I read somewhere that the average PCT through-hiker spends something like 6 to 8 months planning the logistics of their trip. The planning takes longer than the hike itself! As for myself, I can't give an accurate estimation of how long my planning has taken me. I have flirted with the idea of hiking the PCt for years now, and have done research and planning in fits and starts. For the last three years i have intended to hike the trail, and have probably spent about a month each year in planning. Unfortunately something came up each time, leaving me with partial plans and rough outlines that got filed away for another year. Adding that time to the time I have spent this year in preparation, I would say I have spent around 5 months so far.
Much of the planning process is extremely boring in my opinion. In fact, I am more worried about being underprepared due to lack of interest than I am worried about injuries or losing the will to continue once I am on the trail. Don't get me wrong, figuring out my gear list has been fun. I get to go to REI or various other sports outlets and just enjoy shopping for the latest and greatest in backpacking supplies (more on that later). Resupply, on the other hand, has been a struggle. It's difficult for me to get into the nitty gritty of planning things like food and resupply. As such, I won't go into a lot of detail here about that particular aspect of the hike (besides which i plan to keep a daily journal which will include my stops for resupply). The rough outline, at this point, is to carry no more than 15 pounds of base weight (gear), and no more than 4 pounds of food per day. I have set my maximum pack weight at 35 pounds, which means that (worst case scenario) I can carry my gear plus 5 days worth of food. Ideally the numbers I am using will prove to be on the conservative side. I am hoping to get my base weight down below 15 pounds, and my average daily food weight down to 3 pounds or less. I also hope to increase my estimated daily mileage beyond 20, and reduce my rest days to one every 10 days. However, for now I feel it is important to be conservative, so here are the conservative numbers first, followed by my goal numbers:
CONSERVATIVE
35 pounds max minus 15 pounds base weight = 20 pounds available for food
20 pounds of food divided by 4 pounds per day = 5 days before resupply is needed
Average distance per day of no less than 20 miles = 100 miles between resupply
2,650 miles divided by 100 mile increments = 27 resupply points needed
2,650 miles divided by 20 miles per day = 133 days on the trail
If I add one rest day for every 7 on the trail = 133 divided by 7 = 19 rest days
133 days on the trail plus 19 rest days = 152 days total from start to finish
GOAL
35 pounds max minus 13 pounds base weight = 22 pounds available for food
22 pounds of food divided by 3 pounds per day = 7 days before resupply is needed
Average distance per day of 22 miles = 154 miles between resupply
2,650 miles divided by 154 mile increments = 18 resupply points needed
2,650 miles divided by 22 miles per day = 121 days on the trail
If I add one rest day for every 10 on the trail = 121 divided by 10 = 13 rest days
121 days on the trail plus 13 rest days = 134 days total from start to finish
It quickly becomes clear that cutting even a couple of pounds off of the base and total weights will make a huge difference in the overall outcome of the hike. By trimming down the base weight by 2 pounds I am able to carry more food and therefore resupply less frequently. Fewer resupply points translate into less stress in planning, fewer hikes/hitchhikes into town, less money spent on shipping, and more time enjoying the trail. With that in mind, let's have a look at gear, and the all the "philosophical" quandaries that go with it.
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Gram Weenie's vs. The Kitchen Sink
There exists in the backpacking world, if not a debate, then certainly a lively conversation about pack weight. People talk about "base weight," "skin-out weight," and "total weight," as well as "ultralight," and recently even "ultra-heavy" backpacking. The difficulty is in choosing whether to reduce pack weight, thereby making the hike easier and more enjoyable, or to add on the pounds, thus allowing for more comfort in the rest of the experience.
Ray Jardine is one of the prominent figures in the discourse, creating the "Ray-way," an entire system of ultralight and usually handmade gear. Using his books as a jumping off point, many people have gone to great lengths to shave off every ounce of unnecessary weight. These hikers remove labels, cut their toothbrushes in half, build their own stoves from soda cans, and eliminate tents in favor of homemade tarp shelters. In fact, their obsession with weight reduction has earned them the nickname "Gram Weenies."
