In July of 2019, I took 3 friends on their first-ever thru-hike. We completed the Tahoe Rim Trail in just 9 days. The TRT is an absolutely exceptional trail!
What can you expect from the TRT? Smiles for miles, fantastic trail towns, and stunning sights. The permit system is straight forward, and the hiking conditions splendid. Strongly recommended!
We ended up hiking the TRT in a very snowy year. As such, the Desolation Wilderness section had a lot of classic elements of Type 2 fun.
Ania, our beloved Spanish friend, was joining us for the first leg of the trip, from Echo Lake to Tahoe City, where she was then planning to catch a ride back to Sacramento/Davis. Conveniently, Ania also had very limited snow experience, which was quickly remedied by the quantity of snow on the trail. The north side of Dick’s Pass was downright dickish. Ania and Ben were very fearful for their lives during portions of the descent.
All in all, however, everyone had some level of fun (Kylie and I crushed Type 1 fun, while Natals, Ben and Ania were hanging out around Type 2 for a good chunk of the trip). I think overall, this was a phenomenal hike, and found it to be better, in many ways, than the JMT. I definitely am looking forward to doing this one again!
Our travel itinerary can be found here. In a non-snowy year, the itinerary is quite manageable. With snow, it may be useful to ease into it a little more to avoid potential injuries.
What did I take on the TRT?
The Tahoe Rim Trail was the first time I was really able to switch over to Bivy camping. When hanging out with Radar on the PCT, I became fairly jealous of his ability to throw a bivy down just about anywhere, and quickly have camp setup. For solo trips and for trips with groups, I am definitely sold on using the bivy over a more durable tent. If I’m expecting substantial weather, I would likely opt for something else.
Tahoe Rim Trail List
- Category Price Weight
-
Packing System
$175.00
1.97 lb
-
Sleeping System
$486.00
1.83 lb
-
Shelter
$252.00
1.01 lb
-
Cooking and Eating Setup
$13.00
0.15 lb
-
Packed Clothing
$327.00
1.42 lb
-
Worn Clothing
$296.00
3.44 lb
-
Hydration System
$40.00
0.3 lb
-
First Aid + Hygiene
$0.00
0.63 lb
-
Electronics
$567.00
0.89 lb
-
Food and Water
$75.00
5.7 lb
-
Winter shit
$60.00
0.78 lb
-
-
Packing System
Price Weight qty -
Clothing Sack
Cuben stuff sack
$27.00
41
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Granite gear crown v.c. 38L
38L crown Vic w. Adjustable hip belt. Frame and brain removed
$139.00
27
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Pack Liner
Trash Compactor Bag
$4.00
41
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Food bag
Opsak for Rodent Proofing
$5.00
45
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Sleeping System
Price Weight qty -
Sleeping Pad
NeoAir XLite Small w. Seam sealer
$111.00
8.7
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Sleeping Bag
Katabatic Alsek
$375.00
20.6
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Shelter
Price Weight qty -
Stakes
8 - 6" Titanium Stakes
$20.00
1.66
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Bivy
Cuben Borah bivy + Poly Cryo ground cover
$175.00
5.7
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Tarp
Borah Tarp + Guylines + Stuff sack
$57.00
8.8
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Cooking and Eating Setup
Price Weight qty -
Spork
Snowpeak Titanium Spork
$8.00
15
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Cold Soak Jar
Talenti Jar
$5.00
1.8
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Packed Clothing
Price Weight qty -
Puffy
Ghost Whisperer Down (800 FP)
$145.00
7.5
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Possum Down Gloves
$25.00
42
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Extra Socks
Darn Tough
$12.00
2.3
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Rain Jacket
Helium II
$65.00
182
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Rain Pants
Outdoor Research Helium II
$80.00
5
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Worn Clothing
Price Weight qty -
Wool Shirt
Icebreaker
$40.00
135
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Trail Pants
Prana Stretch Zion Convertible
$50.00
427
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Sock
Darn Tough Trail Socks
$12.00
65
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Trail Runners
Hoka Challenger
$150.00
11.8
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Chapstick
$2.00
10
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Hat
Outdoor Research Cap
$10.00
51
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Sun Glasses
Generic Polarized
$30.00
27
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Bandanna
$2.00
36
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Trekking Polls
Black Diamond Carbon Cork Trekking Poles
$0.00
475
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Hydration System
Price Weight qty -
Sawyer Squeeze
$40.00
3.5
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
1L Smart Water Bottle
Hydration
$0.00
36
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
First Aid + Hygiene
Price Weight qty -
First Aid Kit
12 Benedryl, 10 Neopraxin, 5 Aspirin, 3 12-hr Sudefad, 3 Acetazolaide, Nail Clipper, Tweezers, 2 large Safety Pins, 1 mini sewing kit, 1 Ace Bandage, 2 Electrolyte Tablets, Bleed stop
$0.00
4.2
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Tooth Brush
$0.00
11
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Tooth Paste
Travel Size
$0.00
1
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Sunscreen Stick
Stick
$0.00
1.5
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Additional First-Aid Items
Ace Bandage?
$0.00
1
oz0
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
.75 L Smart Water Bottle
Bidet/Hydration
$0.00
28
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Soap
Dr Broner's Soap
$0.00
2
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Electronics
Price Weight qty -
Smart Phone
Moto Z Play
$400.00
165
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Battery
Moto TurboPower Pack
$100.00
95
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
USB Plug
iClever 39W charger + 2 USB mini cables
$30.00
113
g1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Headlamp
NU25 Headlamp - Attached to Hat
$37.00
1.1
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Food and Water
Price Weight qty -
Food
2.5 days food
$75.00
3.5
lb1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
Water
10 miles of water
$0.00
1
kg1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-
-
-
Winter shit
Price Weight qty -
MicroSpikes
Kathoola
$60.00
12.4
oz1
- oz
- lb
- g
- kg
-