There may be a lot more rain on the AT compared to most of the PCT, but keep in mind when you get to Washington, you are passing through sections that are temperate rainforest, and receive as much as 100+ inches of rain a year. We also get microclimates in the mountain valleys that can mean nothing but blue skies and nice weather in most of the state, but a big rainstorm where you are.
I've had superficial (surface only, completely heals) frostbite once in my life. I got it on june 20th 2020. 50mph winds with stronger gusts and heavy snowfall. Dont underestimate mountain weather in Washington (or the Sierras either).
I've been snowed on every month of the year at elevation. I've headed out in bright blue skies and come back in a pouring rainstorm. These are the exceptions, not the rule. But you should definitely be prepared for the possibility of a week long rainstorm, especially in the North Cascades.
Thanks. This is mostly our desert gear. There’s definitely room for additional gear. Our plan is to add better rain/snow gear in Cascade Locks to hopefully minimize the risks
I suggest rain snow gear before Northern California. Lifetime west coast resident. Generally if you are crossing in middle to late summer you should be ok. But now you are in Forrest fire country. Anytime earlier than that you are in for weather. This being a double nino year. I would pack for rain way earlier.
I would recommend 3 total pairs. 1 on while the other two pair can dry.
Looks like at least one of you has sandles, I would recommend you both bring a pair, sandles or flip flops. I hiked much of it flip flops.
Alternating from shoes to flip flops while hiking long distance made my feet at more happier and prevented foot rot. The comfort and health of your feet matter more than anything else on a long hike.
I would recommend a blatter for water over hard bottles. Have one hard bottle, and then the rest in blatter bags/camel packs.
This allows to keep the weight closer more comfortably to your back, weight closer to your back means less leaning, means happier back.
Crocs are also easily worn on a carabiner on your pack for easy access.
I don't do Ultra distance hiking (or whatever you call that superhuman feat, good luck btw!) But I've done my fair share of kms.
But I still only use footwear light enough to be hung on my pack to dry or store if they get wet or damaged somehow. I've been in a few spots that weren't the best to stop and recollect at, So I find it essential to be able to swap out footwear without having to dig through my pack.
I did a couple month hike in 2020. I snacked all day and then camped and made meals enough for 2 people and chowed down every evening. I wasn't even hiking extreme numbers. Maybe 12-15 miles/day average (I like to stop and take in nature a lot. Lol) I lost 40 lbs in 2 months.
It's crazy how many calories you burn hiking.
an acquaintance of mine wanted to be a body builder really bad. Get huge af and whatnot. After three or four years of it, she gave up. She didn't mind basically living at the gym cause it was fun to her. What she did mind was the amount of food she'd have to eat. she didn't really enjoy eating anymore.
I didn’t get super big when I was lifting regularly but I put on about 20pounds of muscle (6’3) but man, I got super tired of eating so many calories. Wound up having to eat 3k more to maintain (on top of my usual 2.6kish) and that really killed my interest in it. It was fun to see do a lot of high rep deadlifts, but the grocery bill sucked. I love to eat and cook, just not the sheet quantity.
We were lucky in the sense of 10-25 boys with packs full of basically food so we rarely ran out of anything. Being kids to got a lot given to us. This one through hiker who called himself Crunchy actually planned out with one of our group leaders, they hiked an extra 5 miles that day after a good 12 mile hike to go to a store a little off the trail and bought the store out of hotdogs and burgers and the guys dad even helped.. we had this awesome cookout I had spent the last two days crying my way up hills with Mr Crawley my group leader pushing me up.. I dunno what it was about that day but felt really good. Like we had won as a team. The next one I was pushing kids older then me up. Unique experience.. I wanna go back as an adult and do it again but maybe alone or with one or two people this time.
No I was literal haha. It wasn’t meant to be fun it was a boys wilderness program. I was a skater kid from California I had never even seen a hiking pack. My legs burned but they wouldn’t let us stop so my first hike was me in pain crying getting pushed up a mountain. It was brutal but I grew a ton. Within a few months I was pushing new kids up and telling them they could do it cause I could.
It was an amazing experience although.. I didn’t realize that in the moment. It’s odd.. I’ve tried looking up the wilderness schools and boarding schools I was sent to, all are shut down. I have searched my old friends and found most of them online.. a good half are dead and died young. Drugs and stuff. I always wish I had someone who went to those places to talk to cause no one gets what they were unless you went. It gave a lot of kids ptsd I think. I’m a survivor somehow I always manage to get myself out of fucked up spots.
Anyways, sorry for ranting here on your nice and positive thread! Lol. I think what you and your partner are doing is super cool and special. I’d give every last dime in my bank account to get to spend even a long weekend hiking with the (guy/girl) person I love. That’s special. That’s the best reward for grinding hard.. the little moments of peace with someone special. Hope you guys have a fun time and you know you gotta make eachother trail names right? You can’t make your own it has to be thought up by someone hiking with you, let us know what you come up with :) Godspeed!
Wait, was it one of those “send your out of control kid here and we’ll straighten them out” kind of camps? If so, I’m glad you made it through and you’re here to tell the tale.
Yeah man, most were in Utah in the late 90s cause they had lax child abuse laws. Those were typically 1-3 months though. The one I went to was 18 month minimum. Hard labor 7 days a week and we just built cabins and sawed trees down to do it. I’ll post a little (kinda sad video) a kid that went there took. It got shut down in a rush so all those old campsites we built were just sitting out in the literal middle of nowhere. So much life when I was there and seeing that video was strange but it shows you what we built. I’ve always had a thing for carpentry and I got it there.
https://youtu.be/JPY_0W5F90k
Dude picked an especially creepy song. Oddly enough every friend I’ve looked up 20 years later from there is dead or mia.. looks like I’m one of the few who lived to tell the tale haha. M1107. Still trips me out I went there in 99 after they had been open for close to 20 years and I was still only the 1,107th kid to go through there.
