2017 PCT Hike - OR/WA

In 2017, I am hiking 1200 miles of the Pacific Crest Trail, primarily northbound through Oregon and Washington. You can follow my journey chronologically from the start!

The rest of this page will, for now, be dedicated to my gear list changes for my 2017 section hike of the Pacific Crest Trail

The first thing you’ll notice is that my new list is ever-so-slightly shorter. If I’m being honest, as I concluded this comparison, the contents of an appropriately compact, miniscule, and arguably narcisstic corner of my brain erupted in ego-fueled, grandiose cheers of “OH MY GOD I’M SO ULTRALIGHT NOW I CAN HIKE ALL THE THINGS AND I’LL NEVER NEVER GET TIRED EVER HOORAY!!!!!!!!!”

Full disclosure: In no way do I feel justified in calling myself an “ultralighter.” But I have lightened my load significantly in the last two years! Most of my gear switches were for weight related reasons. Examples include the Sawyer Squeeze being downgraded to the Mini, the significant decrease in pack literage, and the smaller Nalgene. Some were for safety, like the upgrading of my rain jacket to a far more reliable layer (that happened to weigh a lot less) in effort to stave off hypothermic conditions in the PNW, and the additions to my first aid kid. The vast majority of changes have little to do with weight and more to do with changing tastes and personal preferences, seen in the switchup of shoes, hiking attire, sun hat, type of healing salve, trekking poles, and the swap-out of contact lenses for a glasses-only methodology. And to that end, some of those changes are just plain random, such as the largely redundant increase in sunscreen SPF (it was on sale) and the addition of floss, which was truthfully more a tribute to my friendly Austrian Dentistry Expert Color Wheel than anything else.

Anyway, all to say that I’ve made some notes on why I made some specific gear choices, but if any readers out there are aspiring hikers or researchers of human insanity, please feel free to message me with any questions you might have. They are not only welcome, but appreciated!

PCT 2015 – ending gear list

PCT 2017 – starting gear list

Big 3: -          Gregory Deva 70L Pack -          Western Mountaineering Alpinlite 20deg -          Big Agnes Flycreek UL1 (+Tyvek ground cloth) Clothes: -          Big 5 $10 button-down hiking shirt (brand unknown, worn) -          Moving Comfort sports bra (worn) -          Saucony running shorts (worn) -          ExOfficio underwear (1pr, worn) -          Darn Tough ¼ Crew Hike/Trek socks (2pr, worn and alternated) -          Dirty Girl Gaiters (worn) -          Salomon XA Pro trail running shoes (worn) -          Buff headband (worn) -          Smithoptics sunglasses (worn) -          Glasses (for camp, after taking contacts out) -          Headsweats running brimmed hat (rarely worn) -          Mountain Hardwear hiking pants (rarely worn) -          Rain pants (brand unknown, used 2x) -          Marmot Goretex rain jacket1 -          Patagonia Down Sweater -          Smartwool midweight leggings (sleep) -          Ibex Indy hoody (sleep) -          Eddie bauer layering tank (sleep/town) -          Sarong (usually in bounce box) -          Darn Tough Crew Hike/Trek socks (1pr, for sleeping) -          Mountain Hardwear glove liners -          Teva lightweight flip flops (for camp) -          Microfleece hat (for cold) Cooking Setup: -          Jetboil Zip -          Canister -          Sea-to-Summit long titanium spoon -          Granite Gear 30L UL stuff sack (for food bag) -          Bear canister (Sierras only, used as a bounce box after that) Water filtration: -          Sawyer Squeeze -          2-7 various-sized Smartwater bottles -          Nalgene (16L, for hot liquids/hot water bottle to sleep with) Electronics: -          Phone -          Olympus TG3 Waterproof Camera -          Spare batteries (1 for phone, 2 for camera) -          Charging cords -          Black Diamond Cosmo headlamp -          Headphones -          SPOT device Paper items: -          A book, usually LOTR -          A small moleskine journal -          Paper copies of maps Toiletries: -          Contacts, case and solution -          Travel toothbrush and mini toothpaste -          Mini container of Vaseline -          Sunscreen! 70spf -          Chapstick -          Diva cup2 -          Mini first aid kit containing duct tape, blister care, needle/thread, nail clippers, extra batteries, Vitamin I, etc.) -            Misc: -          Leki Anti-shock demo trekking poles -          Thermarest Zlite foam sleeping pad, L -          Stuff sacks for clothes, tent, etc. -          Mini Swiss Army knife -          Compass/thermometer/whistle combo tool (now broken)

