
Hiking Gear
Throughout the my triple crown and on other hikes I have learned many lessons. What gear works, what doesn’t, what I need, what don’t need and other valuable lessons. My hiking gear lists reflect these lessons and what I’ve learned.
Almost every thru-hiker, section-hiker or weekend hiker has a love affair with gear. Most love to research it, talk about it, use it or buy/sell it! Over the years I have owned my fare share. Each time I go on a new hike I replace something from my last trip. It’s a revolving door of sorts, as none of us starts as an expert and each trail is different. We learn as we go and refine out set up.
I put all my hiking gear lists I’ve used during my many hiking trips and my Triple Crown in the pages below. Read on to find out my Pros/Cons, What worked and didn’t, and what I would do differently next time.
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My first thru-hike was the Appalachian Trail (AT). Before the AT my longest hike was a double overnighter. I learned fast that a thru-hike is just a bunch of overnights put together but I also learned I didn’t know much. The learning curve was sharp.
By the time I got to the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) I felt like I know a lot more about myself and what I needed to thru-hike. The PCT forced me to once again to evaluate my knowledge and gear.
The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) was my fourth thru-hike and by the time I hit the southern terminus I had my hiking style and needs pretty much dialed. My gear was like that of the PCT with small changes and tweaks.
Checkout all my different gear lists from the thru-hiking triple crown and beyond at the buttons below.
My Appalachian Trail gear was simple and not that light. I took redundant items, thought I needed more and lacked the confidence to carry less. My lack of experience and trail confidence reflects my choices. With that said I did learn from the experience.
Also checkout my post “If I Hiked the Appalachian Trail Again“, to see what gear I would take next time and why.
My Pacific Crest Trail hiking gear was much more thought out and researched more heavily. Overall I was pretty happy with my choices at the time and looking back I would make minor changes here and there but nothing major. The PCT taught me I could do more with less and allowed me to gain the trail confidence I lacked before.
Also checkout my post “If I Hiked the Pacific Crest Trail Again“, to see what gear I would take next time and why.
As I touched upon above, my Continental Divide Trail hiking gear was mostly based off my PCT hiking gear list. I made those minor changes and refined my choices even more. My goal was to be comfortable but to keep my base weight as low as possible.
Also checkout my post “If I Hiked the Continental Divide Trail Again“, to see what gear I would take next time and why.
The John Muir Trail demands you have your hiking gear list well polished. The hike itself is rugged and at high elevation so you want to keep things light but you also want protection from the elements. I would only make two changes to what I carried on this list.
The Colorado Trail is almost 500 miles long, and will take your breath away. Miles of stunning forests, above tree line hiking, cold mountain creeks and more make this trail a true gem.
If I Hiked…Again
The If I Hike…Again Series is a collection of gear lists detailing what I would bring for gear if I revisited and hike certain trails again. I show what gear I used last time, what I would bring this time, and I explain why. I also give insight into my mindset for each trail and how that effects my gear decisions.
In depth look at what I would bring for gear and why, if I hiked the AT, CT, CDT, LT, and PCT again.
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