After my hike is complete, I will post a a gear list with pictures and clickable links to this page, but for now, here is a copy of my lighterpack list (it has clickable links):
https://lighterpack.com/r/f84ma7
This is what I originally carried to begin my first 700-mile stretch, the desert. I switched a few things out including my water filtration (went back to a Sawyer Squeeze) and back-up battery power (sent home the solar panel and swapped to a 20,100 maH Anker).
If you have any questions about these items and how they worked for me, let me know!
-Dixie
Dixie,
thanks for referencing LighterPack… what a terrific app. I was doing my list on MS Excel, which was a bit annoying for this task, but LighterPack it terrif..
Dixie,
Love the list! 2 Quick questions – what shorts are you wearing and why did you decide to switch back to the squeeze? Be safe and keep having fun.
I’m wearing Patagonia “Barely Baggies” and I swapped back to save weight. I got rid of my bladder and hydration tube and I’m drinking straight through the Sawyer hooked to a smart water bottle. I still love the gravity, but there weren’t many trees to hook it up to and I’d have to stand and hold it. Also, just wanted to cut ANY weight possible because at times I was toting 5-6 liters of water. That’s like 11+ lbs!
Hey Dixie,
This is great! Thanks so much for posting.
So for cooking do you just upturn your SmartWater bottle with the Sawyer attached and squeeze out what you need? And you completely got rid of all your bladders, or just the one for filtering?
Yep! I just turn the bottle up and use it as I would the bladder. I’ve ditched the bladders completely! 🙂
Dixie, love your blog and videos. You are a real inspiration and we have learned a ton from you. My wife and I are doing the PCT in 2018 and use the sawyer squeeze when we hike now with bladders for dirty water transitioning clean water to our smart water bottles for drinking. Looking to shave weight and time, I am intrigued by your approach. One question. How do you obtain ‘clean’ water to backflush your sawyer, if all of your smart water bottles are carrying ‘dirty’ water?
Good question! I just wait until I’m in town. I wash out my bottles and use them to back flush.
Thank you for watching and I’m so glad it’s helpful!
Dixie,
Did your Sawer filter get silted a lot? Also when did you start your PCT thru hike? Love your videos. They have been a great help in planning my 2018 PCT thru hike.
Thank You, Smiley????
Hey Thomas, it didn’t, but I back flushed once a week. I started the PCT on 04/03/17. Glad you are enjoying the videos and thank you for watching! COngrats on your upcoming hike 😀
Love your videos and posts Dixie. I thank you for sharing this adventure. I am counting the days till 8/21 when we get to do our 3rd section hike on JMT Bishop Pass SoBo out Whitney. I am inspired to conjure up some trail magic at the nearest PCT to where I live in Eugene Or. McKenzie Pass, lava fields amazing but stark and thirsty.
keep the spirit up sister, you are a gem.
I know this maybe a little pre-emptive to think about but once you reach Canada what are your plans? I live on Vancouver Island British Columbia and would suggest your BC visit would not be complete without a trip to Tofino. And then possibly a ferry trip up northern BC near Alaska?!?! Then you could cross that state off your bucket list too! All the best. You are an inspiration for my sister and me to hike both the AT & PCT.
What a wonderful idea! I appreciate he suggestion 🙂
You swapped your solar panel for a 20,100 mah “Anker”…?
Care to explain that? 20,100mah = 20 amps, and “Anker” sounds like “Anchor” or heavy-weight battery (think: motorcycle battery).
Otherwise, I’m enjoying your posts here, as they’re giving me some great ideas for the future!
Yep! The solar panel just wasn’t doing it for me anymore. I get plenty of power from the 20,100 mah charger. Not sure why they call it “Anker”…haha.
Hey Dixie,
Its so fun to watch your journey hiking the PCT. You are so badass! I have a question about your gear. I noticed you had a Big Agnes tent on the AT. What made you decide to switch to the Zpack tent?
Hey Kaley! Awww thank you, haha. Good question! I was aiming to save weight as much as possible and “the big three” is a great place to start (tent, sleeping bag and pack). I still love the Big Agnes for sure! I have a video up on Youtube where I talk about the Zpacks tent and kind of compare/contrast the two. Anyway, I hope that helps! Thank you so much for watching and following along 🙂
Hi Dixie, you are doing great! Can’t wait to see the Sierra’s gear list!
