Really good video, brother. Seriously. I'm doing the PCT in 2017 and this totally eased my mind. We use the same gear and have the same mindset. Keep them coming.
Thanks for the video, and I especially like the idea of the rain kilt vs. rain pants; I can't believe I've never heard of them until now. I'm planning on hiking the Hayduke trail next spring, and will be making myself one of these, since I know how to sew. Happy hiking!
Sonya J Awesome! I wish I was better at sewing. I can repair gear and make simple things but it'd be nice to make more of my equipment. If for some reason your DIY kilt doesn't pan out, I'd highly recommend the ULA one as mine is still perfect even after more than 3000 miles in two years.
Kale Scown Heck, any piece of gear that has lasted 3K miles hiking is clearly worth every penny! I found a company that sells fabrics (including cuben) for making any and everything (found it when I was looking for a zipper to replace the broken one on my down bag) which is how I got the idea to make one of these rain skirts. They also carry parts for gear repair, which you might find useful if you haven't already heard of them: www.questoutfitters.com/index.html Good luck on your next PCT hike!
You'll be able to occasionally do laundry in towns and (when you make it to areas with sufficient water) rinse out your clothes in streams/lakes but, because the air is so dry over here on the west coast, most clothing will dry out relatively quickly.
Very good informative video. Really liked when you would say how many miles or how long it took for a piece of gear to start to fail. Thanks for the vid
Thanks! I am planning a thru hike on the Colorado Trail. Although I don't know that I am quite up to going ultra-light, I am trying to get my base down to 20 LBS...I almost have it.
+Robert Applegate Should be easy to get below 20 without spending a penny or sacrificing comfort if you're brutally honest with yourself about what is truly necessary and what are comfort items. Necessary items = "There is a solid, REALISTIC chance that I will suffer injury and/or death without this". Comfort items = everything else that makes a hike more enjoyable. Once you have those two categories split apart, start whittling down your excess comfort items by taking out just-in-case things that are extremely unlikely to ever be needed. If you know any experienced thru hikers it would be a great idea to ask them to give you a shake down. Good luck and have fun!
Thank you very much for sharing your video. Small recommendation - I would not share your hygiene kit with anyone for health safety. Also I would recommend titanium ones as they do not rust. Warm regards. DisabledPrepper
Yeah. I talked to an rei employee before I left who said that, in his experience, deuters don't fit everybody (obviously) but those who they do fit, swear by them. I found that to be very true on the trail. Only a handful of people were using deuters but they all loved them with a fiery passion.
I just wanted to say thanks for posting this. Lots of people post "What I plan to take" videos but I think this is way, way, way more useful. Did you take a camera?
Thanks! I loved my tent and the company's customer service is wonderful. I've made two videos on food. One on my 2014 system and one on my 2015 system.
Could you possibly list each item in the description? A nice review of your equipment, with some good tips. Some of the brand names, styles were difficult for me to decipher or read, so a list would be cool. Thanks for sharing the video.
+Jim Cox Truth be told I'm just waaay too lazy to put out a full list haha but I'd be happy to give you specifics on anything you couldn't understand in the video. What would you like to know?
