PCT Thruhike Ultralight Gear - Sub 8 lb!!!
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- čas přidán 21. 07. 2024
- Hey you!
Thanks for watching :)
This video shows what ended up in my pack by the end of my Pacific Crest Trail thruhike from May to September in 2017. My gear set up was ever evolving throughout the hike. I did not start with a UL set up but naturally gravitated towards it as the hike went on. I can say from experience now that less is more. This video summarizes the things that made the final cut by the end of the hike in Washington.
Click below for direct Amazon links to most of my gear. NOTE: If you purchase any of the products by clicking on the specific links I've provided I get a little bit of money to help grow my channel, so MUCHAS GRACIAS advance! :)
Sawyer Squeeze ( amzn.to/2BiYnoF )
Platypus 2 L ( amzn.to/2Bj11L7 )
Rechargeable Headlamp ( amzn.to/2BfFd2J )
MSR Mini Groundhog Stakes ( amzn.to/2BK9asP )
MSR Carbon Core Stakes ( amzn.to/2BgOCHA )
Anker 13,000mah ( amzn.to/2BhztWr )
Snowpeak Titanium Pot ( amzn.to/2BgeF1r )
Snowpeak UL Stove ( amzn.to/2zbO4kh )
Thermarest Neo-Air Xtherm ( amzn.to/2EgCV4T )
I filmed this video using this camera: amzn.to/2D9wHms
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Lighterpack (POST-PCT LIST):
lighterpack.com/r/rkyzw
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/ cotezi
Music:
Down With That by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Artist: www.twinmusicom.org/ - Krátké a kreslené filmy
Amazing background track! Very charming presentation. We are all waiting for more PCT videos...desperately!
Thanks for the video. I also hated my REI Flash air mattress on the PCT. I would roll off it and end up on top of my poor dog in the middle of the night. Also, in the Sierras, I was dead tired and it took so much energy to blow it up. I switched back to my foam pad again and loved it.
Just section hiked near castle crags. It’s always nice to see a woman’s perspective on gear. I’m a man who’s such a princess with comfort gear lmao. Nice video!
Love your attitude and it was great following you along on your hike!
Chris H thanks Chris!! Just me being me lol. Stay tuned for more vids :)
I liked that you included packing up the bag at the end :-)
I lose everything. 😂
Just laughing at you drop everything, but awesome video. I love watching gear videos. 💜
Thank you for the information. It's helpful. Breakneck is one of my favorite hikes I live very close I go there constantly. Keep on Hiking
Thanx for watching! Breakneck is a gem. So many ppl though. I legit had a group of like 10 ppl staring at me the whole time while making this video. See ya around!
best ul equipment video i ever saw ...and i watched a lot....think you choose practicly and aestheticly the best stuff....thank you
New favorite channel
but wait there's more there's a 1972 Buick parked in the left hand corner of that backpack holy cow. Jill says it slices it dices laugh out loud. good informative video keep them coming we can see you and your sister are cut from the same cloth enjoy their videos as well hope yours grows just as large and it will take care Paul and Jill
I liked the Patagonia and 'think I just got like a bad one' - there's a sense of humor in there somewhere. Enjoyed that. Mark
The Near Xtherm! The patagonia was great.
I've just put in my data base for future reference on account of the video. Many thanks. Peace...
I love that you have a letter from a friend so cute
Thank you for sharing what you carry, I am always blown as to how light people manage to get; No matter what I do, I can not compete! The only thing you should have there is a Zpacks backpack, if it is lightest than the one you use; at least it is very water resistant as all seams comes taped. Say..if you are only backpacking, you are in the wrong setting :) actually, you should be modeling!
Pricy kit, but I am so jealous! This is a late comment, hope you enjoyed your hike. Great choices on equipment.
Laziest hiker in the game!! Lol. Great gear you’ve got there.
Awesome video, some great tips I am going to try!
Very good presentation. Hoping for more videos. Please.
What kind of pack is the backpack itself? I apologize if I missed it but I heard the name of the pack you started with but not the pack you had in the video.
What is the name of the backpack it
didn’t seem to say it anywhere
What torso size palante pack did you get? 16 or 18 inch?
Hahaha! "Its probably polyester...its 100% NYLON!" I love this. Its so good to hear your voice. Keep it up!
