Comparison

PackLight for Backpacking vs Pacific Crest Trail Closures

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

PackLight for Backpacking

This app helps backpackers create lightweight packing lists by organizing gear, tracking weights, and visualizing their impact. It allows users to build custom lists, share them, and even import from other services. An optional supporter edition unlocks advanced features for a one-time purchase.

Highlights
  • Organize gear by name, weight, and category
  • Build weight-aware packing lists
  • Visualize pack weight impact
  • Packing checklist functionality
  • Share packing lists via link or CSV
  • Import lists from LighterPack
  • Offline access to data
Features
Read full description

Keep your pack weight down and never forget crucial gear with PackLight, the packing list app for backpackers. Get PackLight today and be confident that you have exactly what you need - and only what you need - on your next adventure. CORE FEATURES (100% free / no sign up / no ads) - Organize Your Gear -- Inventory your gear by name, weight, and category. - Build Packing Lists -- Use your gear to build weight-aware packing lists. - Keep Your Backpack Light -- Instantly see how your gear choices impact pack weight. - Packing Checklist -- Check off items as you pack to ensure nothing is forgotten. - Share Packing Lists -- Post your list on packlightapp.com and share a link or send a CSV of your list to anyone. - Visualize Weight Distribution -- Use the bar graph to compare gear categories. - Custom Categories -- Organize items your way with your own categories. - Import From LighterPack -- Don't start from scratch - import your LighterPack lists (unaffiliated). - Offline Access -- Access your data even off the grid. Works without internet. ADVANCED FEATURES (Supporter Edition) Supporter Edition is a one-time purchase that supports ongoing maintenance and improvements to PackLight and grants permanent access to these advanced features: - Kits for Quick Packing -- Create kits to group items that you normally pack together, like a first aid kit or cooking gear, so you can add them all to a list at once. - Unlimited Base Lists -- Create new packing lists based on any combination of your other lists and kits. - Inventory Search -- Quickly find gear in your inventory. ABOUT PACKLIGHT PackLight was originally built for my own use and published free on the App Store to share with other backpackers. All of the core features are still free and always will be and it's been great to see PackLight become a favorite for so many! Thank you! If you think PackLight has earned it, I'd really appreciate your honest rating and review. They help a lot and I read every last one. Got an idea for improvement? Email me any time with feedback or feature requests at packlightapp@gmail.com.

About

Pacific Crest Trail Closures

Stay informed about essential trail closures and alerts for your Pacific Crest Trail adventures. Access detailed information, maps, and offline capabilities to plan your hikes with confidence.

Highlights
  • Browse closures by region and map
  • Offline access to closure information
  • Save closures to a watchlist
  • Detailed closure information with PDFs and images
  • Navigate detours with closure maps
  • Download closure map areas for offline navigation
Features
Read full description

Wildfire, landslides, and collapsed bridges—oh my! Knowing what is open or closed is essential for any trip; the Pacific Crest Trail Association works hard to provide the latest information. Embark on your Pacific Crest Trail journey with confidence using our app, where you can effortlessly stay in-the-know about important trail closures and alerts. With information delivered right to your fingertips, you can enjoy your time on trail knowing you have the official updates from the PCTA. - Browse closures: With list view by region, and trail-wide map view - Work offline: Keep access to your closure information while you're out on the trail; check for updates when you're back within cellular service or WiFi. *some features do not work offline - Save closures to a list: Track the closures that you're interested in on your Watchlist - Dive deeper into closures: Get the critical information you need to make decisions about your hike with informative text, pre-downloaded PDFs, images, and links - Navigate: Use closure maps to navigate detours, and download closure map areas to navigate while offline

Screenshots

PackLight for Backpacking4 screens
Pacific Crest Trail Closures4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is review sentiment: PackLight for Backpacking at 95% against Pacific Crest Trail Closures's 0%. PackLight for Backpacking also leads on rating (4.8 vs 3.7) and ads (none vs shown). Pacific Crest Trail Closures's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 1) and iOS requirement (13.4 vs 17.0). On price, update cadence and device support there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. PackLight for Backpacking sells 1 one-off in-app purchase. Pacific Crest Trail Closures asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

PackLight for Backpacking holds the better App Store score, 4.8 against 3.7. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: PackLight for Backpacking has 1K ratings behind it against 3, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews point the same way: 95% of PackLight for Backpacking's written reviews are positive against 0% of Pacific Crest Trail Closures's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Both ship on a similar rhythm, roughly every 2 months. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 13, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard7 real differences · 3 level
PackLight for Backpacking versus Pacific Crest Trail Closures: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterPackLight for BackpackingPacific Crest Trail Closures
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.8 (1K ratings) — better3.7 (3 ratings)
Positive reviews95.2% of reviews — better0.0% of reviews
Number of ratings1K — better3
Update frequencyEvery 2 monthsEvery 2 months
AdsNo — betterYes
In-app purchasesYesNo — better
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesAd-supported — better
DevicesiPhoneiPhone, iPod — better
Requires iOS17.013.4 — better
Further details — not scored
Size4 MB58 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperMark OliveiraPacific Crest Trail Association

Customer experience

PackLight for Backpacking

All ratings991 ratings
Positive95.8%
Neutral3.0%
Negative1.2%
Written reviews146 reviews
Positive95.2%
Neutral2.7%
Negative2.1%

Pacific Crest Trail Closures

All ratings3 ratings
Positive66.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative33.3%
Written reviews1 reviews
Positive0.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative100.0%

Bugs and requests

PackLight for Backpacking

Reported bugs

2 issues
  • Occasional issues with alphabetical sorting of lists
  • Reported bug with displaying the correct list when selected

Requested features

5 requests
  • Add ability to track purchase price and date for gear items
  • Implement custom category creation
  • Include option to add notes and details to gear items
  • Implement cloud sync and backup functionality
  • Add sharing capabilities to easily collaborate with others

Pacific Crest Trail Closures

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

1 purchases

PackLight for Backpacking

One-time1
  • Supporter Edition$19.99
None

Pacific Crest Trail Closures

No in-app purchases

Questions

Is PackLight for Backpacking free?
PackLight for Backpacking is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Pacific Crest Trail Closures free?
Pacific Crest Trail Closures is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Which has better reviews, PackLight for Backpacking or Pacific Crest Trail Closures?
PackLight for Backpacking is rated higher. PackLight for Backpacking averages 4.8 out of 5 from 1K ratings, while Pacific Crest Trail Closures averages 3.7 from 3 ratings.
Do PackLight for Backpacking or Pacific Crest Trail Closures have ads?
Pacific Crest Trail Closures shows ads; PackLight for Backpacking does not.
Which is updated more often, PackLight for Backpacking or Pacific Crest Trail Closures?
PackLight for Backpacking ships an update every 2 months, and Pacific Crest Trail Closures every 2 months. Most recently, PackLight for Backpacking was updated on October 20, 2026 and Pacific Crest Trail Closures on October 13, 2026.

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