PCT Gear List: A 9.1 lb Ultralight Kit Built From What Hikers Actually Carry
How we did this: we started from the gear PCT hikers actually used, as reported by 790 hikers in Halfway Anywhere’s survey of the 2025 season, then took every weight and price from the makers’ own pages, checked on 3 October 2026. Where a maker’s store blocked us, we used its most recent page in the Internet Archive. Where the survey’s weight disagreed with the maker’s, we used the maker’s. We have not field-tested this kit.
The average PCT thru-hiker in the 2025 survey started with a 17.76 lb base weight. The gear list below comes to 9.1 lb, and it is mostly the same gear: the most common shelter, quilt, pad, jacket, fleece, stove, filter and headlamp on the trail. Two swaps get it under 10 lb. We show both kits, item by item, so you can see what each pound costs.
The PCT gear list: a 9.1 lb base weight
Base weight means everything in the pack except food, water and fuel. Shoes, socks, trekking poles and the clothes you hike in are not counted.
| Category | Pick | Weight | Price | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pack | Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L | 21.8 oz (618 g) | $399 | Swap: survey’s most common is the ULA Circuit |
| Shelter | Durston X-Mid Pro 1, with sack and 5 stakes | 17.6 oz (499 g) | $609 | Most common shelter in the survey |
| Quilt | Enlightened Equipment Enigma 20°F, Regular | 21.19 oz (601 g) | $295 | Most common quilt; price is EE’s lowest option |
| Sleeping pad | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT, Regular | 13 oz (369 g) | $199.95 | Most common pad |
| Insulated jacket | EE Torrid Jacket | 7.6 oz (215 g) | $200 | Most common; EE’s “starts at” weight |
| Rain jacket | Montbell Versalite | 5.9 oz (167 g) | $285 | Swap: survey’s highest rated; most common is Frogg Toggs |
| Fleece | Senchi Designs A90 Half-Zip Hoodie, M | 4.4 oz (125 g) | $115 | Most common fleece |
| Stove | MSR PocketRocket 2 | 2.6 oz (74 g) | $49.95 | Most common stove |
| Pot | Toaks Light 650 ml cup with lid | 2.7 oz (77 g) | $36.95 | Weight and price from Zpacks’ listing |
| Water filter | Sawyer Squeeze | 3 oz (85 g) | $45.95 | Most common; Sawyer’s field weight |
| Water bag | CNOC VectoX 2 L | 3.25 oz (92 g) | $26.99 | |
| Headlamp | Nitecore NU25 UL | 1.59 oz (45 g) | $36.95 | The NU25 is the most common headlamp |
| Battery | Nitecore NB10000 Gen 4 | 4.9 oz (139 g) | $69.95 | Weight and price from Zpacks’ listing |
| Satellite messenger | Garmin inReach Mini 3 | 4.3 oz (122 g) | $449.99 | Replaces the survey’s Mini 2 |
| Everything else | Phone, cables, first aid, toiletries and trowel, pack liner and stuff sacks, spare socks, sleep clothes, beanie, gloves | 32 oz (907 g) | — | Our allowance, not a measured weight |
| Base weight | 145.8 oz (9.1 lb) | $2,819.68 | Before the bear canister | |
| Sierra add-on | BearVault BV500 | 41 oz (1.16 kg) | $99.99 | Brings the base weight to 11.7 lb |
Sources: weights and prices from Zpacks, Durston Gear, Enlightened Equipment, Therm-a-Rest and MSR (via Cascade Designs), Montbell, Senchi Designs, BearVault and Kahtoola, checked on 3 October 2026; Sawyer’s field weight and Garmin’s weight from authorised retailers’ listings. “Most common” refers to the 2025 survey. The survey lists the EE Torrid at 8.29 oz (235 g); Enlightened Equipment’s own page says it “starts at just 7.60 ounces (215g)”, so we use EE’s figure.
The most common PCT kit vs this list
Put the survey’s most common pack and rain gear into the same list and it weighs 10.6 lb. Two swaps save 23.6 oz.
| Category | Most common | This list | Weight saved | Extra cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pack | ULA Circuit, 38.5 oz, $299.99 | Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L, 21.8 oz, $399 | 16.7 oz | $99 |
| Rain gear | Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 suit, 12.8 oz, $32.99 | Montbell Versalite jacket, 5.9 oz, $285 | 6.9 oz | $252 |
| Total | 10.6 lb | 9.1 lb | 23.6 oz | $351 |
The pack swap is the better deal: 16.7 oz for $99. The rain swap costs $252 for 6.9 oz, and it drops the rain pants the Frogg Toggs suit includes. In the survey, 53.6% of hikers carried rain pants. If you want them, keeping the Frogg Toggs suit leaves this list at 9.5 lb, still under 10 lb.
