Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide: Class of 2022 Survey

In the second installment of this year’s Continental Divide Trail Thru-Hiker Survey, we dive into gear for hiking the CDT. Continental Divide Trail gear lists vary wildly between hikers and (spoiler alert) it’s impossible to find a perfect CDT gear list. That said, we can try.

I’ve organized this in a way that I hope will give a comprehensive picture of what gear CDT thru-hikers are using. This post covers the highest-rated gear, the most common gear, base weights, gear advice, and more.

The gear covered here includes backpacks, shelters, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, insulated jackets, rain jackets, fleeces, shoes, socks, stoves, water treatment, trekking poles, ice axes, traction systems, food storage, satellite messengers/PLBs, fitness trackers, luxury items, and more.

This year, I’ve changed up the layout a bit and I think I’m happy with the results. Hopefully, the article flows a bit more smoothly and the data is a bit more accessible. The goal is for this to be a useful resource for CDT hikers, so if there’s anything that you think is missing, please leave a comment below.

I hope you enjoy this year’s Continental Divide Trail Gear Guide brought to you by the CDT Class of 2022.

Most Common CDT Gear

I ask each survey respondent about the gear they used during their Continental Divide Trail hike. With this information, we can easily see what the most popular pieces of gear were on the trail. Here’s what this year’s “Most Common CDT Gear List” backpack had in it – and what that theoretical backpack was.

• Backpack: ULA Circuit (2.29 lbs / 1.038 kg | $280)
• Shelter: Zpacks Duplex (1.19 lbs / 539 g | $699)
• Sleeping bag: Enlightened Equipment Revelation (20.9 oz / 593 g | $410)
• Sleeping pad: Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite (12.5 oz / 354 g | $200)
• Insulated jacket: Enlightened Equipment Torrid – Men’s/Women’s (8.4 oz / 238 g | $185)
• Shell: Outdoor Research Helium – Men’s/Women’s (6.3 oz / 179 g | $159)
• Fleece: Melanzana Microgrid Hoodie (12.2 oz / 346 g | $78)
• Shoes: Altra Lone Peak – Men’s/Women’s (22 oz / 624 g | $150)
• Socks: Darn Tough Hiker Quarter Midweight – Men’s/Women’s (2 oz / 57 g | $20)
• Stove: MSR PocketRocket 2 (2.4 oz / 68 g | $50)
• Water treatment: Sawyer Squeeze (3 oz / 85 g / $39)
• Food storage: Ursack Major XL (8.8 oz / 250 g | $110)
• Trekking poles: Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork (17.1 oz / 485 g / $200)
• PLB: Garmin inReach Mini (3.5 oz / 100 g | $350)
• Ice axe: C.A.M.P. USA Corsa (8.2 oz / 232 g | $120)
• Traction device: Kahtoola MICROspikes (11 oz / 312 g | $75)
• Fitness tracker: Garmin Fenix (2.79 oz / 79 g | $700)

Total weight – Big 3 (pack, shelter, sleeping bag): 4.78 lbs / 2.170 kg
Total weight – Big 4 (Big 3 + sleeping pad): 5.56 lbs / 2.524 kg

All gear (minus snow gear): 8.36 lbs / 3.790 kg (this does not include ice axe, traction, trekking poles, shoes, socks, or fitness tracker)
All gear: 9.55 lbs / 4.334 kg (this does not include trekking poles, shoes, socks, or fitness tracker)

In addition to the items noted above, these total base weights (a backpack’s weight minus food, water, and consumables – like poop paper) are missing a few pieces of gear (headlamp, extra clothing, electronics, etc.). It brings us over halfway to the year’s average starting base weight of 17.64 lbs / 8.001 kg. Note that the stove included in this list, the MSR PocketRocket 2, does not include the weight of a pot.

The total price of all this gear? $3,125 (with one pair of shoes and one pair of socks); I did not include the $700 price tag of the Garmin Fenix. The average thru-hikers spent on gear prior to beginning their hikes? $1,163 (M = $1,000 | σ = $966).

In addition to the items noted above, these total base weights (a backpack’s weight minus food, water, and consumables – like poop paper) are missing a few pieces of gear (headlamp, extra clothing, electronics, etc.). It brings us over halfway to the year’s average starting base weight of 17.64 lbs / 8.001 kg. Note that the stove included in this list, the SOTO Windmaster, does not include the weight of a pot.

The total price of all this gear? $3,188 (with one pair of shoes and one pair of socks); I did not include the $600 price tag of the Garmin Forerunner. The average thru-hikers spent on gear prior to beginning their hikes? $1,163 (M = $1,000 | σ = $966).

CDT Hiker Backpacks

The ULA Circuit was the most common backpack on the Continental Divide Trail this year. It is a 2.29 lb / 1.038 kg pack capable of carrying up to 68 L and 35 lbs / 16 kg of gear. The Circuit was also the highest-rated pack among CDT hikers.

