Long distance hiking advice?

[RandyRhoads]

Awesome, can't get any better than this!

First off, how hard is it to get a permit for the PCT? Price? How long in advance to get it?


Do you mean you hiked for over a year to complete it?? Were you taking your time enjoying it or something?

As far as shoes, i'm kind of partial to my army combat boots, are these a bad idea? If they are ok, should I wear summer (breathable with vent holes) or winter (insulated and padded comfy)?

I just bought two 1 liter platypus, is that sufficient or do I need to pack more for long waterless stretches?

[Cast-Iron]

I'm not an expert on this but from what I've read from those who have hiked either the AT or the PCT, one set of shoes/boots won't survive the entire trip. If it were me, I'd examine the types of hiking I could expect over the various regions along the trail and make selections based on the best equipment I could acquire for that particular section of the journey. You may go through four, five, or more pairs of shoes if you're able to hike the entire 2650+/- miles of the PCT.

[crashdive123]

I do have my journals online. If I'm allowed to post the link to that page, its at a website owned by a past trail partner.

If it's not your site and you don't have an interest in it other than some of your material was used, I don't think it will be a problem to post a link.

[LDM2323]

Sure you can. As I agree a permit for just about anything should be abhorred by all and is seldom a rule I follow. Because it tramples the constitution and as George Washington once said "the power to tax is the power to destroy". But you can go into any national forest and camp primitively for free. some restrictions apply in some of the recreational areas and the nature preserves within the national forest they are easily avoided. Also off any long distance trail AT PCT CDT or even smaller trails such as the Pinhoti here in Alabama you are allowed to camp primitively anywhere along the trail for free as long as you are not in the reserve or recreational areas. In most cases I have traveled all over the east primitively camping and in many situations had to break some of the rules and was never bothered even when forest rangers would run into my campsite. Best thing to do is stay in national forest when you can because that is public property and there are less restrictions and what restrictions they do have are flexible.

[LDM2323]

The guy below had most of the information you will probably need. Don't pre pack meals and have someone mail them to you. Carry money and go in and out of towns for food. Judge what food you carry based on the amount of miles between towns. Hitch hike from trail to towns when necessary. You should be able to get into town every 7 to 10 days at most. Definitely read a book or get a map disclosing all water holes and towns along the trail. People you run into on the trail will also be of grave help in all situations. There are also drop boxes along the trail were hikers discard unwanted food or items I have actually heard of two guys hiking the entire AT in 3 or 4 months living off just what food they found in those boxes never going into town. Although the AT is way heavier populated than the PCT. Do not worry about survival skills or experience most people who complete these trails do not have a lick of survival skills in their entire body just the drive to finish and have rarely done any hiking in their lifetime. Your endurance will build quicker than you think. When you first start 10 miles a day will be good and when you finish less than 25 miles a day will be seldom. I have done a lot of primitive camping and long distance hikes though never being able to afford the entire AT PCT or CDT I would love to some day but I have done a lot of research on rules regulation gear and most everything that comes along with one of these hikes. So any further questions feel free to email me or catch me on here... Also be mindful of the seasons and weather because in some seasons parts of the trail could close.

[LDM2323]

Carry shoe glue. Most who through hikers (hikers hiking the entire trail in one run) say that a good pair of running shoes or light weight athletic shoes are best but I am a boot man myself and many through hikers do through hike with boots. You can make it a lot further than you think in one pair if they are a good pair you have shoe glue and you are mindful of taking care of them when you are walking. Definitely have money to buy a pair incase they were to go down on the trail maybe carry a light pair of flip flops for stream crossings and to get you back to town if you have a true blow out on the trail. which seldom you would not see coming. It will be hard to carry much more than a gallon or a gallon and a half which may be necessary in some cases but like I mentioned below judge that off the map or book you get disclosing water holes and towns. You will want to carry that map or book with you the entire trip it will help you judge many situations all to often a known water hole dries up in the dry season and is banked on by unsuspecting through hikers the book will mention this. You will never be able to carry much more than a day or two of water therefore try to never be a day or two away from it I have heard stories of the CDT that were horrible but always heard the PCT was fairly decent. Still whatever you choose be very mindful of the watering holes along the trail. Not something you really have to worry about in Appalachia country. If you cannot find water in the woods over here you probably should not be in the woods.

[LDM2323]

In most cases and in most situations you can primitively camp for free. By law you are allowed to sleep on any public property with few restrictions. On a long distance hiking trail there are actually campsites all along the trail for primitive camping and even every ten miles there are little shacks put on the trail maybe not the entire trail but I know the AT has them every ten miles or less the entire trail they are a first come first serve for free basis. On all long distance hiking trails you are allowed to primitively camp for free on the trail with some restrictions like staying out of recreation areas and nature preserves that the trail may cut through and not blocking the actual trail. Trust me finding somewhere to sleep will not be a issue on the trail.

[Rick]

As I agree a permit for just about anything should be abhorred by all and is seldom a rule I follow.

It's really too bad that you don't understand the intent of the permits. We pay our way in this country. Hunters pay for the privilege of hunting through the use of hunting licenses, permits, stamps, lotteries, etc. It helps to fund wildlands, studies, national and state forests and preserves. Permits for hiking and camping serve a similar function by not allowing overuse in pristine or fragile environments or locations where they would otherwise be damaged by overuse. Depending on the location it may also help fund trail construction and repair. Just like trail quotas limit the number of people that can start out on a given trail during peak use times. In short, they allow all of us to enjoy this country's natural resources. Not just those that choose to ignore the rules.

[BENESSE]

+1, Rick!!!

[RandyRhoads]

I agree Rick...

It's not the fee that bugs me its having to wait half a year to maybe get it.