+Kale Scown Ha. Each.and.every.item. ;) I think I got most of them, but it thought it would be helpful as a reference later. Was it a Ursack? What size, style, where did you get it? Üla Rain Kilt? Where did you get it? Was it a Jackery Bar External Battery Charger? Zensah Calf / Shin Splint Compression Sleeve? Is Smart Water just a brand of bottled water with which you used as containers? Therm-a-Rest Stuff Sack Pillow. What size? Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System, mini or other? Here, I started you a list you can cut and paste into the description if they are correct: Brand Names: Altra Men's Lone Peak shoes Apple IPod Shuffle 2GB Bearvault Bv500 Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 Tent (With homemade ground sheet) Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles (Pair) (with duct tape wrapped around them) CamelBak 2 L Reservoir Coghlan's Backpackers Trowel Columbia Men's Silver Ridge Long-Sleeve Shirt Columbia Men's Silver Ridge Convertible Pant Darn Tough Vermont Men's Merino Wool Micro Crew Cushion Hiking Socks Deuter ACT Zero 50 + 15 Pack Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps GoLite Chrome Dome Trekking Umbrella, Chrome (Company Bankrupt) GoLite Selkirk 850 down jacket (Not highly recommended, Company Bankrupt) Jackery Bar External Battery Charger Leatherman 831925 Juice S2 Multitool Marmot Helium Sleeping Bag: 15 Degree Down (Kept in small Sea to Summit compression sack) Marmot PreCip® Jacket Mountain Hardwear Men's Micro Dome MSR PocketRocket Stove (inside kettle) MSR Titan Kettle (Bandana inside to dampen noise. Spare lighter, extra strike fire lighter (flint and steel). Fuel. Native sunglasses Petzl Tikka XP Headlamp REI Campware Soup Spoon REI Gloves (No CoolMax on their website)) REI Therm-o-Compass Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net Sawyer Products Water Filtration System (Large) Smart Water bottles (1.5 liter to collect dirt water. Smaller bottle (1L?) with smart top for clean water and to replace the need for syringe to backlash Sawyer), Gatorade bottle for wide mouth, Aquafina bottle cut off as water scoop. Target brand (CG) underwear Terramar Men's Thermasilk Crew Neck Top Terramar Men's Thermasilk Pant Therm-a-Rest Stuff Sack Pillow (Small) Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite SOL Sleeping Pad 3/4 length Üla Rain Kilt (Large) Ursack Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes Travel Pack, 15-Count Zensah Calf / Shin Splint Compression Sleeve Generic: Bandana Chapstick (lip balm) Cooking: Bottle Olive oil; bottle hot sauce. Get just screw top bottles) Dental floss Emergency Kit: Backup battery headlamp, paracord, extra lighter, extra strike fire lighter (flint and steel), first aid kit with only what is likely to happen and what you know how to use) Hand sanitizer Hat (baseball cap) Ibuprofen Maps, permits, pen, Sharpie, “Rite in the Rain Outdoor Journal” in Ziploc bag Microfiber bag for sunglasses Mittens that flip over fingers, allow thumb access Nail-file Nail clippers Pack towel Toothbrush Toothpaste Trash compactor bag, plastic Watch Water scoop Whistle, pealess, safety orange
+Jim Cox Good god man! That's some serious effort! Ill have to make a few edits but thank you. Ursack S29 AllWhite bought from Ursack's website. Ula rain kilt bought from Ultralight Adventure Equipment's website. Yes, it was a Jackery Bar bought from amazon. Yup, Zensah calf sleeves bought from rei. Yes, smartwater is a brand of bottled water that is very popular to reuse for backpacking because of its shape. Small therm-a-rest stuff sack pillow. Large Sawyer Squeeze water filter. The mini is crap for heavy use.
+Kale Scown Thanks for the clarifications. Yeah, I can be a little anal, obsessive, and a compulsive list maker. Also I'm currently wired from a nap, coffee and the Paris news. I had to listen to what you were saying then search Amazon, REI or Google. Hope it helps you and other hikers watching your video. I always appreciate hearing what works for real world hiking, and like specifics. Everyone has their preferences, but still is helpful.
Hi +Kale Scown, this is a really useful video, thanks for posting!! I'm thinking of doing part of the PCT this summer, and I also have shin splints. Was wondering if you did anything to help them before the hike, or did the shin supports help them, as well as not causing any further problems? Thanks!!
+Lamorna Manning Stretch and exercise are the only things you can do to prepare for the stress of thru hiking. The compression shin sleeves do help but they wont solve the problem. I got shin splints again in 2015 while wearing them (oddly enough around the same area of the trail too) trying to run down a long decent. Took a couple of zero days and then was back on trail good as new. I would highly recommend them though. It's hard to explain how they help but once you've gotten used to wearing them and try to hike without them you'll understand.
Great recap video. Thanks for the info. I've been looking at getting the new Altras. They're hard to find in my area in the Southeast US, but were you able to grab the Altras as you went without much issue at trail-town retailers? Or do you drop box them to a later stop?
