Shop some of our faves
SHOP PRODUCTSInternational Header
The Trek: I Thru-Hiked the PCT Without These Items — and Regretted It
In this post, I’ll break down all the gear I wish I’d had in each section, and why.
The Trek: I Thru-Hiked the PCT Without These Items — and Regretted It
Last updated:
March 2, 2026
| 5 min read
YouTube video highlight
In this post, I’ll break down all the gear I wish I’d had in each section, and why.
Read more about the projectThe Trek: I Thru-Hiked the PCT Without These Items — and Regretted It
I Thru-Hiked the PCT Without These Items — and Regretted It
When I started the Pacific Crest Trail at Campo, I was confident I had everything I needed to make it to Canada. I’d spent months refining my LighterPack and leaned on gear that had served me well on the Appalachian Trail and Arizona Trail. I also knew that, worst case, I could buy what I needed along the way.
Yet despite everything, once on trail I discovered that there were multiple items I wished I’d brought along. Each section of the PCT presented challenges I hadn’t fully anticipated. I finished the trail without these items, but I spent plenty of miles wishing I had them.
Continue reading to learn more about gear needed for hiking the PCT, written by Anna McKinney Smith.
Anna McKinney Smith
Anna is from western North Carolina and grew up romping through hollers and hills.
I Thru-Hiked the PCT Without These Items — and Regretted It
When I started the Pacific Crest Trail at Campo, I was confident I had everything I needed to make it to Canada. I’d spent months refining my LighterPack and leaned on gear that had served me well on the Appalachian Trail and Arizona Trail. I also knew that, worst case, I could buy what I needed along the way.
Yet despite everything, once on trail I discovered that there were multiple items I wished I’d brought along. Each section of the PCT presented challenges I hadn’t fully anticipated. I finished the trail without these items, but I spent plenty of miles wishing I had them.
Continue reading to learn more about gear needed for hiking the PCT, written by Anna McKinney Smith.
Anna McKinney Smith
Anna is from western North Carolina and grew up romping through hollers and hills.
I Thru-Hiked the PCT Without These Items — and Regretted It
When I started the Pacific Crest Trail at Campo, I was confident I had everything I needed to make it to Canada. I’d spent months refining my LighterPack and leaned on gear that had served me well on the Appalachian Trail and Arizona Trail. I also knew that, worst case, I could buy what I needed along the way.
Yet despite everything, once on trail I discovered that there were multiple items I wished I’d brought along. Each section of the PCT presented challenges I hadn’t fully anticipated. I finished the trail without these items, but I spent plenty of miles wishing I had them.
Continue reading to learn more about gear needed for hiking the PCT, written by Anna McKinney Smith.
Anna McKinney Smith
Anna is from western North Carolina and grew up romping through hollers and hills.
Mentions dans les médias
browse all articlesDans l'Est : L'ultra-athlète Katie Spotz parcourt 360 miles à vélo à travers le Maine
Read MoreRecent articles
Other categories
You might also like
Mentions dans les médias
We’ve used this filter for over 800 miles in the backcountry and it’s still the best option for clean drinking water.
Brett Kretzer
Adventurer. Writer. Creator.
Mentions dans les médias
Squeeze Water Filtration System by Sawyer
Garage Grown Gear
Mentions dans les médias de Garage Grown Gear
Mentions dans les médias
This popular repellent from Sawyer has 20% Picaridin, which protects against a wide range of insects, including mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, gnats, chiggers and sand flies.
Amylia Ryan
Associate Editor
Explore All Sawyer has to Offer
Built for the Outdoors
see ALL PRODUCTS
Suivez-nous sur Instagram
Plus qu'une entreprise de plein air.
@sawyerproducts
Suivez-nous
From the trail
Rencontrez nos ambassadeurs. Ce sont des experts de la piste qui aiment la façon dont nos produits résistent aux éléments et qui nous ravissent avec les récits de leurs aventures de haut niveau.
meet our ambassadors
