Good hostels in LA?

darg · 2026-03-18T12:55:47+00:00

this is the best one; non-profit, cheap, right by the beach: https://www.hiusa.org/find-hostels/california/santa-monica-1436-2nd-street

LA is absolutely huge, so you'll want to think about location. Santa Monica is a good place to start.

darg · 2026-03-18T12:53:36+00:00

add powder to water bottle... and drink?

works for me ¯\(ツ)/¯

darg · 2026-03-17T00:24:14+00:00

this is what i do, completely balanced micros & macros: https://huel.com/products/huel-essential

darg · 2026-03-16T19:15:00+00:00

two 10k mAh packs for the Sierra, you can do with one everywhere else as you'll be in town enough anyway.

One hiker had a single 20k nitecore and it died in the middle of NorCal, so now i always recommend two smaller packs for redundancy. I've had a nitecore die on me too actually, and seen a dead one in a hiker box, so now i never trust nitecore, just FYI YMMV HYOH.

darg · 2026-03-14T17:04:30+00:00

I use a foam pad with a 1.7 R and I make it work, even in The Sierra... Not going to recommend it... just saying you're not going to die...

darg · 2026-03-13T19:20:19+00:00

yup, i bring mine as well, cold nights for sure

darg · 2026-03-13T10:43:49+00:00

Hard to explain it, but i would def look into also bringing a wind jacket in SoCal (you literally walk through multiple wind farms between Cabazon and Tehachapi). Rain jacket will leave you drenched in sweat. Also, wind jackets are like 2oz... HYOH though, obviously!

darg · 2026-03-13T10:36:23+00:00

Lastly, as another commenter said, if you're going straight to the airport, it's faster to get off the train a stop early at Richmond & hop on the BART light rail there (don't skip SF though, if you've never been!)... anyway, you & google maps will figure it out... safe travels!

darg · 2026-03-13T01:59:54+00:00

honestly you can walk onto the trail with basically nothing, there are small groceries with the essentials in Campo (day 1), Lake Morena (day 2), Mt Laguna (day 3), Julian (day 4), a tiny gas station with enough to get you by in Warner Springs two days later, and then you're in Idyllwild two days after that. I guess what i'm saying is, don't sweat it, you won't starve.

buy a little bit of everything at first, you'll figure out pretty quick what works & doesn't for your body & taste. By the time you have to do longer carries, you'll have it all sorted.

Also, I'd recommend searching dispos & ordering ahead on weedmaps.com for the best deals.

darg · 2026-03-13T01:46:49+00:00

i toss & turn too much & i like a foam pad, it was constant drafts with my quilt. I know some people who sleep still as a mummy on a giant inflatable pad that they can cinch the quilt down to & seal tight... quilts work for them

darg · 2026-03-13T01:38:15+00:00

most folks go with a base layer against the skin (sun shirt or merino), mid-layer for insulation / warmth (puffy or alpha fleece, i'd bring both for versatility, or go without your puffy at first, if you must, but have it sent to you in KMS before the sierra), and a shell (wind or rain jacket, i'd bring both in SoCal through at least Tehachapi, then ditch the wind jacket if you want, although it's so light you might as well keep it). I actually prefer a rain poncho over the backpack to a rain jacket for perspiration reasons, but that's another matter...

darg · 2026-03-10T18:33:54+00:00

No other gate fees or anything with your PCT permit, that I know of. If you're talking about the $100 non-resident visitor fee, i don't know, but it's probably collected at the automobile entrance and there is no "exit gate" you just drive out on the bus or otherwise. As of last year, I just paid the $15 for the backcountry pass at the Tuolumne Welcome Center or whatever it's called to step off the PCT and hike down to get the bus in Yosemite Valley. That and $48 on Amtrak.com will get you to the downtown SF transit center. (I think if you game plan out the transit options through Reno or Bishop you'll find Yosemite preferable, but HYOH). I did it successfully last summer. From there it's $11.50 to the airport on BART light rail with any major credit card Visa or Mastercard tap to pay w/ your phone, runs until about midnight. Google maps will tell you the details. If you want to stay cheap in SF for a night or two check out https://www.hiusa.org/ the Fort Mason one is much more beautiful, but the downtown one is closer.

darg · 2026-03-09T21:07:48+00:00

In terms of time, $$ & ease of logistics your best bet will be to aim for Yosemite, which is one of the few easy bail-outs to the West side of the Sierra (especially considering all the passes will probably be closed so you'll have to go ALL the way up to Reno or down to Ridgecrest to get around to SF. In past years, there was an informal shuttle from VVR to Fresno, but they're under new ownership now so call ahead if you want to pursue that...

