I spent months researching gear before hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. I read blogs and trip reports聽and meticulously planned every detail to ensure I had the聽best,聽lightest kit possible. But here鈥檚 the thing: even the best planning couldn鈥檛 prepare me for real-world testing. Some of the pieces I picked up have proven invaluable. Others were left in hiker boxes almost immediately, and I had to purchase alternatives. Two months in and nearly 1,000 miles up the trail, here are my seven favorite pieces of gear so far.
Western Mountaineering UltraLite Sleeping Bag ($500)
Lots of ultralight sleeping bags forego a hood. I don鈥檛 know about you, but in cold temperatures, I like to pull a hood over my noggin and yank the drawstring until only the smallest window remains for my mouth and nostrils. That鈥檚 why I went with the聽, which weighs under two pounds yet keeps my entire body warm down to 20 degrees.聽
Duckworth Vapor Tee ($60)
I sweat a lot, so I needed something that would . For the past several weeks, I鈥檝e been swapping out two of these shirts every hour. I hike and sweat in one while the other is draped over my pack to dry. Even after seven days without a shower or access to laundry, these shirts聽don鈥檛 reek, and that鈥檚 worth a lot on the trail.
Altra Olympus 2.0 Shoes ($150)
The zero-drop, wide-toe聽design of isn鈥檛 for everyone, but it works for me.聽It seems to work for others, too:聽Altra is the most popular brand on the trail by far. The shoes are ultracomfy, and聽the wide sole has proven to be a solid platform that鈥檚 kept me from rolling my ankle, even on sloped, technical terrain.聽
Outdoor Research Helium II Rain Jacket ($160)
聽It weighs a scant 6.4 ounces, takes up very little room in my pack, yet it鈥檚 totally waterproof and breathes well even when I鈥檓 huffing up a steep section of trail. I鈥檝e also used it as wind block on summits when I need extra warmth.
Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Down Hooded Jacket ($350)
This jacket is the perfect trifecta of聽warm, light, and reasonably affordable (compared with聽some other down puffies out there). on mountaintops in the snowy Sierra, and, like the Helium, weighs next to nothing (7.7 ounces) and takes up little room in my bag. 聽
Kahtoola MicroSpikes ($70)
The steep, icy scramble over both sides of Glen Pass would have been impossible without聽, which provide significantly more traction than your regular boot soles聽but aren鈥檛 as extreme as a pair of crampons. Don鈥檛 carry them from the Mexican border, but make sure you have a pair waiting when you get to the Kennedy Meadows General Store at mile 700.
Class of 2016 Bandanna (Free)
My bandanna works as a towel, headband, dishcloth, sweat rag, and memento. You can鈥檛 buy them in stores.聽You have to walk 478 miles to Casa de Luna and do a dance for trail angel Terrie Anderson. The bandannas are an annual present from the PCT Class of 2002 to all the hikers who鈥檝e followed. The colors are different each year, but the design is the same and lists the essential off-trail stops for resupply, laundry, burgers, and beers.