My Perfect Setup: How My Gear Changed From the CT to the JMT to the CDT

When I set out on the Colorado Trail, I was that hiker — confident, over-researched, and blissfully naive. I’d spent weeks googling “Best Budget Ultralight Gear” and pored over every packing list I could find. I was laser-focused on getting my base weight as low as possible, convinced that shaving a few grams off my toothbrush would somehow make me a faster, better hiker. Spoiler: it didn’t.

By the time I hit the John Muir Trail the following year, I thought I had it all figured out. Swinging to the complete opposite end of the spectrum, I allowed myself every luxury item I could think of because, after all, it was only two weeks, right? So what if I was slogging up mountain passes with a heavy pack stuffed with a nine-day resupply? I’d convinced myself all my little treats would make every day fun and exciting. This didn’t hold up while gasping for breath at 12,000 feet.

Then came the Continental Divide Trail the year after that — a five-month, 3,100-mile beast from Mexico to Canada. Here, there was no room for too many luxury indulgences or rookie mistakes. I knew I had to strike a balance between weight and comfort, not just to make it to Canada, but to actually enjoy the journey. I finally got it pretty much just right.

This is how my gear evolved to a nearly perfect packing list over the course of three thru-hikes, and the biggest advice I’d give someone prepping their own gear setup.

Three of the most surreal moments of my life! Obviously, gear likely will not be the reason why you do or don’t make it to the terminus, but it can have a big impact on how comfortable you are during the trail.

The Colorado Trail: Underpacked, Ultralight, and Unhappy

A common piece of advice for new hikers is, “Don’t overpack.” I took this to heart — but I swung too far in the other direction. Do you know what you get when you throw all the “Best Budget Ultralight Gear” into your “Best Budget Ultralight Backpack,” throw on your “Best Budget Ultralight Sun Hoodie” and head out on the trail? I’ll tell you: an unhappy, sweaty thru-hiker with back pain. 

That’s not to say budget gear can’t be great! You just have to make the effort to see what works for you and what doesn’t.

On paper, my ultralight setup looked great, but in reality, it wasn’t always comfortable. Yes, I completed the trail and stayed safe through Colorado’s variable weather, but I was often miserable. Some of the gear worked well and I still use it today, while other pieces failed to suit my hiking style or body.

What Gear Worked

Thankfully, the gear that worked best for me tended to be the most important pieces.

Throughout the four weeks on the Colorado Trail, I never once found myself dangerously cold — largely due to my quilt. I used a 20-degree Burrow quilt from Hammock Gear, which held up great, packed down small, and kept me warm through several sub-30-degree nights. Three years later, I’m still using this same quilt on all my backpacking trips and thanking whatever “Best Budget Ultralight Backpacking Quilt” article led me here.

I love cowboy camping, so a good quilt is an absolute must for me. It has to be warm, roomy, and good at preventing drafts. (Technically, this is a photo from Idaho on the CDT instead of the CT, but I’m bad at taking pictures of my camping setup!)

Another great find? My Cascade Mountain Tech trekking poles. They’re durable, comparable in weight to other trekking poles, and did exactly what I needed them to do for the entire trail. In fact, they survived the Colorado Trail, John Muir Trail, and over half of the Continental Divide Trail before exploding in a rockslide I got caught up in during the Cirque of the Towers. Can’t blame the poles for that one.

What Gear Didn’t

I have a lot of gear from the CT that I would never use again. That’s the beauty of perspective and experience — it’s easy to look back and see what was wrong now that I’ve found lots of things that really work for me.

Take, for instance, my tent. I used the Gossamer Gear The Two — a budget, ultralight, two-person tent. The silnylon tent sagged when wet, and I woke up many mornings with the wet fabric draped either across my face or my feet. I was too tall to adjust my sleeping position within the tent, so I had to make do until the end of the trail. So many people use this tent and have nothing but good reviews, but I personally will never use another silnylon tent.

