Long distance hiking advice?

[Rick]

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.

Where do you think the money came from to buy the land? I can point out a lot of trails that what you've said is true. I can also show you twice that many that the funds do pay for.

It is really sad you buy into the propaganda and regurgitate everything you here from your ruling class like a parrot.

Hell, son, I AM the ruling class.

Was it not you who stated on this very thread your frustrations of having to buy a permit for everything?

Nope. It was not me. Time to work on those comprehension skills.

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....

Ssshhhh. This is too much fun.

[RandyRhoads]

Whoa why'd my quote pop up as WildThang haha..

[crashdive123]

Whoa why'd my quote pop up as WildThang haha..

Rick just likes to keep people on his toes.

[Rick]

What? Looks fine to me......

[thefemalesurvivalist]

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?

The PCT permit is easy. While you're getting that, have them add a JMT sticker to it, an automatic permit (I think it costs a few bucks) sence you are hiking the PCT.

I hiked the PCT middle section with a guy who had already done the desert the year before. We did Sonora Pass to Crater Lake. The next year he was going to finish the last third of the trail, completing it in Canada. I decided to get the first 1,000 done, then meet him, so we could finish together. So, from July 14 2000, to September 14, 2001, I did the trail, taking the winter off...cause, really, you can't do much of the PCT in winter due to high elevations and snow.

The PCT is 2,678 miles, give or take. If I hike alone, I do a lot of miles cause I hate sitting in camp doing nothing, but if I hike with someone slower, we have coffee, breakfast, etc.
My journals can be read from my home page at www.trailquest.net/BRindex.html

People hiking the PCT wear trail runners mainly because of how hot the desert gets. And, remember they say a pound on the foot is like 5 on the back. So, if your heavy boots weigh 5 pounds, that's like an additional 25 on the back. I've used high top trail runners and prefer them because gaiters make me hot. Others sware by them. You'll soon learn what you like and hate. The AT, you'll see way more newbies, which means heavier, cheaper gear. A lot of hikers passing through Damascus, Virgina, about 425 miles from the southern terminus, will swap out gear, dropping serious money at the outfitters there. I would definitely plan on using hiking poles, many ended up buying them on trail after their knees were killing them. Makes a good weapon too if some day hiker's dog gets feisty.

Your waterless stretches are in Pennyslvania (not long) or New York on the AT. I used soda bottles, nearly indestructible, and picked up an additional one when going through dry places.

NOW, on the PCT, your first 600 are dry. Plan on 5-6 quart capacity. Drop half that when going through the Sierras (again soda bottles can help off set the gear costs) then pick up capacity in the form of extra soda bottles for northern California.

posting this now from the library before I lose it

[thefemalesurvivalist]

While hiking through Vermont, there are fees to stay at maintained shelters, as well as in the Whites. These fees pay for the caretakers who also compost the pit toilets.

Then, on the PCT there are some fees passing through Lassen State Park. You can pay, or hike on farther and stealth camp. One very good reason to focus on woodland colors is the ability to stealth camp when needed...like you're almost to town and all the signs say no camping along said roadway, etc. If you're on the AT and camp close to a road or civilization, stealth camping will keep you from being raided by partiers...doesn't happen often.

As a soloist, its good to be able to hike far if you need to ditch someone, or camp off trail and let someone pass by. Not everyone is a good hiking partner.

The PCT is pretty wide open. You will want a compass there, especially if there's a reroute due to fire. The AT, if it starts looking too sketchy, back trail, cause it's blazed pretty frequently. If you haven't noticed a blaze in half a mile, you may have taken a side trail down to some lake. Blue blazes are not the official AT, but lead to water and shelters or town.

The CDT I'm finding requires more navigation skills if you're going cross country and not abiding by roads, lots of water capacity and willingness to walk into towns.

My theroies on food: trail food is to get you there. Mountain houses and other fancy prepackaged meals are bulky, expensive, spicey, not satisfying. I don't cook in plastic bags because of the garbage and odors in bear country. Bears have been know to frequent AT shelters. You'll hang your food from a rafter on the AT. On the PCT you'll probably sleep with your food except on the JMT or in National Parks that require hanging or use of bear boxes ( which are on site.)

I eat a lot of oatmeal, ramen, nuts, grits, chips, snickers, simple foods I know my body can digest. When ever you're in town, you eat anything, everything, whatever you crave. Leave full, carry out some pizza if you want, then go lean. There's a huge difference between being satisfied and full (stuffed). Personally, I found I hike better if lean than eating too heavy.