There are a few places along-ish the trail to buy Altras but now that I know what size and model work for me I just buy 4 pairs before the start (ideally whenever amazon has them on sale, which is frequently) and send 3 of them forward.
watching this for the second time. great video and thank you! Curious question, are there a lot of people that listen to tunes as much as you on thru-hikes? Even being a musician, I don't listen to music after I leave the car. interesting. thanks again.
Thanks! Absolutely. I didn't meet too many people who didn't regularly listen to music while hiking. It really helps pass the time during your hours and hours of mindless walking and get you out of your own head.
No, I've tried the bivy thing before and hated it. Way too claustrophobic. If the weather is good and there aren't any bugs I'll cowboy camp, otherwise I like a full tent.
I love my fly creek UL1! It is fantastic in the wind and very very durable. If possible, pitch it with the tail end into the wind and it'll act like a shark fin. The regular UL series of fly creeks are solid but (as I learned last summer) the HVUL series are extremely delicate. I managed to rip the mesh and snap a pole on my HVUL2 despite being very careful.
thanks for sharing. what did you think or Oregon? I am born and bread in eugene, though I have played all over the mountains and forests out here my whole life. I'm planning to do the A.T. this year. nobo Apr 9th.
Honestly Oregon is my favorite section of the whole PCT. The trail is generally easier and it has subtle beauty (much like the desert) that I absolutely love.
Thanks! Hammocks are not a great option for the PCT because there are many areas that completely lack trees for hanging like the desert and the high sierras.
Vonnie McB They were nothing special, just 18 gallon generic Safeway brand compacter bags. If you can find bigger I'd recommend it (you can always cut off the extra) as these were just a tad small but I had no choice.
As I've never been a serious gram counter I don't have exact numbers, but, I know that I started off 2014 around 17 lbs base weight and ended around 15 lbs. Now my pack is sub 10 lbs and it's heaven.
Great video. I would like to ask you a question. If you owned a few hundred acres adjacent to the PCT, what would you do with it? Its in SoCal, flat, accessible, has a running stream, power and close to town.
If you are going to spend more than $120 for a backpack, buy it at a STORE where they will properly fit it to you. It may take an hour. You don't get that buying on line....EMS, REI, etc....not so much Big 5, Sports Authority, etc.
I would normally agree but there are some cottage companies that can't get their products into nationwide stores (because they are too small) but make higher quality packs that are more tailored to thru hikers needs than anything you'll find at an REI. Many of these companies understand the fact that people need to try packs on and will have great customer service and free shipping/return shipping set up for this.
I saw soooo many people start with those steripens and only saw one finish with it. It will break on you. Seriously, leave that hunk-o-junk at home. I would highly recommend some kind of filter in the desert as you will frequently be pulling water from really nasty sources (horse troughs, stagnant pools, road puddles, etc) and it will remove the particulate and make the water palatable. Aquamira is another good option as a back up once you have access to clean sources that only need to be strained through a bandana. Bottom line is: water is important and you don't want a system that is prone to failure or can run out.
Aaron Shumate It is. Just be sure you get the full sized one and not the mini. The flow rate is more than double and only 1.5 ounces more. It's worth the weight penalty, trust me.
I have multiple times. Other than having to pay for shipping my blown out socks to them it is quite painless. They've never had any issue holding up their end of the bargain.
Kale Scown Check out ExOfficio underwear.. they're not cheap ($25 a pair or so) but they have no internal seams, maintain a great fit, dry super fast, have anti-odor and anti-bacterial properties. Totally worth the investment, I feel. For water, check out the Source 3L hydration bladder and hose. They also have antimicrobial coating inside and are incredibly tough; there's a reason they are the hydration system of choice for Special Forces. As you were wearing holes in your socks, did you have any foot problems? Blisters or otherwise?
Sorry i'm a french guy i didn't understant what is in the 3 little bag the blue , the green and white one and the little blue ? if you could provide some information about those could be really nice ! PEACE - a futur PCT hiker
+Benjamin Roy I'd be happy to but I'm not sure exactly what bags you are talking about. If you could give me the exact time that the items show up in the video I'll tell you all about them.