For $50 from a Facebook group, this tent did a fantastic job. However, if I’m spending more than an overnight in the backcountry, I now prioritize having a DCF tent.

Another piece of gear that didn’t hold up to rain was my REI Duck’s Back pack cover. It did great during afternoon thunderstorms and short-lived monsoons. However, when faced with steady rain, water inevitably crept behind the cover and soaked both my bag and my back.

I had hoped the pack cover would eliminate the need for a bag liner but I found this not to be the case. If I’m already using a bag liner, why would I throw another pack cover on top of that? This is a piece of gear I’ll leave behind for all future hikes.

Finally, I wasn’t loving my “Best Budget Ultralight Sun Hoodie”: The REI Sahara Sun Hoodie. At the end of the 500 miles, it was ragged, full of holes, and the thick fabric made drying out almost an impossibility — even in the dry climate of Colorado!

For a sweaty hiker on the CT during an exceptionally rainy year, this was definitely not the shirt for me. The barely-wearable, stinky shirt got tossed in the dumpster behind my hotel in Durango, and I have not looked back once.

Not to publicly shame myself on the Internet, but look at all that sweat that’s crept up from my hipbelt. Yikes!

The Lesson

There were several more pieces of gear that made their way into every “Best Budget Ultralight Gear” list that didn’t work for me. My Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite survived the trail just fine, but I struggled to sleep through the night on the mummy-shaped pad. My Gossamer Gear G4-20 pack fit everything, but the torso length and hipbelt sizing didn’t work for my body shape and gave me weird back pain from the straps pulling oddly on my shoulders every day. 

I also probably over-exploited how stretchy the back pocket is on Gossamer Gear packs. It can fit anything, but it would mess up my center of balance when I crammed too much in there.

The Colorado Trail taught me that just because gear is good doesn’t mean it’s good for me. You can read all the reviews and packing lists in the world, but your personal preferences won’t reveal themselves until you actually hit the trail. The only way to know what works is to get out there, test your gear, and figure out firsthand what comforts are worth the extra weight — and what you can live without.

On the CT, I dreamed about one day seeing this sign again as I headed north on the CDT. Standing here two years later felt like a dream.

READ NEXT – My 5 Biggest Regrets from my Colorado Trail Thru-Hike

The John Muir Trail: Overpacked, Overweight, and Unhappy

The JMT, a two-week hike compared to the month-long CT, seemed like the perfect opportunity to indulge in comfort items. I brought a deck of cards, a lantern, bulky camp shoes, a hairbrush, and a journal, which added up in my pack.

Unlike the CT, however, the JMT started with a nine-day food carry from Cottonwood Pass to Muir Trail Ranch. Pounds and pounds of food, my essentials, and all the fun little gizmos I didn’t want to hike without? My pack was heavy.

You know it’s bad when there’s this much strapped to the outside of the pack. And, of course, I had to have my stuffed animal with me too.

What Gear Worked

The MVP of my setup remained my trusty Hammock Gear quilt, which kept me cozy through the chilly Sierra nights. I also swapped out my tent for the Durston XMid Pro 1, which was an excellent upgrade — the new tent had lightweight DCF fabric that didn’t sag in the rain and a roomier layout that fit me and my gear perfectly.

Lots of hikers seem to agree with me. It’s like a little Durston party at many of the campsites.

Switching to a Nemo Tensor sleeping pad was another great decision. Compared to the narrower Therm-a-Rest Xlite, the Nemo’s width helped me sleep better. I learned that adding a few extra ounces for a good night’s rest was worth it and that I don’t have to use the world’s lightest and most popular sleeping pad to be considered a real thru-hiker.

I also sleep so much better when I have a pair of sweatpants. My legs don’t have to touch my sleeping pad, and they help me get out of my quilt on cold mornings.