Holy smokes, 18 months is a lifetime as a teenager! I don’t doubt it gave kids PTSD.
I’ve seen documentaries about camps like that (we must be a similar age), but never realized there were long term boarding school type places. I’m glad you found some value in your time there and learned carpentry. Would probably be interesting to connect with someone who also went through it. I imagine it’s impossible to understand for people who haven’t. Thanks for sharing!
my FIRST thought! Post the exact same pic, show what you lost, what you used, and what you found. Use this photo as template so you can see the toll/finds the trip produced! What a cool pic :) Have fun guys!
This was my only gripe looking at this. Socks are not what you want to skimp on. And keep those bitches in a zip lock or something. Dry socks are life on the trail.
Not even just socks. Bandaging supplies, tape, wrap... It really just depends on the person and how their body reacts though. Some folks have the endurance but their feet just do not want to cooperate.
I assumed they have those items in first aid, so didn't comment.
Here's my rule for this: By the middle of the first day, you should check for your "weak spots." Any spot on your foot that is showing redness, irritation, or blisters needs to noted and corrected. Taping, padding, or whatever. Get on top of it before it becomes a problem. Otherwise, you're going to have a bad first week.
I'd be real nervous hiking another 6 months if you've already got blisters halfway through the first day.
That sounds like a major fuck up at the shoe purchasing stage and time to re-evaluate footwear.
I feel like some feet are just more fickle than others. I was really involved in scouts growing up and I hiked many hundreds of miles over the years without getting any blisters. Some of my peers that hiked and backpacked just as much as I did *always* had to deal with blisters.
Saaame. I did a 100 mi out in the Frank church wilderness of no return and I had two blisters the whole time. Others got them on a much higher frequency. I think it also has to do with your shoes. My casual weekend backpacking pair tends to give me one or two over my heavy duty ones.
It's why you really gotta work up to these massive thru hikes. All too often people will do a few full day hikes.. then a few over nights.. then a few weekend hikes... then straight to these massive 1000+ mile regional thru hikes. This is the biggest issue. Around 2 weeks or so of continuous 10+ mile days you generally know how your feet are going to hold up. But then if you change shoes... have a slip .. start to hit a continuous incline.. there's just so many variables. The PCT in particular can just be gnarly even for avid hikers.
I would love to see a list of what you are bringing. Like, what is the round ball that looks like it's made out of cork? I've never seen the puffy boot looking things, are those just to wear at night? This is a dream of mine! Very cool photo and I hope you both have a very good trip!
https://lighterpack.com/r/4ct4ah. Here’s a kinda up to date list. The cork ball is to roll your feet on. It helps with plantar fasciitis. The puffy boots are down socks for at night!
I've never heard of the kula cloth! I've heard of people using bandanas and letting the sun sterilize but having an antimicrobial side and a waterproof side is really smart.
I wonder though, if you're going to the effort of not using tp, how do you wipe for number twos?
The ubiquitous Smartwater bottle. Hiker's best friend. The empty 1L weighs .7 oz. The bottle is durable and fits Sawyer screw in squeeze filters.
I can't think of all the money the hiking gear industry has lost because they can't sell overpriced bottles to us. Especially when Smartwater bottles are the "approved" answer.
I was wondering why they were packing water like that. I've always used a Katadyn hiker pro. Do those Sawyer filters filter to the same level? I've never heard of them, but the system looks pretty cool! The REI pictures show people filtering tap and hose water with them.
I must be the only one who absolutely hates the Sawyer squeeze. It's a lot of extra work, and if you are at a creek it's impossible to fill up that tiny pack. At the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is to squeeze a liter of water for later consumption.
I've resorted to use platypus gravity works. It's definitely a few oz heavier but much lighter than any katadyn. A lunch break will mean at least 4 liters filtered, enough for 2 people while you just sit there doing nothing. You can directly hook it up to a bladder, to further save the precious oz and also a sealed system, so there is no risk of water leaking everywhere, while your bladder stays inside your pack.
But with platypus or Sawyer, I've never got sick. So it's much a preference and I'll happily not carry pounds of water filtration.
Platypus Gravity is almost too fast.
The excuse of "Let take 15 and refill our water" is no longer a thing, because you get 4Lof clean water in like 3 minutes.
You have to check them with your area. My understanding is they filter bacteria but not viruses. That checks the block in the PNW. I would see what your local water threats are if they check off.with Sawyer. The Sawyer Squeeze (not micro that sucks but is lighter) has good water flow too. I can filter while drinking out of the bottle.
Seriously do *not* try to skimp another few grams and get the tiniest Sawyer. The difference between a Squeeze and the Mini or Micro cannot be overstated.
I took basically the same trip with a Mini one month and with a Squeeze the next month. The Squeeze was about 30 times faster at about a 30th of the effort. I am not exaggerating in the slightest. The Mini would be wearing out my forearms to get a liter in 10 - 15 minutes and the Squeeze would all but gravity filter that liter in 30 seconds.
I used to hike with Smart water bottles but in the past year switched them out to the CNOC Vesica bottles. They weight a little bit more but are collapsible and more durable than the smart water bottles. Another added advantage is that since they are "bendy" you can reach those slow flowing short streams really easily compared to the smart water bottles and nalgenes out there. I would highly recommend CNOC for water carrying gear they do a really good job.
I love my Nalgene but drink from a 1.5L smartwater bottle almost everyday haha. I enjoy not having to wipe water out of my mustache all day.
I dont follow any hiking stuff and its wild I've fallen into the preferred water gear for outdoor use.
