Why would anyone want to hike over 2500 miles in one summer? That’s a question that I’ve been asked several times. There are potentially a lot of ways to answer that, but it’s still not a simple thing to do. I was captivated by the idea of a long journey through the mountains and wilder places over twenty-five years ago when I worked on a summer camp in Pennsylvania, hiking small sections of the Appalachian Trail with youngsters. Since then the lure of that challenging yet also peaceful experience of living and travelling, away from the comforts of the modern world and closer to the nature from which we originate, has continued to maintain a hold over me in a way that, had I been smarter, I might have acted upon considerably sooner. There is something that comes from time spent in the outdoors that builds inner strength, calms anxiety and creates peace, within and between people in a way that I have not found elsewhere. Spending time in this way has not cured me, only reaffirmed to me the value of undertaking simple journeys among the nature and landscapes that seem, time and again, to bring out the best in the people I’ve met along the trail.
I had promised to respond to the many questions we have had about food, clothing, daily routines and so on, so I have put together this post to try to answer some of these. If there is something specific you would like to know that I have not covered here, then please do leave a question in the comments box below and I will get back to you with a response as soon as I can.
The practical realities of undertaking a journey like this are, of course, inevitably somewhat less romantic than the overarching concept or the enduring memories that will remain. Questions of transport, money, equipment and perhaps above all else, a sense of insecurity about fitness; the ‘can I really do this?’ question, plagued us for months before we set out.
In the early days of the hike, when we were still relatively unfit, we hiked anything between twelve and fifteen miles a day. That enabled a civilised start to the day with a relaxed pack-up, breakfast as the sun reliably appeared over the horizon, and a gentle pace through the day that facilitated a significant about of pondering great views and photographing unusual sights. Aches and pains were commonplace and largely ignored with as little moaning as possible. Blisters came and went and we quickly learned to recognise and deal with the early signs of dehydration. None of this could dampen our spirits, or the awe that we felt for the desert, an incredibly special place that will always remain one of our favourite environments. In many ways that ‘honeymoon period’ lasted for the whole of the desert section, seven hundred miles from Campo to Kennedy Meadows.
We were not keen to rush into the Sierra’s until a good amount of the snow had melted from the high passes so in a sense there was no pressure to achieve high mileages. Until that point therefore the whole hike had a really relaxed feel to it with all the time in the world to explore side trails or the small towns along the way. All of that began to change as we entered the Sierra mountains. Not only had we waited for the snow to melt, but we also then found ourselves taking ten days out from the trail in the hope that the pain in Lisa’s foot would subside sufficiently for her to continue. As you now know, it did not improve, it got worse and she would subsequently have to take the difficult decision to go home.When I returned to the trail, having been out to the airport with Lisa and said goodbye, I was fairly depressed. Despite being in the midst of the High Sierra, some of the most incredible scenery in the world, mountains I had long dreamed of, I was both incredibly sad for Lisa, being unable to continue, and unhappy about continuing alone on a trip we had planned together. I was also by then over two weeks behind schedule and had to maintain a much higher daily mileage to be sure of completing within the typical weather window available, reaching Canada by the end of September. Although some hikers will finish after that point, it becomes increasingly likely that the high passes in the Cascade mountains, one of the remotest and most challenging sections, would be under the first snowfall of the year.
I tried hard to keep focused on the challenges ahead and threw myself into achieving heroic mileages, sometimes climbing two big passes over 11,000ft in a day. I camped on the high passes to minimise mosquito issues and rationed my food to avoid wasting time travelling out of the mountains to resupply in a section 200 miles long before I would cross another road.
Throughout Oregon and Washington I was hiking typically 12 hours a day and covering anything between 25 and 35 miles each day. I would be up about 6am and aim to be hiking before 7am each morning, then hike until around 12pm for about a 30 minute lunch break, then continue until 7pm, sometimes later to find a suitable camp spot.
We’ve been asked a lot about what we (or subsequent to Lisa having to retire, I) carried, what equipment choices we made and what clothes we took for such varied climates. The answer is essentially ‘as little as possible’, primarily because everything has to be carried, including food and water which would typically be about fifty percent of our pack weight at any given time. Many hikers who blog or have websites to share their adventures dedicate a page for each trip to equipment and list everything with detailed specs and weights for others to reference. Many will also promote their favourite kit or preferred choices to encourage others to pick the same. We have avoided doing this primarily because we have learnt that there are no ‘right’ choices when it comes to kit, only right for you. We have seen people successfully using vastly different equipment, for reasons of both budget or availability as well as preference. What is important to remember in the planning stages, as well en route, is that good equipment makes you more comfortable, and sometimes safer, however it is only determination that will.. well, determine the success or completion of a trip or adventure. Few great adventurers of the past had the luxury of equipment and clothing half as good as most of what’s available to us today. Even on one of the most iconic and dangerous climbs there is, the North Face of the Eiger, one of the four climbers to first successfully summit managed without crampons, something that would seem absurd to attempt today, yet he couldn’t afford them. What he lacked in equipment he made up for with determination.
That said we’ve had many questions about our choices of equipment, so for those interested in gear I’ll use this post to talk a little about what we chose to take and why.
Weight is of course the biggest issue when you have to carry everything. We spent a lot of time (and a bit too much money) before we left finding lighter alternatives to most of our ‘normal’ kit. However lighter is not always better. There is a big trade off with comfort and durability.
