The Big 3 and Other Things: Updated for 2026

My last entry into the big 3 was almost 2 years ago. Before hiking the Appalachian Trail. Before hiking the John Muir Trail. I met so many truly experienced hikers before. While many things remain the same, there have been some changes. Some of these items have been discussed in previous blog posts, but I wanted to bring it all together in a new post.

Backpack – ULA Ultra Ohm vs ULA Ultra Circuit SV

Both the ULA Ohm and Circuit CV are very new changes to my equipment list. So new that I only used the Ohm a few times and never used the Circuit CV. In the fall, the Ohm went on a 3-day trip and this spring he went on 6- and 3-day trips. For the 6 day trip I also brought my bear canister and the setup was a little heavy for the first two days.

The Circuit SV is even newer to my equipment list. It arrived last week and has not yet made its maiden voyage.

I’ve been using the regular Circuit, which I also love, for the last few years. After the Appalachian Trail it still looked new. After the JMT it still looked new. The Circuit is rock solid and would probably be a great package for the rest of my life.

However, I was looking to shave off a gram or two and eliminate the need for a backpack cover. Many of you will say that a backpack cover is never necessary and I agree, except that the Robic absorbs water and my Circuit feels quite heavy when wet. Also, except for exceptionally long food transports and when food storage containers are required, my Circuit is pretty empty.

I remain distraught over the pack’s decision. I ordered an Ohm, spoke to Peter and canceled the Ohm order. Considered the Ultra Circuit SV, considered the Ultra CDT, I spoke to Peter some more. I finally ignored all of Peter’s advice and chose the Ultra Ohm and was very happy with it on its maiden voyage. Meriwether got one too, but she’s not as enamored as I am and will probably go back to her Vietnamese-made backpack. I prefer “Made in my Country”.

After the 6 day trip (in the Shenandoah Mountains), I started to reconsider my choice to use Ohm on the PCT this summer. On days 1 and 2, with the bear canister, my shoulders started hurting too early. With my Circuit, my shoulders would actually start to hurt, but usually only as we got closer to our campsite. More conversations with Peter and I decided to purchase the Ultra Circuit SV. Let’s hope he gets a chance to upstage Ohm before I leave for the PCT, when I’ll have to decide definitively.

Large tent

You may remember that we switched from the Big Agnes Copper Spur 3 to the Durston X-Mid 2 while on the Appalachian Trail. We continue to use the Big Agnes on shorter trips and love its spaciousness. On longer trips, like the JMT, we will continue to use the Durston. The Durston is about 2 pounds lighter and prepares for flight first. The first fly setup has been very good on a couple of occasions.

Meriwether carried the Big Agnes fly and our Tyvec tarp, I carried the tent body, poles and stakes. For Durston, Meriwether continues to carry the tarp and I carry everything else.

While our Copper Spur is a 3-person tent (yeah, right) and our Durston is a 2-person tent, they both take up about the same amount of floor space. The Durston has a much larger lobby and a much smaller sleeping area. The hall is so big that I feel comfortable cooking (heating water) in it. I don’t recommend anyone cook near your tent. It’s a VERY bad idea. The food in the store will attract bears and other critters. Most tents are made of plastic; If they catch fire, the burning plastic will melt and stick to the skin. Sometimes you have to ignore common sense and enjoy a hot cup of coffee before getting up from the quilt.

We flirted with the idea of ​​upgrading to the Durston X-Mid 2 Pro and even ordered it. After ordering, I realized that the Pro version has a smaller interior floor and was worried about having to deal with condensation. The Durston people made it very easy to make the return. The 2 Pro Plus is a bit larger, almost the same size as the version we have, but the weight savings weren’t enough to justify it. If I want to save weight I can always ditch the foam pad, right?

sleep system

I’m still using the Katabatic Flex 22 gear and a (new) Thermarest NeoAir XLite NXT in the shortest version available. They are both great. Because I anticipate the inflatable pad will explode, probably with only a few hundred miles to go, in a place where replacement is inconvenient at best, I also carry an accordion foam pad. Most of you say, «get rid of the foam pad and the Ohm will be very comfortable,» and I hear that and I’m thinking about it.

Pack up your fears, right? On the AT, my NeoAir developed a fairly rapid leak just before the 100 mile desert. I swapped it for the foam pad and everything was fine except my new fear of holes in my inflatable pad. Inflatable mattresses do not insulate very well when they are not inflated. I also don’t trust my ability to fix a leak. In fact, I have never successfully patched a pad. In any case, the decision to take the foam pad is up in the air.

Meriwether recently transitioned from a bag to a quilt and will attest to the superiority of a quilt. On warm nights, I start with the quilt barely covering me, as the night cools, I lift the quilt and cover it more completely. If it’s really cold, I attach it to my pad and put it around my neck. The Flex 22 is very comfortable from at least 20 degrees (my experience is up to 25 degrees) to 50 degrees or more. If the overnight low is going to be 70 degrees (hello Georgia in July), the quilt stays in the backpack and I just use my liner.

At AT and JMT I loved my alpaca hoodie from Appalachian Gear Company. Meriwether often called it my peas and carrots outfit when I wore the orange hoodie with my green pants. In addition to keeping me warm during cool mornings and evenings, it never absorbed my scent. After over a hundred wears, many times over a very smelly shirt, the hoodie still smells as fresh as the day I bought it. When it gets wet you can notice the sweet aroma of wet alpaca.

As much as I love that hoodie, my new Sambob alpha 90 hoodie weighs half as much and is probably a little warmer. At the end of the PCT, I doubt the Sambob will smell as clean as my alpaca at the end of the AT. The Sambob traveled on my last two trips and I found that the warmth and breathability made it more versatile than alpaca. No more peas and carrots, Sambob is blue.

The author and Meriweather are sporting new Sambob Alpha 90 hoodies. What a cute couple.

We bought umbrellas for the JMT. We used the umbrellas for a few hours of hiking in the Grand Canyon before arriving at JMT. The umbrella was the number one item I removed from my setup until our most recent 3 day outing. The heavy rains during the second day caused me to take out and use the umbrella. Yes, umbrellas are also useful in the rain. The hood of my raincoat obstructed my view when it was on and directed water onto my back when it was off.

As I walked with the umbrella for a couple of hours, it quickly fell off the chopping block and became a prized piece of equipment. The experience almost made me hope for some rain on the PCT, but I’d hate to do that to other hikers. Please, please, let it rain as little as possible.

There are two locations on the PCT where safe storage of Grizzly food is required. However, it is my understanding that there are no grizzly bears on the trail. Please don’t correct this understanding if I’m wrong.

We had initially planned to use our bear canisters in these areas, Washington State and the Sierra Mountains, mailing them from one to another. I hate carrying a boat. It’s heavy. It consumes a lot of space. It’s a pain to open in the morning; I only close it at night.

Ursaks are an approved and safe container for Grizzy in Washington State. REI was having sales, isn’t it always? and we ordered two of the bags. I like the bag much more than the can, even after reading a ton of stories about how bears hit everything in the bag and drool all over it. I guess that’s what LokSac OpSacs are for, if the bear can’t smell it, it won’t find it. Or so we hope.

Spirit animal cards are a new item for my pack. The young women we met at the JMT invited us to participate with them in an Animal Spirit reading one morning and they enjoyed the experience. If you find yourself hiking with us, especially if you share a campsite with us, we will probably invite you to participate. Not all cards are super positive, some reveal things we could work on. Even the strongest, bravest and most experienced ones have a little rabbit inside them.

Most common animals on the PCT.

The snow is melting and we are almost ready. Happy trails!