7/13/2016: Gear List

After months of careful consideration and mind-changing, My initial gear list is finally settled.

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Below is a description of how everything is packed.

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Below is a description of the clothing worn while hiking.

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Stay tuned come mid August for post-hike reviews!

11/5/2015: Priorities

At this point in the planning stage (Christmas approaching...), it is important that I shore up my priorities for new/needed gear. As mentioned before, I am searching for the items which give the greatest weight savings per dollar spent. Below is a link to the list (in spreadsheet form, obvi) showing the finalized new gear list. 

SPREADSHEET LINK

Priority is based on cost per ounce saved, ounces saved, pack volume saved, and necessity. By reducing pack volume, I am able to carry a smaller (and lighter) pack, therefore reducing weight. Items that save significant amounts of both weight and volume (like the shelter and sleeping bag) have been placed higher on the list. Items 1 thru 6 on the list are what I've deemed prerequisites; that is, gear that may or may not not save weight but are still necessary for the trip. These include things like a point-and-shoot camera and a sit pad, which add weight but are still something I want to carry.

Items 7 & 8: Immediately following the prerequisites is a new water filtration system, which consists of the filter itself (Sawyer Mini) and a water storage bag (Evernew 2 liter). Together, these 2 items cost only $36 and save 1 lb 3 oz (1.9 $/oz). They replace a heavier pump-style water filter and 1 liter Nalgene bottle.

Item 9: The next piece of gear is a new shelter; the ProTrail from TarpTent. My current shelter is a two-person REI Camp Dome (5 lb 1 oz, incl. tent body, fly, poles, stakes, and lightweight polycro ground sheet). The ProTrail is a lightweight, tarp-style, single-person shelter that relies on hiking poles to pitch. Consisting of little more than a tarp and shallow bathtub-like bug net/floor, its total weight (incl. tent, stakes, and polycro ground sheet) is only 1 lb 11 oz (3 lb 2 oz saved, 4.2 $/oz).

Item 10: At 6.0 $/oz, an Enlightened Equipment Enigma top quilt in place of my mummy sleeping bag saves almost 5 liters of pack space along with 2 lb 4 oz.

Item 11: A pair of Ultralight Rain Pants from AntiGravity Gear would replace my zipoff style hiking pants and save 10 oz at 5.5 $/oz.

Item 12: Next is a new cookpot. Moving from a nonstick-coated pot to an un-coated titanium one is made possible by the fact that I won't be doing any cooking of food directly in the pot; I'll only be boiling water for dehydrated meals (food tends to stick to titanium pots). In addition, the most water I'll need to boil at a time is 2 cups (16 fl oz, 475 mL). At 1.8 L (61 fl oz), my current pot is oversized. Switching to a SnowPeak Trek 700 will save 5.3 oz for only 7.3 $/oz.

Item 13: While the weights of some categories like toiletries and food can be minimized cheaply by simple research and diligence (and spreadsheets), the insulating clothing layer tends to be one where the only weigh way to save weight is to spend money. Even still, a new (goose) down jacket from MontBell (5.6 oz) would replace my (synthetic) down hooded jacket from Columbia (22.5 oz) at a cost of just 9.6 $/oz. In addition to being more lightweight than synthetic down, goose down is more compressible. This allows me to reduce my pack volume and weight even further.

Item 14: Hanging one's food isn't a legal requirement on the Oregon section of the PCT, but sometimes it will be necessary. For example, mice and ants are fairly common on the trail. The former have been known to chew their way through tents and food bags in search of tasty treats. Because of this, a simple method (meaning not necessarily bear proof like in the Sierra Nevadas) of hanging food is desired. The PCT hang is both simple and quick, requiring minimal gear. ZPacks sells a Bear Bag Kit, which consists of a durable (but lightweight) food bag (1.4 oz), 50' of lightweight cordage (1.4 oz), a rock sack (0.1 oz), and a small carabiner (0.1 oz). These 4 items would save 4.4 oz at 10.3 $/oz.

