Thanks for the video. We completed this hike and had very similar equipment. Some things to keep in mind. 1) Bring an empty sealable bag with you to pack out your garbage. 2) The 38 lbs will be reduced each day as you eat each meal so the final weight would be about 28 lbs + garbage. 3) At the Nitanat ferry crossing, you land at the crab shack. Bring some cash for that and enjoy, it may be your best meal during the entire trip. 4) Not a bad idea for someone in your group to bring along a lightweight foldable shovel, just in case you don't make it to the outhouses at each stop. 5) The gloves for the ladder are a good idea as the rungs get pretty slippery. Have fun!!!
My setup will be pretty close. The things I am adding in addition to your list is light fishing gear, paracord, and lighters. Depending on the forecast we are having one person carry a stove and fuel while we will try to use an emberlit stove to reduce our overall weight by utilizing sticks and wood for fuel. Great video!
I would have liked to know what each of these items weighed. Total weight of your pack was 38 lbs. Did that included food and water? Also I'd like to see a follow up video after the hike about the gear you took. How much water did you carry with you and consume each day? How much food did you eat each day? You have a down sleeping bag? Everything I've heard about the WCT says not to have down because it absorbs water and will not dry out under WCT conditions. How did it work for you? Also your 'Columbia Sweater' appeared to be fleece, how'd that work out staying dry? Thanks for the video. I'm taking on the WCT in August 2019. Need all the advice I can get.
Hi Claude, thank you for your watching my video, to answer your questions: Yes I was a bit concerned about using a down sleeping bag too, given all the advise on line. However I figured that I had always used down sleeping bags with no problem whatsoever in all my previous outings. In any hike there is a chance you may get very wet conditions, the WCT is no different than any other trail in that respect. Just make sure you use a dry bag to keep your sleeping gear and all other clothes dry inside your backpack at all times. If there is even a slight chance of rain while camping, always consider hanging up a tarp over your tent, to get an extra layer of protection, and always check your surroundings before pitching your tent, be aware of where water may be pooling and running down in in case of torrential rains. As a sad anecdote, I heard a couple talking at chez monique's, they had arrived late at one of the campgrounds and were not careful where they pitched their tent that evening, in the middle of the night the tide rose to where they were and got everything they owned wet, they had to stay two days at that campsite just getting their gear dry . The Columbia sweater is polar fleece, it is warm and relatively light weight, and it worked great under the conditions of the trail. I carried two one liter Platypus containers of water with me on the trail, and at any fresh water crossing (there are plenty of them along the trail) I filtered water to replenish the water I had consumed. I drank throughout the day and never felt dehydrated or too thirsty. I dissolved water flavoring crystals in one of the water bottles every day to break the monotony. My daily food consumption was as follows: Breakfast- one 2 portion pack of dehydrated breakfast, a cup of coffee. Lunch one pouch of tuna or salmon inside a rolled up tortilla, or chorizo in tortilla. Dinner a 2 portion entree dehydrated pack. warm tea. Snacks during the day included 2 power bars, jerky, nut mix with m&m and craisins. Remember that you can eat two meals on the trail (at NitNat narrows and Chez Monique) which are really worth stopping for. Feel free to reach me if you still have any questions, hope you enjoy the WCT as much as I did.
Thanks for the video. We completed this hike and had very similar equipment. Some things to keep in mind. 1) Bring an empty sealable bag with you to pack out your garbage. 2) The 38 lbs will be reduced each day as you eat each meal so the final weight would be about 28 lbs + garbage. 3) At the Nitanat ferry crossing, you land at the crab shack. Bring some cash for that and enjoy, it may be your best meal during the entire trip. 4) Not a bad idea for someone in your group to bring along a lightweight foldable shovel, just in case you don't make it to the outhouses at each stop. 5) The gloves for the ladder are a good idea as the rungs get pretty slippery. Have fun!!!
My setup will be pretty close. The things I am adding in addition to your list is light fishing gear, paracord, and lighters. Depending on the forecast we are having one person carry a stove and fuel while we will try to use an emberlit stove to reduce our overall weight by utilizing sticks and wood for fuel. Great video!
I would have liked to know what each of these items weighed. Total weight of your pack was 38 lbs. Did that included food and water? Also I'd like to see a follow up video after the hike about the gear you took. How much water did you carry with you and consume each day? How much food did you eat each day? You have a down sleeping bag? Everything I've heard about the WCT says not to have down because it absorbs water and will not dry out under WCT conditions. How did it work for you? Also your 'Columbia Sweater' appeared to be fleece, how'd that work out staying dry? Thanks for the video. I'm taking on the WCT in August 2019. Need all the advice I can get.
Hi Claude, thank you for your watching my video, to answer your questions:
Yes I was a bit concerned about using a down sleeping bag too, given all the advise on line. However I figured that I had always used down sleeping bags with no problem whatsoever in all my previous outings. In any hike there is a chance you may get very wet conditions, the WCT is no different than any other trail in that respect. Just make sure you use a dry bag to keep your sleeping gear and all other clothes dry inside your backpack at all times. If there is even a slight chance of rain while camping, always consider hanging up a tarp over your tent, to get an extra layer of protection, and always check your surroundings before pitching your tent, be aware of where water may be pooling and running down in in case of torrential rains. As a sad anecdote, I heard a couple talking at chez monique's, they had arrived late at one of the campgrounds and were not careful where they pitched their tent that evening, in the middle of the night the tide rose to where they were and got everything they owned wet, they had to stay two days at that campsite just getting their gear dry .
The Columbia sweater is polar fleece, it is warm and relatively light weight, and it worked great under the conditions of the trail.
I carried two one liter Platypus containers of water with me on the trail, and at any fresh water crossing (there are plenty of them along the trail) I filtered water to replenish the water I had consumed. I drank throughout the day and never felt dehydrated or too thirsty. I dissolved water flavoring crystals in one of the water bottles every day to break the monotony.
My daily food consumption was as follows: Breakfast- one 2 portion pack of dehydrated breakfast, a cup of coffee. Lunch one pouch of tuna or salmon inside a rolled up tortilla, or chorizo in tortilla. Dinner a 2 portion entree dehydrated pack. warm tea. Snacks during the day included 2 power bars, jerky, nut mix with m&m and craisins. Remember that you can eat two meals on the trail (at NitNat narrows and Chez Monique) which are really worth stopping for.
Feel free to reach me if you still have any questions, hope you enjoy the WCT as much as I did.
Nice gear