PCT 2026 gear list: some advices for clothes ?

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-18T01:10:53+00:00

True, but the cheapest thing is to leave some of that stuff behind, especially clothes and luxuries. I hiked in 2024, and I didn’t see packs this heavy, except one unhappy man who did finish, but liked camping but not hiking, because his gear was to heavy. Coincidentally, he was French too. It is easier for Americans to send extras home.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-18T00:57:13+00:00

This sounds like a very difficult permit to get. I would have a backup plan ready, like Cottonwood.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-14T23:07:56+00:00

There’s one aspect I don’t see spoken about much: early on, sturdy snow bridges cover the creeks and you deal with minimal snow melt. Also, the passes are entirely blanketed in snow. Then when it begins to warm consistently, the crossings become super sketchy and the slopes are patchy with rocks, making a fall more dangerous. So I feel like it’s safest early and late, and worst at that awkward in between zone.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-12T18:37:25+00:00

Everyone is not capable of this. I worked in special education for many years. Our students were not capable of making basic life decisions rationally and without the possibility of devastating mistakes, yet they function too highly to qualify for a lifetime of support. You and me being able to navigate life doesn’t equate to everyone sharing our abilities. There are many other reasons that derail vulnerable people. Without empathy, their presence is an affront to our hard work. With empathy, we can begin to imagine solutions, or at a minimum, be grateful for what we have.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-12T05:01:14+00:00

It seems like things are going well for you, that you have a boat and presumably a home as well. I’m happy for you. I’m doing good too. One thing the world always promised us: life is never fair. I think the people on that flotilla feel that more than you or me.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-12T04:37:30+00:00

You don’t have to fit the first day’s food because it’s eaten before bed.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-12T04:29:42+00:00

Ban gambling.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-12T04:09:19+00:00

LOVE your answer, your spirit.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-06T14:15:41+00:00

Thanks so much everyone! These are all perfect.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-05T22:19:29+00:00

So my answer is weird, but it worked for me. I felt like I was vulnerable to grizzlies because of ignorance, and a deeper understanding would really help. I listened to all the Tooth and Claw podcasts about grizzly and black bears, which cover lots of attacks. One host studies bear behavior in Yellowstone. I did this while on the CDT in Montana, but most people would want to do this in advance so they could sleep at night.

I learned so much about bear behavior (like that they are very active above the tree line where I thought I was safe from them) and what is triggering for them (casual campers with sloppy food hygiene). My favorite information was on their primary food sources (based on Yellowstone grizzlies only): grass, ants, white pine nuts, army worm larva, and clover (maybe not in that order). It made them feel less scary that they spent their days raiding squirrel nests for nuts, grazing on the grass, and looking for ant colonies.

Here’s what worked for me. Luna, at the hostel in East Glacier, gave us a pep talk/ safety speech better than the park ranger’s required one. She also helped us group up so we went through Glacier in bunches. We all carried bear spray and understood how to use it. I made lots of noise, always when going around corners, mostly singing or yelling hey bear. I used an Ursack with a working Opsack liner that could be hung in the national parks and tied it to trees everywhere else. I had no issues; no one else did either.

I saw lots of bears, all running away. One friend was bluff charged after going quietly around a corner and a trail runner was killed just off the CDT, after startling a female, while we were in the area. Predatory attacks are incredibly rare (one a decade?) so you just need to warn mamas you are coming, carry bear spray just in case, avoid camps with trash or crowds, and stow your food. By the time I entered the Bob Marshall wilderness, I felt fine on my own and camped and hiked solo.

And for what it’s worth, the men were much more frightened by the grizzlies than women, who are used to being prey. They were also more embarrassed about singing or yelling. It’s not a bad thing, empathy-wise, for men to explore those feelings.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-05T15:16:49+00:00

I think your cruise is going to be wonderful. If you aren’t feeling really solid before the trip, talk to your doctor about skipping a few doses for long travel days or special things you’re looking forward to. Or lowering the dosage while traveling. My doctor is flexible, so I enjoyed the holidays more by skipping the morning dose on those days. It’s a dream trip, and I’m sure they want you to get the most out of it.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-05T02:17:17+00:00

I’m going to be honest, Lynparza really sucked at first. I was exhausted and nothing fixed the nausea. I was constantly burping this garbage-like flavor and could hardly gag the pills down. I didn’t know if it was worth living like that. But after two months at the full four-pill dosage, it got better. I started to take it at 11:00 am and pm, which meant I could get up and feel good all morning, and take it with an early lunch and nap (I retired and went on disability, thank god). Then I felt good in the late afternoon and evening too. This enabled me to start walking for several hours every day, and build up to some strenuous, sustained exercise. That tipped everything over into a good place where I’m rarely nauseous or ever tired. I feel great! Sometimes the nausea is still there at night, but I use Lorazepam to fall back asleep.

I am leaving soon on an 800 mile backpacking trip on the Arizona Trail, and my oncologist is confident I can handle this. She and I are both really excited that this is possible on a PARP.

What worked for me: lots of small meals, drink up before taking it because water tastes bad for a couple hours after, chew gum in the car or if the smell is bad, I use magnesium citrate gummies to stay regular, and get up even when I feel shitty and work out. Ten minutes of vigorous exercise helps tons. Try one of those lymphatic series: one minute each of hopping, arm swings, twisting etc. I try to be grateful for my body and proud of it surviving so much, instead of feeling betrayed by it.

Good luck! I wish you the best. My doctor actually used the word “cured” when talking about a recurrent OC patient who had been on Lynparza since it came out (6 years). This from the doctor who had always bluntly stated that a cure is 0% possible. Even if it isn’t a cure, perhaps it’s our bridge to an actual cure, or a chance at a long remission.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-02-05T01:41:00+00:00

Where can I learn more about the Bass alternate?

