The picture you see above was taken in Section O on the PCT. All four guys in the picture (including myself, at left) were carrying Mountainsmith Auspex packs. We weren’t the only ones. It was a popular pack. Cathy carried a Kelty Haiku, which is nearly identical in size and features. Since then we have moved on. Those packs, at 70 litres, were never full, even in the High Sierra.

Our new pack (currently, anyways) is the Osprey Aether 45 for both of us. Sounds WAY smaller, right? Actually it is not that bad. The packs seem to be shaped perfectly to carry our gear with little wasted space. We have gone on a 7-day trip with them in the High Sierra and they were stuffed to the max. I doubt I could have put an extra toothpick in mine. Perfect—no wasted space!

Cathy and I share gear as much as possible. Anything that we don’t wear, sleep in, or sleep on is community gear. Due to our differences in hiking capabilities, I carry as much of the community gear as possible. At the minimum, Cathy still carries her clothes, sleeping gear, water, and half of the food. We will sometimes use the extra space in Cathy’s pack for luxury items like books.

We follow the latest trend in backpacking—ultralight backpacking. Ultralight backpacking is a philosophy of bringing as little gear as possible to maximize comfort and mileage. I don’t believe that this is something that needs to be followed absolutely. There is a difference between the lightest pack I could carry and the lightest pack I want to carry. Thus you will see stuff on our gear list like 3/4 length therm-a-rest pads, radio, etc. The goal is to maximize enjoyment.

Before I get to the gearlist I would like to post a disclaimer:

This is the gear that WE take into the wilderness. I take no responsibility for the comfort or safety of anybody who wishes to follow this. Only YOU can decide what gear is required for your particular situation. And don't let anybody tell you otherwise.

So, without further delay, here is the LIST:

Kent's Pack

Loose Items in Pack
8x10 Integral Designs Siltarp
Stakes and extra cord in small stuff sack
3/4 length Them-a-rest ultralite
Adventure 16 bug bivy in stuff sack
Tyvek groundsheet
Trash-compactor bag pack cover
2 x 1qt Gatorade bottles for side pockets
1-gal platypus for extra water storage (in desert)
Fuel (if carrying alcohol stove)
 
Sleeping Bag Stuffsack
Nunatak Backcountry Blanket
Integral Designs silk bag liner (early spring and Sierra)

Clothing Stuffsack / Clothing Worn
Montrail Vitesse shoes
Socks, three pairs
Nylon pants
Running shorts
Hiking shirt
MW capilene top and bottom
MEC Northern-lite pullover or Marmot windshirt
Marmot Precip jacket
Gloves (if cold)
Warm hat
Buff
Wide brimmed sun hat

Small Stuffsack #1
First aid: gauze roll, gauze pads, tape, safety pin, tooth repair kit, various bandaids, compeeds, vaseline, neosporin, cortaid, advil, aleve, pepto tablets, sudafed, benadryl.
Safety & repair: Spark-lite firestarter, mini-compass, therm-a-rest repair kit, duct tape, extra headlamp batteries
Aquamira / Katadyn Micro-pur / MSR Miox
Small radio & extra batteries
Extra film
Tooth brushes
Toothpaste
Mirror

Small Stuffsack #2
Sunscreen
Hand sanitizer
Soap
TP
Wipes
Feminine hygiene

Small Stuffsack #3
Paper bags
Ziplock bags
Used TP, wipes, and other unburiable things

Pot Stuffsack
Pot (Evernew Ti, 1.3L)
Zip stove / homemade alcohol stove
Bandana
Aluminum foil for windscreen
Pot scraper
Bic lighter

Ursack / Bearcan
Cup
Spoon
Food

Other Stuff Carried, In Pockets, etc.
Leatherman micra, photon light, Gerber LST-microlight attached to key-ring.
Camera (Olympus Stylus Epic)
Money, ID & permits
Headlamp (BD Ion)
Bandana
Maps & guidebook sections

Cathy's Pack

Loose Items in Pack
3/4 length Them-a-rest ultralite
Adventure 16 bug bivy in stuff sack
Trash-compactor bag pack cover
2 x 1qt Gatorade bottles for side pockets
1-gal platypus for extra water storage (in desert)

Sleeping Bag Stuffsack
Feathered Friends Swallow

Clothing Stuffsack / Clothing Worn
Montrail Vitesse shoes
Socks, three pairs
Nylon pants
Running shorts
Hiking shirt
MW/EW capilene top and bottom
Marmot Flash sweater
Marmot Precip jacket
Gloves (if cold)
Warm hat
Wide brimmed sun hat

Small Stuffsack #1
Cathy's pills and potions
Contact lens case
Contact lens solution

Small Stuffsack #2
Paper bags
Ziplock bags
Used TP, wipes, and other unburiable things

Ursack / Bearcan
Cup
Spoon
Food

Other Stuff Carried, In Pockets, etc.
Money, ID & permits
Headlamp (BD Ion)
Bandana

Drift Boxes (two 5-gal buckets we mail from town to town)

Town clothes & sandals
Extra water purification supplies
Large bottle of soap
Large bottle of sunscreen
Large bottle of hand sanitizer
Feminine hygiene products
Alcohol stove & fuel bottle
Trash compactor bags
Ziplock bags
Unworn / uncarried clothing
Misc. hard to find food items
Hard to find batteries
Extra first aid supplies
Guidebooks