To balance out the gram weenies, I have also seen hikers with gear lists that include folding aluminum chairs, e-readers, stuffed animals, and luxuries like alcohol, books, or bulky SLR cameras. To these hikers the experience wouldn't be the same without a few select luxuries, and they are willing to bear a few extra pounds in order to enjoy them.
I find myself, as with many issues in life, somewhere in the middle ground. I realize that the bulk of my experience will be on the trail, and given that fact, I would rather not spend it hunched over with an unweildy load to carry. With this in mind I see no harm in minimizing weight by cutting my toothbrush in half or by selecting gear that can pull double-duty. On the other hand, I also recognize that there are certain niceties that can vastly improve the spirits after a long day of camping. For example, the last thing I want to do after hiking 20 miles is to try to find a suitable spot to set up a tarp tent. I will gladly carry the extra pound in order to have a stand-alone tent that requires minimal finagling. Finally, it is important to recognize functionality, cost, and bulk in the final equation. Here is the resulting gear list, with some notations on special considerations, and on the weight saving approaches I will be taking:
The Big Three
o Osprey Aether 70 Backpack - A bit on the heavy side, but I already own it and don't want to buy a new pack. Not to mention it is tried and true, and delivers a comfortable experience every time. To reduce weight, I will be cutting off any excess strapping and removing the padding from the detachable lid/fanny pack
o Mountain Hardware Phantom Sleeping Bag - Super lightweight and compressible
o Big Agnes Seedhouse Single Person Tent - Being an ultralight 3 season tent, this may be a bit of a challenge for the snowy sections, but I'll take my chances. I will be leaving all the tent stakes home, as they reresent a significant portion of the overall weight. I plan to improvise with rocks or gear when anchoring the tent becomes necessary. I also bought a compression sack to replace the stuff sack that comes with the tent, in order to save space
Tools, Accessories, and Miscellaneous Gear
o REI Duck's Back 80L Pack Cover
o Big Agnes Seedhouse Tent Footprint
o Thermarest Z-Lite Sleeping Pad - The sleeping pad comes in two lengths, 51" and 72" and is the kind that folds like an accordion. I found that the 51" is too long to cover from my hips to my shoulders, where I really need it, but not long enough to fold in half for that same purpose. However, with the 72" mat, I was able to cut off two segments (6" each) to bring the total length to 60." this folds neatly in half to give me double the cushion, and it fits perfectly from hips to shoulders
o Baladeo 22G Knife - This knife weighs in at 3/4 of an ounce. It allows me to have a 3" blade for slicing cheese or salami, while still saving weight
o Parachute Cord - Lightweight and durable for hanging food sacks, securing the tent, hanging clothes to dry, repairing the pack, etc.
o Coghlan's 30L Compression Bag - This was a question of weight vs. space. Strictly speaking, the stuff sack is not necessary. I bought it to store my extra clothes in, to provide an extra level of defense against moisture, to help with organization, and to reduce the space taken up by bulky clothing. Additionally, the stuff sack performs double-duty as a bag to hang food in when not using the bear canister. Ultimately this lightweight bag proved worthwhile
o Petzl Tikka Headlamp - Works great for around camp or night hiking. The headband is adjustable and, since I don't anticipate my head adjusting or the elastic wearing out any time soon, I decided to cut out the plastic piece and excess headband to save a little weight
o Permits, Credit Card, Driver's License, 2 Personal Checks, and $100 cash (one fifty, two twenties, and a ten)
o Droid RAZR Maxx Smartphone with Otterbox Case- Ok, so I could write an entire post on choosing a means of communication. The original question was simply about how to keep in touch with friends and family while on the trail. My head was spinning by the time I considered everything: old fashioned letters, disposable cell phone, calling cards, SPOT Satellite Messenger, tablet computers, and smartphones. As I did research I began to be swayed by the advantages of cutting edge technology. I realized with a tablet or smartphone I could save maps and guidebooks on the device's internal memory, not to mention accessing email and updating blogs when I have service (I will be able to type out a blog each