BACKPACKER LONG TRAILS

Finally! We’re finally digging into that topic that everyone seems to obsess over: gear. It’s really easy to get fanatical about gear and start believing that just because you don’t have all the fanciest new equipment, it means you don’t have what it takes to complete a hike. But, in truth, gear is less important than you think. When I hiked my first thru-hike of the Tahoe Rim Trail, I used only gear I’d found at the REI garage sale a few months before. I was not picky and was just looking for a good deal. I ended up with a zero-degree, 5-pound, synthetic sleeping bag for a July-August hike in California. It took up most of the room in my pack, and I sweated through every night. Even though I wasn’t happy with my gear, I successfully completed that hike. And by the time I planned my next hike, I knew what I wanted to replace.

No matter what you start with, once you get on the trail, you will meet a lot of people who will tell you that you’re carrying the wrong stuff. They’ll say your stuff is too heavy or too light. But the most important thing is making smart gear decisions you can feel confident in. There is no one right answer with gear. It’s really personal. I learned that for me (and for most people) a zero-degree bag for a July hike in California is only the right gear choice for those who enjoy sweat-fests. The more you hike, the more your system will evolve to suit you, your needs, and the climate and terrain.

I’m not going to tell you exactly what to buy. But I will help you avoid wasting a lot of money on gear you don’t like or gear that causes you pain or discomfort. Even experienced hikers are constantly updating their gear lists, saving up for updated versions of their gear, or replacing worn-out gear. Whether you’re putting together a kit using budget, mid-grade, or premium items, this chapter will give you key tips and tricks for navigating the rabbit hole.

The best gear is what works for you, not what the reviews say or what a celebrity hiker endorses. In addition, what works for you on one trail and in one climate may not work for you elsewhere. But don’t despair. There are some basic gear rules and principles that can help you make wise choices. It all starts with asking yourself the following key questions.

Whatever gear you choose for a particular trip should make you the most comfortable for what you are doing the majority of the time. If most days you plan to hang out in camp, hike a few miles, set up camp, and hang out some more, you are emphasizing camping over hiking. If you plan to spend most of the day actively moving, then quickly set up camp and go to sleep, you are emphasizing hiking over camping. Reflecting back on the “why” of your hike (see the “Introduction”) can help clarify this for you. Is relaxing in camp important to you? Or pushing your body to go far every day?

Choose the gear that will keep you comfortable for this trip. If you are mostly camping, having a big, comfy camp chair is important—even if hiking with it will be annoying because it is heavy. If you are mostly hiking, having light gear is important—even if you are a bit cold when you aren’t moving and not in your sleeping bag.

Most thru-hikers veer more toward the hiking side of the spectrum, so they don’t carry extra clothes, for example. They stay warm by either moving or being in their sleeping bag. That also means that their packs and shoes are important pieces of gear to get right.

Of course you can’t predict everything, but trying to be prepared for literally any condition at any time is a good way to make sure your pack is totally unwieldy. Instead, do your best to research likely weather and terrain for your trip, and plan accordingly.

• What are typical high and low temperatures that time of year and at that elevation?

• How much snowpack do you anticipate and what is typically the quality of the snow?

Gear is really all about trade-offs and balances. If something weighs less, it probably costs more. If it’s more durable, it’s probably bulkier or heavier. What’s your most important priority? Is it getting the cheapest kit you can, like I did for my Tahoe Rim Trail hike? You might end up with extra weight and bulk, as I did, but that was the trade-off I made, and it worked okay. Is it having the absolute lightest kit? It’s likely to be pricey and potentially not super durable, depending on the exact products you choose. These days I tend to prioritize having the lightest kit I can over having the most comfortable kit, but sometimes I’ll choose something heavier if it’s more versatile or more durable.

An important note: You can often trade weight (or pricey gear) for skills. For example, many campers like a fully enclosed double-walled tent with bathtub floor and its own set of poles. Weight-conscious hikers instead may opt for a cheap tarp that can be set up with hiking poles and a well-thought out camp location. Both the double-walled tent and the tarp set up in the right camp spot will protect you from the elements. The big difference is the price, durability, and knowledge required. A tarp requires knowing how to set it up in different configurations, knots to keep the tarp in place, and the experience to discern a protected campsite from a future puddle. The more you know, the lighter and sometimes the cheaper the gear you can succeed with. You gain skills with practice. Practice at home before you go and practice on overnight trips with hikers more experienced than you.

Starting from scratch is one thing, but if you’ve been backpacking or otherwise recreating outdoors for a while, it’s possible that some of the gear you already have will work just fine for a thru-hike. Make sure to take stock of what’s already available to you so you can prioritize what’s most important to buy or replace. A cool tool for keeping track is weighmygear.com.

I’m a big proponent of backpacking with ultralight gear—and here’s why. Over the years, I’ve found that my body is happiest when my pack is the lightest. Even when a good pack bears a heavy weight well, you’re still getting that impact in your feet, knees, and joints. Foot, knee, and joint issues are among the most common problems that take people off the trail. Ultralight gear really makes it possible for older people to get back on the trail, and it makes it easier to travel farther and faster—away from the crowds and deeper into the backcountry. In an emergency, with an ultralight pack, you can move more quickly towards help or more graciously offer to take on an injured partner’s pack weight. Whether you already own most of your gear or are building your kit from scratch, here are a few tips inspired by ultralight gear guru Ray Jardine on how to lighten any pack for a thru-hike.

HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE

THE CASE FOR GOING LIGHT

Don’t just take my word for it. Here’s my friend Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa on why a light pack is worth it.

In 1996 I set forth on my first thru-hike: the Appalachian Trail. I started off from Amicalola State Park with a Dana Designs backpack so big that it didn’t just have one external frame to support it, but two. The pack weighed a whopping 85 pounds. It was a chore to get on and off, let alone hike under. Along the hike, I figured out things to change and what I could live without. I finished the AT with a pack weight around 35 pounds. That Christmas, I got a copy of Ray Jardine’s classic PCT Hiker’s Handbook, and that was the beginning of my ultralight (UL) ways. Over the next two years, I worked as a ridge runner—kind of like a ranger—for the Appalachian Trail Conference (later renamed the Appalachian Trail Conservancy). It was then that I experimented with lightening up by forgoing my tent for a tarp and trading out gear for multiuse items. By the end of the second summer, I had my pack base weight down to 15 pounds, which in 1998 was a pretty big feat. Fast forward twenty years. Now I’m a working stiff who still gets out a few weekends per month and gets to hike one major 200- to 300-mile trip per year. Ultralighting makes my weekends and vacations doable. By carrying an 8-pound pack of UL gear, I can go from cubicle to trail and push 25- to 30-mile days without any issue. Having a light pack makes the transition to trail easy, as I’m not concerned about the weight on my back as I labor uphill. Ultralight gear also eases the strain on my joints, like my knees and shoulder, both of which suffer from a lifetime of sports and injuries. I also find that, because of my light pack, I’m able to push farther each day than I thought possible. And I can lift my head up and enjoy the scenery all day long instead of looking at my feet, hunched over from a heavy pack. I cannot encourage people enough to lighten their load so that they, too, can walk comfortably among nature.

—Whitney “Allgood” LaRuffa

□ Tip 1: Think about versatility. Your gear should function as a system. Ideally, each item works with the other items so that no matter what the conditions, you can be relatively safe and comfortable. Take clothing, for example. I normally wear a (non-cotton) T-shirt when I hike. If the wind picks up or the sun gets intense, I add a wind shirt. If it gets very cold, I put on my insulating layer. Because I’m already wearing a wind shirt under it, my insulating later doesn’t need to be very heavy.

My rain gear system works the same way. If it’s a light, warm rain, I just use my umbrella. An umbrella is arguably the most breathable piece of rain gear ever (plus I can also use it to block the sun). If it starts raining harder or gets colder, I add my wind shirt. If it starts raining even harder, I add my rain jacket. This system allows me to customize how much gear I need depending on the conditions. It also allows me to have the most breathable rain system at the start, and then trade off breathability for better coverage as conditions worsen.

Another way to think about this idea of versatility is to find multiple uses for one piece of gear. I use my cookpot as a mug, cup for cold drinks, bowl, plate—and cookpot. A bandana can be used as a towel or washcloth, to keep sun off your neck, as a pre-filter for water, and as a safety signal. A little creativity can go a long way to lightening your load.

□ Tip 2: Trade weight for skills. I mentioned this already, but it bears repeating. A big part of a lightweight gear system includes bulking up on your backcountry skills. You can get away with having a lighter sleeping bag if you know that you’re going to be wearing lots of clothes to bed every night and you’re not afraid of being a little chilly. You can carry a tarp if you know how to pick a camp spot sheltered from the elements (more on picking sites in chapter 7). Many outdoors courses teach you to how to fashion splints or other pieces of medical gear from gear you carry in your pack or find along the trail (rather than carrying specific medical supplies). In his PCT Handbook, ultralight guru Ray Jardine discusses many tricks and skills ultralight hikers use to stretch the multiple uses of the gear.

□ Tip 3: Modify to make it work for you. Jardine’s book inspired me to experiment with gear modification—chopping off unnecessary straps, toggles, doodads, and tassels—to make gear lighter. Don’t be afraid to modify gear to make it fit you better. But remember that anything you do modify can’t be returned, and most things you cut off can’t be sewn back on. I accidentally chopped an ice axe loop off a pack once, which made that pack unusable in high mountain sections.