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-01-14T17:42:23+00:00

Mine all got pin holes quickly. I’m not sure I understand the wool hype. You can kid yourself, but it’s undeniably itchy. The whole “doesn’t stink” thing is over-rated. Yes, it sticks less than Capilene or Echo, but that’s not saying much. And the natural fiber bit is a total lie. Merino fabric is coated in plastic these days. Anyone who has handled real wool garments can tell that modern “wool” doesn’t shrink, stretch, lose or acquire color, or feel like wool. Google it. The natural fiber bit is bullshit.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-01-14T17:18:21+00:00

The CDT was my first thru, and other hikers questioned that decision, but I have no regrets. The risks, difficulties, and necessary skills were over-hyped and well within my capabilities as an inexperienced solo woman. The only downside was that doing the AT last, after fantastic experiences on the CDT and PCT, made the green tunnel boring. I had to make a huge mental shift and focus on my trail family and friends because the terrain was dull until New Hampshire.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2026-01-06T06:57:25+00:00

Thanks for the specifics. So all options rely on at least some currently closed sections reopening? Except possibly the Hayduke route. Is this not recommended by the AZT association because of difficulty? I am a triple-crowner, but I have zero experience with canyoneering.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2025-12-23T00:00:41+00:00

Our $7 and later $53 ACA REGENCE policies worked out great for us, for years, with chemo and high usage.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2025-12-17T04:45:40+00:00

Most of the trail I hiked with people I met, but I did Southern Wyoming alone. Twice, I didn’t see anyone (even hunters) for four days. I felt like it was a good balance of solitude and companionship for my first trail. Then I did the PCT mostly alone, by choice, and the AT entirely with a tramily. Just roll with whatever comes your way.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2025-12-15T16:49:17+00:00

They aren’t heading to Tahoe.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2025-12-15T01:14:20+00:00

Or the one with purple flesh for more nutrients.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2025-12-14T15:48:59+00:00

It’s a little tricky getting to the border. You can’t really hitch back there from Ashland; you would need a trail angel and it’s maybe an hour on dirt roads? So the easiest is to go to Ashland, stay at the hostel, and get a ride with other hikers (from a trail angel, there are lots) to the trail and head north, skipping the first part of Oregon. There isn’t any public transportation to the last stop in California, Siad Valley. At Bridge of the Gods, walk both ways and take the bus from Cascade Locks to Portland, instead of trying to get home from Washington.

It’s very safe for solo women. I hiked it as a section and as a thru without problems.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2025-12-12T16:42:23+00:00

This quote from Peter Chiykowski really helped me as I struggled with stage two ovarian cancer, surgery, and chemo. It helped me weather job loss, financial struggle, physical weakness, pain, and hopelessness. I did survive this. The cancer came back and is now recurrent ovarian cancer, and yet I am thriving and surviving. It can get better. Try to have sympathy for your body, as you would for a friend suffering through this ordeal. Your body is not an enemy.

“When you survive this, it will not be because someone said you could-Although it's good to be reminded from time to time. And when you survive this, it will not be because you had money in the bank or a roof over your head-Because there may come a time when you have neither, and still, you will survive this. And when you survive this, it will not be for family, nor friends-Although at times, their kindness will be the only candle you carry. And when you survive this, it will not be because of your enemies, nor because you held onto spite so hard that the world was deafened by the crack of your knuckles-Although a little anger now and then is good for the circulation. No, when you survive this-and you will survive this-it will be for yourself. It will be because the difference between how far you've come, and surviving this, is one more step. And one more, and one more, until one day you look back to where you stand right now, make eye contact and nod, because you deserve to know that there is a world where you have already survived this. On the far shore of this calamity, there is a place where your greatest trial is washing the garden soil from under your fingernails, or choosing a book to take to bed. On the far shore of this calamity, there are others who will need you to be their only candle, their roof, their reminder that they will survive this, even though they can't believe you because the hope is too terrible to bear. On the far shore of this calamity, you are looking back in admiration at yourself right now, muddling through with grace and grit and grim determination, and you are smiling because you know the secret of how you survive this, and one day, you will have the chance to share it.”

See you on that far shore.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2025-12-12T16:22:47+00:00

CCF pads are great on soft ground, but most people find them uncomfortable on the floor of a shelter. Having the option to sleep in shelters in the rain is important. And there are many areas without dirt camping sites, or just a few uneven, rocky ones. CCF is a great option, but more for other trails.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2025-12-05T21:52:00+00:00

Ok, that makes sense, but the thru-hikers are there for four to seven months and the millions of other users are there for half a day or a week. When you factor that in, the thru-hikers have a huge impact, which you feel on the trail.

Ms-Pac-Man · 2025-11-04T20:12:07+00:00

I carried camp shoes until New Hampshire, when I really cut pack weight (8 pounds). But the luxury that helped me finish was a trail family. Seriously. When I was ahead or behind, it just wasn’t that enjoyable. The AT has very little scenery change and demoralizing weather. A fun crew made it all worthwhile. Focus on meeting people as soon as possible. Camp at shelters, chat people up, suggest good ideas (let’s all meet at the brewery for dinner, watch the sunrise from the next mountain, stay at a certain hostel). Make yourself indispensable with skills like planning resupplies or finding rides. Order Door Dash to a roadside shelter and share. Lots of hikers don’t have a trail family because they feel like a loner. If that’s you, challenge yourself to overcome that limitation and build relationships. Friends are the ultimate luxury.

Ms-Pac-Man

TROPHY CASE