It’s scarcely October, and already I’m tempted to start researching trails and blocking out dates for next year’s hiking. Maybe another section of the PCT? Maybe another trail altogether? And then, of course, is the question of gear – what will I be keeping, and what might I switch out next time? My gear list is always evolving, so for those who are interested, here is the gear I used hiking through Washington, along with any relevant thoughts.

Warning: it’s a long post. I like talking about gear. I make no apologies.

The Big Three

• Backpack: Osprey Exos 58 – I’ve had this backpack since the CDT. The mesh is pretty ripped up, and I acquired some new rips this year courtesy of all the downed trees on the PCT, but I still love it. It’s worked well for me.
• Tent: Big Agnes Rattlesnake SL 1 mtnGLO tent and footprint – I really like having a dedicated footprint instead of just using tyvek – it just seems easier. Although the elastic in the tent poles bit the dust this year, the size of this tent has been perfect for me, and I like having a free-standing tent. It’s a little heavier than I’d like, though.
  • MSR Mini Ground Hog Stakes – I bought these to try out with my tent, and although they were wonderfully lightweight, I found I liked the ease of the hooked stakes I already had better. I switched back to my old stakes half-way through.
• Sleeping System: REI Magma 17 sleeping bag, Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol – My sleeping bag is my favorite piece of gear. It’s warm and puffy and glorious and perfect. The sleeping pad has been perfectly adequate.

Snow Gear

• C.A.M.P. USA Corsa Ice Axe, 60 cm – Okay, so here’s the thing. I know I’d wished for snow gear on the CDT, but somehow I was still under the delusion that ice axes were sort of optional – a fancy addition for hikers who had the money, and who wanted a piece of gear that was really for more technical mountaineering instead of plain walking. GUESS WHO WAS VERY, VERY WRONG? Turns out, ice axes are NOT just for mountaineering. They are also for anyone walking where there might be snowy inclines, full stop. Would you like to waltz across snow chutes without being terrified of slipping and falling 200 ft to the rocks below? Happily walk straight across the steep side of a snowy mountain instead of taking fifteen extra minutes to inch your way across? Then ice axes are for you! The added safety and security and peace of mind I got from using my ice axe means I will never go early-season hiking without one again. I actually ENJOYED the snowy sections this time. Imagine that!!
• KAHTOOLA MICROspikes – See my above rant regarding ice axes. The same sentiments apply here as well. Microspikes, along with ice axes, are truly the bee’s knees.

Clothes Worn and Packed

• Outdoor Research Ferrosi Pants – I ended up with these because there are surprisingly few lightweight hiking pants with a drawstring waist. I inevitably lose weight hiking, and I need that adjustable fit so I don’t have to bring a belt. On the con side, these pants did fuzz a bit from glissading, but on the pro side, they fit super well and looked nice enough that I didn’t feel like hiker trash when I was in towns and around non-hikers. I love long pants vs shorts for the sun/mosquito/prickly undergrowth protection.
• Columbia Silver Ridge Lite Long Sleeve Shirt – It’s lightweight and cuts down on the amount of sunscreen I have to apply. I love this shirt.
• Patagonia Capilene midweight leggings – These were my pjs, and they worked quite nicely. Warm and comfy.
• Showers Pass Body Mapped Base Layer Top – Pj top that I already had.
• Uniqlo ultralight down jacket – I’ve had this jacket since the CDT. It’s lightweight and warm enough. Nothing fancy. I sleep in it on colder nights, and use it as extra pillow fluff on warmer ones.
• Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 Men’s Rain Jacket – Does it fit like a billowing tent when I wear it? Yes. Does it keep me bone dry? Also yes. Maybe someday I will upgrade to an expensive, well-fitting rain jacket, but then again, maybe not. This jacket is ridiculously cheap and works ridiculously well.
• Darn Tough socks (three pairs for hiking, one pair for sleep socks) – This year, I brought one more pair than I normally do. I’ll probably do it again. It’s a luxury, but also nice to have a bigger rotation of socks.
• Brooks Cascadia 12 shoes – These are the only trail runners I’ve ever used. They fit, and they keep my feet happy. What’s more to want?
• Walmart running shorts – I really just used these on laundry days, and occasionally for pjs when it was hot out. So far, I’ve felt like the comfort of having real clothes to wear when I do laundry is worth the extra weight.
• Under Armour tank top – Again, laundry day wear and hot weather pjs for the win.
• Under Armour HeatGear sports bra – I like heatgear wear for hiking. Works super well.
• Exofficio underwear – Dries super quick on laundry days.
• Outdoor Research Swift Sun Hat – Wore this every day.
• Sunglasses – Invaluable for snowy sections.
• Outdoor Research ActiveIce Sun Gloves – I thought I’d use these more than I actually did. Still pretty cool though.
• Cheap flip-flops for camp shoes – Yay for camp shoes and laundry shoes!
• Buffs (3)- I may have gone overboard – two would have been sufficient – but I love these things because you can use them for literally everything. I ended up using one pretty much exclusively as a beanie nearly every evening and night, when it was colder).

