How To...Hike the Pacific Crest Trail: Gear, Timing & Strategy
The finish for us SOBOs!
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At Eastside Sports, we’ve seen the PCT from every angle, as hikers ourselves, and as the shop that helps you transition from the desert to the high peaks. We can be accessed from Kearsarge Pass (Mile 788) to Mammoth Lakes (Mile 907). At one point we had 4 former PCTers working at Eastside Sports. One who did in the 1970s, 90s and us in 2015.
In 2015, we, the co-owners of Eastside Sports decided to hike the PCT. We didn't own Eastside Sports at the time, and had no idea we would. Having a ton of multi day hikes under our belts made it a lot easier, but still, 2650 miles is a long hike. How do you manage the logistics was the question.
The reality is, that it’s simply 26 smaller hikes, each lasting 4–7 days, separated by a town, road, and a good meal. This is the key. Hike 4-7 days then rest, eat, and get back to hiking. By the end of the trip, you'll spend even more time on the trail as being in towns feels weird.
Here is the breakdown on how to turn that massive map into a successful thru-hike.
The PCTA has an awesome map of trailheads and distances. Check it out here:
While you are at it, get a permit. It is super easy to do. They are really just trying to educate you on how to treat the awesome places you are going and make sure there aren't 2000 people starting on the same day.
Timing the Seasons
Most hikers go Northbound (NOBO), starting between late March and early May. The "crux" of this direction is the snow level between Kennedy Meadows and Northern Yosemite. If you start too early in a big snow year, you’ll hit a wall of white in late May and June. If its a low snow year, you can get away starting earlier. Its not just the snow, but the river crossings which can be dangerous as the snow melts. The goal should be to be finished by the end of September. New snow can fall at any time even in late September.
Alternatively, Southbound (SOBO) starts in June or early July. If Washington has a low snow year, this is an incredible choice with smaller crowds, though your weather window in the Sierra is much tighter. Regardless of direction, you’ll need to snag a PCT Long Distance Permit from the PCTA if you’re doing more than 500 miles. The goal should be to be past Forester Pass by end of September. New snow can fall at any time even in late September. We did it Southbound because it was a low snow year, starting in early June.
Footwear and Physical Prep
Your body takes about a month to turn into a "machine." This is one of the coolest thing about doing a through hike. The first week is muscle adaptation and soreness, and the next two are for your tendons and ligaments to catch up. It seemed like something was botherin me everyday until we got through the first month. We recommend carrying a 25 lb pack even on local walks for a month before you start to prep your shoulders and back.
Take care of your feet! They will swell 1 to 2 sizes larger than normal. Don't buy all your shoes in advance; buy them as you go. A bigger size is better. Your feet will swell, your feet will swell!
The Gear: Your "Big 4"
To keep your body from breaking down, aim for a base weight between 15–20 lbs, with your "Big 4" (pack, tent, bag, pad) coming in under 8 lbs.
- Pack: Keep it under 3 lbs. The Osprey Exos 58 for men or a Eja 58 for the ladies are durable classics with good padding, while the Gossamer Gear Mariposa is a top-tier ultralight choice. Please note: We are at about about mile 700-900 of the PCT and see folks buying new packs because their ultralight packs are falling apart. Especially, in big snow years when you have to carry more weight like crampons and ice axe. Every pack is designed for a specific weight, please check that carefully. The classic is the hiker with the 38 liter pack who has things dangling everywhere off their pack. A 50-55 liter is a good size.
- Tent: You’ll never regret a Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 or 2. They are rugged enough for the long haul.
- Sleeping Bag: If you have the budget, Western Mountaineering Ultralite bags are the gold standard. For a cheaper bag, try the Enlightened Equipment Reveleation. A 20 degree bag will get you through the whole thing. You could go with a warmer bag in some sections, but you definitely want a minimum of 20 degree bag in the Sierra section. It does get cold in the High Sierra, even in summer, when storms come through, and they will.
- Pair it with a Thermarest Zlite pad, it’s indestructible and won't pop on desert cactus. You can go with a 1 lb inflatable sleeping pad like the Neoair Xlite NXT at 13 oz. Eventually, it will pop or leak though.
- Note: You can do it with heavier stuff, you will just be slower, and have a hard time keeping up with the ultralight crowd. I did it with a 5 lb Lowe Alpine pack because I didn't have a lot of money to buy a new pack.
- After the big 4, you really don't need much. A change of clothes, warm jacket, winter hat, rain jacket, lightweight dry bag and a few other items you can see here. Check out our backpacking checklist. This was made from experience after forgetting all these things on previous hikes.
Footwear and Physical Prep
Your body takes about a month to turn into a "machine." This is one of the coolest thing about doing a through hike. Your body turns into a hiking machine after a month. The first week is muscle adaptation, and the next two are for your tendons and ligaments to catch up. We recommend carrying a 25 lb pack even on local walks for a month before you start to prep your shoulders and back.
Take care of your feet! They may swell up to a size or so larger than normal. Don't buy all your shoes in advance; buy them as you go so that you can account for this variable.
Topo Ultraventures are the go to shoe, currently.