Item 15: The main way to save weight on my sleeping pad is to switch to a closed cell foam (CCF) pad, as opposed to an inflatable mattress. The downside to CCF pads is that they are (for me) terribly uncomfortable. The other way to save weight is to shrink the size of the pad. By switching to a pad that only extends from my head to upper thighs, I can shed about 1/3 of the weight and still maintain a comfortable sleep system. My empty backpack would typically serve as the remaining terminus of the mattress, resting under my feet and lower legs to provide insulation and comfort. A Thermarest NeoAir XLite (short length, 8.0 oz) would replace my REI Flash (regular length, 16.5 oz) at 15.3 $/oz.

All items listed are also on my PCT Pinterest board.

08/26/15: Chopped

Nothing is safe (source)

Current base weight is 17.7 lbs. Working my way through the lists again to see what else is a big contributor.

List of heavy items that could potentially be eliminated: sandals (TBD, approx. 2.20 oz), gaiters (LevaGaiters, 1.80 oz, $28), knife (Mora Companion, 3.40 oz), pack cover (ULA, 3.00 oz), sit pad (3.25 oz), mug (GSI, 1.5 oz), miscellaneous cord lengths (2.35 oz), and my grandpa's old candle lantern (old school REI, 8.60 oz). Eliminating everything would save 26.1 oz (holy crap that's a lot), but would come at a cost.

1. Sandals (2.2 oz, source) - These are for lounging around camp. I'm either going buy a cheapo foam pair or make them out of a blue foam sleeping pad from WalMart. I kind of love how ugly they are. Plus, they are lighter than any other options and are dirt cheap (can make multiple pairs from one sleeping pad). If I don't bring sandals, I'll be stuck wearing my hiking shoes around camp, which sounds annoying. I'd probably want to wear socks in the shoes but could go barefoot in the sandals. These will stay for now.
2. Gaiters (1.8 oz) -  This will have to be trail-tested once I get low-top trail runners. The idea is that they keep crap out of your shoes, but I'm not convinced this will be a problem. From what I've read, most of Oregon is packed dirt. This is in contrast to southern California (sand) and the Sierras (rocks) where gaiters would be much more valuable.
3. Knife (3.4 oz) - I already have a small folding knife (Gerber Compact Scout, 0.90 oz) included in my base weight. The question is whether or not I need this larger, fixed-blade knife. Pros: allows me to process firewood, provides a better sense of security/self-defense. Cons: weight (obvi), likely to have no fires due to fire restrictions, false sense of security. Apparently the only reason I have the knife is for a (potentially false) sense of security, so I'll need to decide if this is something that is 3.4 oz important to me.
4. Pack Cover (3.0 oz) - I'll definitely be using a heavy duty trash bag (1.5 oz) inside my pack as a liner for my sleeping bag and clothes, so I'm not sure a pack cover is really necessary. Plus, pack covers don't keep the pack 100% dry (the area on your back is still exposed), so water will work its way into the pack one way or the other. I think this is gone.
5. Sit Pad (3.25 oz) - I always said this was worth its weight, but nothing is safe at this point. Actually, I just read that the ULA Ohm 2.0 has a removable foam back pad weighing (1.5 oz) so this additional sit pad is out.
6. Mug (1.5 oz) - For lunch, there will be no cooking and therefore no mug required. For dinner, I'll boil water in the cookpot, then pour it into a freezer bag containing dehydrated food. The freezer bag sits in a reflectix cozy (size and weight yet to be analyzed) and the food is eaten straight from there (no need for a mug/bowl). For breakfast, I'll either be eating oatmeal or danishes. The oatmeal can be repackaged into sandwich bags or can be eaten straight from its pouch (although that may make it difficult to add fruit/toppings). However, I'll likely want to be eating 2 oatmeal packets per breakfast anyways, so I'll just repackage them into sandwich bags (and perhaps add the fruits/toppings beforehand). This means I can rehydrate, cook, and eat directly out of the bag (assuming my pot cozy works with both large and small bags). So, the only thing left for the mug is hot beverages. On the mornings when I'm heating water for oatmeal, I'll probably want tea or coffee and will thus need something to drink it out of. This means either drinking from a mug or drinking straight from the cookpot. My current cookpot is fairly large (1.8 L), and the orientation of the handle makes it too unwieldy for direct drinking. Since the most water I'll need to boil at a time is 2 cups (16 fl oz, 0.5 L), I could find a smaller cookpot that is smaller, lighter, and more suitable for drinking (new cookpot to be analyzed below). The other option I've seen is a cheap plastic travel mug. This would likely add 2-3 oz, but would allow me to hike with a hot beverage instead of trying to gulp it down at camp so I can start hiking. It would also keep the beverage hot for a long(er) time than an uninsulated metal cookpot. In conclusion, I think all this means that I should ditch the small GSI mug. If I want to drink tea at camp, I'll use the cookpot (if I get a new, sexier one) or get a travel mug (cheap, sexy in its own way). The travel mug also gives me the added flexibility of walking and drinking, which my current one does not.
7. Miscellaneous Cord Lengths (2.35 oz) - This is a group of cordage lengths on a carabiner. I typically bring this when using my Mamajamba tarp as it allows more flexibility in setup. However, the TarpTent Protrail is pretty much a one-trick pony so the only extra cordage I need will be for hanging food, clotheslines, etc. which I can accomplish with one 30 ft length (already included in base weight). For these reasons, Miscellaneous Cord Lengths (2.35 oz), you've been chopped.
8. Lantern (8.60 oz) - As bloody heavy as this thing is, I don't want to leave it behind. After my grandma bequeathed this to me, I knew I owed it to my grandpa to use it in a deserving way. I believe a month-long trek on the PCT is a as good a chance as I'll ever get, and that both my grandma and grandpa would be happy to know that I brought it along. However, I have two concerns: that it might get damaged and that fire restrictions wouldn't allow its use. I know I can come up with a safe way to store it (I'm thinking reflectix, maybe integrated with my pot cozy...). If the fire season allows, I'll bring it.