+Benjamin Roy Aaaah. Those are my down jacket and rain gear stuffed into their own pockets. The big blue one is a Golite Selkirk down jacket, the green and white one is a Marmot Precip rain jacket, and the small blue one is my ULA rain kilt.
+Kale Scown thank you can you tell me more abour your sleeping system? and can you list the name of your sleeping bag, compression bag ang yours matress (the yellow thing at 27:58)
+Benjamin Roy No problem. I used a Marmot Helium 15 sleeping bag, a Sea to Summit eVent water proof compression sack, and a Therm-a-rest Z Lite Sol sleeping pad cut down to torso length.
Hammocks don't work for large chunks of the PCT, the desert being one of those. There just aren't enough trees to make hammock camping a viable option. You'll frequently be exposed completely or surrounded by nothing but scrubby bushes.
Aaron Shumate After you leave the high sierras it is possible but you will still be limiting your campsite options. If you have the means to, I would recommend investing in a fully enclosed ground tent for north of kennedy meadows.
Kale Scown Yeah I am shelter junkie. I have the full eno set up minus the straps. I saw your Agnes. I have the same one, a scout and a seedhouse. I guess I will take one of those. I love the scout because it is light but had to do a mod to the door with some mosquito netting to allow more breeze to flow thru. Thanks for the tips. I thank you for inviting questions.
What was your base weight? Seems like you have some things I would do without and most of my stuff is UL. Permits?? What is this nazi germany? What type of permits?
Really good video, brother. Seriously. I'm doing the PCT in 2017 and this totally eased my mind. We use the same gear and have the same mindset. Keep them coming.
Love the trash compactor bag tip! Thanks for the video!
great informative video. i will watch one of the best I've seen with smart tips. very smart. thanks
Thanks man, It was very informative. Good job! answered a couple of questions I had.
Solid, solid video! Thanks for some great ideas.
2020 will be my first attempt Thank you for your information
Thank you so much for your recommendations! I have learned so much in your videos :-)
+Stacey Teel Thank you! I'm thrilled to hear that!
Thanks dude! I'm preparing for PCT 2016 right now, and this was very useful. -ShLep
Very helpful :)
Alice Volkov how'd it go?
Thanks for the video, and I especially like the idea of the rain kilt vs. rain pants; I can't believe I've never heard of them until now. I'm planning on hiking the Hayduke trail next spring, and will be making myself one of these, since I know how to sew. Happy hiking!
Sonya J Awesome! I wish I was better at sewing. I can repair gear and make simple things but it'd be nice to make more of my equipment. If for some reason your DIY kilt doesn't pan out, I'd highly recommend the ULA one as mine is still perfect even after more than 3000 miles in two years.
Kale Scown Heck, any piece of gear that has lasted 3K miles hiking is clearly worth every penny! I found a company that sells fabrics (including cuben) for making any and everything (found it when I was looking for a zipper to replace the broken one on my down bag) which is how I got the idea to make one of these rain skirts. They also carry parts for gear repair, which you might find useful if you haven't already heard of them: www.questoutfitters.com/index.html
Good luck on your next PCT hike!
Best gear review I've seen... all the best your way!
Thanks!
+Kale Scown will i be able to do laundry on the trail or will I have to put on wet from sweat cloths every morning.
You'll be able to occasionally do laundry in towns and (when you make it to areas with sufficient water) rinse out your clothes in streams/lakes but, because the air is so dry over here on the west coast, most clothing will dry out relatively quickly.
Thanks for the loadout. Excellent video. :)
Glad you enjoyed it!
Thanks to you I got the Jackory bar .Great video thanks!
+Tonauac/Teonewhopossesseslight /Nahuatl Awesome! Hope it works well for you!
Thank you for the excellent gear review!
Alpenglow
Thanks!
A great and informative video, many thanks for sharing ~Peace~
Good stuff!
Very good informative video. Really liked when you would say how many miles or how long it took for a piece of gear to start to fail. Thanks for the vid
Awesome intel... mahalo for the vid. planning a PCT soon
+tyneedancer24 Thanks and good luck!
I wondered who had taken my glasses from where I put them on the bar room floor!
Thanks for the post!
no problem!
