Sunshine Coast Trail Gear List 2025
Here is my gear list from my solo thru-hike of the Sunshine Coast Trail in 2025! I started the trail June 1st, 2025 and finished on June 6th, 2025 to give you an idea of what my weather window was.
What is the Sunshine Coast Trail?
The Sunshine Coast Trail (SCT) is a 111-mile (180-km) point-to-point trail on the western coast of British Columbia, Canada. The SCT is maintained entirely by volunteers. It is recommended to donate $5 per person per night, which helps support the maintenance and enhancement of the trail.
Leave No Trace: As always, it's extremely important to follow Leave No Trace principles to help keep the Sunshine Coast Trail in pristine condition. This ensures it remains protected and can be enjoyed by others for years to come. Pack out all of your trash, leave it better than you found it, camp and hike on durable surfaces, plan ahead and prepare, leave what you find, respect wildlife, minimize campfire impacts, and be considerate of others.
My Gear List for the Sunshine Coast Trail
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 13.85 pounds. Without my camera gear, my base weight would be 11.36 lbs. 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:
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Backpack
Backpack
The Cutaway by Nashville Pack - 16” 30L EPL 200 UltraWeave/Ultra 200X (14.6 oz)
Nashville Pack Cutaways are by far my favorite backpacking packs. I’ve used their packs for thousands of miles backpacking and they are my go-to for ultralight setups. I took the 30L version of this pack with me on the Sunshine Coast Trail. For a full review of this backpack check out my post: Nashville Pack Cutaway 30L Backpack: 3,000 Mile Review.
Pack Liner
Gossamer Gear Clear Waterproof Pack Liner (1 oz)
I lined 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
Tent
Gossamer Gear’s The One (17.7 oz)
Since I thru-hiked the Sunshine Coast Trail in June, the bugs and mosquitoes were out so I didn’t want to tarp camp or cowboy camp. Therefore, I opted to bring my Gossamer Gear The One tent (17.7 oz), which I used on my Pacific Crest Trail and John Muir Trail thru-hikes, in addition to countless other backpacking trips. I love how this tent is ultralight, but also pretty affordable in terms of ultralight backpacking tents. I bought this tent in 2021 and it is still my go-to solo backpacking tent.
Tent Poles
Durston Gear Z-Flick Tent Pole x2 (3.1 oz)
My tent can be pitched with trekking poles, but I currently don’t hike with trekking poles, so I use these adjustable tent poles that are super lightweight to pitch my tent.
Stakes
Vargo Ti Shepherds Hook Stakes x4 (8 grams/stake) and MSR Groundhog Stakes x2 (0.5 ounce/stake) (and a few fishbone tent stakes for tent pads)
I brought four (4) of the Vargo Ti Shepherds Hook Stakes (8 grams/stake) and two (2) MSR Groundhog stakes (0.5 ounce/stake) for the ridgelines. No issues with any of these stakes.
Since the Gossamer Gear The One isn’t a freestanding tent, I sometimes had to use rocks to pitch it when the ground was too hard for stakes or if I was on a tent pad, which I used a couple of these fishbone tent stakes to pitch my tent.
Groundsheet
High Tail Designs Tyvek Ground Sheet – Artist Series (4.9 oz)
This is a new piece of gear for me for 2025! For a groundsheet, in the past I’ve always used Duck Brand Indoor Window Shrink Film Insulator (1.76 oz). But the window plastic covering is very delicate and rips easily, so I figured it might be time to try something more durable and this tyvek ground sheet by High Tail Designs is perfect! It still folds down really nicely and weighs only a few ounces. Plus, the print on it is beautiful!
Sleep System
Backpacking Quilt
Hammock Gear 30°F Burrow Quilt (20.5 oz)
It was pretty warm the week I hiked the Sunshine Coast Trail, but I was very comfortable with my 30°F quilt. The coldest night of my hike was the night I camped up on Tin Hat Mountain, which was the highest elevation I camped at. I think it probably got down into the high 30°Fs/low 40°Fs. This 30°F quilt has been my go-to quilt for spring backpacking.
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 Backpacking Quilt Guide for more information about quilts and why I prefer using them over sleeping bags.
Sleeping Pad
Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite Sleeping Pad - Short (12 oz)
This is my go-to sleeping pad for backpacking. I find it super comfortable. Plus, it has a 4.5 R-value, which means it is warmer than closed-cell foam sleeping pads, such as the NEMO Switchback or the Therm-a-Rest Z Lite Sol, which have a R-value of 2.
Pillow
Zenbivy Ultralight Pillow – Regular, Lavender (2.4 oz)
I needed a new backpacking pillow and recently discovered Zenbivy’s Ultralight Pillow, so I’ve been using it on my recent backpacking trips and I really like it! I like that it has a removable and washable pillowcase (whereas the other backpacking pillows I’ve used do not have a removable case). Plus, it comes in a pretty lavender color! (It comes in other colors, too.) It’s still ultralight at 2.4 oz, and I think it might be more comfortable than the other backpacking pillows I’ve used.
Worn Clothes
Shirt - Cotopaxi Sombra Sun Hoodie - This is my favorite sun hoodie that I’ve worn on all of my thru-hikes and thousands upon thousands of miles of hiking! I love the material, it’s soft, comfortable, cooling, durable, rated UPF 50+, and it usually comes in fun colors!
