Post-Trail Comments and Rating out of 10

Mountain Laurel Designs

DCF Burn w/bottle pkt + 2 hip pkts

https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/burn-38l/

9: Excellent pack held up whole trip; Slightly small but capacity could cover 110-150 miles on a food supply.

https://www.amazon.com/Therm-Rest-Ultralight-Backpacking-Mattress/dp/B00PZL14EK

8: Good pad; a little noisy; but overall good.

https://katabaticgear.com/shop/alsek-sleeping-bag/

9: Great quilt; happy to have switched to 15F version for colder weather though; cowboy camping comfort was only to ~35F. Still a draft once in a while.

https://katabaticgear.com/shop/bristlecone-bivy/

https://www.amazon.com/MSR-Groundhog-Stake-6-Pack-Regular/dp/B006ZC5KLG/

https://www.amazon.com/Kelty-TripTease-LightLine-Reflective-Cord/dp/B001M0NVGW/

8: Good but a little heavy

Mountain Laurel Designs

https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/mld-pro-rain-poncho/

7: Works well as a shelter if you know wind direction and rain isn't constant over several days; takes a few minutes to set up; super goofy to wear in rain but worked OK. Would prefer normal rain gear + tent in winter conditions

Post Trail Comments

My big four worked well from Washington through to the start of the Sierra. When entering the cold Sierra in late September, I swapped my bivy for a 1P tent, the TarpTent Aeon Li, I swapped my 22F Alsek quilt for the 15F Sawatch quilt, and I swapped my NeoAir XLite for a NeoAir XTherm sleeping pad. This meant I could now comfortably sleep down to about 15F, whereas previously I was only comfortable above 32F or so. This increased the weight only a few ounces, and it provided me substantially more shelter in snow and wind. I swapped back to the NeoAir XLite when I got to the desert but kept the tent and warmer quilt to deal with the colder temperatures.

https://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?p_id=2301237

8: Good jacket; held up well and warm. Started to smell like hiker by the end...

https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-houdini-windbreaker-jacket/24142.html

10: Among my favorite pieces of gear; great to stop the wind and easy to get on/off

https://www.patagonia.com/product/houdini-windbreaker-pants/24132.html

10: Among my favorite pieces of gear; great to stop the wind and easy to get on/off

https://www.amazon.com/Smartwool-Merino-Baselayer-Sleeve-T-Shirt/dp/B01HMUO45M

7: Good, but swapped out for Patagonia Capilene Air when reached Sierra for more warmth

https://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=25053&p_id=2307267&gen_cd=1

6: Good, but swapped out for Patagonia Capilene Air when reached Sierra for more warmth

https://www.rei.com/product/856655/rei-co-op-merino-wool-liner-socks

5: Fine for warm weather, but not great when weather drops below ~40F; Swapped for thick wool WigWam socks for Sierra/Desert

https://www.rei.com/product/128814/darn-tough-hiker-quarter-cushion-socks-mens

4: 2 pair of darn tough socks worked OK for non-Sierra, as I could wash one pair and let it dry on my pack over the day; Sock quality not great and got holes after ~500 miles. But you can return on trail for replacements.

https://buffusa.com/buff-products/multifunctional-headwear/lightweight-merino-wool/graphite-multi/117819.901

10: Best piece of clothing I owned; wore almost 24/7 for warmth / sun protection / bug protection; never stunk at all

https://euro.montbell.com/products/disp.php?cat_id=25072&p_id=1118237&gen_cd=2

9: Good for warmth while cold hiking and sleeping

https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/bug-head-net/

8: Didn't wear as much as I should have; good to keep mosquitoes off, but doesn't do much with hovering midges/gnats

Post Trail Comments

Overall mostly hit the mark here with these clothes. The only major change is that I swapped out the sleeping top and bottom for Patagonia Capilene Air tops and bottoms when I got to the Sierra. I also bought a lightweight fleece, a fleece neck gaiter, and some full-on waterproof/windproof mittens for the Sierra, which I think helped when the temps got down in the teens. Again, this added maybe a pound total, but I think it was worth it considering the cold weather.

