Because I hiked the Tahoe Rim Trail in two separate sections in two different months, I have two different gear lists for this hike. I had a lot of gear when I hiked 132 miles of the trail in June because the weather was cooler and more unpredictable and I was required to have a bear canister. There were a few days towards the end of the hike that my pack was so heavy that it bruised my lower pack. When I returned to the TRT in July to hike the remaining 43 miles, I really wanted to reduce my pack weight, so I made a lot of gear changes. My base weight for the first part of the trail was 17 lbs, but only 11.25 lbs when I finished the trail.
Shelter
For both sections of my hike, I carried the Durston X-mid 1P, which is a double walled, one person tent. I have used this tent for many nights and love it. One of the reasons I love it is because it is very modular. There is an outer rainfly and an inner bug net. The rainfly and bug net can be pitched separately or together. When I hiked the trail in June, I used the entire tent. I was very thankful for the inner bug net because most nights, the bugs were annoying and it was nice to have a “bug-free” zone.
When I returned in July, I only brought the rainfly, which reduced the weight of the shelter by 40%. This was definitely a gamble, but I knew I was hiking the drier section of the trail and there probably weren’t going to be many bugs at all. This worked pretty well overall. I only got 4 mosquito bites over the 3 days I was there and I’m pretty sure only one or two of them happened while I was at camp. At one of my campsites, there were some annoying flies buzzing around, but for the most part, they didn’t land on me. I did have my headnet with me just in case the bugs got more annoying, but I never really needed it. My gear definitely got a little dirtier without the inner mesh to separate me from the outside world, but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make to save weight.
I also carried a Tyvek groundsheet for both sections of the hike to protect the bottom of my tent and my sleeping pad.
Durston X-Mid 1P tent
Sleep System
I started the trail with my Katabatic Sawatch quilt, which is a 15 degree quilt. I was so glad I had it because the first few nights on trail got down to the 30s. By the end of the trail, however, I was definitely getting a little warm at night. When I returned to the trail in July, I brought a 25 degree MYOG (make your own gear) quilt that I bought off Reddit. This was a great choice. It kept me warm at night without overheating. This quilt is 35% lighter than my Katabatic quilt and packs down a little smaller. It is also more delicate, so I had to be mindful of that.
For both sections of the hike, I used my Thermarest women’s neo-air xlite and my Nemo Fillo elite pillow. Both are major staples of my kit.
Lake Tahoe
Food & Water
One of the biggest differences between my June and July packing lists was my food storage method. In June, I carried a BV500 bear canister because there is a lot of bear activity on the west side of the trail. Bear canisters are also now required in the Desolation Wilderness section of trail (and were strongly recommended when I was there). I was able to fit 5 days of food in the bear canister and it was super easy to put away every night. I never had to worry about bears or “mini bears” (mice, chipmunks, etc.) getting into my food.
In July, I knew I would be hiking the east side of the trail which has no bear canister requirements and less bear activity. I also knew that my first planned campsite had bear boxes, so there would only be one night that I really had to worry about. So, I decided to bring my Ursack and use Opsack (odor resistant) bags. This combination is much lighter than the bear canister and packs much better in my backpack. I was a little worried something would get into my food the night I had to hang it in a tree, but nothing did. It’s important to note I only made this change because of the section of trail I was hiking. If I had been hiking in Desolation Wilderness or on the west side of the trail, I definitely would have had a bear canister with me.
I also used different cook systems for each section of trail. In June, I chose to cold soak my food so I just had my cold soak jar. I did this to save weight and because it’s a little less effort than cooking. Even though I have cold soaked before and liked it, I ended up losing my appetite on this part of the trail and struggled with low energy because of that. When I returned, I opted to bring my stove and my titanium pot since warm food was more appealing to me at that time. This added weight to my pack, but I didn’t lose my appetite on this section, so it was worth it.
The rest of my food and water systems remained the same: titanium spoon, smartwater bottles, water filter, and water bladder.
Lake Aloha in Desolation Wilderness
Packed Clothing
Only a few items of packed clothing remained the same between my June and July gear lists: my merino sleeping legging, sleeping socks, and rain jacket. In June, I also had a merino sleeping shirt, a puffy, a Senchi fleece, rain pants, and gloves. The rain pants were a last minute addition after rain was predicted for the first day of our hike. And let me tell you, my rain paints were definitely the MVP of the first two days of the hike. It was so windy and cold, especially on the first day, that I was so glad to have them. I was also glad to have my puffy and gloves, even though I didn’t wear them much towards the end of that section.
