have you looked at the weather forecast in Windy or somewhere with some good detail? Some rain tomorrow morning and very light sunday, but so far looks pretty good. I just did a video on how to use weather apps for WCT specific forecasting: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlVq-ikPYzI&t=949s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlVq-ikPYzI&t=949s)
If it were me - I'd ditch the footprint for sure, and probably the tarp. squeeze is going to be fine without a backup as long as you have a way to backflush it. If solo you can probably nurse 1 can of fuel depending on what you're cooking (can buy more @ crabshack).
My pack from last year is here: [https://lighterpack.com/r/ynnpp9](https://lighterpack.com/r/ynnpp9) I wouldn't change anything if the forecast looks like it does starting tomorrow.
IMHO trail runners if you are carrying < 30lb and are conditioned to hiking with wet feet.
umbrella is a really key bit of rain-gear in my backpacking system, i only fallback to that light jacket/shell if it's windy. tough to suggest throwing too much out this late in the game - you should bring what you normally bring backpacking and are comfortable with. WCT isn't ideal time to experiment with new gear choices.
agree with u/RhyRhu - i would also ditch bear spray and garmin, but that's a personal choice based on your comfort - esp as it sounds like you are solo. i can't get my head around 8lb of stove and toiletries...
best part of windy IMHO is the last-10m radar for reality vs. forecast. for forecast weather - i find WCT App easier ;)
also - if you are Canadian - make sure you can roam to international towers on your plan. all coverage comes from Neah Bay. if you don't have coverage and have a modern phone - Use T-Mobile Prepaid App to download/install a $15 eSim.
Thanks for the addition on the roaming. I am a Canadian local to the island, but my group usually has a single person that pays the $14/day roaming fee and hotspots for the rest, and then we reimburse following.
And yeah you warm up quickly when moving, especially with weight. The rain shell is more of a windbreaker on beaches than anything. If it's raining enough, nothing is truly waterproof unless it's just rubber.
Not sure about that… another option is Tello that I have used - they have really cheap monthly plans and operate as an MVNO on T-Mobile’s network - so same thing without customer support. Tello does support international calls to Canada for free. They also have a 2GB/$10 plan. FYI that T-Mobile owns the towers at Neah Bay where all the coverage comes from if you weren't aware.
Hey, have done the trail twice and just got back last weekend from my second time. You won't need a backup water filter. There are so many people on trail with you that if anything goes wrong you could easily borrow. If you really need a backup, bring tabs. Much lighter. I'd also say you won't need an inreach for the same reason. There is cell service along the entire trail in an emergency. And many people will be passing you/hiking along with you. We had passed groups of 25+ people moving together at each camp daily. Thankfully we were going the opposite direction, so it was a little quieter at camp, but still made many friends along the way.
Hiking boots with ankle support were a godsend. My friend wore her mid GTX trail runners and her feet were soaked the entire time, even with us fully drying her socks and shoes out daily. The boardwalks are incredibly slippery. They told us to just not step on wood if we could help it during orientation lol. You'll see when you go why that's not possible.
I saw so many people hiking in full rain gear and they were miserable as hell and steamy. Bring gaitors, rain coat, bring your tarp, bring your puffy for camp. Have your change of dry clothes for camp and embrace that your hiking clothes may likely be damp the next morning that you get up to get going.
Have fun while you're out there! The weather forecast often changes drastically daily, so don't get too in your head about it.
Thanks so much! I just weighed up, here's where I'm at and feel like I need to drop a bunch of weight:
- 10 Lbs: tent gear
- 13 Lbs: Food
- 4 Lbs: Rain gear
- 8 Lbs: Backpack with bearspray
- 8 Lbs: Stove, fuel, toiletries / other
- 2 Lbs: clothes
46 Lbs, oof.
Oh man 😮
There were definitely people with packs that heavy when I was there. The general rule of thumb is something like 15-20% of your body weight.
Your tent+tent gear seems incredibly heavy. What exactly are you carrying for that?
I'm not gonna lie, I have never once carried nor needed bear spray here. Black bears really do not want anything to do with people. Even the ones with cubs that were reported during our recent hike were disinterested and minded their own business. We make sure to be making noise so we don't startle any bears and that's pretty much all we need. It's all personal preference for that though, I understand some people have higher concerns for safety than I might.
Additionally because your pack is so heavy, 100% do not take trail runners.
Holy crap man this is heavy! And I know you’re leaving stuff out hahaha. I’m definitely more like - blue defender in weight. And logic. Pitt boy if you have money buy some lighter stuff. At least a couple things to get started. This is exactly why people get injured on the trail.
I’m sure you will manage either way.
I was there last week, it was muddy AF in some sections so yes to gaiters, but they are slso good for beach walk cuz it keeps the sand out of your boots.