Water and Food Gear

• Sawyer squeeze – My favorite water filter.
• Two Sawyer Squeeze 1 L water bladders – These break easily, but I still find water bladders so much faster and easier than using a Smart Water bottle.
• Platypus 2 L water bladder – Brought one of these for when I needed increased carrying capacity.
• Aquatabs Water treatment tablets (emergency back up option) – I recently discovered these, and fell in love with how lightweight they are. Much easier than bringing bleach or other liquid treatments! Each tab treats two liters, so a few sheets of these tablets was more than enough treatment for a full hiking section. I brought plenty for practically no extra weight, which meant I had extra to share with a hiker whose filter broke in the middle of a section. Five stars.
• Smart Water plastic disposable water bottle, Gatorade water bottle – These two were my main water bottles. The Gatorade bottle has a wide mouth perfect for filtering with the Sawyer squeeze. The Smart Water bottle is my backup for filtering in case the water bladders break (which they did lol).
• Talenti jar for cold soaking food – Perfect size, leak-proof lid so I can hike while my dinner is soaking.
• LOKSAK OPSAK bag for food storage – Works great. I kinda missed having a bear vault for peace of mind, but then again, a bag is so much lighter weight.
• Plastic spoon – Do you really want me to review a plastic spoon here? I can eat with it. It holds a bite of food.

Safety

• First aid kit – I keep my kit in a ziplock sandwich bag, and it includes: bandaids (for blisters), a tiny tube of antibiotic ointment, a piece of gauze, a tiny container of Aveeno anti-itch lotion, a single hot hands packet, Tums, anti-diarrheals, Benadryl, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, tiny sewing kit and safety pins (mostly used for gear repairs, although the needle comes in handy if any blisters need drained), my aforementioned Aquatabs, tiny roll of duct tape, a mini bic lighter (for use as an emergency fire source). The whole kit is super lightweight, and I’ve actually used most of the stuff at one point or another.
• Pepper spray – I like to imagine this would be at least mildly helpful against curious but dangerous wildlife if need be, or for peace of mind when hitching. Who knows. (my backpack has a whistle built in, or I would have brought a separate one, since I feel like a shrill whistle probably works even better against wildlife – it certainly worked with the bear-in-camp situation on the CDT!)
• TruArc 3 compass – Did I even come close to needing a compass on the PCT? Lol no, the trail is super easy to follow. But I will always pack this regardless, because I use Guthooks for my map, and this is my get-out-of-the-woods-free card if I don’t have GPS and I get lost.
• Mask (for town days) – The joys of hiking during a pandemic. I also brought a hard copy of my vaccination card even though I didn’t end up needing it.
• ResQLink+ 406 Buoyant Personal Locator Beacon – It’s lightweight, and peace of mind for those sections without cell service.

Everything Else

• Cascade Mountain Tech Trekking Poles – Carbon Fiber with Quick Adjustable Locks – I have a love-hate relationship with trekking poles in general (I have way less foot and joint pain when I hike with these, but it also means my hands are always full). But just looking at this brand in particular, I have no complaints. They were super easy to adjust and the cork handles were very comfy, and I highly recommend these if you’re on the fence about wanting trekking poles and don’t want to buy a really expensive pair to try out. Side note: I did learn early on that I needed to keep these either stuck in the ground upright overnight, or under my tent’s vestibule, because the one night I just left them lying out in the open, a critter saw their chance at a salty, sweat-soaked delicacy and happily nibbled on the cork handles.
• Trash Compactor Bag for pack liner – Lightweight, and keeps my gear dry when it pours rain.
• Biodegradable REI Camp Soap – I’ve used this for both hand-washing laundry, and as shampoo/soap on town days when I don’t have anything else. On the rare occasions I use this on trail, I make sure to follow leave no trace guidelines, and dispose of soapy water far away from water sources.
• Deuce Ultralight Trowel, size #2 – Figured I’d try one of these instead of just using rocks to dig holes, and let me tell you, these things are worth the extra 0.6 oz. So much easier.
• Bandana – Great for mopping up your gear when you have to set up camp in a downpour. I speak from experience.
• Outdoor Products dry sacks – They’re roll-top. Very functional.
• Anker PowerCore II 10000 Battery bank – I use my phone for maps/GPS, music, and reading in the tent at night. A battery bank is essential, and this one works great.
• Toiletries – Along with all the essentials, one thing I will always bring is a package of wet wipes. Nothing beats being able to get rid of some of the grime and dirt at the end of each day.
  • Aveeno SPF 70 sunscreen – I burn super easily. This is essential.
  • Picaridin lotion – I tried lotion instead of a spray, and really liked it. Actually worked quite well for those days when the mosquito horde attacked.
• Tennis ball – I brought this for rolling out shoulder/back muscles when needed.
• Victorinox Swiss Army Climber II pocket knife – It has a knife to slice blocks of cheese, and scissors for gear repair situations. What more could I need?
• Ziplock bags – For garbage, packing out TP (leave no trace, folks!), and food storage.
• Moto G Power Phone, Sansaclip MP3 player, earbuds – I originally brought wireless earbuds, but ended up just using some old wired earbuds to conserve battery.
• Nitecore NU25 Rechargeable Headlamp – Love, love, love this headlamp! It was so nice not having to bring extra batteries, and one charge lasted a long time. Plus this has both red and white light settings. One of my new favorite pieces of gear, and well worth the price tag.
• Rite in the Rain journal, pens – It’s extra weight, but I can’t help it. I love being able to journal with paper and pen at the end of the day.

And there you have it! I will probably forever be trying to find the best balance between comfort via items I bring, and comfort via a low base weight. If you read this entire post, then kudos to you. Just for fun, have some pictures of a creepily random saddle left in a tree in the middle of nowhere on the PCT. I have a lot of questions.