□ Tip 4: Get creative with trash. It sounds silly, but you can lighten your pack a lot by trading out heavy gear for garbage. Most thru-hikers use old Gatorade or Smartwater bottles as their water bottles. Trash compactor bags make great pack liners—and even rain gear in a pinch. Some of the lightest stoves out there can be made from old cat food or beer cans.

□ Tip 5: Don’t bring everything all the time. Just because it will be cold in the Sierra doesn’t mean you have to start the PCT with your super-warm sleeping bag. You probably will not need to carry your ice axe in the desert. (I know many people who have, and the workers at the post office 100 miles from the Mexican border gets a kick out of making fun of hikers for it.)

You don’t need 4 pounds of sunscreen to last you from Georgia to Maine. For consumables like sunscreen, pack small amounts into 1-ounce bottles that you mail to yourself in your resupplies or bounce box. Or buy travel sizes along the way as needed. The same goes for fuel, bug spray, or even olive oil.

If I already own an item I know I will want for a certain section (like a pair of snowshoes in the San Juans of Colorado), I tell my resupply person to send it up the trail, perhaps to the trail town right before the section where I will need the gear. Likewise, PCT hikers send their bear canister, ice axes, and warm clothes to Kennedy Meadows, the last town before you enter the Sierra.

Many long trails have gear stores along the way that cater to long-distance hikers, including Mountain Crossings at Neels Gap (about 30 miles into the AT) or Laguna Mountain Sports and Supply (42 miles into the PCT). You can often find replacement gear for items that have worn out or gear that is better suited to the local conditions and regulations.

If I don’t own the item already, I either buy it locally at a gear store or I find it online and have it sent to a resupply spot about two weeks ahead (so I won’t get to the resupply town before my gear). Amazon Prime or V.I.P. Zappos items can be shipped in two days (or slightly longer to rural trail towns). Remember: If you order gear on the Internet, UPS and FedEx items cannot be sent General Delivery. The post office won’t hold items sent by other carriers.

HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE

HOW I LIGHTENED MY PACK

Over time most thru-hikers learn how to do more with less. For Johnny Carr, a little peer pressure didn’t hurt either.

I successfully thru-hiked the PCT in 2014 and hiked most of the CDT in 2015, leaving only the last 800 miles to look forward to in another year. There is a lot of light gear out there, but if it all ends up in your pack, it will weigh you down. It is just as important to know what to leave out of your pack as it is to choose the correct gear. When you just start out backpacking, you can’t typically get away with minimal-style backcountry travel—but experienced hikers can. When you start, you will definitely start heavier. As your experience builds, your pack weight can be lessened comfortably. My pack weight got lighter all the way from the Mexican border to the Sierras on the PCT by swapping out gear I had for lighter versions or simply sending unneeded gear home and tossing out what I didn’t need when I got to town. I thought I was doing a pretty good job until I met Charlie Day hiker. This guy carries a ridiculously small pack and gets by because of his experience in the backcountry. We shared a hotel room in a trail town, and he made me empty everything out of my pack and justify why I had it—in a room full of other hikers. It made it very easy for me to get rid of weight—with some help from my friends. I ended up sending home another 2.5 pounds of gear that afternoon.

—Johnny “Bigfoot” Carr

When I finally get my new gear, I send my old gear home using insurance and tracking.

Don’t be afraid to change your gear with the conditions. Even if you love a piece of gear, it’s quite possible that it may not work as well when the weather changes or you enter new ecosystems on your hike.

□ Tip 6: Be ruthless about what’s in your pack. Weigh all your gear and think really hard about what you will use on the trail. Most people bring too much clothing and food—stuff that stays at the bottom of their pack for the whole trip. Honestly, most thru-hikers wear the same shirt and same pants every day. If they want to look nice in town, they wear their sleep clothes.

And remember, practice makes lighter. Take your pack on a trip and weigh it right before you leave the car at the trailhead—that way, you won’t try to sneak in a few last-minute items from your glovebox. Each time you go out, strive to get your pack a little bit lighter. Practice with an experienced hiker who you know has a lighter pack than you (and uses that light pack safely and comfortably). He or she may know tips and tricks to help you lighten your load.

If the manufacturer of your gear or the retailer has a generous return or guarantee policy, it can be tempting to use this benefit as a way to save money. But if you put in a fair amount of miles on your gear and have really worn it in, please do not call the company asking for a replacement unless their guarantee covers normal wear (very few companies do). Some thru-hikers have called shoe companies, for example, after putting in 1,000 miles on a single pair of trail running shoes that should only have a life of 300 to 500 miles. The end result is that thru-hikers look bad, and it’s harder for those who really need replacements for faulty gear to get what they need. Be thoughtful about when you’ll truly need to replace gear and work that into your budget.

This means that if you are going on a 2,000-plus-mile hike, you should expect to need at least four pairs of shoes, many pairs of socks, two pairs of shorts, two shirts, one pack, one sleeping bag, and one shelter. Of course, you can often extend the life of your gear by keeping it clean and doing all you can to minimize abrasion or punctures (more info on that later in this chapter), and you can save money by opting to repair instead of replace gear when possible. But don’t expect gear companies or stores to foot the bill when you’ve used a piece of gear beyond its natural lifespan.

The most important gear decisions you will make are choosing your heaviest and most expensive items: sleeping bag, shelter, pack, and footwear. Read gear reviews, ask experienced thru-hikers, and try to borrow any item you’re considering before committing. Consider shopping somewhere with a generous return policy, so if you discover after one test trip that you made a mistake, you aren’t stuck with something that’s not going to work for you. Remember that a test trip is the best way to know before you go.

If you invest in just one high-quality item, let it be your sleeping bag or sleeping quilt. You will spend at least 8 hours a day in it, and your bag is a safety device as your last line of defense against hypothermia. This is not a spot to scrimp. A pricier bag can last decades and is usually lighter, which allows for less bulk so it compresses better. It oftentimes has better design features (like draft tubes), which keep you warmer, and has better loft, which also keeps you warmer.

Companies that make pricier bags tend to have excellent customer service, so if anything ever were to happen to your bag (e.g., holes, lost feathers, needs re-lofting), they are usually willing to help.

On the last day of my PCT thru-hike, I woke to feathers everywhere. There was a huge hole in my sleeping bag’s footbox. (I blame a marmot.) I duct taped it up, finished the trail, washed the bag, and sent it to Western Mountaineering. They replaced the footbox panel and added new feathers. The footbox looked brand new, and they only charged me $30 and shipping.

Believe it or not, there is such a thing as a too-warm sleeping bag. A zero-degree bag may keep you warm—but usually is too much for three-season hiking. Why?

• Your body will sweat trying to cool you off, giving you the sensation that you’re actually too cold in your bag.

• It’s heavier than a 20-degree bag (a more reasonable temperature rating for three-season hiking).

Instead, to stay warm, wear socks and a hat to bed, along with clean sleep clothes. Bathe or wipe salt off your body before going to bed, as salt crystals produce a cooling sensation on your skin, making you feel colder. Make sure you eat enough calories and go to bed warm in the first place (try moving around and warming up if you’re not). Use your sleeping bag in conjunction with a sleeping bag liner or bivy, and use a good sleeping pad. Finally, use a tent or other shelter, especially if it’s windy.

Bags come in different sizes (short/women’s, regular, and long), and it’s worth it to get a bag sized right for you. It’s obvious that one that’s too small won’t work, but a too-big bag is also problematic: At night, you’ll have extra space to warm up, meaning it will feel colder, and during the day, you’ll carry useless extra weight. As a general rule, buy the snuggest bag that doesn’t make you feel claustrophobic. Don’t forget to leave room for your feet—especially if they are big. You don’t want your feet pressing against the end of the footbox, as that will compress the insulation there, which can make your feet cold.

Sleeping pads aren’t just about getting a comfy night’s rest. Their main function is insulating you from the cold ground. R-value is a term used to measure the insulating factor of a sleeping pad. The higher the R-value, the warmer the pad. For three-season camping, I recommend a pad with an R-value of at least 2, higher if you tend to get cold at night. Most thru-hikers like an R-value of 2 to 3.5. Over a thru-hike, the R-value of a foam pad will decrease. Inflatable pads’ R-value will generally stay the same over time, but inflatable pads can get holes. If you carry one, be sure you also have a patch system and know how to repair your pad, and always have at least a groundcloth between your pad and the ground to protect it from spiky plants. Some hikers save weight by using a torso- or three-quarter-length pad instead of a full pad, or by trimming their sleeping pad to the outline of their body. Many hikers with shorter pads use their empty pack as the last quarter of their sleeping pad. While ⅜-inch torso pads may save you weight, find a different pad if you can’t sleep more than 5 hours.

You don’t need the most expensive shelter, but you should get a nice one. After all, it will be your home for months. If you think about it that way, even a $600 tent used over six months comes out to just $100 a month. You can’t find that kind of rent pricing anywhere. Even if you’re hiking a trail that has permanent shelters every 10 miles (the AT) or hiking through the desert of Southern California, you will need a shelter. Storms can happen anywhere, any time of year. And all it takes is one Boy Scout troop to fill up the trail shelter for the night. Tents and other portable shelters aren’t just for rain protection, but also for wind protection and to generate a cell of warmth.

You’ll live in your shelter for a few months. Make your palace as nice as possible. When shopping around for shelters, ask yourself:

Is there room to protect me and my stuff? A vestibule can be used to protect some items as well.

Will I rub against the walls of the shelter if I move around too much? Condensation collects on the side walls of a shelter and can get you wet. If you choose a smaller shelter where this is likely, think about getting a protective bivy for your sleeping bag to prevent it from getting wet.

