Crystal Cove Overnight: How to Take a Gear Test Hike

At a Glance

Test your gear on a short overnight before the trip that counts

Aim for 3 miles in, real terrain, and a way to bail • Weigh your loaded pack • Try the socks.

Crystal Cove details and a location checklist at the end of this post.

Enjoying chocolate milkshakes at the Shake Shack, located on the Pacific Coast Highway withing walking distance from the parking lot.

Take a Gear Test Hike

Before you set out on your longer backpacking adventure, find a place to try out all your gear before you are too far out in the backcountry to change anything!

Recently, I went on an overnight with a friend new to backpacking to test out her gear and see what adjustments she might want to make before she heads out with her daughter in the High Sierra. Afterwards, we enjoyed the view from the Shake Shack on the PCH!

On a gear test hike you are gauging a few things, but most especially how your pack feels. We adjusted hers mid-hike so her hip straps sat in a better place to support the weight of the pack (the padding goes over your hip bones right where you might place your hands if you were putting them on your hips with your elbows out). You are also testing out pack weight, what to bring or leave at home, and how far feels comfortable to hike. In this post, I’ll also give you some tips on how to choose a good place to do a gear test hike.

How Much Should Your Backpack Weigh?

The biggest thing first-time backpackers notice is that their pack feels heavy, and often it’s because there is too much stuff in there! In some cases, it is also because the items carried are simply too heavy for the person carrying the pack. It’s a good practice to have your full pack, including food and water, to weigh no more than 20% of your body weight. If you are a smaller human, that can be challenging. If you are a larger human, be a good friend and carry some things for your smaller companions!

Cutting Your Backpacking Weight

The first is free. The second two require some time and expense.

1) don’t bring so much. The gear test hike gives you a chance to see if you really use or even need all the items in your pack.

2) over time, switch out heavier items for lighter ones. The biggest culprits are often tent, sleeping bag, pad, or your backpack itself. But the smaller items can also add up.

3) if you are backpacking with a group, don’t be afraid to discuss how to distribute the weight so everyone feels comfortable.

What to Bring and What to Leave at Home

Another thing a gear test hike can do is help you decide what you really need. Wish you had that camping pillow? Did you leave extra clean clothes in that stuff sack? Do you even like stuff sacks or do you wish you had them if you didn’t bring any? Sometimes it’s by trying things out that you figure out your own preferences. I am still not sure if it’s worth it to spend a pound of weight on a chair. When I bring it, I think it’s too heavy. But when I leave it at home, I wish I had it! So that experiment continues...

Here are some examples of things to consider on a gear test hike:

What kinds of foods do you enjoy in the backcountry? It may be different than what you eat at home. Are you a salami, hard cheese, and nuts type of backpacker, or do you just want bars? Do you like the ease of pre-made dehydrated meals or do you prefer to create your own?

Do you like wipes to wash your face and body or do you prefer biodegradable soap and a pack towel?

Do you like stopping and grabbing your water bottle? Do you prefer hiking along and sipping on your water through a hydration pack tube? Do you want your water on your shoulder strap so you can grab and go more quickly?

In some ways, every trip you take is an opportunity to test out your gear and refine it for the next adventure! And seeing what other people bring along is another way to get ideas.

How Far to Hike on a Gear Test

Another thing you can experiment with is how far to go and still feel comfortable in your footwear while carrying your pack. Notice how quickly you get hungry or thirsty, etc.

Testing Your Footwear and Socks

Your feet are pretty important on a longer backpack trip so being sure your trail shoes or boots fit well and leave you blister-free after a day of backpacking is important. You can try out some different sock combinations on a gear test hike because you don‘t have too far to go. If a particular sock really doesn‘t end up working for you, you can try something different after only a few miles.

As you figure out your pack weight, you'll also see how it feels at one mile and at five. For our gear test hike, we went in 3 miles but hiked out the long way with 6 miles back to the car. In our case, we noted that having used half our water (remember, we had to pack it ALL in!) made our packs much more comfortable the second day even though we hiked twice as far. Doing some different mileage on your gear test hike, if possible, lets you see better how you might plan your longer trip.