night, then copy and paste the text into a blog while in towns). The tablet option provided more convenience for typing and viewing maps, due to the size of the screen, which admittedly would be nice. However, the weight, size, expense, and ability to place phone calls eventually won the day for the smartphone. Next I had to decide which phone to go with. The Droid RAZR Maxx turned out to have the largest screen in the slimmest, lightest, and most durable package. The kevlar backing and Gorilla glass, along with a military-grade OtterBox and a carrying pouch to top it all off mean it can hopefully survive the rigors of the trail. Furthermore, the RAZR Maxx has an improved battery life. That last feature is crucial because I plan to use the smartphone to store maps, guide books in PDF format, music, etc. I have also decided, in a heart-wrenching decision, to leave my camera at home and rely on the phone for this as well (this saves the weight of camera, case, battery, memory cards, etc. and also makes uploading images much easier)
o Motorola P893 Universal Power Pack Phone Charger - That's a mouthful. But despite the awful name, this tiny gadget will hopefully work wonders on extending my battery life for the RAZR. With approximately 5 to 8 days between towns, the RAZR will have to last longer than intended between charging. The plan is to charge both the phone and the power pack in towns. When the phone is close to dead, the power pack should be able to charge it back up to 3/4 battery. With a good 10 to 12 hours of usage time on a standard charge, that means I will have 17 to 21 hours of battery life between charges. that gives me 1.5 to 2 hours per day, more than enough for my purposes!
o Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe - I'm still trying to figure out when to receive this in a resupply box and when I can ship it home again
o Suunto MC-2 Pro Compass - It's been a while since I took an orienteering class. I used to have a pretty good mastery of the skills for archaeological site survey. I'll be brushing up on my skills prior to the trip, not that I plan on needing them much. Still, the compass is small and lightweight, and doubles as a mirror for hygiene. I did cut out most of the adjustable lanyard. It doesn't weigh much, but I also have zero use for it
o Felt tip pen and three sheets of scratch paper - Sometimes you need to leave notes for other hikers, or jot something important down without powering on the phone
Health and Hygiene (Med Kit)
o Aspririn, Codeine, and Vicodin - Combined into ziploc baggie to save weight and space
o Bandages - Two or three of each size
o Gauze Pads
o Alcohol Swabs
o Antibiotic Cream Packets
o Mole Skin - I bought the kind that has pre-cut shapes so that I can leave the scissors at home
o Sunscreen - Travel size
o Anti-Itch Towelettes
o Lip Balm
o Needle and Thread - For gear repair or emergency stitches
o Duct Tape - I cut about three yeards and rolled it up for use in gear repair, splinting, or as a back-up for mole skin
o Toothbrush - I did end up cutting the handle in half. I still have plenty to grip and it fits easier into the med kit/saves weight
o Tooth Power - Lighter and more compact than tooth paste. Some ultralight hikers argue for brushing with water and a finger. Others bring a full toothbrush and paste. Iwill be somewhere in the middle, using the brush with power one per per day, and brushing with water twice
o Dental Floss - Removed from the plastic container
o Listerine Strips - Ok, this is totally unnecessary, but fresh breath makes me feel more upbeat. Listerine makes little pocket containers of 24 breath strips. The size is miniscule and the weight next to nothing. Well worth it for me, plus I'll hopefully be less offensive when I hit a town
o Fingernail Clippers
o Toilet Paper - Removed from the roll
o Q-Tips - For clean ears and/or cleaning up wounds
o MSR PackTowel - This towel is ultralight and quick drying, plus it packs down small
Camp Kitchen
o Titanium 2L Cookpot - I've had this so long I don't even know the brand name any more. I thought about bringing both of my nesting pots, but decided for weight purposes and simplicity I would plan only single pot meals