Ryan Unger thnx unger!! Miss you!! :)
Really like your gear choices (I have an EE 0 degree bag and Xtherm as well) so I'm quite intrigued that you may be moving on from your Zpack Soloplex to something else. Pray tell what that might be? : ) Yeah, the food video was also awesome. Just lots of stuff I wasn't aware of. Besides, your vids are just fun to watch. Nice channel.
Hey!
Planning on thruhiking the CT this summer and am trying to decide of whether to keep my EE 20 degree syn quilt or get a high fill down one from EE. My synthetic one takes up SO much room in my bag (seriously, it’s a beast of its own). As a fellow vegan, I’m having an internal conflict with purchasing down, any thoughts?
This place looks familiar, is NY ! Awesome vids , hike life inspirational
breakneck ridge
Have you considered trying a katadyn be free? I think they are great for mountain hiking. inexpensive at around $40 .
for oregon shoud i take a ursack and hang my food or keeping it in a grocery sack and in my tent at night will be alright? and wondering if I should take the 10 ounce footprint for my tent (msr flylite).... will be hiking through the state the month of september.... ps you are awesome! so glad i found your videos! so helpful!
I am new to your channel and liking it so far .
Thanks! Will be uploading more stuff soon :)
Very simple, I love it.
TheKillzone1511 thanks!! :)
Great video! I love your attitude! Keep it up. ;)
How did you lose your knife? That's a bummer considering it's the most important tool a person can have. That's why I normally carry 2. What knife did you end up buying to replace it with?
Is that the Hudson River in the background?
Great gear list for me to reference.
Great Video, nice music🙂. How did you fit a bearcanister in your Palante?
Oh, I never thought of the sawyer filter having mold in it! Hope that's not true, but makes sense that it could. Love your video. Great job! I'd like to try the palante pack too. Happy trails! 😆
Amy B Ive never confirmed it but there’s always some kind of moisture in it right?! Nice. They have the new V2 now which looks pretty sweet 👌
You can always run some water through it with either a little bleach or a water purification tablet in it and that should help stop/eliminate any mould.
Why are the shoulder straps so close together? Seems like it would be uncomfortable.
I do have a question... I have been thinking about a lightweight tablet. In one device: Low power use, high quality camera & video, cell phone, electronic trail maps (better, easier, lots more info), I can use at night with Nightsky for star gazing, can load a couple of novels to read, reference books on plants/animals/insects/geology/medicine, can load movies for nights I can't sleep, music for my travel instrument, headphones for trail music or book on tape, and about a million other uses. iPad mini 4 is only 11 ozs... Any thoughts on this?
Would be great to connect for some backpacking if you’re ever looking for others to have a long. Cute video!
Ounces equals pounds and pounds equals pain😁. I carry a lot of Zpacks gear. Those who don’t ounce count are usually confused when I tell them “my back really doesn’t care how much a piece of gear costs when I’m in the middle of nowhere”. Research extensively, think multipurpose and enjoy the trail.
Speaking of ounces she forget to include her herb weight
@@davidp6913 That's a consumable
Hey there! Sorry if I missed it but what did you use for food protection (outside of the Sierra). An Ursack or something similar? Can't find anything in your packlist.
roamingbeyond outside of the Sierra I just had my in a typical grocery bag, nothing fancier than that. I tried posan for a while in the desert but the zipper would never stay shut so I just ditched it
love your hat, your energy & your tipps!!! thanks for sharing your experience! pls keep sharing! :)
Could you make the Palante Pack and a bear canister work?
Favored synthetic quilt?
Nice! You are Breakneck Ridge. I hike there all the time.
How do you arrange them..?
Great video!! :)
Nice video. Thanks!
i like your style! nice video. keep posting :)
Yeah! That’s the plan .thanx
Hi luv...I used a z-pack arc-blast for my AT thru-hike and am going to use it again this year on another thru-hike of the AT...lol..yeah..I kno.... But I love this trail!!!..My point?...never used a pack cover and never had a spot of water leak in!!! ALL the seams are taped. I am not a fan of ULA as I prefer external frames and thats what the Arc-blast is..and its still lighter than the ULA...go figure, huh?!? You shoud try z-packs...sometime....also, the AT is a very wet trail unlike the PCT so leakage matters...hmmm...
Great video! Now I know what to bring when I do a long ass hike :D
paulina yes. Mauna Loa tomorrow?!
Did you ever have sleeping/camp clothes?
