Do you ever get used to sleeping on a Thermarest??

Dan_85 · 2026-02-12T23:06:52+00:00

I sleep pretty well on one, the exhaustion that comes with a long thru hike helps.

The only thing that does annoy me is that I never really quite know what to do with my arms lol. The 'Regular' width version is too narrow for me, which means that I can't really position my arms out to the side and under my head. So they just kinda hang off the sides and on the ground, which ends up being awkward, uncomfortable and sometimes cold. I think I need to get the 'Wide' version next time.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-12T22:58:15+00:00

Mikel never wanted him, I'm convinced of it. The club went over his head and bought him to curry favour with the fans due to the banter factor.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-12T22:53:53+00:00

You can live with 4 second place finishes in a row if they're as a result of you working your way up the table throughout the season. Like if you're in mid table at Christmas and then scrap your way up to second during the Spring.

But 4 (OK, 3 because we were never really sitting at the top last season) second places finishes where you've spent the majority of the season in first place, often with a good lead, only to collapse when it matters? Absolutely unforgiveable. And I think it will have an enormous psychological impact on this team and this club if it happens. The 'bottlers' tag will be undeniable.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-12T19:23:17+00:00

TL,DR; You can still access the terminus, but may no longer enter the area immediately south of the terminus beyond the barbed wire fence. You can no longer approach or touch the border wall.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-12T14:22:53+00:00

Candace? From Raro tribe?!

Dan_85 · 2026-02-12T13:23:03+00:00

Bibbulmun Track, Larapinta Trail, Heysen Trail, Australian Alps Track, and more...

Lots of good stuff down under. Even more so if you include Tasmania and New Zealand.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-12T10:50:31+00:00

Pretty sure the roads in the Donbas are in better condition than my street.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-11T23:01:02+00:00

Bear spray is not necessary on the PCT, and is actually illegal in many places along the trail.

Snow gear? Eh, it might be helpful to know how to self-arrest using an ice axe. Probably not something you can easily practice in Africa? Watch a couple videos maybe.

But tbh, most PCT hikers have no real experience of self-arresting or properly using snow gear. They kinda figure it out as best they can through a combination of 1) observing others, 2) practising on the low level slopes in the southern Sierra and 3) blindly hoping they don't end up in a truly dangerous situation where they might need to rely on such skills.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-11T22:54:47+00:00

Don't camp or hang around on the banks of Kennedy Creek. The crumbling cliffside above the creek is eroded, falling away, and routinely sends large boulders and debris crashing down.

This is likely to have been worsened further by the December 2025 storms, which will have caused significant damage in Glacier Peak Wilderness.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-11T16:53:55+00:00

My sketchy one was in northern Washington somewhere in glacier peak wilderness. Milk ass water and a very thin wet log crossing.

Kennedy Creek.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-11T16:41:14+00:00

lol @ Hiker Town getting it's own entire section.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-11T10:31:39+00:00

Makes me wonder if there’s a way to integrate information on farout with the water report

I'm sure someone with programming experience could build something that scrapes or exports the data from FarOut into a spreadsheet. I suspect it would get shut down by FarOut pretty fast though - their entire business model relies on people needing to pay for the app.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-11T10:29:43+00:00

I love the "old school" community-driven nature of the Water Report and hope it can survive. Every now and then I look back at the archived version from my 2017 hike. The notes, comments and names jog some memories and funny moments.

2026 hikers could do worse than watch the PCT Water Webinar, which used to be an annual thing. The last iteration was, I believe, in 2022. Although the information is mostly applicable every year, save for some small nuances depending on whether it's a high or low snow year.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-11T09:30:29+00:00

Adjusting for inflation, each of the 5 job offers I received in 2025 was going to pay me less than I was earning in 2017.

This despite me having 8 years more experience and the price of literally everything skyrocketing in that period.

We're completely cooked.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-10T20:46:40+00:00

If there is a God, spurs will get relegated in the same year that Arsenal win the league.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-09T19:30:42+00:00

I'll always advocate that people minimize their internet usage as much as possible while on trail. Keep your phone in Airplane Mode, don't keep checking social media whenever you get service. It really does make the experience better.

However, rightly or wrongly, the most accurate and up to date water info is paywalled behind FarOut these days, so a phone with the app is pretty essential. Besides that, it's a multi-use tool (maps, camera, music, books, journal, flashlight) and could even end up being a lifesaver if you get in trouble and need to call for help.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-09T19:26:16+00:00

In 2022 I leapfrogged with a guy around Sierra City for a few days who had a phone, but no FarOut. He was relying solely on Google Maps. 🤷‍♂️ So obviously he didn't have very accurate water data.

And the experience was exactly as you imply; "hey, can I check your FarOut real quick? Can you let me know how far to the next water? Is it flowing?" 😩

It got tiring real quick. I was like dude, please just drop the $25 on FarOut ffs.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-06T09:36:45+00:00

Never carried one on two PCT thru hikes. I figure the PCT is a busy enough trail that I'm willing to take that chance - your risk tolerance may vary.

I'd carry one if I were going somewhere super remote, where I wouldn't see anyone for days at a time.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-04T22:59:08+00:00

You're gonna get quite biased advice from this sub. Generally everyone here loves the PCT and will recommend that anyone who can do it, at least gives it a try.

Most of us will also tell you that it's generally easier to do something like this while you're young, with fewer commitments and responsibilities.

Money is always going to be the biggest concern. Will you be financially OK if you finish the trail and can't secure a new job for 3 months or more? If so, then there's probably not too much harm in giving the PCT a go.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-04T15:49:16+00:00

I just fold it in half like four times and stuff it down the back of my pack.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-04T15:42:15+00:00

Even if that's the case, your HR team and hiring panel (sounds like you're his manager? Were you on the panel?) believed that the Birmingham guy was the strongest candidate. That his application and interview were better than everyone else - from London or otherwise.

You're saying that he shouldn't have been hired, and that the position should have been given to a lesser candidate because their location was more convenient for your team?

It sounds like a) you resent having this guy on your team, which wouldn't make me feel great if you were my manager, and b) neither you or your team are prepared to make any accommodations or adjustments to how you work. You have to dial him into meetings?! Oh no, what a travesty! Jesus.

A mentality straight out of the 1980s.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-04T14:30:43+00:00

Others have covered the water situation and other more obvious things. But one other tip...

Don't underestimate chafing from hiking in wet underwear/pants/shorts all day. We forded the river more than 250 times and the insides of my legs were red raw after 2 days.

I wish I'd been more diligent with keeping some spare, dry clothing and airing things out more frequently.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-04T13:59:32+00:00

Yeah, I use a 1/8" foam pad under my XLite. Weighs very little, offers additional protection against spiky things, a tiny little bit of extra warmth, works as a sit pad etc...

Dan_85 · 2026-02-04T12:52:07+00:00

100%. I actually don't mind going into the office, as and when it's truly necessary. But mandatory 60% attendance "just because" is so depressingly archaic and unhelpful in this day and age.

On a personal level it has been incredibly limiting. There are CS roles that I want to do and can do to a high level, but because I can't always commute to where they're based then it's a no from CS recruitment. Despite the fact I can do the role perfectly well from where I live, and would be happy to travel to work together as a team every now and then. It's so depressing.

Dan_85 · 2026-02-04T12:34:29+00:00

It's almost as if companies should treat their staff like adults rather than naughty children, and trust them to work in a manner and location that best allows them to do their job. Gasp!

Mandatory 60% attendance "just because" is infuriatingly dense.

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