Pack: Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L or ULA Circuit
The Arc Haul Ultra is the lightest framed pack here, and Zpacks rates it to carry 30 to 35 lb comfortably. Check the canister fit before the Sierra: Zpacks lists the main body at 8 x 12.5 x 29 in, and BearVault lists the BV500 at 8.7 in across and 12.7 in tall.
Check price →
ULA rates the Circuit to carry 35 lb, which covers the long water carries in Southern California and a full canister in the Sierra. It costs $99 less than the Arc Haul and weighs 16.7 oz more.
Check price →Shelter: Durston X-Mid Pro 1
The most common shelter in the 2025 survey. Durston quotes 15.5 oz for the tent alone; we use its “typical setup” weight, with stuff sack and five stakes, because that is what you carry. It pitches on trekking poles, so you need poles.
Check price →Quilt: Enlightened Equipment Enigma 20°F
A 20°F quilt is the usual PCT choice because of the Sierra and the Cascades in September. The Enigma’s sewn footbox saves the zipper’s weight. Before buying from Enlightened Equipment, read the survey author’s note on the company, linked from the survey page.
Check price →Sleeping pad: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT
Therm-a-Rest lists 13 oz for the Regular. It was on sale for $149.89 on Cascade Designs’ store when we checked.
Check price →Insulation and rain gear
The EE Torrid, the survey’s most common insulated jacket, uses 2 oz/yd² Climashield APEX synthetic insulation, which EE says keeps its warmth when damp. It starts at 7.60 oz and costs $200.
The Montbell Versalite was the survey’s highest-rated rain shell: 5.9 oz, 3-layer, with pit zips, for $285. We compare it with the EE Visp, Zpacks Vertice and Montbell Torrent Flier in Montbell Versalite vs EE Visp.
The Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 suit is the most common rain gear on the trail: jacket and pants for 12.8 oz and $32.99.
Bear canister: BearVault BV500
The PCTA lists canister requirements in parts of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and the Inyo, Sierra and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests, and in all of Yosemite, the Lake Tahoe Basin, Desolation Wilderness and Lassen Volcanic National Park. In Washington, the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest issued a food storage order in 2023. Use a canister on each agency’s approved list.
Check price →Permits and rules that change the list
- Long-distance permit: free from the PCTA for 500 or more continuous miles.
- Stove: a California Campfire Permit is required to cook on a camp stove in most of California. Oregon and Washington do not require one.
- Canada: the Canada Border Services Agency ended its PCT entry permit on 31 January 2025. Crossing into Canada on the trail is prohibited, so northbound hikers walk back south from the terminus to Harts Pass.
- Snow: early-season Sierra hikers add traction. Kahtoola lists MICROspikes at 11.9 oz a pair in size M, $89.95.
FAQ
What base weight do PCT hikers actually carry?
In Halfway Anywhere’s survey of 790 hikers from the 2025 season, thru-hikers started at an average base weight of 17.76 lb and finished at 15.92 lb. The kit on this page comes to 9.1 lb before the bear canister.
Is a sub-10-pound base weight realistic on the PCT?
Yes, outside the Sierra. This list comes to 9.1 lb, but the BearVault BV500 adds 41 oz where canisters are required, which takes it to 11.7 lb. Snow gear in an early-season Sierra adds more: Kahtoola lists MICROspikes at 11.9 oz a pair in size M.
What is the most popular backpack on the PCT?
The ULA Circuit, in ULA’s own words the most popular pack on the trail for four years running per the Halfway Anywhere survey. It weighs 38.5 oz. We swap it for the 21.8 oz Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L to get under 10 lb.
Where do you need a bear canister on the PCT?
The PCTA lists parts of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and the Inyo, Sierra and Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests, plus all of Yosemite, the Lake Tahoe Basin, Desolation Wilderness and Lassen Volcanic National Park. Canisters must be on the approved list of the agency managing each area.
Do I need a permit to use a stove on the PCT?
In most of California, yes: the PCTA says a California Campfire Permit is required to cook on a camp stove. Oregon and Washington do not require one. Long-distance hikers covering 500 or more continuous miles can get a free interagency PCT Long-distance Permit from the PCTA.
Can you still hike into Canada at the end of the PCT?
No. The Canada Border Services Agency ended its PCT entry permit on 31 January 2025, and crossing the border on the trail is now prohibited. Northbound hikers tag the northern terminus and walk back south to Harts Pass, the nearest road.
The bottom line
You do not need unusual gear to get under 10 lb on the PCT. The most common kit on the trail already comes to 10.6 lb with our allowance for small items. Swapping the ULA Circuit for the Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 60L saves 16.7 oz for $99 and is enough on its own. The Montbell Versalite saves another 6.9 oz if you can do without rain pants. Plan for 41 oz more in the Sierra, where the bear canister is required.