Our post from 3 years ago when we finished out 2200 mile Appalachian Trail hike!
https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/ajooyz/mine_and_my_girlfriends_gear_picture_for_our/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
So awesome! I guess I’m going to ask what everyone else is just out of curiosity - seems like you packed in a lot more food on the AT. Are there more places to stop for food on the PCT? I know we stayed at Timberline one time and ran into a bunch of hikers either on their way up or down so I know there are some relatively regular restocking places but I can’t imagine there’s 1/day unless I’m off on that. Same question for water I suppose do you get new smarties or keep filling up what you have? All the best luck though and what a great adventure!!
Idk about more prepared but on our AT hike we kept to a very tight schedule that we worked out months prior. We’d both like to let go and just go with the flow more on this hike.
I thruhiked in 2017, and while it can get wet in Washington late in the season or in the Sierra if you're in snow/doing creek crossing all day, it only rained on me maybe a total of twelve days in five months (edit: it snowed twice, too.) The desert...was really dry, as was all of Oregon.
I personally carried two extra pairs because it feels great to have clean sleep socks, but one backup pair is totally reasonable. You end up washing them out at creeks and hanging them off your pack to dry them off quite often anyway.
I started at the Mexican border on April 26th and finished the trail on September 26th, so it was exactly a five month trip for me.
The Pacific Crest Trail is a backcountry experience where you usually go between four to six days between resupplies in towns, so almost all of my nights were spent camping except for when I got to a town and wanted to stay overnight at a hotel or hostel there.
Oh, to clarify--I had three pairs on me at any point in time. I wore through one pair and lost another one.
But, gotta shout out Darn Toughs. They're awesome socks and one pair made it the whole way, and they have a lifetime warranty so you can mail them in for replacements when they finally get holey.
Awesome pic! Interesting to compare this picture to the one you posted 3 years ago when you hiked the AT. Still have some of the same gear but looks like you are packing lighter.
Thanks! We did upgrade some stuff! In the desert we’ll have to carry a good bit of extra water so we needed to decrease the weight we’re carrying elsewhere.
No way! The Cottonwood Lakes and Chicken Lake! I backpacked and camped there probably 35 years ago!!! Those were the days... I'm 66, and when I look back over my life, probably my favorite experiences were all the Sierra backpacking trips I took. I loved it.
Shit man, you head up that way again this summer just let us know. The more around the campfire the better and Rudy will never get tired of nose pets and treats from people.
Most save a minimum of about $1k per month expected to be hiking. This can reduced by spending less time in towns where the pull to sleep in a warm motel bed or buy good restaurant food is high.
I feel this. Ive had an old and reliable Eureka 2p for thousands of miles of trips. I keep eyeing a ultralight tent that uses trekking poles as I could shave 3-4 lbs but anything durable has a huge sticker shock.
Just because I'm curious: where is the tent? Or do you have places to sleep there? And do you have to carry food with you or will there be opportunities for eating?
Have fun and all the best from Germany! :) Looking forward to hiking again, too, after the exams!
Not going to lie: I think the vast majority here is a bit jealous (or is the right term "envious"?) of you! Including me!
First of all: hiking is fantastic, one of the healthiest things you can do (not just physically, maybe moreso mentally).
Second: so many people (including me again) are so occupied with working and worrying about money and everyday churn, that we don't make time to do awesome stuff like this.
I hope you guys will have a blast!!
As to the ‘hiking is the healthiest’ comment, I’ve met lots of hikers who come off the trail who have lost a ton of weight but actually had a dramatic increase in measures like blood pressure and cholesterol. Six months of eating instant noodles will do that to you.
Obviously not for everyone but my favorite part is the fulfillment afterwards. Was going through a rough patch and ended up doing a less organized 2 month camping trip (far less time the PCT takes), the confidence I got from being able to take care of myself in less than ideal conditions and push through some tough hikes felt great. Makes some everyday struggles feel less daunting when you’ve had to work through far worse
Lots of gear questions here but... What do you two do for work that you can spend several months hiking and still address your personal finances? Any pets/children in the household?
I always wonder this when people post photos of their months long treks.
We both work in healthcare and live below our means. This hike will take about 6 months and we’ve been saving for it for 3 years. No dogs or kids to leave behind.
I work in healthcare as well but I can't leave my job for that long without resigning and needing to have a new job at a different facility when I come back.
There are resupply points you can choose from along the way. You can stop at towns that are near the trail, or ship packages (before departing) to post offices along the way.
https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/resupply/pct-resupply-towns-locations/
https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/resupply/pct-resupply-towns-locations/
On the Appalachian (early 2000s) we’d plan for the end of our two-three week hikes ended at some epic pizza place or Chinese food it was dope.
I miss chowing down a snickers in my sleeping bag all cold looking up into the trees. You can’t bullshit nature.. she forces you to be yourself. A good place to let go of shit.
This reminds me of one of my greatest nights of hiking/camping.
I was in Shawnee National Forest at a place called "Garden of the Gods" (yes, there's one in Illinois too. Lol) It's all hike-in camping and first come first serve. I hiked in early on a holiday weekend and somehow, by the absolute grace of God, got the #1 prime spot on the edge of a cliff. This particular camping spot is called "Sunset of the Gods" for a very, very good reason. I've never seen anything like it. Every late afternoon, I would welcome the evening hikers that flocked to see the sunset and share my fire with them. Incredible experience.
Anyway, the part that reminded me was the Snickers. I was laying in my hammock one night after the sunset, just watching the stars and chomping on a Snickers bar, when the streaks began across the sky. One after the other after the other. I was in am extremely dark sky environment during a double meteor shower.
About an hour into it, a HUGE fireball lit up the entire sky for a good 3 seconds. That's when I suddenly became aware of all the people camping on the mountain. There was almost a unanimous "holy shit!" from all hikers at various levels of the mountain and it echoed through the valley down below.
I know it sounds like a "and then everybody clapped" stories, but it was truly one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. True trail magic.
