PCT | To Do List
Here I am, writing this blog post in hope to gain some control over a neverending “to do list” in preparation of our upcoming PCT thru-hike. The more I look at this list, the more it grows… in exactly 4 weeks we will travel to the USA, and the tasks are not yet completed.
The PCT is a huge adventure that needs quite some planning, especially for hikers coming from overseas. This blog post is intended to guide future PCT hikers (yes, myself included) in the preparation phase preceeding this adventure of a lifetime.
“Important stuff”
commit to the thru-hike
This task might sound trivial and obvious… well, I assure you it’s not. Wanting to hike the PCT is one thing, deciding to really go for it is another. This is the first of many other important decisions that will lead you towards the realization of this dream. You’ll need to consider that life might try to get in your way. You’ll need to be ready to miss out important events like weddings or birthdays, to potentially quit your job, to let go of the stability of your current life and step out of your comfort zone.
How did I take the decision? I just knew it in my heart that now was the time to chase this dream: I’ve had a stable job since 3 years, I am approaching my 30st birthday, I do not have children, no one is holding me back… what am I waiting for?!
get informed
You’ll need to get informed about the trail. Remember to read about trail etiquette and make sure you’ll know what to do in case of tricky situations (walking on snow, river crossing) and emergency situations (rattle snake bites, poodle dog bush rushes, encounters with bears and mountain lions, injuries).
I personally started by reading the PCTA web page about the permits for the thru-hike and marked down their important “release dates”. I then purchased a guide book and joined the facebook group “PCT class of 2024” to get ideas, inputs and advices during the planning phase. Of course I also immersed myself in vlog marathons on YouTube… “The whimsical woman”, “Elina Osborne” and “Courtney Eve White” were my favorites. Be careful, the PCT will quickly become the only thing you will think and talk about for the next few months!
decide to go solo or with adventure buddy
Do you want to share the experience with someone you trust as a good adventure buddy? Or would you rather head out solo and meet new friends along the way? The PCT is a highly frequented trail, so I am sure either ways you’ll have an amazing adventure!
I always thought I wanted to experience the PCT by myself, as a solo thru-hiker. However, in the last few years, I got to know the beauty of sharing this passion for long-distance hiking with my boyfriend Yannick. Good news… he is also full in, ready to conquer this thru-hike at my side!
decide to go “sobo” or “nobo”
This is an important decision, one that will have a huge impact on the timeline of your trip… but first, let’s give these terms a clear definition.
“nobo”: hiking northbound (from Mexico to Canada)
“sobo”: hiking southbound (from Canada to Mexico)
These thru-hiking directions are likely to provide two totally different adventures!
Nobo hikers are going for the most popular option, starting at the southern terminus between 1st March and 31st May and aiming to reach the northern terminus before the first snowfall (usually by mid October).
Sobo hikers are starting close to the northern terminus between 15th June and 31st July, and will likely reach the southern terminus by late November. A thru-hike in this direction is said to be tougher because of the more restricted timeframe, and is more suitable for hikers looking for solitude and peace.
Our choice to hike nobo was mainly dictated by the permit release process… discover how in the following Blog Post.
get long-distance permit & decide start date
A PCT long-distance permit (for 500 or more continuous miles) allows hikers to hike and camp along the whole trail, even in the areas that require special permits. It is therefore not essential for hiking the PCT, but is way more convenient than getting all the required permits individually… and is for free!
The number of available permits is limited to spread hikers out and reduce their impact on nature along the trail. The PCTA issues the available permits in two phases, and the permit you’ll get will be linked with the direction of your thru-hike and your start date!
First release date (around mid November): 35 nobo permits per day (between 1st March and 31st May) become available.
Second release date (around mid January): the remaining 15 nobo permits per day (between 1st March and 31st May) and 15 sobo permits per day (between 15th June and 31st July) become available.
You can discover how we got a permit and chose our start date in the following Blog Post.
save money
It is important to set a budget for thru-hiking the PCT and accordingly save money.
Based on our research, we decided and managed to put aside 10K CHF each for this adventure, planning to complete it in approximately 5 months: 1K CHF per month living on trail + 1K for the flights + 2K of additional gear + 2K of buffer.
“Boring admin stuff”
get visa
Thru-hikers coming from outside the USA will need to obtain a B1/B2 visitor visa. This is a non-immigrant visa that allows you to travel in the USA temporarily, for business or tourism. It has a validity of 10 years from the issue date and travelers can stay for up to 180 days (6 months) within the country, with the option to return again after that time.
In order to obtain such a visa, you’ll need to schedule an appointment at the US embassy in your country. During the interview, you’ll need to prove that you intend to stay in the USA only for a limited time… usually, just mentioning “Pacific Crest Trail” is enough for granting you a visa, so don’t stress too much! Just beware that the waiting time for the interview depends on your specific country.
