Continental Divide Trail Hiking Advice from the Class of 2024

Chances are that things won’t go according to plan on a Continental Divide Trail thru-hike. One of the best things you can do to prepare for a CDT thru-hike is talk to CDT thru-hikers and see what they would do again, do differently, and suggest that others (i.e., you) do.

Questions like What gear do I get? Where do I resupply? Do I need a trail family? Do I have to pay trail angels? And do I have to dig and poop in a hole and then pack out my toilet paper? Yes, you need to poop in a hole and pack out your toilet paper.

As part of the CDT Hiker Survey, I ask hikers for advice to pass on to future CDT hikers. Each of the bullets below is a response from a CDT hiker. Remember that each response is the advice/opinion of a single person. None should be taken as 100% applicable to everyone on the trail, and just because something worked (or didn’t work) for one person doesn’t mean it will work for you.

Notes on the Data

• This year, there were 213 completed surveys. Hiking next year? Sign up to take the survey here.
• The Continental Divide Trail and thru-hiking generally use acronyms and jargon. If anything is unclear, the thru-hiker glossary may help. Please comment if you still can’t find what you’re looking for.
• Remember that each bullet point below comes from a different CDT hiker (and not me personally).
• To be notified of new survey results and posts, click here.

Planning Advice

• As a SOBO, I encountered many unplanned NOBO flippers due to Colorado snow levels, so consider SOBO if you’d prefer to hike in a single direction.

• You spend a third of your time on the trail sleeping, prepare accordingly to avoid this being a miserable third.

• Save at least 25% more money than you think you will need. Flipping is more common than you think, and it’s not cheap. Plus, in general, everything is more expensive now. That 25% more will give you a nice buffer if something happens.

• Plan your nutrition properly, and account for shorter days at the end of your hike (less daylight) if going SOBO.

• Be prepared for the elevation in Colorado. At least mentally, it will take a toll on you eventually. When it finally got me in Monarch, it was the most unsettling physical feeling I’ve ever had on the trail.

• Don’t put much stock in the fear-mongering about snow and Grizzlies. Educate yourself and shut out the rest. It really is okay to go NOBO.

• Take a mountaineering course.

Attitude Advice

• Don’t be scared to do your own thing; you don’t want to regret skipping alts, towns, or side quests just because a tramily or friend doesn’t want to do them, and you don’t want to hurt yourself trying to keep up. Hike your own hike.

• Enjoy it as much as you can and be present in the moments. You will wish you were back there, even the challenging moments, like when it has been raining for days in a row or the tough climbs. Don’t compare yourself to others; you are here for yourself.

• Start with a clear understanding of why you’re doing this and be true to that objective. This only has meaning to you; no one else cares. So be true to yourself (and don’t presume to judge others).

• Be prepared for anything. The CDT likes to present new ways of suffering nearly every day. Embrace it and try to enjoy what you can!

• Do not let anyone tell you how to hike this trail; almost all the advice/warnings I received were overhyped.

• Pick one or two things you aren’t willing to compromise on, stick to that, and be willing to be flexible on the rest.

Hiking Advice

• After every high-consequence decision, objectively ask yourself if it went well because of your skills or because of your luck. Then apply what you’ve observed.

• Embrace night hiking in the desert and Basin, and taking long siestas during the hottest part of the day. I know of several people who got heat stroke from just trying to grind through the heat and getting dehydrated. Plus, hiking under the stars is incredible.

• Be willing to be creative to avoid bad weather in Colorado (for instance, there were times I had to bail out early and hike back in the opposite direction to where I bailed off the trail so that I would not have to take low routes around Grays Peak and the San Juans).

• Stop and turn around to see the view behind you every once in a while.

• Embrace and be mentally prepared for the brutality, or section hike the trail during ideal conditions. There are a lot of boring sections compared to beautiful sections, so the highs are very high, but the lows are extremely low.

• If you start NOBO early in the season, consider busing from Grants, New Mexico, to Flagstaff, Arizona, to hike the northern portion of the AZT while the snow melts in Colorado. It’s a great side quest, and the Grand Canyon is spectacular! It’s a cost-effective way to wait an extra week or two while still hiking.

Gear Advice

• Do not give in to the ultralight mentality. Do what you have to do, take shortcuts if you want to, and hike slower if you need to. Think what is best for you, and do not give in to fearmongering in this community.

• Stop overthinking it and overpaying for brand-name gear. It doesn’t matter. And especially, stop comparing yourself, your gear, your base weight, and your miles to other people.