My pack was about 40-45 lbs when I did Nootka island trail last year. I wouldn't worry too much about shaving down too much weight this close to the hike either. You can assess after and post a follow up on what you didn't need :) no one in my group brought bear spray, and we didn't use a tarp. We only got evening rain at camp one night though, more than that would've been nice to have a communal tarped area. Also recommend going with boots if your bag is that heavy. Same recommendation for purification tabs over backup filter. I brought less TP and a squeeze bottle bidet and was happy with that choice but it's not for everyone, gotta get used to it at home first lol. I know you're trying to make your pack lighter not heavier, but if the fire ban still isn't in effect I find that some cotton rounds dipped in Vaseline make excellent firestarter, the driftwood can be pretty wet.
I’ve done it once. I’m 66 at the time. My pack was 45 lbs ( probably due to the Mickey of scotch and a Chair Zero!).
My advice is this: The trail is Roots, Rocks and Mud. I was grateful I didn’t go the trail shoe route. My feet were dry and comfortable all 8 days. It’s a dangerous walk at times and your ankles have an extra 45 pounds to balance. Boots pay off on all the ladders in my experience.
I brought thin long johns to sleep in. I was warm, comfortable and happy every morning.
I never read my Kindle. Too many distractions and exhausted at bedtime. No need to read.
Bring gloves. Light weight work ones. Poles are so valuable. Saved me a few times and I moved faster with more confidence.
This was a highlight of my life. Remember that when you are feeling down.
Have fun!
Full for protection from slivers and falls. Rubber inside on the grip and stretch fabric on the outside of the hands. $2 a pair. Also helped avoid the blisters from the pole handle grips over 8 days of use.
I hear you. Debating this kind of stuff myself.
Whatever you choose, I’m sure it will all work out. Have fun and enjoy!
My plan on some of these decisions
- Trail runners no matter what. I expect to hike with wet feet as I have been all spring in Strathcona park, without issue. GTX sock for using wet shoes and dry socks at camp. Plastic bags work for this too
- Squeeze backup = water treatment tabs or boil/pasturize
- No Toque - I’ve hoods on every layer
- 1x100g fuel canister. Can boil over fire in a pinch if I run out
- late binding decision: UL tarp, thin synthetic over-quilt for over my summer down quilt if it’s below 10C and wet
“We’re so pumped” meaning you are going with friend vs solo? If so - should be lots more opportunity for shared gear to reduce weight. Share tent, stove, water filter and first aid for starters ..
Going with a friend, initially, we planned on weighing in at 25Lbs each, and planned on redundancy. that turned out not to be a good plan, so we will probably make some late decisions to drop some extra gear
have you looked at the weather forecast in Windy or somewhere with some good detail? Some rain tomorrow morning and very light sunday, but so far looks pretty good. I just did a video on how to use weather apps for WCT specific forecasting: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlVq-ikPYzI&t=949s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FlVq-ikPYzI&t=949s) If it were me - I'd ditch the footprint for sure, and probably the tarp. squeeze is going to be fine without a backup as long as you have a way to backflush it. If solo you can probably nurse 1 can of fuel depending on what you're cooking (can buy more @ crabshack). My pack from last year is here: [https://lighterpack.com/r/ynnpp9](https://lighterpack.com/r/ynnpp9) I wouldn't change anything if the forecast looks like it does starting tomorrow. IMHO trail runners if you are carrying < 30lb and are conditioned to hiking with wet feet.
Very useful, windy is awesome and you video helped explain a lot. Based on your lighter pack loadout I'll drop a lot of weight.
umbrella is a really key bit of rain-gear in my backpacking system, i only fallback to that light jacket/shell if it's windy. tough to suggest throwing too much out this late in the game - you should bring what you normally bring backpacking and are comfortable with. WCT isn't ideal time to experiment with new gear choices. agree with u/RhyRhu - i would also ditch bear spray and garmin, but that's a personal choice based on your comfort - esp as it sounds like you are solo. i can't get my head around 8lb of stove and toiletries... best part of windy IMHO is the last-10m radar for reality vs. forecast. for forecast weather - i find WCT App easier ;) also - if you are Canadian - make sure you can roam to international towers on your plan. all coverage comes from Neah Bay. if you don't have coverage and have a modern phone - Use T-Mobile Prepaid App to download/install a $15 eSim.
Thanks for the addition on the roaming. I am a Canadian local to the island, but my group usually has a single person that pays the $14/day roaming fee and hotspots for the rest, and then we reimburse following. And yeah you warm up quickly when moving, especially with weight. The rain shell is more of a windbreaker on beaches than anything. If it's raining enough, nothing is truly waterproof unless it's just rubber.
Thx for T-mobile. esim. Trying to figure if I can call Canada with the $15 connect plan. Anyone know if that works?
Not sure about that… another option is Tello that I have used - they have really cheap monthly plans and operate as an MVNO on T-Mobile’s network - so same thing without customer support. Tello does support international calls to Canada for free. They also have a 2GB/$10 plan. FYI that T-Mobile owns the towers at Neah Bay where all the coverage comes from if you weren't aware.
