Thru-hiking gear recommendations from a washed-up thru-hiker, present-day gear-head
Spring is officially here– and for some that might mean blooming flowers or warmer weather, however, in my mind, spring triggers one thing – the kick-off to thru-hiking season! I’m Alexa, a Director at Verde, I embarked on my 2013 Appalachian Trail hike in the snow on March 30 from Georgia, and my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike in 90-degree temperatures from Mexico on May 5, 2017. With two thru-hikes under my belt, and now working in the outdoor industry, I love talking gear, and thinking about all of the products that I would bring on a future thru-hike.
If you’re interested in learning more about thru-hiking, or if you’re working on a round-up of gear for thru-hiking season (or backpacking generally), feel free to follow up and I can get you more info, samples, or anything else you may need.
Happy Trails!
Food
For economic reasons, most meals on the trail consisted of tuna packets, instant oatmeal, and Knorr Rice and Pasta Sides. You can’t beat that cost-for-calorie ratio and convenience of these grocery-store delicacies. However, for special occasions, and on a future hike, if I was willing to splurge a bit more, I’d definitely look to Backpacker’s Pantry.
Backpacker's Pantry's gourmet, freeze-dried adventure meals are packed with flavor, sustainably sourced ingredients, protein, and calories - making them the perfect meal for thru-hikers (or the perfect 'trail magic' gift!). Last month, they launched 5 new meals, all of which I’ve had a chance to try and can honestly say have become some of my new favorites (in particular Drunken Noodles!) alongside Pad Thai, Three Cheese Mac & Cheese, and Blueberry Peach Crisp.
TipS/Expert Advice:
‘Trail Magic’ is a term in the thru-hiking world and includes anything that would be considered unexpected love, acts of kindness, and generosity for hikers on long-distance trails. Trail magic can take many forms, such as finding an unattended cooler filled with snacks and drinks on a hot day, a stranger offering a ride into town for resupply or a warm meal, or a local providing a place to camp or stay for the night. Check out Backpacker’s Pantry’s blog post about trail magic here.
Beyond Backpacker’s Pantry freeze-dried meals, not sure what else to send in a trail magic care package? MSR put together a blog post with some suggestions here to help you out.
For hikers looking for food preparation help, check out Backpacker’s Pantry’s food planning blog here.
MSR also asked a thru-hiking guest contributor about their go-to backpacking snack options. Check out her recommendations on the Summit Register blog here.
Cooking
It’s a no-brainer for me when it comes to stoves - the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe was and continues to be my go-to for lightweight cooking on the trail. It’s no surprise that it has been given an award for four years running as the ‘AT Favorite’ by The Trek. In their most recent survey, 41 percent of all respondents used the PocketRocket, blowing all other stoves out of the water. In terms of cookware, I wasn’t attuned to the world of TITANIUM on my past hikes (I think I used my dad’s old aluminum pot and mug circa 1990 to be honest), but today, I’d definitely use MSR’s newly launched and updated Titanium Cookware line - including their Titan Long Spoon, Titan Mug 450mL (or Titan Double Walled Mug) and one of the Kettles (900mL or 1400mL).
Tips/Expert Advice:
Backpack
I was three-quarters of the way through my PCT hike when my ULA Equipment backpack officially bit the bullet. Coincidentally, I was at PCT Trail Days in Cascade Locks, Oregon, and Gregory Packs was there. They were raffling off a few packs and as fate would have it, I was lucky enough to win myself the Maven 55, which to this day, is still my go-to longer-distance backpacking pack. I asked the Gregory folks if they had an updated recommendation, and they suggested the Zulu or Jade models. Here’s what they had to say, “They're actually fairly similar (Maven and Zulu/Jade) - they’re both lightweight packs with the same suspension system but the major difference is that the Jade and Zulu have a different back panel! It's open air so it allows for air flow and breathability when you're wearing it. Also, the Jade/Zulu series has been updated more recently than the Maven.” With that being said, today, I’d suggest the Zulu 55 today if you’re like me and want to be able to pack all of the extra snacks :)
Tent and sleep system
Tent - Although I didn’t use this on either of my past hikes, I cannot wait for my next one, because one piece of gear I’m certain I’ll be bringing is MSR’s Freelite 2 Tent. This tent is incredibly liveable, weighs in at 2 pounds (minimum weight), is semi-freestanding, and I know will stand up to the elements as it uses MSR’s strong DAC NFL tent poles and DuraShield™ waterproof coating. It combines everything I’d want in a tent – enough space and liveability to feel comfortable living out of for five months – while coming in at an incredibly lightweight (note: its latest update in spring 2022 made it half a pound lighter than the previous version).
Sleeping pad - On my two previous hikes I used the Therm-a-Rest ProLite Plus Women’s sleeping pad, and truly no complaints! However, at 1 pound 7 ounces and 1.5 inches thick, I believe there’s a superior pad today from Therm-a-Rest that checks more of my thru-hiking boxes today. Therm-a-Rest recently updated its ultralight pad, the XLite NXT sleeping pad, improving the comfort, and warmth and making it quieter. It weighs just 13 ounces (regular size) and packs down to the size of a 1L water bottle, with a higher R-value (warmth) at 4.5, compared to the ProLite, making it my choice for comfortable sleeping under the stars.
Sleeping bag - Many Verdeans use the Therm-a-Rest Parsec 20 for their overnight backpacking trips and GearJunkie recently awarded this bag ‘Best Overall Backpacking Sleeping Bag!’