o Esbit Stove - Stoves are another subject that I could drone on about, because they create so many headaches in the planning stages. You have to factor weight, size, burn time, efficiency, altitude, and resupply. For example, my Snowpeak Gigapower stove is tiny and weighs very little, but the canisters for it are expensive, harder to come by, bulky and heavy, don't perform well at altitude, and can only be shipped via ground. Making a mistake on how many canisters to ship to each resupply point means either eating cold meals or carrying extra weight. The Esbit stove weighs about the same, but uses Esbit tablets (dry fuel tablets that burn at about 1300 degrees). White gas is more common and cheaper, and canisters are more efficient. However, Esbit is lighter (I estimate I'll need 10 pounds for the entire trip!), cheaper, and much smaller should I end up carrying more than I need. I've experimented with the tablets and they are admittedly harder to light in heavy wind, but I can always switch it out if i change my mind later on
o MSR XPD Heat Exchanger - This lightweight windscreen should help with the issues of lighting the Esbit tabs and burning them efficiently
o Lighter and Book of Matches
o Light My Fire Spork
o Nalgene 16oz. Water Bottle - I love having a Nalgene bottle. They are sturdy and, when filled with hot water, can keep your feet warm all night. However, they are bulky and heavy. I compromised by getting a half-size bottle
o Sea to Summit Foldable Bucket - I decided to bring this lightweight and compact bucket to hold water for bathing, dishes, or just as a place to store excess filtered water if needed. I did notice that the carrying case included a belt loop, a trend I have noticed on much of my gear. I guess manufacturers think that backpackers must have a Batman fetish. As for me, I removed mine to spare a bit of weight
o Platypus GravityWorks Filtration System - Fill the dirty water reservoir, hang it up for a few minutes, the gravity filter does the rest. No more bulky or heavy than a traditional filter, but without the hard work and sore arms from pumping water for 20 minutes
o Camelbak 3L Water Reservoir - Fits neatly into an inner pouch in my backpack, with a hose for easy access while hiking
o Empty 2L Soda Bottle - Extra water storage for the desert section only, where water sources are fewer and further apart. I plan to get rid of the bottle once I hit the Sierras
o BearVault BV450 Solo Bear Canister - Portions of the trail have enough bear activity to require a bear canister for food protection. The BV450 is the smallest and lightest option I have to meet this requirement. I will ship it to a resupply point in the Sierras and send it home again afterward
Clothing
o Asics Gel Kahana Trail Running Shoes - Trail running shoes are my compromise for durability while hiking. Hiking boots are simply too heavy and rigid for my style of backpacking, and with the exception of snowy segments they wouldn't do me much good. I anticipate changing out my shoes twice on the trip, once in the Sierras and again somehwere in the Cascades
o Crocstrap Shoes - I always made fun of Crocs because I think they look ridiculous. That said, I went looking for a comfortable shoe to double for stream crossings and as a camp shoe and this is it. It is rigid but comfortable, and though it is a bit bulky, the shoes weigh near nothing. Lot's of air holes means great ventilation, though I did cut a couple of pieces off for better ventilation and reduced weight
o REI Merino Wool Hiking Socks (x2 pairs) - One pair for hiking, the other for camp
o Salomon S-Lab Running Gaiters - These are small, lightweight, and designed to work with running shoes. They should be sufficient to keep out the snow in the high Sierra passes before being shipped home
o Long Underwear Top and Bottom
o REI Endeavor Convertible Pants - There are lighterweight pants out there, but these are durable and provide the flexibility to use as shorts or pants
o Board Shorts - I have been hiking in board shorts for a few years now, once I realized how convenience they are. Mine are super lightweight, non-chafing, and dry quickly
o REI Quick Drying Button-Up Shirt - I love these shirts for their ability to be worn completely unbuttoned on a warm day. Add to that the fact that they dry fast and weigh very little. Plus they layer a bit easier than T-shirts for the colder nights
o Long Sleeve Thermal Shirt - Heavier than flannel, but warmer as well
o Thin Fleece Jacket
o Down Vest - My arms don't really get cold, so I save space and weight by going with a vest rather than a full jacket
o REI Thermo-Convertible Mittens - As dorky as this may sound, this was one of my most exciting finds. Usually either the thumb is permanently covered, making the gloves awkward, or the thumb is permanantly exposed, causing cold. These mittens have a foldable thumb cover, making them the juuuust right
o Scarf
o Bandana
o Wolverine Beanie
o Marmot PreCip Rain Jacket
o Marmot PreCip Shell Pants
