Packing is an important a part of having fun with the path. On this article I share my West Coast Path packing listing and a few ideas that may enable you to have an excellent hike! See our Full Information to the West Coast Path for all particulars you may presumably have to plan, get to and hike this spectacular path.
This can be a spectacular seaside and forest mountaineering path stretching over 75 kilometers of white sandy seashores and spectacular indigenous forest on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The path is difficult and progress sluggish with obstacles together with rain, swimming pools of mud, ladders, bridges and cable automobiles. The trek takes 6 or 7 days and you need to be fully self reliant, so you need to pack and carry all garments, meals and equipment that you’ll want on your time on the path.
Two crucial concerns when packing for the West Coast path is pack weight and waterproofing. You’ll be carrying your backpack all day going up and down about 70 lengthy ladders so that you wish to pack as mild as potential. It should most probably rain on the path, how a lot relies on season and a little bit of luck. Moist garments, meals and tools isn’t enjoyable.
I used an identical packing listing for the Juan de Fuca path, additionally on Vancouver Island.
West Coast Path Reserving
Solely 70 individuals can begin the WCT every day from Gordon River, Pachena Bay and 20 Nitinaht Narrows collectively. The path may be very in style and a few spots are booked months forward so e-book as quickly as potential. The West Coast Path is simply open from Might 1 – Sept 30. There are all the time cancelations and open spots, in 2020 I solely booked about 2 weeks forward, so control the web site! Make reservation and pay at Parks Canada Pacific Rim.
West Coast Path Price
Mountaineering the West Coast Path price me $CAD517 ($391) for the 6 day/5 in whole.
- Registration – $CAD184 (payable upon registration)
- Break up West Coast Path In a single day Use Charge: $127.50 and two ferry crossing charges, Gordon River: $16 and Nitinat Slender: $16, reservation payment is $24.50
- Pacific Rim Park Allow – $CAD 39 payable on the orientation
- Meals – $CAD17 per day pp – $102
- Transport – $CAD55 + $CAD110 = 165 – 20% low cost = $CAD132
- Bear spray – $CAD50
- Range Fuel – $CAD10
Paper work to Pack
Not essentially the most thrilling, however an important. Take a ziplock bag to maintain paperwork dry.
- Pacific Rim Park Allow – paper will obtain at registration
- Path Allow – paper, required to get on the ferry
- West Coast Path map – waterproof, obtain at registration. This can be a crucial map that you’ll use lots on a regular basis.
- Tide desk – tide desk is essential for planning your route since some coastal areas are underneath water at excessive tide and you need to stroll the forest path. You obtain a tide desk at the start of the route, however I’ll suggest downloading the Tofino Tide Desk.
- Money – $32 ferry crossing take $25 for a crab and $8 for a beer it’s price it!
Full Packing Checklist
Backpack for WCT
A superb backpack is necessary and might make your stroll much more comfy. Ensure that it’s a good match, adjustable and the pack is mild with a number of pockets and separate sections which you can simply entry with out unpacking the whole lot.
What dimension Backpack for the West Coast Path?
I’ll suggest that you don’t take a pack any larger than you want. In case you have the house you’ll fill it and pack pointless stuff. Backpack sizes will be something from a 50 – 75 L pack. For males typically a 60-70L pack and 50-60L for women, work effectively.
A backpack rain cowl is essential to maintain your stuff dry on the West Coast Path. If you happen to shouldn’t have a canopy and purchase a separate one, shopping for one a bit oversize works effectively since it is going to cowl your pack with hooked up tent and mattress if you happen to carry it outdoors your pack.
If you’re going to go backpacking regularly I might suggest a high quality mild pack Osprey Atmos AG65 the Deuter Aircontact Mild is one other fine quality pack, for a extra reasonably priced choice take a look at this extraordinarily effectively rated 60L Trekking Pack.
For women, desirous to put money into a high quality backpack take a look at Deuter Aircontac Lite or Osprey Packs Renn for a price range choice the Koshiyo Trekking pack is effectively rated.
Tent and Tenting Gear for the West Coast Path
Tent for WCT
You will sleep in a tent each night time and it’s seemingly that it’s going to rain some nights, so it will be important that the tent is waterproof and wind-resistant. The tent provides quite a lot of weight and dimension to your pack. Purchase or borrow a tent as mild, and straightforward to pitch as potential. We use an MSR Hubba Hubba NX – it’s very mild (1,3kg), packs small, simple to pitch, waterproof, it’s form is nice for sturdy wind and it’s sturdy.
Good tents within the center value vary to contemplate are MSR Elixir, Marmot Crane Creek, they’re all spacious, waterproof, comparatively mild and straightforward to pitch.