Will I want to sit up in my shelter? Or can I live without that feature? Check out the headroom of your tent.

The shelter you get depends on your skills at campsite selection. A heavier tent can be set up just about anywhere and will be relatively comfortable. An ultralight tarp will not be comfortable in all conditions, but can be very comfortable if set up in protected areas. If you are willing to invest some time each night finding a protected campsite, you can get away with having a lighter shelter. (Learn more about picking a good campsite in chapter 7.) If you’re new to camping and backpacking, you’re more likely to do better with a more substantial option.

The footprint—how much ground space—your shelter needs will dictate the type of places you camp. Shelters with small footprints can fit into smaller places. This gives you more options when camping spots are limited—or if you are hiking with many other hikers with tents. Most thru-hikers go with shelters that require staking down. These tend to be lighter and provide more flexibility to pitch your shelter in multiple ways (e.g., storm mode versus lots of ventilation). However, they can be more difficult to set up than free standing shelters in certain areas with rocky soil or slab rock.

Many backpacking tents have built-in bug protection, but not all ultralight thru-hiking shelters do. Most thru-hikers don’t want to carry bug netting for their shelter unless they really need to (after all, it’s extra weight). Some opt to carry head nets or bivys with bug protection. Others use bug net inserts that fit inside the tent and only carry the inserts during the buggiest sections of trail. That said, if you really don’t like bugs (or scorpions or snakes), you may enjoy a permanent bug net.

Zippers are often failure points—especially on a thru-hike where they are being used often and dirt can easily get lodged in the grooves of the teeth. This causes the teeth to stretch enough that they no longer lock together. Beefier zippers weigh more, but are less prone to failure. Some shelters don’t use zippers—that’s one less thing that can fail. To keep costs down, many ultralight companies may not seam-seal their shelters—a process that prevents water from leaking through the holes in the stitching used to sew the tent together. Instead, you’re expected to do this yourself. Make sure you do this at home before you go, if needed.

HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE

HAMMOCK SHELTERS

My friend, William “Pi” Murphy, uses a hammock as his shelter.

I’ve hiked over 3,000 miles on the AT and PCT with my preferred shelter: a hammock. I’ve also hiked several thousand miles as a ground dweller. Perhaps the biggest reason I prefer a hammock is the quality of the sleep. Once I adjusted to a hammock over the first few nights, it was very comfortable and gave me a deep and restful sleep. I’ve heard some people never adjust to the gentle sway, but I find it very peaceful. With my hammock, I’m not packing up a muddy or pine-tarred sticky tent. My shelter goes up and comes down cleanly. There’s almost no impact or trace left of my campsite. Mice and ants are not issues—they’re below you. I often have a wider selection of campsites with the hammock. Uneven ground and even hillsides are sound. Wet ground is fine.

Because hammocks are the less used option, there’s less competition for prime sites with great views. I’ve camped on ridgelines and overlooks, over steep and rocky ground, above thorn bushes and once even above a tiny stream. Both broader site availability and faster setup and takedown help me spend less time making and breaking camp when I use my hammock. A hammock also seems to be more stealthy when you want to camp unnoticed. Finally, a hammock makes an outstanding chair as well as a bed, and few ground dwelling systems include a comparable chair.

A hammock does bring some additional challenges. There’s a learning curve, which includes understanding the knots or other hanging mechanisms. It’s important to avoid dangerous camp situations, from dead trees and precarious dead branches (aka widowmakers) to improper hang angles. Sometimes there is a lack of trees, such as in the desert or when hiking above treeline. To arrange arriving in a forested area to camp may require modifications to your hiking location or route. Staying warm in a hammock is half about staying warm on top and half about staying warm on the bottom. With a ground-based camp system, staying warm on the bottom is less of an issue in the summer. A hammock may be a slightly heavier system than a ground-based system, but it is close enough that one must consider all the components with care for either system to notice the difference at all. Many ground systems—even ultralight ones—are heavier than a well-chosen hammock setup. Overall, the combination of wider campsite selections and a better night’s rest make hammocks a key component to my preferred shelter system.

—William “Pi” Murphy

Wayne Gregory, founder of Gregory Backpacks and one of the fathers of backpacking, was among the first to say that you “wear”—not “carry”—a backpack. Your pack needs to fit as well as a piece of clothing. Actually, it needs to fit better than your clothes. At the end of a long hike, most thru-hikers feel as if their pack has become a part of them—another body part. In fact, I feel pretty naked without one on. When I don’t have a pack on, I get “phantom pack syndrome”—the sensation that I’m missing a body part. So investing in a good pack is really worthwhile.

Buy all your other gear first and your pack last. That way, you won’t accidentally get a pack too small to fit your stuff, or one way too big and bulky. No matter what the capacity of your pack, you will fill it. So it’s better to go with a smaller-capacity pack for a thru-hike so you won’t be tempted to fill it with unnecessary stuff. But remember that you will need room for food. Most thru-hikers use packs between 50 and 70 liters (this includes capacity in side and mesh pockets). If part of your trail goes through an area that requires bear canisters, make sure that your pack can fit the bear canister you intend to use or that you will send yourself a pack that can.

Most backpack companies tell you what the expected weight load should be. This will differ depending on whether your pack is frameless, internally framed, or externally framed. If you overload your pack, you could blow the stitching. There’s little that sucks more than being 80 miles from your next resupply town with a one-strapped backpack—I’ve seen it. Again, weigh all your gear and add whatever you think your food and water on a normal carry will be. If it is below the maximum carry limit on the pack, you’re good to go.

You want your pack to carry all your gear comfortably, but you also want to be able to get to that gear easily. Nice features to have in a pack include hipbelt pockets for storing snacks or a camera where you can reach them as you hike, one or more mesh stuff-it pockets on the outside, and easy access to water bottles with the pack on (less key if you use a hydration bladder).

Several hikers I know opt to use packs with fewer access points (such as hipbelt pockets) and use a fanny pack instead. Look for a pack with a removable hipbelt if you expect to lose weight on your trip. You’ll have to buy a new hipbelt later, but it’s less expensive than getting a brand-new pack.

The comfort of any pack—especially ultralight models—depends strongly on your ability to load it well. Many experienced backpackers (even experienced thru-hikers) pack their packs poorly (sometimes even myself included). On a shorter hike and when you carry lighter gear, you can get away with a lumpy pack. But on a long hike, a pack that does not distribute weight well—especially a heavily loaded pack—can lead to injuries and pain.

I suggest contacting the manufacturer of your pack to see if they have developed a video or instructions on how they suggest packing your pack. Here are the steps I use to pack my frameless backpack, based on tips from my friend Cam “Swami” Honan from thehikinglife.com:

Fold your foam sleeping pad and insert it into the sleeve meant to hold the sleeping pad in place as a frame. Again, this is only for frameless packs. If your pack has no sleeve, put the folded pad inside the pack against your back. Put in the pack liner: Open up the pack and add a trash compactor bag to use as a waterproof liner. I prefer this system over a pack cover because it is less likely to leak.

Add stuff you won’t use during the day to the bottom, like your shelter or camping equipment. Heaviest items should be in the mid to upper back areas to help keep your center of gravity towards the middle and aid in stability (although for many thru-hikers, water and food are heavier than their shelter). Note that women have lower centers of gravity than men.

If you are carrying a hydration bladder for water, insert it into your pack’s sleeve, or otherwise aim to get it toward the middle of the pack near your back. The goal is to have the heaviest stuff close to your back area around the mid to upper area of your back, near your center of gravity, so that the weight is less likely to throw you off balance.

Add your food bag (likely your weightest item besides water) on top toward the middle (remember to take out enough snacks for the day).

Fill in the dead space in your pack by stuffing your sleeping bag—not in a stuff sack—into the nooks and crannies between the stuff already in your pack. It sounds crazy letting your sleeping bag be free in your backpack, but this helps its longevity by preventing compression of the down filling. It also makes a noticeable difference in equalizing the weight of the pack so you feel more stable carrying it. You can always put it in a waterproof stuff sack when the weather changes.

Top off your pack with stuff you will likely use during the day, such as snacks, extra layers, or rain gear. Twist the pack liner or fold it redundantly to prevent water from getting in should it rain.

Put any stuff that really needs to be accessible—like your most recent map, phone/camera, lip balm, sunscreen, or bug spray—into mesh side pockets or hipbelt pockets. Place water bottles into side pockets.

Avoid attaching anything with carabiners or webbing (with the exception of a sleeping pad, an ice axe, or snow shoes). Dangling parcels can throw off your balance and get caught (and subsequently lost) in vegetation. If it doesn’t fit in the pack, you probably don’t need it anyway. And it just looks sloppy.

During your hike, you will be on your feet for most of the day. Shoes that fit you well thus become extremely important. Up your chances of finding a good shoe by shopping at a dedicated outdoor store or a store that deals with trail running. So what do you look for in a shoe? A trail-appropriate shoe will have tread with adequate traction, be constructed of good materials with quality stitching, have very good flex, and fit well. Most thru-hikers use trail runners for three-season conditions. Trail runners work well if you have a lighter pack. If your pack is heavier, you will need extra support for your feet, so stick with boots. Start by sizing up—many thru-hikers enjoy wearing their shoes loosely. Alternatively, find shoes with a wide toe box, like my personal favorite (and sponsor) Altra. Remember, your feet will swell and expand over the course of the hike. If you are buying all the shoes you need for the trip ahead of time (and you are headed on a 2,000-plus-mile hike), make sure to get some shoes that are one to two sizes bigger for the end of your trip.