In July, I left the puffy, gloves, rain pants, merino sleeping shirt, and Senchi fleece at home. Senchi fleeces are made from alpha direct fleece, which is super breathable when you are moving. It’s a great active layer, but not great at camp while you are standing still. I instead chose to bring my Melanzana fleece when I returned to the trail, which can serve as both an active and passive insulating layer. I definitely prefer my Melly to my Senchi and will not be leaving on a backpacking trip without it ever again. I also brought a short sleeved cotton sleeping shirt. All of these changes worked out well for me and I was never cold.
Relay Peak, the highest point on the Tahoe Rim Trail
Electronics
I actually didn’t make any changes to my electronics list between the sections. I could have swapped my 20,000mAH power bank for a 10,000 mAH power bank when I returned in July since it was a shorter trip, but I didn’t want to worry about running out of power. I knew I would probably have cell service for most of the section (drains battery faster than airplane mode/no service) and might want to listen to more podcasts since I was solo, so it was worth it to have a bigger power bank.
Worn Clothing
I wore the exact same hiking outfit for both my June and July trips. I love my Jolly Gear sunshirt. It’s so lightweight and breathable and it kept me from getting sunburned. Definitely my go-to sunshirt now.
Hygiene
My hygiene items remained largely the same between both trips. I carried more wipes and contacts in June since it was a longer trip. I also got a combo hairbrush/mirror for my July trip, but this was more about reducing the volume of my hygiene bag than weight.
Marlette Lake and Lake Tahoe
Miscellaneous Items
Most of my miscellaneous items remained the same between trips: first aid kit, gear repair kit, foam pad, cork ball (to roll out my feet and other muscles), glasses, trekking poles, knife, etc. The biggest things I left behind in July were my bug spray and camp shoes. I wasn’t worried about bugs (see section on “shelter”), so it was a no-brainer to leave the bug spray behind. Even though my camp shoes are light, they are kind of bulky strapped to the outside of my pack. Since I flew to Reno (I drove the first time), I didn’t want a bunch of stuff hanging off my pack. I just loosened my trail runner laces in the evening and didn’t miss the camp shoes.
Pack
Because I made so many changes to the rest of my gear for my July trip, I was able to take a different pack. In June, I used a framed 50L AtomPack Mo. This pack is capable of carrying a lot of weight, which was good, especially when doing long water carries at the end of the section. In July, I used a frameless 35L Waymark Evlv pack. It’s much lighter than the Mo, but because it is frameless, it can’t carry as much weight. At the beginning of the trip, it was a little uncomfortable when I was carrying 3 days of food and 3 liters of water, but once I ate some of that food, it was very comfortable. Plus, I like having a smaller pack, especially while traveling by plane.
Waymark Evlv Pack
Trail Runners
The change that had the biggest impact on my hike was my TRAIL RUNNERS!! At the start of this hiking season, I bought the Brooks Cascadia 16s to replace my Brooks Cascadia 15s that I wore out last year. I really liked the Cascadia 15s but something about the Cascadia 16s destroyed my feet. I dealt with severe foot pain while on trail in June and could only hike 3-5 miles at a time before the pain became unbearable and I had to stop for a break. I have never dealt with pain like this on a hike before and it really affected my trip. I was miserable for a lot of it and thought about quitting every day. I couldn’t enjoy the beauty of the places I was in because I was in so much pain.
As soon as I got home, I knew I needed new shoes even though the Cascadia 16s had plenty of life left. I decided to get the Topo Ultraventure 2s because one of my really good friends loves her Topos. The difference has been night and day. These shoes have been so comfortable on my feet and the severe foot pain did not return when I got back on trail in July. It made all the difference in my hike. I was so much happier and could actually enjoy my surroundings. I made much better time on trail because I didn’t have to take as many breaks. While the other changes I made to my gear were nice, this was the only one that was truly a necessity.
Links
If you are interested in my full gear lists including how much everything weighs, you can check out my Lighterpack links:
June (17 lb base weight): https://lighterpack.com/r/nv4rnc
July (11.25 lb base weight): https://lighterpack.com/r/9tpn56
Lake Tahoe from Sand Harbor Overlook