Thanks! I am planning a thru hike on the Colorado Trail. Although I don't know that I am quite up to going ultra-light, I am trying to get my base down to 20 LBS...I almost have it.
+Robert Applegate Should be easy to get below 20 without spending a penny or sacrificing comfort if you're brutally honest with yourself about what is truly necessary and what are comfort items. Necessary items = "There is a solid, REALISTIC chance that I will suffer injury and/or death without this". Comfort items = everything else that makes a hike more enjoyable. Once you have those two categories split apart, start whittling down your excess comfort items by taking out just-in-case things that are extremely unlikely to ever be needed. If you know any experienced thru hikers it would be a great idea to ask them to give you a shake down. Good luck and have fun!
I did the LT in Vermont. Planning my next trip on JMT. Curious to get a guestimated dry weight. ( no food or water) and trail weight.
thanks informative...
I use that backpack. I like it.
Fantastic, and very thorough; however, you skimmed out on your experience with the BA tent.
I'll do my best to get a review out before I head to Alaska.
Wow! Common sense stuff! I loved it.
+Brooks Mick Thanks!
Dude! My sunglasses! Just kidding, lol.
hey man those are my sun glasses
Oh! I...uh.. *runs away into the bushes*
Thank you very much for sharing your video.
Small recommendation - I would not share your hygiene kit with anyone for health safety. Also I would recommend titanium ones as they do not rust.
Warm regards. DisabledPrepper
My neighbor has that pack. Loves it.
Yeah. I talked to an rei employee before I left who said that, in his experience, deuters don't fit everybody (obviously) but those who they do fit, swear by them. I found that to be very true on the trail. Only a handful of people were using deuters but they all loved them with a fiery passion.
I just wanted to say thanks for posting this. Lots of people post "What I plan to take" videos but I think this is way, way, way more useful. Did you take a camera?
***** Glad you found it useful! That's exactly why I made it. The only camera I used was my iphone 4s.
Thanks for the info, clear and informative. Did you like the BA tent you used? What kind of food worked well for you, especially in an every day mode?
Thanks! I loved my tent and the company's customer service is wonderful. I've made two videos on food. One on my 2014 system and one on my 2015 system.
Could you possibly list each item in the description? A nice review of your equipment, with some good tips. Some of the brand names, styles were difficult for me to decipher or read, so a list would be cool. Thanks for sharing the video.
+Jim Cox Truth be told I'm just waaay too lazy to put out a full list haha but I'd be happy to give you specifics on anything you couldn't understand in the video. What would you like to know?
+Kale Scown Ha. Each.and.every.item. ;) I think I got most of them, but it thought it would be helpful as a reference later. Was it a Ursack? What size, style, where did you get it? Üla Rain Kilt? Where did you get it? Was it a Jackery Bar External Battery Charger?
Zensah Calf / Shin Splint Compression Sleeve? Is Smart Water just a brand of bottled water with which you used as containers? Therm-a-Rest Stuff Sack Pillow. What size? Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System, mini or other?
Here, I started you a list you can cut and paste into the description if they are correct:
Brand Names:
Altra Men's Lone Peak shoes
Apple IPod Shuffle 2GB
Bearvault Bv500
Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 Tent (With homemade ground sheet)
Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles (Pair) (with duct tape wrapped around them)
CamelBak 2 L Reservoir
Coghlan's Backpackers Trowel
Columbia Men's Silver Ridge Long-Sleeve Shirt
Columbia Men's Silver Ridge Convertible Pant
Darn Tough Vermont Men's Merino Wool Micro Crew Cushion Hiking Socks
Deuter ACT Zero 50 + 15 Pack
Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps
GoLite Chrome Dome Trekking Umbrella, Chrome (Company Bankrupt)
GoLite Selkirk 850 down jacket (Not highly recommended, Company Bankrupt)
Jackery Bar External Battery Charger
Leatherman 831925 Juice S2 Multitool
Marmot Helium Sleeping Bag: 15 Degree Down (Kept in small Sea to Summit compression sack)
Marmot PreCip® Jacket
Mountain Hardwear Men's Micro Dome
MSR PocketRocket Stove (inside kettle)
MSR Titan Kettle (Bandana inside to dampen noise. Spare lighter, extra strike fire lighter (flint and steel). Fuel.
