👇 GEAR FROM THE VIDEO 👇 The Mo Pack: geni.us/TheMo Flicker UL Sleeping Bag: geni.us/Flicker-UL Tiger Wall Tent: geni.us/TigerWall2P Xtherm Sleeping Pad: geni.us/xtherm BigSky Pillow: geni.us/DreamSleeper Pillow Patches: geni.us/DCF-Patch InReach Mini 2: geni.us/InReachMini2 Fenix Watch: geni.us/FenixWatch Gigapower Stove: geni.us/GigaPower Quickdraw Filter: geni.us/PlatyQuickDraw Versalite Rain Jacket: geni.us/VersaliteJacket Moab Shoes: geni.us/MoabShoes Darn Tough Socks: geni.us/DarnTough-Socks Ghost Whisperer UL Jacket: geni.us/GhostWhispererUL 👇 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS 👇 Plex Solo Tent: geni.us/PlexSolo X-Mid Pro 2+ Tent: geni.us/XmidPro2Plus Offset Trio Tent: geni.us/OffsetTrio Ultra 3R Sleeping Pad: geni.us/Ultra3R Ultra 5R Sleeping Pad: geni.us/Exped5R Helix Sleeping Pad: geni.us/HelixSleepingPad Zenbivy Sleeping Pad: geni.us/ZenbivyULmattress InReach Messenger: geni.us/InReachMessenger Speedgoat Shoes: geni.us/HokaSpeedgoat Frogg Toggs Rain Gear: geni.us/FroggToggsUL Trek 100 Down Jacket (M): geni.us/Trek100DownJacketM rek 100 Down Jacket (W): geni.us/Trekk100DownJacketW Uniqlo Down Jacket (M): geni.us/UniqloDownJacketM Uniqlo Down Jacket (W): geni.us/UniqloDownJacketW

Atom Packs getting a shout out, big up the UK! Love my Mo

Because it`s so very warm, what you can do with the xtherm NXT in not especially cold conditions, is let more air out. Have just enough so your hip is just clear of the ground. Hip sticks out the most. That means lots of give and super cushy. With a cooler pad you're a little cold when you do that. The Xtherm has insulation to spare. If you're back sleeping it`s more contoured. I`ll also put any spare cloths under the top end to get some curve going. Usually in the pack liner. A 4mm bit of closed cell foam stops it all sliding about. The wide xtherm of course.

I love the feathered friends flicker sleeping bag. I use mostly in quilt mode and works great for two reason for myself. One they are certified hypoallergenic which is great cause normally I can’t use down gear. And two I back pack with my dog and it helps the both of us feel like we are at home cause he likes to sleep under my top blanket at home.

I've head bloody and blistery foot problems for years. Mostly inspired by you I'm into my first hiking season with Hoka shoes now and I simply walk blister and blood free on foamy clouds Thank you sooo much! I've been unsucessfully trying different things for years and the feet were the only thing holding me back.

Justin, I was so excited to hear that you're trying the Flicker UL hybrid sleeping bag/quilt! I absolutely LOVE my Flicker as I trust the Feathered Friend brand more than most others. 😉 I also have the Frogg Toggs Poncho and love it too! Good to know about the In Reach Messenger! I was looking at the In Reach Mini 2 but $400 is a big much to spend when I already have a Handie Talkie for HAM radio.

I rigged a neat water carrying system on my pack: I use 2 Onewind ridgeline pouches fitted kind of horizontally on my rib cage, hanging above my hip belt (front hooked on shoulder straps, rear on the pack; A soft Platypus 1 litre fits easily in there, carries and balances great, easy reach. Bonus: on hot days with frequent water sources, it acts as a potent heat sink to help cooling.

Great seeing an Atom Packs Pack on your channel. I just completed 96 miles over 4 days on the West Highland Way with a custom Atom+ and it was great.

Thanks Halfway Anywhere for doing the PCT Surveys! www.halfwayanywhere.com/trails/pacific-crest-trail/pct-hiker-survey-2023/

Absolutely brilliant presentation man, professional work! 👏👏

I love seeing my local trails when you visit Arizona. I've been backpacking in the Mazatzals recently and immediately recognized the area. Truly one of the hidden gems of the state.

Enlightened Equipment makes a versatile model called the "Convert". It's a full-zip option that can go full bag to flat open blanket, or an in-between quilt with a footbox. Been very happy with mine.

Yahoo for Atom Packs!!!! I love my Atom + backpack!!!!!!

Justin, I've had the Snowpeak Giga stove for years, and it's worked well for me on my son's Scout outings. The trick I've found is to not crank it full blast for boiling water. It is more efficient to use lower flames that come just to the edge of the pot. It takes a little longer, but it saves fuel. Its only downside is that it's no Soto Windmaster... in moderate wi ds, it needs a wind block.