Life on the Trail
- Resupply: You’ll burn 3,000–6,000 calories a day. You can resupply for almost the whole PCT. We hitchhiked to towns to resupply most of the trip. In Washington, we mailed ahead some boxes, but you really don't have to. Keep in mind the Post Offices are closed on Sundays and Holidays. You can bring as much food as you want to carry. Don't worry, you will eat it all. We never had food left upon hitting a trail town.
- Please, please, go swimming! For 2000 miles you can swim, rinse or bath in a river or lake. From Kennedy Meadows to Canada. Rinsing your clothes in the lakes helps us locals who pick up hitchhikers survive the "toxic fumes." For the love of god, clean up a bit!
- Navigation: A general overview map and a map on your phone will take care of navigation. Download a compass app if you don't have one. Download FarOut for your navigation and keep an eye on weather.gov for mountain storms.
- Hike your hike! Wake up everyday and hike North or South until your tired and then stop and eat. And repeat!
- Setup camp, wake up and repeat until you hit a trail head. And then repeat for 4-5 months.
The Sections of the Trail
- The Regions: You’ll move from the exposed heat of the Southern California Desert, also called the Dessert by SOBOs, to the alpine lakes of the Sierra. The Sierra section from Kennedy Meadows to Tahoe is superb. Oregon offers smooth trails, while Washington provides rugged scenery and huckleberries—just make sure you put some miles in between berry stops.
- The SoCal desert - If your a NOBO, you will be fairly slow to start unless you have been really training. We were SOBOs and only did 15 miles/day to start. Then 18 miles the second stretch and 20+ miles after that. The desert involves hiking from water source to water source. Please thank the trail angels who are awesome and leave necessary water caches. You may hit up to 25 mile stretches without water. Hike that in a day with 5 liter of water and you are good. With daily awesome sunrises and sunsets, desert flowers, and dry heat, the desert can be nice. The crux is when you start. Start too early and you may be in deep snow in the Sierra section. Too late, and the desert is brutally hot.
- For SOBOs, after hiking for 3-4 months you will be traveling at Mach 2 through the desert in cooler temperatures. We were doing a 100 miles in 3.5 days. Super easy, super fun! The days are shorter so you will see sunrises and sunsets while hiking. What a gem! We were going through the desert in October and were hiking before the sunrise and after sunset.
- The real crux going NOBO is when you hit the Sierra and how much it snowed that winter. A big snow year and you will need ice axe and crampons.
- The Sierra Essentials: When you get pass Kennedy Meadows, you’ll need a bear canister. It’s the law and the right thing to do. Every year someone loses food to bears and they have to be euthanized. Don't be that person.
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- Depending on the winter you may need ice axe and crampons. In some conditions, you may be able to get away with just an ice axe, but you need to have the experience to know when to say when. Aluminum crampons are lighter, but should be used with stiff soled boots. Every year somebody comes into the Eastside Sports and has broke their aluminum crampons. On that note, every year someone comes into Eastside Sports trying to fit crampons with running shoes or low top shoes. Their are plenty of good hiking boots that you can throw a pair of strapon crampons on that are good to hike in. Warning: Microspikes are dangerous on steep, icy mountain passes. Use real crampons and an ice axe when the snow is high. Some retailers will sell you crampons that are really microspikes. As someone who has done Search and Rescue since 2006, please know the difference. Every year people get seriously injured or die using microspikes.
- The Sierra is the best section of the PCT. Alpine lakes, and scenic mountains are stunning in every direction. The Range of Light as its called. Epic!
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A cold night in the Sierra!
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- By this time, NOBOs are getting really fit. But the High Sierra is high altitude and has big vertical gains and losses. Combine that with snow and travel can still be slow. Depending on what time of year you are there and the winter, you may see ferocious swarms of mosquitos. If they are really bad, drape your rain jacket over your shoulders, put a bug net on and walk fast! The awesome scenery continues North to Tahoe.
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- For SOBOs, you should be doing 20+ miles with no snow. Either way, enjoy it.
- Don't think that you will stop having big verticals after the High Sierra. Those stop at the borders, when you are finished. The PCT is about 15 Mount Everests. About 455,000 feet of vertical gain and loss. That is 137,878 meters if you use those units.
- NorCal is nice in its own way, including the Marble Mountain and the Trinity Alps Wilderness+. Their are some nice little trail towns with some good food like Gutbuster burgers, the pancake challenge, and all you can eat pasta meals.
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- Oregon is 'flatter' and you should be able to get some good mileage in. Except for the Huckleberries. Many a thru hiker think they are going to fly through Oregon and Washington. But the Huckleberries are so tasty and so numerous...
- Washington is fantastic and really rugged. Big verticals and gorgeous terrain! Oh and huckleberries, salmon berries, thimble berries, strawberries... You get the picture! SOBOs will be a little slow through here.
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The Overview
All in all, I would rate the PCT as one of the best things I have ever done. I would even do it again.
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Need Gear for Your Adventure? If you're in need of gear for your adventures, you can rent or buy everything that you would need with us here at Eastside Sports.
Got a More Specific Question? As always, don't hesitate to call us at store (760-873-7520) if ever in need of adventure ideas or conditions information!
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