r/PacificCrestTrail

I'm 26 years old. I plan to apply to law school to start next year, likely in August. I currently work full-time, am planning to quit my job before the PCT. This plan hinges on being able to do the trail in four months, April - July. I'm an experienced hiker and backpacker and I think I can definitely do the miles needed for that.

The issue here is money, as it always is. I'm planning on saving $20k for the PCT + fund for after the PCT. I also plan to attend law school part-time. The issue here is that I originally planned to keep my very flexible, remote job while attending law school, but I can't do that if I do the PCT.

I wonder if anyone has any experience with this? Specifically with law school and even more specifically with part-time law school? It seems like I might be making this overly complicated for myself and maybe should defer law school and/or try to find a job that will allow me to start once I get back from the trail.

I am not looking to defer PCT. I'm set on doing it next year. I'll only be this young once! Thanks in advance.

Been hiking tons of other long trails in preparation for the PCT next year, and all I hear is the importance of being ultra-light. I’m a big guy, 6’1 250 pounds but losing weight and will likely be 220-230 by the time I start so I suffer from the big man tax. Which naturally adds on a pound or two from clothes and needing a bigger space to sleep comfortably. I’ve been sleeping in the BA Copper Spur for a single person on my travels and find myself spooning my tent walls every night. I wanted to upgrade to the two person BA, which is 2 pounds and 10 ounces and everyone is telling me not to. Even with a two person big Agnes I could reasonably get my base weight to 17-20 pounds. Is that too high? Is a better nights sleep worth the extra pound? I require a lot more food and water than a lot of people for my maintenance so I’d have to carry a lot more. If my weight with food and water exceeds 35 pounds am I just fucked? Someone just give me some guidance here since I’ve been toiling endlessly with what everyone’s been saying to me about being ultra light. Thank you, and happy hiking to anyone currently on trail reading this!

Hello all!

As the title says, I am planning on starting a NOBO thru-hike, with the intent of completing in 4-4.5 months.

I have been building a comprehensive spreadsheet of basic metrics like water/weather reports, towns/resupply locations, GPX files, and trail closures. Planning 11 months in advance to try to account for as much as I can before I hit the trail.

Does anyone have elite, must know information that they wish they knew before they started? Best ways to mitigate injury. Best ways to prevent sickness (noro.) Gear recommendations. Food/water amounts.. etc.

I have a decent amount of backpacking experience. Plus experience as an infantryman in the army.

Finally, if anyone is also planning on starting in April of 2027, would you like to collaborate and co-plan?

TIA!

It seems the current noro outbreak stretches from the water cache after Cajon Pass to at least Hiker Town.

I‘m currently in the middle of it and taking all the precautions but I’m wondering how it ends? will it just be with us until the end of the trail?

In previous years has it ended or just continued for the remainder of the trail?

I’m not an infectious disease expert but what I recall from Covid was the transmission R value had to fall below 1 but noro can be contracted multiple times and there’s no vaccine.

thank you

edit: Thank you for all the answers. it seems it is here to stay :(

I would great appreciate if someone could share a noro infographic with a few bullet points about noro and how to protect yourself and other hikers. I know of Jay Go’s Facebook post but it is quite long and not everyone has Facebook. Also before even explaining what noro is it recommends bleach in water which I think scares people away.

Hi everyone. My flip flop begins in Chester and I’m very concerned of the use of Roundup and other herbicides in the burn areas surrounding the trail in Northern California. Does anyone know of methods for avoiding glyphosate contamination, filtering, hell… even inhalation, or do I suck it up and accept it?

I never go hiking myself, but really enjoyed a few books about the Apalachian Trail--I enjoyed Becoming Odyssa and the two by thebarefoot sisters.

Does anyone have a similar recommendation for the PCT--a fun book about the hike and the people who go on the trail.

