2022 Apr-Aug AZT+PCT

  •   Category Price Weight
  • Food $20.00
    2.75 lb
  • Water $0.00
    2.2 lb
  • Clothes, Worn $0.00
    0 lb
  • Sleep $442.50
    1.63 lb
  • Shelter $272.00
    1.15 lb
  • Clothes, Carried $173.08
    1.04 lb
  • Pack $81.50
    1.12 lb
  • Electronics $123.94
    0.87 lb
  • Water $40.00
    0.34 lb
  • Ditty $24.47
    0.34 lb
  • Kitchen $6.80
    0.15 lb
  • Toilet $1.00
    0.06 lb
  • Navigation $60.00
    0 lb
  • Section: AZT Pine to UT $0.00
    0 lb
  • Section: Sierra $0.00
    0 lb
  • Total $1245.29 11.65
    lb
    • oz
    • lb
    • g
    • kg
  • Consumable 5.2 lb
  • Base Weight 6.45 lb

Prev: 2021 Jun 24-Sep CDT SOBO

Next: 2022 Sep CDT/NM SOBO

Results

Started AZT March 30th, then PCT May 9th.

AZT went well. Southern half was physically tougher, northern half was mentally tougher. Extra clothing in AZT northern half worked perfectly, used every item I sent.

If I do the AZT again I would probably use the Grand Canyon as the northern terminus, met someone who did that and it seems like a better way to spend a few days. I would definitely bring a gravity setup for AZ as good water sources are a once-per-day event and you end up hanging out there anyway. Might bike parts of the northern half as it was a pretty boring walk.

Gear-wise liked the running vest style pack, it carries weight higher and tighter than a Burn, unexpectedly found myself running a few times when it got light. Loved all the external pockets, put them to good use. CCF sleeping pad worked fine, would use again. Was cold one night in the low-20Fs, put my rain jacket underneath and was fine. Fleece instead of puffy worked fine, only time I was cold was hanging out outside drinking at a party in northern AZ -- could've wrapped myself in my quilt. Am sold on alpha direct fabric -- it's warm, airy and doesn't hold water. It has no stretch at all though, which makes getting it on and off a small hassle, and the fit is slightly awkward compared to fleece with some stretch. Slept in my fleece on a few of the coldest nights in the 20Fs and was cozy. Quickdraw worked well, no complaints; I would recommend it over a Sawyer. Got tired of squeezing and switched to Aquamira after San Jacinto on the PCT and never regretted it. Sent all my cold weather stuff from AZ home in CA except my trucker cap which I used in town, at rest and on a few colder days; it's warmer and more comfortable than the visor but is way too hot to use all the time. Set up my Gatewood Cape shelter 5 times in 85 days, 4 times for strong wind and once for warmth; worked great. Cowboyed in just my Borah bivy 80/85 times, was brain-dead simple and quick to set up (throw it on the ground, orient it, insert sleeping pad) and tear down (stuff into pack). Simplified even further by keeping my quilt inside the bivy all the time. Cold soaking on the PCT worked fine once it got hot, cooking on the northern half of the AZT in the cold also worked perfectly, wouldn't change either.

Speed-wise on the PCT I ended up slower than last year on the CDT. I had persistent issues with shoes failing too early. My logistics on the trail were worse and over time it stressed me out and wore me down. It's really easy to lose a day and quite hard to make one up.

I enjoyed carrying a simple, light and compact kit, I stayed comfortable in the arid US west and had so few items I always knew where everything was. The feeling of enjoyment and satiety I derived from such a focused and simplified lifestyle is difficult to completely describe. Setup and teardown was quick and easy. I kept breakfast and dinner on the outside of my pack but would yard sale half my pack out for lunch, I can do better.

Looking to further lighten and simplify my setup; can probably save another ~1 lb total: Drop the bivy and wind jacket, split the Gatewood Cape into a flat tarp and rain jacket, switch to a woven baselayer for wind-proofness. I tried a Jolly Gear Triple Crown button down; I loved the style but it was too hot, I might make a custom button up hoody. With a hard shell I can lighten my fleece to 90 gsm. Can also lighten/simplify pack by a couple of ounces. Can probably get sleeping pad from 3/4 inches to 1/2 inch or even 1/4 inch CCF. This setup would be reasonable and likely close to the lightest I can practically get for a general-purpose three-season setup.

Planning

Did 30 mpd @ 8 lb bw on the CDT in 2021. Aiming for 35 mpd @ ~6 lb bw on the PCT in 2022.

Start AZT late March/early April, PCT mid-May.

Trickiest part is at Pine on the AZT. The conditions to the north of Pine are so different than the conditions to the south that it is useful to almost consider them separate trips. South of Pine your main concern is heat and lack of water. North of Pine the concerns are cold and precipitation. This is a La Niña year with warmer/drier expected in AZ but it's too soon to tell how that will manifest itself. I will send myself fresh shoes in Pine as well as ~1.5 lbs of clothing layers and my stove so I will be comfortable in the below-freezing temps and snow I am likely to encounter. On the plus side at least it's flat and you can make miles. Will mail this stuff back from SoCal.

Second trickiest is PCT Sierra. The bearcan and resupply is tricky, as is the potential for snow and weather. Last time exited via Kearsarge and the combo of that and Forrester Pass in 1 day resulted in an ankle injury... will try Cottonwood Pass + VVR this time and see what happens.

Research

Adjustments

  • carry less food: I carried 24 oz / 3500 cal/day on the CDT and it was too much, I always had food left over and I barely lost weight. Eat less on trail and make up the deficit in town. Plan to do shorter carries and more town stops which will give me built-in breaks.
  • lower volume food: a Snickers bar is much denser than e.g. a pack of trail mix. Take food volume into account.
  • minimize stops and opening pack during the day: carry entire day's food on outside of pack.
  • shorter stops: when I do stop for a break or a view or a meal, simplify and shorten them.
  • carry less water: I still carry too much out of fear. IMHO more important than carrying lots of water is being mindful of the water you have: know what conditions you face, where your water sources are, never rely on someone else's cache, reduce sweating, breathe smarter, drink conservatively, travel further, camel up and be less afraid.
  • simplify gear: inflatable+sitpad → foam, puffy → fleece, Ti cup+stove → pb jar. not just about weight but simplicity, reliability and time saving.
  • MYOG: understand what I'm carrying even better and learn a skill by making some pieces.
  • mapping: on the CDT I met several savvy hikers (and one biker) who used GAIA to plot and share fire workarounds, alts and track smoke forecasts, among other things. I hope to learn Caltopo and GAIA over the winter.
  • water treatment: will bring a filter for the cow ponds in AZ but will switch to Aquamira for the PCT. grew frustrated with my sawyer filter on the CDT and when i find a good source now i will not always treat

Check/Ship:

red star = TO DO