Pacific Crest Trail Equipment

Pacific Crest Trail Shelter:

Shelter (Billy & Ben): Silicone Tarp 10 x 12

Comments:
Billy:  A carryover from our Appalachian Trail thru hike.  Sleeps four.  I sewed on tie-outs for versatility and to pull the weight of the side walls away, which greatly increased the room.  We don't see the need to change for the cost of a lighter model.

Shelter Extensions/Additions:

Insert (Billy): Homemade Bug netting and groundsheet

(Ben)  Bug netting with integral groundsheet

Comments:
Homemade groundsheet with bug netting.  Absolutely treasure this "one-of-a-kind" homemade product.  I still cannot think of a better product for me: against bugs, comfort (ability to eat & move around in buggy situations), and groundsheet.  Hope this will last another adventure.

Comments:
Patched together on the night before I left for Atlanta. Smaller than Billy's, only for sleeping...not really for living in.

T-Shirt (Billy):  Mountain Hardwear Duration T & Mountain Hardwear Long Sleeve

T-Shirt (Ben): Mountain Hardwear X-static & IceBreaker long sleeved shirt

Comments:
Short sleeve:  Similar to my Appalachian Trail thru hike shirt (anti-microbial fabric).

Long sleeve:  Same shirt I used for A.T. thru hike.  Will carry when colder.  I like its comfort and the fact that it will help keep my sleeping bag cleaner at nite.

Comments:
Short sleeve:  190g/m^2 merino wool shirt.  I'd like lighter material, but I'll see how this works.

Long sleeve:  240g/m^2 merino wool. I plan to carry this through the colder sections. It's quite odour resistant and has thumb-loops which work pretty well to keep your hands warm.

Pacific Crest Trail Shorts:

Shorts (Billy): Fitness Gear

Shorts (Ben): New Balance running shorts

Comments:
Love 'em.  Ladies Luv 'Em style.  Feel like nothing on, and dry super fast.  Used these on the A.T. thru hike, and will purchase a new pair, hopefully, before the PCT adventure.

Comments:
Like the famous "ladies love 'em style" New Balance shorts only with a slightly less risque cut and with pockets. Feel great to hike in, dry quickly, and don't chaff. 

Pacific Crest Trail Sun & Rain Protection:

Umbrella (Billy): Homemade $1 Store

Umbrella (Ben): Goilte Dome

Comments:
Not a hat fan, nor for sunscreen.  So I'm thinking of using an umbrella.  Can't really enjoy the thought of holding an umbrella for days-on-end, but we had to on the A.T.  I know I will not wear a hat, or want to be "sunscreen dirty" day-in-and-out, so I'm leaning towards an umbrella.

Comments:
I was happy with the dollar store umberllas, but this seems to be a little sturdier, if no lighter. Shade from the sun, cover from the rain.

Pacific Crest Trail Rain Gear:

Rain Gear (Billy): Frogg Toggs

Other (Billy & Ben): Umbrella

Rain Jacket (Ben):  Frogg Toggs Jacket

Rain Pant and/or Skirt (Ben)

Comments:
The Frogg Toggs provide great warmth, rain protection, and next-to-skin comfort.  The only downside is their bulkiness.  Cheap, not so attractive looking in town when laundering.

Comments:
Billy:  Homemade from the $1 store.  Still works.  I'm thinking the umbrella will play more of a roll in sun protection, than rain.

Ben:  I was happy with dollar store umbrellas, but the Golite Dome seems to be a little sturdier, if no lighter. Shade from the sun, cover from the rain.

Comments:
Frogg Toggs:  Worked well on A.T. thru hike, until the material delaminated in a couple of spots.  Next-to-skin comfort is much better than the competition, which is handy when you only have one shirt and want to do laundry in town.

Comments:
Skirt: Homemade (well, hotel-room made) from a dollar store laundry bag.  Full rain pants are uncomfortable and I only really want to keep my shorts dry anyway so this made sense to me.  Also proved useful when badly chaffed as a welcome relief to shorts altogether.

Pant: Pertex wind pants. Very lightweight wind pants, with water-repellant finish.

Pacific Crest Trail Cold Weather Gear:

Insulation: Feathered Friends Hyperion Down Vest

Comments:
With this our cold weather tops would consist: t-shirt, long sleeve shirt, hyperion vest, and frogg toggs jacket.

