Women’s Gear Guide for the Pacific Crest Trail (2023 Survey)
Pacific Crest Trail women’s gear lists often do not align exactly with the gear lists broken down in the PCT Hiker Survey Gear Guide, although this year, there isn’t too much difference between the overall PCT gear list and the women’s PCT gear list.
As I did with the PCT Gear Guide this year (and likely will do moving forward), I’ve included a single table for each piece of gear. These tables can be sorted by either how common a piece of gear was on the trail or by the overall rating that piece of gear received from hikers.
As always, if you have any feedback on the data or how it could be improved, I’m happy to hear your thoughts (and to add to this data should something be found to be missing).
Notes on the data
- This year, there were 751 completed surveys. Are you hiking the PCT next year? Sign up to take the survey here.
- All weights below are for products in a medium size and/or regular unless otherwise noted.
- Backpacks use capacities closest to 55 liters (if multiple options are available) based on this year’s average of 54.6 liters.
- Sleeping bags and quilts use the highest fill power available and the temperature rating closest to 20°F/-6°C (if multiple options are available) based on this year’s average of 17.5°F/-8.1°C.
- I only considered gear used and rated by at least ten hikers.
- All ratings listed are the average (on a scale of 1 to 10) from each hiker who rated the gear.
- More detailed posts focused on data from the PCT Survey are always in the works; to be notified of new surveys, click here.
Highest-Rated Gear: Women vs. Overall
Before getting into the specifics, let’s compare the highest-rated gear used by women to the overall gear ratings from all Pacific Crest Trail hikers. Below is a comparison of the most common gear.
Most Common Gear: Women vs. Overall
Here is a look at the most commonly used gear for women compared with the most commonly used gear overall. In case you missed it, a comparison of the highest-rated gear is above.
Backpacks
The ULA Circuit was the most common backpack among women on the Pacific Crest Trail. 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 the second-highest-rated pack by women using it on the PCT this year. The Atom Packs Prospector was the highest-rated backpack among women on the PCT (and PCT hikers overall).
| Popularity | Rating | Backpack | Price | Weight | Liters | Max Load |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.63 | ULA Circuit | $280 | 2.33 lb | 1.06 kg | 68 | 35 lb | 16 kg |
| 2 | 8.24 | Gossamer Gear Mariposa | $285 | 1.84 lb | 834 g | 60 | 35 lb | 16 kg |
| 3 | 8.30 | Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest | $379 | 1.98 lb | 897 g | 55 | 40 lb | 18 kg |
| 4 | 8.16 | Osprey Eja | $260 | 2.69 lb | 1.22 kg | 55 | 35 lb | 16 kg |
| 5 | 8.64 | Atom Packs Prospector | $289 | 2.01 lb | 910 g | 50 | 42 lb | 19 kg |
| 6 | 7.80 | Durston Gear Kakwa | $260 | 1.94 lb | 890 g | 55 | 45 lb | 20 kg |
Sleeping Bags/Quilts
The Enlightened Equipment Revelation was the most common sleeping bag (quilt) used by women on the Pacific Crest Trail this year. The Revelation is highly customizable and comes in a variety of lengths, widths, temperature ratings, fill powers, and colors. What’s the difference between the Revelation and the second-most-common Enigma? The Enigma has a sewn footbox (i.e., the Revelation can be laid completely flat). The Enlightened Equipment Enigma was the highest-rated sleeping bag used by women hiking the PCT.
| Popularity | Rating | Bag/Quilt | Price | Weight | Temperature | Fill | Fill Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.98 | Enlightened Equipment Revelation | $420 | 1.2 lb | 544 g | 20°F / -6.7°C | 950 duck | 14.4 oz / 408 g |
| 2 | 9.14 | Enlightened Equipment Enigma | $430 | 1.32 lb | 601 g | 20°F / -6.7°C | 950 duck | 13.83 oz / 392 g |
| 3 | 8.73 | Katabatic Flex | $430 | 1.42 lb | 646 g | 22°F / -5.6°C | 900 goose | 14.3 oz / 405g |
| 4 | 8.67 | REI Co-op Magma | $429 | 2.22 lb | 1006 g | 15°F / -9°C | 850 goose | 23.3 oz / 660 g |
| 5 | 7.60 | Zpacks Classic Sleeping Bag | $449 | 1.18 lb | 533 g | 20°F / -6.7°C | 900 goose | 14.5 oz / 411 g |
Sleeping Pads
This year, the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT was the most common sleeping pad among women Pacific Crest Trail hikers. This air pad has an R-value of 4.5, weighs 13 oz / 369 g, packs to 4.1 x 9 in / 10 x 23 cm, and is 3 in / 7.6 cm thick. Note that there is no separate women’s version with the update of Therm-a-Rest pads to the new NXT versions. The highest-rated sleeping pad among women on the PCT was the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT (for the second year).
| Popularity | Rating | Sleeping Pad | Price | Weight | R-Value | Thickness |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.92 | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT | $210 | 13 oz | 369 g | 4.5 | 3 in / 7.6 cm |
| 2 | 8.81 | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite (Women's) | $200 | 14.5 oz | 411 g | 4.2 | 3 in / 7.6 cm |
| 3 | 8.51 | NEMO Equipment Tensor (Insulated) | $200 | 14.5 oz | 411 g | 4.2 | 3 in / 7.6 cm |
| 4 | 9.00 | Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm NXT | $240 | 16 oz | 454 g | 7.3 | 3 in / 7.6 cm |
| 5 | 8.50 | NEMO Equipment Switchback | $55 | 14.5 oz | 415 g | 2 | 0.9 in / 2.3 cm |
Insulated Jackets
The Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 Hoody was the most common jacket among women on the Pacific Crest Trail this year. The 8.8 oz / 249 g jacket uses 800-fill goose down insulation and is made with a ripstop shell fabric with a DWR finish. The Decathlon Forclaz MT100 Hooded was the highest-rated insulated jacket among women on the PCT.
