It isn’t that hard to find them in town. Thru-hikers are predictable — more animal-like in behavior than town and city folk. Burger stands are typical spotting grounds. Any cheap motel with the door wide open and sink-washed laundry on the railing is a likely habitat. Natural shade lures them in.
But the annual PCT Days is a next-level draw for these suntanned and sinewy hikers. Hundreds of current and former PCT hikers met up in Cascade Locks, Ore., on August 15 and 16 to trade stories, repair gear, and even score free swag. It’s a great place to meet a throng of thru-hikers in one place.
I personally hiked the PCT in 2018 and stopped by PCT Days during my hike. I returned this year to check on the Class of 2025, and see the gear that has been getting them down trail, and what they’re pitching in the hiker box.
Here’s what’s hot, and what’s not.
In: Durston Gear Tents
So. Many. Durston. Tents. A stroll along Thunder Island, where they piled on PCT campers for the 2-day event, was a sea of Dyneema Composite Fabric and sil-poly in the distinctive twin-peaked silhouette of the X-Mid this year.
I’ve written about my love for the X-Mid in our guide on the Best Ultralight Tents before, but seeing so many in one place has me reconsidering the best overall award. Even these shelters aren’t immune to the heavy wear and tear that thru-hikers put on shelters, however. This year, a spate of door zipper failures has some hikers busting out the duct tape to get them through.
I remember how rough the desert sand in Southern California can be, so it’s unsurprising that there have been some issues. Dan Durston recommends regular cleaning and lubrication to keep them running well. But don’t fret when it seems like a zipper has taken a dive. Typically, the slider has just worn out and needs to be pinched back on track.
Out: Silly-Light Gear
Hiker “Toucan” couldn’t stand the annoyance of having to move around the centrally located trekking pole in the Six Moon Designs tarp she started out with. So she sent home for her trusty NEMO tent to complete her flip-flop back down to Burney, Calif.. Going with what you know never fails.
Hiker Matt (trail name not yet bestowed) took it one step further. He is all-in on his Alt-Berg Tabbing Boots, a high-top all-leather option made in Yorkshire, England.
“They’re made for running with a bag on and are meant for the infantry,” he said. “But they’re light for a boot.”
He’s been hiking SOBO (southbound) with a dog and figured that if he ever has to ruck her out over his shoulders, he’d need the extra support. This is definitely a controversial take when pretty much everyone else on the trail is in lightweight trail runners like the Altra Lone Peak 9 (check out our review on the latest version), HOKA Speedgoats, and Brooks Cascadias.
Also In: Silly-Light Gear
Yeah, this issue swings both ways, I guess. Ultralight backpacks continue to get smaller. The Durston Kakwa — the best overall pick in our guide — was well represented. However, I spotted even smaller and popular LiteAF and Pa’lante packs. A hiker who’s back on trail this year to finish after completing through Oregon last year is all-in on her LiteAF pack.
“It fits me really well, which I struggled with on a lot of backpacks,” she said. “It probably carries better than any of the other ultralight packs that I’ve tried out.”
Even gear that used to be considered superfluous, like electric sleeping pad pumps, is becoming wicked light. One of the most impressive things I saw was the Alpenglow Gear Alpenblow Micro Inflator, a 0.3-ounce pump that runs off your phone or battery bank to blow up your backpacking sleeping pad. This thing makes the 1.2-ounce FLEXTAIL Zero Pump look like an extravagance that’s overstayed its welcome in your pack.
Out: Packing Out Toilet Paper
Historically, hikers have used toilet paper, usually packed out, to deal with their Number Twos. But that’s becoming a thing of the past, and portable bidets are taking over.
Hiker “Scoutmaster” practically praised his Holey Hiker Bidet. It’s a diminutive plastic cap that snugs into your Smartwater bottle to provide adequate pressure to, uh, really get in there.
“The Culoclean has one wide stream, but this one has four little ones, and I feel like it’s more water efficient but just as effective,” he said.
I forget how much the veneer of society wears off you after 2,100 miles … Still, bathroom etiquette is only getting better on trail, and I’m here for it. No more blooming toilet paper flowers sounds like a solid deal.
The Kula Cloth continues to be a popular bathrooming accessory (we were pretty impressed in our own review), and graced the packs of many in attendance at PCT Days.