Our ‘big three’ items are sleeping bag, tent and backpack. These have most impact on our overall weight (before food, water and fuel). We set off with backpacks we had used before; Lisa’s a Golite Odyssey and mine a Granite Gear Crown. Both packs weighed around a kilogram, pretty much at the lightweight end of the market. I subsequently switched mine out for an Osprey Atmos 65, so that I could take additional weight from Lisa while her foot was painful (before we knew it was a stress fracture). The Atmos suspension/venting back system is undoubtedly the most comfortable I have ever carried. I wouldn’t hesitate to choose it again if my typical load was over 35lbs. I then reverted to a lighter Osprey Exos 58 after Lisa had gone home. I have been extremely happy with the Exos which is both light and comfortable but can still carry a fair load.
Our tent is made by Z-Packs in the US.
Finally our sleeping bags; these are also from ZPacks and were chosen for warmth, weight and design.
In terms of clothing, we both wore hiking shirts at the outset. The long sleeves and collar were essential sun protection. In Washington I subsequently switched this to a Patagonia Capilene medium weight base layer which was warmer when damp. We wore long trousers in the desert too, to protect from sun, but also to protect against the many poisonous, sharp or stinging flora and fauna. However I switched to shorts as soon as possible, and Lisa, while she was with me, then wore a hiking skirt, for coolness. Interestingly we have seen a couple of male hikers wearing lightweight kilts for hiking, for the same reason, coolness and comfort. The Scottish clans were clearly on to something, although I am less convinced when it comes to evening time and there are biting insects around! Waterproof outerwear was initially Montane Minimus pants and a Rab Spark jacket, all Pertex Shield+. In a bout of minimal weight-saving fervour I switched these out unworn in Northern California for a Mountain Laurel Designs rain kilt and an Outdoor Research Helium jacket, saving several ounces. These I wore through some serious rain in Washington. The jacket was adequate and a good compromise for this trip given the low number of wet days overall, but I didn’t get on well with the rain kilt which I found to ride up, restrict stride and not keep me terribly dry. It could be argued to be less sweaty than rain pants however so I can see why some hikers prefer them, especially if hiking in shorts.
Footwear has varied a lot. The majority of thru-hikers value low weight above all else and will hike all terrains in trail-runners; the most popular being Altras. However, my feet require a little more support than these provide. I did the seven hundred miles of desert in Scarpa Zen approach shoes which were great, although I’d have benefitted from a more cushioned insole. I switched to Scarpa R-Evo boots for the Sierra’s which were fantastic. Then, seeking something lighter for North California and Oregon, I briefly went into Salomon X-Ultra mids. This was a mistake, it was mid-summer, very hot and I needed something more breathable. I also started at about that time to get some unexpected foot pains. I later discovered my arches were collapsing and this helped to explain why my feet no longer fit the x-ultra’s. I searched about to find something breathable, supportive and wide but also sufficiently protective under the soles. After a lot of searching I settled on these:
In the latter part of the desert sections I acquired a chrome top umbrella. In some areas of the Mojave there is just no shade anywhere so it’s helpful to bring your own. I would have benefitted from it throughout the desert and it would have helped to prevent a couple of bouts of heat stroke/dehydration. I guess I can chalk that up to something new learnt on this trip.
In the kitchen department I carried a relatively cheap Hi-Gear titanium stove burner. We’ve had it for years and can’t find a good reason to replace it. An Evernew ti 1.3l pot came with us until Lisa’s departure then was substituted for a 750ml ti cup thereafter. Breakable Sporks were swiftly switched out for long handled ti spoons too.
Diet on the trail was limited by availability of food low in weight and high in calories. When else in life can you actually hunt down the food with the most calories? I’ve read various estimates of how many calories a hiker will burn and of course it varies from person to person, but I would guess that I was typically burning around 4500 calories a day. Replenishing that with enough food that I could reasonably carry for about a weeks’ supply was always a challenge. Oats have been a daily staple. Various pastries such as pop tarts and cinnamon rolls. Fruit leathers, snack bars, protein bars and trail mix are all good for snacking every hour. Flour tortilla wraps with packet tuna and cream cheese make a good lunch, sometimes supplemented with instant noodles. Ritz cheese-filled crackers are good too, 210 calories for just six. Evening meals were occasionally expensive freeze-dried meals designed for backpackers, but more often were basic packet rice or pasta sides. At various times I would add olive oil to a meal just to add calories, or take a tub of chocolate spread. Trail mix in the beginning was typical shop-bought varieties, but as time went on I began making my own up just for variety, including my particular luxury favourite: peanut mnm’s, chocolate mnm’s and chocolate raisins!
The inevitable question is what would I do differently next time? My gear evolved somewhat over the summer and what I finished with was lighter than what I started with. I learned to prioritise weight over most other factors, except good sleep. I learnt that I didn’t need ‘spare clothes’, that it is normal to sit in a laundromat in your rain gear alone, and that you will smell no matter how hard you try to maintain hygiene. Most gear and clothing decisions are dictated by the environment and one of the challenges of the PCT is the wide range of climates and environments visited. However, I’ve also learnt that it’s easy to over-think the issue of gear and what is suitable. What’s important is getting out there!