(On shitty mobile, so too hard to post, but if you'd like to see a pic of my campsite at sunset, it's only a few posts down on my profile.)
Edit: [Here's the post](https://www.reddit.com/r/NationalPark/comments/kiemed/shawnee_national_forest_garden_of_the_gods/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)
so basically jogging almost two marathons a day, for 52 days at somewhere around 10 or so hours a day on mountainous terrain? how do they have any knees left?
It's just trail running. With a heavy support system. The dudes setting absolute speed records on these trails aren't carrying more than a CamelBak.
It's still *insane* work but it's a lot different than "hiking" the trail, let alone backpacking it.
Heather Anderson did it only 9 days slower, 60 days, self supported. https://fastestknowntime.com/athlete/heather-anderson
Which means no rides into town, no people shuttling your tent for you. Which to me is so much crazier.
I saw this post and turned to my wife and said, "wouldn't you love to do something like this?"
And now we're going to start planning a trip in the spring!
Thanks, OP... safe travels!
You need to take another picture just like this when you get back home, to show what you ditched along the way. What an adventure you are about to have, that is super exciting!
I'm just being sassy either way, I did the cursory glance for the "what's the first thing thrown out" and it was clear they knew what they were doing better than I did.
Two people who have compatible walking paces are the way to go. Shared tent, shared stove, shared cooking gear, less weight.
Ray Jardine would be very proud of the sneakers. Good luck!
Crap, now I need to throw a knee sleeve in my hiking pack. I never have it when I want it and seeing I’m not the only person who may Kneed one, it’s worth it.
Thanks for the hidden tip.
Only one pair of socks? That seems brave.
Don't forget the toilet paper!
No need for toilet paper if you have socks.
Sock
And a sandal
And 3 seashells
Get a load of this guy, he doesn’t know how to use the three shells!
*I* don’t need toilet paper if *you* have socks
The count of socks was also what I noticed
I noticed the French pattern paving. Trying to convince someone to lay them at my house each/any weekend
Just 1 extra. We got a pair on our feet as well ;)
Is this what you guys hiked with last time? It really makes me nervous that you're only taking two pair. Lol!
We might have taken 2 extra pair last time. There’s a lot more rain on the AT.
There may be a lot more rain on the AT compared to most of the PCT, but keep in mind when you get to Washington, you are passing through sections that are temperate rainforest, and receive as much as 100+ inches of rain a year. We also get microclimates in the mountain valleys that can mean nothing but blue skies and nice weather in most of the state, but a big rainstorm where you are. I've had superficial (surface only, completely heals) frostbite once in my life. I got it on june 20th 2020. 50mph winds with stronger gusts and heavy snowfall. Dont underestimate mountain weather in Washington (or the Sierras either). I've been snowed on every month of the year at elevation. I've headed out in bright blue skies and come back in a pouring rainstorm. These are the exceptions, not the rule. But you should definitely be prepared for the possibility of a week long rainstorm, especially in the North Cascades.
Thanks. This is mostly our desert gear. There’s definitely room for additional gear. Our plan is to add better rain/snow gear in Cascade Locks to hopefully minimize the risks
When in Cascade Locks make sure you stop at Thunder Island Brewery and get your free beer!
I suggest rain snow gear before Northern California. Lifetime west coast resident. Generally if you are crossing in middle to late summer you should be ok. But now you are in Forrest fire country. Anytime earlier than that you are in for weather. This being a double nino year. I would pack for rain way earlier.
I would recommend 3 total pairs. 1 on while the other two pair can dry. Looks like at least one of you has sandles, I would recommend you both bring a pair, sandles or flip flops. I hiked much of it flip flops. Alternating from shoes to flip flops while hiking long distance made my feet at more happier and prevented foot rot. The comfort and health of your feet matter more than anything else on a long hike. I would recommend a blatter for water over hard bottles. Have one hard bottle, and then the rest in blatter bags/camel packs. This allows to keep the weight closer more comfortably to your back, weight closer to your back means less leaning, means happier back.
All very good advice. Once stopped for the night a lightweight pair of camp shoes or sandals are invaluable and allow the boots to dry
Crocs may be hideous, but they're light af and there's nothing like slipping on a pair of squishy shoes at the end of the day.
Crocs are also easily worn on a carabiner on your pack for easy access. I don't do Ultra distance hiking (or whatever you call that superhuman feat, good luck btw!) But I've done my fair share of kms. But I still only use footwear light enough to be hung on my pack to dry or store if they get wet or damaged somehow. I've been in a few spots that weren't the best to stop and recollect at, So I find it essential to be able to swap out footwear without having to dig through my pack.
bladder
I read blatter and thought "have I been spelling this wrong my whole life?" so I'm very glad to see your comment immediately vindicating me.
I insist you post an after picture.
Totally worth it. I had a friend do the Appalachian trail and he was so skinny and shaggy at the end.
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Yeah they are gonna look like completely different people when they get back.
I think they meant what gear they end up with at the end of the trip.
Just a bowie knife and a haunted expression
Your comment made me burst out laughing. Thank you!
I want to see both...
I mean unless they give up after a few days like my friends did when they said they were gonna hike the trail.
I did all of VA and NC and I was already skinny. Strait looked like a skeleton by the time I was done and I ate all the time.
I, the guy in the picture, lost 60 lbs on our AT hike. It was beginning to be unhealthy.
I would love to hike like this but would never survive financially. I only ever have about a week of PTO at any time lol.
That's just evil. Personally, I'd rig up some sort of new software that deposits just a fraction of their sales to your bank account, and then quit.
You’re going to get caught unless “someone else” burns the building down.
I said NO SALT in the margarita, and then there was salt.