In: Super Techy Japanese Textile Magic
Japanese ultralight brand Yamatomichi made the trip to PCT Days for the first time this year. It brought along a selection of its hyper-niche-and-unashamed ultralight gear for hikers to ogle. Among the more out-there pieces were the Only Hood (yep, just a hood) and the Alpha Vest — a fleece tank top.
A lot of this gear hasn’t made it to the States yet. Yamatomichi works exceptionally closely with the native textile mills in Japan, creating gear that’s often ahead of the curve of what we can get our hands on here.
The brand’s Light 5-Pocket Short Shorts are my ride-or-die choice in hiking shorts. My trail buddy “Bonfire” used the ONE 50L Pack and UL All-Weather Hoody to great success on a recent thru-hike of the CDT. The rain jacket is particularly interesting. It’s made from an air-permeable Pertex Shield Air membrane that is almost impossible to find used in a jacket here in the States.
“The fact that we can make our original fabrics, that’s really alpha and omega for the development of the products,” says Yamatomichi founder Akira Natsume. “The Shield Air fabric was already on the market, but we asked Pertex to make it even thinner, and the process took 1-2 years to perfect.” [Ed.: Translated from Japanese]
Out: Gear That Wears Out Too Quickly
Hiker “Bison” felt strongly that Darn Tough socks used to be better back before everyone started using them (a unique hiker trash hipster fusion take?). We have those same Darn Tough Micro Crew Socks ranked pretty highly in the Guide to the Best Hiking Socks. But, I admit that, like most things, they have a lifespan.
Thankfully, Darn Tough was on site, swapping out warranty socks. Naturally, this generated a lot of socks, and the kindly staff had them inside four contractors’ bags and double-knotted them. When I asked to check them out, we gassed out the poor Oboz folks next door. Sorry, gang.
Sleeping pads weren’t immune to the thrashing, either.
“I’ve usually made it through my thru-hikes on just one pad, but on the PCT I’m on my third,” says hiker “Nude Beach.” “I had a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite, had a problem with it, so I shipped it back home, and the only other pad I had was the XLite Short. Then it started to leak too, and they couldn’t repair it here. So now I’m back on the Therm-a-Rest XLite regular again.”
Our own testing and review of the new NeoAir XLite NXT showed it to be a pad that’ll last quite a long time. Our thru-hiker tester had one last from Georgia to New Jersey on the Appalachian Trail. His second finished the trail and kept going. Even still, thru-hiking is rough on gear, so it’s smart to keep a patch kit nearby.
In: Trail-Chic Button Downs
The era of the sun hoodie has faded — long live the trail button-down. The Jolly Gear Triple Crown Button Down was well-represented at this year’s PCT Days. You really ought to read our interview with Jolly. It was “Birdie’s” favorite piece of gear that she’s picked up on the trail.
“I got rid of my old sun hoody, and now the whole tramily [read: trail-family] has got Jolly Gear shirts,” she said. “The old one was Black Diamond, and I didn’t like the fabric. It was too thick, and it got really hot.”
Our Best Sunshirts Buyer’s Guide still has plenty of hoodies, but we’ve certainly seen the light when it comes to the venerable button-down. Town Shirt’s offerings impressed me recently. GearJunkie reviewed both the Camp Shirt and Sun Hoodie.
Out: Being Unprepared for Dragons
Swords? Swords. Or, at least one, wielded by hiker “Nevermore,” who has been carrying a full-on sparring sword since he began hiking south on July 16. He started the trail with a buddy who was also carrying a sword. However, his companion had to get off the trail due to an injury from carrying too much weight (certainly not sword-related).
Somehow, the sword isn’t even his favorite piece of gear on trail this year.
“I have a Neve sleeping quilt that’s light, and it keeps me really warm. Even the times I’ve been rained on and it’s gotten wet, I’m still super warm afterwards,” said Nevermore. “If my sleeping quilt were a person, I would die for it.”
We’re a big fan of quilts, as well (I’m a bit more partial to the Katabatic Alsek 22 — the award recipient in our Best Backpacking Sleeping Bags guide). I’ll bet Nevermore probably sleeps pretty soundly in his quilt, too, knowing he’s got the uh, sword.
Read the full article here