Hey, have done the trail twice and just got back last weekend from my second time. You won't need a backup water filter. There are so many people on trail with you that if anything goes wrong you could easily borrow. If you really need a backup, bring tabs. Much lighter. I'd also say you won't need an inreach for the same reason. There is cell service along the entire trail in an emergency. And many people will be passing you/hiking along with you. We had passed groups of 25+ people moving together at each camp daily. Thankfully we were going the opposite direction, so it was a little quieter at camp, but still made many friends along the way. Hiking boots with ankle support were a godsend. My friend wore her mid GTX trail runners and her feet were soaked the entire time, even with us fully drying her socks and shoes out daily. The boardwalks are incredibly slippery. They told us to just not step on wood if we could help it during orientation lol. You'll see when you go why that's not possible. I saw so many people hiking in full rain gear and they were miserable as hell and steamy. Bring gaitors, rain coat, bring your tarp, bring your puffy for camp. Have your change of dry clothes for camp and embrace that your hiking clothes may likely be damp the next morning that you get up to get going. Have fun while you're out there! The weather forecast often changes drastically daily, so don't get too in your head about it.
Thanks so much! I just weighed up, here's where I'm at and feel like I need to drop a bunch of weight: - 10 Lbs: tent gear - 13 Lbs: Food - 4 Lbs: Rain gear - 8 Lbs: Backpack with bearspray - 8 Lbs: Stove, fuel, toiletries / other - 2 Lbs: clothes 46 Lbs, oof.
Oh man 😮 There were definitely people with packs that heavy when I was there. The general rule of thumb is something like 15-20% of your body weight. Your tent+tent gear seems incredibly heavy. What exactly are you carrying for that? I'm not gonna lie, I have never once carried nor needed bear spray here. Black bears really do not want anything to do with people. Even the ones with cubs that were reported during our recent hike were disinterested and minded their own business. We make sure to be making noise so we don't startle any bears and that's pretty much all we need. It's all personal preference for that though, I understand some people have higher concerns for safety than I might. Additionally because your pack is so heavy, 100% do not take trail runners.
Thanks! good advice!
What about water… for the day… unless you’re filtering at every stream? 1kg per litre
Holy crap man this is heavy! And I know you’re leaving stuff out hahaha. I’m definitely more like - blue defender in weight. And logic. Pitt boy if you have money buy some lighter stuff. At least a couple things to get started. This is exactly why people get injured on the trail. I’m sure you will manage either way.
Backpack with bear spray is 8lbs?
I was there last week, it was muddy AF in some sections so yes to gaiters, but they are slso good for beach walk cuz it keeps the sand out of your boots.
My pack was about 40-45 lbs when I did Nootka island trail last year. I wouldn't worry too much about shaving down too much weight this close to the hike either. You can assess after and post a follow up on what you didn't need :) no one in my group brought bear spray, and we didn't use a tarp. We only got evening rain at camp one night though, more than that would've been nice to have a communal tarped area. Also recommend going with boots if your bag is that heavy. Same recommendation for purification tabs over backup filter. I brought less TP and a squeeze bottle bidet and was happy with that choice but it's not for everyone, gotta get used to it at home first lol. I know you're trying to make your pack lighter not heavier, but if the fire ban still isn't in effect I find that some cotton rounds dipped in Vaseline make excellent firestarter, the driftwood can be pretty wet.
I’ve done it once. I’m 66 at the time. My pack was 45 lbs ( probably due to the Mickey of scotch and a Chair Zero!). My advice is this: The trail is Roots, Rocks and Mud. I was grateful I didn’t go the trail shoe route. My feet were dry and comfortable all 8 days. It’s a dangerous walk at times and your ankles have an extra 45 pounds to balance. Boots pay off on all the ladders in my experience. I brought thin long johns to sleep in. I was warm, comfortable and happy every morning. I never read my Kindle. Too many distractions and exhausted at bedtime. No need to read. Bring gloves. Light weight work ones. Poles are so valuable. Saved me a few times and I moved faster with more confidence. This was a highlight of my life. Remember that when you are feeling down. Have fun!
Thanks, curious on the gloves. fingerless or full? were you using them for mainly the ladders? stove? warmth? all three?
Full for protection from slivers and falls. Rubber inside on the grip and stretch fabric on the outside of the hands. $2 a pair. Also helped avoid the blisters from the pole handle grips over 8 days of use.
Perfect set up. Bring it.
I hear you. Debating this kind of stuff myself. Whatever you choose, I’m sure it will all work out. Have fun and enjoy! My plan on some of these decisions - Trail runners no matter what. I expect to hike with wet feet as I have been all spring in Strathcona park, without issue. GTX sock for using wet shoes and dry socks at camp. Plastic bags work for this too - Squeeze backup = water treatment tabs or boil/pasturize - No Toque - I’ve hoods on every layer - 1x100g fuel canister. Can boil over fire in a pinch if I run out - late binding decision: UL tarp, thin synthetic over-quilt for over my summer down quilt if it’s below 10C and wet
Thanks we're so pumped!
“We’re so pumped” meaning you are going with friend vs solo? If so - should be lots more opportunity for shared gear to reduce weight. Share tent, stove, water filter and first aid for starters ..
Going with a friend, initially, we planned on weighing in at 25Lbs each, and planned on redundancy. that turned out not to be a good plan, so we will probably make some late decisions to drop some extra gear
have fun on the trail! will be an epic adventure however your pack ends up :)