We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. Learn More \u203a<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n The first thing to know about Jac \u201cTop Shelf\u201d Mitchell is that\u2014despite having hiked over 11,000 miles over 14 different thru-hikes\u2014she doesn\u2019t have a formal gear list.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI stopped doing packing lists or kit spreadsheets a while ago,\u201d Mitchell says. \u201cNow I take what I need and only what I need and I trust that that\u2019s ultralight to lightweight. I\u2019m not a gram junkie.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n I originally met Top Shelf back when she did have a gear list\u2014we all did\u2014on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2014. For many of us, it was our first thru-hike, and putting together a gear list was a rite of passage\u2014a way to both find weight to cut out of our kits and to visualize the hike itself, to see how each piece of gear would fit into our life on the trail. (A lot of that turned out to be fantastical thinking, but that\u2019s a different story.)\u00a0<\/p>\n Since that first hike, Top Shelf went professional\u2014thru-hiker parlance for committing to a lifestyle of hiking, supported by occasional seasonal work, and living in a van when she isn\u2019t on the trail to keep costs down. Her travels have included everything from the well-known 3,028-mile Continental Divide Trail to the more obscure 770-mile Grand Enchantment Trail.<\/p>\n We caught up as she was about to start on a 700-mile section of the southern PCT and spoke about how her now vast experience changed how she balances price, comfort, and weight in her gear choices, and what she looks for when putting together an ultralight backpacking kit.\u00a0<\/p>\n You won\u2019t find many of Top Shelf\u2019s Big Three items\u2014backpack, shelter, sleep system\u2014in REI. Six Moons Designs and Katabatic Gear are both so-called cottage gear companies, who design lightweight and ultralightweight gear for long trails. For more traditional backpackers, this kind of gear is almost blasphemous\u2014tents that use hiking poles to stay up, backpacks with no internal frame, and quilts that are open on the bottom. Top Shelf had removed the internal frame in her Six Moons Design pack for the section of the PCT she was heading out on, even though there were sections where she\u2019d need to carry enough water for 20 miles or more.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so much softer and more flexible without it,\u201d she said. That\u2019s in part because of its running vest-style shoulders straps\u2014an unusual feature even for an ultralightweight pack. \u201cThe straps are thinner, unpadded, and wider, covering more of your chest with plenty of pockets and storage options,\u201d she said. \u201cIt fits you like a shirt or a vest\u2014it really hugs you, which is some people\u2019s nightmare. There\u2019s definitely a learning curve in figuring out how to adjust the pack to get it to ride well. I wasn\u2019t sure it was for me when I first started using it, because I had to get used to adjusting it, and my body had to get used to carrying the weight differently.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Like lots of long-distance backpackers, Top Shelf uses a quilt<\/a>, which has no bottom, rather than a traditional sleeping bag, even on a shoulder season hike. To ensure she stays warm when nights dip below freezing, she pairs her quilt with the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm, which, with an R-value of 6.9, provides some of the best insulation from the cold of the ground of any of the inflatable sleeping pads<\/a> currently on the market. \u201cI don\u2019t use a pillow,\u201d she noted. \u201cWell, I use a backpacking pillow in my van, but I don\u2019t use one on the trail.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Her shelter\u2014the Lunar Solo\u2014is also a Six Moons Design. \u201cI\u2019m not sponsored by Six Moons, it\u2019s just what worked out right now,\u201d Top Shelf said. \u201cIt\u2019s actually the first non-DCF shelter that I\u2019ve used.\u201d DCF stands for Dyneema Composite Fabric, once known as cuben fiber, a material that is popular in long-distance hiking circles thanks to its low weight and strength. But it\u2019s not as durable as other materials (for years a popular DCF backpack advertised itself as only being good for a single thru-hike) and typically comes in at a substantially higher price point than the silnylon that Top Shelf\u2019s Lunar Solo is made out of. \u201cThe Lunar Solo shelter that I have is $250 and the Zpacks Duplex that a lot of people use\u2014which is a similar footprint, even though it\u2019s two person versus one person, and is made out of DCF\u2014is over $700.\u201d<\/p>\n At one point in our chat, I noticed that Top Shelf hadn\u2019t included a puffer jacket on her gear list, even though it was a shoulder season hike.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cOh yeah,\u201d she said. \u201cI do have a synthetic Enlightened Equipment one.