2015 PCT Hike - CA

This part of my website is for those inquiring specifically about my PCT experience.

Here is the start of my journey, the decision to act. You can follow the posts to the end.
http://carowack.blogspot.com/2014/12/a-decision.html

I was a novice hiker when I started the PCT in April of 2015. I had never been out in the wilderness more than 2 consecutive nights in a row. I planned to hike the entire trail, but I decided to leave the trail at mile 1500. I have no regrets, and I am still very much in love with the trail lifestyle. Long distance hiking is an integral part of my life now. What this hike in particular taught me is that I can 1) carry a much smaller and lighter packload, 2) spend more time alone, 3) start earlier in the season.

Here is a list of the gear I carried, start to finish, as well as a few notes about how the gear held up for me.

Big Three:

1) Gregory Deva 70L 
- Pros = carried the weight extremely well, NEVER broke down, lots of pockets
- Cons = WAY too heavy, too big in terms of volume, hip belt became too big for me as I lost weight

2) Big Agnes Flycreek UL1 
- I started with a much heavier 2-person tent by Mountain Hardwear, swapped it by mile 100. The Big Agnes is perfect if you want a tent as opposed to a tarp. I recommend going for the Flycreek UL2 if you want more space, the UL1 is pretty tight. I also recommend carrying a Tyvek tarp, to prevent holes in the tent floor.

3) Western Mountaineering Alpinlite 20
- My favorite piece of gear. Continuous baffles are a BIG DEAL. I loved being able to change the temperature rating of my sleeping bag as needed. This bag is expensive, but it is lightweight, simple design, and cozy.

Hiking Clothes:

Long sleeve button down shirt (Big 5 Sporting Goods)
- I started with a long sleeve polyester tshirt from Athleta that quickly wore holes in the back. I bought my Big 5 shirt for $10 in Mojave, it's still great after 1000 miles. I will wear it on my next hike. I recommend long sleeve button down shirts with rollable sleeves, as it is the most versatile.

Saucony running shorts 
- I have owned these shorts since 2012. I don't even remember which Saucony shorts they are. I love them for the lightweight fabric and the built in liner. After 1500 miles, they have a few minor holes, but they NEVER chafed.

Darn Tough hiking socks
- I carried two pairs for hiking and one for sleeping. I never had to replace them. I still wear them every week. I kept them clean by washing the pair I wasn't using in streams and letting them air dry strapped on the outside of my pack.

Moving Comfort sports bra
- I picked Moving Comfort for the soft material (no chafing), the low cut under the armpits (no chafing), and the removable pads. Good brand.

Ex Officio Give-N-Go Underwear
- I'm never buying another brand of underwear ever again. Only ever needed the one pair. If you're going to carry underwear at all, carry these.

Salomon XA Pro trail shoes
- I went from a women's size 11 to a men's size 10.5 on the trail. I found that my feet spread width-wise rather than length wise, so buying shoes wider for the trail was more important for my comfort. I had very few blisters, no more than a handful really. I swapped to Merrell Mix Masters for a few hundred miles, didn't really like them. Went through 4 pairs in total.

Other Clothes:

Patagonia Down Sweater
- Down is the way to go for insulating jackets. I treated this jacket like my sleeping bag, and NEVER let it get wet. I was never too cold. Next time, I will get a down jacket that weighs less and has a hood.

Ibex Hooded Indie Top
- This is a men's sweater, but I loved the fit. I have long arms, and it fit better than any women's wool gear I have tried. I loved the hood, the 1/2 zip turtleneck, and the thumb holes in the sleeves. Wore it for sleeping and camp primarily. On my next hike, I will only carry this layer when I expect very cold weather.

Eddie Bauer tank top
- I didn't necessarily need this shirt, but I wore it constantly for sleeping in and in town. Any opportunity to not wear my stanky sports bra!

