Dec 24, 2024 : Natasha Gravel
Pacific Crest Trail
PCT ’24 Gear-End Review
Gear is the low-hanging fruit in terms of things I’d change if I could re-hike the PCT, but hey, there’s a reason pop songs are popular. Let’s start with my kit at the Southern Terminus vs the Northern Terminus…
Check out my gear at the Mexican border
Check out my gear at the Canadian border
What I changed on trail and why:
The Big 3+
- Backpacks – I tried 3 different packs on trail, which from best to worst are: the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 40L, the Gossamer Gear G4-20 40L, and the REI Tarn youth 40L pack. The Hyperlite Unbound is the perfect backpack, especially for a thru-hike. They absolutely nailed it, and I wouldn’t change anything except for the fit. Even being a size Small, it was too big, so I had nonstop pain. Despite the shoulder and back pain, the hip belt tightened small enough and it fit better than other packs I’ve tried. It’s my favorite pack I’ve owned. The GG G4-20 is a good frameless pack, and it’s comfortable as long as you’re truly ultralight, but I was not. Its mesh also isn’t as stretchy, it wasn’t as durable, it had fewer external pockets, wasn’t waterproof, and it didn’t fit as much. The REI pack was awful in every way…that’s it.
- Sleeping Pads – I started with the same Thermarest NeoAir Xlight that everyone else does, and liked it fine. Sleeping isn’t a strong skill of mine, so no system is going to be great for me. It started leaking around the valve, so I patched it, which worked for a couple weeks. The next leak seemed unpatchable, and I found myself still blowing it up 3-6 times/night. With Chestnut’s wildly misguided encouragement, I added a NEMO switchback foam pad as a backup and even tried it alone, but could not get used to the hip and back pain. I will forever blame Chestnut for this wasted time and poor sleep. Just kidding, he felt terrible even though it’s not his fault at all, so I just figured I’d rub salt in that wound. Luckily, because it was a valve malfunction, Thermarest replaced my pad for free at Trail Days with the NeoAir Xlight NXT Short, which was fine and never had any more leaks.
- I didn’t start with a pillow, but when a fellow trail family member, Moon, upgraded his, he kindly gifted it to me in hopes of better sleep. I was very skeptical, but I ended up hiking with the Sea to Summit Pillow for most of the trail, and it actually made a huge difference. In White Pass, I wanted to trim weight, so I left it in the hiker box and started using my Thermarest pump sack filled with my extra items, which worked just fine. In the future, I’ll probably go the stuff sack route again.
Apparel
- PAKA fleece hoodie – Okay I want to start by saying I love this brand, and this is the softest, most luxurious fleece you could dream of. It’s truly a treat to don this silky alpaca sweatshirt on a chilly morning, around camp, or even as your base layer to sleep in. It’s durable, it’s warm but not hot, it’s adorable, it’s a cozy little piece of home, it rocks. But. Big but here. It shrinks faster than a rat up a drain pipe, and I had to send home a child-size, felted hoodie by South Lake Tahoe. You CANNOT wash this in a machine, and don’t even THINK about putting it in a dryer. It does get stinky, and therefore, I would not take it on another thru-hike. Hot take: I think a fleece is nice to have, but not a necessity. I did not carry a mid-layer the remainder of the trail, and my puffy and a couple hand warmers kept the blood circulating just fine. In the future, I think I will carry a mid-layer, and I hope to find another good quality fleece made of natural fibers.
- Town clothes – I didn’t start with town clothes, but I somehow ended up accumulating a few extra articles of clothing… They were certainly nice to have in town, and I slept better with them, but I ditched them after a couple hundred miles and will not pack them in the future. Same with camp shoes, although I would pack an UL camp sandal in the future.
- I loved my Merino Wool Buff! It was big enough to use around my neck and as a town skirt, but I left it in a hotel in Ridgecrest, so I went without it until Trail Days, where I got one for free. My new one was shorter, so it didn’t work as a skirt, and it didn’t add much warmth around my neck. In the future, I probably will not bring a buff at all.