CDT Hiker Shelters

The Zpacks Duplex was the most common shelter on the CDT this year (for the second year in a row). It’s a $700, two-person, side-entry, 19 oz / 539 g shelter that requires two trekking poles to set up. It’s made from .51 oz/yd² Dyneema Composite Fabric and required eight stakes to be set up (not included in the $700 price tag).

Is there a generic term for sleeping bags and quilts? Sleeping sacks? Insulation-filled backpacking tortillas? Writing sleeping bags/quilts is a bit excessive/unnecessary feeling (and just annoying). Suggestions welcome.

Quilts have become exceedingly popular in recent years and they have become the unofficial standard in thru-hiker kits; four of the top five most common insulation-filled backpacking tortillas (trying it out) were quilts. That said, many quilts come in a variety of temperature ratings and with a large number of customizable options.

Individual hiker temperature needs can vary greatly. How warm of a sleeper are you? Which sleeping pad do you have? Do you sleep in your clothes? With another person? In a small tent? A big tent? With a dog? Bigfoot?

The typical range for CDT sleeping bags and quilts is between 10°F and 20°F (-12.2°C to -6.7°C). Which bag will be best for you will depend. Here’s what this year’s class had.

Sleeping pads are another must-have item on the Continental Divide Trail. Hikers essentially have two options: an inflatable sleeping pad or a foam sleeping pad.

There are pros and cons to both. Foam pads can’t pop, can be easily deployed, aren’t noisy when rolled around on, and make acceptable LARPing weapons; inflatable pads pack down small, have higher R-values (i.e. they’re warmer), can (sometimes) be lighter, and make acceptable rafts.

Which sleeping pad is best for you depends on your personal needs and, in some cases, how much durability you’re willing to sacrifice to save weight. The overwhelming majority of CDT hikers used inflatable sleeping pads with 46% of all hikers using some version of the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite (either the regular, small, or women’s version).

The percentage of hikers using each style of sleeping pad on the Continental Divide Trail this year.

• 76% – Inflatable
• 24% – Foam

Something to keep the top half of your body warm – whether this is a base layer, a fleece, or an insulated jacket – is something else every Continental Divide Trail hiker should have with them. Of this year’s class, 83.3% of hikers had an insulated jacket – meaning 16.7% of hikers said they didn’t bring one.

Besides the question of whether to bring an insulated jacket (insulated jacket because “down jacket” isn’t accurate since not all jackets use down insulation and because the word “puffy” isn’t quite official – also I want to spell the plural “puffys” because “puffies” looks weird and I’m never quite sure which to use), hikers need to decide whether they want their jacket to have a hood.

Many of the most popular insulated jackets have both hooded and non-hooded versions available. Typically the hoodless versions are called “jackets” while the hooded versions are called hoodies (e.g. Patagonia Micro Puff Jacket vs. Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody).

The percentage of hikers using hooded and not hooded (unhooded?) jackets on the Continental Divide Trail this year.

• 77.3% – Hooded
• 22.7% – Not hooded

CDT Hiker Insulated Jackets

The Enlightened Equipment Torrid (Men’s/Women’s) was the most common jacket among Continental Divide Trail hikers this year. The 8.4 oz / 238 g jacket uses 2oz/yd² CLIMASHIELD APEX synthetic insulation and is available with either a 7D or 10D nylon shell. You can get it customized in a variety of colors and there’s a pullover version (Men’s/Women’s) available as well.

CDT Hiker Shells

The Outdoor Research Helium was the most common rainwear on the Continental Divide Trail this year. It’s one of the lightest options available at just 6.3 oz/ 179 g, but it’s also one of the lowest rated. There’s a single chest pocket (no hand pockets), an elastic drawcord hem, and elastic cuffs. It has a 30D nylon shell and a 2.5L waterproof laminate.

Many hikers opt to carry a fleece either in addition to or instead of an insulated jacket. They’re typically more comfortable to hike in (if you’re using your extra layers for more than just staying warm at camp) and can offer a bit more versatility than a puffy depending on the situation.

It was a pretty even split among hikers on whether they had a fleece; 62.5% of hikers brought a fleece.

The following breakdown shows the percentage of CDT hikers who brought only a fleece, brought only an insulated jacket, and those who brought both.

• 56.9% – Insulated jacket and fleece
• 35.5% – Insulated jacket only
• 5.6% – Fleece only
• 2.0% – Neither an insulated jacket nor a fleece (this is not recommended)

Shoes are perhaps one of the most important gear choices for Continental Divide Trail hikers as they’re what’s literally moving you up the trail. They’re also one of the most individual-specific pieces of gear.

The shoes that work, which may be the objectively best choice for one person, could easily be the objectively worst choice for another person. Some shoes may be more popular while others may be of higher quality materials, but ultimately the “best shoes” are the ones that work best for the individual.

You shouldn’t be afraid of trying on multiple models from multiple brands to find the most comfortable shoe for your foot. That said, the most common shoes, the Altra Lone Peak (Men’s/Women’s), were used by just over 45% of CDT hikers.