Idk why it was so funny but that little clip when you hit side pockets made me crack up idk I'm weird ok bye
The location reminds me of Breakneck Ridge in the Hudson Highlands in NY - my backyard.
Carl K it is!!! :)
Did you have plenty of room for decent size food carries with the simple pack? I'm wanting to use a small pack on my thru hike as well. How many liters is it on the inside?
For me, the pack was comfortable with 3-4 days of food, higher than that it would hurt a bit in my upper back between shoulder blades. But I imagine you could technically hold up to 7 days in there and it would probably be ok for most people with really strong upper body/neck. Pa'lante does offer the V2 now though w/ the stackable hipbelt so that's an option.
Thanks Cotezi, that was super helpful! Did you wish that you had a sleeping liner/did you have to wash your quilt on the trail?
Hannah Robinson i o my wishes I had a liner when it was super hot some nights but it would be instead of my sleeping quilt not both. I never thought about washing my quilt all trail. I guess it never really got that bad/i didn’t care lol. I washed my quilt the week after trail with some tech wash and it was fine.
Great video thank you
did you hike the pct yourself???
You filmed this on breakneck mountain didn't you?! I'm from that town, its a great little hike
Good video
Thanks so much for this! Some four-eyed questions: did you carry all your contact lenses for the hike with you or did you ship new pairs to yourself along the trail? did you bring a spare pair of glasses?
Liz Albert hi Liz! I didn’t carry any extra pair of contacts on me. I would just have them shipped to me (to a town post office I would be stopping at) like a week before I knew I would need them (I had help from family friends shipping me things!). For most of the hike I did carry my glasses as back up but I ditched them somewhere in Washington cuz I knew it would get rainy and glasses don’t do well in rain! It worked out great.
Wait, where is your food bag? Or...bear canister? What do you do with your food?
Hi, what did you use to keep the odors from your food in bear area?
Thanks, happy hikes :)
I used the carbon fiber Bearikade bear can from Wild Ideas in the Sierra, since bear cans are required there. In the desert I used the opsack which is basically a glorified zip lock but it didn’t work any better than an actual zip lock it was actually worse becuase the zipper area wouldn’t properly close for me. For most of the trail I basically just used zip locks and just grocery bags and slept with my food in my tent. Only saw three bears (mom n 2 cubs) on the entire trail and it was in Goat Rocks Wilderness (WA).
Please share your answers to all these really good posted questions... or do another video... thanks.. and excellent video!!!
I JUST DID! Sorry I was in hawaii for the past couple weeks but I'm back now :P
Welcome back... and thanks again!!!
Nice view of the Hudson River on top of Breakneck Ridge.
It sure is!
What were the main heavy things that you eliminated along the way? Were there any comfort items that you wish you would have had at times?
Sydnee Tigert hey sydnee! Besides swapping my original Hyperlite backpack for the current Simple Pack, I didn’t get rid of many heavy things, just a lot of little things. I had a lot of toiletries starting off in the desert and a lot of extra socks and clothes in general. I often wished I had sandals/camp shoes. I actually did have some in the Sierra which was nice, but that’s it. :)
High C., i like to know more about your sleeping-bag, because of the camo-design. What material and weight does it have, and who is the seller ? Kindly Fiete
Is that the Hudson River behind you in the video? Small detail, but I just kept getting distracted by the view because it looked so familiar.
It is! I’m actually at the top of breakneck ridge.
Check out Warby Parker sunglasses, contacts are a pain while hiking! Also just curious, what do you do for health insurance while thru hiking? On my past hikes I was covered under my parents, but now that I'm older I won't have insurance when I quit my job :/ Just want to see what the general consensus is for thru hiking
Hi, I was wondering if you brought some long johns or anything else for clothing then your puffy, raingear and extra socks, because I didn't see those. I never thought about leaving those out of my system, but could you stay warm enough while you where waiting for your food to cook? And what would you do if you brought a 10 degree sleeping bag? Would you bring long johns and a thermo shirt or not? (I'm hiking the PCT 2018 and I'm trying to lower my packweight, right now I have a baseweight of 12 lbs)
hi! I started off in the desert with baselayers (top and bottom) and like 3 extra pair of socks, puffy jacket, rain/wind pants and jacket, beanie... I ditched all of that in washington and just stuck to rain/wind pants, rain/wind jacket, puffy jacket/hoodie, and just 1 extra pair of socks. NOTE: in Norcal I ditch my puffy and since it was so hot and my base layer and rain/wind jacket was perfect for when it did get cold. I only experienced true bitter coldness the last 2 nights on the pct when all my stuff was wet but I just sucked it up. normally, on cooler nights and mornings the rain jacket and rain pants was perfect! My sleeping bag was a 0 deg so thats probably why I stayed "warmer" without baselayers and such. but if I got rally cold i'd just sleep with all my rain gear lol. i mean they're layers after all. idk, you get creative. and it's fun trying to see just how much you can push it! :)
Look up the iridium stove....it's amazing and no moving parts .....does not fail....cooks awesome....duel fire apps........guaranteed for life.....best pack stove ever.......
