I recently finished hiking 175 miles in 9 days solo on the Tahoe Rim Trail, and I’m exciting to share all of the details from the trip to help you plan your own TRT thruhike!
In this post you will find all of the gear I packed with me, the clothing I wore, and some considerations for the conditions on this trail.
Trail Conditions / Considerations:
June is considered to be early in the season for backpacking the Tahoe Rim Trail. Hiking at this time of year, you are more likely to encounter snow on the trail, but less likely to encounter mosquitos. Both of which can be significant challenges on this trail that require extra gear.
Mosquitoes can make things pretty miserable so I wanted to be prepared and avoid them as much as I could. I treated my clothes and gear with Sawyer’s permethrin ahead of time, and carried some Ben’s bug spray and a bug head net.
Checking the trail condition reports, reading recent trail reviews, and comments on FarOut, I was able to get a good idea of how much snow to expect. I also chatted with people in town and at the trailhead when I arrived to Lake Tahoe to start my trip. I has originally packed my micro spikes, but decided to leave them behind at the last minute, settling on trekking poles as my support for the snow.
Gear:
One thing I am always working on and thinking about when it comes to gear, is finding ways to lighten my pack. From upgrading to an ultralight option, cutting off excess fabric, or getting rid of things I don’t need I have been able to get my base weight down to about 17 lbs which I feel pretty good about. My starting pack weight fully loaded with 5 days of food and 3 liters of water (I started in a dry section) ended up being just about 30 lbs.
Gear Checklist:
🎒 68L backpack
⛺️ 1p freestanding tent and 4 mini stakes
🏕️ Tyvek ground tarp
SLEEP SYSTEM:
🛌 18 degree quilt
🛏️ inflatable sleeping pad
😴 inflatable pillow
COOKING SYSTEM:
🔥 cook system and fuel
🍴 extendable utensil with silicone edge
🥤 collapsible cup
🐻 bear canister
CLOTHING/LAYERS:
🧦 sleep clothes: baselayer top, hat, socks
🥶 puffy jacket
🌧️ rain pants
☔️ rain poncho
🩴 camp shoes
🦟 bug head net
(More details on clothing below!)
ELECTRONICS:
💡 headlamp
☎️ satellite device
🔋 power bank and charging cables
🎧 headphones
📸 dispo camera
🎥 GoPro 13 and tripod
HYGIENE/FIRST AID
🪥 toiletry kit:
💩 trowel and pee cloth
🩹 first aid kit: tweezers, safety pin, ibuprofen, Benadryl, moleskin, tape
WATER SYSTEM:
💧 water filter and bladder
💦 water bottles: 1L + 1.5L SmartWater Bottles
MISCELANEOUS:
🐻 bear spray
🥾 trekking poles
🎫 permits (TRT and CalFire)
What I DIDN’T bring:
❄️ Micro spikes – the snow was melted enough that poles were all I needed
🥶 Base layer leggings – the weather was warmer than I expected so I left them behind and didn’t miss them at all!
*Note* some of the product links are affiliate links, so I make a commission when you shop!
You should also check out my recent Tahoe Rim Trail Gear Reel:
Clothing:
My clothing strategy for backpacking is to only pack 2 outfits. One to hike in, one the sleep in, and of course some extra layers for wind, rain, or sun protection. I do this for a few reasons, one it saves weight in the pack and I’ll just be getting sweaty and dirty again every day anyway so what’s the point in bringing a change of clothes?
What I wore during the day:
Sports Bra: Paloma Racerback Bra, Girlfriend Collective
Shorts: Warmup 5′ Shorts, Outdoor Voices
Underwear: Black Cheeky Hipster, Girlfriend Collective
Socks: Injinji Hiking Sock
Trail Runners: Altra Lone Peak 9s
Sunglasses: Ombraz Armless Sunglasses
What I wore at night:
Top: Smartwool All-season baselayer top
Socks: Smartwool Full Cushion
Underwear: Black Cheeky Hipster, Girlfriend Collective
Hat: Wool-blend knit hat (made by me!)
Extra Layers:
Puffy Jacket: REI 650 Down Jacket
Rain Pants: REI Trailmade Rain Pants
Rain Poncho: FrogTogg Rain Poncho
Check out my recent reel to see what these outfits look like in action!:
Happy trails!
Bee
Bee's Wild Life 
Wow! This post is awesime. It’s so informative and I love the way you uploaded all these links to assist in finding the items. Thank you!
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