9: Going stoveless was fine for 90% of trail, but it would've been nice to have warm food in the cold Sierra

https://www.amazon.com/TOAKS-Titanium-Handle-Spork-Polished/dp/B01M69WHEA

9: Great; long handled spoons are far superior for trail food.

https://grocery.walmart.com/ip/Jif-Extra-Crunchy-Peanut-Butter-28-Ounce/10308178

9: Worked perfectly until I poured boiling water into it on the penultimate night, causing it to shrivel up and be ruined. But just avoid that and it's wonderful! Perfect volume for ramen + mashed potatoes at once!

https://www.ursack.com/product/ursack-major-black/

9: Glad I brought this--I never had a single problem with critters because I hung my food every night unlike almost every other hiker

https://www.rei.com/product/884265/loksak-opsak-odor-proof-barrier-bags-12-x-20-package-of-2

7: These are good bags when new, but they break down over a couple of weeks; This size is perfect for the Ursack. Not a bad idea to have an extra in case you need to store breakfast in the tent overnight.

https://www.rei.com/product/103050/sawyer-squeeze-water-filter-system

7: Pretty good, but I went through like 4 of these, two from freezing temperatures, and two from just getting so clogged that they lost their flow.

https://www.amazon.com/smartwater-vapor-distilled-premium-bottle/dp/B000WGBH1S

8: Great! Life Water bottles work too, but the labels are slower to come off Smart Water bottles.

https://www.amazon.com/EVERNEW-Water-Carry-System-2000ml/dp/B000AQYY5Q

5: Fine for an occasional extra couple liters, but do *not* trust the lid on this when it's turned upside down in your pack!

https://www.backcountry.com/salomon-soft-flask

2: Problematic to use with one hand on your tuckus, so stopped using this after a couple of weeks and started using TP like everyone else

Backup Water Purification

https://www.rei.com/product/866996/aquamira-water-treatment-1-oz

6: Ended up using this when my Sawyer froze and I'm glad I had it! Hard to camel up because of delay time on chemicals.

https://www.amazon.com/Salomon-Unisex-Soft-Speed-150ml/dp/B01MCY1CYS

3: Never used. Don't think scoops are really necessary (even in late autumn desert!) if you don't mind 15-20 mile water carries. But the scoop itself is a good quality if you need it for that and weighs nothing.

Total Food & Water (Empty)

Post Trail Comments

Mostly good with this gear. Ended up swapping the bidet flask for more traditional toilet paper, and then moved to "Portawipes" which were great--portable and easy to use and better than TP: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074K2CSQL/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 . I probably only needed 1 Evernew flask, as I used it rarely, and didn't need my water scoop at all.

https://www.amazon.com/GUM-Folding-Toothbrush-Antibacterial-Bristles/dp/B07KPZRKW4

9: Great! Happy I had this guy and its collapsible cover.

https://www.amazon.com/Crest-Protection-Fluoride-Anticavity-Toothpaste/dp/B019EC3SXU

6: Fine, whatever.

https://www.amazon.com/Glide-Oral-B-Pro-Health-Clean-Floss/dp/B01KZOTTSO

6: Don't skimp and get these tiny little flosses, just get a normal floss.

https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Summit-Travel-Wilderness-Wipes/dp/B00P6U52P2

7: These were fine, but I think the best / most accessible / cheapest ones were "Wet Ones (Sensitive Skin)" since they were odorless.

https://www.amazon.com/ChapStick-Moisturizer-Protectant-Original-Sunscreen/dp/B07GVPQXRF

7: Fine, good to keep accessible.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MDOA0V4/

8: This zinc stuff is good for staying on all day. I used this every day on my face and neck and ears and went through a bottle in 4 months. Great!

5: Used only once. DEET is not good for gear or for you, just have it around as a backup.

5: Fine; I ended up getting two bottles, one for my poop kit, one for just normal use.

Post Trail Comments

All of this worked well for the most part. Never used the DEET insect repellent, and I recommend getting whatever baby wipes you can. I found these no-scent wet ones to be the most easily accessible and no extra smells: https://www.amazon.com/Wet-Ones-Wipes-Gentle-Sensitive/dp/B01HM0H0HQ .

In general, this was good. I could usually last on a full charge of gear for 5-5.5 days, but it suffered from the cold in the Sierra and would only last me about 3-4.5 days. I liked the PD aspect, as it charged fast, which was great for quick stops.

Great charger--a little heavier than the base level, but it could do fast charges, which really helped with quick stops.

Excellent item--allowed me to text with others on trail or with friends at home; dropped breadcrumbs every 10 minutes; battery lasted ~3 days on one charge.

Great cord. Used a lot.

Great cord. Used a lot and happy it was so small.

Great cord. Used a lot. Would recommend a longer cable so you can use your phone whilst charging.

Great cord. Used a lot.

Battery was suffering by the end in terms of draining quickly, but the phone held up well. Decent photos.

