PCT Gear List: What Has Changed?

First off, let me connect you with an article about what I carried on the Appalachian Trail, here.

Now that some background has been provided, let’s talk about what has changed.

The Big Three

I loved my Gossamer Gear tent and my Enlightened Equipment quilt so much that I decided to keep them in the lineup.

I did change out my Gossamer Gear Mariposa 60 pack for another though.

Here is why:

It isn’t that I didn’t enjoy my Mariposa. The opposite is actually true. Gossamer Gear makes a darn comfortable pack and, despite the 30 pound weight limit listed on the website, I have personally witnessed it hold, while remaining a comfortable pack, well over that on many an occasion and for lengthy periods of time.

Sure, there are things I don’t like about the Mariposa, but it served me well for the 2,201.9+ miles of the Appalachian Trail and the Amicalola Falls pre-trail.

For the real reason I’m going to be trying another pack, we have to go back to my second day on the Appalachian Trail.

After arriving at Hawk Mountain Shelter and pitching my tent in one of the provided spots, I stood around surveying the crowd that had collected inside the shelter. It had rained most of the day and the shelter was packed with mostly green hikers.

I noticed another hiker standing outside the hubbub. We struck up a conversation. One of the topics we talked about was our bags. He wanted to know how I liked mine and I took one look at his and loved it. We talked about switching bags for a few days. While this never came to fruition, I always admired his pack whenever I walked behind him.

Continue reading the full article written by Paul "Bowie" Madigosky here.