Glad you enjoyed it!

Thanks!

+Kale Scown will i be able to do laundry on the trail or will I have to put on wet from sweat cloths every morning.

You'll be able to occasionally do laundry in towns and (when you make it to areas with sufficient water) rinse out your clothes in streams/lakes but, because the air is so dry over here on the west coast, most clothing will dry out relatively quickly.

+Stacey Teel Thank you! I'm thrilled to hear that!

+Tonauac/Teonewhopossesseslight /Nahuatl Awesome! Hope it works well for you!

Alice Volkov how'd it go?

Sonya J Awesome! I wish I was better at sewing. I can repair gear and make simple things but it'd be nice to make more of my equipment. If for some reason your DIY kilt doesn't pan out, I'd highly recommend the ULA one as mine is still perfect even after more than 3000 miles in two years.

Kale Scown Heck, any piece of gear that has lasted 3K miles hiking is clearly worth every penny! I found a company that sells fabrics (including cuben) for making any and everything (found it when I was looking for a zipper to replace the broken one on my down bag) which is how I got the idea to make one of these rain skirts. They also carry parts for gear repair, which you might find useful if you haven't already heard of them: www.questoutfitters.com/index.html Good luck on your next PCT hike!

Thanks!

no problem!

+tyneedancer24 Thanks and good luck!

+Robert Applegate Should be easy to get below 20 without spending a penny or sacrificing comfort if you're brutally honest with yourself about what is truly necessary and what are comfort items. Necessary items = "There is a solid, REALISTIC chance that I will suffer injury and/or death without this". Comfort items = everything else that makes a hike more enjoyable. Once you have those two categories split apart, start whittling down your excess comfort items by taking out just-in-case things that are extremely unlikely to ever be needed. If you know any experienced thru hikers it would be a great idea to ask them to give you a shake down. Good luck and have fun!

+Brooks Mick Thanks!

I'll do my best to get a review out before I head to Alaska.

Oh! I...uh.. *runs away into the bushes*

Yeah. I talked to an rei employee before I left who said that, in his experience, deuters don't fit everybody (obviously) but those who they do fit, swear by them. I found that to be very true on the trail. Only a handful of people were using deuters but they all loved them with a fiery passion.

Thanks! I loved my tent and the company's customer service is wonderful. I've made two videos on food. One on my 2014 system and one on my 2015 system.

***** Glad you found it useful! That's exactly why I made it. The only camera I used was my iphone 4s.

Vonnie McB They were nothing special, just 18 gallon generic Safeway brand compacter bags. If you can find bigger I'd recommend it (you can always cut off the extra) as these were just a tad small but I had no choice.

No, I've tried the bivy thing before and hated it. Way too claustrophobic. If the weather is good and there aren't any bugs I'll cowboy camp, otherwise I like a full tent.

Kale Scown Very cool. Thank you.

+Lamorna Manning Stretch and exercise are the only things you can do to prepare for the stress of thru hiking. The compression shin sleeves do help but they wont solve the problem. I got shin splints again in 2015 while wearing them (oddly enough around the same area of the trail too) trying to run down a long decent. Took a couple of zero days and then was back on trail good as new. I would highly recommend them though. It's hard to explain how they help but once you've gotten used to wearing them and try to hike without them you'll understand.

+Jim Cox Truth be told I'm just waaay too lazy to put out a full list haha but I'd be happy to give you specifics on anything you couldn't understand in the video. What would you like to know?

+Kale Scown Ha. Each.and.every.item. ;) I think I got most of them, but it thought it would be helpful as a reference later. Was it a Ursack? What size, style, where did you get it? Üla Rain Kilt? Where did you get it? Was it a Jackery Bar External Battery Charger? Zensah Calf / Shin Splint Compression Sleeve? Is Smart Water just a brand of bottled water with which you used as containers? Therm-a-Rest Stuff Sack Pillow. What size? Sawyer Products Mini Water Filtration System, mini or other? Here, I started you a list you can cut and paste into the description if they are correct: Brand Names: Altra Men's Lone Peak shoes Apple IPod Shuffle 2GB Bearvault Bv500 Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 1 Tent (With homemade ground sheet) Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trekking Poles (Pair) (with duct tape wrapped around them) CamelBak 2 L Reservoir Coghlan's Backpackers Trowel Columbia Men's Silver Ridge Long-Sleeve Shirt Columbia Men's Silver Ridge Convertible Pant Darn Tough Vermont Men's Merino Wool Micro Crew Cushion Hiking Socks Deuter ACT Zero 50 + 15 Pack Dr. Bronner's Magic Soaps GoLite Chrome Dome Trekking Umbrella, Chrome (Company Bankrupt) GoLite Selkirk 850 down jacket (Not highly recommended, Company Bankrupt) Jackery Bar External Battery Charger Leatherman 831925 Juice S2 Multitool Marmot Helium Sleeping Bag: 15 Degree Down (Kept in small Sea to Summit compression sack) Marmot PreCip® Jacket Mountain Hardwear Men's Micro Dome MSR PocketRocket Stove (inside kettle) MSR Titan Kettle (Bandana inside to dampen noise. Spare lighter, extra strike fire lighter (flint and steel). Fuel. Native sunglasses Petzl Tikka XP Headlamp REI Campware Soup Spoon REI Gloves (No CoolMax on their website)) REI Therm-o-Compass Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net Sawyer Products Water Filtration System (Large) Smart Water bottles (1.5 liter to collect dirt water. Smaller bottle (1L?) with smart top for clean water and to replace the need for syringe to backlash Sawyer), Gatorade bottle for wide mouth, Aquafina bottle cut off as water scoop. Target brand (CG) underwear Terramar Men's Thermasilk Crew Neck Top Terramar Men's Thermasilk Pant Therm-a-Rest Stuff Sack Pillow (Small) Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite SOL Sleeping Pad 3/4 length Üla Rain Kilt (Large) Ursack Victorinox Swiss Army Classic SD Pocket Knife Wet Ones Antibacterial Hand Wipes Travel Pack, 15-Count Zensah Calf / Shin Splint Compression Sleeve Generic: Bandana Chapstick (lip balm) Cooking: Bottle Olive oil; bottle hot sauce. Get just screw top bottles) Dental floss Emergency Kit: Backup battery headlamp, paracord, extra lighter, extra strike fire lighter (flint and steel), first aid kit with only what is likely to happen and what you know how to use) Hand sanitizer Hat (baseball cap) Ibuprofen Maps, permits, pen, Sharpie, “Rite in the Rain Outdoor Journal” in Ziploc bag Microfiber bag for sunglasses Mittens that flip over fingers, allow thumb access Nail-file Nail clippers Pack towel Toothbrush Toothpaste Trash compactor bag, plastic Watch Water scoop Whistle, pealess, safety orange

+Jim Cox Good god man! That's some serious effort! Ill have to make a few edits but thank you. Ursack S29 AllWhite bought from Ursack's website. Ula rain kilt bought from Ultralight Adventure Equipment's website. Yes, it was a Jackery Bar bought from amazon. Yup, Zensah calf sleeves bought from rei. Yes, smartwater is a brand of bottled water that is very popular to reuse for backpacking because of its shape. Small therm-a-rest stuff sack pillow. Large Sawyer Squeeze water filter. The mini is crap for heavy use.

+Kale Scown Thanks for the clarifications. Yeah, I can be a little anal, obsessive, and a compulsive list maker. Also I'm currently wired from a nap, coffee and the Paris news. I had to listen to what you were saying then search Amazon, REI or Google. Hope it helps you and other hikers watching your video. I always appreciate hearing what works for real world hiking, and like specifics. Everyone has their preferences, but still is helpful.

+Kale Scown Updated the list a little. Missed some things before and added some specific sizes to what you said before.

There are a few places along-ish the trail to buy Altras but now that I know what size and model work for me I just buy 4 pairs before the start (ideally whenever amazon has them on sale, which is frequently) and send 3 of them forward.

Cool..Thanks for the info. Shipping them seems the safer bet - especially to get the size/model like you said.

I love my fly creek UL1! It is fantastic in the wind and very very durable. If possible, pitch it with the tail end into the wind and it'll act like a shark fin. The regular UL series of fly creeks are solid but (as I learned last summer) the HVUL series are extremely delicate. I managed to rip the mesh and snap a pole on my HVUL2 despite being very careful.

Thanks Kale!

+Jordan Stoakes At REI.

What milepoint is it near? and how far off trail?

Along trail, mile 137

+Mad Flavour Disciple No. There wasn't enough snow on trail to make a switch practical.

Kale Scown Thank you!

It's called an Ursack Allwhite and they have a website you can purchase from

Honestly Oregon is my favorite section of the whole PCT. The trail is generally easier and it has subtle beauty (much like the desert) that I absolutely love.

That's awesome. I can't wait to see the ends of the trail.

+Will Richison I thru hiked in 2014 and did Mexico to Tahoe in 2015.