Water
On past hikes, I used everything from a hand pump purifier to a gravity system to Aquamira tabs. To be honest, I switched around so much because I wasn’t a huge fan of any one system. However, today, I would 100% use the Platypus Quickdraw Filter. This small but mighty water filter has been in my backpacking “kit” for the past two years and continues to be my #1 choice. The hollow fiber technology allows it to filter water fast (3L/m) while remaining compact and ultralight (2.4 oz). It’s also designed to work with a wide range of bottles and reservoirs – meaning for long-distance hikes I would definitely twist it onto a Smartwater® bottle (gotta save those ounces where you can). It also has two in-the-field cleaning methods—shake-to-clean and backflushing—and an Integrity Check process. This is huge because I can’t tell you how many times I worried about the integrity of my filter after a cold night/freezing. As of this Spring, it’s also available in four colorways!!
Tips/Expert Advice:
When you’re on the trail you drink A LOT of water. You have to, in order to stay hydrated during the long, hot, days when you’re hiking 20+ miles a day. Finding a tasty drink mix that quenches your thirst and helps you hydrate simultaneously is crucial. Tailwind Nutrition’s Rapid Hydration mix not only helps you hydrate, but it also has electrolytes and Vitamin C and mixes clear for a clean, light taste to optimize your hydration. What’s more, it comes in four delicious flavors including Strawberry Lemonade, Lemon Lime, Raspberry, and Berry.
Shoes
I started the AT with sturdy Merrell hiking boots. About two months in I switched over to trail runners and have never looked back. I am a huge fan of trail runners for long-distance *quick* hiking (once my ankles/legs were strong enough!). I haven’t personally used this particular model, but I would consider the SCARPA Spin Planet trail runners for my next hike. They were updated this Spring ‘24 with new fun colorways and are considered to be a highly cushioned trail running shoe with serious sustainability chops, with the upper, midsole, and outsole all featuring significant recycled content (a win-win in my book!).
Clothes
When it comes to clothes, you’ve got to be extremely selective. You basically have one wardrobe to wear for five months, so your selections better be strategic, DURABLE, and comfortable. A few absolute staples in my book are a sun shirt, rain jacket, hat, puffy jacket, and a warm (clean) pair of sleep tights.
Sun shirt - Outdoor Research’s Echo Hoodie is built from bluesign®-approved and recycled materials with UPF 15 sun protection. Its lightweight and breathable fabric also has ActiveFresh™ odor control technology, and the AirVent™ technology provides superb airflow and moisture management. The thumb holes, quick-drying fabric, and flat-seam construction make it a perfect top for a thru-hike.
Rain jacket - A rain jacket is a must-have in my book. While it may live at the bottom of your pack for a large portion of your hike (an upsetting realization for the gram-counters), when you need it, you NEED it. Outdoor Research’s Helium Rain Jacket is lightweight and ultra-packable. It features Pertex® Shield Diamond Fuse 2.5-layer fabric which delivers rugged durability that breathes, and has fully taped seams to keep moisture and wind at bay on gusty ridges or drizzly descents.
Hat - Especially on the PCT, a sun hat was crucial to staying protected during the long days while hiking in California and Oregon. The Outdoor Research Swift Cap has a reputation for pairing technical performance with dialed-in features. In Spring 2024, more hats honoring the technical and design heritage of the Swift name were launched, broadening the family for different uses. The Swift Lite Brimmer is a comfortable, breathable full-brim hat built with an ultralight, stretch-woven fabric and laser-cut perforations on the side panel for ventilation. The Swift Lite Tech Cap offers the same attributes in a ball-cap style.
Puffy jacket - The Outdoor Research Helium Down Jacket delivers rugged down warmth and performance, perfect for a thru-hiking kit. This option may be controversial amongst hikers, as it isn’t the lightest weight puffy jacket on the market, however, I really appreciate this puffer for its waterproof and abrasion resistance shoulders and hood, providing lasting durability. Looking for something lighter? The SuperStrand LT Hoodie is OR’s ultra-packable option that is their lightest, softest, and most compressible synthetic down hoodie – OR’s best warmth-to-weight ratio jacket.
Tights - Something that brought me daily happiness was knowing I had a (semi) clean pair of dry and warm tights (sleep pants) that I could change into after a long day of hiking. I can’t remember what brand I used on my past hikes, but a great option for a future hike would be the Hot Chillys Women’s Clima-Wool Merino Bottoms. These tights feature a comfortable and durable merino wool, nylon, and spandex blend. They also offer exceptional breathability and temperature control for maximum comfort regardless of the temperature.
Other expert tips/advice from Verde clients
Many of our Verde clients are very familiar with the thru-hiking community and have put together a ton of amazing resources to help people better understand the world of thru-hiking, and to help people plan for their own upcoming thru-hike. Check out a few of these resources below to continue your exploration of the wonderful world of thru-hiking.
Want advice from a true thru-hiking icon? One of Astral’s athlete ambassadors is the legendary Jennifer Pharr Davis. In a guest blog, she provides Long Trail preparation advice on Astral’s blog here.
Let’s talk about budgeting. How much does a thru-hike cost? Properly budgeting for a thru-hike, and sticking to it, can mean the difference between crossing the finish line and a miserable hitchhike home. Check out MSR’s blog post about budgeting here.
Looking for more ultra-light gear than the suggestions listed above? Check out MSR’s blog on ultralight backpacking gear and tips here.
Please contact Alexa (alexa@verdepr.com) for more information, or for any gear/sample requests.