Arizona Trail Gear List 2022 (almost ultralight)
On November 8th, 2022, I completed my 28-day southbound thru-hike of the 800-mile Arizona Trail going southbound from Utah to Mexico. In this post, I’ve compiled the entire list of gear I took with me on my Arizona Trail thru-hike.
My base weight (base weight is the weight of all your gear not including your worn weight, e.g. clothes you wear and shoes, or consumables like food, water, and fuel) was 11.18 pounds, which is so close to, but not quite ultralight. Ultralight is typically considered under 10-lbs, but unfortunately, my 2.37 pounds of camera gear puts me over. If I didn’t take my camera gear, my gear would be considered ultralight at 8.81 pounds. Here is my LighterPack with each item’s weight listed.
I’ve organized my gear into the following sections if you want to jump ahead:
Disclaimer: Some of the links in this blog post are affiliate links, meaning I receive a small percentage of every purchase at no additional cost to you. Read more about my affiliate policy here.
Backpack
Backpack
Pa'lante Joey (13.5 oz)
I figured I would try a different bag for fun on the Arizona Trail. I borrowed my partner’s Pa’lante Joey for this trip, which has an internal capacity of 24L. I really love the straps on this bag, which are running style straps and are super comfy. If you’re looking for more capacity, other packs I’ve used in the past and highly recommend are the Gossamer Gear Kumo 36L pack (18.5 oz, used on the Pacific Crest Trail) and the Gossamer Gear Gorilla 50L pack (27.19 oz, used on the John Muir Trail).
Pack Liner
Gossamer Gear Clear Waterproof Pack Liner (1 oz)
The Pa’lante Joey is not waterproof, so it was very important to keep my essential gear in a dry bag just in case it rains (e.g. sleeping quilt, jacket, extra clothes, electronics). It rained a few times on the Arizona Trail, so having this was key. I line my bag with the Gossamer Gear Clear Waterproof Pack Liner to keep everything dry. These bags are fully waterproof, ultralight, and very affordable at $5.00 for a two-pack of liners.
Shelter
Tarp
High Trail Designs Ultralight Catenary Curve Tarp, color Alluvium 7 (7.3 oz)
I chose to hike the Arizona Trail with my High Tail Designs tarp. It is made of Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF), which is incredibly light. I set up my tarp using one tent pole and one trekking pole. What I love about tarp camping is how connected to nature you feel, there's no wall separating you from the outdoors. I figured I would take a tarp on the AZT because it’s not mosquito season and I cowboy-camped the entire desert on the Pacific Crest Trail, which I figured I would also do on this trail when it wasn’t raining or snowing.
If you rather bring a tent, I recommend the Gossamer Gear The One tent (17.7 oz), which is my go-to backpacking tent that I brought on both my thru-hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail.
Tent Pole
Six Moon Designs Carbon Fiber Pole, 45 inches (1.7 oz)
As mentioned above in the tarp section, I use one 45’’ Six Moon Designs Carbon Fiber pole along with a trekking pole to set up my tent. This tent pole weighs in at only 1.7 oz, which is much lighter than carrying a second trekking pole that I don’t use.
Stakes
Vargo Ti Shepherds Hook Stakes (.28 oz x6) and MSR Groundhog Stakes (.45 oz x2)
I’m brought six (6) of the Vargo Ti Shepherds Hook Stakes (8 grams/stake) and two (2) MSR Groundhog stakes (0.5 ounce/stake) for the ridgelines.
Groundsheet
Duck Brand Indoor Window Shrink Film Insulator (1.76 oz)
Ok, this one might throw you for a loop unless you’re familiar with the things people do to make their backpacking gear ultralight. As a groundsheet, instead of a traditional groundsheet you buy, I used window plastic covering (Duck Brand Indoor Window Shrink Film Insulator) cut down to a size that fits under my tarp. You might be wondering…why? Because it is super light at only 50g (1.76 oz)! And it packs down really well to stuff in your bag. Since it’s just a cheap sheet of plastic, it’ll likely rip, so be careful with it. One sheet lasted me the entire AZT because I made sure to be careful, but on my thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail, Tim had to mail be a new one a couple of times when it ripped.
