Water caches are locations where water is stored or left out where there would otherwise be none. They have become increasingly common on long-distance trails such as the Pacific Crest Trail and the Continental Divide Trail, which may sound like a good thing - water caches mean hikers aren't forced
The Pacific Crest Trail Survey: Seven Years of Data in Review
I've been saying I'll do it for years, and now that we are all locked up thanks to COVID-19, I've finally gotten around to it - a comparison of (what is now) seven years' worth of Pacific Crest Trail hiker data. If you're new to the Pacific Crest Trail Hiker Survey, it's something I began in 2013
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 Ultimate Pacific Crest Trail Packing List
Your Pacific Crest Trail gear list can at times feel like one of your most defining features on the trail. It's been a few years since my Pacific Crest Trail thru-hike, and I've since learned a lot about what gear works on a thru-hike and what gear is better left at home (or thrown in the garbage).
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
The Pacific Crest Trail Thru-Hiker Survey (2019)
Welcome to the results of the 2019 Pacific Crest Trail Thru-hiker Survey! The PCT Survey is now in its seventh year and I would like to extend a huge THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to participate. You're all champions of life. And thank you, dear reader, for being patient while waiting
What the new PCT permit rules mean for thru-hikers
The Pacific Crest Trail Association (PCTA) announced this week changes to the long-distance Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) permit that will impact all thru-hikers. Scary stuff, I know. But why!? Why are there even more restrictions being imposed on PCT hikers? All these people want to do is go live
Complete and Final Pacific Crest Trail Gear List (Round Two)
A Pacific Crest Trail thru-hiker's gear list can more or less define them out on the trail. Typically, what "you before the trail" thinks will be best for "you on the trail" don't perfectly align and tweaks are made over the course of the hike to accommodate the newly-found you out on the trail.
Why the CDT Is Better Than the PCT
The Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail are both long-distance hiking trail connecting the Mexican and Canadian borders of the United States. Every year, a class of hopeful thru-hikers sets out on (what is many times) a once-in-a-lifetime journey with the hopes of completing the