I’ve wanted to hike the Colorado Trail for a year, but last month I canceled my plans due to a *tumultuous time* in my life. Last week I changed my mind again and decided to hike it, which speaks volumes to my current mindset. Finally deciding to do it left little time to figure out my gear, but I live in a climate similar to Colorado’s, so my gear is already suited to that region. As we know, I test a lot of items, so if you see some clothes are stupidly expensive, I suggest reading about my best budget alternates to name-brand apparel.
My biggest consideration for a Colorado Trail hike is that conditions can vary wildly at high elevations, even in summer. I’m expecting everything from blazing hot days to freezing nights, and all sorts of precipitation. Resupplies are reasonably spaced, so I don’t need a huge pack for food, and I don’t expect excessive water carries.
My clothing will be standard three-season mountain apparel. Hiking shorts and top, midlayer for hiking, puffy jacket, rain shell, and packable base layers. I am also bringing a generic ball cap because I hate the sun in my eyes, and a beanie / gloves for chilly mornings and evenings. My Big Three are a combination of warmth, durability, and weight savings, and my accessories are enough for about a week between resupplies.
*UPDATE: I just weighed my gear (my parents actually own a scale?) and it is exactly 10 pounds.
Colorado Trail Gear List
Colorado Trail Shelter, Pack, Sleep System
Pack: LiteAF 46L Curve – The LiteAF owner just informed me that he mistakenly made me a 40L Curve, not a 46L. That final six liters isn’t make-or-break, but for something of this distance, I’d advise hikers go for 45-55 liters. Regardless of my missing 6 liters, this pack is waterproof, well-designed, and super comfortable with a barely there suspension system. Mine also has a collage of my cat on it, but that’s besides the point. Additionally, I have Superior Wilderness Designs hip-belt pockets, as my pack didn’t come with pockets. Highly recommend these separate pockets if your pack is lacking, though I cannot for the life of me figure out how the clips attach.
Sleeping Bag: Therm-a-Rest Hyperion 20 – I’ve had this sleeping bag for years and it works perfectly for a hike when you don’t need extreme protection, but can bet on below-freezing nights. It’s simple and streamlined, with a half-zipper that doesn’t add bulk but can be unzipped for more ventilation. It has 900 fill down and weighs just 20 ounces.
Sleeping Pad: Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated Women’s Air Pad – The name is a mouthful and it might weigh a few ounces more than the popular Therm-a-Rest XLite, but I love the enhanced durability and the fact that it only takes 10 breaths to inflate instead of 30. The R-value is 3.5, which is more than warm enough for a summer high-elevation trail, and while the 15.8 ounces is heftier than other models, I’d rather have something easier to inflate and more durable. It’s less thick than the XLite or some Big Agnes models, but I still sleep comfortably on my side on a variety of ground types.
Tent: Gossamer Gear The One – I have the older model of The One, which is a few ounces heavier than the updated version. This is my only one-person shelter, so looks like I’ll finally be figuring out how to efficiently and correctly set up a trekking pole tent. This has a spacious vestibule and more than enough interior space for one person to stay away from condensation on the side walls.
Colorado Trail Thru-Hike Clothing
Puffy Jacket: Enlightened Equipment Torrid Apex – This is my go-to backpacking jacket. Packed with synthetic fill, it still weighs under 8 ounces and is just as warm as my heavier Patagonia down jacket. It has a generous hood and since it’s synthetic, I tend to hike in it when I get cold without worrying about sweating through the down. The face fabric is thin and I put a tear in the sleeve last year, but it just adds character, right?
Rain Jacket: Enlightened Equipment Visp – This jacket weighs under 5 ounces and has a long hemline, making it perfect for wearing under a pack. It has pit zips but no hip pockets, and like every other rain jacket I’ve ever worn, it will feel saturated after wearing it in a downpour for hours on end. That said, it fits well, packs down to almost nothing, and the weight can’t be beat.
Shoes: Altra Lone Peak – I bought four pairs of these in out-of-season colors. I have other shoes that hold up better over long distances, but quite tragically, my feet seem to love Altras thus I have to wear them for longer backpacking trips. Altras aren’t as durable as HOKAs or my Brooks Cascadias, but what can I do? These are my thru-hiking shoes I guess! Hikers love the wide toe box and natural foot strike thanks to the zero-drop, and my feet are no exception.
