Last year, I broke down the highest-rated and most-common gear for women on the Pacific Crest Trail as part of the Pacific Crest Trail Gear Guide, but this year I've decided to include this information in a separate post since the PCT gear guide is growing fairly long. This year, I am breaking
Your Pacific Crest Trail Thru-hike Is Canceled
I tried to break the news gently, but now time for willful ignorance has come to an end. The Pacific Crest Trail Association, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy have all officially requested hikers to postpone or cancel their thru-hikes (in related news,
COVID-19: Time to Cancel Your Thru-hike? (yeah, probably)
Update March 19, 2020: The Pacific Crest Trail Association, the Continental Divide Trail Coalition, and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy have all officially requested hikers to postpone or cancel their thru-hikes. A month ago, it may have been difficult to imagine that what you may have thought
Advice for the Pacific Crest Trail Class for 2020 (from Class of ’19)
Planning for the Pacific Crest Trail can seem overwhelming if you've never done a long-distance hike before. What gear do I get? Where do I resupply? Do I really have to dig a hole and poop in it and then pack out my toilet paper? Yes, you really do. The truth of it is, you don't really need to
Suffering & Despair on the Pacific Crest Trail (Class of 2019)
As part of the Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey, I ask hikers what their lowest moments on the trail were and when, if ever, they encountered a situation where they felt legitimately afraid or in danger (e.g. when you're about to be eaten by a bear). Sadly, the PCT is more than following a line
The PCT Resupply Guide: Class of 2019 Survey
After getting a Pacific Crest Trail permit and researching your PCT gear, the question many aspiring thru-hikers move to is that of resupply on the PCT. What is PCT resupply? It's essentially the replenishment of the food (and other consumable items) carried in a hiker's backpack. Yes, it's true,
The Best Shelters for Couples on the Pacific Crest Trail
As the Pacific Crest Trail continues to grow in popularity, the trail has become home to a more diverse crowd of hikers - including couples (the days of the trail being a forever alone pity party appear to be over). Hiking with a partner has many advantages (you can split the weight of your shelter
Trail Angels and Trail Magic
If you're planning on setting off on a thru-hike, you may encounter the terms trail angel and trail magic as you scour the internet for information to better prepare you for the journey ahead. So what are trail angels and trail magic? Trail angels are people who go out of their ways to make life a
The Pacific Crest Trail Gear Guide: Class of 2019 Survey
In the second chapter of the Pacific Crest Trail Thru-hiker Survey, we take a deep dive into Pacific Crest Trail hikers' gear. PCT gear lists can vary wildly between hikers and (spoiler alert) it's impossible to find a perfect PCT gear list. That said, we can try. I've organized this post in a