PCT Winter Traverse
PCT Winter Traverse
A Few Thoughts on Gear
Sunday, March 8, 2015
There is a fine balance between pushing boundaries and appropriate preparation, particularly when it comes to the equipment that is intended to keep you safe, comfortable and moving. Heading into the planning of our winter traverse, gear was a major talking point for discussion and debate. The nature of the PCT in the winter is that it traverses through such a variety of terrain and conditions that narrowing down a gear list to a singular multi-functional kit felt impractical and illogical.
It felt at times like we were prepping for 4 distinct trips all in one. We asked ourselves, what would we need for the transition into winter? What would we need as the snow got deeper? What would we need when we were in the depth of winter? And lastly, what would we need when the trail drops in and out of winter?
We knew going into this trip that conditions would constantly be changing and routinely be less than ideal. You plan for the worst and expect the best when somedays our mode of travel might be the lesser of all evils. Flexibility and constant reassessment helped to ease the transition between systems, but the reality of our equipment is that some things just weren’t designed for our purposes; ski equipment in particular.
One of the main areas we were keenly aware of is that the more you push the boundaries of ultralight travel, the more you rely on your experience and judgment to utilize the equipment to its fullest potential. The margin of error becomes smaller, and for winter particularly, your reaction time needs to be quicker.
Despite all of this planning and preparation, there were many lessons learned along the way. Below I would like to highlight a few key systems we used along the way. I’ve also attached our full gear list that has been updated for what we actually used, along with thoughts on performance.
Sleep System
This system was taken directly from my experience guiding dogsledding trip in Minnesota in the winter. Having had experience at -40F degrees nights, I knew the (relatively) mild winters of the western mountain ranges would be well within the limits of this double bag system we utilized. Two main consideration for winter sleep systems are warmth (duh) and more importantly, maintaining warmth. The necessity to dry gear becomes a nightly ritual. Over prolonged periods moisture will begin to accumulate within the insulation. By utilizing a down inner bag in conjunction with a synthetic overbag you blends the strengths of both worlds; weight and warmth when wet. I much prefer the versatility of quilts over traditional bags and incorporated the hood of a jacket or a balaclava as my head wear. The use of a bivy also helped contain the quilt sandwhich and minimize wetting out from spindrift under the tarp. Additionally, never underestimate the need for a quality sleeping pad. When sleeping directly on snow or ice, I find the sleeping pad to be more important than a good sleeping bag.
Katabatic Palisade 30 degree quilt
Mountain Laurel Designs Spirit 38 quilt
Thermarest XTherm sleeping pad
Mountain Laurel Designs Apex Balaclava
Shelter System
Throughout the entire trip we utilized the exact same shelter the entire time. The MLD Cuben Duomid’s was proven on our Great Himalaya Trek together in 2011 for performance and durability. The space to weight ratio is amazing and the strength of cuben fiber in windy condition is unmatched. A floorless tarp is preferred in the winter for the ability to dig into the snowpack to create more space and protection. A mid also utilizes equipment that you are already carrying, such as skis and ski poles, for set up. A simple sheet of tyvek was used as a groundsheet for added durability over polycro. Later in the trip I began using my MLD poncho tarp as a groundsheet, likely shortening it’s lifespan, but adding multi-function and saving weight.
We had intended to swap out to a larger version of the Duomid with a cuben MLD Super Mid as we anticipated conditions worsening. We had further customized this set up to integrate a wood burning stove that Titanium Goat provided. We were anticipating having to wait out storm cycles in the High Sierra and having the added ability to dry out ski liners nightly and to more efficiently melting water seemed like an added plus. Due to the perfect weather window we encountered, the swap was never warranted.
Mountain Laurel Designs Cuben Duomid
Mountain Laurel Designs Cuben Super Mid
Ski System
This is the area we probably debated over the most. Above all we needed the system to be as light, efficient and versatile as possible. We looked at cross-country systems, alpine touring set ups and ever funky hybrid systems like the Marquette Backcountry Ski . Limiting factors were either a compromise on waterproofness, ski-ability or comfort. Cross-country boots are amazingly comfortable, but cannot drive a larger ski and are marginally waterproof. Alpine touring skis are great for anything touring or skiing related, but walking in plastics is still walking in plastics.
There is a very limited market for the type of equipment that is ideal for long distance touring. Thankfully companies are starting to see the value in hybridizing what is out there to cater to this type of travel. Overall I think we had the best possible combination of boot, bindings and skis that were available at the time. The underlying advantage to this system is that it is extremely light, the rando-racing boots are as close to comfort as you can get, and the Voile BC series combines a patterned base into the ski which greatly minimizes the need to transition into skins on rolling terrain. The down side is all rando gear is it is essentially made for a 1-day outing; read soggy liners.
Cooking System
Alcohol stoves tend to get a bad wrap for winter use. Sure there are limitation, but the advantages should not be overlooked. I’ve used alcohol stoves on nearly every long distance trip I’ve been on. I love their simplicity and minimal weight. Shaving every extraneous ounce became priority, especially when we knew we would have a much heavier base weight with winter gear, ski gear AND longer resupplies than the summer. Our cooking style is very basic, with most meals only needing to boil water. Sure it did require extra time each night to melt snow and cook our meals, but time was nothing we were short on. We were routinely getting 11+hr of sleep each night and having both of our stoves going at the same time for up to 1.5hr greatly increased the warmth felt under the tarp.
A larger pot was also a huge advantage, not only for the added volume and efficiency while melting snow, but also the greater surface area in contact with the stove made the process much more efficient. The way the Caldera Cone and pot integrate also traps heat around the pot more efficiently.
We had anticipated cooking a lot more with fire along the way, but found the process of collecting wood each night not a priority. The multi-fuel capabilities to burn wood with the Ti-Tri stove add a lot of versatility at less than an ounce. We were worried about rationing 12+ days of fuel through the High Sierra with having to constantly melt snow, so the ability to transition into wood burning was good piece of mind.
Trail Designs Sidewinder Ti-Tri Stove
Wet Weather System
We very quickly realized there is nothing that will keep you 100% dry, day after day. At some point the levee will break. This is of particular importance when you are traveling at or below freezing temperatures on a daily basis. The key was to accept this reality and adjust our travel to suit. We minimized our snacks breaks and food types to be quick and easy to consume. We incorporated the layering philosophy into our foot and handwear through overboots and overmitts. The poncho took the bulk of the precip shedding duties while also adding a margin of safety in keeping the pack contents dry. Above all, changing into warm and dry clothing at the end of the day became our serenity. Everything else became a quarantine pile until morning. Synthetic insulation is a godsend in the winter!
Mountain Laurel Designs Cuben Poncho Tarp
Gear alone never makes for a successful experience, but it sure can help. (left) Trail Designs Caldera Cones hard at work preparing dinner; a system we utilized through the depth of winter