With these optional items gone, I just saved 15.3 oz. This is assuming I actually follow through with the gaiters and knife. Along with some other minor changes, my base weight is down to 16.1 lbs.

The list of heavy items I have to keep, but could replace, is as follows: insulation layer (Columbia Platinum, 22.25 oz), battery pack (Outdoor Tech Kodiak, 9.4 oz, $50 or Mophie Powerstation, 4.4 oz, $80), cookpot (GSI 1.8L, 8.05 oz), pot cozy (1.09 oz).

1. Down Jacket (22.25 oz) - Clothing is a frustrating category because unlike some other items, money is pretty much the only way to make any significant gains. I'm happy with the weight of the rest of my clothes (shirts, light jacket, pants, beanie, gloves), but the Columbia puffy jacket I have leaves a lot of room for improvement. A Montbell jacket (Ex Light, 5.6 oz, $200) would provide a pound of savings. At $12 per oz saved, it's not the best deal, but 1 lb is a lot of weight.
2. Battery Pack (9.4 oz) - For an extra $30, I can shave 5 oz ($6 per oz saved) by going to the Mophie Powerstation. I've tried my darndest to eliminate this brick all together, but I believe it will be the lightest way to keep my devices (phone and camera) charged.
3. Cookpot (8.05 oz) - Per the mug discussion above, I only need 16 fl oz / 0.5 L of cooking capacity as opposed to the 1.8 L I have now. The SnowPeak 600 (2.8 oz, $40) is a good fit and a pretty good value at only $7.62 per oz saved. I'll also get a lip guard (SnowPeak HotLips, 0.3 oz, $4) so I can use the pot as a mug without burning my face off.
4. Pot Cozy (1.09 oz) - My current pot cozy is sized to fit snugly around my GSI cookpot. If I do get the smaller SnowPeak pot, I'll make a new pot cozy that fits snugly around it. I'll still eat dinners directly out of the freezer bag, which sits in the cozy. This will likely only result in about 0.5 oz savings, but is free and makes packing easier.

Current base weight after all these (assumed) changes is 14.4 lbs. Hooray that's light! In reality, my pack will end up somewhere in between a number like this (15 lbs) and the number I'm at with my current gear (24 lbs). I have no intention of making all the changes I've listed so far, but rather analyzing which changes would give the most bang for my buck.

