(Part 2) Top products from r/PacificCrestTrail

A different perspective: if you like wearing shorts but you also need protection for your legs, there are good options for individual problems:

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SUN:

If you are just worried about sun protection, get some cheep cotton pajamas, bar non the best, most comfortable sun protection. Just dont expect these to provide warmth or dry fast. Also slow drying cotton is great for getting wet at a water source to keep you cool for you next miles.

Sun Protection in the Desert: https://www.amazon.com/CYZ-Womens-Cotton-Pajama-Pants-VoileSilverStripe-L/dp/B076F8TMRD/ref=sr_1_15?dchild=1&keywords=pajama+bottoms+cotton&psc=1&qid=1571767226&sr=8-15 $12.00

WIND:

https://www.amazon.com/Body-Wrappers-Ripstop-Pants-Black/dp/B0002UR7SQ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=dance+pants+nylon&psc=1&qid=1571767509&sr=8-1 $18.00

Enlightened Equipment and Montbell make good ones too.

COLD:

Leggings/tights/long underwear. Pretty self explanatory, many many brands available.

https://www.amazon.com/Cuddl-Duds-ClimateRight-Underwear-Leggings/dp/B077T671HN $25.00

If your worried about scratchies / are doing a decent amount of bushwacking then your going to want some hiking pants like the author listed.

The Book Appalachian Trials by Zach Davis is about the AT, but it has some good information about the pros and cons of hiking with a partner, as well as what is necessary to make it work, that are applicable to any long trail. It covers the topic better than any other "how to" book of long distance hiking I've looked at does.

Another set of books that is also AT specific but still probably relevant are the Barefoot Sister's duology of books about yo-yoing the AT together- Southbound and Walking Home. They definitely had some blowups/fights along the way (some of which ended in tears), and the books are surprisingly honest in their descriptions of this psychologically difficult aspect of thru-hiking.

There is no guarantee that you guys are going to be compatible thru-hiking partners. And even if you are, it is still going to take willingness and effort from both of you to make it happen successfully. And even then, you're probably still going to have a couple of (potentially nasty) disagreements along the way. I agree with the others that working up to a thru-hike through some (relatively) shorter hikes that still require you to spend a lot of time with your SO is a good idea.

But don't just discount the idea because it is difficult or because you find major obstacles along the way to making it happen- being able to do something like this with your SO is a great way to become even closer with that person.

Your main concern should be what to wear for the desert and the High Sierra, since that's when you're most at the mercy of the sun. After that, you can mix it up or wear something cheapo because even though the sun is strong and it's still hot, it's not as insane as in the first 1000 miles. Also the bugs aren't a huge issue after mile 1200 or so, except for Oregon depending on arrival time and year.

You really really want sun protection in the first 1000 miles, so get a long-sleeve shirt. Nylon doesn't start to smell as bad as polyester and merino wool won't last for a PCT thru-hike (my SmartWool t-shirt was torn up after 400 miles on the AT last summer; my friend Bow on the PCT in 2013 said he got 1100 miles out of his before it was basically disintegrating). People use button-down, long-sleeve nylon or blend shirts a lot and to me that makes the most sense. I wore an Ex Officio Air Strip Lite LS shirt, purchased on eBay, and wore it with the sleeves down during the day and rolled up in the early mornings and evenings, when the sun wasn't so direct but it was still warm out. It's loose, vents well, keeps your skin in the shade, wicks moisture ... all the good things for desert and high-altitude sunny hiking.

Maybe both read, I Promise Not to Suffer: A Fool For Love Hikes the Pacific Crest Trail https://www.amazon.com/dp/1594857458/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_unqOwb18DNSYK

There are things you know you know... 1+1=2

There are things you know you don't know... square root of 1 is?

Then there are things you don't know you don't know... I wasn't even aware there was a hiking trail going from ME to CA.

Yeah, it can be hard finding out that 3rd one. As a college student have they taught you how to google?

I'm not joking: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+hike+the+pacific+crest+trail

> Any tidbit of advice

Yes, read the PCTA's FAQ which answers all your questions... https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/thruhiker-faq/

Read Ray Jardine's book: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Backpacking-Jardines-Lightweight-Hiking/dp/0963235931

Read the 1000's of other books on how to backpack.