While buying shoes, also think about getting replacement insoles. The factory insoles are usually cardboard-thin, a problem because such thin insoles do not offer much support and cushioning versus aftermarket insoles. The lack of cushioning and support in factory insoles may lead to sore knees, aching arches, and possibly even plantar fasciitis.

Thru-hikers generally do not go with waterproof shoes for three-season hiking, opting instead for shoes that dry quickly and breathe better. The reason? Most thru-hikers will go through fords (river crossings) and puddles without taking off their shoes, so having quick-drying shoes is important for comfort and also to minimize the chances of blisters or trench foot forming. Mesh, non-waterproof shoes breathe better and keep your feet from overheating or sweating too much in hotter, desert climates, reducing your chances of blisters. The one exception is for snowy sections of trail. Waterproof shoes tend to keep your feet warmer in sub-40-degree conditions. Your feet may sweat a lot and get swampy, but at least they won’t go numb from cold as easily.

As of publication (according to my unscientific sampling), the most popular shoes among thru-hikers on the PCT and CDT are the Altra Lone Peak or Olympus models, Brooks Cascadia, Salomon Speedcross or X-Ultra, or La Sportiva Bushido. With minimalist, barefoot, or zero-drop shoes like the Altras, be sure to train in the shoes before starting your thru-hike and to ramp up your mileage in the shoes slowly. These shoes were designed to use different muscles in your feet than “traditional” shoes, so follow the various brands’ instructions on how to transition before you go and train in your shoes before you go.

HIKE YOUR OWN HIKE

MY OWN GEAR JOURNEY

Dean Krakel, the 63-year-old photojournalist, shares some of the lessons he learned gearing up for his first thru-hike on the Colorado Trail.

When I’d been off the trail a few days, I went to an outdoor shop to replace the trail running shoes that I’d been wearing on the Colorado Trail (Durango to Denver). When the clerk heard I wanted something to hike in, he pulled down this pair of heavy boots and said, “This is what I’m going to wear on the CT when I hike it next year.” I said, “Well, I just got off the trail, and I did it in these tennis shoes.” We talked about equipment a little bit, but his mind was pretty set, and I couldn’t say much. We’ve all got to hike our own hike, but he reminded me a little bit of myself when I decided to hike the CT. I bought gear first and then researched it, which is exactly backwards. There are so many blogs and so many people to talk to. I could have settled on my gear in a final way before the trip. Once I got the gear, my needs changed, and I found myself wanting something lighter or better or stronger or more versatile—which is how I ended up with three sleeping bags, three backpacks, three headlamps, two sets of hiking poles, three sets of fleece jackets, two down sweaters, and an ice axe. Gear really comes down to defining the difference between what you want and what you really need. I bought three fleece jackets, but I didn’t wear them on the trip. I ended up with a lot of extra gear, but that’s cool with me. I like gear.

—Dean “Ghost” Krakel

Most thru-hikers get 300 to 500 miles out of a pair of shoes, depending on the trail conditions, moisture, pack and hiker weight, and gait of the hiker. Careful hikers can get 700–1000 miles on one pair.

While your pack, shelter, sleeping bag, and shoes are the most important items to research and invest in, you’ll also make decisions about the rest of the items in your kit. Some of these items—like stoves or trekking poles—you could live without and are subject to personal preference. Other items—like extra clothes—fall under the Ten Essentials. Your decision includes how much clothing to bring, what specific items (e.g., a wind shirt, fleece, both, or none), and what models. Over the years, I’ve tried going with and without some of these items and have used all sorts of different models of each item. Here’s my best thru-hiker-specific advice on what to consider for those other essentials.

• Navigational tools: map and compass, databook, guidebook, phone navigation app, GPS

• Sun protection: sunglasses, sunscreen, lip balm, hat, sun protective clothing

Your biggest decision in picking a stove is what type of fuel to use. While most backpackers only seriously consider isobutane canisters or liquid white gas, the sheer length of a big thru-hike means that other fuel options start to look appealing due to efficiency considerations and ease of acquiring them. Your trail-specific guidebook should have information about fuel availability in your resupply towns.

Ten Essentials

The term Ten Essentials was first coined in 1974 in Freedom of the Hills, a classic mountaineers' and outdoorsperson’s handbook. It’s changed a lot today, and ultralight guru Ray Jardine says in Beyond Backpacking that opting not to take them all can be an acceptable risk fast and light hikers may take. To update the list, many outdoor organizations instead discuss the Ten Essential Groups, which allows adapting to location, climate, season, and geography. The following text is a kind of hybrid that fits well for thru-hikers. While not all thru-hikers carry every item listed here, almost all thru-hikers carry at least one item from each group.

• Pros: Stoves can be very light and cheap (DIY from a soda can). Fuel is generally easy to find, even at gas stations and internationally.

• Cons: Fuel is less powerful so boiling times are slower. DIY stoves are harder to control and prohibited in some areas due to fire hazard.

• Pros: Stoves tend to be very easy to use, powerful, and have good flame control.

• Cons: Heavy and bulky, especially because you have to carry empty canisters and decide what to do about half-empty ones. Generally poor performance in subfreezing weather. Canisters are only available from specialized outdoor shops and slow to mail (they must be declared and shipped ground).

• Pros: Very efficient over the long term. Easier to mail than other fuels. Never spills in your pack. Can be used even if you lose your stove. Burns even when wet.

• Cons: Patience required, as fuel is less powerful. Can smell like dead fish. Difficult to find at local gear stores.

• Pros: Fuel is typically free and plentiful, no need to carry it with you. Using a stove that burns wood is more efficient than cooking over a wood fire. Can provide a form of entertainment on long nights.

• Cons: Fuel can be unreliable or wet, depending on your terrain. Takes constant attention. May be against certain Forest Service fire regulations. Can be messy.

• Pros: Powerful. Works well in cold weather. Can be easier to find than canister fuel.

When buying stoves, you must also consider speed. Stoves vary widely in cook times depending on the fuel used and the design. Once you start using a faster stove, though, it will be hard to go back to a slower stove. Slower stoves tend to be lighter. Faster stoves tend to be heavier. Think about permits and regulations. Some Forest Service ranger districts restrict certain types of stoves, and some ranger districts require a fire permit in order to use any kind of stove. Check local regulations before you go.

Whatever stove you choose, make sure to practice with it at home before you go, so you’re comfortable lighting it, cooking on it, protecting it from the wind, and performing any kind of field maintenance that might be required.

With stoves, it is very important that you read the directions thoroughly before use. This is especially true for do-it-yourself stoves and all alcohol stoves. Every year, experienced thru-hikers burn themselves, destroy their gear, and sometimes even start forest fires from incorrect stove use. If you use an alcohol stove, never move or add more alcohol to a stove that is still burning. No matter what stove you use, set it up away from anything flammable or move flammable materials away. Keep extra water on hand to put out a fire if you’ve started one. Remember stop, drop, and roll if you catch yourself on fire.

Whatever stove you bring, remember to include a pot stand and windscreen (built into some stoves). Some ultralight hikers use their tent stakes as a pot stand. Other thru-hikers (myself included) use a combination windscreen/pot stand called a Caldera Cone. Other thru-hikers use aluminum or titanium foil as a windscreen. Find what works for you, your budget, and your weight restrictions, and remember always to set your stove up out of the wind.

You’ll drink water from all kinds of sources along your hike, and it’s a wise idea to treat said water to kill any microorganisms that may be lurking there. Since these guys are microscopic, even clean-looking water can be suspect. I tend to a have a strong stomach, but many of my good hiker friends are especially susceptible to developing waterborne stomach issues on the trail. Waterborne illness are not only unpleasant (diarrhea and vomiting) but can also lead to severe dehydration, blood in urine, and hospitalization. Here are the main types of treatment options that thru-hikers should consider.

Most filters use microscopic pores (0.2 microns or less) to snag bacteria and protozoa while allowing water to flow through. They come in many shapes and sizes, including gravity filters (best for groups), squeeze filters (like the Sawyer Squeeze or MINI, my options of choice), and pump filters (not many thru-hikers use these, but they can be useful in desert areas where you may be filtering out of puddles or deep, hard-to-reach wells).

• Pros: Water drinkable right away, doesn’t leave a taste. Makes it easy to “camel” up and drink a lot at desert sources. Some filters can last for 100,000 gallons. Removes gunk, including the bacteria and protozoa cells.

• Cons: Requires maintenance, can be slower especially in silty conditions, most hollow-fiber filters become unusable if frozen.

One of the advantages of a pump filter is that it lets you suck water out of shallow pools or low-flowing sources. But most thru-hikers instead carry an extra cup or use their cookpot to scoop water where it may be difficult to fill a water bottle.

I used to be pretty paranoid about keeping that cup clean, but have since read from medical expert Buck Tilton that if contaminated water scoopers are exposed to the sun’s UV (ultraviolet) radiation as they dry, most waterborne germs are killed. If you let the cup dry and wipe off any excess dirt, you are probably safe from giardia.

• Cons: Takes 30 minutes for water to be drinkable, leaves a taste, takes 4 hours to kill cryptosporidium spores, requires replenishing (either sending to yourself or buying locally), your brand of choice may not be available at all outfitters or in all states

Several chemical options are available, including chlorine dioxide drops (like AquaMira) or tabs (like MSR Aqua Tabs) or iodine tabs (like Potable Aqua or Polar Pure). Some hikers use bleach. To do this, they use regular, unscented bleach in a small dropper and use two drops per liter to treat their water. Do not use color safe bleach, bleaches with added cleaners, or bleach past its expiration date. Iodine tends to be quite cheap whereas chlorine dioxide tends to be pretty pricey. Note: According to the World Health Organization, iodine builds up in your thyroid and isn’t a good choice to use regularly for longer than a few weeks at a time, especially for infants, children, and pregnant women, unless you include a post-disinfection iodine removal device, like activated carbon.

