Gear for the PCT: My Big 3

Description

** Stuff/Gear I Mention in this Video **

Osprey Atmos 65 - http://amzn.to/2sDnQIg

ZPacks Arc Blast 50 - http://www.zpacks.com/backpacks/arc_blast.shtml

Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 - http://amzn.to/2t5IyxX

SMD Skyscape Trekker -

http://sixmoondesigns.com/collections/tents/products/skyscape-trekker

ZPacks Duplex -

http://www.zpacks.com/shelter/duplex.shtml

EE Revelation 20 Quilt - http://enlightenedequipment.com/revelation/

ThermaRest Neo Air X lite - http://amzn.to/2nOaOkA

ThermaRest Z-Lite - http://amzn.to/2vmTESq

Aeros UL Pillow - http://amzn.to/2sTPXja

PCT Trail Days - http://www.pctdays.com

AT Gear List - https://darwinonthetrail.com/2016/05/03/darwins-2016-at-gear-list/

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Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/darwinonthetrail

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*** Gear Used to Shoot this Video! ***

- Camera -

Canon EOS T6i - http://amzn.to/2kACQOU

- Lense -

Canon EFS 24mm - http://amzn.to/2mSAXSn

- Sound -

TakStar Shotgun Mic - http://amzn.to/2kMsAnM

- TriPod -

Targus 360 Trigger Tripod - http://amzn.to/2kMsU5Y

------Intro & Animation By: BlackStrap Media------

https://blackstrapmedia.com

------- Music By: Mike Boren --------

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Tags: Thru-Hiking Gear,PCT 2018,Pacific Crest Trail,Thru-Hike,UL Backpacking,UL Gear,Hiker Trash,Gear List,Big 3,Zpacks,Zpacks Duplex,Zpacks Arc Blast,Enlightened Equipment,Revelation Quilt,Backpacking Quilt,Hiking,Backpacking,Adventure,Long Distance Hiking,AT,Appalachian Trail,AT Thru-Hike,CDT,AZT,PCT Thru-Hike,PCT Gear list

Video Transcription

hey guys it's Darwin so next week I'm going to be headed out to PCT Trail days in Cascade Locks Oregon and I figured it was a great time to start talking about the gear that I'm going to be carrying next year on my PCT through hike so today we're talking about my big three [Music]

[Applause]

