2018.05.05 - Gear

A car is our office

Once again the moment is right for writing while sitting in a car. The same bunch of people as last time, meaning me, Susanna and Mikko, is heading towards the Pacific coast line. This time our destination is Seal Rock.

The past week has been busy, full of going through new gear, checking how it works, buying small items and food, packing and getting the electronics department ready. One could have been a lot more efficient while doing it, but we've kept it relaxed by doing something else in between and eating extremely well. Some PCT hikers get their stuff together in few days, some non-american hikers even order everything straight to Campo and have it ready-to-go in a day. For me, this process has now lasted 9 days and the coming 2 before taking the train still contains stuff to do.

There are lots of writings about gear and ultralight pack setups, and for good reason. Listing and writing down what you take with you makes you really think about whether something is necessary or not, and what kind of compromises you can do to balance the needs, comfort and weight. This helps you for the current undertaking, and definitely is gold for the trips to come. In the spirit of so many people before, I will list my gear setup here. I try to be exhaustive, so that every gram is visible and maybe clarifies what should be trimmed away. I urge you professionals to mock my lavish choices.

Big 3

The heaviest of them all.

When minimizing the weight of your bag, it is reasonable to start from the three bulkiest items: backpack, sleeping system and shelter. Originally I thought just to use my tried and proven Osprey Atmos 65L (2 kg) and Hilleberg Nallo 2, (3 kg). But as so many PCT hikers swear in the name of ultra light, I eventually settled in ordering an Exodus 55L frameless backpack and Serenity Tarp with Patrol Duo Bugnet from Mountain Laurel Design. I got these ideas from Isko Salminen, who did the PCT last year and keeps a truly great blog about his journey here. His reasoning also made me to switch from inflatable mattres to Thermarest cell foam one. I would presume it gets a bit tiresome blowing your lungs out every night five months in a row, as Isko pointed out.

I was in a need for a sleeping bag since I abandoned my previous one in Canada. I am easily persuased, so Ray Jardines book convinced me about the benefits of a quilt in place of a mummy bag. I ordered a Revelation synthetic quilt from Enlightment Equipment. However, I did not realise how big and eventually heavy this would be and now regret the decision a bit. I will still will give it a try. This will be my first trip with a tarp and at least that setup is super light.

• Quilt: Revelation APEX (1024g, $200)
• Liner: Sea to Summit Reactor Thermolite (258g, $47)
• Quilt sack: SeaToSummit Compression 14L (115g, $25)
• Tarp: MLD Patrol Duo Cuben Fiber (310g, $420)
• Stakes: MLD Stakes (133g, $25)
• Innernet: MLD Serenity Single Cuben Fiber (310g, $235)
• Ground sheet: MLD UL (68g)
• Sleeping pad: ThermaRest Z Lite Sol (410g, $45)
• Backpack: MLD Exodus 58L (454g, $215)
• Extra pocket: MLD Bottle Pocket (20g, $10)
• Extra pocket: MLD Shoulder Pocket (17g, $10)
• Extra pocket: ULA shoulder strap Large (51g, $20)
• Extra pocket: MLD H20 Sleeve Pocket (21g, $22)
• Pack cover: MLD Pack cover (71g, $30)
• 2 general stretch cords (34g, $3)

Total for Big 3: 3296g ($1235)

Clothes - worn

These are gonna be really dirty really quick.

As ever with outdoorsy stuff and hiking especially, the name of the game with clothes is doing it in layers as much as possible. I had a decent set of hiking clothes already, but as I noticed I can almost halve the weight by buying new, I did that. I dare to claim that I don't notice the difference between 150g and 250g shirt when wearing them, but when you have them packed up, weight quickly accumulates. I will start hiking from Campo wearing Patagonia Strider Pro 5 shorts, Columbia Featherweight Long Sleeve shirt and Ex Officio boxers. I am not sure if I like the Striders so I have my old Marmots ready in a bag that Susanna sends me if in need. I like pockets where you can put your hands properly as my fingers freeze easily.

On my feet I have Darn Tough Hiker Socks. People claim that the Darn Tough socks last up to the whole through hike, and if they break down, you can get a replacement pair for free from places that sell them. I've always been irritated about how easily socks wear out so this is amazing news.