I've been super impressed with my Lightheart Gear rain jacket. Weighs about 6oz in an XXL. Its made from silnylon and definitely not breathable, but ultra waterproof and has generous pit-zips for ventilation.

Some good points. Dynyma is great but to save some money look for tarps/tents made from Silpoly fabric. The Decathlon jacket is good but they need to use Hydrophobic down and ripstop fabric and make the baffles bigger. For stoves, a good inbuilt wind guard is essential, saves fuel.

Barnhardt is a steady climb and can seem like a slog but Hawaiian Mist and Big Kahuna (when flowing) are worth seeing.

I am never buying another pack anymore as Atom Packs. They are absolutely awesome! I now have the daypack, backpack and both sizes of Fanny packs. All are the bomb.

I love my ul flicker wides. I get alot of versatility out of them.

I have the 1.0 version of the GigPower and love it. There was a titanium version when I bought mine, but I got the steel version.

If there's anything I've learned from Justin's gear reviews it's those pants must be really good because they're the only ones he wears 😄

You ate my goto guy for backpacking videos. (Sorry Dan). Wow. You spent a lot of $ to do this video. I owned the Tiger-wall UL2. Loved the room but it needed sooo much space to pitch. Sold it. Now only use my North Face O2. Sadly, it's discontinued. The Ghost Whisper jacket has far too many stitch lines. Every one is a cold line. I have the Decathlon and am very happy with it. Especially the price. My DIY bags have Climashield and SOL reflective blanket on the bottom it doesn't compress like down. Also, I put the zipper on the top, center. So much better than on the side. I really don't understand why manufacturers still put zippers on the side. Thanks Justin.

The AZT is brutal . I completed it on May 20th with a start date of March 22nd. I used the REI flash pack you did a video on, it survived and for the most part was a comfortable pack. That being said though I will likely never use it again. I didn't like that the hip belt wouldn't fold up and it was difficult to get into my zpacks single pole tent.

At 6:53 to the right on the AZT and down a little ways are a ton of flat places to camp. This is my favorite area. Hit me up sometime when you are out here and I will get you to some cool places in the areas you have been going.

I find staying warm is a great motivator for not rolling around when sleeping.

Not surprised at your review of the Moab's. I found them to be pretty lacking in cushioning out of the box so they've been modified by ditching the inner inserts and installing gel and foam inserts as replacements While that helps, they are now 'going to town' shoes and not hikers...

I would advise Against the Platypus Quickdraw filter as it only offers a 3 log reduction-99.9%- in cyst removal-Giardia and Cryptosporidium. The Sawyer Squeeze for example has a 6 log reduction -99.9999%- which is drastically better and will reduce your chances of getting sick especially on a through hike where you are filtering many hundreds of gallons over the 4-6 months on trail.

The Atom pack custom is actually my choice that I'm gonna be using next year on my pct hike its one of my fave packs, plus I'm a brit in canada and love that it's a British pack it's held up well in nova scotia

Versalite is good. Visp is better. (For serious cold rain, Outdry never wets out, so it can breathe in heavy rain, when most WPBs wet out). As you say, Frogg Toggs gets the job done. Bonus: FT is great for MYOG mods, such as pit zips, or front zipper for poncho.

Nice gear Justin, but I'm not so sure about those maroon pants. I haven't seen those on anyone's PCT gear list, lol.😁😁😁

Pretty interesting to see what the top rated gear is, especially in the context of the PCT. I use hoodless down sleeping bag that comes to a decently narrow point at the neck, and it unzips fully, so when it's a bit colder out I use it as a sleeping bag but when it's hot out I use it like a quilt. Not exactly using it as intended haha but I appreciate the versatility.

The ghost whisper UL can be found for $125 in the US. I've got two from a Columbia outlet, one with a hood one without for $125 each

I am a diehard Merrell Moab fan. Its all I wear and I've never had anything more than a tiny toe blister caused by my toenail. Wide shoe one size too big.

Very interesting to see a review of the top rated gear items for the PCT. A bit surprised to see a non US brand for the backpack although I know Atom Packs are getting popular outside the UK and Europe. I’m about to try their Atom 30L model on a 500km hike here in France. The Mo seems pretty awesome too, just overkill for my current use. You didn’t really mention anything about the Darn Tough socks, how were they? I like mine, although I haven’t put on enough km to really say. I went from the Altra Lonepeak 6 to the Timp 5 recently but haven’t really tried them yet. Although the Lonepeak are hands down the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever tried, I have plantar fasciitis and it lacks cushioning. I love my Montbell Versalite rain jacket, very breathable, and I sweat A LOT. Yes, pit zips are great. I haven’t had any issue with it, but I have to admit I’m just a bit skeptical with the durability. I’ll see. One last thing: although stretching seems like a good idea after a day hiking, I favor self massages with a cork ball. The reason is that stretching adds more micro muscle tears to muscles that already had plenty during the day. Runners these days tend to avoid stretching after trainings for that reason. Anyway, always nice to see your videos Justin !

