This is an ultralight PCT Gear list for those thru hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2023.
I have thru hiked the PCT and completed the thru hiking triple crown so my recommendations come backed with a bit of experience on the trail when it comes to recommending the best Pacific Crest Trail Packing List.
The biggest financial investment will be in the big four. The Backpack, Tent, Sleeping Bag and Sleeping Mat.
What to pack on the Pacific Crest Trail takes a little time and a little investment in money but everything on the Ultralight PCT List is easily available and reasonably priced.
PCT Thru Hike Gear List 2023
The Pacific Crest Trail is tough. Starting in the dry desert with long dry sections require you to carry heavy amounts of water. For this a you need a quality ultralight backpack for the PCT.
Then comes the cold high mountains of the Sierra which requires cold weather gear, bear canisters and potentially snow gear like an ice axe and microspikes.
Later comes Northern California which is tough on the feet. You will need to choose the best hiking shoes for the PCT to prevent injury.
Towards the end of the trail in Washington State you may encounter lots of rain or maybe snow. You will need the ultralight rain gear for the PCT.
Below I have all the best gear for the Pacific Crest Trail.
the best Tent for the PCT 2023
Overall there are several great lightweight tents to use on the PCT. You will need a tent that is ultralight and able to withstand potential storms on any section of the trail. Some of the Best Ultralight Tent for the PCT is listed below.
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The Best 1P Tent for the Pacific Crest Trail
- Nemo Hornet 1P – 32oz (907 grams)
- Big Agnes Fly Creek HV1 Carbon 1P – 21oz (595grams)
- ZPacks Plexamid – 16.55oz (469 grams)
- Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo – 26oz (740 grams)
I love the Nemo Hornet 1P. I’ve used the tent a lot and think it is one of the best tents for the PCT. But one of the most popular 1P tents on the PCT is the ZPacks Plexamid, it is ultralight and one of the best 1P ultralight tents for the PCT. On a budget and want ultralight, take a look at Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo.
Best 2P Ultralight Tent for the Pacific Crest Trail
- Nemo Hornet 2P – 35oz (1003g)
- ZPacks Duplex – 20.75oz (588g)
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultramid 2 -18.85oz (534g)
- Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo – 45oz (1270g)
I like the Nemo Hornet 2P which is a good 2P tents for the PCT. If you want the best ultralight tent for the PCT then look at the ZPacks Duplex. The best budget tent for the PCT is the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo.
Read the review of the Best Ultralight Tents for Thru Hiking.
Best Backpack for The PCT 2023
The best ultralight backpack for thru hiking the PCT is one that is not only lightweight but durable enough to last thousands of miles of abuse. Below are the best thru hiking backpacks for the Pacific Crest Trail.
What Size Backpack for the PCT
The best size backpack for the PCT is around 50 liters. However, when backpacking in the Sierra you are required to carry a bear canister and they become a tight fit and a larger rucksack is better.
One of the best backpacks for thru hiking the PCT os the Osprey Exos 58. It fits the bear canister into the pack horizontally. All the other packs mentioned below will need to pack them vertically or strapped to the top of the pack. I prefer to strap them to the top of the pack.
Ultralight thru hikers will prefer something lighter from the list below. And don’t forget a cheap trash bag to use as a pack liner to keep things dry.
Best Ultralight Backpacks for the Pacific Crest Trail
- ZPacks Arc Air – 50 Litres – 19.2oz / 544g
- ZPacks Arc Blast – 55 Litres – 19.9 oz / 565.0 g
- Osprey Exos 48 – 48 litres – 36oz / 1030grams
- Osprey Exos 58 – 58 litres – 37oz /1060 grams
- Osprey Levity 45 – 45 litres – 28oz – 780 grams
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest 2400 – 50 litre – 30oz / 852g
- Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider 2400 – 50 litres – 30oz / 851g
I like the Osprey Exos 58 because it is comfortable and can fit a Bear Canister inside sideways. But the ZPacks Arc Blast and the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Windrider 2400 are hard to beat for their lightweight and water resistant material.
Read the full review of the Best Ultralight Backpacks for Thru Hiking
Best Sleeping Bag for the PCT
The best ultralight sleeping bag for the PCT is lightweight, tough and with a temperature rating of down to 20F / -6C.
When Thru hiking the PCT the first nights in the desert can be very cold. So can the nights in the High Sierra. Some nights in Northern California will be so hot that you will not need your sleeping bag so much.
Here are a list of very highly recommended ultralight Sleeping Bags for the Pacific Crest Trail.
