All The Questions You Want to Ask About PCT Trail Life

This post is part of a PCT series for all the information you need to hike the Pacific Crest Trail. A guide for future hikers, especially those coming from abroad.

The first part of this series covered the planning stages and answered all your questions about planning for the PCT. This post tells you about trail life itself, and what you can expect as you walk 2650 miles from Mexico to Canada.

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You are reading:
• PCT Questions Part 2: Trail Life
Also part of this series:
• PCT Questions Part 1: Planning
• Food and Resupply Strategy
• How to get the B-2 Visa
• Safety for Female Hikers
• My 2019 PCT Gear List
• Daily PCT blogs

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On trail

• Navigation
• Where will you eat?
• Where will you sleep?
• Where will you clean?
• Charging electronics
• Exchanging gear along the way
• Meeting other hikers
• Famous trail angel stops
• Towns
• Can you hike alone?
• Hitchhiking and public transport
• Dealing with the snow: entering San Jacinto and the Sierras
• Knowing your weather and environment
• Bear canisters 
• Health
• Leave No Trace

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Navigation

Gone are the days of carrying multiple maps. It’s a little sad, because it changes the way you experience the trail. Instead of knowing every valley and pass and dip and mount you follow an app that tells you how many miles to the next town. Nowadays, the PCT is well marked and bringing maps or guide books is not necessary. All you need is the Guthook app, pay for the PCT maps and you have all the information you need. Hikers will leave information on towns, resupply options, phone signal, camping spots, water availability, river crossings, EVERYTHING. Your phone’s GPS will work without signal and on airplane mode. 

In addition, I would recommend installing another (free) app such as Maps.me. Make sure to download the maps covering the areas you’re about to head into so you can use it without service. While Guthook is the gospel when it comes to the trail, the map only includes the immediate PCT surroundings. So if you get stuck in snow / fires / need to go off trail due to an injury, you’ll be able to use Maps.me to navigate an alternative route to where you need to go.

 

Where will you sleep?

Everywhere! It’s one of the most exciting aspects of hiking the trail. You’ll be sleeping in your tent most nights, and you’ll have the option of staying in hostels, motels or trail angel’s homes along the way (also allowing you to shower, charge electronics and do laundry.) There are a few paid campsites along the way and they often give discounts to PCT hikers. 

The Guthook app includes wild camp spots all along the trail and it’s best to stick to those. They are basically just flattened areas, previously used by hikers. Since the trail is so heavily used, you want to try and preserve other areas! Sometimes there are limited places to camp, because of elevation for example, so some days you might be hiking a shorter or longer day to the next possible spot. It’s good to note that you cannot camp in meadows (those beautiful grassy areas!) so as to not ruin these beautiful areas. You’ll be on flattened dirt most of the time!

Towns: Every week or ten days or so, you’ll want a zero day (a day off hiking with zero miles walked). You’ll mostly do this when you head into town to resupply, and you’ll stay in a motel or hostel. Some hikers share a room with 5 or 6 people to cut costs. It’s a great opportunity to rest for a day, eat lots of food, shower and wash your clothes. Lots of hikers start out thinking they’re not going to stay in towns a lot, but once they get out there, the lure (of food) is just too great!

Cowboy camping: My one recommendation for those who’ve never tried it: go cowboy camping! Cowboy camping means you camp without your tent, sleeping right under the stars. It’s a beautiful experience and the PCT is a great place to do it! I was unsure about it at first, because of animals and other creepers. So I did it with a few fellow hikers and I loved it so much that I did it on my own several times. It’s amazing to wake up in the middle of the night and open your eyes and see the stars and feel the wind stroke your face. Apart from a few ants, I never had issues with any other animals. Sometimes everything would get wet with condensation at night, but in the morning it would’ve all dried up again. Either way, try it. It’s amazing.

 

 

Where will you eat?