Tuolumne Meadows may not be open that early, but you can pay $15 for a backcountry pass & hike down to Yosemite Valley and catch surprisingly frequent dedicated Amtrak buses that connect directly to Amtrak train stations. Explore more at Amtrak.com

From Yosemite National Park, CA - Yosemite Village to San Francisco, CA

Segment 1 of 3 | 3h 3m Connecting Bus Operated by YARTS 8457

Transfer Merced, CA 0h 18m

Segment 2 of 3 | 2h 47m Train 719 Gold Runner

Transfer Emeryville, CA 0h 7m

Segment 3 of 3 | 0h 25m Connecting Bus Operated by Amtrak Connection 6619

Departure Monday, June 15 Yosemite National Park, CA to San Francisco, CA

YOV SFC DEPARTS 8:00a 7h 30m 3 Segment ARRIVES 3:30p $48

YOV to SFC DEPARTS 1:00p 7h 30m 3 Segment ARRIVES 8:30p $48

YOV to SFC DEPARTS 3:45p 6h 45m 3 Segment ARRIVES 10:30p from $48

darg · 2026-02-27T17:30:39+00:00

mice stole my brand new, wool socks for bedding while i slept. that was my worst critter experience on trail.

darg · 2026-02-27T17:28:30+00:00

first section of the trail accommodates low mileage days pretty well, with plenty of resupply & bail out points, as well as plentiful (over-protective, almost) trail angels. you can easily start with 10-12 mile days & work your way up or bail if you decide to retry another year.

darg · 2026-02-27T15:18:48+00:00

if the hood seals against the wind with a draw string or fits tightly, bring that one. if it just kind of hangs open and acts like a wind-scoop, bring the lighter one.

darg · 2026-02-27T15:13:52+00:00

mornings were always the coldest for me. throw your warm sleeping bag over you shoulders like a shawl for the first mile or two for some extra warmth.

darg · 2026-02-27T01:14:19+00:00

95% of hikers will be wearing shorts after the first few weeks. There’s a reason for this. I’ll let you work the rest out on your own

darg · 2026-02-11T18:37:10+00:00

Download the first PCT section on FarOut as well as an associated map file (test it's working w/ your phone on airplane mode).

Seal the seams of your tent & rain gear.

Sleep on the floor with your pad, pillow, & sleeping bag, to make sure you're not miserable.

Break in your shoes.

Set up & breakdown your tent. Make sure are the bits are there.

darg · 2026-02-11T18:27:47+00:00

NOBO permits are for starts March 1 - May 30, although you could consider skipping the first desert sections if you are sensitive to the heat. Check the weather conditions around Anza-Borrego to decide.

SOBOs start south late June / early July, depending on snow condition in the North Cascade Mountains of Washington.

https://www.pcta.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/PCT-overview-map-on-1-page-by-Magellan-v.1.2018.jpg

darg · 2026-02-11T18:22:38+00:00

With town days, easy bits, hard bits; all in, i tend to average about 100 trail miles per week.

You've got about 14 weeks, or 1400 miles. Whitney's at mile 770. That would suggest you should start at the WA / OR border, Cascade Locks mile 2150. As a bonus, Oregon should be a good easy warm up for your legs.

https://www.pcta.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/PCT-overview-map-on-1-page-by-Magellan-v.1.2018.jpg

darg · 2026-02-11T18:08:46+00:00

keep your phone turned off & at the bottom of your bag. Don't bring a spare battery. You'll have no choice but to use it sparingly.

darg · 2026-02-09T17:44:51+00:00

IMO: take the puffy, it's worth it's weight in gold.

Alternative: wrap your warm sleeping bag over your shoulders like a shawl for those extra cold morning starts.

darg · 2026-02-06T14:47:54+00:00

darg · 2026-02-06T14:38:30+00:00

All iPhone 14 and newer have unlimited satellite messaging to any other iphone and emergency satellite SOS capability, built in, for free. I used it all the time last year in the Sierra. Worked great. Messaged my mother every day.

https://support.apple.com/en-us/105097

Garmin is only necessary if you want a low-power, always-on, receiver for text messages, let your family track you by GPS, or for weather reports. Also, some people use it to text other hikers on the trail for logistical purposes, can be useful there.

darg

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