[Rick]

It is unfortunate but that's what happens in the really popular trails. Imagine what it would be like if everyone could show up and go at the same time. It'd look like the Boston Marathon. That wouldn't be much fun either especially when you want to get away from everything and everyone for a while.

[RandyRhoads]

True, but don't they know I'm special, haha...

[Rick]

I told a cop that once. Turns out he had a special place in the squad car, a special place in booking, a special place in jail and a special place in court. He was a real nice fellah once he realized I was special. He gave the VIP treatment. At least that's what he called it.

[LDM2323]

It is really sad you buy into the propaganda and regurgitate everything you here from your ruling class like a parrot. We pay our way in this country? That is why our country is in perpetual debt? It does not pay for trail construction I have volunteered for trail services and worked right over 200 hours of service with AHTA, ATA, and many other hiking groups and everything is voluntary and at the expense of the volunteers. Even most amenities in national forest are donations. All regulation and permits and license and insurance is a way to create revenue to line the pockets of the ruling class. I do not choose to ignore rules for self benefit I just believe in being free and standing for what my founding fathers stood for. I believe Thomas Jefferson said "When injustice becomes law resistance becomes duty" The true destruction of the environment does not come from people like me who hold the up most respect for all living things especially the forest but from the ruling class you are so quick to side with who build cities and bankrupt them and instead of refurbishing them they just mow down a bunch of forest and build another one. The same people who toy with oil wells in the middle of the ocean and blow them open destroying the environment and the same people who experiment with nuclear technology and use nuclear plants like the one in Japan that has destroyed environments on a monumental level. The same people who spill the garbage about people needing to pay for everything and have permits to do anything. Like the carbon taxes Obama is ratifying right now shutting down clean burning coal plants outsourcing it overseas to dirty plants driving up the cost of energy. We are all entitled to natural liberty. You do not have to pay a fee or tax or purchase a permit or license to live. Not in Gods eyes or our founding fathers.
“Rightful liberty is unobstructed action according to our will within limits drawn around us by the equal rights of others. I do not add 'within the limits of the law' because law is often but the tyrant's will, and always so when it violates the rights of the individual.”
― Thomas Jefferson
I hope you look into this and educate yourself so maybe we have a chance at turning this world around and gaining some of our liberties back. So our ruling class does not fee us into homelessness and poverty and famine because that is exactly where we are headed. As long as you buy into the propaganda it is for the children. It is to keep you safe. It is for the planet it's green. Then the further we permit them to take their agenda.
"The amount of tyranny you will live under is the exact amount you put up with" Thomas Jefferson
If everyone had the attitude you have about this we would be regulated and taxed and permitted and fee'd right into North Korea or what ever country is s*****ier than Mexico.
“I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it.”
― Thomas Jefferson

[LDM2323]

It would bug your forefathers. The men who built this country. You should read about them sometime. Was it not you who stated on this very thread your frustrations of having to buy a permit for everything? Well with attitudes like this get ready because it is to only get worse and surely will cost more. Soon you will pay a fee tax and insurance for everything as you have recently seen with the mandatory gun owners insurance, the permit for purchasing ammo, the tax on cow flatulence, the license to paint a room in your own home, bulk food purchases regulation, bulk ammo purchasing regulation, license to hold protest, and much more those were just a few going off memory and some are confined to certain states.
Come on people. I am by far the bad guy here just because I do not want to pay to walk through public property or enjoy the land my forefathers gave to us and yes I respect privacy and private property as much as they did. I also respect the environment as much as they did and abhor those who abuse it. As much as I abhor big government as much as they abhorred big government.
How many of you have worked hundreds of hours of voluntary service for your local national forest and public trails!!!? Digging out trails trimming back brush digging up signs and replacing them or digging holes for new ones cutting massive dead trees that fell over the trail building bunkers repairing walk bridges ECT.???

[LDM2323]

People do show up as they please. You only have to have a permit for a through hike. 98% of people go to a trail head for a day hike or over nighter which do not require permits. The main reason people get permits on a thru hike is for the certification of completion of the entire trail. I have never been to a trail head where they were turning people away because so many were using the trail that day. As a matter of fact where would they? It is not like you go through a booth or gate or road block. I mean have you ever been to a national forest and a trail head and hiked that trail and camped.? You seem to know nothing of trails permits and rules....

[crashdive123]

Glad you got it all figured out LDM2323. Now, how about heading over to the Introduction section and telling us a bit about yourself. Thanks.

[LDM2323]

You question my understanding of permits when if you actually researched thru hike permits on long distance hikes you would find it is issued under the pretense of safety for the hiker. Not protection of the environment or the insurance of not over populating the trail at one time.
"Any society willing to sacrifice freedom for safety deserve neither and will los both" Ben Franklin

[Rick]

"Wilderness permits are only issued to a limited number people for each trailhead in order to provide outstanding opportunities for solitude, as required by the Wilderness Act. "

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/wildpermits.htm

"Permits to hike to the top of Half Dome are required seven days per week when the cables are up (as called for in the Half Dome Plan in order to protect wilderness character, reduce crowding, protect natural and cultural resources, and improve safety)."

http://www.nps.gov/yose/planyourvisit/hdpermits.htm

"Yosemite National Park has a trailhead quota system limiting the number of people entering a particular trailhead on a given day. This system is designed to reduce impact and to avoid overcrowding. "

http://www.yosemiteconservancy.org/w...ermits-details

Yeah, you're right. I probably don't know what I'm talking about. Thanks for clearing that up for me. Now, let's get to the crux of the post about you not following rules. What makes you special?

[RandyRhoads]

Before even reading a word from this guys I saw his location as tyranyville FEMA camp region 4 and predicted almost word for word what was about to happen. A giant speech on how this is his right followed my non stop quoting of the founding fathers....