Sitting on trail in the dirt, most of the time. You’ll probably carry lots of dehydrated foods and bars, and hopefully some healthy stuff when you can. I eat a lot of my food while walking, then eat my evening ‘meal’ cold out of a ziplock bag in my tent. Many people carry little stoves to warm up their food, but it’s also possible to cold soak everything. Foods like couscous, noodles, mashed potatoes and precooked rice (like the Knorr ‘Rice Sides’) well up in cold water too, and it only takes a little longer. This is what I did, and I think it simplifies things a little. I like not having to worry about buying fuel. (Although you wouldn’t have any issues finding fuel along the PCT, as all the stores will know that hikers need it.)

When preparing smelly evening meals, some hikers prepare their meals late in their hiking day, then walk another mile or so before setting up camp. This is to avoid luring bears to their camp! I’ve never done this because I only cold soak, which doesn’t produce much smell. It’s something you would certainly do if you were in grizzly bear country, but it’s optional for the PCT. (The PCT doesn’t have grizzlies and bigfoot never shows.) 

Every five days or so you’ll head into town to resupply from a local general store or big supermarket (or you’ll pick up your resupply box from the post office) and you’ll most definitely end up at a restaurant or diner to eat all the food you can’t eat on trail. Once hiker hunger sets in after a few weeks, you’ll swiftly inhale many meals and you’ll still feel empty – you’ll be a bottomless pit. (You’ll live with hunger and you’ll feel like this until you finish the trail.) Honestly though, the majority of restaurants in the trail towns serve low quality food, although most hikers are too hungry to notice. I ended up mostly buying fresh fruit and veggies in grocery stores instead, needing nutrition and not just masses of tasteless slop.

I’ll be writing another blog about food and resupply options – well, mostly a post about your options if you don’t send yourself resupply boxes (because that’s what I did, and that’s probably what you’ll do if you’re coming from abroad.)

 

Where will you clean?

Some towns have showers for hikers at a small fee, but most likely you’ll want to stay in paid accommodation or a trail angel’s home from time to time. You’ll be able to shower and wash your clothes, in the sink or the laundry room if it’s available. Most towns have laundromats so you don’t have to stay in a hotel if you just want to do a quick town visit. Put on your waterproofs and wash everything else! A few hours later you’ll be back on trail. 

And while you’re out there hiking, you’ll just be dirty. Your legs will be covered in dust and dirt, giving you a nice dirt tan line, and your feet will be worse. You’ll get used to it quickly, although some hikers wear their intense stink as a badge of honour and that really shouldn’t be the case. Take care of your health and hygiene! 

If you like cold water you could swim and clean in the rivers and lakes you pass along the way. But you can’t use soap (even biodegradable soap isn’t meant to be used in water sources) so cleaning powers are limited. You’ll also inadvertently be rinsing off sunscreen into the water which isn’t really a good thing and something to consider. 

I like to stay pretty clean, so every night I washed the dirt off my face, arms, legs and feet with a little water. If I didn’t have enough water to spare or it was too cold, I’d use baby wipes. 

One tip: take care of your feet! You don’t want to ruin them by not looking after them. Especially if you’re prone to blisters. Clean them every evening and wear dry socks at night so they can air out and heal.

 

Charging electronics

The USA seems to have a lot of sockets, and people are free to use them and charge their electronics. Even in stores, you can often find a socket and just plug in. It’s odd to me but useful. Some towns even have areas allocated for hikers with charging stations! I would check the Guthook app for cafes with sockets if I didn’t want to pay for a hotel stay but needed power. If you bring a power bank, you could get yourself a coffee and some food and sit down for a few hours. I always managed to charge at every resupply stop.

 

 

Exchanging gear along the way

Imagine. You’re in the middle of a five month hike and you realise your pack is actually a torture device. The temperatures are unseasonably low and you really need an extra layer. Your socks have more holes than thread. Perhaps your shoes die an early death. Or your inflatable mat keeps deflating. And of course your water filter clogs up much too quickly and you want to try another product altogether. 

