Dr Charlotte Kirk
Inspiring your adventures
PCT Gear List
This was my packing list of all the gear started with on the PCT, which I have since edited with comments on how the gear fared as the trail progressed, how long I kept it for / it lasted, and my thoughts on its selection.
Jump to section:
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Backpack | Good volume and comfy to wear. Mesh of shoulder pockets wore through, and these weren't as big as could have been useful. Large outer pocket on the back wasn't as stretchy as would have been useful. | |
Pack-liner | Large plastic bag | Was supposed to be a waterproof layer - but it only rained once, and by then this had holes in it so wasn't affective. |
Pack
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Tent | Very quick and easy to put up. 2 person was a good size to spread things out inside, but 2 doors is unnecessary. Zips were fragile and the mesh got holes in, but good durability given heavy usage. Sections with lots of mosquitos and wildlife (bears) meant a tent is definitely recommended. Often cooked in the vestibule as a layer of bug protection. | |
Tent poles / hiking poles | As an ultra-marathon runner, I wanted poles that broke down into 3 sections (which I never did), but also needed adjustable ones to put up my tent. These are the only ones that do both - and are much lighter than most others. Leki are also my go-to brand for all running and skiing poles. Leki were great replacing/fixing broken and worn out poles. | |
DIY tent footprint | Made from Duck Brand Window Insulation Kit | Intended this to help waterproof my tent - in reality majority of the trail was so dry it was totally unncessary so I never used it given the faff to lay it out, and got rid of it at Kennedy Meadows South (KMS). |
Shelter
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Sleeping Bag | I got this overstuffed by Hermits Hut so as to be a -10 not just -7 bag which was over-kill given I started late in the season and it was only below freezing for a few nights in the Sierra's. | |
Sleeping Pad | Could have got away with the NeoAir XLite instead of this warmer XTherm. I opted for the extra-wide version for a luxury which was worth it. Would bring a micro-pump next time as blowing it up every night was annoying. | |
Pillow | 10/10. Small, light, comfy & packable. |
Sleep system
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Shoes | Hoka Speedgoat 6 with stretchy elastic laces | Got through 5 pairs (Tehachapi, Tahoe City, Callahan's Lodge, White Pass). Each lasted ~1,000 km from combination of tread wearing out, and sole's compressing. Did get blister's but sort of unavoidable. Not sure stretchy laces made much difference. |
Gaiters | Never wore, as it was already so hot when I started in the desert I didn't want to add extra layers on. I did get dirt in my shoes/socks, but wasn't much of an inconvenience. Posted these home from KMS. | |
Camp shoes | Very old Teva foam flip-flops | Intended to bring these, but took them out last minute before starting to save space. Would have been nice around camp but not a problem without. |
Socks | Darn Tough Light Hiker Quarter Lightweight Hiking socks & Darn Tough Hiker Quarter Cushion Socks | Darn Tough's unlimited replacements under warranty is a major selling point. I replaced them in Etna as had worn through, and then again at the end of the trail. Two pairs is ideal as can wear one, and dry the previous days on the outside of your bag. |
Sleep socks | Always on brand. Mostly not necessary to have sleep socks as so warm at night, but once or twice was nice to have an additional pair in rotation in long stretches between washes. |
Footwear
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Sun umbrella | Absolute life-saver in the desert. Couldn't recommend more, but definitely with the hands-free attachment. It became tricky in high-winds but otherwise could feel a massive difference. It was pretty destroyed by KMS so binned it there. | |
Sun gloves | Never used, as my sun-hoodie had over the thumb sleeves so they were largely redundant. Posted home from KMS. | |
Sunglasses | Loved them, wore them every day. It's so sunny that proper sunglasses are a must. | |
Head net | Absolute necessity for the days when the mosquitos were horrendous. |
Sun & Headgear
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Headlamp | Used this every night to cook in my tent, and it was powerful enough to climb Mt Whitney for sunrise. Red light feature was nice for during the night. No issues with battery life. | |
Drone | Sort of a luxury item, but I absolutely loved flying this every day and got some incredible shots. No regrets. | |
Watch | Great to record daily route and very helpful to mark distances. Totally unncessary from a nav perspective. | |
Phone | Very last minute decision to get this at the airport, but very glad I did as battery life was amazing, camera was incredible, and the new GPS/Satellite feature was very handy. | |