- Shoes – During my hike, I went through 1 pair of Altra Lone Peaks, 2 pairs of Topo Terraventures, and 2 pairs of Hoka Stinsons. I started wearing Lone Peaks a few years ago, and had hiked 100km on El Camino de Santiago in them. They mostly worked for me, but I noticed new top-of-foot, knee, and achilles pain. After endless blisters (very rare for me prior to the PCT) and worsened pain, I purchased my first pair of Topo Terraventures. It’s what the shop had in Idylwild, so I rolled with it despite my reluctance. Luckily, I met Blaze Physio by chance that evening at trail angel Laura’s house. She gave me some exercises and stretches to do, and said I’d made a good choice on the shoes. My knee pain improved rapidly, likely thanks to the combination of strengthened muscles and a higher heel to toe drop. My blisters went away, but my foot pain wasn’t getting much better. By the time I got to Jesse, more commonly known on trail as “Foot Jesus”, in Shasta, I was desperate. Blaze all but confirmed severe plantar fasciitis, a baxter’s nerve, pulverized sesamoids, and neuromas in both feet, and recommended the works – a higher drop, more stability, and more cushion. Hesitant but hopeful, I agreed quickly to a pair of Hokas that fit the bill as well as custom insoles. Within a month, my numbness began to disappear and my pain was bearable again. I could finally get up to pee at night without doing an entire stretch and massage ball routine. By the end of the trail, I often even skipped my morning PT ritual, and had only a touch of Christmas toe – a reprieve from the tingly numbness that had been consuming nearly every square inch of my feet. It’s mid-December, and I’m proud to say I can feel all ten digits – ahead of schedule! My takeaway is that the right shoe is going to be different for each person. Don’t stay in a pair too long out of pride. Try different things, trust the pros, and listen to your body, not the just the recommendations online. I’ll eventually taper back down to a minimalist shoe, but I’ll never be too prideful to go the other direction as needed.
Kitchen
- Hydration system – The Platypus hose and bite valve itself was an obstacle, constantly bouncing around, rubbing my skin, and getting coated in dirt when I put my pack down. Although I found myself more hydrated while I had it, I ditched it in KMS and never looked back. I quickly got used to reaching back to grab my Smart Water bottles. I went through three 3L Platypus bags before I switched to a CNOC bag. It lasted me from Etna to Canada, and was one of my favorite gear changes. Having the ability to easily hang it for gravity filtering is a game-changer.
- Spoons – My trail family will laugh at this one… All of the spoons were fine, including the tent stake I used to a solid month and the plastic takeout spoons from town, I just couldn’t keep them for very long, they seemed to run away from me. But my favorite was my Earthling Co. Bamboo Spoon that I started with.
Other Gear Notes:
- I liked my Durston X-Mid Pro 1, but in the future, I would like to try another UL brand with a higher bathtub that holds its shape better, and more durable zippers. I also ended up with 23 mouse holes in the mesh, but I can’t blame Dan for that.
- I liked my Enlightened Equipment 20 degree Revelation Quilt, but I was often cold, and I’d like to try a bag.
- Frogg Toggs UL Rain Suit – I carried this the whole trail and liked it. However, in the future, I’ll probably experiment with more durable, permanent options, since all of my 3 rain suits ripped at the crotch.
- I loved my Anker 20,000 MaH Power Bank, never had any issues, and will carry it again in the future. The only reason mine didn’t make it the whole trail is because it was stolen from the Subway bathroom in Cajon Pass. But during its short life, it provided enough charge for up to an 8 day stretch comfortably without sacrificing any charging desires. Notable: many people I knew with a NiteCore power bank had issues.
- AOTU Backpacking Stove with Piezo Ignition – this is a total cheapo stove from Amazon, and I absolutely loved it. It’s super light, small, and worked just fine. I had my first one for 7 years before it finally got too wobbly on the PCT and I replaced it with the same model at Shelter Cove. I’ll probably keep carrying this stove and will just keep it better protected in its plastic case moving forward.
- Vargo Bot Cook Pot – Love love love this pot. Its screw on lid and water-tight seal sets it apart from others and makes it heavier than many other options, but it served as my cold soak container, cook pot, and an extra water reservoir when my water bladders busted in the desert.
- I never used my Rawlogy Cork Massage Ball for sore muscles, so I sent it home in KMS, but got it back at Shelter Cove, and it ended up being my saving grace when I woke up with numb, nerve-damaged feet every morning and couldn’t stand up. I rolled out my feet 2-3 times every day, which got out most of the painful tingles, loosened up my plantar fascia, and reduced pain drastically long-term. 10/10 will bring again.
- I ditched the ear plugs pretty quickly. As I said, I’m not a good sleeper, but I found that they were not noise cancelling and did not tune out snoring or other night sounds. I ended up relying on my Apple AirPods exclusively if I couldn’t get to sleep, which worked well aside from the battery life.