Hmm I don't know about liners being unneccessary after the desert! When I ditched mine I got crazy rashes on my feet that lead to a staph infection and getting off trail. Liners are a life saver!
Kerstin LaCross What are liners? I’m Norwegian and im not familiar with the word x
Elise Askim sock liners. See 10:25
Great video.
How did you pack your bear canister when it was required?
Im not sure if I replied to this already but yeah I carried one in the Sierra. Bearicade by Wild Ideas. Lighter than the Bear Vault everyone gets at REI but wider so take that into consideration.
Whoops. I just re-read your question and it asked HOW. Lol. Well I didn’t have the simple pack in the Sierra I had my Hyperlite instead. My Hyperlite is similar volume to the simple pack so I just strapped the container outside of the pack on top using the top pack strap. Worked good especially when I put some KT tape on the surface of the can to give it some traction,, otherwise it would slip a lot.
Nice video...whats next?
Nice setup, I'm debating frame vs frameless for the pct next year. One thing I learned on the at, if you use an evernew bag the gasket won't fall out of your Sawyer. Thanks for sharing
Even when I had my Hyperlite for most of the trail, I had it with the frame removed. The only time I put the frame in was for the Sierra because of the heavier carry, but even then the aluminum poles would dig into my low back but maybe it was something I was doing wrong? If you keep your base weight low (
Did you ever hike with base layers? And if so, when did you ditch them?
Yes, top and bottom. Ditched them in Washington. 10/10 regret!
Hi.... was there a reason you didn't use a stuff sack for your sleeping bag?
cuz it would be one more thing to have to fidget with in the mornings and I'm already a super slow packer-upper to begin with!!! plus, a regular tall kitchen trash liner did the job just fine when it came to rain :).
hey from a fellow cold sleeper, do you think the xtherm was overkill, or just right? Thanks!
Matthew Azevedo for the pct, overkill. The Xlite would’ve been fine. Most hikers out there have it. I do think overall issues tend to occur w the valve on these neoairs so look out for that.
Cheers thanks for the knowledge. I'll be sure to pray to the Neoair gods before I leave.
If you were to do it again would you go with a 10 degree EE quilt instead? Or were you happy with the 0 degree despite it being overkill some nights?
No because I'd rather just downsize my sleeping pad. Mine was super overkill and bulky. I'm looking into those 1/8 inch foam pads by Gossamear... Also I'm looking to downsize my overall shelter to more minimalist so my current 0 deg is perfect I think! :) Are you looking for a zPacks Solplex by any chance?!
Awesome! I went with the 0 degree as well. I'm hiking the trail with my boyfriend so we're going with the duplex.
You’ll be toasty! Especially cuddling with someone. :). Good choice on the duplex. I don’t have it but I loved my solplex.
Solplex is presumably for sale?
maybe... will decide within the next few weeks. yer looking?
Does apple still do updates to that nano? They don’t make that model anymore and I think it’s the best one. I’m trying to find one to buy.
I've no clue!
How did you about using a Bear Canister? Don't see it fitting in that pack.
Sam Smith when I was required to use a can i still had my Hyperlite 2400 so i would strap the can to the top/outside using the v/strap. But on the simple pack I know u can fit a BV450 as shown by John Z on their channel.
Loved this video. It sounds exactly like I would doing a gear breakdown. Though, I lost less things on my AT hike than it sounds like you did. haha. How many, and how difficult was it to get all the passes you need for the PCT? I'm planning on going NoBo next spring. Thanks! - Too Clean
Just the pct permit (not difficult) and a campfire permit (also not difficult). Get both online, done!
Thanks!