The socks are gonna slip in to Merrell Moab 2 GTX Low Rise hiking shoes. I first aimed to start the hike with Merrell Trail Glove barefoot-like running shoes, but now that I tested them with full gear on, my shins were really feeling it. I probably would have been better off with Altra's, which seems to be the de facto standard among PCT hikers, but I couldn't order them with a decent price to Finland. Shoes were the one item I did not want to order straight to United States. Let's see how I fare. Moab2 is heavy shoe, but at least for me it is tried and proven.

• Shoes: Merrell Men's Moab 2 GTX Low Rise (1156g, $153)
• Shorts: Patagonia Strider Pro 5 (111g, $65)
• Socks: Darn Tough Hiker Quarter Cushion (71g, $16)
• Hat: Varusteleka army style (117g)
• Sun glasses: BBB biking sport (31g)
• Boxers: ExOfficio Give-N-Go Sport Mesh (71g, $28)
• Shirt: Columbia Featherweight Hike™ Long Sleeve (99g, $40)
• Buff: Coolmax (42g)
• Gaiters: Dirty Girl (32g, $27)
• Compression sleeves: Zensah (68g, $44)

Total for clothes worn: 1798g ($349)

Clothes - packed

For occasional use and style savvy.

In general thruhikers stink like dumbsters so I am gonna feel right at home, especially as I have only few additional cloth items. Extra boxers and two pairs of socks cover that. In addition, there's gonna be Outdoor Research Helium 2 jacket and As Tucas Millaris pants for wind and rain, Salomon Intensity tights and Patagonia Capilene thermal shirt for extra warmth, and Enlightment Equipment Torrid Apex jacket for even more warmth. Not much more. Throw in Outdoor Research Versaliner gloves, old Thermalite beanie, few puffs and Zensah Compression Leg Sleeves and that's the clothing reserve for you.

• Jacket: Enlightened Equipment Torrid Apex (238g, $175)
• Jacket: Outdoor Research Helium II (180g, $99)
• Trousers: As Tucas Millaris (57g, $107)
• Socks: 2 x Darn Tough Hiker QC (2 x 71g, 2 x $14)
• Beanie: Thermolite (39g)
• Boxers: ExOfficio Give-N-Go (71g, $26)
• Gloves: Outdoor Research Men's Versaliner (79g, $55)
• Shirt: Patagonia Capilene Thermal Weight Zip-Neck (175g, $99)
• Tights: Salomon Intensity Long Tights (182g, $66)

Total for clothes packed: 1163g ($655)

Electronics

Especially the Kindle is a luxury item, I doubt there is time to read on the trail. But maybe it pays back its weight if hospitalized, eh.

I am too big of a nerd so that I could keep this category at minimum. Many feel that even a cell phone is too much for a nature experience. For me, the total cost of this category competes with the cost of the Big 3, which is a lot. I even contemplated with the idea of taking my laptop (MacAir at 1.3 kg) with me, but reason eventually won that fight. Some people bounce a laptop in a post box by resending it along the trail to themselves, but that sounds way too troublesome.

Biggest bucks I spent was on Garmin Fenix 5x multisport watch. I had a Fenix 2 already, but it is a bit sluggish and the battery does not hold that long anymore. The new model sports (advertised) better gps accuracy, maps, faster functioning, and better battery life (if not using maps). So far the watch has really failed with the gps accuracy, being at times very unreliable. There are also annoying limitations to the seemingly cool features, and I would probably return the whole damn thing if had the time and patience.

Another Garmin device I bought for the hike was Inreach Explorer+. This is a satellite device that's main purpose is to act as an emergency beacon. I figured that it is a cheap life insurance, and you could track your path with more durable battery. I would also return this device if having the time (and patience). As Garmin just recently purchased DeLorme which has developed the device, it is not yet integrated to the Garmin ecosystem and the UI is very clunky. As a subscription based device it is also quite expensive. One could also argue that PCT is safe and easy enough trail so that such a device is not really needed, and just reduces the feeling of being out on an adventure. I kinda agree. I hope my opinion stays the same and I do not need to use the SOS feature.