Thank you! I’ll get it up as soon as I can!
Hey Dixie,
awesome Vlog on youtube. The nature is so beautiful and i hope I can do this trail in my lifetime.
You changed your shoes after a couple of days to Altra right? Which modell is this. It looks wider than the salomons.
Keep on hiking,
Wes / Germany
Hey Michael! Thank you! I did swap shoes and went for the Altra Lone Peak 2.5’s. I did a “Gear Item of the Week” write-up on them (you can find it under the gear tab at the top of the home page). If you have any other questions, let me know!
Dixie what do you think of your base layers / sleeping gear?
I am thinking of buying the same leggings and top for a
hiker doing the PCT 2018? Are they breathable enough to hike in
cooler weather as a base layer? I have not seen you wear them in
any videos.
Hey David! I don’t hike in my leggings or long sleeved top. I keep those strictly for sleeping so I know they will always be warm and dry. If you go to bed with sweaty clothes, that can be dangerous in colder weather. If it’s cold while I’m hiking (in the morning) I hike in my shorts and button up and wear my rain gear on top. Then I can shed that as needed. Normally I warm up quickly while hiking and wouldn’t want the leggings or long sleeved top on for long even if I did wear them.
Dixie-
It has been inspiring watching you hike the PCT. I wanted to know what sunglasses you wear? I wear regular glasses or contacts, but I would love to get a bigger pair of prescription glasses that look like yours. Thank you!
They are just dollar general sun glasses. Haha. I’ll get a fancy pair one of these days!
i am 64, but almost 65. i like your videos and commentary. i want to be like you. anyway, i wonder when you went through that river on the pct, how did you keep you sleeping bag and other stuff dry? you inspire me. i want to do a through hike on the at some day. i like your psychology. you are calm in the face of nature’s stressors. did i spell that right. anyway i follow your adventures.
Thanks, Patrick! I kept my sleeping bag in a contractor trash bag and the pack I wore is more or less waterproof (cuben fiber).
Hi Dixie: Your videos are great! What type of camera did you use to record all your videos? I am on the AT in a few years after I retire.
Thank you,
PJ Keating
I used the iPhone 7 🙂 A few years will pass before you know it! Good that you’re already researching!
Hi Dixie,
I thought you had mentioned you have some sort of watch/garmin that tracks your mileage? I don’t see that listed anywhere. Could you tell me what you use? Love your videos!
Thank you! I just use Guthooks app. It tells you what mileage you are at 🙂
Hi Dixie, I love watching your videos all the way fromAustralia, hiding is now on my bucket list (forcing it onto my husbands as well 🙂 your videos are amazing but would it be possible for you to have a map showing your travels along the way. where you are each day to show the milage journey and and what day of your trip it is 🙂 i kept googling the map of the PCT to see where your where 🙂
Hey Kimmy! Thank you so much for following along. I’m glad to hear you’re thinking of it too! I prefer not to tell my exact location each day because it’s not really safe to do so. I don’t think anything bad would happen, but strange people have definitely contacted me online and made me shy away from the idea of anyone and everyone knowing exactly where I am at all times. I hope that makes sense! Thank you again for cheering me on!
Good video. Infor ative. What kind of bear cannister did you use? Where in Alabama are you from?
Thank you! I used this one:
http://www.wild-ideas.net/the-weekender/
Hello Dixie/Jessica. I just finished being blown away watching your videos on the PCT and AT. Can’t wait to see what you do for the CDT. Have you ever thought of putting all the PCT videos on a DVD and sell it to fund you trips? I would be the FIRST to buy it! When I did the PCT we didn’t have all the techie stuff you have. Yes, that makes me pretty old and done 30+ years ago! What a wonderful feeling I got watching and reminiscing the trail during your trip. When I did Forester Pass it wasn’t covered in snow however. Now ya’ll have a great time on the next trip and Happy Trails!
Ouzel/Jane
Thank you! I’m glad you were able to see some of your old stomping grounds. I thought about how much tougher y’all must’ve been doing it before cell phones, apps and lighter gear. That’s an accomplishment to be proud of for sure. Thank you so much for reaching out and following my blog and vlog!