Just curious if you had to fit a bear canister in that pack. thinking about getting the V2, but not sure about the BV450 fitting in there. great vid. thanks :)
Jess Serko no cuz I had the Hyperlite when I passed thru the Sierra. You can watch johns video about him fitting a nc 450 into the simple. In the palante channel
Jess Serko bv*
Vegan resupply video por favor! I know others have asked, just adding to the demand. Thanks for gear vid.
About contacts vs glasses, I cant wear contacts but I always have glasses with the add-on: the sun-activated sunglasses in my lense glass. I'm so glad not to keep up with sunglasses anymore!! 🤓🤠👍
Wow, i also had a thermarest i also kept patching, it didn't stop deflating for me either!
Aiden Hall the worst 😩
Waow. What a great video. Totally linked to your minimalism spirit. You don’t fill your bag with a lot of “as if” stuffs. The greatest example is for the gloves. Why should I take some of it if I will have cold hands ? I have socks na ? Love it.
Few questions. I do it short. Put all of them, feel free to answer.
1- You used a palantepacks (Simple Pack) but you talked about 2400 Series - 40L Southwest Ultralight Backpack. Why ?
2- You used a 13400mAh RAVPower charger portable and you envisage to switch it for a 10000mAh. Why ? Lighter ?
3- Did you often use your gaze stove ? Easy to find recharge on tracks ? Will you share with us your food habits on the trek ?
4- it seems you took 2 jackets : Patagonia Storm Racer and U.L Thermawrap Parka. Why 2 ?
5- what did you use for soap and laundry ?
Thanks. Big Smiles.
Thanks for the feedback!
1. I noticed that too after I had already shot it and didn't have time to re shoot it so... LOL. Thinking about doing a specific Palante Pack review video in the future though ;) In conclusion though I love both packs. The hyperlite wasn't love at first sight though it took some getting used to (I had a Deuter pack before that on the JMT last year). The Simple was more like love at first sight but the shoulder hurt a bit after using it the first couple weeks. To fix that problem I just shed more weight then it was solid! Plus having no hip belt with the simple allowed he hip belt bruising from the hyperlite to start going away.
2. Yeah the 13400 is a lot of power that honestly you don't really need on trail. I got it because I thought my sony rx100m3's battery would be dying a lot of trail but I realized that if it's on airplane mode it actually lasts quite a lot. Then you just have to be conservative with phone usage. So yeah going to 10000 would help in bulk and weight.
3. I used my stove every night to make ramen bomb and backpacker meals. Go check out my newest "What I ate on Trail" video on my channel! there was fuel availability pretty much all thru out the PCT.
4. The storm racer was just to have a second layer of warmth plus rain/snow protection. Doesn't rain/snow a lot on the PCT except the very beginning if you start the trail early and then the very end mid Sept. So really it's main purpose was for an extra warmth layer. it's a great wind barrier.
5. No soap. usually hotels and trail angel houses have that stuff so you could use it when you stay there in towns. The only thing I washed while hiking was socks but no soap used for that.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for that :)
Palante Pack waterproof ?
Julien HAASS the material is but its not seam sealed/taped so no.
Cotezi Hikes How did you deal with when it rained ?
Cotezi Hikes you still recommend this bag with all your experience with !?
no bear canister?
haha hey Dirty Avocado =) just ran into this on my youtube recommendations. You are famous! =) ~ Dr. Legs
Julian Straub LEGS! Haven’t seen you since that epic sunset in that Shasta parking lot! Hope you’re doing good. Any hiking in the states this year??
Yeah that was pretty epic =)! Yeah I am great - had a blast hiking the rest of the PCT ;). No big hiking plans besides exploring the Pacific North West. I would love to go for a long hike again though ;). You?
What volume is that pack? Thanks.
32L internal, I believe... check out their website palantepacks!
Great video as always, cool to see what you carried. I finally decided to see what my average base weight was and it came out a little lighter than what I thought it was 12 pounds 6 ounces plus or minus some depending on what I’m carrying. Which depends on the weather and what trip I’m doing. Anyways what I’m getting at is do you notice that you pack lighter and less stuff on your day to day life and vacations?
Nathan Rieck i do! for example, right after the PCT I went on a 2 week vacation to Hawaii to visit my sister and literally just brought my backpack w all backing stuff I had for the PCT and 1 change of clothes (plus the clothes I was wearing). I did the same thing on a 10-day trip to CO in December right after that as well. It is very liberating to not lug around a bunch of stuff!