- Feathered Friends Hummingbird – 20F / -7C – 24oz – 680g
- Western Mountaineering Ultralite 20F / -7C – 29oz / 820g
- Rab Mythic 400 – 20F / -7C – 23oz / 660g
- Sea to Summit Spark 4 18F / -8C – 31oz / 880g
All the sleeping bags on this list are awesome and will serve you well on the PCT. If you need more info check the full reviews on sleeping bags.
Read more:
Best Lightweight Sleeping Bags
Best Ultralight Quilts for the PCT
Ultralight Sleeping Quilts for the PCT are becoming more popular. For most thru hikers on the PCT they are a better ultralight alternative to a heavier sleeping bag.
They are lighter but have limitations in really cold weather. When the temperature get below freezing they are not as efficient at keeping you warm. Having said that, I prefer using one on the PCT.
The best ultralight quilt for the PCT is listed below.
- Feathered Friends Flicker UL 20 Quilt – 20F / -7 – 26oz / 748g
- Sea to Summit Ember EB3 Quilt – 14F – 25F / -10C/-4C – 25.5oz / 725g
- Enlightened Equipment Revelation – 20F / -7C – 22.5oz / 639g
- Katabatic Sawatch – 15F / -9C – 25.1oz / 712g
Honestly, any of the backpacking quilts mentioned on this list is awesome and worthy of use on the PCT. If you need more info check out the full reviews.
Read more:
Best Backpacking Quilts
Best Sleeping Pad for the PCT
The best ultralight sleeping pad for the PCT is comfortable, durable, reasonably priced and lightweight.
If you are like most thru hikers you will be exhausted every night and experience legendary nights sleep on the trail.
An Ultralight air mattress is more comfortable but some people prefer lightweight foam, specially the budget conscience backpacker. Side sleeper will certainly need an air mat like the Sea to Summit Ether lite Insulated.
Here are a list of all the best ultralight Sleeping mats for the PCT.
- Thermarest Uberlite – 8.8oz / 250g
- Thermarest Neo Air Xlite – 12oz/340g
- Thermarest Z Lite Sol – 14oz/410g
- Nemo Tensor Insulated – 14oz/410g
- Thermarest Thermarest X-Therm – 15oz/430g
- Sea to Summit Ether lite Insulated – 15oz/425g
I like the Thermarest Neo Air and Nemo Tensor Insulated. I have used them on many thru hikes but the Thermarest Uberlite is the best ultralight sleeping pad for the PCT.
Read the full review of the Best Ultralight Sleeping Pads
Best Hiking Shoes for the PCT
The best shoes for the PCT are lightweight and breathable. Waterproof shoes are not so good for this thru hike. We all have different shaped feet and different preferences, therefore what shoes you take will depend on many things.
Firstly, buy shoes one size bigger than normal. Your feet will swell over the days weeks and months of thru hiking. Wrong fitting shoes will cause blisters or hotspots. You have been warned!
I’ve been a long time fan of both Vasque and Merrel shoes as they fit my foot perfectly.
I also love Altra Trail running shoes as my lightweight shoe option. But all these options work best for people with wider feet. These are the most popular shoes on the PCT and highly recommended.
For narrow feet the better options are Soloman and Brooks.
Here are my 3 recommendations for the best shoes and boots for PCT thru hikers with wide feet.
Here are my 3 recommendations for the best trail runners for PCT thru hikers with narrow feet.
Read the Review:
Best Lightweight Hiking Boots
Best Lightweight Hiking Shoes
Best Trail Running Shoes for Thru Hiking
Best Socks for the PCT
Darn Tough are the most popular. They will wear out and with their lifetime warranty there is nothing better for thru hiking the PCT. And maybe you might want some gaiters to stop the small rocks and sand getting into your shoes.
Read the Review:
Best Hiking Socks
Best Gaiters for Hiking
Best Clothing for the PCT
The best clothing for thru hiking the PCT will include items for the extreme heat of the California Desert and the sweaty heat of Northern Califonia. And extreme cold of the desert mornings, the High Sierra and Washington.
Ultralight layers work best including an ultralight rain jacket, puffy down jacket, mid layer and baselayer.