• Bring a Garmin inReach to check the weather. Even if those reports feel more like rumors than science, the CDT can get dangerous quickly, and it’s not always easy to bail.

• If you’ve hiked the Pacific Crest Trail, the CDT is basically a wetter, colder PCT, so buy gear accordingly.

• This trail was wet. Although I didn’t end up using my emergency Mylar bivy, I was glad I had it.

• Tent sites on the CDT are less developed and almost always have sharp gravel, sharp brush/roots, pine cone bits, etc. Polycryo will get trashed on day one. OEM Dyneema footprints aren’t much better.

For more on the Continental Divide Trail gear, check out this year’s CDT Gear Guide.

Resupply Advice

• Some resupply locations require that the box be shipped two to three weeks in advance.

• The trail is much more accessible and supported than it once was. If you want to do it, go for it. Research your resupply options in advance, though. Many places are limited and expensive.

• Be prepared for long food hauls or hike fast. You won’t have access to roads and towns like you do on the Appalachian Trail, so be confident you have enough to get to the next town.

• Floss. Get that candy outta your teeth. Otherwise, don’t stress about it; only a few places need boxes if you have no dietary restrictions.
• For Boxes know all the rules (e.g., post office hours for USPS, mailing to a business/hotel, will they/did they pick up your box from PO?, Amazon won’t deliver to the post office, FedEx won’t deliver to some places, USPS won’t deliver to some locations, etc.)

For more on the Continental Divide Trail resupply, check out this year’s CDT Resupply Guide.

Training Advice

• Get some time hiking to get stronger, and try all your gear before you go. Don’t be afraid to swap for better gear. Practice everything before you start.

• Get your feet ready for road walks, gravel, and cement.

• Do loads of hikes with your pack as training before starting.

• You take yourself with you. Do your inner work, physical training, and gear research. The trail will make you more of who you already are, so try to be open to the gifts of the moment, no matter how difficult. “Embrace the brutality” for me became “Embrace the brutality! ” It is such a gift to be able to do this.

People Advice

• Would not recommend this trail to folks who haven’t thru-hiked before. If your favorite part about thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail or Pacific Crest Trail was the social aspect of trail life, this trail probably isn’t for you.

• Surround yourself with people you like and don’t hike with the people you don’t like (but you choose to hike with because you think no one else is around).

• Started as a solo female hiker and was scared to be alone all the way to Canada. I met so many amazing people, and I only camped once alone because I wanted to. Don’t stress, don’t plan, have fun, and let go. This trail took me out of my comfort zone, but I have never been so proud of myself after finishing it.

• It’s easy to get caught up in what everyone else does, such as a popular trail alternate or resupply town. Choose what you want to do; ultimately, you’ll thank yourself.

• Be prepared to spend hours and days alone, without seeing any other person. At all.

• If possible, coordinate with friends and family to hike together. Otherwise, unless you’re a solitary figure, try to talk with people occasionally just to keep up with socialization.

Trail Culture Advice

• Have fun, but know that 90% of the time it’s work. I treated it that way (like a job) and felt that was part of my success. It’s time to get up and get that hike in! Look ahead in the app (if that’s what you’re using) to see what opportunities lie ahead. Stop off at the Pueblo National Monument? Yes, please. Take the alternate to a waterfall or swimming hole? Be open to not hiking the red line or whatever preconceived idea you have. Be flexible. Plan for spontaneity. Carry a few extra snacks or candy to get you by. It’s the small things that make your day out there.

• Unless you like hiking and wilderness for their own sake, think long and hard about whether you should do the CDT. You’re unlikely to get much of a trail community out here, and the hiking is a grind.

• Try your best not to get down when the trail sucks. It is a work in progress, not a finished project.

• Please plan a little bit. These towns are small, and you may think you get to sleep indoors, but the hotels will be booked up because it’s hunting season.

• Hike the trail and don’t feel like you have to defend your hike.

• While the alts are fun, they quickly shave off considerable amounts of miles. It’s easy to take all the alts that shave off miles, but sometimes (definitely not always) you’ll miss some epic stuff, so learn to be honest with yourself about your intentions.

Quitting Advice

• Never quit on a bad day.

• It will work out because it has to. You just have to believe. Go with the flow. Just say yes. The Earth is an art museum. Open your eyes and see it.

• Enjoy the ride, a bad day on the trail is better than a great day at work.

• Focus on enjoying your hike rather than maintaining a certain pace or following a schedule. If you’re not having fun or the weather is terrible, take extra time in town and seek out other hikers.

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