Sleep System
Sleeping Quilt
Hammock Gear 20°F (-6°C) Premium Burrow Short/Wide + 1 oz overfill (19.83 oz)
I took my Hammock Gear 20°F Premium quilt for my Arizona Trail thru-hike, which I’ve also used for the entire Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail. I definitely felt like this temperature rating was appropriate and might have even wanted an even lower temperature rating (i.e. maybe a 10°F rating because I camped at a pretty high elevation on a mountain during a snow storm). Since the Arizona Trail reaches some pretty high elevations (9,000+ ft at times) and is typically done as a shoulder season hike, I definitely encourage you to have a warm enough sleeping bag or quilt. If you’re looking for an even more budget option of quilt, I recommend the Hammock Gear Economy Burrow Quilt. The custom quilts take a few weeks to ship, so if you are looking for something faster, Hammock Gear also has in stock and ready to ship quilts here.
Curious about what a sleeping quilt is? It’s like a sleeping bag without the back so it is lighter. Check out my blog post Ultimate Sleeping Quilt Guide: Why I Use a Quilt Instead of a Sleeping Bag for 3-Season Backpacking for more information about quilts and why I prefer using them over sleeping bags.
Sleeping Pad
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite Ultralight Backpacking Air Mattress, Size Small (20x47 inches) (7.5 oz)
For my sleeping pad, I use the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite Ultralight Mattress in size small (this exact model is no longer available, here is the 2023 updated version). I like how lightweight this sleeping pad is. Also a note on the size - I use a size small. I’m 5’4’’ and this does not cover the full length of my body. My feet hang off the end, but I just put my backpack at the bottom to set my feet on when I sleep. I chose this length to save some weight and space in my bag, but if you are looking to cover the length of your body, I recommend getting either the Regular or Large depending on how tall you are.
Pillow
Worn Clothes
Shirt - Cotopaxi Sombra Sun Hoodie
Shorts - CRZ Yoga Biker Shorts
Shoes - Altra Lone Peaks
Socks - Injinji Ultra Run Mini Crew Socks
Sports Bra - Vuori Yosemite Bra
Underwear - Patagonia Active Hipster
Sun Gloves - Outdoor Research ActiveIce Sun Gloves
Hat - DIY Arizona Trail Hat (I sewed a cut-down Arizona Trail patch onto this hat)
Buff - High Tail Designs Hiking Gaiter "Eldorado Canyon"
Gaiters - Dirty Girl Gaiters
Sunglasses - Goodr Circle Gs Polarized
Packed Clothes
Puffy Jacket - Enlightened Equipment Women’s Torrid Jacket Custom (if you need it faster, there’s a non-custom Stock Torrid) (6.6 oz)
Sleep/Backup Socks - Injinji Trail Midweight Crew (2.0 oz)
Fleece Gloves - Outdoor Research Vigor Heavyweight Gloves - Women’s (2.5 oz)
Wind Pants - Body Wrappers Ripstop Pants (3.0 oz)
Rain Jacket - Frogg Toggs Women's Ultra-Lite2 (4.5 oz)
Fleece Leggings - BALEAF Women's Fleece Lined Winter Leggings (8.0 oz)
Windbreaker - Cotopaxi Teca Half-Zip (3.5 oz)
Beanie - Patagonia Everyday Beanie (3.2 oz)
Fleece - Melanzana Micro Grid Hoodie (8.0 oz)
Camera Gear
I’m a photographer, so bringing a full camera setup instead of just using my iPhone or a point-and-shoot camera is non-negotiable. I know this means extra weight, but that’s why I try to make the rest of my gear lightweight. My camera is most definitely my “luxury item” of my entire gear setup, but I never regret bringing it.