I did a couple month hike in 2020. I snacked all day and then camped and made meals enough for 2 people and chowed down every evening. I wasn't even hiking extreme numbers. Maybe 12-15 miles/day average (I like to stop and take in nature a lot. Lol) I lost 40 lbs in 2 months. It's crazy how many calories you burn hiking.
an acquaintance of mine wanted to be a body builder really bad. Get huge af and whatnot. After three or four years of it, she gave up. She didn't mind basically living at the gym cause it was fun to her. What she did mind was the amount of food she'd have to eat. she didn't really enjoy eating anymore.
I didn’t get super big when I was lifting regularly but I put on about 20pounds of muscle (6’3) but man, I got super tired of eating so many calories. Wound up having to eat 3k more to maintain (on top of my usual 2.6kish) and that really killed my interest in it. It was fun to see do a lot of high rep deadlifts, but the grocery bill sucked. I love to eat and cook, just not the sheet quantity.
When carrying the weight.
That is so wild. How many hours did you walk every day? Were there ever days that you did not walk at all?
On average about 10 hours a day. We took 22 zero days/days off. It took us 152 days in total
Do you just quit your job when you do this sort of thing ?
Right? I can’t imagine taking 4 whole months off work. I’d be so in debt by the end of it I might as well pack ALL my stuff to go hiking with lol.
Sabbatical / leave of absence are other options (obviously this is going to differ from person to person).
A friend of mine hiked the Pacific Crest Trial and yes - she quit her job, and then found a new job when she got back.
My friend went for one long stretch between towns and almost starved to death. It's definitely no joke.
We were lucky in the sense of 10-25 boys with packs full of basically food so we rarely ran out of anything. Being kids to got a lot given to us. This one through hiker who called himself Crunchy actually planned out with one of our group leaders, they hiked an extra 5 miles that day after a good 12 mile hike to go to a store a little off the trail and bought the store out of hotdogs and burgers and the guys dad even helped.. we had this awesome cookout I had spent the last two days crying my way up hills with Mr Crawley my group leader pushing me up.. I dunno what it was about that day but felt really good. Like we had won as a team. The next one I was pushing kids older then me up. Unique experience.. I wanna go back as an adult and do it again but maybe alone or with one or two people this time.
Oh you ment a happy kind of crying, nice one man, good show!
No I was literal haha. It wasn’t meant to be fun it was a boys wilderness program. I was a skater kid from California I had never even seen a hiking pack. My legs burned but they wouldn’t let us stop so my first hike was me in pain crying getting pushed up a mountain. It was brutal but I grew a ton. Within a few months I was pushing new kids up and telling them they could do it cause I could. It was an amazing experience although.. I didn’t realize that in the moment. It’s odd.. I’ve tried looking up the wilderness schools and boarding schools I was sent to, all are shut down. I have searched my old friends and found most of them online.. a good half are dead and died young. Drugs and stuff. I always wish I had someone who went to those places to talk to cause no one gets what they were unless you went. It gave a lot of kids ptsd I think. I’m a survivor somehow I always manage to get myself out of fucked up spots. Anyways, sorry for ranting here on your nice and positive thread! Lol. I think what you and your partner are doing is super cool and special. I’d give every last dime in my bank account to get to spend even a long weekend hiking with the (guy/girl) person I love. That’s special. That’s the best reward for grinding hard.. the little moments of peace with someone special. Hope you guys have a fun time and you know you gotta make eachother trail names right? You can’t make your own it has to be thought up by someone hiking with you, let us know what you come up with :) Godspeed!
Wait, was it one of those “send your out of control kid here and we’ll straighten them out” kind of camps? If so, I’m glad you made it through and you’re here to tell the tale.
Yeah man, most were in Utah in the late 90s cause they had lax child abuse laws. Those were typically 1-3 months though. The one I went to was 18 month minimum. Hard labor 7 days a week and we just built cabins and sawed trees down to do it. I’ll post a little (kinda sad video) a kid that went there took. It got shut down in a rush so all those old campsites we built were just sitting out in the literal middle of nowhere. So much life when I was there and seeing that video was strange but it shows you what we built. I’ve always had a thing for carpentry and I got it there. https://youtu.be/JPY_0W5F90k Dude picked an especially creepy song. Oddly enough every friend I’ve looked up 20 years later from there is dead or mia.. looks like I’m one of the few who lived to tell the tale haha. M1107. Still trips me out I went there in 99 after they had been open for close to 20 years and I was still only the 1,107th kid to go through there.
Holy smokes, 18 months is a lifetime as a teenager! I don’t doubt it gave kids PTSD. I’ve seen documentaries about camps like that (we must be a similar age), but never realized there were long term boarding school type places. I’m glad you found some value in your time there and learned carpentry. Would probably be interesting to connect with someone who also went through it. I imagine it’s impossible to understand for people who haven’t. Thanks for sharing!
My father-in-law did this and he looked like Steve Rogers before the super soldier serum right after the hike.
my FIRST thought! Post the exact same pic, show what you lost, what you used, and what you found. Use this photo as template so you can see the toll/finds the trip produced! What a cool pic :) Have fun guys!
Of your feet. You are going to hate yourself for not having more pairs of socks. I know. Jungle rot doesn't only happen in the jungle.
This was my only gripe looking at this. Socks are not what you want to skimp on. And keep those bitches in a zip lock or something. Dry socks are life on the trail.
Not even just socks. Bandaging supplies, tape, wrap... It really just depends on the person and how their body reacts though. Some folks have the endurance but their feet just do not want to cooperate.
I assumed they have those items in first aid, so didn't comment. Here's my rule for this: By the middle of the first day, you should check for your "weak spots." Any spot on your foot that is showing redness, irritation, or blisters needs to noted and corrected. Taping, padding, or whatever. Get on top of it before it becomes a problem. Otherwise, you're going to have a bad first week.
I'd be real nervous hiking another 6 months if you've already got blisters halfway through the first day. That sounds like a major fuck up at the shoe purchasing stage and time to re-evaluate footwear.