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Like Katabatic Gear, Enlightened Equipment is a cottage gear company specializing in lightweight quilts, but they\u2019ve also expanded in recent years to include some apparel, including rain gear, wind shirts, and puffer jackets.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s OK,\u201d said Top Shelf. \u201cIt\u2019s warm enough. It\u2019s compressible enough, but it just doesn\u2019t fit particularly well, the fabric of the shell doesn\u2019t have the greatest feel. For me, all that really adds up when you don\u2019t have a closet full of jackets where you can just pick another one.\u201d<\/p>\n Currently, her only down jacket is from Uniqlo, a Japanese lifestyle brand that thru-hikers have long looked to for budget puffers and base layers. But their clothing is primarily geared toward urban fashion\u2014it\u2019s barely functional for alpine conditions let alone shoulder season ones. \u201cFor years and years, I had a Feathered Friends ultralight down jacket and I just wore it till it fell apart,\u201d she told me. \u201cI want it so bad, but I need to be working again to get it.\u201d<\/p>\n There\u2019s a saying in thru-hiking that \u201cpounds are cheap, but ounces are expensive.\u201d When you start cutting weight from your kit\u2014swapping out your old four-pound tent for a two-pound one, upgrading from a synthetic sleeping bag to down\u2014you can get a lot of bang for your buck. But once you\u2019ve upgraded the biggest items in your pack, it becomes more expensive to cut weight, as you start to tinker with the smaller odds and ends or switch to pricey materials like DCF or 900fp down. This all goes double for any gear that you wear on your physical body, which will inevitably have to be replaced, sometimes multiple times on the same hike. For example, even best-in-class trail runners typically only last between 500 and 700 miles\u2014it\u2019s common for PCT thru-hikers to go through four or more pairs in a single hike\u2014so Top Shelf wears New Balance, which can usually be found on sale. \u201cI\u2019ll give a little disclaimer that if there\u2019s a piece of gear you ask about and I\u2019m like, \u2018well I\u2019m not selling this as the best for me or the best for this particular route or conditions\u2019,\u201d she said. \u201cBut it\u2019s what I have right now because I\u2019m not Jeff Bezos.\u201d<\/p>\n One example of that is her choice of REI-branded rain gear over other lighter\u2014and more expensive\u2014models. In her experience, ultralight rain gear\u2014like the Outdoor Research Helium, is inappropriate for serious rain conditions, as the material wets out in anything more than sprinkles. \u201cIn the shoulder season, carrying heavier gear that actually is wind and waterproof is more than worth the extra weight because it keeps me from becoming hypothermic,\u201d she said. \u201cBut the reason it\u2019s REI brand is it\u2019s the most affordable GORE-TEX that I found that also is somewhat light. It\u2019d be great if I could afford Arc\u2019teryx GORE-TEX but that\u2019s $600 compared to $300 for the REI two piece.\u201d<\/p>\n She told me that her biggest expense, by far, wasn\u2019t any single piece of gear: It was food. \u201cI avoid restaurants as much as possible and really lean into grocery stores but, with inflation, food right now is more expensive than it\u2019s ever been in my lifetime.\u201d Thru-hikes often lead to extreme weight loss\u2014before and after photos<\/a> can be reminiscent of a fad diet advertisement\u2014simply because it\u2019s almost impossible to carry and eat as much as you need while on the trail. \u201cI\u2019ve looked a bit into how many calories I need a day, and it\u2019s around 5,000,\u201d said Top Shelf, \u201cbut I eat about two to three thousand. I\u2019m usually running at a couple thousand calorie deficit every day.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, the best way to keep costs down is to choose gear that is both lightweight and can stand up to the rigors of 10,000 miles\u2014but even cottage company gear designed for long-distance backpackers typically can\u2019t do that. \u201cI\u2019ve used my Six Moons Design backpack on several hikes and I just this week sewed a bunch of holes in the pockets, which are always the first spots to go,\u201d she told me. \u201cI could at least keep using it for the rest of the PCT this year.\u201d<\/p>\n But there are two items that have been in Top Shelf\u2019s pack since the beginning: the MSR Pocketrocket\u00a0 and an Ibex 250-weight merino baselayer. She couldn\u2019t tell me what the model of the Ibex was, but it turned out to not really matter: Since she purchased that piece, Ibex shuttered, was opened under new management, and moved its manufacturing overseas. \u201cTheir stuff just isn\u2019t as quality as it used to be,\u201d she said. \u201cBut this piece doesn\u2019t have any holes in it, it\u2019s as thick as ever. It\u2019s the best piece of clothing that I\u2019ve ever purchased or owned.