- I did not carry bug spray until I found myself with no pants, over 100 mosquito bites, and taking Benadryl nightly to sleep. The moment I reached Kennedy Meadows North, I purchased Repel 100 with 98% DEET. Ironically, I only used it 3-4 times after that, and I could have gone without it. For that one extra hellish section in the late Sierras, I wish I had been carrying rain pants, a bug head net, and my Sawyer Picaridin bug spray. In the future, I do not think I’ll carry bug spray unless I know it will be buggy. I saw 3 ticks the entire PCT – one searching my thigh for a spot to feed, one in my tent on my quilt, and one on my backpack during a break on the Eagle Creek alternate. I sprayed everything with Sawyer’s Permethrin before my hike, and I don’t think I’d change anything in terms of tick prevention.
- I was really happy to have my Z-Packs Conductive Brushtail Possum Gloves. They were destroyed by the end, but considering how they were treated, I have no complaints. I wouldn’t call them warm, but they kept my fingers thawed while the snow was falling and the wind was gusting.
Ice/snow gear
- I loved the Hillsound Crampons because of the strap that kept them on my feet while other hikers’ microspikes were sliding off. I used my spikes 10+ times, and was happy to have them.
- Like everyone else, I picked up the C.A.M.P. Corsa Ice Axe in Idylwild, and I used it about 10 times, but never to self-arrest. Ironically, the only time I needed to self-arrest, my ice axe was packed out of reach (: However, I was glad to have it.
- I only carried my WoolX Piper Pocket base layer leggings in the Sierras, and I hardly used them. They were too tight around the ankles to put on over other clothes, so I couldn’t put them on during the day when I got cold. They also weren’t comfortable to sleep in, so I only wore them on extra cold nights. In the future, I’ll carry only rain pants. Or if I wanted to opt for optimal coziness, I might go for a pair of Fjallravens like the Danes suggested incessantly.
Pro Tips:
- Get a CNOC VectoX water bag and one of those cheap, blue coupling adapters for your Sawyer squeeze, and thank me later. Gravity filtering will extend the life of your water reservoir by reducing the squeezing and pressure on its seams. It will also reduce the effort you have to put in, which I am very pro.
- You can hang your CNOC in the loop of your trekking pole and lean it up against a tree (or your other pole, if you’re patient), which will eliminate pressure on the thin plastic loop most people use to hang it on a tree. If your trekking pole is holding your tent up, you can even stay warm inside while filtering water this way!
- Put your sleeping pad inside your sleeping bag liner like a sheet to reduce sliding and sticking.
- Put your sleeping pad inside your quilt’s toe box and put the straps around your body – this was the warmest setup for me personally.
- Buy your Frogg Toggs a couple sizes too big, and hike them up before you squat down to prevent tearing.
- Only use one ear bud at a time, both for animal safety and for extended battery life. If you have trouble sleeping, put one in with white noise playing, and when it dies at 2am, flip over and switch it out for the charged AirPod, then plug in your case while hiking the next day.
- If your pack is hurting your back, try removing the frame/stays if possible. I ditched mine aluminum stay and it was much more comfortable without it.
- If your inflatable sleeping pad or pillow are causing you pain, try deflating them just a little bit.
Shoutouts and Gratitude
- Shoutout to trail angel Big Mama for not only driving me from Ashland to REI and safely back to me hotel, but patiently assisting me while I tried to find the right pack, and sharing a wonderful meal with me. I also had the privilege of meeting her wonderful granddaughter, Carmen, who joined us for lunch.
- Shoutout to Belinda, my saint of a mother, who dehydrated delicious meals, sent me thoughtful resupply packages, paid for my expensive medicine, answered every phone call, and even flew out to visit me, slack packed me and Chestnut for a few miles, brought me her backpacking stove when mine was a goner, swapped out my awful REI pack for my original Hyperlite pack, and sent me my base layer shirt against my will – it probably saved my life in Washington.
- Shoutout to Blaze Physio – I’m so grateful I met you. If I hadn’t, I don’t think I could have physically finished the PCT. Sweet, sweet, perfect Honey, thank you for your undying love and support, endless cuddles, and illegal-level cuteness. I don’t think I could have gotten through the PCT emotionally without you. As a team, you guys are exponentially increasing the number of days us hikers can torture our bodies. Thank you.
- Shoutout to HARDSTART for letting me borrow your headphones when mine were dead and I desperately needed a music-induced mood boost.
- Shoutout to Twinkle Toes for thinking to heat my pot back up to equalize the pressure and get off the stuck lid after half of Phil’s Crew tested their strength trying to pry it off without science.
- Shoutout to Chestnut for listening to me blow up my sleeping pad all night every night and for showing me a game-changing way to filter my water.
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