the Kakwa’s fault. I just can’t handle the ultralight style of pack.

Therefore, I have compromised on the Osprey Atmos AG 65 LT. This is a lighter version of the Osprey I used for the second half of my 2024 AT thru-hike. They lightened the pack by over a pound by taking away lots of compartments and zippers. But they did not change the suspension system at all. I removed the detachable “brain” or lid from the pack, which brings the weight down to 56.5 ounces or 3.53 lbs.

I carried this pack on over 6-day hikes with 27+ lbs as well as on my three-day PCT shakedown hike with 32 lbs and had no back problems. 

I should have just listened to the pack fitter near Duncannon in 2024 who told me that ultralight packs are for younger folks, not 50-something year olds with lots of mileage on our bodies.

TBD

When it comes to shelter on trail, I am a tent person. Hammock systems look interesting, but they are just too heavy, too complex, and don’t provide the fully enclosed security and comfort that you get from a tent. At least not for me. Once you get into the land of tents, there are a few key decisions that will lead you to the right tent for a given hike. From my standpoint, there are three key decisions involved in choosing a tent.

Freestanding vs Non-Freestanding

A freestanding tent can stand on its own, maintaining its shape and structure without being staked to the ground, as it gets support from its own poles and fabric. This makes them easy to set up on various surfaces, like sand or rock, and easy to move before staking. Many freestanding tents do not requite ANY ground stakes under normal circumstances.

A non-freestanding tent is a type of shelter that cannot stand on its own and must be staked to the ground for support. It relies on external anchors, such as trekking poles and guy lines attached to stakes, to maintain its shape. This design makes them lightweight, but requires more effort to set up on uneven or hard ground. 

Single Walled vs Double Walled

Double-walled tents have a separate inner and outer layer, while single-walled tents use a single layer for both functions. For double walled tents, the outer layer is called the rain fly and the inner layer is simply called the inner.

Single-walled tents are lighter, simpler, and less expensive, while double-walled tents offer better condensation management, more insulation, and often more living space. The key tradeoff is weight savings vs condensation in the living space of the tent.

1-Person vs 2-Person

1-person tents range from very small with just enough room for you and your sleep pad to a bit more roomy with some elbow room. 2-person tents are theoretically designed to allow two sleeping pads to fit side-by-side and offer lots of elbow room and loving space for just one person. A 2-person tent will obviously be heavier than a 1-person tent.

My Tent Choices – Both!

I always prefer a double-walled tent. The extra weight and setup complexity is balanced by NOT having to deal with condensation plus a little more insulation. That former is a huge deal for me as I live in the Mid-Atlantic where we can have 85% or higher humidity from May through September.

The other two decision points are not as simple for me. As a matter of fact, there is no right answer for me in terms of freestanding or not and 1-person vs 2-person. I will go with different choices depending on the hike in question.

I very carefully selected the MSR Hubba Hubba 2 for my 2024 AT thru-hike. I wanted a double walled, freestanding, 2-person tent. The Hubba Hubba is a 3.125 lb (50 ounce) tent with a good reputation for durability, low condensation, ease of setup, and lots of room. There is no need to stake this tent down unless it is very windy. Once you set it up you can pick it up with one had and easily move it around to adjust it as needed. I spent lots of time in this tent in cold, wind, heavy rain, and heat. It handled everything Mother Nature threw at it plus it is very roomy. That roominess comes in handy when you get stuck in your tent for an entire day! I even figured out how to set this tent up fly-first so that the inner would not get wet when pitching camp in the rain.

In 2025, I wanted to get my base weight down by 5 pounds. The only way that was going to happen would be with a much lighter tent and pack. Specifically, a 1-person trekking pole tent. I settled on the Durston X-Mid 1. This is a non-freestanding, double walled, 1-person trekking pole tent weighing 1.875 lbs (30 ounces) including the tent stakes. The tent must be staked down tightly at 4 corners, at a minimum, and requires two trekking poles (which I already carry) to form the frame of the tent. While the tent is a little small internally and has a large footprint for setup, it stays dry and weighs almost 1.3 lbs less than my Hubba Hubba. I have used this tent for over 40 nights on trail in 2025 and this is the tent that I am taking on the PCT in 2026.

I plan to go back and forth between these two tents depending primarily on weight. For hikes where that extra 1.3 lbs is not a major issue, I prefer the Hubba Hubba due to the extra space and ease to setup and placement.

TBD

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