The Pacific Crest Trail Gear Guide: Class of 2022 Survey

Written By: Mac

In the second installment of this year’s Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hiker Survey, we dive into gear for hiking the PCT. Pacific Crest Trail gear lists vary wildly between hikers and (spoiler alert) it’s impossible to find a perfect PCT gear list. That said, we can try.

I’ve organized this in a way that I hope will give a comprehensive picture of what gear PCT thru-hikers are using. This post covers the highest-rated gear, the most common gear, base weights, gear advice, and more.

The gear covered here includes backpacks, shelters, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, insulated jackets, rain jackets, fleeces, shoes, socks, stoves, water treatment, trekking poles, ice axes, traction systems, bear canisters, satellite messengers/PLBs, fitness trackers, luxury items, and more.

I will be publishing additional articles breaking down the women-specific gear and the gear used by couples hiking the PCT. I am sure that some of you will come up with comparisons you would like to see that I have overlooked.

This year, I’ve changed up the layout a bit and I think I’m happy with the results. Hopefully, the article flows a bit more smoothly and the data is a bit more accessible. The goal is for this to be a useful resource for PCT hikers, so if there’s anything that you think is missing, please leave a comment below.

I hope you enjoy this year’s Pacific Crest Trail Gear Guide brought to you by the PCT Class of 2022.