Best Down Jackets for the PCT
The best down jacket for the PCT will be ultralight and pack up very small. Below is a list of all the best down jackets that you will need for the PCT:
- ARCTERYX – Cerium LT Hoody – 280g / 9.9oz
- Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer Hooded – 249g / 8.8oz
- Feathered Friends – Eos – 300g / 10.6oz
- Rab Microlight Alpine – 470g / 17oz
Read the complete guide to the Best Ultralight Down Jackets
Best Rain Gear for the PCT
You might not see much rain on the PCT. But when it does rain you will need a high quality ultralight rain jacket. Not only will it protect you from the rain, but they make a great wind breaker on those cool days and you may find yourself wearing it more often than you might think.
Here is a list of all the best rain jackets for the Pacific Crest Trail.
- Enlightened Equipment Visp – 5oz / 142 grams
- Outdoor Research Helium – 6.3oz / 178 grams
- Marmot Precip Eco – 10.3oz / 293 grams
- ARCTERYX – Zeta SL – 10.9oz / 310 grams
- Mountain Hardwear Exposure/2 – 12.5oz / 353 grams
- Patagonia Storm 10 – 8.3 oz / 235 grams
You will also need Rainpants such as the Outdoor Research Helium Pants.
I love the Six Moon Designs Silver Shadow Ultralight Hiking Umbrella. At only 6.8 ounces it is well worth the added weight and very popular in the desert to shield you from the intense sun. Consider taking one. You will not regret it!
Read the reviews:
Best Lightweight Rain Jackets
Best Backpacking Rain Pants
Best Ultralight Umbrella for Thru Hiking
Best Trekking Poles for PCT
The best trekking poles are ultralight and strong. Your body will appreciate it when you use them on this trail. The best trekking poles for the PCT are:
Read the full review of all the Best Trekking Poles for Thru Hiking
Cooking Gear to take on the PCT
Light and strong cooking gear is need for thru hiking the PCT. It does not need to be expensive, nor does it need to be the highest quality. It just needs to work. The list below is all you need to cook and eat on the Pacific Crest Trail.
- Evernew Ti DX Stove Titanium
- Snow Peak Trek 900 Titanium Cookset
- Sea To Summit X-Mug
- Titanium Spoon
- Gerber STL 2.0 Knife
- Sawyer Squeeze Water Filter System
- Katadyn Micropur Water Purifier Tabs
- Platypus Bottle 2-Litre
- Nalgene Water Bottle 1 litre
- Bic Lighter
- 600ml Coke Bottle to store alcohol for stove
- Instant Coffee for Backpacking
- Hiking Coffee Maker
Read More:
Best Lightweight Backpacking Stoves
Best Water Filters for Thru Hiking
Best Water Purification Tablets
Best Titanium Pots for Backpacking
Electronics and Camera
Will you take all your best photography gear? Will you blog or make a youtube video? Answer these questions and decide what to take.
A good quality smart phone such as the latest iPhone will do everything you need. But if the highest quality os important to you then consider the upgrade and resultant extra cost and weight.
Don’t forget a high quality battery brick such as the Anker 20000mAh battery pack and the Anker USB Wall Charger. These will be super important to keep things charged, and these things charge up very fast.
Read More:
Best Powerbank for Backpacking
Best Portable Solar Charger
Best PLB
Best Hiking Camera
Clothing Layers
Consider the weight and packability of the clothing you will take. Thermals or some form of baselayer such as Smartwool Base Layer Pants and Smartwool LS Shirt will be important. So will a pair of pants of shorts such as PrAna Stretch Zion Convertible Pants.
Also add
- Balaclava or Beanie
- Hiking Shirt
- Hiking Shorts
- Hiking Gloves
- Backpacking Sunhat
- Hiking Sunglasses
Winter Gear & Bear Canisters
You may need some winter gear for the Sierra section of the PCT. A lot will depend on what kind of snow season it is. Some people will not need any of this, specially if you are not entering the Sierra until late. Southbound hikers will almost certainly not need any. And don’t forget your compulsory Bear Canister.
Read more:
Best Backpacking Headlamps
Best Microspikes
Best Ice Axe for Hiking
Bear Cannisters for on the PCT
First Aid and Misc
- Plastic zip lock bags
- Money / ID / Credit Cards
- Blister pads
- Strapping Tape
- Giardia anti-biotic
- Foot infection anti-biotic
- Ibuprofen
- tweezers
- Toothbrush and Toothpaste
- Safety Pin
- Needle
- Deet insect repellent
- Sunscreen
- Lip Balm
- Toilet tissue
Total = 375 Gram
Aim for a total weight of less than 15lb / 6.5kg. If you choose quality items that I have list above you should have less than 12lb / 5.5kg as you baseweight.
Food and cooking fuel will add about 1 kilogram per day on average. Water weight is extra again, at 1 kilogram per litre!