Sleeping Gear for WCT
Sleeping bag – it doesn’t get very chilly on the West Coast Path, so a beneath zero down sleeping bag isn’t required. I’ve used each a light-weight 10C sleeping bag and a down 0C on this park mountaineering in September. The down was extra comfy, however the smaller, lighter 10C bag was OK sleeping in a fleece and heat pants. Mild small sleeping bag
Sleeping pad/mattress is essential for comfortabe sleeping We suggest inflatable tenting pad – lighter and packs smaller than a foam sleeping pad (they work high quality although).
Pillow – I all the time rolled some garments for a pillow till I took an inflatable pillow, now I pack this each time!
I normally put my sleeping bag inside a plastic bag if it rains lots and my backpack will get water inside.
Cooking Gear
Tenting range – a light-weight, tenting range is tremendous necessary for the WCT. I boiled water at the very least twice a day, within the morning for porridge and occasional and within the evenings for a sizzling meal (and occasional). The stoves aren’t very costly and in our expertise they’re dependable. We now have two compact stoves that we now have been used to prepare dinner 100s of meals tenting and mountaineering for years and they’re each nonetheless alive and dealing nice. Purchase a range with Piezo Ignition to have the ability to mild it with out matches or lighter (in case you lose or overlook them). Fashionable stoves weigh nearly nothing they usually pack very small. Be sure to purchase a range with the suitable becoming for the fuel cannisters you can be utilizing.
Cooking Gear – we use the pots for cooking and consuming, no plates, two pots work effectively, for espresso we simply boil water within the smaller pot, saving some fuel.
Take pots with lids you should utilize them as plates, Bear in mind utensils! cup/mug, spork/fork, and spoon. That is fairly a pleasant cooking set, we now have been utilizing the identical pots for a few years, they’re nice. For fine quality you simply cannot beat MSR – MSR PocketRocket Deluxe Ultralight Tenting and Backpacking Range Equipment. A number of hikers swear by this Jetboil SUMO cooking system for fast cooking and gas effectivity.
Water Filtration Machine for West Coast Path
It is suggested that consuming water is boiled, handled or filtered earlier than consuming. You may have completely different purification choices. There are a lot of water sources on the path. I used a Lifestraw filter bottle, very simple, simply fill the bottle from a stream and drink the water by the straw with a inbuilt filter. We additionally had an MSR filtration pump, works effectively, however onerous work to filter the water. Gravitation filter baggage is one other good choice taking a little bit of time, however you filter 10L of water at a time. This can be a good filter to share, some teams had one and stopped a couple of times a day to filter water for everyone’s bottle. It’s simple and lightweight and small to pack. Chlorine tablets are simple to make use of, that is cheaper however tastes horrible.
Mountaineering Boots for the West Coast Path
You’ll largely seemingly be performing some mountaineering in rain and dust on the West Coast Path I’ll suggest you hike in waterproof mountaineering boots with gaters. Low minimize footwear aren’t excellent with mud and water and mountaineering in moist footwear isn’t nice I really like my Salomon X Extremely Prime boots, they’re gortex, mild and keep dry!
For women – Alya hikes in an attractive pair of Women Salomon X Extremely boots that she loves.
Garments to Pack for the West Coast Path
Waterproof Jacket – A superb waterproof, windproof and breathable jacket is tremendous necessary for the West Coast Path. The Marmot mens Precip Lightweight Waterproof Rain Jacket is a superb choice with nice options like Waterproof/Breathable NanoPro material development, taped appears and pit zips to maintain you dry and effectively ventilated. Women Mannequin Marmot girls Precip Lightweight Waterproof Jacket.
Trekking pants – for males this mild quick dry Columbia mountaineering pants is sweet. Women we suggest packing these Columbia mountaineering pants and yoga stretch pants. Alya hikes in each, however she prefers carrying her yoga pants – they stretch simple and are extra comfy.
Mountaineering shirts – Keep away from carrying cotton, you’ll get moist and chilly sweating underneath your jacket. Alya prefers mountaineering in breathable, moisture wicking, quik dry T-shirts, comparable to this girls lengthy sleeve operating shirt and one girls quick sleeve T-shirt. I hike in long-sleeved Columbia mountaineering shirts, they don’t take in water so dry shortly, it’s also nice for solar safety. I additionally pack some fast dry moisture wicking health club t-shirts.
Sport bras – they’re nice for mountaineering and outdoor, Alya says that she prefers sport bras over regular bras.
Underwear – take about 2 or 3 pairs (wash on the street)
Merino wool socks – we solely hike in merino wool socks, makes a giant distinction, particularly for lengthy hikes. Unreal how a lot much less they scent than even the fanciest artificial socks. Merino wool socks; don’t take in odors, defend your toes, dry fast and really sturdy. Darn Robust Merino Wool Socks are superb they’re well-known for nice foot help and blister safety. Women Darn Robust Women Merino Wool Socks; colourful and funky.