08/25/15: Doubt

Tarptent ProTrail (source)

Already wanting to change the shelter to a combo tarptent (Tarptent ProTrail, 26.0 oz, $209) for extra weight savings. It's still really cost effective at only $3.50 per oz saved. I went through my list again tonight and ended up at a base weight of about 18.6 lbs, higher than I want. I added a battery pack and updated some quantities and weights, resulting in the higher overall base weight. Downsides to the ProTrail are that it's not as large of a floor area and is not as flexible in that it is a one-piece tarp/bugnet system. Upsides are the weight and ease/speed of setup.

08/25/15: Three

Warbonnet Mamajamba tarp

The Big Three - shelter, sleep system, backpack. These 3 categories hold the greatest potential weight savings. Using only gear I currently have, my shelter (dome tent, tarp, ground sheet) is 5.5 lbs, my sleep system (sleeping bag, sleeping pad) is 4.5 lbs, and my backpack (62L, internal frame) is 3.0 lbs for a total of 13.0 lbs. Upgrading my shelter system could save 47.9 oz, changing from a mummy bag to a lightweight quilt would yield 35.5 oz, and downsizing my backpack might shed another 19.4 oz. A total savings of 6.5 lbs for $530 ($5.10 per oz saved) is a good investment. For comparison, spending $200 to replace my down jacket would save 1 lb, which costs $12 per oz saved (more than double the relative cost of replacing the big three).

My new shelter would consist of my existing tarp (Warbonnet Mamajamba, 18 oz), a Tyvek ground sheet (36 square feet, 7.6 oz), and a new bug shelter (BearPaw Minimalist 2, 15.0 oz, $135). I debated heavily about whether or not to include a full bugnet like the Minimalist 2 in my shelter system. With just a sleeping bag and headnet, I'd be protected from getting bit while sleeping. However, if mosquitoes are heavy where I'll be camping, it would be nice to have a "safe zone" that is big enough to hang out and sit up in. Also, an enclosed bug tent with bathtub floor will keep any crawly bugs at bay (red ants are fairly common on the Oregon stretch). BearPaw also has a single person bug shelter (Minimalist 1, 9.0 oz, $100) which would save another 6.0 oz and $35. Yet the extra space inside the 2-person shelter will be psychologically rewarding and will also allow me to keep all my gear in a bug-free zone. The Tyvek ground sheet will protect the floor of the bug shelter and will also give me a dry place to sleep when the bug net is not needed. I've been using the Mamajamba tarp for a couple years now, both for ground and hammock camping. It pitches very tight and has tons of room underneath it. My only concern is that I won't be able to pitch it high enough to clear the bug shelter using only hiking poles. If it does turn out to be a problem, an easy fix is to tie off to a tree for the high side of the tarp (head end) and use a hiking pole for the low side (foot end).

My current sleep system is a sleeping bag (Ledge Sports Featherlight +20°F mummy bag, 48.4 oz) and an inflatable pad (REI Flash, 16.5 oz). For a reasonable cost, I can save over 2 pounds by switching to an ultralight quilt (Enlightened Enigma 40°F, 12.9 oz, $195). I will use my existing sleeping pad since it's about as light as is available for a full length inflatable pad and is also super comfy. There's about 8 oz to be saved by switching to a foam pad, but as a side sleeper, sleeping for a month straight on a foam pad sounds absolutely terrible.

My backpack (REI Flash 62, 49.4 oz) is considered lightweight in traditional backpacking terms, but there are numerous 60+ liter packs available which offer significant weight-saving potential. I'm also somewhat concerned about the durability of the REI Flash, though I have no evidence to support that sentiment. Regardless, the ULA Ohm 2.0 (29.2 oz, $200) is a tried and true PCT backpack and ULA packs are perhaps the most common on the trail. While there are lighter options, they are somewhat less known brands and tend to be a bit “too light” (I never thought I'd say that). They have less substantial shoulder and hip padding and fewer features that I have deemed necessary (load lifter straps, frame structure, hip belt pockets).

With these new big three items, my base drops to a respectable 17.8 lbs. The longest leg between resupply points is 106.4 miles at a 20 mile/day pace, so the heaviest load I'll carry will be with 5 days of consumables which adds 14.8 lbs (9.8 lbs food, 4.3 lbs water, 11 oz misc/other) for a total maximum pack weight of just 32.5 lbs. Of course, this will rapidly decrease at a rate of almost 3.0 lbs/day, leaving myself with a sub 20 lb pack towards the end of my resupply legs.