Planning Our CDT Thru-Hike Next Year — Looking for Any Advice Possible
Hey everyone,
Me and two friends are planning to hike the Continental Divide Trail next year, and we’re trying to prepare as well as possible before committing fully. We’d love to hear any advice from people who’ve done the CDT or other long thru-hikes.
We’re looking for tips on pretty much everything:
Gear essentials / gear mistakes
What kind of training helped you most beforehand
Physical prep and conditioning
Food planning and resupply strategy
Budgeting and costs
Logistics (permits, transport, mail drops, town stops, etc.)
Best apps/maps/navigation setup
Weather and safety considerations
What you wish you knew before starting
Biggest mental challenges
Anything that made life easier on trail
We’re especially interested in how people trained beforehand and how you handled the logistical side of such a huge trip.
Any advice, lessons learned, gear lists, or random tips would be hugely appreciated. Thanks!