Socks: Swiftwick Pursuit Hike – I started wearing Swiftwick socks last year, and I Iove the fit and the fact that the cuffs don’t get all stretched out. The Pursuit socks are super basic, no frills, and I haven’t put holes in the heels or toes. I wear the Pursuit Six (mid-height linked above), as it helps keep sand and debris out of my low-top shoes.
Hiking Shirt: Outdoor Research Echo Hoodie – I was always a tank-top hiker, and now I’m a long-sleeve sun-shirt hiker. I like this next-to-skin layer because it’s light and smooth, and is comfortable to move around in all day. The Echo Hoodie is always out of stock, but Patagonia’s Capilene Hoodie does the same thing, with a higher UPF. I will also bring sunscreen for my face, in case you were wondering.
Hiking Shorts: Tracksmith Session Shorts – Taking a chance on these shorts. They arrived right before I was leaving, so here’s hoping they work out. I like the length and the lightweight feel, so I’ll report back with info on whether they hold up for 500 miles.
Midlayer: AppGearCo All-Paca Fleece – Everyone loves these pullovers and no one can get them. These sell out of each run, and for good reason. The alpaca wool is wicking, warm, and stays stink-free. It’s not as itchy as sheep wool, but feels a little more abrasive than merino, so I usually wear a layer under it.
Sports Bra: Brooks Dare Crossback Bra – This is my favorite sports bra of all time. It’s so light and seamless it barely feels like anything in your hand, and when worn, it’s supportive without constricting. It’s wide and rather long, so it might look like a lot of material, but it’s one of the only bras I forget I’m wearing. Seamless is the way to go, and this is flush to the skin without pinching, perfect for long days under a pack.
Base Layer Top (Camp): Tracksmith Brighton Base Layer– This has been my go-to packable base layer top for the past year of backpacking. It’s soft and not bulky, so I don’t feel bad about the extra weight in my pack for camp clothes.
Base Layer Pants (Camp): Isobaa Merino 200 Tights – I always bring small, packable tights to sleep in for long trips, and these are my pants for the CT. I’m not saying I highly recommend these … I’m just saying I’m bringing them. I have a history of failing to procure well-fitting merino tights, and these are no exception. They’re warm and lightweight, but they have a major diaper-butt and are deeply unflattering.
Beanie: Smartwool Merino Sport 150 Beanie – I’ve had this beanie since the Appalachian Trail in 2015! It’s thin and warm and lightweight and also now it has sentimental value.
Gloves: Nathan Reflective Running Gloves – I won’t need bulky mittens or gloves for this trail, but some kind of lightly lined athletic gloves are perfect for cold mornings and evenings. These have a light fleece lining, fit great, and are *supposedly* touch-screen compatible, though I usually get annoyed and pull the glove off to use my phone.
Sunglasses: Goodr OG – These sunglasses are $25, classically styled, don’t slip when I get sweaty, plus they’re polarized. I doubt they’ll survive the whole hike without being scratched to death, but the exposure and sun mean I definitely want protection and I don’t want to bring my expensive sunglasses. I’ll pair them with a generic ball cap and sun hoodie for the maximum sun-protected nerd look.
Colorado Trail Backpacking Accessories
Trekking Poles: Gossamer Gear LT5 – Ultralight, comfortable, and easy to adjust? Yes. Durable? Nope. Each time I break one of these poles I swear it’s the last time I use them. So far I haven’t been able to stick to this, since they’re so light and have incredible shock absorption. That said, if these poles last the duration of my thru-hike I’ll eat my sock.
Headlamp: BioLite HeadLamp 330 – This is my current go-to headlamp. Rechargeable with a micro-USB, hours of maximum brightness, a comfortable, integrated band, and low weight of just a few ounces. Unlike my shoulder-season hikes, I’ll have a lot of daylight to be hiking and likely won’t be using this a ton.
Filter: Sawyer Squeeze – I can’t beat the original Sawyer. The convenience and reliability of this model, plus the threading onto a SmartWater bottle, make it a staple in my “accessories” category.
Charger: BioLite Charge 80 – This battery pack is heavy af. But that’s what I get for needing a 20,000MhZ. I’ll be charging my phone, headlamp, and headphones with this, so I might as well bring the big guy. Like the garbage millennial I am, I’ll be using my phone for FarOut, music, the Kindle app for books, taking pictures, and communication. So it’ll get used a lot.
Phone Case: Lifeproof Fre – If it’s not obvious I’m completely reliant on my phone, I am. I need this phone case for waterproofing and shock absorption, and while you won’t get the clarity of photos or the ease of touch screen with a fully enclosed case, the protection makes it worth it.