Cap/hat – a should have within the mountains for solar safety. A fast dry sports activities cap or huge brim hat.
Pack a BUFF Multifunctional Headwear – protects your neck and face from solar burn, wind and climate. Get a cool one, mine is a South African flag, superior for images!
Gaiters – Waterproof Windproof Heat Sneakers Covers improbable factor to have on the West Coast path to maintain mud out of your footwear!
Trekking Equipment
Sun shades – deliver sun shades for mountaineering within the mountains with excessive UV safety and polarized lenses.
Mountaineering poles will be very useful in mud and if you’re carrying a heavy pack TrailBuddy Mountaineering Sticks sturdy, effectively rated, aluminum mountaineering poles. Excessive finish high quality Black Diamond Path Professional Shock Trekking Pole.
Microfibre towels mild, fast dry, takes little house. Energetic Roots Microfiber Journey Towel
Journey moist wipes nice for laundry as a substitute of bathe whether it is chilly.
Packing Meals on the West Coast Path
I purchased dehydrated meals on the MEC retailer in Vancouver. Mild, scrumptious and filling. Labored nice. Be sure to have sufficient fuel, as a result of with out a range you should have nothing to eat!
- Breakfast – 2 packs of instantaneous oats, espresso
- Lunch – a protein bar (68 grams)
- Dinner – Dehydrated meals x4 – one meal is 2 servings, however is an effective meal after a protracted day of trekking for one particular person. I took one pack of instantaneous noodles and a can of tuna only for one thing completely different one night.
I really like and made espresso espresso twice a day with my trusty aeropress.
To boil water for espresso and put together meals I carried just a little fuel range and one 450 gram propane canister.
Electronics to Pack for the West Coast Path
Attempt to take as little electronics as potential, is usually a tragedy in case your stuff will get moist. Since we write and movie our adventures we’re all the time a bit heavy on the digital facet.
Headlamp
Essential piece of digital tools, since there isn’t a lights at campsites, you should have a really powerful time with out a headlamp. Be sure to pack new batteries. We now have been utilizing our Petzl’s for ages. The PETZL, TACTIKKA +RGB Stealth Headlamp is highly effective 350 lumen lamp with a 5 yr assure. Take a look at the Petzl – ACTIK CORE Headlamp if you would like a chargeable headlamp, highly effective with 350 lumens. The Actik Core has a number of energy modes, if you happen to use it the headlamp have to be charged after 2 hours, however utilizing energy saving modes you may stand up to 180 hours on one cost!
Digital camera
There are some nice picture alternatives on the path with a great deal of animals and improbable surroundings.
The Canon G7x Digital camera is a good digicam for picture and video.
Olympus Robust is a superb waterproof, shockproof digicam that takes nice images and video, it’s made for this type of motion.
It’s unreal what nice high quality images and video you will get with the brand new Go Professional cameras. We use our Go Professional for vlogging. The stabilization when taking video is improbable and the digicam is nice for huge angle images. The one unfavourable in regards to the Go Professional is its low mild efficiency and most of summit day is in the dead of night, so that’s one thing to contemplate. Take a look at the brand new Go Professional Hero 10.
Kindle
I all the time take my kindle mountaineering, superior to learn for a few minutes within the tent earlier than falling asleep. The new Kindle Paperwhite has a backlight and is waterproof! Mild, takes little house, excellent for trekking.
Telephone
Your telephone can also be an excellent software to pack for a digicam, GPS, agenda. , audiobooks. Take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S10; lengthy battery life, good video stabilization, water-resistant.
Energy Financial institution
We all the time carry an influence financial institution to cost all our electronics with. This Fos Energy Financial institution is waterproof and shockproof.
Toiletries
Maintain it toiletries to the minimal, primarily stuff for solar safety and maintaining the whole lot clear.
- Cleaning soap bar (minimize bar in half or take small lodge cleaning soap).
- Hand Sanitizer, for snacking/consuming.
- Child wipes, works effectively to scrub your self within the tent. There are some swimming spots, however the water is freezing!
- Sunblock SPF50, water/sweat resistant, we love Banana Boat Sport Sunblock.
- Toothbrush and toothpaste (take nearly completed toothpaste tube)
First Support Equipment
- ache killers paracetemol/aspirin/ibuprofen
- imodium for an upset abdomen
- rehydrate hydration packs (isotonic drink powder) for if you find yourself dehydrated and helps with cramping
- Plasters – for cuts or blisters
- Antiseptic/iodine.