I had hoped to post these gear list updates from the trail, but it proved too difficult with just a smartphone and so many other things to do during town stops. I planned in advance to make many changes at Kennedy Meadows (PCT mile 702), which is where most people consider the high Sierra to start. I used this gear list until Donner Pass (PCT mile 1153), where I was again able to make significant gear adjustments.
I listed changes as items ADDED to and REMOVED from my PCT desert gear list. I was generally happy with this gear list, although there were a few items I could have left behind. Low temperatures (in the Sierra and the desert) were 30-35 degrees F.
Big Four:
- Yama Mountain Gear Cirriform shelter (+9 stakes and stake bag)
- Zpacks ArcBlast backpack (removed one shoulder pouch to make room for the camera mount)
- Enlightened Equipment Revelation 20 deg F quilt + Mountain Laurel Designs APEX balaclava
- REMOVED:
Hyperlite Mountain Gear XL roll-top stuff sack(I used the quilt and sleeping clothes as padding around the bear can.) - Neoair XTherm sleeping pad
Clothing:
- extra underwear (swim bottoms)
- extra Darn Tough hiking socks (lost somewhere in the Sierra – sad trombone sound)
- Athleta leggings
- REMOVED:
Ibex lightweight wool tank top - Patagonia capilene 4 hoody*
- Patagonia down pullover*
- Patagonia capilene thermal weight bottoms*
- REMOVED:
Montbell Thermawrap skirt - DeFeet wool gloves
- fleece neck gaiter*
- headband
- ADDED: head net (and boy did I need it!)
- ADDED: lightweight mittens (didn’t really need)
- sleep socks*
- Enlightened Equipment Sidekicks* (booties with synthetic insulation)
- Patagonia Houdini jacket
- Enlightened Equipment Copperfield wind pants
* = part of sleep system
Kitchen:
- ADDED: Bearikade Expedition food storage canister
- BST 3000T stove
- Snow Peak 700ml pot with reflectix insulation and lid
- Sea2Summit collapsible cup (didn’t use much)
- long-handled titanium spoon
- camp towel
- lighter and/or matches
- REMOVED:
13L food bag - Sawyer squeeze filter
- REMOVED:
Sawyer water bladders - ADDED: 2-liter CNOC bladder (I found it easier to use and store than the more rigid Sawyer bladders.)
- 1 Platypus 1L SoftBottle (removed 1)
- 1 1L Smartwater bottle (removed 2)
- half-liter Nalgene
Hygiene:
- Vargo titanium trowel
- hand sanitizer
- hand lotion
- Aquaphor
- sunscreen
- toothpaste/toothbrush
- kleenex
- handkerchief
- wet wipes
Navigation/Safety:
- compass/whistle/thermometer combo
- ADDED: Vargo pocket cleats (didn’t really need, but it felt safer to have them**)
- ADDED: sunglasses (only worn over snow, to prevent snow-blindness)
- SWAPPED: National Geographic John Muir Trail map book (instead of the Erik the Black PCT SoCal map book)
- Black Diamond Spot headlamp with extra batteries
- phone with Gaia app, Guthook, and preloaded maps
- Delorme (Garmin) InReach
- Victorinox Classic Swiss Army knife
- REMOVED:
Six Moon Designs umbrella (more for sun than rain) - first aid kit – rubber gloves, ibuprofen, Benadryl, Imodium, antibiotic ointment, alcohol pad, needle, band-aids, Leukotape
- ADDED: small bottle of Picaridin (bug repellant lotion, only enough for the really bad days)
- repair kit – duct tape, Tenacious tape, and extra dyneema cord
- large trash bag (backup rain gear, ground cover, etc)
** This need varies tremendously by date entering the Sierra and from year to year. In some years (such as 2017) an ice axe is much more important.
Luxuries/Extras:
- Sea2Summit Aeros Premium pillow
- sit pad (cut from a larger foam sleeping pad)
- Bedrock sandals
- earbuds
- earplugs
- crossword puzzle and pencil
- journal and pen
- sharpie
- Anker charger, lightning cable (swapped out once, when it stopped working), and wall plug
- ADDED: Sony a6000 camera and Peak Designs mount
Consumables (not counted in base weight):
- 9kg of food to start (estimate – I never weighed it.)
- 1L of water to start (4.5L capacity)
- 100g or 250g fuel canister
Worn/Carried (not counted in base weight):
- REI long-sleeve button-down shirt
- Patagonia Barely Baggies shorts
- bra/underwear
- Darn Tough ankle socks
- Altra Lone Peak trail running shoes, with Dirty Girl gaiters
- Montbell Wickron cap
- Casio altimeter watch
- Komperdell Powerlock poles
My pack weight leaving Kennedy Meadows was the heaviest on the entire trail. (Compare the height of the pack in the photo below. Left: Entering Kennedy Meadows. Right: Leaving Kennedy Meadows.) My bear can took up most of the room inside the pack. My base weight was about 17 lbs, and I estimate that my pack weight (base weight plus food, water, and fuel) was more than 40 lbs leaving Kennedy Meadows, which is the heaviest pack I have ever carried any meaningful distance.
MacGyver's Travels 