Camera - Sony A7RIII (24.59 oz, including battery in it and 2 SD cards)
Lens - Sony Sonnar T* FE 35mm f/2.8 ZA Lens (4.16 oz)
Camera Battery - Sony NPFZ100 Z-series Rechargeable Battery Pack
Lens Cloth - Generic Cloth (0.18 oz)
Tripod + Clamp - Ulanzi MT-08 Extendable Mini Tripod + Desmond DAC-25 25mm Mini Clamp (4.6 oz combined)
Phone Clamp - Peak Design Phone Mount (0.42 oz)
Gimbal Camera - DJI Pocket 2 (4 oz)
Electronics
Headlamp - Nitecore NU25 (1.1 oz)
GPS - Garmin InReach Mini (4.0 oz)
Phone - iPhone 12 Mini (5.9 oz, including phone case)
Battery - Nitecore NB10000 (5.29 oz)
Earbuds - Apple EarPods with Lightning Connector (0.4 oz)
Wall Charger - Anker 511 Charger (Nano) (1.02 oz)
Lightning SD Card Reader - Apple Lightning to SD Card Camera Reader (0.6 oz)
Cords - USB-C to USB-C (0.28 oz), Phone Cord (0.28 oz), Micro-USB (0.46 oz)
Cooking Gear
Pot - TOAKS Light Titanium 550ml Pot (2.6 oz)
Stove - MSR PocketRocket 2 (2.6 oz)
Spoon - Sea to Summit Alpha Light Spoon - Long (0.4 oz)
Food bag - OPSAK Odor-Proof Barrier Bags - 12" x 20" (0.8 oz)
Fuel + Lighter - 100g Fuel Can + Mini Lighter
Water
Water Filter - Sawyer Micro Squeeze (1.8 oz)
Water bottles - Smartwater bottles (1.2 oz x2)
Dirty Water Bag - CNOC Vecto 2L Water Container (2.8 oz)
Water Treatment - Aquamira Water Treatment
Toiletries, First Aid Kit, and Repair Kit
Toiletries
First Aid Kit
Homemade Kit stored in a Plastic Baggy
I typically bring a small amount of each of the following items and replenish my supply in towns, as needed. If you don’t want to buy everything separately, a good place to start is this pre-made travel/mini sized first aid kit or this Adventure Medical Kit, and then you can add in additional items you would like to bring.
Band-Aids - I take a few of each size.
Antiseptic Wipes - Bring a few.
Ibuprofen - I like to bring a small amount and store them in a small pill pouch.
Allergy Medicine (non-drowsy) - I like to bring a small amount and store them in a small pill pouch.
Leukotape - I only bring a small amount, not the entire roll. I like to wrap a small amount of it around my trekking pole.
KT Tape - I bring a few strips.
Tums - I like to bring a few and store them in a small pill pouch.
Repair Kit
Nothing fancy here, just a few items that could be useful if any of my gear breaks:
Duct Tape - I just bring a small amount that I wrap around my trekking pole
Sewing Kit - I usually bring a needle, one small thread roll, and a needle threader
Miscellaneous
Fanny Pack
High Tail Designs Wildflowers Fanny Pack
This is probably another one of my favorite pieces of gear. Having a fanny pack is such a game-changer when hiking. I like to put my phone, permit, snacks, and charging cords in here. It’s nice having some core gear that I use throughout the day easily accessible without having to take my backpack off. Plus, the High Tail Designs fanny pack is super fun and colorful.
Trekking Pole
Komperdell Carbon C3 Compact Trekking Pole (x1)
I mentioned this above, but I like to carry only a single trekking pole. It helps me stay stabilized while hiking but still allows me to have a free hand. I also use it to set up my tent.
Wallet
Nothing fancy here. I just carried a plastic bag with my license, credit cards, and cash.
Related Posts:
The John Muir Trail (JMT) is a 210-mile trail through the the Sierra Nevada in California. This guide provides information on potential resupply stops for both southbound and northbound thru-hikers, including mile markers from three popular starting points. Additionally, I share insights from my August 2021 northbound (NOBO) thru-hike of the John Muir Trail.