Shorts - Vuori Dash Shorts
Shoes - Topo Athletic Ultraventure Trail Running Shoes
Socks - Injinji Trail Midweight Crew - These are my favorite socks for hiking and backpacking. Once you start using toe socks, it's hard to go back to normal socks. They help prevent blisters by keeping all of your toes separate and also allow your toes to not be squished together.
Sports Bra - Vuori Yosemite Bra - Very comfortable. I also wore this on the PCT, AZT, and CDT. I like that it can double as a swimsuit top.
Underwear - Patagonia Active Hipster - This underwear is comfy and doesn’t chafe.
Sun Gloves - Outdoor Research ActiveIce Sun Gloves
Hat - DIY Wonderland Trail Hat (I sewed a Wonderland Trail patch that I designed onto this hat)
Gaiters - Ultra Glam Gaiters
Sunglasses - Goodr Circle Gs Polarized
Packed Clothes
Puffy Jacket - Arc’teryx Cerium (8.9 oz) - This is my favorite down jacket for backpacking. It’s very warm, lightweight, and comes in the best colors.
Fleece - Senchi Designs Alpha 90 Hoodie with Half Zip (3.7 oz) - this Backcountry fleece is a similar alternative
Sleep/Backup Socks - Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew Cushion Socks (2.0 oz)
Fleece Gloves - Outdoor Research Vigor Heavyweight Gloves - Women’s (2.5 oz)
Rain Skirt - Enlightened Equipment Rain Wrap (2.4 oz) - Lighter than rain pants and easier to put on. If I brought rain pants instead of this skirt, I would have brought the REI Co-op XeroCloud 3L Rain Pants.
Rain Jacket - Arc’teryx Beta SL Jacket (10 oz) - This year, I finally invested in a heavier duty rain jacket since I live in the PNW. Then of course it didn’t rain at all on my thru-hike of the Sunshine Coast Trail, but I knew this jacket would have kept me very dry if it had rained. I have used this jacket in the rain this spring and it is phenomenal. If you’re looking for a budget rain jacket, I’ve thru-hiked thousands of miles with the Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 Rain Jacket.
Leggings - Lululemon Wunder Train High-Rise Leggings (5.6 oz)
Beanie - Carhartt Beanie (2.5 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 Pod - Hyperlite Mountain Gear Camera Pod (2.8 oz) - This is how I carried and protected my camera. My Wonderland Trail thru-hike was the first time I used this camera pod and I wish I had started using it years ago. Full review to come soon.
Extra Camera Battery - Sony NPFZ100 Z-series Rechargeable Battery Pack
Lens Cloth - Generic Cloth (0.18 oz)
Tripod + Clamp - Ulanzi MT-16 Extendable Mini Tripod + Desmond DAC-25 25mm Mini Clamp (7.6 oz combined)
Phone Clamp - Peak Design Phone Mount (0.42 oz)
Electronics
Headlamp - Petzl Actik Core Headlamp (3.1 oz)
GPS - Garmin InReach Mini (4.0 oz)
Phone - iPhone 14 Pro (9.6 oz, including phone case and screen protector)
Battery - Nitecore NB10000 (5.29 oz)
Earbuds - Apple EarPods with Lightning Connector (0.4 oz)
Wall Charger - Anker 511 Charger (Nano) (2x1.02 oz, 2.04oz total)
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)
Ditty Bag - High Tail Designs Drawstring Stuff Sack (6.8 g)
Cooking Gear & Food Storage
Pot - TOAKS Light Titanium 550ml Pot (2.6 oz)
Stove - MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Stove (2.9 oz)
Spoon - Sea to Summit Spoon - Long (0.4 oz)
Food Bags & Storage - Ursack Major Bear Sack - 10 Liters (7.6 oz) - Most of the huts on the Sunshine Coast Trail have bear food lockers, but I brought an Ursack with me just in case the place I camped didn’t have one (which did happen one of the nights when I camped at Tony’s Point). I didn’t want to feel like I had to rely on staying at a hut for safe food storage, so I’m glad I brought an Ursack to give me more flexibility with where I camped.
Water
Water Filter - Katadyn BeFree 1.0 L Water Filter Bottle - (1.8 oz) - I typically use a Sawyer Micro Squeeze, but I already had a Katadyn BeFree on-hand and I like that it can double as an extra 1.0L in water capacity, if needed. I knew the water sources would most likely be clear and flowing well on the Wonderland Trail, so I was happy to use the Katadyn since it filters super fast when the water is clear.
Water bottles - Smartwater bottles (1.2 oz x2) - I carried one 1L and one .7L bottle for the Wonderland Trail.
Water Treatment - Aquamira Water Treatment - I always bring a back-up water purification method just in case my water filter breaks or something happens to it.
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. 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 a trekking pole or tent pole.
Sewing Kit - I usually bring a needle, one small thread roll, and a needle threader
Miscellaneous
Bear Spray
I carried bear spray for my thru-hike of the Sunshine Coast Trail because this trail is in British Columbia, Canada, which is grizzly bear country. I did see a few bear scats each day on my hike and I did hear a bear nearby one morning, but I never actually saw a bear. I never had to use my bear spray, but since I did solo thru-hike the SCT, I definitely felt more comfortable having it on hand. I always keep bear spray super accessible in one of my shoulder strap pockets.
Head Net
Sea to Summit Mosquito Head Net
Wallet
Nothing fancy here. I just carry a plastic bag with my license, credit cards, and cash.
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