The JMT ended up not being as fun for me as the Colorado Trail (for a variety of reasons you can read about here), but when it came to my gear, I did have a better setup. Sure, there were parts of my gear that weren’t right for me, but being able to sleep through the night made a huge difference.

What Gear Didn’t

I made three key mistakes on the JMT: bringing unnecessary luxury items, skimping on first aid, and neglecting proper gear fit.

Instead of a portable power bank, I decided to use a LumenAID solar-charged lantern and phone charger. I had visions of sitting around camp by the light of the lantern, playing cards with friends, and getting it back to a full charge in the sun every day.

Instead, I hiked the JMT during a series of storms, leading to mostly cloudy days and no ability to recharge the lantern. On top of that, a full charge on the lantern only gave about a third of a charge on my phone. Finally, I wanted to be asleep once it was dark, so I never even used the lantern. Not only was it five times as heavy and bulky as a portable charger, it was about a fifth as useful to me on the trail.

Solar charging is great until you have two straight weeks of weather like this.

Luckily, on the Colorado Trail, I skated by with nothing worse than a handful of blisters. Cocky, stupid me took that information to heart and left almost my entire first aid kit behind on the JMT.

Cue every disaster that could’ve happened: a torn meniscus, concussion, and some violent food poisoning. The only thing that didn’t happen? Not a single blister. It didn’t help me to have yards and yards of leukotape, but it certainly hurt me to not have a single imodium or knee brace.

Finally, I had gripes with my bag (again!). The bag itself — a LiteAF 35L Curve —was far better than the G4-20 I used on the Colorado Trail, but it still wasn’t the right bag for me. On paper, it was perfect: waterproof, ultralight, super fun colors, and fit all my gear just fine.

However, I won it in an Instagram giveaway, meaning I didn’t have the opportunity to pick the right torso size. The bag ended up being a little large, and I had the same weird back pain as I did on the Colorado Trail.

I also used this pack for a very rainy Pemi Loop in New Hampshire. It’s such a wonderful bag, but I only bring it when I don’t have a heavy food carry.

I can’t overstate how good the bag actually was. The waterproofing worked enough to not need a pack cover or liner, and the shape and straps on the bag let me carry a large BearVault for the entire trail.

Still, I should’ve been willing to spend a little money to prioritize fit. There’s so much emphasis placed on the health of your lower body while thru-hiking, but it’s really hard to keep walking when your back is giving you problems.

The Lesson

For the JMT, I made changes to my gear based on my Colorado Trail experience without considering that the experiences may be different. While this addressed some issues, like my frustrating tent and uncomfortable sleeping pad, it left me in a tough spot when things went wrong. 

Just because a backpacking trip is on the shorter side doesn’t mean there still won’t be plenty of time for issues to pop up. And, if you’re spending all your time and energy thinking about how miserable you are, you won’t have any opportunities to actually use and enjoy your luxury items. 

Choosing what to bring is all about the weight-to-enjoyment ratio.

I may have gotten closer to my ideal gear setup, but I knew I still had many changes I wanted to make before the Continental Divide Trail.

READ NEXT – My 4 Biggest Regrets From My JMT Thru-Hike

The Continental Divide Trail: Pretty Perfect

I can put up with back pain, wet feet, and an uncharged phone for a month. For five months and 3,100 miles? I wanted my gear to be dialed in. For the most part, I did really well. I have very few overall complaints about the gear I brought along, but I did end up sending home some luxury items I realized I could do without. 

I don’t see myself ever getting rid of my sweatpants!

The essentials worked out perfectly for me, so I won’t spend too much time going into them. I used Symbiosis Gear’s pack, The Aspen, and enjoyed finally having a perfectly fitting pack that didn’t give me back pain. My trusty Hammock Gear quilt (I opted for the 10-degree one for this colder trail) never disappointed. The Durston XMid Pro 1 was just as great here as it was on the JMT, and I slept so well on my giant Nemo Tensor sleeping pad. Let’s move on to the fun stuff (i.e., the luxury items)!