| Popularity | Rating | Insulated Jacket | Price | Weight | Hood | Pockets |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9.05 | Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer/2 Hoody | $360 | 8.8 oz | 249 g | Yes | 2 hand |
| 2 | 9.28 | Enlightened Equipment Torrid | $200 | 8.4 oz | 238 g | Yes | 2 hand |
| 3 | 9.20 | Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody | $289 | 12.8 oz | 363 g | Yes | 2 hand | 1 internal chest |
| 4 | 8.57 | Patagonia Micro Puff Hoody | $329 | 10.5 oz | 298 g | Yes | 2 hand | 2 drop |
| 5 | 9.64 | Decathlon Forclaz Trek 100 | $100 | 10.2 oz | 290 g | Yes | 2 hand |
| 6 | 8.00 | Patagonia Down Sweater | $279 | 13 oz | 369 g | No | 2 hand | 2 drop | 1 internal chest |
Shells
The Outdoor Research Helium was the most common rainwear used by women on the Pacific Crest Trail this year. It’s a 6.2 oz / 176 g jacket made with (nylon) 2.5-layer Pertex Shield featuring an adjustable hem and hood. There are two zippered hand pockets and no pit zips. The Montbell Versalite was the highest-rated shell used by women on the PCT.
| Popularity | Rating | Shell | Price | Weight | Fabric | Pit Zips |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7.14 | Outdoor Research Helium | $170 | 6.2 oz | 176 g | 2.5-layer Pertex Shield (Nylon) | No |
| 2 | 6.00 | Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite | $30 | 5.5 oz | 156 g | Three-layer polypropylene | No |
| 3 | 9.04 | Montbell Versalite | $249 | 6.4 oz | 182 g | 2-layer GORE-TEX Infinium Windstopper | Yes |
| 4 | 8.73 | Patagonia Torrentshell | $179 | 14.1 oz | 400 g | 3L 3.5-oz 50D ECONYL Recycled Nylon | Yes |
| 5 | 7.58 | Marmot PreCip | $100 | 11 oz | 305 g | NanoPro 100% Nylon | Yes |
| 6 | 8.55 | Lightheart Gear Rain Jacket | $125 | 6 oz | 170 g | 20D Ripstop Polyester | Yes |
| 7 | 8.40 | Black Diamond StormLine Stretch | $180 | 11.29 oz | 320 g | BD.dry2.5L w/ DWR | Yes |
Fleeces
The most common fleece on the Pacific Crest Trail, for the second year in a row, was the Melanzana Microgrid Hoodie. Despite only being available locally at their store in Leadville, Colorado, most hikers with a fleece had a Melly – a 12.2 oz / 346 g pullover with a hood and a kangaroo pocket in the front. Know what goes through (past) Leadville? The Continental Divide Trail – if you needed a sign, you should hike the CDT; here it is. The highest-rated fleece was the Senchi Designs Alpha 60 Hoodie.
| Popularity | Rating | Fleece | Price | Weight | Fabric | Zip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 9.19 | Melanzana Microgrid Hoodie | $86 | 12.1 oz | 343 g (L) | Polyester Micro Grid | None |
| 2 | 8.56 | Patagonia R1 Pullover | $139 | 11.7 oz | 332 g | 93% Recycled Polyester, 7% Spandex | Quarter |
| 3 | 9.55 | Senchi Designs Alpha 90 Hoodie | $95 | 4.5 oz | 128 g | Polartec Alpha Direct 90 | None |
| 4 | 8.73 | Mountain Hardwear AirMesh Hoody (M/W) | $85 | 4.75 oz | 135 g | Polyester | None |
| 5 | 9.40 | Patagonia R1 Air Full-Zip Hoodie | $179 | 12.9 oz | 366 g | Recycled Polyester | Full |
| 6 | 9.70 | Senchi Designs Alpha 60 Hoodie | $85 | 3.7 oz | 105 g | Polartec Alpha Direct 60 | None |
Shoes
The Altra Lone Peak was the most common shoe on the feet of women hiking the Pacific Crest Trail hikers this year. They cost $150 per pair, have a 0 mm heel-toe drop, and weigh 22 oz / 624 g per pair. 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. The highest-rated shoes used by women hiking the PCT were the (now discontinued ) Topo Ultraventure Pro.
| Popularity | Rating | Shoes | Price | Weight | Heel-Toe Drop | Number Used |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 8.27 | Altra Lone Peak | $150 | 22 oz | 624 g | 0 mm | 4.70 |
| 2 | 8.33 | HOKA ONE ONE Speedgoat | $155 | 20.6 oz | 584 g | 4 mm | 5.00 |
| 3 | 7.47 | Altra Olympus | $170 | 24.6 oz | 697 g | 0 mm | 5.09 |
| 4 | 8.71 | Topo Athletic Ultraventure | $150 | 20.4 oz | 578 g | 5 mm | 5.28 |
| 5 | 8.69 | Brooks Cascadia | $140 | 22 oz | 624 g | 8 mm | 4.39 |
| 6 | 9.30 | Topo Athletic Ultraventure Pro (discontinued) | $150 | 20.8 oz | 590 g | 5 mm | 4.93 |
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Pacific Crest Trail Survey Collection
Wrap Up
Overall, there’s a lot of overlap between the gear used by women and the gear used overall—particularly when looking at the most common gear. Hopefully, this helps some of you decide what might be worth trying (or not trying out on the trail).
If you have any questions, suggestions, concerns, or awe-inspiring statements about the data here (or the data in the PCT Survey Gear Guide), please leave a comment below and let me know.
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