Native sunglasses
Petzl Tikka XP Headlamp
REI Campware Soup Spoon
REI Gloves (No CoolMax on their website))
REI Therm-o-Compass
Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net
Sawyer Products Water Filtration System (Large)
Smart Water bottles (1.5 liter to collect dirt water. Smaller bottle (1L?) with smart top for clean water and to replace the need for syringe to backlash Sawyer), Gatorade bottle for wide mouth, Aquafina bottle cut off as water scoop.
Target brand (CG) underwear
Terramar Men's Thermasilk Crew Neck Top
Terramar Men's Thermasilk Pant
Therm-a-Rest Stuff Sack Pillow (Small)
Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite SOL Sleeping Pad 3/4 length
Üla Rain Kilt (Large)
Ursack
Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife
Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes Travel Pack, 15-Count
Zensah Calf / Shin Splint Compression Sleeve
Generic:
Bandana
Chapstick (lip balm)
Cooking: Bottle Olive oil; bottle hot sauce. Get just screw top bottles)
Dental floss
Emergency Kit: Backup battery headlamp, paracord, extra lighter, extra strike fire lighter (flint and steel), first aid kit with only what is likely to happen and what you know how to use)
Hand sanitizer
Hat (baseball cap)
Ibuprofen
Maps, permits, pen, Sharpie, “Rite in the Rain Outdoor Journal” in Ziploc bag
Microfiber bag for sunglasses
Mittens that flip over fingers, allow thumb access
Nail-file
Nail clippers
Pack towel
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Trash compactor bag, plastic
Watch
Water scoop
Whistle, pealess, safety orange
+Jim Cox Good god man! That's some serious effort! Ill have to make a few edits but thank you. Ursack S29 AllWhite bought from Ursack's website. Ula rain kilt bought from Ultralight Adventure Equipment's website. Yes, it was a Jackery Bar bought from amazon. Yup, Zensah calf sleeves bought from rei. Yes, smartwater is a brand of bottled water that is very popular to reuse for backpacking because of its shape. Small therm-a-rest stuff sack pillow. Large Sawyer Squeeze water filter. The mini is crap for heavy use.
+Kale Scown Thanks for the clarifications. Yeah, I can be a little anal, obsessive, and a compulsive list maker. Also I'm currently wired from a nap, coffee and the Paris news. I had to listen to what you were saying then search Amazon, REI or Google. Hope it helps you and other hikers watching your video. I always appreciate hearing what works for real world hiking, and like specifics. Everyone has their preferences, but still is helpful.
+Kale Scown Updated the list a little. Missed some things before and added some specific sizes to what you said before.
Hi +Kale Scown, this is a really useful video, thanks for posting!! I'm thinking of doing part of the PCT this summer, and I also have shin splints. Was wondering if you did anything to help them before the hike, or did the shin supports help them, as well as not causing any further problems? Thanks!!
+Lamorna Manning Stretch and exercise are the only things you can do to prepare for the stress of thru hiking. The compression shin sleeves do help but they wont solve the problem. I got shin splints again in 2015 while wearing them (oddly enough around the same area of the trail too) trying to run down a long decent. Took a couple of zero days and then was back on trail good as new. I would highly recommend them though. It's hard to explain how they help but once you've gotten used to wearing them and try to hike without them you'll understand.
Great recap video. Thanks for the info. I've been looking at getting the new Altras. They're hard to find in my area in the Southeast US, but were you able to grab the Altras as you went without much issue at trail-town retailers? Or do you drop box them to a later stop?
There are a few places along-ish the trail to buy Altras but now that I know what size and model work for me I just buy 4 pairs before the start (ideally whenever amazon has them on sale, which is frequently) and send 3 of them forward.
Cool..Thanks for the info. Shipping them seems the safer bet - especially to get the size/model like you said.
watching this for the second time. great video and thank you! Curious question, are there a lot of people that listen to tunes as much as you on thru-hikes? Even being a musician, I don't listen to music after I leave the car. interesting. thanks again.