You need new gear.

Difficult? You’re on the PCT, so the answer is no. It’s actually pretty easy to exchange things when you’re already on trail. There are many small outfitters in resupply towns and they tend to know what PCT hikers want. The Sierras have ski towns with lots of gear. REI is often just a hitch away. 

If you’re after anything more specialist, all of the small cottage US gear companies are happy to post orders to hostels or post offices along the trail, using General Delivery (check the USPS website that the post office in the town you’re about to hit accepts this.) When it comes to ordering from larger companies, if they post via USPS you can do General Delivery as well. But if they use another courier, the post office won’t accept it. You could then only have it sent to an establishment that accepts hiker packages.

 

Meeting other hikers

There’s a special thing about being on a long distance trail. There’s an instant bond you feel with many fellow hikers. All of you have turned your back on modern society to achieve this crazy thing. Even within the world of backpacking it’s so… niche, and meeting other thru-hikers often means you’re meeting friends for life. You might make a friend for a day and never see them again, but you feel this link with them whenever you think of them. You may tell these perfect strangers your deepest secrets, because somehow you know they will understand. While not every hiker will be your type of person, you will certainly make bonds with people you will never forget.

Especially on a trail as saturated as the PCT is nowadays, you will meet fellow thru-hikers from day one. If you were worried about starting out solo – don’t be. You can make friends pretty much instantly. But it’s also possible to remain solo if you wish. Yes – even in the desert. South California is the busiest section (many people will quit by the time they reach the Sierras, for a variety of reasons.) Yet you can still walk alone for hours, meeting others at water sources or popular camp spots. 

Either way, take advantage of these months of freedom. Choose the way you want to approach the trail. Don’t feel pressured to stick with a certain group, or carry specific gear, or wear certain clothes. In retrospect, some hikers regret not doing their own thing, being forced into too many town trips, or being too scared to end up alone if they break with their current trail family. Don’t. You can make new friends if you want to. And if you don’t, perhaps there’s something you can learn from that. This is your moment of freedom and you should take it. 

 

Famous trail angel stops

There are some famous trail angel stops along the PCT and many have become a key part of the PCT experience. With an increasing influx of hikers, they have become tight organisations. They often have volunteers helping, preparing food, greeting hikers as they arrive and showing them where everything is. They may accept your laundry, and tell you what hours the showers are available. Quite a few trail angel stops are closing these days after many years of operating without charging.

I went to Scout and Frodo’s in San Diego which was a great start to the trail. I also stopped by Hiker Heaven in Agua Dulce (SoCal) for an afternoon, which has now turned into an AirBnB which you can book. I skipped Casa de Luna (just a day north of the previous, in Green Valley) because it had a bit of a party reputation which I didn’t much care for. It’s also closing doors. All of these places have been around for some 20 years, and can’t quite cope anymore. Another famous trail angel home in Etna has closed doors as well. One other veteran is Ravensong, who is still hosting in Washington. I never visited but I’m sure it’s a little quieter as not everyone makes it all that way! 

Nevertheless, there will be other people happy to host hikers and visiting a few will be a quintessential PCT experience. Other than opening up their homes, you’ll find angels providing trail magic, by taking care of water caches and setting up tents with barbeques and drinks at trailheads. You may be quite spoiled some days. Some trail angels drive back and forth to busy trailheads to give hikers rides into town. 

Coming from outside of the US it’s a bit of a novelty. While I find the pampering and admiration of hikers a little much now and again, I can’t deny how sweet and welcoming it is!

Check the PCT Trail Angel groups on Facebook if you want (or need) to connect to anyone in a specific place. You can also refer to this Trail Angel List. Do practise caution, as there’s no body screening trail angels.

 

 

Towns

Most of the towns along the Pacific Crest Trail are small, and sometimes there isn’t a town at all – it’s just a hotel or ranch or one building that incorporates several functions (hi, Belden.) Sometimes you find yourself in a modern society and you feel completely out of place.

