9-Pound Pack: Ultralight on the PCT

• Camp Stove Switch — Abandoned after the first leg of his trek, Esbit’s solid fuel chemical tablets, which are a compact alternative to common gas and cartridge-based stoves, weren’t warm enough to heat Johnson’s stew. He switched to a heavier, hotter JetBoil Personal Cooking System, which includes an integrated pot/eating vessel mounted atop a butane burner.

• Trail Shoes — Boots are out with ultra-light backpackers. Instead, trail-running shoes like the End Sumptown, Vasque Blurs and Lafuma Sky Race models have enough support for long-duration trips. Johnson tested five pairs during his 1,000-mile hike. Most weighed half what a typical hiking boot registers on a scale, making each step that much easier on the trail.

• VestPack — Johnson’s own invention, the VestPack is a vest that distributes gear weight equally around your torso instead of on your back and shoulders. It has eight mesh pockets in front and a small sleeping bag compartment in the rear. But on the PCT, Johnson abandoned the vest after switching to a stove that did not fit in a pocket.

• Custom Pack — Commercial suppliers do not often deal in the periphery where ultra-light hikers like Johnson exist. Key items on his equipment list, including his backpack, were custom creations. Minnesota-based Cooke Custom Sewing’s Ultralight Pack is made with silicon-coated nylon. It weighs 7.6 ounces and can carry up to 20 pounds of trail weight.

• Bivy Bag — For almost 1,000 miles, Johnson avoided carrying a tent. Instead, he slept in the open wrapped in a 6.5-ounce waterproof bivy bag. His bag, made by MontBell, worked with a 16-ounce sleeping bag from Western Mountaineering. The aforementioned bubble wrap insulated his core from cold earth underneath.

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SIDEBAR Breakdown: 9 Pounds of Gear
For the initial sections of the PCT in the southern Californian desert, Johnson toted this minimal load of gear, food and water . He noted: “I should have had two additional liters of water for this section.” The seasonal water sources were dry, and he did not pack enough liquid. This extra water weight would have added an additional four pounds to the overall load. Said Johnson: “I was planning on 30 miles per day with three days of food between each re-supply. In this section, due to lack of water, I only made 20 miles per day.”

• VestPack = 12 oz.
• Western Mountaineering Highlite Sleeping Bag = 16 oz.
• Bubble Wrap = 1 oz.
• MontBell Sleeping Bag Cover Bivy Sack = 6.5 oz.
• Two half-liter Disposable Bottles of water = 36.8 oz.
  (Note: another half-liter of water was carried in pocket)
• Patagonia Houdini Jacket = 3.5 oz.
• MontBell Down Jacket = 5.4 oz.
• Princeton Tec Scout Headlamp = 1.6 oz.
• Personal Items = 1 oz.
• Esbit fuel cubes = 1 oz.
• Small Pop Can Stove = .1 oz.
• Lighter = .5 oz.
• Multiple freeze-dried dinner packs = 14 oz.
• Ten Clif Bars = 22.5 oz.
• Eric the Black’s PCT Atlas = 4 oz.
• Merino wool socks = 1.5 oz.
  Total = 7.97 pounds

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SIDEBAR Breakdown: 15 Pounds of Gear
Johnson abandoned the above “ultra-ultra-light” approach after a few days, including swapping out the VestPack for a lightweight backpack and carrying a different stove and more food and water. In addition to the items below, Johnson carried in his pockets a small Swiss Army knife (.8 oz.), Brunton’s 28NL compass (.35 oz.), clip-on sunglasses and a credit card. This setup included enough food for 100+ miles at a stretch or five days/four nights on the trail between re-supplies. It worked for hundreds of miles this past summer on the PCT, Johnson said.

• Cook Custom Sewing Ultralight Pack = 7.6 oz.
• Western Mountaineering Highlite Sleeping Bag = 16 oz.
• Bubble Wrap = 1 oz.
• MontBell Sleeping Bag Cover Bivy Sack = 6.5 oz.
• Two liters of water = 65 oz.
• Water bladders = 10 oz.
• Patagonia Houdini Jacket = 3.5 oz.
• MontBell Down Jacket = 5.4 oz.
• Princeton Tec Scout Headlamp = 1.6 oz.
• Personal Items = 1 oz.
• JetBoil Stove + Fuel = 17 oz.
• Lighter =.5 oz.
• Multiple freeze-dried dinner packs = 28 oz.
• 20 Clif Bars = 50 oz.
• Eight packets of Instant Oatmeal = ~20 oz.
• O.P. Sak plastic bag = 1.2 oz.
• Eric the Black’s PCT Atlas = 4 oz.
• Merino wool socks = 1.5 oz.
  Total = 14.9 pounds