In 2019, I thru-hiked the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) and in 2022, I thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I wrote summary posts for both of those hikes and I thought it might be interesting to do a post comparing my experiences on both trails.
Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
I created a spreadsheet to track any long-distance hike. Here’s what it can do and how you can use it for your own hikes for free.
Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
In 2022, I thru-hiked the PCT. Here is a summary of my hike and expenses, with lots of statistics and charts.
Subjects: Hiking, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
Introduction
Let me start by saying I am NOT an expert on satellite communication or personal location devices. I’m just a hiker who wanted to know what device was best for my PCT thru-hike and went down the rabbit hole of research (Google, YouTube, FB hiking groups) to find out. What I found was that there are many reviews of specific devices and some comparison reviews … [ Read more ]
Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
Here is a list of well-regarded hiking gear companies. It is far from exhaustive and I am sure I have left out some good brands, but it is a good place to start if you are new to long-distance hiking and are feeling a bit overwhelmed. Some of these are big brand names found in stores, some are independent but do sell through Amazon, and … [ Read more ]
Subject: Hiking
Planning to thru-hike or section hike the PCT? I hope you will find this collection of Pacific Crest Trail resources useful for preparing. Please note that I am mostly including only PCT-related links here but I also have a more general long-distance hiking resources page as well that you should definitely check out. If you are also interested in someday hiking … [ Read more ]
Subjects: Hiking, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
Interested in long-distance hiking or thru-hiking? Here’s a useful collection of online resources to help you prepare. Most were originally in my collection of Appalachian Trail thru-hiking resources but since I have now added a Pacific Crest Trail resources page as well, I decided to separate out the resources that are useful to long-distance hiking, regardless of the trail.
NOTE: All links will … [ Read more ]
Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Hiking, Pacific Crest Trail (PCT)
An ultralight backpack is a vital piece of lightweight hiking gear and part of the so-called Big 3. Here are some popular ultralight backpacks to consider.
Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Hiking
The Long-Distance Hiking Food Resupply Tool is a free, public Google Sheets spreadsheet I created to help long-distance hikers more easily plan resupplies. It currently includes almost 1300 common backpacker food options (including popular freeze-dried meals) with associated nutrition information.
Subject: Hiking
If you’re into hiking and are a fan of quotations like I am, here’s a collection I put together when researching my Appalachian Trail and (future) Pacific Trail thru-hikes. There are quotations specific to the AT and PCT as well as general hiking, nature quotations.
Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Hiking
In preparation for my 2019 Appalachian Trail thru-hike I came across many useful resources. I don’t claim this list is complete, but I believe it is the most comprehensive one online. Regardless of your experience level, I’d be surprised if you can’t find something new here to interest you.
Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Hiking
In 2019, I successfully completed a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, starting April 22 at Amicalola Falls in Georgia and ending August 24 on Mount Katahdin in Maine. I follow multiple online thru-hiking groups and people often ask about costs, mileage, time, etc. so since I tracked all of that I thought I would summarize it for anyone interested.
Want to track your own thru-hike? … [ Read more ]
Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Hiking
For better or worse, mobile phones have become an indispensable piece of gear for most hikers. While you can use the camera and your favorite guidebook offline, having phone and Internet service can be helpful as well. Getting WiFi in towns and hiker hostels should be relatively easy but mobile service will depend on both the service provider (carrier) and the phone that you use.
Carrier … [ Read more ]
Subjects: Appalachian Trail, Hiking