Waterborne Diseases and Illnesses

Although many water sources in the backcountry are safer than you may think, they can be sullied by pack animals, pets, wildlife, and the dirtiest culprit of all—humans. Other hikers with gross practices such as bathing in water sources, or even worse—going to the bathroom less than 200 feet from water—can ruin the water source for the next thirsty person. Below are a list of some waterborne diseases and illnesses. For more on avoiding illness and what to do if you think you've caught a bug, see chapter 9.

Cryptosporidium parvum (aka Crypto)

Ingesting this protozoa can lead to diarrhea, vomiting, and noticeable stomach issues. Hikers may develop illnesses as soon as two days after exposure. It can be resistant to chemical treatments, but because it’s usually 4–6 microns in size, most filters are effective, as are UV radiation and boiling.

Giardia lamblia

This protozoa can also lead to diarrhea, vomiting, and often sulfurous-smelling gas. Hikers typically develop symptoms ten days or more after infection. Its size range is bigger than Crypto—1–20 microns with cysts sized 1–10 microns. Most filters can catch most giardia, as can chemical treatments, boiling, and UV radiation.

Bacteria

Escherichia coli (aka E. coli) and salmonella are the most common bacterial illnesses that thru-hikers develop. While bacterial illnesses vary widely, filters, UV radiation, chemicals, and boiling should kill the bad guys. These illnesses are related more to eating bad food in town than to bad water.

Viruses

On the trail, norovirus is the most common virus hikers get sick from. It also has symptoms of diarrhea and stomach pain. Viruses are very small—0.04–0.1 microns—meaning that most filters won’t catch them. UV radiation, boiling, and chemicals will kill them, but norovirus is most commonly passed from human-to-human contact, not water.

Pesticides, Herbicides, Chemicals, Metals

Trails like the AT and CDT are routed through agricultural, ranching, and grazing areas where human-placed substances could impact the water. Filters remove some but not all of these substances. In areas where there historically has been mining (like much of Colorado), there is evidence that inorganic chemicals could be impacting even pristine-appearing springs. Luckily, some filters remove at least some of the elements, like arsenic and mercury.

• Cons: Requires batteries and relatively clear water. If it breaks or batteries die, you’re out of luck.

An ultraviolet light purifier like the Steripen bombards water with UV rays, neutralizing bacteria, protozoa, and viruses (which can be a particular problem in developing countries). For more information, see the Center for Disease Control and Prevention guide to drinking water treatment and sanitation for backcountry and travel use.

Thru-hikers are pretty split about whether trekking poles are useful, but the science is on the side of saying yes. Here’s why:

• Fewer injuries. Poles reduce the risk of injury and tendonitis in knees, calves, thighs, and even hips, according to Michael Torry, PhD, director of biomechanics research at Steadman-Hawkins Sports Medicine Foundation in Colorado. Trekking poles also allow hikers to keep a more normal stride and a faster pace with less effort.

• Less pounding. Up to 4.4 percent of the force that reverberates through your body with each step is absorbed by the poles. After a long day and thousands of steps, that support adds up.

• Relief for ailing knees and joints. Dr. Torry says that angling the tips of your poles forward slightly can reduce the compression in your joints as you hike downhill. When hiking uphill, angle the poles backward for an extra boost and reduced ankle stress.

• Fewer face plants. While researchers didn’t test stability, they agree with what many backpackers already know: Four legs are better than two on uneven terrain.

• Less fatigue. According to Christopher Knight, PhD, who led a 2001 study at the University of Massachusetts, properly used poles reduce the workload for lower-body muscles and joints by transferring some of the load from your legs to your arms. Subjects in Dr. Knight’s study (who hiked with loaded packs for an hour on a treadmill) said the trek felt easier with poles.

• Help set up ultralight shelters. Many tarps and other ultralight shelters rely on poles to hold them upright.

• Extra balance during river fords and on wet or icy terrain. When crossing swift-moving or deep water, having an extra “leg” to ground yourself can make the difference between staying upright or ending up downstream. While there is no substitute for crampons and an ice axe, poles can help you balance when terrain turns wet, slippery, or icy.

When walking on flat terrain, hold your poles so your arms are bent at about 90 degrees. Aim to have poles hit close to your feet angled down—not straight. Take time to readjust pole length when going uphill (shorten) or downhill (lengthen) so you can maintain a comfortable grip and upright posture. Dr. Knight recommends using wrist straps and a light grip on the handles.

My friend and super experienced hiker Justin “Trauma” Lichter is a poling expert. He wrote a very detailed article that documents how he uses his experience Nordic skiing and skate skiing to increase the efficiency of using hiking poles. I recommend reading his whole post and watching his videos at justinlichter.com.

When buying poles, consider three-section poles that collapse down nice and small, because odds are you’ll stash them in your pack for certain sections, especially areas that may require some hand-over-hand scrambling. Non-collapsible poles are awkward to lash onto your pack. On the other hand, you can often find non-collapsible ski poles for cheap, so this could be a place to save money. Lighter poles mean lighter loads, but lighter poles also tend to be pricier. Skipping shock absorbers is an easy way to opt for lighter poles. Look for poles that adjust via flip-levers; these are much easier to maintain and fix than the (usually cheaper) kind that twist to adjust.

What you wear is highly personal, but this is one place where even the least expensive gear can get the job done. Most hikers have one set of clothes that they wear day in, day out (with some extra layers to stay warm). Some hikers carry separate sleep clothes. Keeping that in mind, here’s how to choose the clothes you will be living in for the next few months. Look for clothing that:

• Fits well. Is any movement restricted? Do you have your full range of movement? Does anything feel too tight? Well-fitting clothes allow enough looseness for movement but not so much that a lot of extra air needs to be warmed inside of the clothing. Can you lift your arms above your head without your lats feeling constricted? Would this be comfortable enough to sleep in? Remember: You are going to be living in these clothes on the trail.

• Protects from exposure to the sun—you will be seeing a lot of sun on a thru-hike.

• Serves a function separate from the other gear in your clothing system (with the exception of socks—I always carry extra).

• Has at least some pockets to stash maps and lip balm. Harder to find in women’s clothing.

• Wicks and breathes well. A synthetic or wool shirt works by wicking away sweat, allowing it to reach an increased surface area to evaporate quickly. It also breathes well, allowing a flow of air between your body and the outside of your shirt so that sweat does not accumulate to begin with.

• Doesn’t have any annoying seams. Most chafing happens to thru-hikers along the seams of their clothes. If you feel uncomfortable in the fitting room, chances are that feeling will turn into something worse later.

• Has some treatment (natural or otherwise) that keeps odors down. You won’t be washing clothes often, so finding a fabric that minimizes smells (wool is better at this than synthetics and in my opinion is worth the price) is going to make you and your hiking partners happier.

• Is the right color. Some people prefer to wear natural colors that blend into the background to maintain the wilderness experience and be stealthier in camp. Others like bright colors that photograph well.

• Looks good. I know it sounds lame, but I’m one of those people who feel like I perform better if I am wearing clothes I know I look good in.

Now that you know the basics behind why thru-hikers might have certain items in their packs, let’s look inside the kits of five different thru-hikers who have successfully hiked many different trails.

We’ll start with me, and by this point I hope you don’t need an introduction. I think it’s important to tell you up front that I’m sponsored by several of the companies whose gear I’m recommending here. I wouldn’t use or recommend a product if I didn’t love it—I spend too much time on the trail to settle for uncomfortable or underperforming gear—but you should know that I do also officially represent some companies and have gotten free gear from others.

My sponsors are Gossamer Gear, Mountain Laurel Designs, Montbell, Sawyer, Darn Tough, Katabatic Gear, and Altra. Other companies that have provided me with free gear include Purple Rain Adventure Skirts, Toaks, Qi Whiz, Trail Designs, and NW Alpine.

A sleeping quilt is a great way to save some weight on a sleep system without sacrificing warmth. The Katabatic Flex 30°F Quilt is super warm, has great coverage, and is not drafty at all. Supposedly it is good to 30°F, but I’ve used it in much colder temperatures. It works really well for three-season hiking—especially for only being 17.5 ounces.

I discovered Dirty Girl lightweight, breathable gaiters on the PCT after months of struggling with sand and pine needles in my shoes. I was tired of having to constantly stop to remove rocks from my shoes. These gaiters attach to any shoe (they come with two-way sticky Velcro that you put on your shoe. That way, your gaiter will stay attached to your shoe).

My Mountain Laurel Designs SoloMid has been a trusty companion for three seasons. I set up the sleek, simple, and adjustable pyramid design with one or two trekking poles. I love it; it would be hard to find anything else that offers as much shelter, coverage, and protection for only 11 ounces.

I design my cold/wet/rain/snow clothing system to be very versatile and modular. For most three-season conditions, instead of rain pants, I wear a rain skirt and Mountain Laurel Designs Light Snow Gaiters. Using the two together allows me more breathability and mobility than rain pants. If I’m getting too cold or wet with just the rain skirt, I add the gaiters. If I get too hot with the gaiters on, I’ll go back to just the rain skirt. I wear the gaiters over my tights and it helps keep them dry when I’m walking through deep snow. It also helps keep snow out of my shoes when postholing. At 2.3 ounces for the pair, they keep me warm for a ridiculously low weight penalty.

The Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy plays many roles in my gear system. A bivy is like a rain shell for a sleeping bag, or a tent that just fits around a bag. First, it protects my sleeping bag from getting moist from condensation or splashes. Second, I can use it instead of a groundsheet, or as my only protection when cowboy camping (sleeping under the stars). This protects my bag from pine needles and rough surfaces. Third, I can stuff gear I don’t want to be frozen (like my water filter or anything with a lithium battery) into my bivy but outside of my sleeping bag to keep it warm without taking up real estate inside my sleeping bag. Lastly, it adds between 5 to 10 degrees of warmth to my sleep system. Well worth the 7 ounces!

I love using Montbell Light Trail Tights instead of pants while hiking because they layer well with a skirt or shorts. They also can be used as sleepwear and dry much more quickly than pretty much any full-leg coverage garment. Since they’re super stretchy, they provide enough flexibility and mobility for rock climbing and yoga moves. These tights are thicker, warmer, and more durable than any tights I’ve seen of comparable weight (only 3.4 ounces!).

A male friend of mine turned me on to the rain skirt back in 2009, and I’ve never worn rain pants since. A rain skirt is easily pulled over my clothes without having to take my shoes off—providing near-instant rain protection at 2.3 ounces of weight for this design by Mountain Laurel Designs. It’s also more breathable than rain pants, which means I won’t sweat inside my rain gear. When it’s super cold out, I sleep in my rain skirt—which is breathable enough that it adds warmth without causing me to sweat inside my sleeping bag. The simple and adjustable design allows me to open it up to turn it into a small groundsheet or silnylon tarp.

What I love about the Gossamer Gear Gorilla pack is that it can fit a bear canister big enough to carry seven days’ worth of food, be dragged up and down granite cliffs, is super comfy, and still only weighs 1 pound. Packs are all about comfort and fit, and this one gets high marks from me on both.

You can often spot a thru-hiker in town because they’re wearing a dirty, expensive-looking puffy layer. Pretty much every thru-hiker carries one. It keeps us warm in camp, when we’re not moving, during breaks, and sometimes at night when we wear it in our sleeping bags. My Montbell EX Light is 900-fill down and weighs only 5.4 ounces. It provides a lot of warmth and wind protection for that weight and layers well with my wind shirt under it or my rain jacket over it.

The Montbell Tachyon Anorak wins “Most Valuable Piece of Gear” for any trip. At less than 2 ounces, it keeps off wind and sun and works as a first layer of rain protection.

The 1-ounce Mountain Laurel Designs eVent Rain Mitts provide a waterproof protective layer for my hands when it’s super cold. Typically, I wear them over my PossumDown gloves (more on those later) to add quite a bit of warmth. I keep them in the pocket of my rain jacket—if it’s cold enough for me to wear my rain jacket, my hands are already probably cold and I’ll want my overmitts soon.

Carbon fiber trekking poles are not for everyone, but the Gossamer Gear LT4 poles have served me well over the years. I mostly use my trekking poles for setting up my shelter and helping on the downhills, so I want light poles that won’t drag me down when I’m carrying them in my pack. These poles also condense down to a small size and attach easily to my pack (4.1-ounces per pole with .5-ounce strap).

The ultimate multipurpose piece of gear: can be used to keep sun off my neck, wash myself down, pre-filter dirt out of water, wipe my nose, and so on.

I use my Sawyer MINI filter (pink, though it comes in every color imaginable) or a Sawyer Squeeze filter as an inline filter with my Platypus Hoser hydration reservoir. I cut the hose, insert my filter, and then attach the hose plus filter to my Platypus reservoir. Then I put “dirty” water into my reservoir, and when I suck on the Hoser’s bite valve, I get clean water. At night I hang my reservoir and run the system as a gravity filter to deliver clean water right into my cooking pot.

The Montbell U.L. Trekking Umbrella is one of my favorite pieces of gear: It keeps me dry when it’s raining and is the most breathable form of rain gear. When raining, an umbrella prevents heat loss due to convection, when cold water is against the skin (which can happen when rain gear wets out). It also keeps the sun off me when it’s too sunny. It’s super wind resistant (better than any other umbrella I’ve tried). When I’m not using it, the umbrella folds down to a small size that fits into my pack’s water bottle pocket (even when there’s a bottle in there) and weighs only 5.4 ounces.

When local fire regulations allow it, I use the Trail Designs Caldera Keg-F System (using Esbit fuel), which is the lightest stove system I know of. It’s super efficient and wind resistant and simple to set up. You can either make your own pot (from an old beer can—I did this for years) or buy one that has been reinforced from Trail Designs. The plastic clear thing is the protective case it comes in. You can also use the protective case as a mug/bowl. Since the case has a top and a bottom, you could use the system for up to three people (one person has the top, the other the bottom, and the third eats out of the pot/beer can). The stove itself is the small piece of metal on the bottom, which is a stand for a tab of Esbit, a solid fuel. The same system works with an alcohol stove. The stove is 2.7 ounces and the protective plastic case adds 3.6 ounces.

For years I used a short titanium spoon while backpacking. It was hard to get food out of freeze-dried food packets or tuna packets with a short spoon. I upgraded to a long spoon and am very happy for it. That clear bag pictured is a Loksak OPSAK, or odor-proof sack. I use that as my food bag, as it decreases the chances that critters will smell and be attracted to my food.

Made of a merino wool and possum fur blend (really!) called PossumDown, these super-warm and soft gloves (about 1 ounce) work really well, even when wet. They provide enough insulation that I’ve also used them exclusively as pot-holders. The only downside is they aren’t very durable.

I use a .4-ounce Mini BIC lighter. I don’t typically carry a lot of back-up items, but I carry a 0.1-ounce matchbook that I picked up for free from a restaurant. Bonus is that it reminds me of a favorite restaurant at home when I’m on the trail. Note: You should carry a backup fire starter in a waterproof container.

The Photon Micro-Light LED Keychain Flashlight turns into a headlamp with a clip that attaches to the brim of my visor. I can wear it as a necklace during the day or night so I always have it with me. After I removed the keychain ring, the whole setup is less than an ounce and provides the perfect amount of light to take care of camp chores. However, I use a real headlamp on trails where I will do a lot of night hiking, or when days are shorter.

The .6-ounce mini Rite in the Rain paper is waterproof and great for journaling. I like a .3-ounce double-ended Sharpie so that I can more easily write notes on waterproof map sets and know that my entries won’t get destroyed if my journal gets wet.

A hat (1.1-ounce) is one of the best ways to add warmth to your clothing and sleep system. It compresses down to the size of a silver dollar and fits easily into my hipbelt pocket. This way I don’t have to stop to put it on, take it off, and put it back on again when lots of weather changes are occurring.

I don’t carry a fancy or expensive compass. It doesn’t need to have a mirror or even have the ability to change declination (although the latter especially is helpful on longer trips). Having a compass is essential for all trips for when the trail gets obscured and especially on all cross-country routes. And checking my direction on the compass is fun to do even when I’m on an established trail.

My wallet (1.1-ounce) includes cash, driver’s license/ID, credit card, ATM card, health insurance card, and important phone numbers. For meds, I carry over-the-counter ibuprofen, Benadryl, Tums, Gas-X, Naproxen, and Excedrin. Prescriptions are limited to anything my doctor prescribes me for giardia, Lyme disease, or heavier-duty pain killers.

I used to not carry a potty trowel, and instead tried to dig catholes with rocks, my shoe, or a hiking pole. Inevitably, the holes ended up being shallow, narrow, and insufficient to do their job. Someone told me about the QiWhiz—a potty trowel that only weighs 0.4 ounce. I figured that for such a minor weight penalty, I could afford to make my catholes a lot better by carrying a trowel. It’s changed my life and made going in the backcountry a lot less stressful. I use Bark Bags to pack out used toilet paper.

The Keeper menstrual cup is lightweight (.5 ounce) and less bulky than tampons, and doesn’t require packing used hygiene items out.

Miniature entertainment for when I have extra time in my tent to hang out with hiking partners while waiting out a storm.

Thru-hikers who want better quality photos than what they get on their phones opt for a point-and-shoot. Many thru-hikers like a camera that is shockproof, dustproof, and waterproof. A lot of my hiker friends who are great photographers bring heavier-duty cameras and lenses—occasionally a DSLR even. Just remember to protect your camera from rain and trail! I’ve learned that the hard way over a few trails and more than a few broken cameras. Bring an extra camera battery or external battery charge system (like a Anker), too.

I can’t stand putting on wet socks, so I always bring a few spares. I like the Darn Tough Ultralight Merinos because the weave is denser than other socks, so they keep out dirt and trail grime better. A pair ends up being a little more than 1 ounce—so I don’t feel guilty carrying a few pairs. Since they’re so light, they also dry out quickly.

When it’s cold out, you’re more likely to feel it in your feet, so I carry special socks that are warmer than my hiking socks (and are dedicated for sleeping). Like my gloves, my sleep socks (1.4 ounces) are the merino wool and possum fur blend from PossumDown.

These include sunscreen (1-ounce tube), Gear Aid repair patches (green round things), lip balm, hand sanitizer (clear bottle), Neosporin (circular container), toothpowder (in white dropper bottle), and toothbrush (not pictured).

