Gear 

Those who know me know that I’m a gear junkie, so I could go on and on with this section for days, but rather than bore everyone to tears I’ve instead posted my typical gear list below for anyone curious.  The list is broken into two main sections—everything carried (minus consumables, i.e. food, water, and fuel, which can fluctuate wildly within a hike) and everything worn.  With only a few minor exceptions, this reflects both the gear that I carried/wore on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2016 as well as on each of my hikes on shorter trails since then.  On dryer stretches--like those on the southern PCT--I’ll throw in an additional 2-liter water bag, and for colder or higher altitude sections with long stretches of snow travel--particularly during the shoulder seasons--I'll add a pair of Thermasilk long underwear bottoms or a pair of Goosefeet Gear down pants plus a pair of thin ankle-length neoprene socks to keep my toes from freezing on my sandals.  Where it's required, I'll take a small bear canister for food storage.

I can’t say enough about the small cottage industry manufacturers—Mountain Laurel Designs (MLD), Hyperlite Mountain Gear, Zpacks, et al—that specialize in making very light, very thoughtfully designed pieces of gear that have been stripped down to the essentials and nothing more.  In many cases, I’ve emailed directly with the owners to make various customizations before ordering, something you’d be hard-pressed to do with the big gear companies.  If you’re interested in finding out more about any particular piece, click on the provided hyperlink, leave a comment at the bottom of the page, or contact me at [email protected].