What comes to documenting this trip, I really needed an upgrade to my camera. Doing a little Internet research revealed that Sony RX100 - line is almost unanimously the king of the travelling scene. As I am a terrible photographer and too lazy to learn, I did not want to spend a thousand dollars to the latest M5 model and decided instead to buy second hand the four year old M3 model. In retrospect, hunting a good deal from Ebay was not worth it as it took quite much time. At the moment I am jealous to Mikko who acquired Samsung Galaxy S9+ and is using it for all his nerdy needs. It shoots beautiful pictures and packs a powerful set of features. Not to speak about how handy it is when you can edit, organize and upload photos directly from your device.

In addition to photographing, as I am trying to vomit the contents of my head for you to enjoy, I wanted to get a (near) real keyboard. Writing in hand and transcribing that later, or just using a touch screen, did not sound appealing. Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard seems to be a good compromise between quality and weight, but I have not yet written anything proper with it. We will see how fast I lose my nerve doing that.

• Gps: Garmin Inreach Explorer (213g, $450)
• Watch: Garmin Fenix 5x (98g, $624)
• Camera: Sony RX100 M3 (298g, $484)
• For camera: Tripod (46g)
• For camera: Sd card Samsung EVO+ 256GB mSDXC U3 (2g, $117)
• For camera: Wasabi Dual Charger (23g, $19)
• For camera: 2x Wasabi batteries (41g)
• For camera: 2x 16GB Sd carD SDHC (4g)
• Phone: Samsung Galaxy S6 (138g)
• Battery: Anker PowerCore Speed 20000 (368g, $56)
• Reader: Kindle Paperwhite 2gen (207g)
• Headphones: Generic (14g)
• Charger: Anker Quick Charge 3.0 - 5 USB (213g, $36)
• Keyboard: Microsoft Universal Foldable Keyboard (179g, $101)
• USB-cable: 3 x Anker PowerLine+ 1ft (42g, $18)
• Adapter: StickPic camera selfie adapter (11g, $21)
• Mp3: SanDisk Clip Sport (27g, $42)
• For mp3: sd card 128gb Samsung EVO mSDHC (2g, $40)
• Card reader: MobileLite G3 (21g)

Total for electronics: 1947g ($1905)

Kitchen

My First Aid Kit is not for the UL enthuastic. Way too bulky.

The trip will be a one for many firsts. I decided to try cold soaking. Granted, Mikko has his camping stove with him, but I am prepared to eat just cold food. I felt my MSR Windbreaker was too heavy and I want to save the trouble of cleaning, waiting and dealing with gas canisters. This will be my first hiking trip without a stove.

It seems that most of the PCT hikers fare without a drinking bladder. I am a huge fan of bladders, as I tend to have hard time of drinking enough anyway. Dealing with the bladder with UL setup and a small backpack is a bit cumbersome, so it remains to be seen how big of a fan I remain.

• Filter: Sawyer Squeeze (85g, $40)
• Bladder: Camelback 3L (196g)
• Knife: Gerber LST UL (17g, $13)
• Spork: Sea to Summit Alpha Light (9g, $7)
• Cold soak container: Empty ice cream (55g, $4)
• Food bag: LOKSAK OPSAK Odor-Proof (23g, $13)
• Water container: Hydrapak 1L (37g, $11)
• Water bottle: Smart Water 1L with sports cap (44g, $1)

Total for kitchen: 489g ($169)

Sierra

Protection from the snow and the bears. I would be happy to get to use this gear, as you only need these after over 1000km of walking. Gonna be a long way to that point.

The Sierra gear was straight forward to acquire, as I just bought the most popular items. Except the micro spikes: I did not want to buy new ones as my old work just fine, and because of my big feet I cannot be sure if new spikes fit.

• Bear canister: BearVault BV500 (1162g, $80)
• Ice axe: CAMP USA Corsa (281g, $120)
• Micro spikes: old, bought from Montreal (393g)

Total for Sierra: 1836g ($200)

Documents

The travel pouch contains the paperwork and the 90s tourist look is perfected with the fanny bag.