This 4.5-ounce cuben fiber NW Alpine Eyebright Jacket is no longer is made, but the Montbell Torin Flyer or Versalite are my other go-to rain jackets.

• Shirt: Montbell Wickron Long Sleeve: Excellent sun protection with a cooling fabric. I can use the pockets to store my compass, or maps.

• Sports bra: After twenty thru-hikes, I still haven’t found a model I like.

• Underwear: I’ve used Ex Officio Give and Go Sport Mesh, Uniqlo Airism, and SmartWool 150 weight and been happy with all of them.

• Socks: I love the Darn Tough merino quartersock light. It’s thin and tightly woven—which helps prevent blisters. The merino has natural antibacterial properties that prevent the socks from smelling like garbage. I enjoy the quarter length because it provides my ankles with plenty of protection from the elements without being too much sock.

• Shoes: The Altra Lone Peaks are a treasured trail friend. Breathable and lightweight, they make me feel nimble across rocks. The toe-shaped footbox allows my feet to swell and get fat from walking all day every day without pinching toes or blackening toenails.

• Skirt: I never used to wear skirts before discovering the Purple Rain Adventure Skirt, which is flattering, dries quickly, provides plenty of ventilation, and (my favorite part) has a boatload of pockets to put small guidebooks or maps, lip balm, and my phone.

Cactus has hiked more than 9,000 miles along the AT, PCT, CDT, Colorado Trail (twice), San Diego Trans-County Trail, and the San Juan River Trail. I’d describe him as a “work-hard, play-hard” kind of hiker. He likes to hike fast for the first part of the day and then take long breaks. Here’s what’s in his typical pack (he doesn’t have gear sponsorships). (All gear descriptions are in Cactus’s words.)

I use a ZPacks ArcBlasts currently (21 ounces), but it was too badly damaged for the shoot so I included this Granite Gear Vapor Trail pack (discontinued) because I used it on the Colorado Trail in 2011. I prefer a pack without a frame, but the frame on this one is quite minimal, and the pack is under 2 pounds.

I use the Melanzana Microgrid Hoodie (12.2 ounces for men’s large). Since it is synthetic, it stays warm even when wet, including sweat. When paired with my wind shirt, it’s quite warm. I either carry this fleece with a wind shirt or a Western Mountaineering Flash down jacket without a wind shirt, depending on conditions and climate.

Black Diamond PowerWeight Liner Gloves—I use these most often in the morning or when hiking above treeline (2.4 ounces).

The jacket is a GoLite Malapais (alas, GoLite is no longer in business—it’s now MyTrail). The pants are the Sierra Designs Hurricane. I always carry full rain gear and wear it more often for warmth than for rain (jacket: 8 ounces; pants: 7 ounces).

The Montbell Tachyon Anorak weighs less than 2 ounces. I wear this quite often in the morning or evening and often when hiking above treeline. It provides a great barrier from the wind, and when layered over my fleece, the combo competes in warmth with a down jacket.

I have two hats, one thick for warmth, one super-thin for use while walking. Sometimes I just pack the thicker one for use in camp and while sleeping.

REI Midweight Base Layer Bottoms: With these and the rain pants, my legs can stand some pretty low temps.

The down Western Mountaineering SummerLite is a great two- or three-season bag: very light and extremely well made (19 ounces).

This was custom-made for me by ZPacks out of their Cuben Hybrid material. I was shredding the normal Cuben Fiber food bags every 1,000 miles or so.

This is the GoLite umbrella (not for sale anymore). I use it more often than rain gear during rain, but I still carry rain gear and sometimes use both together.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Echo II Insert (for keeping out mosquitoes and other bugs—8 ounces).

I use a Snow Peak Trek 700 Titanium mug as my cookpot, a Snow Peak LiteMax Titanium canister stove (1.8 ounces), and a (.4 ounce) Sea To Summit Long Spoon (plus fuel and a lighter, of course).

I use a Platypus 2-liter Platy water bag, two 1-liter Smartwater bottles from the gas station (covered with stickers), a half bottle to use as a scoop (fits around a full bottle), the USB-rechargeable Steripen Freedom (discontinued, but the Ultra is similar), and Katadyn Micropur tablets as back-up.

ZPacks 8.5×10-foot rectangular tarp, made from Cuben Fiber. It’s a little larger than the tarp that Hyperlite includes with the Echo II shelter and therefore gives a small beak/overhang in the front to keep the rain out.

The bag is made by Eagle Creek (.6 ounces). It holds first-aid supplies, Tenacious Tape (for gear repairs), sports tape, a Leatherman-style CS multitool, and other knickknacks.

My friend Pi has hiked the AT, PCT, the Hayduke Trail, the Colorado Trail, and 1,700 miles of the CDT. He loves talking about gear, so you’re about to hear a lot about his kit (Pi doesn’t have gear sponsorships). (All gear descriptions are in Pi’s words.)

This kit is what I took for half of the Colorado Trail in the fall. The only trail circumstances I’ve been on where my choices were completely different was the Hayduke Trail with rock scrambling and 30-plus-mile water carries in summer desert heat. For anything else, my pack list looked much like this, sometimes with slightly warmer clothes, or sometimes with a slightly lighter and less warm sleeping bag in midsummer, when I know I can get away with it.

Sawyer MINI water filter, backflush syringe, and extra capacity, plus a dropper bottle of bleach to be extra sure (yes, two water treatment systems). Bleach is on the yellow leash tied to my pack, in the contact-lens dropper-size bottle.

Equinox Myotis Ultralite Tarp (14.5 ounces for 8×8-foot) and tarp lines with clips from Dutchware Gear.

Hennessy Hammock Expedition Asym Zip (2 pounds, 2 ounces). I like sleeping in hammocks rather than grounddwelling.

MSR Mini-Groundhog: I’ve tried the Hyperlite Titanium Shepherd Hooks, and they pull out like greased sticks whenever you camp on an exposed saddle and a hailstorm blows through, so now I bring proper tent stakes (.35 ounces per stake).

Gossamer Gear Evazote ThinLight foam pad is good to sit on and makes sleeping in the hammock warmer. I use this to line and stiffen my pack as well (2.5 ounces).

BushBuddy Ultralight Woodstove, Snow Peak Trek 900 Titanium mug/cookpot, Toaks Titanium Short Handle Spoon on a line so I can find it in my food bag, lid is a cut-up Fosters beer can (careful, sharp), two lighters, sometimes tinder. The stove is more than a cooking system. I get infinite fuel for no added pack weight, cowboy TV, a hobby, and a chance to learn the skill of fire tending. It can be a fiddling extra thing to deal with at the end of a long day of hiking and is often banned in drought years, so it isn’t the choice for everyone. It sure is the choice for me (stove: 6.4 ounces, pot: 6 ounces, spoons: .3 ounces).

Brand doesn’t much matter; differences are in cut and fit and personal preference.

Silk “tropical” shirt that I got at a thrift store. For sleeping and town days, or, in an emergency, it can be torn up for bandages or a sling.

I argue with it all the time (no matter the book), but I also carry it. And a fun book. I put them both in a Tyvek postal envelope, along with (not pictured) a pen and postcards to compose to friends back home.

The blue/black hat is from DutchWare Gear, which calls it a SCAT—part scarf, part hat.

Two pairs “other” socks (besides the ones I’ll be wearing hiking). One pair is never worn hiking, but rather kept nice for sleeping in. Dirty hiking socks never go into my sleeping bag!

The red line tied to my pack has a small compass, the Suunto Clipper. It’s a bubble compass the size of a quarter.

Luke’s Ultralite Argon Wind Pants (I also like Montbell’s Dynamo Wind Pants). Either one is half the weight or less of track/wind pants you’d find at a sports store.

The EuroSchirm Chrome-dome umbrella (now that GoLite is out of business). I end up bringing it, and about a third of the days I love it, feel like a genius to have brought it along. About a third of the days it indifferently rides in my pack. And a third of the days it seems like the dumbest thing I’ve got along besides the guidebook. Still, just like the lying guidebook, I seem to keep packing it before starting most any adventure.

Sunday Afternoons women’s sun hat. Yes, as a 6-foot-tall, 200-pound guy, this is my hat. I found it in the Grand Canyon, but would happily pay my own money for another when it wears out.

Luke’s Ultralite Pertex SHIELD Rain Shell, American-made. Talk to Luke about anything you need and he’ll get it done just for you. The coat isn’t level-three bulletproof, but I’d rather use light stuff that works great with a little care than mediocre stuff that doesn’t ever get lighter with care. DutchWare Gear makes a rain skirt; mine is ULA from years back.

Toothbrush and mini tube of paste; knife (usually the smallest Swiss Army), Fenix LD01 flashlight with wrist string from a camera; Mini BIC lighter; Neosporin, good for cuts, scrapes, burns, and help with preventing minor infections; Aquaphor, good for blisters or hot spots too; a pill bottle wrapped in duct tape containing a few Imodium, Sudafed, ibuprofen, needle and thread, and safety pin. My doctor gave me a prescription for the pills for giardia, as well as a few Oxys in case I need to walk out on a twisted ankle. If desert hiking, I carry salt too.

A very large waterproof Outdoor Research stuff sack with Lawson Glowire. Wide-mouth water bottles (Gatorade), 2– to 3–liter.

I need a new pair every 1,000 miles or so due to breakage and loss, so I just buy cheap ones at the gas station.

