Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hike Ultralight Gear List
After countless hours of research and organization, I present to you our 2016 Master PCT Gear lists…
Just a few notes.
- Shoutout to Outdoor Gear Lab for making gear research easy. They’ve reviewed, tested, and compared it all for you.
- The price listed is the MSRP, not necessarily what we paid. We found many sales, had some of this gear from last year, and got a bunch of REI gift cards for Christmas. Our families rock!
- The “Variable Items” list are things we will be using for part of the trip. We intend to start out with our tent stakes, poles, rainfly and a reflective emergency blanket in the desert to create our oasis. When we hit the Sierra, we will have the tent body shipped to us, and the all weather blanket will be shipped home. Similarly, we are going “stoveless” in the desert and will get our stove and cookset at Kennedy Meadows before entering the Sierra.
- I did not include our hiking outfit because it won’t be carried (and we still need to purchase it 😉 ). These items include…
- Synthetic Tee / Tank
- Lightweight Long Sleeve Collared Button Up Shirt (desert only)
- Wide Brim Sun Hat
- Light Weight Hiking Pants (will be swapped for synthetic running shorts)
- Exoficcio Underwear
- Darn Tough Socks
- Dirty Girl Gaiters
- Buff (Bekah)
- Sports Bra (Bekah)
- We also LOVE our Leki trekking poles. I will be using the same ones from the AT. Sean sent his in under warranty, and Leki sent him a brand new pair for the PCT. Thanks Leki!! Sean has the Corklite Aftershock ($160), and I have the Jannu ($120).
Questions? Comments? Concerns? If you’re heading out on a long distance hike, share your list in the comments below!! Happy hiking!!
Infinite Geography 
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WOW, this is the best article ever. Thank you for posting it publically. I am certainly in the market for a new pack after using Osprey for my first thru-hike on the PCT, I found it heavy and cumbersome with the molded hip belt. I was also investigating the Enlightened Equipment quilts. So, glad to see all your comments about EE.
So glad this is helpful!! I looove my EE quilt and highly recommend. Also, my Hyperlite mountain gear bag is 💯. Good luck assembling your gear. You’ll be stoked with your new UL setup!
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I’m about to run a half marathon and am trying to buy a good pair of shoes I can wear on the trail as well. Are you team Salomon when it comes to shoes?
I have worn Salomon’s for over 8000 miles on the trail, and I don’t see myself switching anytime soon. My husband loves the Brooke’s Cascadias. This year on the CDT Altra’s were easily the most popular, though I’ve never tried them personally – I know people love them!