I tried one by a hiker called Scout but couldn't get into it--it just kept switching too much between different people and their backgrounds and stuff. Too meandering.

cheers

I’m looking to ship a box to hikertown within the next few weeks and am finding mixed info online. Has anyone shipped there lately? Is it reliable enough?

A buddy and I want to have a zero day in Seiad Valley this July. It originally looked like Wildwood and Mid River RV would be the only spots in town. However, I can't seem to connect with Wildwood (Called and tried FB) and Mid River might not have tent spots anymore. Anyone know what's the what? Any help is appreciated.

I’m planning to hike the Oregon section this summer. (Possibly might hike Washington too) I’m looking to get the 15 degree Sea to Summit Ascent sleeping bag, Nemo Tensor all season sleeping pad and the Nemo Dragonfly 2P tent. Will a 15 degree bag be too warm? I’m nervous the 30 degree bag will be too cold. Also planning to use this gear to hike the TMB in Europe this summer so leaning towards Nemo tent for the durability and 15 degree bag for colder nights in the alps. Thoughts?

Hello,

I'm from a country that has no bears and our most dangerous animal is a seagull stealing your chips. So I'm very new to the whole food storage system.

Me and my husband at first were thinking about getting a bear cannisters for Washington section (we're starting the trail sobo at the end of June) but now considering the Ursack since it's lighter.

What do people usually prefer to bring, a Ursack or Bear Cannister?

(I know we will eventually will need to get cannisters, I'm more so wondering for Washington/Oregon)

My partner and I are hoping to hike the PCT in 2027 or 2028 depending on how much we need to save. We are from Ireland, so obviously there are international travel costs etc but I am just curious to hear from others who have hiked with their partners on how much being on trail cost. I have family in Oregon so I could work out resupply box shipping. Any insights appreciated. Thanks gang!

Currently entering the Sierras and curious if there are any pianos for the remainder of the trail!

This is the weekly thread. It's for wide ranging discussions in the comments. Do you have a question or comment, but don't want to make a separate post for it? This is the place.

Good evening, hikers and trail angels!

As you may have read on Facebook, there is an outbreak of Noro on trail. I'll keep this to factual information because the rumor mill is running rampant on different platforms and the best way to combat it is by sticking to the facts.

Facts

* There are 7-12 confirmed, medically diagnosed cases in and around Wrightwood.

* An older hiker, who was exposed on Sunday, was airlifted near Baden, this morning. When you are hiking in this area, please do not approach his tent because you'll risk exposure.

* Two hikers were seen camping within 5 and 20 feet of the water cache at Swartwout (mile 347.3) on Sunday and Monday (5/10-5/11) and both of these hikers were actively vomiting and using catholes. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU BECOME ILL! This was witnessed and confirmed by a trail angel maintaining the cache and several hikers.

* Since Sunday, there have been approximately 2 dozen hikers who've had symptoms and 7 who were seen and diagnosed with Noro by medical professionals.

* On Wednesday (5/13), at 1 pm, volunteers at Swarthout replaced every water container with sealed water. There is also a handwashing station at the cache. Additionally, it is my understanding that the cache itself should only be used for empties and that all hikers should take water from the rubbermaid containers to keep the clean containers separate from the dirty containers.

Trail Angel Outside Jay (JayGo) wrote the following article about dealing with Noro on trail.

Fiction

* "Someone died today from Noro on Baden Powell." - Not even remotely true. The rescued hiker was taken to the hospital, treated, and released.

* "If I just use hand sanitizer,..." - Hand Sanitizer is not very effective against Noro. Please see the linked article above.

* "All of the cases are from *insert hotel* in Wrightwood" - Not true. It has affected people staying at the home of a trail angel, a hotel, a shared Airbnb, and people who hadn't even reached town.

Be safe out there.

I'm curious if anyone on the PCT is rocking the Saucony Peregrine 16, after trying all of them they are the best suited for me by far but I heard catastrophic early failure from them. Anyone tried them on trail? What distance ish did you get before replacing them?