">
Whimsical Woman’s Pacific Crest Trail Gear List
Are you just beginning your PCT thru-hike gear essentials research? Are you putting finishing touches on your carefully cultivated set of gear? Maybe you’re a gear junkie who just likes to watch videos about gear.
No matter where you are in the journey, my latest video provides an in-depth review of the items I carried on my 2,650 mile trek. I cover the basics (think: backpack and sleep system), my kitchen set-up, specific gear I carried through the Sierra Nevada, and the shoes and clothing I wore on the trail. You can find links to each of these products below to learn more:
The Basics
- Tent: Zpack’s Solplex
- Tent stakes: MSR Groundhog Stakes
- Trekking poles: REI Flash Carbon Trekking Poles
- Ground cloth: Tyvek
- Sleeping pad: Thermarest Z-Lite
- Sleeping bag: REI Magma
- Stuff sack (and pillow): Sea to Summit Stuff Sac
- Backpack: Waymark Gear C0. 50L
Kitchen Set-up
- Trash compactor bag: Any store! Or Amazon
- Food stuff sack: Cuben Fiber Stuff Sack
- Kitchen utensil: Titanium Spork
- Water filtration: Sawyer Squeeze
- First aid: Any drugstore or Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight/Watertight .7 Medical Kit
- GPS: Garmin In Reach Explorer
- Rechargeable battery pack: Anker PowerCore 201000 mAh
- Headlamp: Black Diamond Storm
Sierra Nevada
- Inflatable sleeping pad: REI Flash Insulated Air Sleeping Pad
- Bear can: Bear Vault BV500
- Ice ax: Black Diamond Raven Pro
- Microspikes: Kahtoola Microspikes
Clothing
- Puffy jacket: Mountain Hardwear 800 Fill Down
- Hiking top: Arc’Teryx Motus Crew Long Sleeve
- Hiking pants: KUHL Horizn Skinny
- Hiking shorts: Patagonia Barely Baggies
- Thermal base layer pants: Smartwool Merino 250 Base Layer Bottoms
- Rain jacket: Frogg Toggs
- First and second pairs of shoes: Altra Lone Peak 3.5
- Third and fourth pairs of shoes: HOKA ONE ONE Torrent
- Camp/water shoes: Bedrock Sandals Cairn 3D Pro
- Gaiters: Dirty Girl Gaiters
- Base layer socks: Injinji Toe Liners (short)
- Base layer socks: Injinji Toe Liners (tall)
- Top layer socks: Smartwool PhD Run Ultra Light Micro Socks
- Top layer socks: Darn Tough Socks
For more gear reviews, subscribe to The Trek’s Gear Playlist on YouTube.
Want to get in on the fun? You can apply to join The Trek’s team of vloggers here.
This website contains affiliate links, which means The Trek may receive a percentage of any product or service you purchase using the links in the articles or advertisements. The buyer pays the same price as they would otherwise, and your purchase helps to support The Trek's ongoing goal to serve you quality backpacking advice and information. Thanks for your support!
To learn more, please visit the About This Site page.
Comments 2
Did you find Frog Togs acceptable?
Not bad.
Just a few little changes that I would suggest:
Leave the GPS at home.
1.On the PCT that is the last thing you need!!! It is far to heavy for something that is not at all nescessary.
2. I would change merino baselayers to synthetic. Synthetic is way lighter and much more durable. Yes Merino does not smell as bad but you will. No matter what you wear.
3.Sandals: I know this is a much discussed topic but I have not met many people who would go again and bring sandals. It is warm the majority of time and if not your feet will be cold in sandals too.
4. Ice Axe: Do you really know how to use it? Even if you do I would not recommend bringing one. High snow year or not. If you have not had training before it is rather injure you in an emergency than save you.
5. The mattress for the Sierras: You willl find softer ground in the Sierras than in the desert so if the reason is comfort then I would suggest to bring it from the beginning.
If reason is extra warmth then I can assure you there is aaaaaaaaaalways spots without snow and that your Zrest will be perfectly fine.
6. Shorts and Pants: I would get some wind pants instead. They pack smaller are much lighter and offer the same warmth. Also lot of them are mosquito proof.