It is amazing how much this category ended up weighting. I was thinking wether I should just drop the paper maps, but the general wisdom is even in this age that you absolutely should not just rely on electronics. I certainly could have skipped some padding in this section, but thought that I want to have my papers and cards in order, in containers that I am used to so I do not lose or end up destroying them.

• Passport (51g)
• PCT permission slip (4g)
• Canada entry permission slip (6g)
• Card holder: drivers license, 2x credit card, cash (95g)
• Paper maps (72g)
• Pen (11g, $2)
• Notebook (45g, $2)
• Travel pouch with additional documents (102g)

Total for documents: 386g ($4)

Misc

From this mess even more stuff finds it way to the bag. Unrolling toilet paper should be an Olympic sport.

Yet another one of the firsts on this hike for me is hiking poles. Apart from skiing and roller skating, I have never used such devices. Few practice runs tell me that I do not like them. Main reason for the purchase was that they help up setting up my tarp. I decided to copycat many other hikers with buying the fanny pack as my backpack lacks easy access pockets. I am just a bit affraid that it will start to irritate my frontal areas on a long journey.

• Hiking poles: Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork (482g, $133)
• Umbrella: Montbell U.L. Sunblock (178g, $45)
• Fanny pack: Thrupack Summit Bum (119g, $57)
• Head lamp: Petzl Actik Core (85g, $70)
• Head net: Sea To Summit (27g)
• Trowel: Deuce (14g, $20)
• Dry sack: Sea to Summit 8L (36g)
• Dry sack: Sea to Summit Ultrasil 2L (23g, $14)
• Dry sack: Sea to Summit Ultrasil 4L (28g, $16)
• Dry sack: Sea to Summit Ultrasil 8L (31g, $20)
• First aid: modified from Retki - hikers First Aid (126g)
• Compass: Suunto XXS (5g)
• Towel: Sea-To-Summit Small Towel (40g)
• Lighter: Pic mini (12g)
• Bear bag: ZPacks (85g, $50)
• Sewing kit: ZPacks Sewing (10g, $5)
• Mobile subscription: Freedompop ($33)
• Rubber bands: x10 general (18g, $1)

Total for misc: 1319g ($550)

Toiletries

This category is one where I could have saved some easy grams. I took a half empty foot cream tube as I suffer from dry feet, and could not find a proper sized tube in time. Filling up a travel sized bottle failed as I could not get the cream out of it anymore. The nail clippers and hand sanitizer are a bit on the heavy side also. It seems that you cannot get those great versatile small nail scissors that Fiskars make or alike here in Oregon.

• Foot cream (100g)
• Toothbrush: ZPacks UL (4g, $3)
• Toothpick for flushing (2g)
• Toothpaste: half empty colgate 21g (17g, $2)
• Sun cream: SPF 50+, 0.47 fl oz (36g, $4)
• Toilet paper: maybe 1/5 of a roll (31g)
• Repair tape: half a roll (23g)
• Hand sanitizer: Purell 59ml 2fl oz (74g, $2)
• Nail clippers (29g, $3)
• Velcro: a piece for gaiters (3g)

Total for toiletries: 319g ($14)

Conclusion

Most of the stuff in liners / stuff sacks. Compartmelization is the key to happiness.

Phew. My total base weight here is a whopping 8437g. Base weight usually means everything except clothes you wear and consumables (like food, water, and creams). The total is about 2kg more than I would like, but at this point I am too tired and a trail virgin to cut it down. I am somewhat sure that my attitude will change to more minimalistic direction in a week.

Also, my total expenses from these items comes up to $5081. I bought even more stuff that I ended up choosing not to use/list. That does not fatten the bill more than few hundred bucks. Still, in hindsight this is a huge amount of money. If doing it again, I would maybe spend only half of the total sum.

Dealing with this much of new gear at a time has not been that fun for me. I would rather try one piece of equipment at a time with proper adjusting period. The coming days, weeks and months will tell me how this chosen all-at-once-chaos strategy works. I most certainly will bitch about it if and when something does not work perfectly. Even as it will surely be my own fault.

Mine on the left, Mikko's on the right. I think Mikko has a better setup. Almost the same weight for him, though.