Thanks! Hammocks are not a great option for the PCT because there are many areas that completely lack trees for hanging like the desert and the high sierras.

Agree, that would be a big problem ;-) This is for the AT...

Well, I've never hiked the AT but I've heard that hammocks are very popular out there so they should be fine.

As I've never been a serious gram counter I don't have exact numbers, but, I know that I started off 2014 around 17 lbs base weight and ended around 15 lbs. Now my pack is sub 10 lbs and it's heaven.

don't judge me.

I think my base weight at the start was around 17 lbs and then I sent home 2-3 pounds of gear.

Thanks! Absolutely. I didn't meet too many people who didn't regularly listen to music while hiking. It really helps pass the time during your hours and hours of mindless walking and get you out of your own head.

+Kale Scown thanks for the reply. always nice to hear how everyone experiences their hike.

I use the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 and I absolutely love it. I have no plans to change to anything else.

+Jason Lemire sure seems like it

In 2014 it started around 17 and ended around 15. I never worry too much about the specific weight, just try to make it as light as possible.

I saw soooo many people start with those steripens and only saw one finish with it. It will break on you. Seriously, leave that hunk-o-junk at home. I would highly recommend some kind of filter in the desert as you will frequently be pulling water from really nasty sources (horse troughs, stagnant pools, road puddles, etc) and it will remove the particulate and make the water palatable. Aquamira is another good option as a back up once you have access to clean sources that only need to be strained through a bandana. Bottom line is: water is important and you don't want a system that is prone to failure or can run out.

Ok so I saw your filter and I starting reading reviews on it. Seems simple.

Aaron Shumate It is. Just be sure you get the full sized one and not the mini. The flow rate is more than double and only 1.5 ounces more. It's worth the weight penalty, trust me.

I would normally agree but there are some cottage companies that can't get their products into nationwide stores (because they are too small) but make higher quality packs that are more tailored to thru hikers needs than anything you'll find at an REI. Many of these companies understand the fact that people need to try packs on and will have great customer service and free shipping/return shipping set up for this.

Russ Ivey I was very satisfied with its performance. Small, light, strong, minimal condensation issues. I'll be using again this year.

Kale Scown Check out ExOfficio underwear.. they're not cheap ($25 a pair or so) but they have no internal seams, maintain a great fit, dry super fast, have anti-odor and anti-bacterial properties. Totally worth the investment, I feel. For water, check out the Source 3L hydration bladder and hose. They also have antimicrobial coating inside and are incredibly tough; there's a reason they are the hydration system of choice for Special Forces. As you were wearing holes in your socks, did you have any foot problems? Blisters or otherwise?

I'd guess somewhere between 15 and 17 lbs.

+Benjamin Roy I'd be happy to but I'm not sure exactly what bags you are talking about. If you could give me the exact time that the items show up in the video I'll tell you all about them.

10:28

+Benjamin Roy Aaaah. Those are my down jacket and rain gear stuffed into their own pockets. The big blue one is a Golite Selkirk down jacket, the green and white one is a Marmot Precip rain jacket, and the small blue one is my ULA rain kilt.

+Kale Scown thank you can you tell me more abour your sleeping system? and can you list the name of your sleeping bag, compression bag ang yours matress (the yellow thing at 27:58)

+Benjamin Roy No problem. I used a Marmot Helium 15 sleeping bag, a Sea to Summit eVent water proof compression sack, and a Therm-a-rest Z Lite Sol sleeping pad cut down to torso length.

Hammocks don't work for large chunks of the PCT, the desert being one of those. There just aren't enough trees to make hammock camping a viable option. You'll frequently be exposed completely or surrounded by nothing but scrubby bushes.

So maybe after the sierras would be ok?

Aaron Shumate After you leave the high sierras it is possible but you will still be limiting your campsite options. If you have the means to, I would recommend investing in a fully enclosed ground tent for north of kennedy meadows.

Kale Scown Yeah I am shelter junkie. I have the full eno set up minus the straps. I saw your Agnes. I have the same one, a scout and a seedhouse. I guess I will take one of those. I love the scout because it is light but had to do a mod to the door with some mosquito netting to allow more breeze to flow thru. Thanks for the tips. I thank you for inviting questions.

Aaron Shumate Have you done much Hiking in South America?

I have multiple times. Other than having to pay for shipping my blown out socks to them it is quite painless. They've never had any issue holding up their end of the bargain.

+backdraftvideos Lets be honest, everything there needed to be washed haha.

I'll have to try em!