This would be my choice for a thru-hike on the AT with a late start and an early finish. If hiking in April or into September on the AT, I might add a Montbell Thermawrap jacket and beef the quilt up, say to a Western Mountaineering 20°F UltraLite sleeping bag. For the PCT or CDT, I’d hike with the added jacket and heavier (warmer) sleeping bag for sure, and possibly trade the hammock (keeping the tarp) for a groundcloth for the desert portion of the PCT. Also, the CDT was too windy in many parts for the umbrella, though I did bring it.

My friend Amanda is relatively new to thru-hiking. She shared the kit she used on her first thru-hike, the Colorado Trail, from August to September 2015 and has since gone on to hike the PCT as BACKPACKER Magazine’s thru-hiking correspondent in 2016. While she may not have as much experience as some of the other folks, it’s important to look at Amanda’s CT kit—because it will likely look like your first kit. Since at this point she was still learning some backcountry skills, her gear tends to be easier to set up than some of the gearheads I interviewed. She also has more redundancy in case she lost something or it failed. She carried a few creature comforts and safety items that the other hikers did not—like bear spray, camp shoes, and laundry bags—but still managed to keep her pack weight relatively low. I credit her skill in putting together such a good first pack on her research and the sage advice she gleaned from more experienced hikers. (Amanda had no gear sponsorships.) (All gear descriptions are in Amanda’s words.)

Generic brand, made for folks with diabetes. They encourage circulation to keep feet warm at night.

Anker Astro E1 5200mAh Ultra Compact Portable Charger external battery plus wall plug; extra headlamp batteries

I used this gallon ziplock for trail laundry, usually of socks and underwear. I rinse first, put a little Dr. Bronner’s in and vigorously shake, and then rinse again. I always dump my dirty water at least 200 feet from a water source. It’s absolutely worth going brand name on Ziplocs, be it for food or something like this. It’s worth it not to have them break down on you so quickly. And you can always reuse them.

Uniqlo HEATTECH Leggings (Liz’s note: Uniqlo may be a fashion brand, but I’ve hiked (not just slept) thousands of miles in Uniqlo HEATTECH and think they are second to none for the money.)

I carried this for more for my parents than for myself. I never used it, and never had to think about using it, even though it was in easy reach the whole time. Colorado’s not home to grizzlies, and the black bears that are around, in most cases are more scared of you than you are of them. If I hike the CDT one day, I’ll probably carry it north of Colorado, but otherwise, I don’t think it’s for me (11 ounces).

I found this while I was in Hong Kong; it’s loud and orange and roll-top and also has contour lines on it. I keep my stove, pot, cup, and a lighter, along with all my food, in here.

Injinji Trail Midweight Micro: These toe socks look and feel a little weird the first time you put them on, but I attribute my lack of a blister problem to them (2.16 ounces for medium).

Bandaids and alcohol wipes were basically the extent of my first-aid kit—three of each, plus the needle and floss, sealant, and medical tape. Anything that these couldn’t fix, I’d need proper medical attention for. I ended up using a couple for minor stuff, and was glad I had them on hand.

Human Gear GoToob (3 ounces): The last thing I want to do is pack out crappy toilet paper, so I don’t even pack in toilet paper. Instead, I use spurts of water from a GoToob and my hand to clean myself, and actually get clean instead of smearing things around. (Toilet paper is fine when you have access to a shower every day or so, but when you don’t—ew.) Clearly, this method is paired with hand sanitizer (then, sometimes, soap and water) and even more hand sanitizer, but I find I’m left even more clean after.

A note for the ladies: Using a bidet is awesome when you’re on your menses—there’s none of that terrible, horrible squick that can happen when you’re both exerting and on your cycle. I also highly recommend using a menstrual cup when hiking, because again, the last thing I want to do is pack out used pads or tampons. I used a MeLuna cup (.5 ounces), but use the Internet to find one that works for you.

Iodine by Potable Aqua and Taste Neutralizer tablets (primary treatment: Aqua-Mira drops)

I took this kit on my Colorado Trail thru-hike, but I definitely did things differently on my PCT thru-hike. I never carried a full bottle of bug spray. I carried a larger external battery (to make sure my phone and other electronics were always charged). I ditched the bear spray, and I had AquaMira for my entire trek. On the PCT, I was stoveless for 1700 miles—though I ended up having my stove for the last 900 miles, with no regrets—and I think I’d go stoveless again on a shorter trek. I’m still considering some changes: getting a half-length inflatable sleeping pad and using a tarp for a shelter. There’s always room for improvement in a kit, and you have to learn what works for you.

My buddy PMags runs a popular hiking website, Pmags.com, and has tons of experience thru-hiking, inventing his own routes, and backcountry exploring. I asked him to put together a gear kit using budget items that are approachable for the average person. (Paul has no gear sponsorships.) (All gear descriptions are in Paul’s words.)

This gear could best be described as the “dirt bagger deluxe” kit. It meets the following conditions:

This kit would be suited for something such as the Colorado Trail, the CDT, or any trail in the cool, but mainly dry, conditions of the Rockies.

The core items (sleeping system, pack, shelter system) are good quality. They may not be top-end items or the lightest, but they work well and are very reasonably priced. The other items are a mix of thrift store, military surplus, discount store, and other odds and ends. While I use or have used all the items in the pack, some of the items have been repurposed as spare/loaner gear or for different types of trips (off-trail, deep shoulder season, or even dispersed camping) versus solo backpacking trips on an established trail in three-season conditions. I made notes of what I currently use in those cases.

Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol (three-quarter length): Less expensive than an inflatable pad, better than the minimalist choice of the “blue foam pad,” the Z Lite is a classic, durable, and reasonably comfortable pad with good R-value for three-season use.

1 quart Gatorade bottle: The Gatorade bottle is light and cheap. Comes with a drink!

1-liter Platypus SoftBottle: For when I don’t need the extra water, the Platy stashes nicely.

Nalgene Cantene 96: For larger water carries, I’ve been using this piece of gear for years. The wide mouth makes it very easy to use, too.

Paradox thermal bottoms (top not shown): A Costco special; I think this set cost $30 or so total. Costco sells an even less expensive non-zip thermal shirt.

Target’s C9 Running Socks: Big fan of these running socks. Durable, light, and cost effective.

Merino wool socks: My “snivel gear.” A warm pair of dry socks, only worn to bed, is heaven. From Costco.

GoLite Andrenaline 20 (discontinued): A good-quality bag is ideal. I added this older bag, as a similar down bag may be bought used for perhaps $150 or so. Costco also sells Klymit down bags for $140 that are good budget bags.

Polypro balaclava: A longtime favorite of mine that is worn in all four seasons. Very versatile and inexpensive. This one is fifteen years old!

Another four-season mainstay; coupled with the shell mitts, a versatile system for all conditions.

Ubens BRS Ultralight gas stove: A sub-1-ounce, less than $20 canister stove suitable for solo hiking. Alcohol stoves are coming under increased scrutiny in the increasingly fire-prone American West (because it’s hard to control them).

Open Country 3 Cup Hard Anodized Aluminum pot (3.8 ounces): Light, cheap and effective. Use your bandana for a pot grip. Standard Lexan spoon.

Duct tape does everything. To quote the author Andy Weir: “Duct tape is magic and should be worshipped.”

I’ve also got my toothbrush and dental floss here, because I store them in a Silnylon food bag (Silnylon is no longer an exotic fabric and is reasonable in price).

100-weight fleece: One of my most versatile pieces of clothing. I wear it in all four seasons. This one cost $10 at Sports Authority.

Outdoor Research Shell Mitts: These are no longer made. But similar eVent mittens may be purchased for less than $40 (about 3 ounces).

Ultralight Adventure Equipment (ULA, CD7 model): At $145, roughly 50 liters, and under 19 ounces stripped down, it is a good overall lightweight pack for most uses. I line it with a trash compactor bag to protect gear from getting wet.

Tent Lab’s Deuce of Spades trowel, toilet paper, hand sanitizer. LNT means leave no #2 and TP lying around!

8×10-foot Campmor Ultralight Tarp: At 13 ounces and $100, this tarp is a nice compromise between the affordability of a traditional tarp and the very light, but very expensive, Cuben Fiber tarp. I’m using bank line to tie it, which is just fantastic, because it’s lighter than paracord and cheaper than accessory cord. Originally used for fishing, it is tarred so it is abrasion-resistant

M-65 Field Jacket Liner: Warm (wear it under a rain jacket), light, compressible, and perhaps $10 to $15 at online surplus stores. I used a liner on my late winter Benton McKaye Trail thru-hike (10 ounces).

This is window shrink wrap from the hardware store. Similar to polycryo sold elsewhere, but cheaper. Cut to size. (1.6 ounces for 40×86 foot groundsheet)

Frog Toggs Ultralite 2 Jacket: Good for on the trail. Works surprisingly well. Generic wind pants: My legs pump out a lot of heat, so I don’t like real rain pants (6 ounces). Wind pants work well for me. Plus, being breathable, they work in a wide range of conditions.

Here’s what Paul actually would wear on his body on a trip with a kit like this:

• Poly-cotton blend button-up shirt: I actually like the ventilation of a poly-cotton blend shirt. Mine is a repurposed “casual dress” shirt from Target.

• Keychain Lite Swiss Army Knife Classic: A basic, versatile tool kit for everyday life and the outdoors.

• Safety sunglasses: Light, durable and inexpensive. Found at hardware supply stores.

• Cascade Mountain Tech Carbon Fiber Trekking Poles: Light and inexpensive, often available at Costco. Work very well.

• Brooks Cascadia: Light, but stiffer sole compared to many trail runners. I do enough off-trail hiking where it fits my needs more so than more minimalist footwear.

+Gear