Watch the tons of hiking "movies". https://www.backpacker.com/stories/the-best-books-movies-about-thru-hiking (that is a tiny portion of all the content out there)

Read the dozens of posts on this very forum posting gear lists (aka "shakedown") for their upcoming thru hikes: https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/search?q=shakedown&restrict_sr=1&t=year

Read this forum's sidebar of links. One of the most helpful ones are these annual surveys of thru hikers: https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/pacific-crest-trail/

[I Hike] (http://www.amazon.com/I-Hike-Lawton-Grinter/dp/0985241500) is not exclusively about the PCT but does have stories from it. It's a great read with stories from over 10,000 of long distance hiking.

Really up to the kid and the parents. There have been kids much younger than that who have successfully done the trail and others like it.

https://www.amazon.com/Zero-Days-Adventure-10-year-old-Scrambler/dp/0899974384

https://www.amazon.com/Childs-Walk-Wilderness-8-Year-Old-Appalachian/dp/0811711781/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_t_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=EM3HADRSFZ4SR9ZVYNXE&dpID=51Wb2q3GvkL&preST=_SY300_QL70_&dpSrc=detail

Thanks for the reply, that Jepson database seems like a very comprehensive source. The PCT website recommends these guidebooks but I'll have to look more into them

https://www.amazon.com/SURVIVAL-PLANTS-ALONG-PACIFIC-Handbook/dp/1387308602/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=food+and+survival+plants+pacific+crest&qid=1569474125&s=books&sr=1-1

https://www.amazon.com/Plants-Pacific-Northwest-Coast-Pojar/dp/1772130087

This is a really good start for Oregon/Washington

https://oregonstate.edu/trees/

This expands on the trees of the northwest.

Many of the plants and trees in each source are found sierras north. I dont know of any sources for so-cal.

Theres a nice poster-length, high quality map of the trail from i think natgeo. Amazon might have it for sale.

Edit: https://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Pacific-inches-Reference/dp/1597755826. They also have at and cdt maps linked from the same page.

Before hiking in 2016, I read Thru Hiking Will Break Your Heart and Hiker Trash both of which I thought presented accurate descriptions for what it's really like to hike the PCT. Not the most thrilling reads, but worth it if you're considering doing the PCT.

speaking just from our experience (me and my wife) plan on being stuck in a hotel for a week, on top of however many other zeros you planned to do. she got severe thigh chafing in oregon. she had never had an issue with chafing but I guess it was just cold and wet enough where the skin rubbed raw enough to the point of bleeding. she knew she was chafing but not THAT bad. had to use my spare pare of underarmor to make it to timberline lodge. it was bad enough where we needed to really keep it in a clean environment (a hotel) to prevent infection. All she could do was sit in bed for a week. too much movement would effect the skin growing back. There's always a chance that you will have some kind of injury or illness come at you out of nowhere. even if you're on top of everything. dont let this stuff scare you from doing the trail. just know most people brush this kinda stuff off and think "it wont happen to me" and it might not. but if you're prepared to deal with it, it makes the whole experience a bit less stressful. one last tip... I read the NOLS wilderness first aid book at the beginning of our hike. I recommend it. It gave me a lot more peace of mind about handling a situation if anything came up... http://www.amazon.com/NOLS-Wilderness-First-Aid-Library/dp/0811728641/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1451994090&sr=8-2&keywords=nols+first+aid+book

Here you go

Ultralight Winter Travel: The Ultimate Guide to Lightweight Winter Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking

https://www.amazon.com/Ultralight-Winter-Travel-Lightweight-Backpacking/dp/1493026100

Written by the guys that thru hiked the PCT in the winter and thru skied the TRT

Here is the mobile version of your link

https://www.amazon.com/Complete-Walker-IV-Colin-Fletcher/dp/0375703233
Everything you ever wanted to know about walking (hiking).

And to think I use a Zpacks toothbrush kit. 'Sok someone is going to faint now.

20 grams - holy shit, I almost collapse onto my knees everytime I put this in my "clean" bag.

OMG My clean bag weighs 8.5g.

Gotta take a leak so I don't collapse again.

These are the pocket guides I'm referring to, so far I'm gathering almost nobody has heard of or used them. Topo maps and resupply info in three volumes each about the size of an AWOL book so more convenient to handle and swap out in the mail than a stack of loose pages.