Choosing a Location for a Gear Test Hike

For those of you in the Southern California area, Crystal Cove State Park is a perfect place for a gear test hike! If not, here are things to look for when choosing your own location:

1) pretty short first hike mileage (ours was about 3 miles) so that if things really don’t work out, you can hike back out again!

2) some varied terrain, if possible (having some up and down helps you see what it will be like on a longer backpack trip)

3) some amenities are nice (we had a pit toilet and a picnic table, along with marked campsites, though we did have to bring all our water so that added a few extra pounds to our packs)

4) restaurants around the area so when you hike out you can go out to eat rather than carry extra meals (we went to the Shake Shack and enjoyed turkey burgers, fries and milkshakes!)

Backpacking at Crystal Cove State Park

There are three remote site areas in Crystal Cove. We stayed in Deer Canyon since that was the closest to the parking area. It also has trees, which provide some nice shade and coverage from the pretty full moon that night. Site #1 had other foliage so we weren’t so exposed since there are a lot of people who walk the trail. However, there was a lot of poison oak to be careful around. Sites #2 and #3 have tree coverage for shade, but #4 and #5 are pretty open. It is a first-come, first-served camping area even though you sign up for a site upon registration. Remember, there is no water at Crystal Cove remote campsites.

View from Lower Moro Campground, Crystal Cove.

Go to www.reservecalifornia.com and find Crystal Cove Moro Campground and search for remote camping to get your permit. Deer Canyon is located on the western side of the park. On the east side you have two other campgrounds. Upper Moro Campground is small and pretty open to the elements, and Lower Moro Campground has shrubs that surround each site and a view of the Pacific Ocean from many of them. All campgrounds have toilets and picnic tables, but no water.

Practice Day Hikes with a Full Pack

In addition to doing an overnight (or in place of it, if you don’t have access to something kind of local) is to do some practice day hikes with your full pack. There is nothing quite like backpacking other than backpacking.

Happy hiking!

Plan Your Own Gear Test Hike at Crystal Cove

Where	Crystal Cove State Park, between Newport Beach and Laguna Beach on the Pacific Coast Highway, Orance County.
Distance	3 miles to Deer Canyon, 6 miles out on the long route.
Time	One night.
Season	Year round, with coastal fog in late spring. Summer can be hot.
Terrain	Dirst trail through coastal scrub with rolling climbs. Most of the entire trail is exposed. It’s a lot steeper than you might imagine given that the park is located at sea level. There’s definitely enough up and down to tell you how your pack will feel on a longer trip.
Permit	Reserve campsite at reservecalifornia.com under Crystal Cove Moro Campground, then search for remote camping.
Water	None at any remote camping site. You have to pack in all your water which adds real weight—you will need about a gallon for a day for drinking, cooking, and hygiene and that weighs in at about 8 pounds!
Food Storage	No lockers. Bring what you need to keep food secure overnight. If you have a bear canister, bring it to avoid the critters. Bear bags OK.
Camping	Three remote sites to choose from: Deer Canyon is on the west side and has some tree cover. Upper Moro on the east side is small and exposed. Lower Moro has shrubs around each site so they feel private but no shade. Toilets and picnic tables are available at each camp area. First-come, first-served choice of specific sites within each area, though you register to camp in advance.
Getting There	Off Pacific Coast Highway, with easy access from most Southern California areas.
Afterward	Shake Shack on PCH. Worth planning a meal around so you don’t have to pack it in.
Watch For	Poison oak, especially around the Deer Canyon sites. All sites are near well-used trails so expect foot traffic.
Good For	A first overnight and the gear shakedown before a bigger trip. Don’t be surprised by the hilly climbs, however.
Still on my List	A night at Lower Moro for the ocean view.

---

Lea Appleton, PCC, NBC-HWC, is a Wayfinding Guide whose outdoor job is leading Wayfinding Days, Labyrinth Walks, and Team-Building Experiences and whose indoor job is coaching, writing, and speaking. She works with people who sense the path calling—and are learning to trust that it is worth following. Learn more at www.wildwayfinding.com

---