\u201d<\/p>\n The MSR Pocketrocket is an isobutane stove that\u2019s known for its simplicity, durability, and reliability (I also still have my original Pocketrocket<\/a>). While MSR has since upgraded the design of the Pocketrocket to a slightly lighter version, Top Shelf told me that she is \u201cobsessed with the original. The only reason I haven\u2019t used it on every thru-hike is that sometimes I\u2019m cold soaking.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n But Top Shelf doesn\u2019t think that other backpackers should go out of their way to track down an original MSR Pocketrocket for their gear kit. \u201cThe MSR Pocketrocket is a great stove, but if you don\u2019t enjoy it\u2014like if you love using a Jetboil and you\u2019re settling for a Pocketrocket, your experience is going to be poorer over time. Your morale is going to be lower over time,\u201d she says. \u201cSo just looking at grams and ounces and ultralight is much too reductive.\u201d<\/p>\n Top Shelf has a number of criteria for what she puts in her pack beyond its weight. First and foremost, it needs to function. \u201cI feel like there\u2019s a lot of manufactured strife on the trail because it\u2019s dramatic and interesting,\u201d she said, \u201cwhere someone could have avoided being out of water for the last twelve miles by carrying an extra Platypus bladder.\u201d She sees this as a problem that even experienced hikers have, either because they underestimate the extent to which their needs are changing, or because they are \u201ccreating drama for drama\u2019s sake.\u201d<\/p>\n But she also thinks that great gear should fulfill our emotional needs: \u201cWhat if the down jacket that fits and feels good on my body and makes me happier is two ounces heavier? To me, that\u2019s a no-brainer. Mental and emotional health and morale really adds up over the course of weeks and months. And we\u2019re talking about an endurance activity that depletes and demands so much. You need to refill your cup in any way possible.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve heard people in eating disorder recovery talk about how food isn\u2019t just to fuel your physical body, it\u2019s also to fuel your emotional body and your heart and soul and spirit. So this idea that diet culture has fed us, that emotional cheating is bad, period, is untrue. Nobody needs to eat a Christmas sugar cookie, but can a Christmas sugar cookie feel good? Can it add to a social experience or interaction? Can it make your heart feel full or help you bond with someone while you\u2019re making them? Yes, and that has value. It\u2019s not just calories in, calories out. So that\u2019s an analogy for how I think about ultralight.\u201d<\/p>\n For Top Shelf, long-distance hiking as a sustainable way of life is about more than just smart financial choices in what gear she chooses. When conditions are less than ideal, having the right gear for her\u2014gear that she both trusts and loves\u2014makes all the difference, and it\u2019s what gives her the mental and emotional space to cycle through thru-hike after thru-hike.\u00a0While Top Shelf hasn\u2019t kept a pack list on hand in years, she threw together an updated one for me in advance of our conversation.<\/p>\n Shelter and Sleep System Apparel and Outerwear Kitchen and BathroomThe Big Three<\/h2>\n
![\"Setting](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/18\/woman-in-six-moons-lunar-tent.jpg\")
\u201cI\u2019m Not Jeff Bezos\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n
![\"Having](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/18\/thru-hiker-in-snowy-consitions.jpg\")
![\"Using](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/18\/cold-soak-meal.jpg\")
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/18\/thru-hiker-in-wet-conditions.jpg\")
Why Ultralight Is Too Reductive<\/h2>\n
![\"For](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/18\/woman-eating-on-trail.jpg\")
![\"Thru-hiker](\"https:\/\/www.outdoorlife.com\/uploads\/2022\/11\/18\/thru-hiker-with-fritos.jpg\")
<\/strong>Six Moons Designs Minimalist Backpack<\/a>
Trash compactor bag<\/a> (pack liner)
Six Moons Designs Lunar Solo Tent<\/a>
Polycryo groundsheet<\/a>
MSR Mini Groundhog tent stakes<\/a> (6)
Katabatic Flex 15 quilt
<\/a>Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm<\/a><\/p>\n
<\/strong>New Balance trail runners
Darn Tough socks<\/a>
Brooks running shorts
Patagonia underwear
Patagonia sports bra
Vuori T-shirt
Buff
Trucker hat
Ibex merino base layer top
REI merino base layer pants
<\/a>REI GORE-TEX rain shell
<\/a>REI GORE-TEX rain pants
<\/a>Beanie
Smartwool merino gloves<\/p>\n
<\/strong>Evernew Ti U.L. Pot 900<\/a>
Humangear Titanium Uno
<\/a>MSR Pocketrocket
<\/a>Fuel canister
Food bag
SmartWater water bottles
Victorinox mini pocket knife
<\/a>Sawyer Squeeze water filter<\/a>
Iodine tablets
First aid kit
Petzl Zipka 200-lumen headlamp
<\/a>Toiletries (toothbrush and toothpaste, Q-tips, chapstick)
Poop kit (baby wipes, Ziploc bag, Deuce of Spades trowel<\/a>)<\/p>\n