[pct-l] Thru hiker questions

[Erik The Black]

Hi Ken, 

Good luck planning your thru-hike. Here are some answers to your questions:

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Are traction aids required starting in Kennedy Meadow?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Crampons are not required and most hikers do not carry them... but they
*might* be useful in the Sierra in a high snow year. Check postholer's site
before you go to see what the snow conditions are like.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Is an ice axe necessary and if so from where to where on the trail?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. It's a good idea to carry an ice axe in the High Sierra in medium to high
snow years for self rescue purposes. Most hikers never use theirs... but
it's still good to have one just in case. Get the lightest one you can find.

If you are going into Lone Pine I would pick up your ice axe (and other
Sierra gear like Bear Canister, etc.) there and carry it through Tuolumne
Meadows. If you are not going into Lone Pine then carry it from Kennedy
Meadows through Tuolumne Meadows.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. I was looking at getting a bag that can take me down to 25-30 F and still
be warm.  Is this a good target?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. In my personal experience, most bags in that range will be perfectly
safe, but you will have some uncomfortable cold nights sometimes. Of course
it depends on your own body. Some people sleep warmer or colder than others.
But generally anything in the 15 degree to 30 degree range should be
suitable for a thru-hike on the PCT from April through September.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. I was planning on using a Neoair for my pad.  Any thoughts on this
surviving the trip or parts of the trip (say North of Kennedy Meadows)?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. I haven't tried the Neo Air on the trail, but I have tried it out in the
store and my impression is that it is lightweight but flimsy. So you can
probably expect it to pop a lot (unless you are sleeping inside a tent with
a good floor).

I use a Thermarest Prolite and love it... but it pops a lot too. I just
bought a new one because my old one was so covered in colored patches that
it looked like it had measles. You definitely want to carry the patch kit.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. About how many pairs of footwear should I budget for the thru hike?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. If you get heavy duty shoes (like the Merrel Moab Ventilators I wear) you
can do it on three pairs. If you go with lighter-weight trail runners (like
New Balances and Montrails) you're looking at around five pairs.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. Is good replacement footwear easy to do on the trail or do I need to plan
on shipping myself some on the hike?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. As long as you don't have a weird sized or shaped foot you can usually
find some place every 500 miles to get some shoes (or order them online and
have them shipped). But, if you are like me and you have a hard time finding
shoes that fit - it's better to buy them all in advance and have somebody
ship them to you... Because you never know what kind of selection will be
available along the way.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. I will probably be using my esbit stove along the trail I'm guessing I
will need to plan on shipping myself tabs along the way.  Am I correct in
this assumption?
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Esbits are not easy to find along the trail so you will need to mail
them. The good thing is that you can send them with your food packages or in
your bounce box.

------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q. I've seen a lot of estimates for cost to hike the trail and while I admit
it's going to vary from person to person, how much should I budget for
assuming I have all my gear to start out with?  If you could break this into
approximate $ for food, hostels, etc and resupply gear (shoes/socks/anything
that breaks) it would be helpful.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
A. Right around $5000 USD. 

Travel to and from trail:  $500
Hotels (20 nights):        $1000
Trail Food ($10 a day):    $1500
Town Food ($50 per stop):  $1000
Replacement Gear:          $500
Misc/Entertainment:        $500
                          -----
                          $5,000

If you have any other questions feel free to email me.

Happy trails!
Erik the Black
 
Maps & Ultralight Trail Guides - By Blackwoods Press
----------------------------------------------------
* Pacific Crest Trail Atlas 2nd Edition
http://www.blackwoodspress.com/pct/atlas/ 

* NEW! Pacific Crest Trail Wall Map
http://www.blackwoodspress.com/pct/map/

* John Muir Trail Atlas (Coming Spring '10)
http://www.blackwoodspress.com/jmt/atlas/
 
* FREE Ultralight Gear Planner Tool
http://www.blackwoodspress.com/bonuses/gearplanner.htm
 

.

-----Original Message-----
From: krb84108 at yahoo.com [mailto:krb84108 at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Thursday, January 14, 2010 7:42 AM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] Thru hiker questions

Hello everyone!

I am looking at doing a thru hike in 2011 and I'd like to start getting
budget/gear list together.  I have found a lot of information already but
wanted to talk to more people who have actually done it.  I bought an older
version of Yogi's handbook and am probably going to get the PCT Atlas but
wanted to get more beta and thoughts than what are provided in these guides.

-Are traction aids required starting in Kennedy Meadow?
-If so would Katoohla Micro Spikes meet this need?
-Is an ice axe necessary and if so from where to where on the trail?
-I was looking at getting a bag that can take me down to 25-30 F and still
be warm.  Is this a good target?
-I was planning on using a Neoair for my pad.  Any thoughts on this
surviving the trip or parts of the trip (say North of Kennedy Meadows)?
-About how many pairs of footwear should I budget for the thru hike?
-Is good replacement footwear easy to do on the trail or do I need to plan
on shipping myself some on the hike?
-I will probably be using my esbit stove along the trail I'm guessing I will
need to plan on shipping myself tabs along the way.  Am I correct in this
assumption?
-I've seen a lot of estimates for cost to hike the trail and while I admit
it's going to vary from person to person, how much should I budget for
assuming I have all my gear to start out with?  If you could break this into
approximate $ for food, hostels, etc  and resupply gear
(shoes/socks/anything that breaks) it would be helpful. 

Thanks in advance for any help.  If I'm posting this in the wrong place
please point me in the right direction.

Best

Ken