AT vs. PCT Gear

Hello there! It’s been six years since my last thru-hike and foray into blogging so I needed an easy way to get back into the game and figured gear talk would be it! Everyone loves dissecting gear, to the point that it’s probably overdone, but I wasn’t sure how else to start up again.

This is also my way of saying, I’m hiking the PCT! Start date May 4th. (I’ve already heard “may the 4th be with you” a bunch of times from the dorks in my life but keep it coming because this year we will all need it. #toomuchsnow). New trail means new gear, so here is my AT gear compared against some of the choices I’m making for the PCT. (All my PCT gear that’s still on market is linked below, but a couple things aren’t sold anymore.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

	AT Gear	PCT Gear	Different?	If so, why?
backpack	Osprey Exos 48	Hyperlite Unbound 40	yes	I love my Exos and still have it, but it’s 7 years + 1 thru-hike old and it’s pretty ripped up. Since Osprey no longer makes a unisex Exos, I figured I’d try something new – and waterproof.
tent	Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 mtnGLO	Durston X-Mid Pro 1	yes	Ditto above – I loved my Copper Spur and would carry it again, but my particular tent is just a bit too worn to take on another thru-hike. Also, this go-around I was interested in testing out a non-freestanding tent.
sleep system	Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20	Feathered Friends Petrel 10 UL	yes	I was always cold; a quilt is not for me.
	(started with) Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite (and switched to) Big Agnes Q-Core SLX	Therm-a-Rest ProLite	yes	I switched to the ProLite after my thru-hike and I like it so much better – it’s quiet, comfortable and really low to the ground which all outweigh that it has a lower R value, for me.
cook system	MSR Micro Rocket stove	MSR Micro Rocket stove	no
	MSR Titan Kettle 0.85L	MSR Titan Kettle 0.85L	no
food bag	Ursack Major	Ursack Major	no	(For the PCT will also be using the BearVault BV500 where needed)
water filter	Katadyn BeFree 0.6L	Katadyn BeFree 1L	no
socks	Darn Tough	Darn Tough	no
trail runners	(started with) Brooks Cascadia (and switched to) Brooks Caldera	Brooks Caldera	no
camp shoes	Crocs Swiftwater Sandal	Bedrock Sandals Cairn Pro II	yes	I had a gift card to Bedrock
puffy	Patagonia Nano Puff	Rab Xenon 2.0	yes	No real reason – both are great synthetic jackets, which is my preference
headlamp	Black Diamond Cosmo	Black Diamond Spot 400-R	only kind of	Pretty much the same thing, just upgrading and switching to rechargeable
battery pack	Anker PowerCore 10,000	Anker PowerCore 20,000	only kind of	You carry your fears? Mine is lack of juice.
poles	Leki Micro Vario Carbon Lady	Leki Micro Vario Carbon Lady	no
satellite messenger	n/a	Garmin InReach Mini 2	yes	Not needed on the AT

You’ll notice that other than puffy and socks/shoes, I didn’t include any clothing because I don’t think your clothing makes a whole lot of difference either way. If you’re comfortable and not in danger of exposure, you’re good on clothes. If you’re interested, I did a whole post on my AT gear here for more info on why I made some of the changes I did above; and I’ll likely do the same thing for the PCT gear after this hike.

So, yeah, I guess I’m back at it. More to come!

-snap