South California: Many towns truly embrace the PCT. Some have banners welcoming hikers, Wrightwood had an entire hiker area with canopies, seats and charging stations. Most desert towns are easy to reach with a quick hitch, some you walk right through. 

Sierras: The Sierra towns are a bit further away from the trail, and sometimes you need to hike quite a few bonus miles to reach a trailhead so you can hitch out. They are mostly ski towns in that area, and that makes them a little pricier but also really nice. 

North California: The NorCal towns are much like the desert ones, some small and some even smaller. You’ll notice a lot of opposites in the same towns, hippies selling crystals and young people seemingly on drugs. But as usual, people are friendly and you’ll rarely struggle to get a hitch.

Oregon: Oregon has a lot of ‘resorts’ (I would call them campgrounds), which are usually a mile or so off trail. Some have seating areas reserved for PCT hikers. They’ll have little shops and cafes, and lots of people, even though you’re in the middle of nowhere. It’s like entering someone else’s holiday and it’s odd.

Washington: Here ‘civilisation’ thins out. It might take a while to get a hitch, but the towns are tiny and cute. It’s a whole different experience.

 

Can you hike alone?

Yes! Many hikers do. You can start alone and remain alone, or you can start hiking with others and become part of a ‘trail family’, which often happens organically. Most people worry about safety when it comes to starting the trail solo. I’m going to write a larger post on female safety on the PCT (which would be interesting for anyone to read) but I’ll just mention a few things. As a general rule, most people out in nature are there to enjoy nature, and they are pleasant people who might have a friendly chat as you pass each other on trail. The least safe areas are those near towns or roads, and I would advise to camp away from those. 

If another hiker gives you a off feeling, go with your gut and get some distance between you. Stay behind or hike FAST. Don’t worry about hurting anybody’s feelings. You don’t have to like everyone or be friends with everyone. Go with your gut. 

I met one dodgy individual on trail (he was hiking but clearly not a thru-hiker.) He roared past me and I could hear him curse out loud to himself. He kept stopping so I’d overtake him and then he’d overtake me again. I passed him again just before a town stop (Sierra City) and I hoped he would hang around there for a while. So I kept on going and walked as fast as I could for the rest of the day. I never saw him again, but it certainly felt a little scary. 

 

Hitchhiking and public transport

Hitchhiking: Hitchhiking is a huge part of the PCT and unfortunately, you can’t get around it. I personally hitched 41 times along the trail, and 27 of those were done as a solo female. You can expect all sorts of people to pick you up: men, women, people who know about the PCT and people who have no idea about the trail at all. Some roads are very quiet, but all the people in the area know about the PCT and often the first car that passes will stop. Sometimes you’re at a major highway and the wait is endless. At certain places, trail angels drive up and down to the trail during busy times, just to help out hikers. Sometimes locals offer rides for a small fee. Some roads that cross the PCT are actually trailheads, so you rely on day hikers to finish their walk and head on out again. 

When you hitch a ride, remember that you can always turn down the offer if something doesn’t feel right. Don’t feel bad, even though it’s awkward. I’ve heard quite a few stories about drunk drivers picking up hikers. I have an excuse ready should I need it. If I’m unsure, I’ll thank the driver for stopping but tell him I can only accept a ride if a woman is in the car. I’ve only had to use it once. It’s not true, I’ve accepted rides from many men, but it gives me a polite way out. If hitching concerns you, you can do something similar. You can also wait for other hikers to show up so you can hitch together. 

Train: While hitching is very acceptable along the PCT, this isn’t the case everywhere. Reno is a bigger city a little further north of South Lake Tahoe. It has a REI and other big stores you might want to visit. While hitching up there seems like a good idea, it’s not! Reno is in the state of Nevada, in which hitching is illegal. There is however, an Amtrak train from Truckee (the first town stop north after South Lake Tahoe) to Reno.