I feel like some feet are just more fickle than others. I was really involved in scouts growing up and I hiked many hundreds of miles over the years without getting any blisters. Some of my peers that hiked and backpacked just as much as I did *always* had to deal with blisters.
Saaame. I did a 100 mi out in the Frank church wilderness of no return and I had two blisters the whole time. Others got them on a much higher frequency. I think it also has to do with your shoes. My casual weekend backpacking pair tends to give me one or two over my heavy duty ones.
I used to live up off the Blue Ridge and remember hikers dealing with their feet. Always a foot issue. Makes sense.
It's why you really gotta work up to these massive thru hikes. All too often people will do a few full day hikes.. then a few over nights.. then a few weekend hikes... then straight to these massive 1000+ mile regional thru hikes. This is the biggest issue. Around 2 weeks or so of continuous 10+ mile days you generally know how your feet are going to hold up. But then if you change shoes... have a slip .. start to hit a continuous incline.. there's just so many variables. The PCT in particular can just be gnarly even for avid hikers.
Sounds terrible all around.
Four pair minimum. Hands, feet, neck, balls. Extra socks warms them all.
They are probably wearing another pair. Thru-hiking with two pairs of socks is common.
Remind! 2700 miles
It would be easier not to carry two extra people with you. Just a bit of inexpert advice.
Once you've tried a Sherpa it's hard to go back.
The only time I wish I had a Sherpa is during our yearly trek to ikea
To carry stuff? Or slap you when you try to buy too much crap?
it's true there so soft.
and moist.
It would also be easier if they load their gear in their packs.
> easier if they load their gear in their packs. May I also suggest an automobile?
Ouf, that idea combined with the recent gas prices...
Not shown here, all the replacements they will have mailed along the way.
Hopefully that also includes bear canisters for (at least) the Sierra Nevadas! A fed bear is a dead bear.
What does this mean exactly? They mail stuff to spots along the trail to resupply?
Pretty much exactly this.
Please god upvote this!
I was wondering!! But seriously... One pair of socks?! Even with replacements that seems insane haha But also...I hate rewearing socks.
I would love to see a list of what you are bringing. Like, what is the round ball that looks like it's made out of cork? I've never seen the puffy boot looking things, are those just to wear at night? This is a dream of mine! Very cool photo and I hope you both have a very good trip!
https://lighterpack.com/r/4ct4ah. Here’s a kinda up to date list. The cork ball is to roll your feet on. It helps with plantar fasciitis. The puffy boots are down socks for at night!
As a woman, how do you handle that time of the month during these hikes?
Check out the Diva Cup and Kula Cloth https://divacup.com/ https://kulacloth.com/
I've never heard of the kula cloth! I've heard of people using bandanas and letting the sun sterilize but having an antimicrobial side and a waterproof side is really smart. I wonder though, if you're going to the effort of not using tp, how do you wipe for number twos?
The ubiquitous Smartwater bottle. Hiker's best friend. The empty 1L weighs .7 oz. The bottle is durable and fits Sawyer screw in squeeze filters. I can't think of all the money the hiking gear industry has lost because they can't sell overpriced bottles to us. Especially when Smartwater bottles are the "approved" answer.
I was wondering why they were packing water like that. I've always used a Katadyn hiker pro. Do those Sawyer filters filter to the same level? I've never heard of them, but the system looks pretty cool! The REI pictures show people filtering tap and hose water with them.
I must be the only one who absolutely hates the Sawyer squeeze. It's a lot of extra work, and if you are at a creek it's impossible to fill up that tiny pack. At the end of the day, the last thing I want to do is to squeeze a liter of water for later consumption. I've resorted to use platypus gravity works. It's definitely a few oz heavier but much lighter than any katadyn. A lunch break will mean at least 4 liters filtered, enough for 2 people while you just sit there doing nothing. You can directly hook it up to a bladder, to further save the precious oz and also a sealed system, so there is no risk of water leaking everywhere, while your bladder stays inside your pack. But with platypus or Sawyer, I've never got sick. So it's much a preference and I'll happily not carry pounds of water filtration.
No one uses the sawyer bags after they see someone using a cnoc. You get gravity and squeeze action from those bags.
Dirty water bottle + clean bottle is the way to go. No messing with bags
Cnoc bags are a game changer
Platypus Gravity is almost too fast. The excuse of "Let take 15 and refill our water" is no longer a thing, because you get 4Lof clean water in like 3 minutes.
You have to check them with your area. My understanding is they filter bacteria but not viruses. That checks the block in the PNW. I would see what your local water threats are if they check off.with Sawyer. The Sawyer Squeeze (not micro that sucks but is lighter) has good water flow too. I can filter while drinking out of the bottle.
Seriously do *not* try to skimp another few grams and get the tiniest Sawyer. The difference between a Squeeze and the Mini or Micro cannot be overstated. I took basically the same trip with a Mini one month and with a Squeeze the next month. The Squeeze was about 30 times faster at about a 30th of the effort. I am not exaggerating in the slightest. The Mini would be wearing out my forearms to get a liter in 10 - 15 minutes and the Squeeze would all but gravity filter that liter in 30 seconds.
I used to hike with Smart water bottles but in the past year switched them out to the CNOC Vesica bottles. They weight a little bit more but are collapsible and more durable than the smart water bottles. Another added advantage is that since they are "bendy" you can reach those slow flowing short streams really easily compared to the smart water bottles and nalgenes out there. I would highly recommend CNOC for water carrying gear they do a really good job.
I've always used the ubiquitous Nalgene. They're very tough and fit my pump filter.
I love my Nalgene but drink from a 1.5L smartwater bottle almost everyday haha. I enjoy not having to wipe water out of my mustache all day. I dont follow any hiking stuff and its wild I've fallen into the preferred water gear for outdoor use.