And be sure to use the Farout Guides App, formally known as Guthook. This is the best offline interactive maps for the trail
Read Next : Complete Guide to Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail – including a daily hiking journal.
Read all the Best Hiking Gear Reviews from BikeHikeSafari.
Consider sharing this post or downloading my ultralight gear list.
Enjoy the trail.
Cheers Shepherd – PCT15, CDT16, AT17, TA18-19 and still thru hiking.
The link to the updated gear list is not working. Would you please fix it. I’m going this year and have been using your blog extensively for planning. Thanks for putting in the effort to create this.
Hi Stephen, I’m away from good access to Internet, I’m using my phone to answer this message. I should be in civilisation in a week or so and I’ll check out the problems with the links. Good luck with you hike in the PCT, it’s an amazing hike. If I can answer any questions you have let me know.
I have updated the link, should be all good now.
Hi Brad, sorry to bother you with a question while you are hiking, but i was wondering how the fly creek tent is for you? I am looking at purchasing a tent and its all a bit daunting (and pricey). Your tent decent in the conditions? Easy to set up? Thanks in advance, and thanks for your blog!
Hi Anna. The Fly Creek is a great lightweight hiking tent that is easy to set up, waterproof and stable in high winds. With only one entry it’s a bit difficult to enter. I prefer the copper spur. Check it out it is a better option, I will replace my tent with the copper spur in the next month.
Choke down some concrete and leave all those luxuries behind! LOL
Thomas
Haha, a lot will be left behind over time. As if deodorant or soap will make a difference after the first week, I’m guessing about 1 kg lighter within the first week, both me and the pack!
No significant comments. Most people are around 6.8Kg/15lbs so you’re a little heavier than average, but I assume you’re a young healthy guy and can handle the slight increase in weight. Then there is always the alcohol vs canister debate especially with fire bans due to the drought (https://www.pcta.org/2014/2014-pct-fire-restrictions-california-16670/). Finally I carried printed Halfmile maps and used them on several occasions, but I think you could get along without them. I just like having the (1) backup, and (2) overview that they provided. My go-to iPhone app was Guthooks first, and Halfmile second. I didn’t use PCTHYOH app although I had it.
I’m using guthook and halfmile on the iPhone only, no paper maps. I’ve used alcohol stoves for a while and was happy. Will have to wait and see about fire restrictions, might go stove less for a section or 2. Once again thanks for your advice
So nice to see weight in grams and kilos! Most of the American blogs I read are all pounds! Gives me a better idea on things. Aiming to buy a pack soon… The osprey sounds decent! Cheers and I look forward to reading your PCT adventure!
Thanks. I just don’t get, ounces, pounds, gallons and even worse, Miles. It takes so much longer to hike 1 mile compared with 1 kilometer!
I hear ha! I don’t get any of it either. Will be nice to follow your blog and see how many km’s you do in a day!
It might be very hard for me to convert from Miles to Kilometers as all the maps and trail notes are in Miles. Not sure if I have the patience to convert them all the time for the blog, we shall see how I go over time. Just keep an eye on the magic number of 20 miles (32 kilometers). That’s how much I need to cover everyday on average. Although I’ve planned a slower start with less Kilometers, I mean Miles until the body is trail fit.
Did an 85 mile in 24 hour walk a couple of years ago… Brutal…. I think I was wandering mindlessly at one point… No idea of what was going on. It’s called The Parish Walk and is held on the Isle of Man (GB). I made the line with 3 minutes to spare.
Mark, that’s nuts. Not sure I’d ever be up for that distance. Thats like 3 marathons in 24 hours!
About 1,700 start at 8am on the summer solstice weekend, and about 10% of those make it the entire way. Not many first timers apparently, so I was well chuffed! My lovely lady (Amanda who passed away 17 months ago) completed 45 miles before her feet became a mess. Awesome effort on her behalf considering she wasn’t even firing on all cylinders. I couldn’t drive for two weeks afterwards due to severe swelling of both anterior tibialis. Basically incredibly severe shin splints. I couldn’t hinge my ankles. Not good! Ha ha!
Holy shit! 20 miles is 32km? I’ve read blogs where people have done 30 miles in a day! Wow. Good luck with your kilometre/mileage!
There will be 50km days, I’ve already done loaded training hikes covering that distance, but more about that another week!
Great list. Do you have your permit yet? What is your start date?
Yeah, got the permit, start on 19th April. It can’t come soon enough
Great planning, superb equipment Brad!
Cheers Mate