Bus: There are a few times you can take a local bus. Many run seasonally and only a few times a day or week, so being able to take one could be sheer luck. Some buses can be found on Google Maps, but some local ones only share their information on their own website. The Guthook app offers information on local buses where they intersect the trail so that would be your best, up to date source of information.

Whenever you pass a road, you might find notices posted by trail angels or others, informing hikers of buses or anyone offering rides with numbers to call. In a few areas you can call Lyft or Uber, but this is rare. 

 

 

Dealing with the snow

There’s no guarantee you’ll see any snow at all, but depending on your start date and weather conditions, you may face quite a bit early on. Southbounders may start off in the snow in Washington, and as there are some sketchy parts, it’s best to wait until the snow is mostly gone. If you’re SoBo, make sure you start off with the right gear. If you don’t need it, you can always send it home.

Northbounders may have to deal with snow in San Jacinto and the Sierras.

Entering the San Jacinto Wilderness in a high snow year / early in the season

Northbounders face their first snow about a week and a half into the trail, in the San Jacinto Wilderness. If you hit this area late March or early April, you’ll have to check the Snow Report for conditions before you head in. I advise you to visit Paradise Valley Cafe, which is just a mile off trail, at mile 152 (you’ll be dreaming about food so you’ll be going there anyways.) Find out about the conditions (and if the San Jacinto trails are even open) and catch a ride to Idyllwild if there’s snow. Idyllwild is a lovely town with accommodation and a gear shop where you can buy microspikes and an ice axe should you need it. Then you can head back to the trail prepared. There’s an especially sketchy part at mile 169.5 where people have died or been injured. I did not enjoy the snow chutes in this area with traction devices and you should not tackle them without. Also best to hike with several others, if possible.

Entering the Sierras

Kennedy Meadows will give you the opportunity to get informed about the Sierra conditions. The Triple Crown Outfitters gear shop is extremely knowledgeable and they will advise on the gear you need (crampons / microspikes, ice axe, gaiters.)

A side effect of snow is snow melt – which can become another huge obstacle in the Sierras. Do not attempt to ford dangerous rivers on your own. Wait for others, set up your tent to wait for lower water levels in the morning or find alternative crossing points. Hikers have also died fording rivers. It can be impossible to plan the right start date (or receive the right PCT start date with the current permit system) that gets you in the Sierras at the right (least dangerous) time, so knowing your limits and capabilities is important.

Personal Beacon Locators: For safety reasons I will absolutely implore you to get a PBL. These devices are satellite powered and have SOS buttons you can press in life or death situations, and Search and Rescue will be alerted when activated. It can absolutely save your or someone else’s life. Make sure your insurance covers helicopter rescue at high elevation. Devices such as a SPOT or InReach also have additional features, such as messaging friends or sending automated emails with your current GPS position, which you could use to keep your parents updated on your location. 

 

Knowing your weather and environment

Learn the signs for both dehydration and hypothermia

When it comes to hypothermia, listen to your body. When you’re walking in a snowstorm all day and you’re wet to the bone, know when to find shelter. I’ve learned to recognise the point when the intense cold starts to seep into my bones, and I know I’ll have two hours tops to find a place to camp. I always keep a set of dry camp clothes and keep my quilt dry, so I can warm up in my tent. If you don’t have this, you could be in trouble.

Be careful of thunderstorms

Afternoon thunderstorms can haunt you for days or weeks and they are scary. If you know they’re coming, try and plan your days around them so you’re not on an exposed ledge when they hit. When it comes to getting to safety, there’s literally not a safe place for a hiker in a thunderstorm. Hiding under a tree is a bad idea as lightning will hit the tree and jump to you. Standing in an open field means the lightning will just hit you. I try to hide in slightly lower elevation and set up my tent near low trees or bushes. I read somewhere that sitting on an inflated mat may or may not help you survive if you do get struck, so the first thing I do is blow up my mat. (And then I hide inside my quilt and cry and hope for it to be over soon.)