all right so since snuggle tonight got off of the 80 last year in 2016 I've been spending a lot of time trying to get my gear dial down for my PCT thru-hike in 2018 doing some smaller trips like the Arizona Trail section that I went on and the CDT section that I went on just this past April I've tried to dial down work with and field test gear that I would possibly be carrying on my PCT thru-hike I've tried a couple different packs I've tried a couple different tents and a couple different sleep systems and I finally narrowed it down to my big three that I'm going to be going with next year so first off let's talk about my pack during my 80 through hike I carried the Osprey at most sixty-five pack I absolutely loved that pack it held up great and I put it through a lot of Hell but for my PCT through hike like all through hikers on the PCT I'm trying to get my base weight down as well as I possibly can because on the PCT you have to carry extra water in big sections that to carry extra types of gear a bear canister in some sections and even an ice axe and crampons so even though I absolutely loved that Osprey at most it was definitely a little bit heavier of a pack and I knew that I wasn't going to want to take it on my PCG thru-hike so the pack that I decided to go with is the Z packs arc blast 50 liter pack it's a cuben fiber packed it's a top load so that means it has no zippers or extra pockets on it and the total pack weighs in at twenty point five ounces now that's twenty point five ounces with some of the accessories that I've added on like I put this water bottle holder on there and I put a little pouch here on the bottom so I can carry my snacks carry my phone and other types of things and I'm not completely done with that I'm thinking about adding another pouch and maybe even another bottle holder because I will have to carry a lot of extra water now not too long ago I did a full review on this pack and if you want to check that out I'll put the link up here in the corner and you can go see all the specs on the pack but from taking it out on small backpacking trips around New Mexico and for my CD t-section hike that I did in April I absolutely loved it and it's going to be perfect for what I need next year now next up is my shelter I've went through a handful of different options to this point of a tent that snuggle tonight period in 2015 and 16 on the 80 with the Big Agnes copper spur ul - a great tent but definitely a little bit heavy and maybe a little bit too roomy for what I need for next year on the PCT now the first tent that I went with and the one that I thought that I would be caring for my thru-hike was the six moons design skyscape trekker it's the tent that I took out with me on the Arizona Trail and the tent that I took out with me on my section hike of the CDT it worked great for that but I had a handful of problems with it the bathtubs seemed to be a little too short I didn't really like the way it pitched and for the weight I knew I could get a little bit lighter so about two months ago I decided to finally ditch that tent I was done with it and I decided to pick up a z-pack duplex Cuban five or ten and I love this thing I've taken it just out on a handful of small trips it's everything that I want in a tent for the PCT it has a super huge bathtub it's amazingly roomy it sets up with trekking poles so far I've gotten a perfect pitch almost every time that I've set it up in with the stakes the stuff sack the guylines everything but my trekking poles it only weighs 22 ounces so it's crazy like crazy roomy and it's definitely going to help me keep my pack weight down now these are for sure expensive tents and I paid almost $600 for it but I'll tell you what I've always been a big believer in the buy once cry once theory you know I went through two tents to this point to get what I really wanted and that was money and time that I spent and I could have just got this in the first place and then super happy so next up is my sleep system and I'm pretty much going with the exact same setup that I had in 2016 on the Appalachian Trail and that's my enlightened equipment revelation 20 quilt so I've set it in a handful of my other videos this is absolutely my favorite sleeping bag it's a quilt that I've ever owned out of all the other sleep systems that I've had I love it because of how versatile it is so on the PCT over going through a bunch of different terrains for that first 700 miles I'll be in the desert then I'll be in the mountains then I'll be lower again then it will be super rainy this thing has proved itself in every condition that I've ever put it in so this is definitely the bag that I'm going with for next year so for the quilt the pad straps and my Deepak's Cuban fiber stuff sack this guy comes in at 26 ounces so for a bag that does everything and you can use in any seasons 26 ounces is pretty damn amazing so obviously no Sleep System is complete without a sleeping pad so I'll actually be using two different sleeping pads during my PCT thru-hike number one for that first 700 miles until I get to Kennedy meadows since I'll be going through mainly all desert I'm going to be using the therm-a-rest Z light it's a closed foam cell pad you don't have to blow it up it only weighs 15 point 4 ounces and the main reason that I'll be carrying this is number one I've had some passed PCT hikers tell me to not use an inflatable pad in the desert and living here in New Mexico I know better than that you have tons of these little things called goat heads and mesquite thorns cactus needles that can pop your pad very easily the other reason is for that first 700 miles I really plan on putting in big miles everyday and when I get to camp at night I don't want to sit there and blow my pad up so this will definitely be a lot easier just to throw it out and go to bed but once I get to Kennedy Meadows I'll be sending this guy home to snuggles and show these sending me my go-to pad which is the therm-a-rest NeoAir x light it's the pad that I used in 2015 and 2016 on the 80 it's a three inch pad it has a nice high r-value

it's crazy comfortable and it only weighs slightly a little bit more than the other one at sixteen point five ounces this thing has been really tried and true for me over the last couple years and hopefully it will hold out until the end of my PCT thru-hike as well I put a lot of miles on this thing and it's still going strong and then of course I have my sea2summit arrows ultra light pillow definitely a luxury item but it only weighs two ounces and it gives me a lot better sleep on the trail so that's definitely going with me as well so for my big three for the PCT that's my pack my shelter and my sleep system it's 85 point nine ounces or five point three pounds so five point three pounds is not too shabby for my big three could it be lighter sure but I'm pretty happy with that and I think that I'll be super comfortable for my through height so like I said next week I'll be headed out to Cascade Locks Oregon for PCT Trail days to meet up with some other hiker trash get out on the trail a little bit and talk to some gear companies like Z packs so I'm super looking forward to that and also in the next coming months I'm going to be doing more of these PCT gear videos but I'm going to be breaking down certain pieces of gear and certain categories of gear of what I'll be carrying next year so I'll be doing electronics video showing you all the stuff that I'll be carrying electronically it's going to be on me to shoot these videos be doing a full breakdown of my clothes what I'll be hiking in what I'll be sleeping in a toiletries and first-aid video in just a random video all the other random gear that'll have on me you know from my solar umbrella to an ice axe to a bear canister so keep an eye out for those decide to do these because you know just the typical gear video I've just shown you a full gear layout can sometimes be kind of boring and I've done those already so I figured this would be an awesome thing to do just to break down the gear and certain categories because maybe you don't really care about my entire gear list and you just want to know what types of clothes that I'll be wearing or you just want to know what my big three are so hopefully you guys dig them if you haven't had a chance yet go over and check me out on Instagram I'm posting a lot of new photos lately of some of the things that snugger than I have going on throughout the week pull up some pictures from some past hikes if you're interested in supporting this channel or supporting my 2018 PCT through hike and you haven't got a chance yet go over and check out my patreon page I have a ton of really awesome rewards to offer you guys for helping me along on my journey if you found any value in this video go ahead and hit that like button subscribe to my channel if you haven't already and as always guys thanks for watching [Music]

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