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Rick McCharles

After being drenched several days in series on the John Muir Trail by the remnants of Hurricane Dean, I finally got a chance to dry out my gear in the hot morning sun.

It gave me a chance to take photos of my current gear set. This is about as light as I have ever hiked on a multi-day trip. I used everything I carried on big trips in the Yukon and the JMT.

Sleeping system: MSR Hubba tent, down sleeping bag, silk sleeping bag liner, 3/4 length therm-a-rest, dry bag stuff sack “pillow”, headlamp.

Tent and sleeping bag are stored in a kayak dry bag with purge valve. (Heavy, but worth it, I think.)

Outdoor clothes: unlined nylon pants, wicking t-shirt, ultra lightweight wind jacket, Gortex jacket, long brim baseball cap.

Tent and camp clothes: fleece pants, shirt and “touque” (hat), down vest, tent socks.

Shoes and socks. I, as usual, took only 1 pair of shoes and 1 pair of outdoor socks. Ultimately this turned out to be a mistake. Due to the unusual, unexpected amount of rain I eventually got blisters. (Very rare for me.)

Hydration: Nalgene water bottle, extra soft drink water bottle, MSR water filter. (I would use chemicals next time.)

Food: Large bear vault, spoon, JetBoil stove, extra fuel canister. (Started with 7 days grub.)

Navigation / Entertainment: Topo maps, hiking guidebook, novel, iPod Nano (books on MP3), All-in-one Map Tool. I know, this is VERY HEAVY and could be reduced.

Defecation: Toilet paper, lighter, disinfectant gel, Camp Suds, paper soap.

Personal items in hip pack: Cash, Swiss Army Knife, sun screen, note pad, pen, Tylenol, mini-toothpaste, mini-toothbrush, mobile phone, etc. Camera and extra batteries.

Finally, and importantly, bandanas and a Buff. Multi-purpose.

Everything fits into my lightweight Virga backpack by Granite Gear.

I will make very few changes for my next long hike. This works for me.

Compare this with Caroline’s gear list for the PCT: As The Crow Flies blog.

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