Back-up phone | This became a back-up when I bought a new phone, but I kept anyway in case my main one broke or got lost (which it almost did once when I dropped it down a boulder crack). In hindsight unncessary, but I never chose to post it home when I could have. | |
GPS Tracker | Garmin inReach SE | My version is a very old bulky one I borrowed from my cousin. I never turned it on as never felt unsafe and my phone was satellite enabled. Limited signal meant I could have used this to send messages home, but wasn't needed. Newer versions whilst smaller and ligher are very expensive. |
AirTag | Apple | Cheap and easy way to have a backup location device, and can hide it in your pack for added security. |
Power banks | Each one could charge my phone and watch about 2.5 times before needing to be recharged. Themselves were quite slow to charge. Chose 2x10k rather than 1x20k to have some redundancy in case of issues. No problems even in the cold. | |
Plugs | I deliberately wanted enough plugs to be able to charge all my devices at the same time as I was optimizing for the fastest re-supplies possible, so felt a little extra weight was worth it. Apparently these are 'fast-charging' plugs - hard to really tell. The Nano's were very light, the Prime was quite heavy. | |
Cords | 2x USB C-USB C Anker and 1x normal, 1x Lightning cable-USB A and 1x to USB C, 2x USB C-Micro USB, 1x USB C-USB A adapter, 1x Garmin watch charger | Apparently the Anker wires were 'fast-charging' but didn't appear to perform any differently from others that I picked up along the trail. |
Headphones | Had wanted open-ear to avoid ear infections from repeated use. Never used, as I could always play my music out-loud with my phone in my front shoulder strap pocket. Posted home from KMS. |
Electronics
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Stove | Was very small and light and boiled water very quickly. In-built piezo ignitor (it's main selling point) broke half way through which was annoying, but managed to get replaced under warranty at the end. | |
Lighter | Generic | Had packed as a backup, but the piezo ignitor on my stove broke so had to use every day. |
Pot | MSR Ultralight Titan Kettle Cookpot | Used every night to boil water for dinner, and every morning to boil water for breakfast. |
Mug | Loved it and used every morning for coffee. | |
Spork | Plastic | Started with a proper plastic one, but lost this so then just replaced with takeaway plastic spoons/forks from restaurants. |
Gas | Generic fuel cans I replaced as and when needed. | |
Fuel transfer device | Didn't learn how to use this until half way through, but would have been a good way to save money getting fuel from half empty cannisters in hiker boxes. | |
Scent proof bags | Quite useful to use as a very light waterproof snack/food bag. Don't think they made any difference on the scent front. | |
Filtration system | Bag got a micro-hole half-way, but I found a replacement. Useful way to get extra 2l capacity that packs down very small. Filter itself worked well (water was really brown whenever I cleaned it). Definitely need spare O-rings. Filtering was slow - next time would get a Platypus Quickdraw. Definitely want a filter that screws into a plastic water bottle. | |
Water treatment tablets | Didn't use as always just used my filter, but kept one pack in my medical supply as a backup just in case that got lost/clogged. | |
Water bottles | Generic water bottles. Needed 4 in the desert (max I ever carried was 7l including a bladder). Swapped out and replaced whenever they got too dirty or battered. | |
Soft Flasks | Never needed to use, so posted home from KMS. |
Cooking & Water
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Prescription glasses | ||
Prescription sunglasses | ||
Contact lenses & solution | Mostly monthlies, some dailies | |
Multi-vitamins, tissues | ||
Personal medication | ||
Sunscreen | ||
Wet wipes | ||
Lipsalve | ||
Toothbrush and toothpaste | ||
Hairbrush and hairties | ||
Insect repellant | ||
Bidet | ||
Towel | ||
Soap | ||
Trowel |
Toiletries & Glasses
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Silver safety blanket, Plastic gloves, Whistle, Carabiner clips | ||
Anthisan bite cream, Neosporin, Dioralyte, | ||
Plasters, Antiseptic wipes, Paracetemol, Ibuprofen, Anti-histhamine, Piriton, K-tape, Immodium, Safety Pin |
First-aid kit
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Plastic gloves | ||
Spare velvro, Spare O-Rings, Spare guide-rope | ||
Thermarest patches | ||
Electrical tape, Superglue | ||
Victorinox penknife | ||
Repair kit
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Ice axe | ||
Crampons | ||
Bear can |
Posted to Kennedy Meadows South (KMS) for the Sierras
Item | Product | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Printed PCT permit and CA fire permit | ||
Cash | ||
Passport | ||
Wallet |