Big 3: -          REI Flash 52L Women’s Pack (altered) -          Western Mountaineering Alpinlite 20deg -          Big Agnes Flycreek UL1 (+Tyvek ground cloth) Clothes: -          Columbia dress from Goodwill! (worn) -          Columbia button down hiking shirt (worn sometimes) -          Saucony running shorts (worn sometimes?)3 -          ExOfficio underwear (1pr, worn) -          Moving Comfort sports bra -          Darn Tough ¼ Crew Hike/Trek socks (2pr, worn and alternated) -          Dirty Girl Gaiters (worn) -          Altra Lone Peak trail running shoes (worn) -          Buff headband (worn) -          Prescription sunglasses (worn during day) -          Prescription glasses (worn at night) -          Trucker hat -          Fleece-lined leggings (for hiking, cold weather)4 -          Outdoor Research Helium II rain jacket -          Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer hooded down jacket -          Smartwool midweight leggings (sleep) -          Cheap poly/wool blend layer I was given at PCT Days 2016! (sleep) -          Eddie bauer layering tank (sleep/town) -          Darn Tough Crew Hike/Trek socks (1pr, sleep) -          Mountain Hardwear glove liners -          Teva lightweight flip flops -          Microfleece hat Cooking setup: -          Jetboil Zip -          Canister -          Sea-to-Summit long titanium spoon -          Granite Gear 30L UL stuff sack (for food bag) Water filtration: -          Sawyer Squeeze Mini -          2-4 various-sized Smartwater bottles -          Mini Nalgene (8oz, for hot liquids/hot water bottle to sleep with) Electronics: -          Phone -          Olympus TG3 Waterproof camera -          Spare batteries (1 for phone, 2 for camera) -          Charging cords -          Black Diamond Cosmo headlamp -          Headphones -          SPOT device Paper items: -          Book -          Moleskine journal -          Paper maps Toiletries: -          Travel toothbrush and mini toothpaste -          Floss -          Mini container of climber’s salve -          Sunscreen! 100spf -          First aid kit containing duct/leuko tape, needle thread, bandages, nail clippers, spare batteries, Vitamin I, medical gloves5, WMI pocket guide, spare washer for filter, mini homemade packets of rubbing alcohol, etc.) Misc: -          Cascade Mountain Tech carbon fiber trekking poles -          Theramrest Zlite Sol foam sleeping pad, Small6 -          Stuff sack for clothes -          Stuff sack for tent -          Mini Swiss Army knife -          Compass

¹Never again Goretex…this jacket was heavy, but I expected it to hold up. It did not. At all. I wetted out in every rainstorm from Tuolumne Meadows on. This year, I’m switching to a lighter weight Pertex jacket from OR.

²Ladies! I ditched the Diva cup for my second hike in lieu of getting an IUD! No periods for 5 years!

³The hiking shirt I am carrying because I need something to go with the dress for colder weather but the shorts? I dunno, maybe it’s a comfort thing. They weigh literally nothing they are so worn from their last hike, and it is still possible I might alternate them with or wear them under the dress. I imagine these will just end up getting sent home. (“Or maybe just thrown away Happy Feet, hmm? They’re pretty gross, it’s kinda time…”….Oh yes, that’s right gang, the internal monologuing is back. Hope you’re ready for this! It’s gonna get weird.)

⁴Because I am attempting the classy hiking dress look this year on trail, I am also testing out how legging fare against cold/rainy conditions. I found that my legs got wet regardless of my hiking or even rain pants being worn. My thought is it’d be better to have a close to skin layer that dries quickly and stays warm when wet. We’ll see! Worst case scenario, I have a pair of lightweight climbing pants on retainer to be mailed in an emergency.

⁵Took a Wilderness First Aid course for work and improved my first aid kit! One thing I added that is multifunctional is the gloves (3pr). Great for if somebody gets hurt, also great for rainy day gloves! Successful test run on the Wonderland Trail in snow/rain conditions below freezing secured their home in my kit forever

⁶I found that I tended to only use about half of my sleeping pad on trail, because I slept with my pack under my feet to keep them elevated (and keep away pesky mice!). So this time I’ve opted for a smaller sleeping pad, and a reflective one for better warmth conduction and drying stuff out in the sun quickly. Side note: I tried out and subsequently bought my first lightweight air mattress this year while car camping, a simple Q-Core from Big Agnes. If I decide to be a princess this year, I might have my box person send it to me!

Sorry for all the side notes gang…Gear is fun J

Going a little lighter this year!