The overwhelming majority (over 97%) of hikers used low-top trail runners. Similarly, only a fraction of a percent of hikers used waterproof versions of shoes.

The following breakdown shows the percentage of CDT hikers who changed their shoe size during their hike.

• 71.4% – Did not change shoe size
• 24.0% – Sized up their shoe during hike
• 4.5% – Sized down their shoe during hike

For more on hiking shoes, check out the Best Shoes for Thru-Hiking.

CDT Hiker Shoes

The Altra Lone Peak (Men’s/Women’s) was the most common shoe on the feet of Continental Divide Trail hikers this year – for the sixth year in a row. They cost $150 per pair, have a 0 mm heel-toe drop, and weigh 22 oz / 624 g per pair. On average, thru-hikers burned through five of these on the trail (4.9 to be exact). Altra (typically) releases a new version of the Lone Peak every year; at the time of publication, the latest version is the Lone Peak 7.

Hikers have a wide variety of stoves and fuel sources to choose from when selecting their backpacking stoves. Fuel sources include denatured alcohol/HEET, solid fuel, liquid fuel, isobutane/propane (aka gas canisters), and even old-fashioned wood.

The overwhelming majority (95.1%) of hikers carried stoves that use isobutane/propane gas canisters.

That said, there were still a number of hikers who were stoveless (that is, they did not carry a stove with them on the trail) and others who changed their minds as the trail went on. Here’s a breakdown of what that looked like.

• 65.9% – Carried stove for the entirety of hike
• 20.2% – Stoveless
• 7.2% – Began with stove and then went stoveless
• 6.3% – Began stoveless and then got a stove
• 0.5% – Alternated multiple times between stoveless and carrying a stove

CDT Hiker Stoves

The MSR PocketRocket 2 was the most common stove on the Continental Divide Trail this year (for the second year in a row). It’s a 2.6 oz / 74 g canister stove that requires a lighter to ignite (i.e. no push-button ignition). The push-button start version, the MSR PocketRocket Deluxe, was the fourth-most-common stove (also for the second year in a row). The reported boil time for one liter of water is 3.5 minutes.

CDT Hiker Water Treatment

The Sawyer Squeeze was (by far) the most common Continental Divide Trail water filter this year – for the fifth year in a row. It’s a $39, 3 oz / 85 g hollow fiber filter that rids your drinking water of protozoa and bacteria (and floaties). It can be used with Sawyer bags (included with the filter) or with compatible water bottles (Smartwater is the bottle of choice for many hikers). The Sawyer comes in two smaller sizes as well, the Sawyer Micro and the Sawyer MINI.

CDT Hiker Ice Axes

The C.A.M.P. Corsa was the most commonly found ice axe on the Continental Divide Trail this year. It’s the lightest ice axe on the list at 7.2 oz / 204 g and has an all-aluminum construction. The $120 axe has a straight shaft and comes in 50, 60, and 70 cm lengths.

CDT Hiker Traction Systems

The Kahtoola MICROspikes Traction System was the most common traction system on the Continental Divide Trail this year. It’s an over-the-shoe, spikes-on-the-bottom system that weighs 11 oz / 312 g. It comes in four sizes and has stainless steel spikes.

CDT Hiker Fitness Trackers

This year, the Garmin fenix was the most common fitness tracker/smart watch on the Continental Divide Trail. It’s a fully-featured tracker that can provide stats such as speed, altitude, heart rate, weather, sunrise and sunset, storm warnings, maps, and more. It can also be loaded with music, paired via Bluetooth, and is water-resistant to 100 meters.

To wrap up this portion of the gear breakdown (posts on couples’ gear and gear broken down by gender are on the way), I have advice from this year’s CDT Class on gear choices and gear lists for future CDT hikers.

• A lot of my gear broke, and I had to make do with what the outfitters had. These outfitters do not have ultralight gear, so my pack weight sometimes went up. Also, a lot of towns did not have good outfitters, so I had to make do with ad-hoc systems until my gear arrived via the post office or I reached a good outfitter. Buy for durability, a couple of extra ounces after you’ve been on the trail for a month or two isn’t that big of a deal.
• I was most concerned about the cold nights going into this hike, and I found that it wasn’t nearly as much of a problem as I feared. The only difference between my sleep system on the Pacific Crest Trail and the CDT was that I upgraded to the NeoAir XTherm. It’s hard to say just how much of an impact it had, but from my anecdotal evidence (I am a wuss when it comes to the cold and always sleep cold) this was a very worthwhile decision.
• Find some durable plastic grocery bags for your wet tent/fly so it doesn’t soak your pack. I also found them useful for pillows and general organization.
• Do not underestimate the cold! Make sure your rain gear keeps you DRY. Hypothermia is no joke, and the CDT is way more intense than either the Pacific Crest Trail or the Appalachian Trail.
• Make sore rain pants can be donned without taking off your shoes and can be cinched around the waist. No GORE-TEX shoes – they never dry out.