Gear

GEAR REVIEW: Ultralight Adventure Equipment Circuit Backpack

OVERVIEW:

Here at Trail Lives, we absolutely love Cottage Gear Shops. Some of the best gear tested has come from these unlikely and relatively small companies, which are usually run by hikers like you and I. Founded in 2001 by a fellow thru hiker and located in Utah, Ultralight Adventure Equipment (ULA) offers some amazing ultralight gear, especially backpacks. Today, many consider ULA as cottage shop royalty, as their packs hold a standard of excellence by many long distance hikers. Within ULA packs, testers and ULA alike, report the Circuit as the most used on trail. I will be taking my ULA Circuit with my on my PCT Thru Hike this April.
Continue reading “GEAR REVIEW: Ultralight Adventure Equipment Circuit Backpack”

Gear

Pacific Crest Trail Gear List: Mexico to Kennedy Meadows

Section: Mexican Border to Kennedy Meadows

SYSTEM	GEAR	CARRIED	WORN
BACKPACK SYSTEM
Pack	ULA Circuit Pack (XL)	40
Pack Liner	Trash Compactor Bag	2.3
SHELTER SYSTEM
Tarp	Cuben Tarp w/ guy lines	8.14
Bivy	Ptarmigan Bivy	5.9
Ground Cloth	Gossamer Gear Polycryo	2.95
SLEEP SYSTEM
Isulation Top	Enigma Quilt	22.75
Insulation Bottom	Thermarest NeoAir Xlite	15.59
CLOTHING SYSTEM
Socks 2	REI Lite Hiker Socks	1.6
Underwear	Patagonia Underwear		4.7
Hiking Shorts	NYU Basketball Shorts		11
Hiking Shirt	Marmot LS Shirt		7
Insulation Top	Montbell Down Jacket	6
Wind Shell Bottom	Montbell Dynamo Wind Pants	3.1
Wind Shell Top	Montbell Tachyon Anorak	2.6
Rain Shell Top	DriDucks Poncho	8
Insulating Hat	Outdoor Designs Hat	0.74
Bandana	Bandana		1.29
Sun Hat	Baseball Cap		2.82
FOOTWEAR
Shoes	New Balance Trail Runners		23.52
Socks 1	REI Lite Hikers		1.6
COOKING SYSTEM
Stove	Snow Peak Giga Power	3.71
Cook Pot	Imusa Pot with DIY Lid	4.05
Utensil	Spork	0.54
Towel	Paclite Towel	0.45
HYDRATION SYSTEM
Water Filter	Sawyer Mini	1.62
Water Scoop	DIY Scoop/Adapter	0.59
Water storage	x4 Platypus 2.4L Bladder	5.16
Water Bottle	Smart Water Bottle	1.29
Water Bottle	Smart Water Bottle	1.29
SURVIVAL
Light	Petzl Tikka Head Lamp	2.86
Fire Starter	Mini Bic Lighter	0.4
First Aid	First aid kit	2.86
Toothbrush	Portable Toothbrush w/ toothpaste	0.85
Toilet Paper	Small Roll of TP	2.23
Soap/Toothpaste	Dr. Bronners	2.71
Line	25 feet MSR Utility Line	0.54
Repair Kit	sil tape/needle/thread	1.28
Cash/Credit Card	cash/Cards/ID/Permit	0.54
Stuff Sack	Cuben Fiber Stuff sack	0.22
ELECTRONICS
Phone	Galaxy s4		6.27
Charger	iPhone/gopro Charger	2.45
Camera	GoPro Hero 3	10.51
ITEMS CARRIED
Trek poles	Black Diamond Trek Poles		20.22

	Base Weight	165.82	78.42

Conditions Faced:

The first 702 miles to Kennedy Meadows are mostly desert, with the odd foray into higher, and cooler elevations. Distance between water sources is a serious consideration, while rain/snow were pretty much a non factor (2014). Continue reading “Pacific Crest Trail Gear List: Mexico to Kennedy Meadows”

Gear

GEAR REVIEW: Mountain Hardware UltraLamina 0 Degree Sleeping Bag

OVERVIEW:

Mountain Hardware is no cottage shop. They are a titan of the outdoor apparel industry and they make pretty much everything. I have a few things from Mountain Hardware including their Orko Gloves, synthetic Compressor Jacket, and of course their UltraLamina 0* Sleeping Bag.
Continue reading “GEAR REVIEW: Mountain Hardware UltraLamina 0 Degree Sleeping Bag”