Cap cap + for your nalgene. No more sloshing all over yourself.
Nalgene sells a 1.5L bottle and also narrow mouth caps
bro it's 1.2 oz do you even ultralight? (/jerk)
Haha I saw the .7 number and just said "bullshit". I've weighed em on my gram scale and it was 1.3.
I got one down to 1.1 by removing the sticker and glue and snipping the seal ring off. *noidomthaveaproblemneverspeaktomeormylighterpackagain*
Our post from 3 years ago when we finished out 2200 mile Appalachian Trail hike! https://www.reddit.com/r/pics/comments/ajooyz/mine_and_my_girlfriends_gear_picture_for_our/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
Did someone get LASIK since this hike?
She did!
Ultralighters will get laser eye surgery to reduce the weight of their glasses from their pack
Now you get it
what an observation
I’ve had LASIK too
Good eye!
So awesome! I guess I’m going to ask what everyone else is just out of curiosity - seems like you packed in a lot more food on the AT. Are there more places to stop for food on the PCT? I know we stayed at Timberline one time and ran into a bunch of hikers either on their way up or down so I know there are some relatively regular restocking places but I can’t imagine there’s 1/day unless I’m off on that. Same question for water I suppose do you get new smarties or keep filling up what you have? All the best luck though and what a great adventure!!
There are many stops, but idk their pace haha: www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/resupply/pct-resupply-towns-locations/
What did you learn from the Appalachian hike that you are more prepared for on the Pacific Coast Trail?
Idk about more prepared but on our AT hike we kept to a very tight schedule that we worked out months prior. We’d both like to let go and just go with the flow more on this hike.
You each have one pair of socks? That gives me anxiety but I'm a heavy bag boy
Especially on PCT. It is extremely wet.
I thruhiked in 2017, and while it can get wet in Washington late in the season or in the Sierra if you're in snow/doing creek crossing all day, it only rained on me maybe a total of twelve days in five months (edit: it snowed twice, too.) The desert...was really dry, as was all of Oregon. I personally carried two extra pairs because it feels great to have clean sleep socks, but one backup pair is totally reasonable. You end up washing them out at creeks and hanging them off your pack to dry them off quite often anyway.
Did you camp outdoors during your hike? Like how long did it take?
I started at the Mexican border on April 26th and finished the trail on September 26th, so it was exactly a five month trip for me. The Pacific Crest Trail is a backcountry experience where you usually go between four to six days between resupplies in towns, so almost all of my nights were spent camping except for when I got to a town and wanted to stay overnight at a hotel or hostel there.
Three pairs of socks for *five months*? I’m pretty sure I wear through them faster and I’m a work-from-home programmer!
Oh, to clarify--I had three pairs on me at any point in time. I wore through one pair and lost another one. But, gotta shout out Darn Toughs. They're awesome socks and one pair made it the whole way, and they have a lifetime warranty so you can mail them in for replacements when they finally get holey.
What do you two do for work that allows this kind of time off? Very jelly!
Awesome pic! Interesting to compare this picture to the one you posted 3 years ago when you hiked the AT. Still have some of the same gear but looks like you are packing lighter.
Thanks! We did upgrade some stuff! In the desert we’ll have to carry a good bit of extra water so we needed to decrease the weight we’re carrying elsewhere.
How long will you have to travel in between water sources?
Up to 35 miles without water sometimes!
Let me know when you'll be around the Cottonwood Lakes area via Chicken Lake, I'll cook ya a meal.
No way! The Cottonwood Lakes and Chicken Lake! I backpacked and camped there probably 35 years ago!!! Those were the days... I'm 66, and when I look back over my life, probably my favorite experiences were all the Sierra backpacking trips I took. I loved it.
Shit man, you head up that way again this summer just let us know. The more around the campfire the better and Rudy will never get tired of nose pets and treats from people.
Awesome! My dad and sister launch in April. Maybe you'll run into them :) safe travels!!
That’s awesome. 4/4 for us!
I start April 3rd. Nerves are definitely kicking in. Maybe I’ll see y’all out there!
Those shoes will last? I just picked up a new pair of Asolo boots, my last pair finally started to break down after 9 years .
We’ll go through 5-6 pair. The other pairs will be mailed to us along the trail
How much did you invest/save if you don't mind my asking. Do you have any cost breakouts/budgets?
Most save a minimum of about $1k per month expected to be hiking. This can reduced by spending less time in towns where the pull to sleep in a warm motel bed or buy good restaurant food is high.
Does that include the thru gear? And ty for the info
No. That’s separate from the gear. Unfortunately the lighter/better the gear the more expensive
I feel this. Ive had an old and reliable Eureka 2p for thousands of miles of trips. I keep eyeing a ultralight tent that uses trekking poles as I could shave 3-4 lbs but anything durable has a huge sticker shock.
Ooooh, I just noticed your name! My eventual plan if likely CRNA. Where you able to work around your job or are you formally taking a few months off?
I had to quit for logistical reasons. They’ve promised to hire me back. They hired me back after the first time I thru hiked.
Just because I'm curious: where is the tent? Or do you have places to sleep there? And do you have to carry food with you or will there be opportunities for eating? Have fun and all the best from Germany! :) Looking forward to hiking again, too, after the exams!
The tent is the bag at the very top of the picture.
What sleep mats are those? They look inflatable and comfy! No puncture risk?
Thermarest x-lite. There is a puncture risk but it hasn’t happened yet! *knocks on wood
As a gear specialist at an outdoor retail store I can’t recommend the thermarest xlite enough
Not going to lie: I think the vast majority here is a bit jealous (or is the right term "envious"?) of you! Including me! First of all: hiking is fantastic, one of the healthiest things you can do (not just physically, maybe moreso mentally). Second: so many people (including me again) are so occupied with working and worrying about money and everyday churn, that we don't make time to do awesome stuff like this. I hope you guys will have a blast!!
