My 14 lb Home: A Pacific Crest Trail Gear List with Weight Breakdown

In 22 days I’ll officially be swapping out my thermoregulated suburban home for ripstop nylon tent walls, running water for natural water sources and a handheld filter, and my flushable toilet for… a hole in the ground. And right now I’m here to answer one of the most overwhelmingly popular questions about my upcoming thru-hike:

What exactly are you carrying?

Keep in mind this is my first thru-hike. I have some fine-tuning to do before I dub this my dream gear setup. While weight was undoubtedly of high priority in gear selection, safety took precedence over all. Warmth, ease of use, durability and quality, and cost were not overlooked, as well. So maybe you’re an aspiring thru hiker hoping to learn a thing or two from a novice gear list. Maybe you’re a gear savvy individual looking to spread ultralight enlightenment (always welcome). Or maybe you’re just really confused as to how an entire home can be condensed into a pack the size of a small child for five months.

So, gearheads and bewildered friends alike, without further ado, here is everything I will be carrying during my 2017 Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike.

 

The Big Three                                                                      

Pack

ULA Circuit Backpack (39.5 oz)

Trash compactor bag to line/waterproof inside of pack

Tent

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 (39.0 oz)

Tyvek ground cloth (2.7 oz)

Sleep System

Enlightened Equipment Revelation Quilt 10 Degree (23.6 oz)

Z-Packs Cuben Fiber Roll Top Dry Bag (0.8 oz)

Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol Sleeping Pad (10.4 oz)

Total “The Big Three” Weight = 116 oz (7.25 lbs)

 

Hydration

Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter (2.4 oz)

1L Smart Water bottles x2 (2.8 oz)

2L Platypus Water Reservoir x2 (2.7 oz)

Total Hydration Weight = 7.9 oz (0.5 lbs)

 

Cooking

JetBoil (to share with Annie)

Evernew Titanium Pot (3.7 oz)

Sea to Summit Alpha Light Spork Long (0.3 oz)

Z-Packs Cuben Fiber Roll Top Dry Bag (1.4 oz)

Total Cooking Weight = 5.4 oz (0.3 lbs)

 

Toiletries/Hygiene

Toothbrush + toothpaste + dental floss (1.7 oz)

Glasses + contacts (5.5 oz)

Dried out baby wipes (1.2 oz)

Nail clipper + extra hair ties + comb (1.4 oz)

Diva Cup (0.6 oz)

Deuce of Spades Trowel (0.5 oz)

Bandana/pee rag (1.2 oz)

Toilet paper (2.0 oz)

Small container of hand sanitizer (1.2 oz)

Multivitamins + meds (2.0 oz)

Vaseline (0.3 oz)

Chapstick (0.3 oz)

Total Toiletries/Hygiene Weight = 17.9 oz (1.1 lbs)

 

Electronics

Black Diamond ReVolt Headlamp (2.8 oz)

Extra batteries x4 (1.0 oz)

iPhone with Lifeproof case (6.5 oz)

Apple earbuds (0.4 oz)

Chargers (2.4 oz)

Anker external battery pack (4.0 oz)

SPOT Gen3 Satellite Messenger (4.3 oz)

Total Electronics Weight = 21.4 oz (1.3 lbs)

 

Miscellaneous

Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net (0.8 oz)

Bandana (0.5 oz)

Small journal (3.2 oz)

Sharpie + pen (0.6 oz)

Printed Halfmile Maps ~3-4 sections at a time (6.0 oz)

Halfmile + Guthook phone apps

Compass (1.1 oz)

Wallet with ID + credit/debit cards + insurance card + permit (1.8 oz)

First aid kit with ibuprofen + bandaids + antibiotic ointment + moleskin (2.3 oz)

Repair kit with duct tape + Tenacious Tape + needle (0.7 oz)

Classic Swiss Army Knife (1.6 oz)

Sunscreen (1.2 oz)

Insect Repellent (1.5 oz)

Stuff sack (0.5 oz)

Lighter/matches (0.5 oz)

Total Miscellaneous Weight = 22.3 oz (1.4 lbs)

 

Clothing Packed

Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Jacket (6.4 oz)

Icebreaker Oasis Merino Wool Leggings (5.4 oz)

Merino wool midweight baselayer (6.9 oz)

Marmot Minimalist Goretex Shell Jacket (13.7 oz)

Darn Tough Wool Socks (2.3 oz)

Knit hat (2.5 oz)

PossumDown Gloves (1.3 oz)

Patagonia underwear (0.5 oz)

Total Clothing Packed Weight = 39 oz (2.4 lbs)

 

Clothing/Gear Worn

Nike running shorts

L.L. Bean Tropicwear Long-Sleeve Shirt

Icebreaker Sprite Racerback Bra

Patagonia Underwear

Altra Lone Peak 3.0 Trail Running Shoes

Superfeet Insoles

Dirty Girl Gaiters

Injinji Toe Socks

Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles

Buff

Digital watch

Sunglasses

Sun hat

Starting Base Weight (everything except food + water): 14.3 lbs

 

Section Gear

With the current and predicted snowpack in the Sierras, I have no idea what gear I’ll be needing once we make it to that section, given that the Sierras will be even remotely passable. Here’s the gear that I have on standby. I most likely won’t know what I’ll be using until we get closer to the Sierras. I may also swap out some clothing for warmer gear up in Washington, as well.

Bear canister

Black Diamond Ice Axe

Kahtoola Microspikes

Snowshoes

Snow gaiters

Mammut fleece jacket

Synthetic leggings

 

Happy hiking!!!