Wildfires

I (luckily) haven’t walked in wildfires but they are a thing, especially late summer. You will know about them and the PCT may be rerouted. The Guthook app will show updates with the alternative route, so make sure the app gets updated when you’re in town and whenever you have signal.

Dead trees in the wind / when camping

An unexpected danger. You’ll be walking through quite a few burnt areas with blackened trees, and it’s wise to take care when camping in such an area. Probably best to avoid if possible. Trees rotting on the inside are more difficult, if not impossible to spot, but as a rule, make sure your environment is safe when setting up camp. Obviously getting hit by a falling tree in the middle of the night is extreme bad luck, but it’s good to be aware of the possibility. Also stay alert when walking in a burnt area in high winds. I’m not sure how much you can do when something does go wrong – I once heard the loudest creak and when I turned to look back, a healthy-looking tree was already on the ground (away from the trail.) They fall suddenly and rapidly.

Sun

Do not underestimate walking at high elevation! Especially once you hit the snow. Skin cancer is real and sun glare can cause major issues. I’m probably just an idiot but I suffered snow blindness in the Desolation Wilderness. The pain was excruciating and I was very close to pressing the SOS button on my SPOT device. Wear long sleeves and sunglasses! Protect your ears. Sun gloves are a good idea as well, if you’re prone to sun rash. I usually get used to the sun after a while, but my rash just wouldn’t go away on the PCT.

Plants

Poison oak and poodle dog bush are two poisonous plants you will encounter. I noticed a lot of poison oak around Saied Valley, and poodle dog bush appears after wildfires. I spotted quite a bit in South California. Usually it’s far enough from the trail not to worry about, but sometimes it overgrows the trail, and it’s best to wear clothing that covers you. Personally, I looked up poison oak images but the leaves looked so generic I struggled to identify it. Poodle dog bush smells like weed and is quite easy to spot, so you probably won’t struggle with that!

Ticks

Although more common in places like the Appalachian Trail, you can also find them along the PCT. Check your sock line and groin, they like to nibble you in dark places. I noticed them in the Oregon area and got bitten by one just north of Saied Valley. I want to add a personal warning for those that might get antibiotics to treat a tick bite. Antibiotics make you sensitive to the sun and you can’t underestimate walking at high elevation. I’m sure what happened to me is rare, but antibiotics and exposure to UV from the sun can cause photo-onycholysis, which is when your nails separate from their nail beds. It happened to both my thumbnails, and it was a very painful process.

Deer

Deer are of course harmless and cute, but some hikers do grow to resent them. Why? They have this thing for salt which means they like to lick your pee. They can make a lot of noise when they’re busy getting their electrolytes in the middle of the night. So don’t pee too close to your tent. I’ve even heard stories of deer trying to steal food bags from underneath people’s heads while they were cowboy camping. Not to worry though, this is pretty rare!

 

 

Bear canisters

Bear canisters are there to protect bears from humans, and you’re required to keep anything that smells in it. This includes food and toiletries. There are two places where you’ll need to carry a bear canister.

Sierras: between Kennedy Meadows (south) and Sonora Pass.

You can have someone mail your bear can to Kennedy Meadows, buy one at Triple Crown Outfitters or rent one from the same store. If you rent, you can leave it at a resort and pack station near Sonora Pass, which is confusingly called Kennedy Meadows North. Southbounders can arrange the same thing, and you should organise this through the Triple Crown Outfitters website.

If you carry your own canister, you’ll probably carry it a little longer, to South Lake Tahoe, 75 miles north of Sonora Pass. From there you can mail it home from the post office.

Lassen National Park: Lassen NP in Northern California also requires a bear can if you decide to camp within this stretch. But since it’s only 20 miles, your best bet is just to walk through in a day, and camp outside of this area.