Hi Jessica,
Thanks so much for replying to my post. Yes, lots of things were different back then in the 80’s. No personal locator beacons, no cell phones or good coverage. I did it on a budget and carried 40 pounds. Equipment wasn’t the lightest and map and compass came into play a few times. Nevertheless, a wonderful trip! It changed me for the better. I know you will do the triple crown of trails and even more because you have so many people rooting for you. Can’t wait for the coverage you supply us all. God Bless you and know I am so happy to have found you on the internet. I will be watching you all along your way. Happy trails Jessica/Dixie.
Jane/Ouzel
What apps did you “take” with you? Maybe this could be a future video? Not just a list of apps, but how you used them, and what apps you thought you’d use but were useless (or were too unreliable, etc).
Guthooks App of course, with all the sections purchased. Do you download all the info for all the sections at home, or is there enough internet along the way to save space and get those on trail?
Podcasts, videos, music, reading, etc.
What do you blog and vlog with? Seems like that’s a whole video on it’s own.
What about grabbing info from websites? Download as PDFs, Pocket or some other “grabber” app, screenshots?
Stargazing app, animal and plant identification apps, etc.
Your information has been soooo helpful in my planning for my 2018 PCT hike/attempt. I had some questions about food storage- in the dessert where did you keep your food bag, as there are not trees to hang it from?! Also when using your bear canister where did you store that as you slept? Are hangs a struggle (ie telephone poles posing at trees with inadequate limbs (or limb length?
Thanks so much for all your efforts!
I am planning a pct section hike and your videos and blogs have inspired me so much and REALLY helped me in preparing! You helped me see it how it is because it isn’t all rainbows and butterflies but we love it for what it is and all the positive experiences that you get from it!
Hi Dixie, Love your Videos and the great information on your site.
My Wife and I are in are early sixties, and both love the outdoors. Our last trip was to N.Ireland. We took a hike on one of the many trails through the Mourne mountains. If you ever want to expand the sites and people are fantastic.
Hope you enjoy the rest of the CDT.
Hi Dixie,
great list, thak you very much for posting your gear lists.
I am currently looking for a watch with integrated altimeter (and maybe GPS?).
Do you have any recommendations? What kind of watch are you wearing?
Happy trails, Ella
Hey Dixie
Thank you very much for sharing your adventures with us. I’ve watched all of your YouTube videos. You’re a great inspiration for us ultra light hikers. I section hiked the PCT in 2017 and did a few long distance hikes in Europe; though the understanding of long distance in Europe is different compared to the United States.
I may do the way of Saint James (Camino Frances) in Spain this year and therefore looking for rain paints that could also serve the purpose to protect me from cold. Therefore the Anti gravity gear rain pants that you were using for the PCT caught my attention. As I was not able to find a useful review abound this product I’m reaching out to you seeking your advice. Are those pants breathable? How waterproof are those pants? Do you think that the Anti gravity gear rain pants could replace a pair of pants in case it gets cooler?
Usually the temperatures on the Camino should be fine, which is why I plan to wear shorts and not to carry pants. Rain pants will be part of my standard gear.
I’m looking forward hearing from you and please feel free to reach out to me should you ever plan to hike in Europe particularly Switzerland.
Best
FP
Hi dixie my name is John from the uk love your u tube videos on at & pct only hiked the cammino Santiago 500 miles but hosteling I love walking lm 66 retired love to do the at only section hike for now to Harper’s ferry as my visa allows only 90 days stay over in the states hope next year will be ok to hike can’t wait as they say on the cammino Buen cammino ciao
Just watched your PCT documentary on YouTube and totally inspired! Did you not have a base layer top on under the button down in the Sierra or Desert? If not, can you share why? All the research I’ve done, people talk about having a merino wool base layer. Curious to hear your thoughts!
Also side note, in the video you had to go back to town because of water in your tent in the cold and rain. How did the water get in with the rainfly? How would someone prevent that from happening in the same conditions?
I didn’t because it was warm during the day (most days) in both of those areas at the time I was there. I did have a sleeping shirt I could have used if I was too cold, though. Also my puffy and rain coat.