Hi Cotezi, I just went through your lighterpack and I'm inspired to drop some weight! I just noticed that your puffy isn't in the list though. And you didn't get cold hands without gloves?
Hi! whoops! yeah that should be on there. Will fix it now. My puffy was a Montbell UL Thermawrap parka. Super breathable, but also the right amount of warmth. No gloves or beanie. If hands got cold, just put on socks! Hoodie in the puffy combined with my brim hat was good enough to keep head warm.
Thanks!
Thanks.
I often wonder how many manufactures study CZcams vids and modify their tech based, in part, on REAL life field tests?
Even manufact. employees and “field” testers using an expense account have predisposed allegiance to a paycheck
Are you sure that all that stuff together is under 8 lbs?! Its looks about 15 at least...
As far as extra clothes what do people typically carry? I carry like one extra underwear, extra sock, and depending on length of the trip I’ll bring and extra shirt (like over a week). On the JMT I ended up wearing the same shirt for 18 days with just rinsing it off sometimes. I had two pairs of underwear that I would change out and wash maybe every 4th time I wore them(not really sure). Now I’ve switched over to running shorts with the liner built in. I’ve found that with the built in liner, it’s not comfortable to also wear underwear. So I guess my question now is: do people normally end up cutting out the liners and just use underwear or do they just end up wearing the one pair of running shorts everyday or bring two and just switch them out and just wash them whenever they can. Today I finally made up my mind and I’m going to attempt a thruhike the PCT 2019. I’ve wanted to do it for a few years now and I knew I was going to get a 500 mile permit for this coming summer but looking at my schedule next year could easily work, just take the semester off and start around April and I would have plenty of time. Anyways, any thoughts on this topic are welcome
I just have one pair of shorts w liner in them no extra underwear needed. Just wash the shorts in town every couple of weeks or so or more often. They dry quick.
I love my katadyn be free filter and recommend that. I didn't see your first aid kit other than band aids? Good idea to have a kitchen bag instead of contractor bag to save on weight.
And nail clippers 😱 but the scissors probably work for that
You can collect your water with the smartwater bottle and then attach your Sawyer directly to your smartwater bottle. And drink directly from the Sawyer.
I tried that and for me the bottle with the Sawyer was just too long? Maybe I'll give it another go, but for now it's Katadyn Befree all the way.
@@MauraTierney I found two different sizes of Smartwater bottles, if that helps.
Hi, if you don't carry a small shovel how do you dig a hole to poop in?
rocks, sticks, etc.
Thank you
Hey, fellow vegan here hoping to do the PCT in 2020 - thanks for the informative and inspiring videos! Just wondering about the sleeping bag: I've thought it may be impossible to avoid down due to weight/bulk vs warmth - watching this it seems you used a down sleeping bag. Any advice? Do you think it's possible to go synthetic? I'm also in Australia so it makes knowing exactly what's needed a little harder! Cheers :)
Hi! It's totally possible to do synthetic. The only thing is not a lot of ultralight options currently, unfortunately. I'm currently eyeing MLD's Spirit 28 (heard good things about it) for overall average weather hiking, but will hang on to my EE 0 deg for colder trips.
:)
For awhile I thought about thru hiking but I couldn't get past the destination mind set.
But it's a loooooong way before you get there. I love it because it's such a thorough journey!
Nice gear rundown Cotezi.
I noticed you didn't mention a bear canister, which is required for some sections of the PCT. Did you carry a canister for those sections, and did it work with this pack?
Also, I wear contacts in normal life, but for the trail I really don't want to risk dealing with eye problems. I'm a bit of a germaphobe, so the idea of touching my eyes with dirty hands is a no-no, and washing/sterilizing them all the time on trail seems impractical. My solution is to bring my normal glasses, and then invest in some prescription polarized sunglasses from Warby Parker. That way I can still go without contacts and have sunglasses that allow me to see. They also make lenses that darken in bright sunlight if you want to carry just a single pair. Something to maybe try in the future.
the *chameleon sunglasses suck, they often get darker when not needed, and usually they are too light for staying in sun 8 hours.
There is a better option of glasses with magnetized, clip sunglasses on top, (order specifically for your metal glasses or get new glasses with it)
last option huge sunglasses made for being over the top of other glasses, most look quite ugly, but gets the job done.