Thanks! Absolutely. I didn't meet too many people who didn't regularly listen to music while hiking. It really helps pass the time during your hours and hours of mindless walking and get you out of your own head.
+Kale Scown thanks for the reply. always nice to hear how everyone experiences their hike.
Thank you for the detailed video. Would you consider bringing a bivvy next time instead of a heavy tent?
No, I've tried the bivy thing before and hated it. Way too claustrophobic. If the weather is good and there aren't any bugs I'll cowboy camp, otherwise I like a full tent.
Kale Scown Very cool. Thank you.
Great video, thank so much. Did you use different foot wear when you hit the snow line?
+Mad Flavour Disciple No. There wasn't enough snow on trail to make a switch practical.
Kale Scown Thank you!
Hi Kale,Thanks for the video; it was really helpful. How did BA Fly Creek fare in wind? Also, how durable is it? It uses very thin fabric. Thanks.
I love my fly creek UL1! It is fantastic in the wind and very very durable. If possible, pitch it with the tail end into the wind and it'll act like a shark fin. The regular UL series of fly creeks are solid but (as I learned last summer) the HVUL series are extremely delicate. I managed to rip the mesh and snap a pole on my HVUL2 despite being very careful.
Thanks Kale!
thanks for sharing. what did you think or Oregon? I am born and bread in eugene, though I have played all over the mountains and forests out here my whole life. I'm planning to do the A.T. this year. nobo Apr 9th.
Honestly Oregon is my favorite section of the whole PCT. The trail is generally easier and it has subtle beauty (much like the desert) that I absolutely love.
That's awesome. I can't wait to see the ends of the trail.
Hi Kale, this vid was very informative! Sorry if this has been asked before, how do I decide to go for a shelter, vs hammock?
Thanks! Hammocks are not a great option for the PCT because there are many areas that completely lack trees for hanging like the desert and the high sierras.
Agree, that would be a big problem ;-) This is for the AT...
Well, I've never hiked the AT but I've heard that hammocks are very popular out there so they should be fine.
The trash compacter bag you mentioned what was the size and where did you get it at? Thanks good luck on your coming trip on the PCT....
Vonnie McB They were nothing special, just 18 gallon generic Safeway brand compacter bags. If you can find bigger I'd recommend it (you can always cut off the extra) as these were just a tad small but I had no choice.
All in all nice vid thanks... never heard total weight avg. Would you please share that amount?
As I've never been a serious gram counter I don't have exact numbers, but, I know that I started off 2014 around 17 lbs base weight and ended around 15 lbs. Now my pack is sub 10 lbs and it's heaven.
Great video. I would like to ask you a question. If you owned a few hundred acres adjacent to the PCT, what would you do with it? Its in SoCal, flat, accessible, has a running stream, power and close to town.
What milepoint is it near? and how far off trail?
Along trail, mile 137
what was your final weight??
give me the link of your dauter backpack.
Where did you find that add on for the camelback? (for direct connection to the water filter)
+Jordan Stoakes At REI.
those sunglases are magnetized to you lol
+Jason Lemire sure seems like it
Did you ever weigh your pack? Nice video.
I think my base weight at the start was around 17 lbs and then I sent home 2-3 pounds of gear.
I'm trying to do the entire trail next year in April. How far did you go?
+Will Richison I thru hiked in 2014 and did Mexico to Tahoe in 2015.
What was the name of your food sack and where did you get it? Thanks for the info!
It's called an Ursack Allwhite and they have a website you can purchase from
Coming from the future, 2024
If you are going to spend more than $120 for a backpack, buy it at a STORE where they will properly fit it to you. It may take an hour. You don't get that buying on line....EMS, REI, etc....not so much Big 5, Sports Authority, etc.
I would normally agree but there are some cottage companies that can't get their products into nationwide stores (because they are too small) but make higher quality packs that are more tailored to thru hikers needs than anything you'll find at an REI. Many of these companies understand the fact that people need to try packs on and will have great customer service and free shipping/return shipping set up for this.
So...how did you wind up on the barroom floor to find the sunglasses?
don't judge me.
I never heard him say his base weight. Anybody hear if it was mentioned?
In 2014 it started around 17 and ended around 15. I never worry too much about the specific weight, just try to make it as light as possible.