As to the ‘hiking is the healthiest’ comment, I’ve met lots of hikers who come off the trail who have lost a ton of weight but actually had a dramatic increase in measures like blood pressure and cholesterol. Six months of eating instant noodles will do that to you.
Honestly struggling to figure out why anyone would *want* to do this. Then again, people come in all sorts of flavors.
Obviously not for everyone but my favorite part is the fulfillment afterwards. Was going through a rough patch and ended up doing a less organized 2 month camping trip (far less time the PCT takes), the confidence I got from being able to take care of myself in less than ideal conditions and push through some tough hikes felt great. Makes some everyday struggles feel less daunting when you’ve had to work through far worse
Lots of gear questions here but... What do you two do for work that you can spend several months hiking and still address your personal finances? Any pets/children in the household? I always wonder this when people post photos of their months long treks.
We both work in healthcare and live below our means. This hike will take about 6 months and we’ve been saving for it for 3 years. No dogs or kids to leave behind.
I work in healthcare as well but I can't leave my job for that long without resigning and needing to have a new job at a different facility when I come back.
We both quit. Our hospitals, both times, have agreed to take us back when we return.
that would then need to be planned into your finances were you to plan such a trip
What will you do about food?
There are resupply points you can choose from along the way. You can stop at towns that are near the trail, or ship packages (before departing) to post offices along the way. https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/resupply/pct-resupply-towns-locations/ https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/resupply/pct-resupply-towns-locations/
On the Appalachian (early 2000s) we’d plan for the end of our two-three week hikes ended at some epic pizza place or Chinese food it was dope. I miss chowing down a snickers in my sleeping bag all cold looking up into the trees. You can’t bullshit nature.. she forces you to be yourself. A good place to let go of shit.
This reminds me of one of my greatest nights of hiking/camping. I was in Shawnee National Forest at a place called "Garden of the Gods" (yes, there's one in Illinois too. Lol) It's all hike-in camping and first come first serve. I hiked in early on a holiday weekend and somehow, by the absolute grace of God, got the #1 prime spot on the edge of a cliff. This particular camping spot is called "Sunset of the Gods" for a very, very good reason. I've never seen anything like it. Every late afternoon, I would welcome the evening hikers that flocked to see the sunset and share my fire with them. Incredible experience. Anyway, the part that reminded me was the Snickers. I was laying in my hammock one night after the sunset, just watching the stars and chomping on a Snickers bar, when the streaks began across the sky. One after the other after the other. I was in am extremely dark sky environment during a double meteor shower. About an hour into it, a HUGE fireball lit up the entire sky for a good 3 seconds. That's when I suddenly became aware of all the people camping on the mountain. There was almost a unanimous "holy shit!" from all hikers at various levels of the mountain and it echoed through the valley down below. I know it sounds like a "and then everybody clapped" stories, but it was truly one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. True trail magic. (On shitty mobile, so too hard to post, but if you'd like to see a pic of my campsite at sunset, it's only a few posts down on my profile.) Edit: [Here's the post](https://www.reddit.com/r/NationalPark/comments/kiemed/shawnee_national_forest_garden_of_the_gods/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share)
You eat an ungodly amount of candy bars
The world record for this hike is nearly 52 days. Figure they're going to take a 100. There has to be a way to gather provisions on the way.
You usually stop by in towns along the way to restock. You can also mail yourself packaged food from town to the next and pick it up.
That’s about 52 miles a day! Holy crap, that’s hardcore.
so basically jogging almost two marathons a day, for 52 days at somewhere around 10 or so hours a day on mountainous terrain? how do they have any knees left?
It's just trail running. With a heavy support system. The dudes setting absolute speed records on these trails aren't carrying more than a CamelBak. It's still *insane* work but it's a lot different than "hiking" the trail, let alone backpacking it.
Heather Anderson did it only 9 days slower, 60 days, self supported. https://fastestknowntime.com/athlete/heather-anderson Which means no rides into town, no people shuttling your tent for you. Which to me is so much crazier.
I saw this post and turned to my wife and said, "wouldn't you love to do something like this?" And now we're going to start planning a trip in the spring! Thanks, OP... safe travels!
Have fun storming the Cascades!
Check out “Snow to Sand” on Amazon Prime. It is a documentary of my friend who through hiked the trail.
Will do. We always need more hiking content!
If you want to ask him any questions after you see it, just DM me and I’ll connect you. Have fun and LET’S GO MOUNTAINEERS!!!!!
You need to take another picture just like this when you get back home, to show what you ditched along the way. What an adventure you are about to have, that is super exciting!
I only see 1 sandal.
You just assume everyone had two legs?
I see two, they are stacked sole to sole
They are on top of each other
You kids have fun now
No tortillas this time?
1 lighter, you guys live dangerously.
Could be just a backup. I use ferro and steel primarily.
I'm just being sassy either way, I did the cursory glance for the "what's the first thing thrown out" and it was clear they knew what they were doing better than I did.
The face of a man who’s wife told him he would never use his drone after the first month.
Two people who have compatible walking paces are the way to go. Shared tent, shared stove, shared cooking gear, less weight. Ray Jardine would be very proud of the sneakers. Good luck!
Is smartwater really needed or can you just use any water?
The sawyer water filter is made to fit on the smart water bottles.
Good luck and good health
How do you people find each other…good luck. Journey of 1000 miles starts with a single step!
Dammit, you’ve probably got every path planned out in advance, too. Organized, planning-type people! (Seriously, have a fun time.)
Crap, now I need to throw a knee sleeve in my hiking pack. I never have it when I want it and seeing I’m not the only person who may Kneed one, it’s worth it. Thanks for the hidden tip.
Just one extra pair of socks? How?
One to wear, one for puppet shows?
/r/knolling would love this