| Description |
Weight (lbs) |
Weight (oz) |
Notes |
Post-PCT Comments
|
| Tarp & poles |
1.13 |
18 |
Homemade |
The Tarptent
worked beautifully. It kept me dry and bug-free and had lots
of space for me and my gear. |
| Pack |
3.00 |
48 |
Jansport external with homemade pack bag |
Other than a recurring squeak in the frame,
it worked well. The packbag--made from 1.9oz coated nylon--
held up remarkably well and proved that commercial packs are
way overbuilt. |
| Sleeping bag |
2.19 |
35 |
Feathered Friends Swallow |
I loved the bag for its low weight and
high warmth but Feathered Friends zippers are terrible. |
| Sleeping pad |
0.94 |
15 |
Thermarest Ultralite II |
I used two and both developed punctures-- but
it sure was a lot more comfortable than an ensolite foam pad. |
| Stove, pot, spoon & fuel(4 oz) |
1.00 |
16 |
Titanium pot (1.3 l) and Esbit brand solid fuel |
The Esbit stove worked to perfection. I never
worried about finding fuel or having my stove break down.
The titanium pot was simple to clean and transfered heat very
well. |
| Nylon jacket and pants |
0.60 |
9 |
Homemade from 1.9 oz uncoated ripstop nylon |
Both items worked well. I switched to the Patagonia
Zephur jacket for the High Sierra and for OR/WA. |
| Fleece long-sleeved shirt |
0.69 |
11 |
Polartec Powerstretch |
The single most useful piece of clothing I carried. |
| Socks |
0.19 |
3 |
2 pairs nylon liners |
I switched to wool/nylon socks from the Sierra
north. The extra padding was worth it. |
| Mittens |
0.13 |
2 |
Homemade from Polartec fleece and ripstop nylon |
The mittens were needed in the Sierra and in
parts of OR and WA. I also used goretex shell mittens in WA
for the cold rain and snow. |
| Fleece hat |
0.13 |
2 |
Windbloc fleece |
An absolute necessity in the Sierra and OR/WA
rain and snow. Windbloc fleece is amazing stuff. |
| Waterproof/ breathabable jacket(for WA) |
0.56 |
9 |
Patagonia Zephur |
Outstanding warmth/weight performance and sensational
ability to stay dry in the rain. Highly recommended investment. |
| Poncho |
0.44 |
7 |
Homemade from 1.1oz coated nylon |
Worked extremely well. I stayed dry in all-day
rain. |
| Misc lst Aid |
0.31 |
5 |
Band-aids, moleskin, tape, duct tape, antibiotic,
Ibuprofin(lots of it) |
My feet were a mess in So. CA. and I used copious
amounts of tape, band-aids, and Second Skin to bandage my
blisters. It didn't work very well. The best thing for blisters
is to wear shoes that breathe. |
| Water bag (2 liter) and filter |
0.19 |
3 |
In-line water filter from Safewateranywhere |
A GREAT product. I used two ($25/each) for the
whole trip and second one is still going strong. I never got
sick and I never worried about my filter breaking. |
| Extra water bags (5 liters) |
0.16 |
2.5 |
Cascade Designs Platypus |
I like Platypus bags but they wear out fairly
fast. The good thing is that Cascade designs will replace
them for free. |
| Pen, maps & candle |
0.13 |
2 |
|
I discovered candles during the last few weeks
of the hike and wished I'd used them earlier. Just one tea
candle was enough for writing and cheering up the lonely nights. |
| Email Computer |
0.50 |
8 |
Sharp Telmail with Pocketmail |
Another GREAT product. I sent/ received email
all along the way--without having to "plug in"--and
was able to type quickly and easily on the keyboard. Just
two sets of lithium AA batteries lasted the entire trip. |
| Radio |
0.13 |
2.1 |
Aiwa brand. Uses single AAA battery |
The radio was a wonderful solice for some of
the lonely/boring stretches. I was able to pick up stations
every night as well as a few stations most days. One AAA battery
lasted about 4 days of continous listening. |
| Knife |
0.06 |
1 |
Swiss Army "Classic" |
Worked well--no one needs anything bigger. |
| Flashlight, spare battery and bulb |
0.13 |
2 |
|
I rarely used or needed a flashlight. I also
didn't cook or hike at night... |
| Compass |
0.06 |
1 |
Silva brand |
|
| Ground cloth |
0.28 |
4.5 |
Made from Tyvek |
One 7'x 3' sheet lasted the whole trip |
| Ditty bags |
0.06 |
1 |
Homemade |
|
| Sun screen |
0.06 |
1 |
Small bottle |
|
| Mosquito repellent |
0.06 |
1 |
Small bottle |
Any product with DEET works but the diluted
stuff in a cream base is a little nicer to wear. |
| Camera and spare roll film |
0.38 |
6 |
0Iympus stylus epic |
I shot slides and the camera performed reasonably
well. I had much better results with Ektachrome film than
with Kodachrome film. |
| Sandals |
0.50 |
8 |
Spare footwear for camp |
These were nice to have but I lost mine along
the way and found that I didn't really need them. |
| Towel |
0.09 |
1.5 |
Packtowel |
I used it mostly for sleeping--so that I didn't
drool on my $$leeping bag. |
| Bandana |
0.06 |
1 |
|
Didn't use except to wash my feet. |
| Ice axe (Sierras only) |
0.60 |
10 |
|
It saved my life in the Sierra once or twice |
| Umbrella (WA only) |
0.50 |
8 |
|
Didn't use--a poncho is more useful |
| Water sandals (Sierras only) |
0.63 |
10 |
Nike water shoes |
I used them for river crossings but my shoes
were usually wet anyway--don't really need them. |
| Food & water (avg) |
15.00 |
240 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
30.86
|
494
|
|
|