Should I absolutely take a water filter? I have been using a steripen on 5 day hikes. Any suggestions about those on long term hikes?
I saw soooo many people start with those steripens and only saw one finish with it. It will break on you. Seriously, leave that hunk-o-junk at home. I would highly recommend some kind of filter in the desert as you will frequently be pulling water from really nasty sources (horse troughs, stagnant pools, road puddles, etc) and it will remove the particulate and make the water palatable. Aquamira is another good option as a back up once you have access to clean sources that only need to be strained through a bandana. Bottom line is: water is important and you don't want a system that is prone to failure or can run out.
Ok so I saw your filter and I starting reading reviews on it. Seems simple.
Aaron Shumate It is. Just be sure you get the full sized one and not the mini. The flow rate is more than double and only 1.5 ounces more. It's worth the weight penalty, trust me.
What tent ddi you use and how did you like it?
I use the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 and I absolutely love it. I have no plans to change to anything else.
hahaha 'It didn't let me die..' Praise indeed. Has anyone taken Darn Tough up on their lifetime guarantee?
I have multiple times. Other than having to pay for shipping my blown out socks to them it is quite painless. They've never had any issue holding up their end of the bargain.
You didn't really comment on that UL1 tent. How did it work for you?
Russ Ivey I was very satisfied with its performance. Small, light, strong, minimal condensation issues. I'll be using again this year.
Kale Scown Check out ExOfficio underwear.. they're not cheap ($25 a pair or so) but they have no internal seams, maintain a great fit, dry super fast, have anti-odor and anti-bacterial properties. Totally worth the investment, I feel. For water, check out the Source 3L hydration bladder and hose. They also have antimicrobial coating inside and are incredibly tough; there's a reason they are the hydration system of choice for Special Forces.
As you were wearing holes in your socks, did you have any foot problems? Blisters or otherwise?
Sorry i'm a french guy i didn't understant what is in the 3 little bag the blue , the green and white one and the little blue ? if you could provide some information about those could be really nice ! PEACE - a futur PCT hiker
+Benjamin Roy I'd be happy to but I'm not sure exactly what bags you are talking about. If you could give me the exact time that the items show up in the video I'll tell you all about them.
10:28
+Benjamin Roy Aaaah. Those are my down jacket and rain gear stuffed into their own pockets. The big blue one is a Golite Selkirk down jacket, the green and white one is a Marmot Precip rain jacket, and the small blue one is my ULA rain kilt.
+Kale Scown thank you can you tell me more abour your sleeping system? and can you list the name of your sleeping bag, compression bag ang yours matress (the yellow thing at 27:58)
+Benjamin Roy No problem. I used a Marmot Helium 15 sleeping bag, a Sea to Summit eVent water proof compression sack, and a Therm-a-rest Z Lite Sol sleeping pad cut down to torso length.
What is your opinion about hanging hammocks during the first 700 miles?
Hammocks don't work for large chunks of the PCT, the desert being one of those. There just aren't enough trees to make hammock camping a viable option. You'll frequently be exposed completely or surrounded by nothing but scrubby bushes.
So maybe after the sierras would be ok?
Aaron Shumate After you leave the high sierras it is possible but you will still be limiting your campsite options. If you have the means to, I would recommend investing in a fully enclosed ground tent for north of kennedy meadows.
Kale Scown Yeah I am shelter junkie. I have the full eno set up minus the straps. I saw your Agnes. I have the same one, a scout and a seedhouse. I guess I will take one of those. I love the scout because it is light but had to do a mod to the door with some mosquito netting to allow more breeze to flow thru. Thanks for the tips. I thank you for inviting questions.
Aaron Shumate Have you done much Hiking in South America?
How much did this pack weigh ????
I'd guess somewhere between 15 and 17 lbs.
What was your base weight? Seems like you have some things I would do without and most of my stuff is UL. Permits?? What is this nazi germany? What type of permits?
Please edit out all the coughing for future videos.
Wigwam socks. Balegas are crap
I'll have to try em!
Dude you need to wash your hat
+backdraftvideos Lets be honest, everything there needed to be washed haha.