But, that's my two cents and you'll find some hike to camp, others camp to hike....Its about the journey for me. The camping (eating) is secondary.
The saying is Hike Your Own Hike....meaning, there's no right or wrong. It belongs to you. You can do it

[thefemalesurvivalist]

The AT took five months hiking,
the PCT took 7 months on trail
the Colorado was 40 days

the JMT was just an additional 2 days added onto the PCT journey...one day up to Whitney, then one day from Tuolome to the Valley (Yosemite).

The Foothills or Bartram trail in the southeast are fun training hikes for the AT. You can print out a free Bartram Trail guide from my home page at trailquest.

ok,
I'll answer anything else, if you wish.

[RandyRhoads]

Thank you! Lots of good stuff! But how was the JMT only two days extra it's 211 miles??

[LDM2323]

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Nope. It was not me. Time to work on those comprehension skills.


That was a reply to Randy genius...

[LDM2323]

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Hell, son, I AM the ruling class.



You have the self centered attitude of one not sure about the education. Hell if you are then you are one of the spoiled brats that inherited the title. Doubt you have ever earned anything. No wonder you don't mind throwing money away.

[LDM2323]

[QUOTE=Rick;407742][COLOR=#333333]

Where do you think the money came from to buy the land? I can point out a lot of trails that what you've said is true. I can also show you twice that many that the funds do pay for.


Well I doubt it came from people using that land paying the buyers before they owned it and offered permits.

[crashdive123]

Goodbye LDM 2323. It is clear that you already know everything you need to know. You can now go impart your expertise on people elsewhere.

[RandyRhoads]

Bahahaha ha. Thanks crash...

[1stimestar]

Buh bye....

[pete lynch]

I knew that guy wasn't staying long. Used way too many words...

[Rick]

Dang it! Just when I learned I'm a self centered genius!! I really liked this guy. He was a great judge of character. He figured out I'm a genius in only a few posts.

[thefemalesurvivalist]

Thank you! Lots of good stuff! But how was the JMT only two days extra it's 211 miles??

The JMT uses the same tread way as the PCT for most of its traverse of the wilderness. If someone is thru hiking or section hiking the PCT, they can also complete the JMT by hiking up to Crabtree Meadows, camping there, stashing all things not needed for a day hike, then hike 7.5 miles up to Whitney and return to Crabtree Meadows, camp that night and resume the joint trails: PCT & JMT. That little day, side trip, gets the southern terminus of the JMT accomplished. People who are only hiking the JMT, not the PCT, start at the Whitney Portal Trail, hike to the summit, and continue their trail.

Then, they run concurrently until you get to Tuolome Meadows, a great place in Yosemite just 2 tenths off trail. Camp there, put everything in a bear box or, like us, ask the Post mistress to hold it for you. Make the 21 miles into the Valley, to the northern terminus, as another day hike. This does require lots of steady hiking. Your first five miles are uphill, then all the way down, marvelously to the valley. We resupplied there, got a ride back to Tulome Meadows and camped. When the post office opened, we reclaimed the rest of our stuff and resumed the PCT. JMT was completed in Yosemite Valley. So, by doing the north and southern terminus as day hike side trails off the PCT, we only needed to add two extra days of hiking to our PCT journey.

Now, while we felt fine with leaving extra gear in bear boxes in Crab Tree Meadows, I wouldn't do that in a car accessible camp ground. We knew no one would steal anything out of the first location cause no one carries any extra stuff. More backpackers leave stuff than take stuff, on purpose, just to lighten the load.

On the other hand, a car camp /backpacker campground accessible by car, can have thieves because weight isn't a problem. However, sometimes a six pack will be abandoned and shared too. Tourists have gifted long distance backpackers with goodies just out of pure kindness.

[Rick]

Randy - I happened upon this article that you might find useful if you decide to do the PCT.

http://blackwoodspress.com/blog/3852...t-hiking-tips/

[RandyRhoads]

Thanks, good information for the desert portion.

[thefemalesurvivalist]

While hiking the desert, several friends had in line filters. Eventually they clogged up with all the sand and were so slow the guys just punched the filter out so the water could free flow. For that reason, I always recommend chemical treatment as a way to purify water, ie, chlorine, or iodine, some actually like the ultraviolet ray pen, or the aqua mira (hard to find in trail towns, so you have to mail it to yourself, etc).

I used two drops of chlorine per quart of water. Strain first through a bandana if necessary BEFORE applying the chemical. More chlorine is needed for water with more organic material in it.

You can solar cook in the desert. Just put some ramen in an empty plastic peanut butter jar, fill with water, screw on the lid, set in the sun. Hot pasta in an hour.

Its good to have one wide mouthed bottle in the desert and a flexible plastic cup in case you have to get water out of a shallow pool. I used an empty 8 ounce margarine container for my drinking cup: lightweight, free.