Long-distance hiker Andrew Skurka has been back on the Pacific Crest Trail in spirit, sharing the full kit he'd carry for a 2027 hike in a new video series with The Trek. The name might ring a bell: Skurka was the first person to complete the Sea-to-Sea Route, the Great Western Loop and the Alaska-Yukon Expedition, and he still guides trips in the Sierra Nevada every late July and August.
His starting point is a cautionary tale. When he first hiked the PCT in 2006, he cruised through the High Sierra in late June wearing running shorts, a T-shirt and a visor, with no bug protection and no sun protection. Nearly two decades of annual Sierra trips later, his approach is far more deliberate.
The core of his setup is what he calls the go-suit: everything worn or carried on the body all day. That means a long-sleeve sun hoodie treated with permethrin (mosquitoes peak mid-June to mid-July in the Sierra and are largely gone by August 1, depending on snowpack), a ball cap, sunglasses, and breathable trail-running shoes. He hikes in shorts whenever possible but always packs pants — for bug season, for extra sun cover, and for lingering snowfields that reflect brutal UV. He learned that lesson the hard way in Colorado in 2003, when he blistered the backs of his hamstrings from sunburn on a single weekend trip.
Two picks stand out. First, his sungloves are actually a pair of deerskin work gloves from Home Depot — cheaper and more durable than dedicated sun gloves, though he notes lighter options like Glacier Gloves breathe better but wear out in about a month. Second, for early-season travel on snow he'd swap regular sunglasses for glacier goggles with around 5% visible light transmission, versus roughly 8-10% for all-purpose shades.
On footwear, he's refreshingly honest: his beloved La Sportiva Bushido suits his off-trail Sierra routes, but PCT hikers on graded trail should look for more cushion — think Altra Lone Peak, Brooks Cascadia or Topo — and, crucially, whatever fits their own feet. His sock system is a two-pair rotation: wear one, wash the other in a creek (soap-free, and away from other campers), dry it on the back of your pack, repeat. He rounds it out with featherweight Simblissity LevaGaiters.
Why does this matter to a regular traveller? You don't need to thru-hike 2,650 miles to borrow from it. The same list applies to a John Muir Trail section, the Sierra High Route or Yosemite High Route — all Skurka's own creations — or a simple weekend out of Lodgepole, Fallen Leaf Meadows or Piute Pass. If you're heading into the Sierra between June and September, this is a masterclass in staying comfortable: sun protection over insulation, bugs dictating your timing, and gear chosen for durability over fashion.
