As of 3/5/17, this gear list delineates what I carried on the PCT. You can find a rundown of what I carried on the Colorado Trail here.

Note the First: I was sponsored by Mountain Hardwear and Backpacker for this trip (thanks guys!), and in giving MHW gear a go, I found I was really happy with what I used.

Note the Second: I don’t particularly consider myself a “gram weenie”, because honestly, I just looked for good pieces of gear as light as I could get them, and got rid of as much of the excess as I wanted to. I ended up carrying a few things I didn’t need need – I was definitely “that guy” with a couple of things in my kit. I still have to calculate my base weight – when I weighed everything right before the trek, it came out to 14 pounds even (6.35 kilograms), but I was super adaptable in terms of what I carried, so that changed relatively frequently. Still, I think I lost more weight than I gained (I think), so not bad. Not the lightest I’ve seen (6 pounds? How?!), but not bad.

Note the Third: Cost is always a factor when thinking about gear. While I got most of the expensive gear while I was making good money, most of these items – with the exception of the cottage industry items – can be found on sale, with a little bit of hunting and luck. Sponsorship aside, sales/clearance racks/borrowing from my partner were the primary way I put my kit together, and I’d recommend those in addition to checking in thrift stores occasionally and/or using Facebook for its various gear-oriented sale/swap groups. You can usually get solid gear for way less than retail in any of these ways. Check out the Useful Links page for some sites I found helpful.

So without further ado, my Pacific Crest Trail kit:

The Big Three • Backcountry Kitchen • Sleep System • Weatherproofing • Accoutrements
Bonus: Worn or Carried