[pct-l] Have South Africans done the PCT before?

[Frank Dumville]

Daniel,

To answer your questions:

South Africans
There is no official list of hikers so you won't be able to definitively determine if you are the first South African to hike the trail.

Keeping dry at stream crossings
In 2006 when I got to the Sierra I tried to keep my shoes and socks dry for maybe 2 stream crossing before realizing that it was just not practical. There were many places where the trail became a stream, twice I almost stepped on a fish while on the trail tread. It becomes impractical to take off your shoes. You'll also want something on your feet for the major stream crossings. Let your feet dry out at breaks and a night. This didn't cause any problems for my feet.

Boots and Blisters
I did the trail over two years (1000 and 1700 mile sections) and experienced no blisters. I used Vasque Breeze boots, 2 mid top and 1 low top for the most of the trail. I have a hard time finding a good fit and these boots work well for me. I started out with a little heavier boot in the Sierra but switched back to the Breeze after a couple of weeks. I think some other things helped eliminate blisters for me. I used light weight liners with a light weight outer sock. My feet were well conditioned before starting each hike. I live in San Diego so I was able to train in the heat before starting the CA section at Campo. It seamed to me that that people from the southwest tended to have a little easier start because they were better adapted to hiking in hot weather.

Snap