Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail and Gear Essentials

In April 2023 my partner and I set off on The Pacific Crest Trail on the West Coast of The United States.

 

The trail starts from the Mexican border in California and makes its way through Oregon and Washington to the Canadian border. Every year, individuals from all walks of life converge upon this 4270km path to undertake a monumental quest: thru-hiking the PCT.
 

 

Upon starting the trail we realised this was not going to be an average year as it was a historically high snow year and parts of the trail had over 300% more snow pack than previous years. We pushed our way through the Californian Desert, hiked through snow for the first time, got spooked by many rattlesnakes, hiked on the LA Aqueduct and made our way to the Sierra where we decided to skip past this huge snowy section.

We were hikers, not mountaineers.

 

 

We continued on with our hike through Northern California and hit the border of Oregon. It was a beautiful feeling to be in another state, but then the mosquitos started. These mosquitos really tested your mental state. Not being able to stop because you were getting eaten alive and constantly swatting your body. So we made a side quest and hopped over onto the Oregon Coast Trail. We had a little ‘walking holiday’ away from the PCT and completed 112km whilst getting our coastal fix.

 

 

Once back on the PCT and reunited with our Tramly (Trail Family) of 14, this trail really brought together some of the best people you will ever meet. There are not many chances in life that you will be able to be with such like-minded people, living out the same dreams and having fun every day. As a group we walked into Washington and experienced the most beautiful scenes, we jumped into alpine lakes, ate meals at epic summits and pushed each other to get to the end goal - Canada. 129km from Canada we were resupplying in the small town of Stehekin, when we were notified that the trail was closed due to the Blue Lake Fire.

 

 

As you learn on trail, nothing goes to plan and you just have to go with the flow. So as a group, we caught a few modes of transport around the fire, received help from beautiful trail angels, and walked a few more miles to finally walk into the Canadian border. It wasn’t the way we had planned to get there but we were finally there and it was such a surreal feeling.

 

 

This is a brief idea of my incredible PCT experience and here is some of the essential gear that helped make it happen:

 

1. BIG AGNES TIGER WALL UL3 3-PERSON TENT

 

 

This tent was home to me. It was spacious enough that we could always have our gear in and out of the elements. Having openings on both sides is essential for a couple on trail… This tent kept us warm and really stood up against the weather. Not to mention its durability. We set up and down this tent around 125 times… It was also not brand new to start with, it had been on my adventures for 3 years before we set off on the PCT.

 

2. SEA TO SUMMIT EMBER 2 EBII DOWN QUILT 

 

 

The PCT goes through several seasons so being from Australia I didn’t have the luxury of sending gear to and from the trail to swap. This quilt was perfect for me, When the weather was really cold I added a Sea To Summit Liner to add warmth, when the weather was warm I could just sleep with it half on me as a quilt it is so versatile. It was so nice to snuggle up to each night.

 

3. SEA TO SUMMIT THERMOLITE REACTOR EXTREME SLEEPING LINER

 

 

This liner really saved us on some cold nights when our quilts alone weren’t enough, as well as adding warmth to your sleep system liner helps keep your sleeping bag or quilt clean.

 

4. NEMO SWITCHBACK ULTRALIGHT SLEEPING PAD

 

 

On trail, I added a switch back to my gear for some added insulation and padding. It also doubled as my mat to get out for any break and to have my midday nap on.

 

5. SEA TO SUMMIT ETHER LIGHT XT INSULATED SLEEPING MAT

 

 

This mat has been my favourite for years. My main factor when buying this mat was the thickness compared to other mats, as a side sleeper I wanted to have enough padding for my hips so they didn’t touch the ground.

 

6. SEA TO SUMMIT AEROS PREMIUM PILLOW

 

 

Some people would rough it and not take a pillow… but that’s not me, the Areos is lightweight, folds up small and is comfortable.

 

7. BLACK DIAMOND TRAIL TREKKING POLES

 

 

I ended the trail wishing I could walk everywhere with my poles! These poles were like an extended limb of my body, hiking on all terrains is better with poles, I would never do a hike without these poles.

 

8. ALTRA OLYMPUS 5 TRAIL RUNNING SHOES

 

 

Whilst on trail, I went through 4 sets of shoes… and the Olympus were the shoe I kept choosing. The best aspect about these shoes is the wide toe box, they were light and durable for the tough terrain we were on. I would get around 900km out of these shoes.

 

9. INJINJI LINER CREW SOCKS

 

 

On trail, there was not a day you would find me without these on, as well as the majority of the rest of thru-hiking community! Your feet are being put through their paces each day so it's great to give another layer to prevent friction. I wear these under some merino wool hiking socks.

 

10. TOAKS TITANIUM D115MM COOKING POT - 900ML

 

My kitchen… This pot was the perfect size for me. There was no point that my meal was bubbling over the edges. My partner and I both had one and we ended up sending his home and just sharing out of the one pot. So we were able to cook two servings of our funky thru-hiker meals in this pot.

 

11. TOAKS TITANIUM LONG HANDLE SPOON

 

 

I am very attached to my long-handle spoon! There is not much to say about it other than there is no other spoon to compare to it.
It had a smooth mouthpiece, and a long handle so your grubby hands weren’t touching the edges of the pot or backpacker meals and you could often find me scooping out Nutella living my best life with this spoon.

 

12. GSI BUGABOO CUP - 410ML

 

 

Many hot chocolates were consumed out of this cup. It is lightweight and the perfect size to store inside my 900ml Toaks Cooking Pot. With having trail still to complete on the PCT there isn’t much I would change with my gear.

 

Thank you Wild Earth for stocking such durable and epic outdoor gear!

 

If you are someone who has been thinking about doing a thru-hike, do it! The adventure and connections you will create are something so special and something most people will never get the chance to have. Make it happen.

 

Not sure what gear you need for your adventure? Chat with our friendly team of Outdoor Gear Specialists in-store or online today and don’t forget to share your adventures with us on Instagram by tagging @wildearthaustralia and #mywildearth in your next post.

 

About the contributor:

Jacinta Pink is an outdoors lover from Cairns, Queensland. You will usually find her with a camera in hand, hiking, mountain biking or travelling around the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram.