Gear changes from the AT to the PCT

With less than five weeks until I start the Pacific Crest Trail, I have been dialing in my base weight*, practicing setting up my tent, and packing my backpack. When I started the Appalachian Trail in February of 2021, my base weight was 23 lbs, and my backpack weighed 40 lbs at Springer Mountain with food and water. Although I shed some pack weight throughout my AT thru-hike, my base weight was still around 19 lbs when I finished. As I dial in my gear for the PCT, my base weight is around 13 lbs, 10 lbs lighter than when I started the AT. In this post, I will discuss reasons for the gear changes I have made over the last 3 years to lower my base weight and make my (almost) ultralight dreams come true.

*base weight: how much your backpack weighs without food or water

Backpack

I hiked the AT with an Osprey Aura 65 liter pack which weighed in at 4.6 lbs. In 2017, I bought this pack for summer camp, and by the time I started the AT with it, there were many miles already on this pack. I loved this pack because it carried the heavy weight of my gear extremely comfortably. Although lifting my pack and getting it on my back was a challenge, once it was on I could hardly tell how heavy the pack was. This pack lasted almost my entire thru-hike without any issues until during the hundred-mile wilderness in Maine one of the zippers broke.

I have switched to the Hyperlite Southwest 55 liter pack which weighs in at 1.9 lbs. This lowers my base weight by 2.7 lbs, a huge difference. I bought this pack during the summer of 2022 and have taken it on numerous backpacking trips since. It carries weight very comfortably as long as you don’t go over the 40 lb load capacity which shouldn’t be an issue on my thru hike. I love that it is minimalist with its straps but still has everything I need; a spot to strap in a bear canister and ice axe for the Sierras, and an easily accessible outside pocket for my TP and trowel in case of emergencies.

Tent

I started the AT with the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 which weighs in at 2 lbs 6 oz. This tent was everything I needed on the AT. Relatively lightweight, big enough for me and my backpack, and a spacious vestibule for my shoes and trekking poles. This tent is free-standing with a pole connecting all corners and the two walls. The only issues I ran into with this tent were because of user error. It flooded two nights on the AT in heavy rainstorms which was my fault for setting up my tent in a spot that turns into a puddle in the rain. Additionally, I kept the tent rolled up on the outside of my backpack, and after all of the rock scrambles in New Hampshire the rain fly had over ten holes in it from scraping against the rocks (again, user error).

For the PCT I will be taking the Zpacks Plex Solo tent weighing in at 13.9 oz, a 1.5 lb. difference from the AT. Although this tent has a learning curve required for setting it up, after watching a YouTube tutorial and practicing in my yard a couple of times, I am confident that I will be able to set it up successfully on the PCT. This is a single trekking pole so I will no longer have to carry a pole for my tent and instead will be able to use one of my trekking poles for set up (I will continue to keep my other trekking pole in the vestibule in case of a bear).

Sleeping Bag

I used two different sleeping bags on the AT. I started with a Big Agnes zero-degree down sleeping bag (which has since been discontinued) which weighed in at around 3 lbs. This sleeping bag kept me warm in the Georgia mountains where it hit 10 degrees multiple nights. When I reached Damascus I switched to an REI Magma 30-degree sleeping bag which weighed around 1 lbs 10 oz. This sleeping bag also worked great for the warmer months and I carried it for the remainder of my thru hike.

For the PCT I will be bringing the Enlightened Equipment Enigma 20-degree quilt which weighs in at 19 oz. I have decided to make the switch from a sleeping bag to a quilt both for the weight savings and the versatility. I like that I can open up the quilt on warmer nights while also staying warm when needed while it also being lighter weight than either of the sleeping bags that I had with me on the AT.

Stove

On the AT I used the Jet Boil Flash cooking system which weighed in at 13.1 oz. Although I did enjoy this stove setup it had a couple of flaws. First, the auto-ignition broke after just a couple of weeks of use. Additionally, the setup was much bigger than what I needed as a solo hiker. Although I loved the fast boil time of just over 3 minutes, the weight and bulkiness of the jet boil caused me to look into other options for my PCT thru-hike.

For the PCT I will be using the Soto WindMaster stove with the TriFlex pot support along with the TOAKS titanium 700ml pot. The stove weighs 2.3 oz and the pot weighs 3.6 oz, together totaling 5.9 oz. This is a 7.2 oz difference from the Jet Boil and although this doesn’t sound like much, when I am carrying it on my back for five months every ounce counts (except if it’s a rubber duck). This setup is not only lighter but also stores much smaller than the Jet Boil. The Soto WindMaster does take 4 minutes to boil water, but the slightly longer boil time is worth it in exchange for the weight.

Other gear changes

Some of my other gear changes include my rain jacket which I will be switching from a super old Mammut raincoat to the Outdoor Research Helium rain jacket, my hiking boots which I will be changing from the Oboz Sawtooth mid-hiking boots to the Topo Trailventure 2, and my water filter which I will be switching from the Sawyer Squeeze to the Katadyn BeFree.