Pacific Crest Trail Cold Weather Extremities Gear:

Gloves (Billy): Patagonia Liners

Headwear (Billy): Mountain Hardwear cap

Gloves (Ben):  PowerStretch Fleece Gloves

Headwear (Ben): IceBreaker Pocket Hat

Comments:
Great comfort.  Expensive, but worth the money.  Can wear all day without really noticing them.  Will use socks over them for colder weather.

Comments:
It's Mountain Hardwear.  Windstopper, not too itchy.  Does the job.

Comments:
Merino wool beanie. I didn't want a windproof hat as I find them too sweaty and I prefer the feel of wool to fleece.  

Pacific Crest Trail Sleeping Bag:

Sleeping Bag (Billy & Ben):  PureBound.com 20 degree sleeping bag (26 oz).

Comments:
PureBound.com designed bag specifically for a Pacific Crest Trail thru hike.

Pacific Crest Trail Sleeping Pad:

Pad (Billy & Ben): Nunatak Luna sleeping pad

Comments:
Billy:  Lightest full length sleeping pad on market.  Kind of expensive.  Different properties than the traditional RidgeRest; and a little bulky for fitting inside a pack.  Will try out, may go back to the RidgeRest.  Good thing about Nunatak, the pad is long and can even lose a few more ounces.

Pacific Crest Trail Backpack:

Backpack (Billy & Ben):  Golite Breeze

Comments:
Billy:  I think it is still the best bag on the market for price and durability.  It's a common sense bag, with no frills, except for those ice loops.  May alter the bag for versatility in carrying the pack to get the sweat off my back.

Ben:  I found it to be very comfortable even when loaded with four days of food and the freedom from a belt felt great.  Nicely designed with plenty of mesh on the outside and easy to launder too. 

Pacific Crest Trail Footwear:

Shoe (Billy):  Trail runners

Sandal (Billy): Keen Venice H2 sandal

Shoe (Ben): Trail runners

Comments:
Billy:  Work for 500 miles a pair.  Expensive, and worked for the A.T. thru hike and my daily life...can hold hiker "funk" for quite some time.

Comments:
Expensive.  Haven't tried them out.  I just want to get away from a full shoe if at all possible.

Comments:
I'm going to go with trail runners again. I'll be starting with New Balance 741, not the best on the market, but at $40, half the price.

Pacific Crest Trail Socks:

Socks (Billy): Wright Socks

Socks (Ben): Wigwam brand nylon ankle socks

Comments:
My favorite socks as of date.  They do not last as long as I would like, but they are comfortable.  Thicker socks never dry.  Between the rain and sweat, thicker socks will not dry, and that does not work day after day for me.

Comments:
Quick drying and lightweight.  Longer socks seem unnecessary (unless your ankles are being rubbed raw by failing shoes) and anything cushioned seems to take forever too dry.

Pacific Crest Trail Cooking Equipment:

Pot (Ben & Billy): Walmart Grease Pot

Stove (Ben & Billy): MSR Pocket Rocket

Utensil: Lexan

Comments:
Billy:  Cheap.  Can easily be replaced (not necessary, just a possibility).  Lite.  Collects food under the brim of the pot.  I will attempt to chop off that dirty brim and sand the edges back.  I would like to not cook the first few hundred miles, because of water consumption.

Ben:  As good a bargain as you will ever find. Lighter than the most expensive titanium model, perfectly effective and you don't get the fear about losing it somewhere. We modified ours by removing the heavy handle from the lid and sealing the hole with heatproof tape.

Comments:
Billy:  Worked for an Appalachian Trail thru hike.

Comments:
Cheap, lite, and durable.

Pacific Crest Trail Light:

Light (Billy): Petzl Tikka

Light (Ben):  Petxl Zipka

Comments:
Carried most of A.T. trip.  Has good battery life, and is a quality product.  I would like a lighter lite, but am not for photons.  Maybe the market will come up with something before we leave.

Comments:
Bright enough to hike by and the batteries are easy enough to find. Could probably get away with something lighter, but this is a solid enough model. 

Pacific Crest Trail Water Treatment:

Treatment (Billy): Don't Know

Treatment (Billy & Ben):  Chemical (e.g. Aqua Mira)

Comments:
Still up in the air.  I'm for no treatment.  Second, gravity filter.  Then its aqua mira, the miox purifier pin , or the steripin.  Like most gear selection for people, water treatment has no clear answer.

Comments:
Billy:  Lightweight.  I just do not like using chemicals, even though, this is in our household water supply.  Does the job.

Ben:  Learned to hate the taste after a few months with Aqua Mira on the A.T., easily camoflaged with a little Kool Aid mix (unsweetened or with artificial sweeter are the lighter options in every sense).