For rain just use a lightweight poncho

Love my Atom Pack and Flicker!

This thumbnail goes so hard ⚡️

Been using the new nxt xtherm with a western mountaineering Apache.(sleeping bag is overkill for the summer but i wanted to use just one bag for everything. Super impressed buy the performance.

That was my first canister stove, but eventually settled on an Amicus. The Giga stove jets shoot out and not up...less efficient

XTherm on the PCT: NoBo desert nights are cold, the snowy Sierra can be cold, and Washington could be cold. But it's probably overkill beyond the Sierra and through Oregon.

ThanksJustin for sharing your experience. It would be nice to have a more complete feedback on the MO. And a comparison with the Arc haul ultra 60 l from Zpacks (lighter with an adjustable back but also comfortable?)

Always good. Thanks.

Amazed that you still have the OR ActiveIce sun gloves so intact. Seams on my pair ripped in less than one season. I still use them but I had to cut the tips off.

"How many times do you use the word 'through hiking' in your videos?" Justin: Yes

I can probably guess why Moab hiking shoes are highly rated. Trail runners wear out fast. And having to burn through 5 pairs probably isn't going to get a high ranking for you. There is also toe-box sizing. The Speedgoats (and wide pair) did not fit my feet and shoes like the new Altra timps are well cushioned while fitting my feet. The speedgoats are far from the only cushioned shoe now. Tread pattern wear, the Moabs are a tank in this regard despite the Vbram outsole that is on every shoe now.

I think it would be more useful to review the most common pct gear rather than highest rated. There is a big disconnect between the two. I was confused to see the items on the highest rated list because when I hiked the pct the year before, I rarely ever saw anyone using a majority of the things on that list. But the items on the most common list from the survey are a very accurate picture of what you'd actually see on the trail.

Hey Justin, thanks for the awesome content. When you use the inreach messenger, what's your strategy for attaching it to your pack?

Awesome video, love the info

I had the Moab years ago and they didn't work well for me. Shoes are probably the most frustrating for new hikers since feet are so different. I had to basically trial and error shoes until I found what worked for me.

Which trekkingpole is He using? Looks great!

I'm looking at getting my first pack and was originally looking at the Durston Kakwa 55 (Waiting on restock for the Ultra200x version), but this is the first time I've heard of Atom Packs and definitely has peaked my interest. If you had to compare the two, which pack would be preferred?

8:13 The rocks match your pants!😁

Very interesting subject, why so many people use certain gear

I don't get that down jacket. Those narrow baffles seem counter productive. And the price!

If you have a warmer pad you can use a lighter sleeping bag.

Thanks for you insights Justin, some of us just like the structure of a traditional tent better than the UL options. Out in the desert my friends prefer cowboy camping, but I always still bring a tent because I sleep better in them. Also not sure if 15 miles in shoes you have never wore before is a good indicator of their worth.

How did the horizontal baffles go? everything that i have had, that uses horizontal baffles, being a side sleeper by the morning the down has migrated to the sides.

Does anyone know what staff he uses?

Outchh

Outch

What's your hiking stick type/brand?

You did a review on the zoleo and said it was the best thing ever, and a lot cheaper than the Garmin? I have a zoleo and I love it. So what's better the zoleo or the new lightweight Garmin?

Nice gear review, but how did you select these items as the top rated PCT Thru-Hiking Gear?

Have you had the chance to try out the new RAB ultrasphere pads? Trust your opinion on sleeping pads :)

Thx for the video Justin Indoors!

Can you please share the name of your sun glasses?

Purple pants

Are those Mo packs ever in stock?

What an odd bunch of thru-hiking gear?

The mo pack, is it waterproof? Dyneema? Do you get a kickback if i use the links?

Weird every thru hiker including myself are rocking some kind of zero drop, wide toe box shows like altras

that stove is very bad at both fuel efficiency and boil time

"ive done this with a broken heart." Well you're in the right place if thats the case mate. The mountains heal.

Great video! But who wears Merrel’s🤔

This is so subjective. Specially shoes. They're personal just like underwear.

The pack looks way to small for your torso length.

Swear by them Merral Moabs. Won't get anything else from now on. go for size larger on boots.

Stretching routine video coming soon?

Justin, you're at the top of my list with your honest and highly valuable gear recommendations, however, please don't sing anymore! 😂

Can’t seem to justify spending almost $500 on a puffy jacket like that. Almost identical jacket can be had from closer to $100. Yes, I know, quality can vary a bit and there’s the manufacturing considerations, however, with the world as crazy as it is, this is one area you can save some serious money without sacrificing much.

hahahaha #trailmadness

Huh? Thru hikers with hiking boots? Since when?

Dude you change gear more than me, and I thought I was a gear junkie

Merrells are for dayhikes imo, not for backpacking.

Moabs are the most uncomfortable shoe I've ever worn.