Marmot Gore-Tex rain jacket
- Never again will I bother with Gore-tex. I carried this jacket despite how heavy it was because I trusted it to keep me dry when the weather came in. The first day I had to walk through a downpour, I got soaked to the bone. I was cold, wet, and miserable. I considered turning back towards town because I was scared of hypothermia. Next chance I got, I bought a plastic poncho off a day-hiker and was finally dry. Never again Gore-Tex. Never again.

Mountain Hardwear convertible hiking pants
- I didn't really use these that much. I didn't like hiking in them because they had a greater risk of chafing than my shorts. In the future, I will only carry these in colder areas.

Dirty Girl gaiters
- Fantastic addition to lightweight trail runners. No rocks in my shoes? Yes please. Lightweight, cheap, and they look super cool.

Buff headband
- Good for warmth, shade, cleanliness, and looking rad. Highly recommend.

Sarong
- Made of cotton, not ideal, mostly kept it in my bounce box for weight reasons, but it was AWESOME for use in town, and I missed it on the trail too. Used as a towel, laundry bag, shade, super sexy town dress, etc.

Other miscellaneous: Headsweats ballcap, Smithoptics sunglasses, microfleece hat, poncho, SOL insoles, a watch that tells the date AND day of the week

Cook System: Jetboil Zip, SeatoSummit Titanium XL spoon
- The JetBoil is compact, simple to use, and efficient. I never had to worry about windscreen problems, and the Zip is the perfect size. I ditched my spork immediately and swapped for an extra long titanium spoon. Sporks are useless, and plastic is useless and breakable. DON'T LOSE YOUR SPOON.

Water Filtration: Sawyer squeeze, Smartwater bottles, 1 small Nalgene
- Sawyer squeeze is the way to go for versatile, lightweight, reliable, and inexpensive water filtration. I recommend going for the mini though, because it's half the cost and you won't be needing the bags that come with the regular anyway. They break too easy. Smartwater bottles fit on the Sawyer, and they will NEVER break. Keep one bottle for dirty water, and squeeze through the filter into the rest of your "clean" bottles. Used the Nalgene for hot liquids like apple cider in the evening and as a hot water bottle in my sleeping bag. This is the PERFECT remedy for a really cold night. My Nalgene would still be warmish in the mornings, keeping me toasty all night long.

Technology: Black Diamond Cosmo headlamp, Olympus TG-3 Camera, my smartphone with an Otterbox case, earbuds, extra batteries (1 for camera, 1 for phone), and a SPOT device
- Loved everything about all of these items. Might go for the waterproof case for my phone next time, didn't love keeping it in a ziploc bag so much. The SPOT device was non-negotiable as per Momma Happy Feet.

Other Major Gear:
- Thermarest Z-lite sleeping pad
- LEKI trekking poles
- Trash compacter bag, for pack liner
- Ultralight stuff sacks, for food bag, clothing bag, sleeping bag, and tent
- Tyvek ground sheet
- Bear canister
- Camp sandals
- Journal, pen, and a sharpie for making hitchhike signs
- A copy of one of the Lord of the Rings trilogy books

My First Aid Kit:
- Small amount of duct tape, for blisters, gear repair, etc.
- Needle and thread, for blister draining and gear repair
- Mini swiss army multitool, for "self defense," opening food packages, gear repair, slicing cheese/salami, etc.
- Small amount of rubbing alcohol in a vial, for sterilization of wounds
- Small amount of vaseline in a mini tin, for chafe, chapstick, bloody noses, foot care, etc.
- Aleve, because Vitamin I is a necessity and naproxene is the best for muscle soreness
- Benadryl, because I'm afraid of allergies, bee stings, poison oak, and poodle dog bush
- Penicillin, because strep throat in the desert happens, people
- A small amount of sunscreen, 70spf, because ginger

Personal Hygiene
- Contact lenses/case/glasses/solution
- Half toothbrush, toothpaste
- Diva cup
- Hand sanitizer, TP, and ziploc bag to pack out trash
- Extra hairties
- Bandana