Yannick and I both had to wait 1 month before our interview at the US Embassy in Switzerland, and then got the visa withing one week from the appointment… but these timelines change from country to country!
decide about job
The PCT is a long adventure that usually takes between 4 and 6 months. This means you’ll need to consider what to do with your job… asking for unpaid leave or quitting?
Personally, I preferred to quit my job, because I needed a real break from everything and I wanted to feel completely free for once, not knowing what would come next. I didn’t want to constantly have in my mind a fixed date reminding me to come back to work, a date that would have approached way too fast and would have forced me to keep count of the remaining days of freedom on the PCT.
decide about apartment
The next thing to think about is to minimize the costs at home while you’ll be hiking the PCT. If you are paying rent, subrenting your apartment would be the most logical thing to do, given that you’re planning to come back after your hike.
We decided to sublet our furnished apartment for exactly 6 months… it will be there for us once we come back.
optimize insurances
We advice to look for a good travel insurance that would cover most of the costs in case of sickness or injury in the USA, including the costs of search & rescue and hospitalization.
In our case, we just decided to go with our own health insurance companies and pay for additional complementary packages offering such services. Since I quit my job, I had to take care of additional insurances required in Switzerland… and I have to admit that this task was for me a real pain in the ass… I now officially hate the word “insurance”.
get other permit(s)
There are other two important permits to consider for hiking the PCT:
The California Campfire Permit: intended to educate hikers about campfire restrictions and regulations, and definitely needed if you’re planning to use a cooking stove on trail in California. This permit is for free, valid for 1 year, and can be obtained by simply filling a quiz online.
The Canada Entry Permit: only needed by hikers who plan to enter Canada after reaching the northern PCT terminus. You’ll need to apply for it at least 8-10 weeks before you intend to enter Canada, and no further in advance than six months.
“Cool stuff”
organize flights and itinerary
Did you finally manage to get a long-distance permit for hiking the PCT? Now that you know your start date, it is time to think about the itinerary of your trip to the USA… that means booking your flight ticket(s) and planning your stay before starting the trail.
If you are curious about our itinerary, head to the following Blog Post.
optimize gear
YUHUUU! It is finally time for gear nerding!
Since you’ll have to be self-sufficient for several days while on trail, it is important to optimize your gear and try to minimize the base weight of your backpack. You’ll get to spend thousand hours reading articles comparing gear, watching gear review videos, and updating your LighterPack.
Keep in mind that, when it comes to gear optimization, we are all still inside an endless learning phase… the gear on the market keeps getting lighter and lighter, stretching the limits of this ultralight movement. Buy the gear that fits your personal needs, preferences and budget! You’ll realize what’s best for you once you hit the trail for a training hike.
And try to follow the advice of past PCT hikers (although we are not managing so well so far): don’t stress too much about it! If you don’t like it, you can easily swap it even after you’ll hit the PCT!
If you are curious about our gear list and base weight, head to the following Blog Post.
train
Past nobo PCT hikers often advice not to go crazy about training at home, because the gradual hills of the desert section will automatically train your legs.
However, depending on your fitness level and experience in long-distance hiking, training your body and getting to know your gear before heading to the PCT might be very important to prevent injuries during the first miles on trail.
By training, we mean strapping your backpack to your back and go hiking! You could then gradually increase both the weight of your pack and the miles hiked, or even the nights spent on trail, therefore also increasing the amount of food you are carrying to be self-sufficient.
plan resupply strategy
The closer your start date will get, the more you’ll think about your resupply strategy on the PCT.
A possibility could be to prepare your own resupply boxes ahead of time and ship them to the post offices of the towns along the PCT. Another option would be to directly resupply in supermarkets along the way.
If you are curious about our resupply plan, head to the following Blog Post.
“Personal stuff”
do medical check ups
Before leaving for the USA, I decided to do a routine medical check up to ensure that everything was fine and to check if I needed to boost some older vaccinations. I additionally asked for a generic antibiotic to bring on the trail and got the vaccination for ticks and rabies… not really necessary, but better safe than sorry.
quit smoking
This was a huge personal challenge for me.
I was indeed a regular and quite heavy smoker, but managed to abrubtly stop approximately 6 months prior to our PCT start date.
My main motivation? You would think I stopped for a better health. Well, partly yes, but mainly because I didn’t want to constantly worry about satisfying my addiction by resupplying for tabac in the towns along the trail. And I wanted to avoid carrying stinky sigarettes in my backpack for miles, leaving a horrible smell behind me. Additionally, I would have also worried so much to cause a wildfire when smoking in dry areas. I am so happy and proud that I finally managed to stop!
try menstrual cup
This was also an interesting experimental challenge.
For convenience reasons that I am sure women will understand, I wanted to reduce the number of tampons and absorbents (clean and dirty) in my backpack. I therefore tried the menstrual cup for the very first time… and I will definitely bring it with me on trail!
I found it funny that the research of the perfect cup for my body was very similar to the process of optimizing my trekking gear. Once I managed to find one that felt comfortable, I needed to train and improve the way to use it… it was a cool learning process!