 

Health

Food: Many thru-hikers have a bad habit of eating calorie-dense crap. Cookies, sweets, chocolate and highly processed dried foods. You’ll find you need to consume a lot of calories which are difficult to find in packable options, so eating multiple Snickers every day starts to make sense. Many hikers will say, ‘I’ll burn it off anyways’, which shows people’s problematic relationship with food and body image, because ‘skinny’ isn’t synonymous with ‘healthy’.

When you’re exercising as much as you are on a long distance trail, your body needs the right nutrients to be able to do so. You don’t see athletes surviving on M&Ms during the Olympics, and there’s a reason for that. Getting the right nutrients is going to help fight inflammation and will decrease your chance of injury – it’ll help your body heal faster from all that exercise every day!

If you’re able to dehydrate quality food beforehand and send yourself resupply boxes, you’re well ahead of everyone else. But if that’s not something you can or are able to do, here are a few personal tips for items to look out for in the supermarket to supplement your food bag:

• Small olive oil bottles (healthy fatty oils are very important for your heart – I once read you could do permanent damage and olive oil is an easy and lightweight way to add some to your diet)
• Nuts and dried fruit, figs, prunes
• Olive packets (they are oily and taste gorgeous)
• Semi-dried tomato packets
• Dehydrated beans and hummus
• Tuna packets
• Carry some fresh fruit or veg on your first day out of town 
• And eat as much fruit and veg in town as you can (on top of everything else you’ll be eating!)

 

Have a look at the ingredients for these foods as well. A lot of pre-packaged foods are swimming with preservatives. I noticed certain brands of tuna packets having a lot less crap in them than others!

Physical health: If you’re new to long distance hiking, remember to be nice to your body. Especially the first few weeks. Start slow if you’re struggling. Take care of your feet. Take more zero’s if you must. Don’t think you need to run along with the fast pack if your body is protesting. Chances are you’ll stretch yourself into a long term injury that will haunt you for the rest of the trail. Or force you to leave altogether. If you think your shoes are creating issues, try different ones. Your feet may swell up several sizes, so get the right size. (But don’t get a size too big – that can also prove a bad mistake.)

As a rule: listen to your body. It talks to you, always.

 

 

Leave No Trace

You’ll be wild camping and walking for months through fragile, preserved areas, so practise these ‘LNT’ principles:

• Plan ahead and prepare.
• Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
• Dispose of waste properly.
• Leave what you find.
• Minimize campfire impacts.
• Respect wildlife.
• Be considerate of other visitors.

 

The three things I want to highlight is to take your trash with you (carry your trash in a ziplock bag and dispose of it in town), camp on durable surfaces and look after your waste! Never poo and hide it under rocks. Just imagine setting up your tent, grabbing a rock for extra security and finding someone else’s shit attached to the bottom. It happens and it’s truly awful. Get a trowel so you can dig a hole, poo in it, and close it back up. You have to pack out any toilet paper and baby wipes that you use, so keep a ziplock bag for this. Don’t worry, you get used to it quickly!

When it comes to camp spots, you’ll find the Guthook app mentioning lots of good ones. As a rule, make sure you’re camping on dirt. If you’re on grass, you’re likely in a beautiful meadow – a place where unfortunately, you’re not allowed to camp. These surfaces are too fragile to take hundreds of hiker tents and footfall and would be ruined in months if people were to set up camp. So stick to dirt and you’ll be fine.

Thru-hikers are generally good at LNT. We’re out in nature so long that we understand the impact we make and we have educated ourselves to know what to do. You can see the difference when you hit more popular trails like the JMT. You’ll notice more trash and poorly disposed of human waste and it’s quite sad. Our nature is only too precious these days. Do your business well away from water sources and leave everything behind the way you found it.

 

I hope these posts are helping you prepare for the adventure of a lifetime! Next time I will discuss my food and resupply strategy.