I did like my giant fanny pack from CTUG. It could fit a 1lb bag of Skittles inside and still have room for all my fun odds and ends.

What Gear Worked

Blowing up my sleeping pad is my least favorite camp chore. I’ll never regret switching from a Therm-A-Rest Xlite to the larger Nemo Tensor, but it takes almost double the number of breaths to inflate.

For the CDT, I got the Flextail Zero Pump: a tiny, battery-operated air pump that easily took care of that task every night. I have nothing but good things to say about the pump and would gladly have carried it even if it weighed three times what it does.

I sound like a broken record praising my Hammock Gear quilt, but I did also decide to add one of their hoods to my kit as well. It ended up being one of the best multi-purpose items in my entire setup. It was warm, noise-dampening, and a great way to keep my bug net away from my face when cowboy camping in peak mosquito season. Plus, it made me look like a weird little astronaut, which brought me and my tramily great joy.

Once I had my hood on, it was lights out. It was so hard to hear outside noises from in there. Perfect for drowning out loud sleepers or convincing myself there aren’t animals running around nearby.

My greatest luxury item — to the point where I’d consider it an essential for the CDT — was my Gossamer Gear Lightrek sun umbrella. It was great in New Mexico, where the blazing sun, lack of shade, and scarce water made cooling off an impossibility. More than that, it was indispensable through the afternoon storms of the rest of the trail.

I kept the umbrella in my side pocket where I could grab it without having to take my pack off. It was perfect for staying dry during short-lived showers and saved me from some bruises during a few particularly large hailstorms. 

Easy, breasy, hands freesie! The umbrella was perfect for those showers where you really should put on your rain jacket, but you’re far too lazy or cold to stop and take your pack off.

What Gear Didn’t

Over five months and the varied terrain of the CDT, I had some great pieces of gear that stopped being useful. I sent that gear home, but plan to hike with it again on later trips. Some luxury items, though, I don’t see myself packing for any other trip.

I did pick up some cheap pants from the Family Dollar before heading into the snow of the San Juans. They were great for staying a little warmer and saved my shins (somewhat) from being torn to shreds by all the ice and postholing.

In the desert of New Mexico, I loved having my Dirty Girl gaiters to help keep some sand out of my shoes. However, once I had to replace my shoes and didn’t have spare glue and velcro to reattach them, I realized I didn’t miss them at all. Unless I ever hike the Arizona Trail, or another super sandy trail, I’ll be leaving these behind.

Camp shoes can be a bit more controversial. I’m not saying I’ll never pack them again, but I’ve realized I’m comfortable shoving my wet feet into wet shoes to walk around camp and town. I hiked about 1,500 miles before finally sending home my Joybees Dance Sandals. I got a lot of great use out of them, but eventually, I couldn’t justify the bulk they added to my pack.

The Joybees were great because they had all the features of my Crocs but were much flatter and didn’t take up as much space on my pack.

Finally, I sent home my Buff. I fell victim to the marketing of “you can utilize it in a  thousand different ways!” before realizing that I don’t use any of them. It ended up being another thing collecting sweat, and I didn’t miss it once I mailed it home. 

The Lesson

Your perfect gear setup is like the trail itself: always changing. My advice? Don’t follow anyone’s list too closely, not even mine. Every hiker is different, and what works for one person might be overkill (or underkill) for another.

The important thing is being able to enjoy the views around you. If you need caffeine in the morning, don’t let anyone talk you out of packing a coffee setup!

So, embrace the process of trial and error. Your gear choices change with you, and you might look back and laugh at the things you once considered essential. The best gear is the gear that helps you enjoy the trail from start to finish.

READ NEXT –

• 11 Tips I Wish I’d Known Before Hiking the Colorado Trail
• Continental Divide Trail Gear List: The Essentials & More

Featured image: Photos via Katie Jackson; graphic design by Zack Goldmann.