This case was definitely worth it. Never had any issues with the phone thanks to this.

Only used a few times in Washington, then just relied on balancing on rocks.

Super awesome! Good brightness, red mode, and charged pretty fast. Really happy with this.

Used quite a bit and was glad to have had them. Batteries last a long time on these--probably 10-15 hours on one charge.

Post Trail Comments

My electronics generally worked well, although I did run a little low on battery in the Sierra when the temperatures got low and it drained the lithium batteries too much. The only upgrade I would suggest is a slightly longer cable (6') for your phone so you can charge and use it at the same time. And maybe a headlamp with more battery if you're going to be doing more than 2-3 hours of night hiking at once. I had to get an extra headlamp when I did my 24h effort all night long, but other than that my headlamp was great.

This saved me when my feet were suffereing in the first month. Highly recommended to keep injuries at bay.

This knife was too large, so I swapped for a "classic" that weighed less. Very useful for the nail file. https://www.amazon.com/Victorinox-Swiss-Classic-Pocket-Knife/dp/B00004YVB2/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=swiss+army+knife+classic&qid=1583372195&s=sporting-goods&sr=1-4

Great! Used every day.

Never used, but good to have them.

Glad I had these when my tooth started hurting.

These worked well for my packing style, and I used one consistently as a pillow.

Never used and threw out after a few weeks.

Great kit. Didn't use it much but glad I had it. Saved a guy who was having a major reaction to a bee sting! Leukotape was a life saver for blisters and fixing tents!

(Additions included: assorted bandaids, latex gloves, cravat, surgeon's scissors, tweezers, leukotape roll, gauze, ace bandage, painkillers, alcohol swabs)

Post Trail Comments

The real winners in this bunch were the massage ball, the trowel, and leukotape, which is the key to avoiding blisters on the trail: https://www.amazon.com/Leukotape-1-5-Inch-15-Yds-Cover-roll-Stretch/dp/B000FMMTKM

https://www.amazon.com/Garmin-Ultimate-Multisport-Smartwatch-Monitoring/dp/B07D9B9DJM

Never let me down and I used it every day. I could get about 15h out of one charge.

https://www.rei.com/product/128814/darn-tough-hiker-quarter-cushion-socks-mens

Went through about 5 pairs of these. Not as sturdy as they used to be, but still very good.

https://dirtygirlgaiters.com/my-empire-of-dirt/smokin-hot.html

These were great! Lost one from a deer coming into camp and making off with it for its salt. Got another pair.

https://www.amazon.com/Brooks-Mens-Cascadia-Grey-Navy/dp/B07L6LJ3ZV

I was really pleased with these shoes. I went through 5 pair, and they were solid throughout. Highly recommended.

https://www.patagonia.com/product/mens-strider-pro-running-shorts-5-inch/24633.html

Amazing shorts. They got some tears but survived the whole trip. Wonderful extra pockets.

https://www.amazon.com/ARCTERYX-Elaho-Shirt-Nocturne-Small/dp/B073TKMSTV

Amazing shirt. This thing survived the whole trip with only a little sun-bleaching to show for it. Really great garment.

https://www.blackdiamondequipment.com/en_US/trekking-poles/distance-carbon-z-trekking-poles-BD112205_cfg.html

One of these poles broke after about 700 miles, and I heard lots of other complaints about them being flimsy. Swapped for the Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork, and I'm glad I did. Not a single problem with the new set--slightly heavier but much more sturdy and more easily adjustable. https://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Alpine-Carbon-Trekking/dp/B07MJCN4M4https://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Alpine-Carbon-Trekking/dp/B07MJCN4M4https://www.amazon.com/Black-Diamond-Alpine-Carbon-Trekking/dp/B07MJCN4M4

https://www.patagonia.com/product/duckbill-trucker-hat/28756.html?dwvar_28756_color=PIGR&cgid=mens-hats-accessories-hats#tile-40=&start=1&sz=60

Great hat--happy to wear it all trail.

https://www.outdoorresearch.com/us/activeice-spectrum-sun-gloves-250152

Good gloves, but slowly got shredded over the trip. Threw them out after finishing.

https://goodr.com/products/falkor-s-fever-dream

Scratched after 400 miles. I really *want* to like Goodr, but honestly their stuff is pretty crap and scratches really easily. Looks good, but just not long-lasting. Got a pair of Native sunglasses and didn't have any problems.

Mountain Laurel Designs

https://mountainlaureldesigns.com/product/simple-ul-wallet/

Great simple light wallet. Still using today after trail!