Month: January 2022

(In other news, on January 11 I got my permit)

Some resources that may be useful for Sobos:

PCTA Sobo Guide:
https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/southbound-thru-hike/

Postholer PCT Snow report:
https://www.postholer.com/snow/Pacific-Crest-Trail/1

PCTA Trail Closure Page:
https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/closures/

PCT Water Report:
https://pctwater.com/

California Fire Permit:
https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/permits/california-fire-permit/

These are in addition to the PCT Permits.

Relish’s Sobo Guide:
https://relishhikes.com/pct-southbound-guide

Bear Can Rental (Triple Crown Outfitters):
https://www.triplecrownoutfitters.com/bear-canister-rental. It is cheaper to rent than to mail your canister out and then back if you rent over the Black Friday sale. We are renting even though we own canisters.

Shrink’s Sobo Guide:
https://shrinks.guide/

Artemis’ PCT Guide:
https://artemishikes.com/category/pacific-crest-trail/

FarOut App (aka Guthook):
https://faroutguides.com/

PCT Southbound:
https://www.pctsouthbound.com/overview

Facebook Group for arranging rides to Northern Terminus:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/831631250668524/

Washington PCT Trail Angel Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/311858165575088/

PCT Washington Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/pctwashington/

ALDHA (List of addresses for mailing boxes):
https://aldha.org/labels/pct

Stehekin Shuttle info:
https://www.nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/stehekin-transportation.htm

Craig’s PCT Planner:
https://pctplanner.com/

Harts Pass Snow info:
https://wcc.sc.egov.usda.gov/nwcc/site?sitenum=515

Halfmile Paper Maps (bottom of page):
http://edthesmokebeard.com/unofficial-archive-of-halfmile-2018-pct-maps/

Halfmile Trail Notes and Elevation Profiles:
https://pctmap.net/trail-notes/

Puff Puff’s Sobo Blog:
https://masonalexandra.com/pacific-crest-trail-2016/

Dan Stenziano’s Vlogs:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-7VxiEBe6NuLV95dWaK8hbUaVEBouU2G

Lauren Roerick’s Vlogs:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLB2HTh9GgKRTcCZTKb4weMrLJ4iqPYU0Q

Hurlgoat’s Vlogs:
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL4fbkIuDHKePfkZuZvXiHKjlxTHVB4Itr

This is what The Trek had to say:

https://thetrek.co/best-thru-hiking-tents/

Caveat. Lots of affiliate marketing and they want to give you an excuse to buy.

However, it is well done. And it’s current form follows up on the data at https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/the-top-shelters-on-the-appalachian-trail-2021-thru-hiker-survey/

The big change from prior years is at number 5.

To quote:

Top Tent Brands

1. Big Agnes (55 hikers’ favorite)
2. Zpacks (46)
3. NEMO (36)
4. Gossamer Gear (26)
5. Durston Gear (15)
6. REI (13)
7. TarpTent (13)
8. Six Moon Designs (12)

Compare the prior years:

Top Tent Brands

1. Big Agnes (114 hikers’ favorite)
2. Zpacks (76)
3. NEMO (27)
4. MSR (19)
5. TarpTent (15)
6. REI (14)
7. Six Moon Designs (13)
8. Gossamer Gear (7)
9. Lightheart Gear (5)

Interesting data. MSR makes tougher (but heavier) tents — better for rougher conditions and the news is they have a sweeping redesign in store that will make them weight competitive.

Lightheart gear makes excellent tents. As for Nemo, I looked at Nemo. I was planning to buy a Nemo Elite before we set them up side by side in an REI and started crawling in and out of them.

Big Agnes tents are perennial favorites. I really enjoyed our Copper Spur until I became comfortable not using a freestanding tent.

Compare with the data from 2017 (format was different):

Tents

Top 1-person models:

1. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 1
2. Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 1
3. REI Quarter Dome 1
4. Nemo Hornet 
5. ZPacks Soloplex

Top 2-person models:

1. Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2 
2. ZPacks Duplex 
3. Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2
4. MSR Hubba Hubba 
5. REI Quarter Dome 2 
6. Nemo Hornet 2P, Elite 2P

Top 3-person model:

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 3

The evolution of the survey and of hiker preferences is interesting.

I moved from an REI tent to a Copper Spur to a Triplex. My moves were driven by weight and size issues with the Triplex being the lightest and the largest.

The moves also came as I became more comfortable with a non-freestanding tent and appreciated more and more what a truly waterproof tent meant.

But I’m also always camping with my spouse (or I might very well make much different choices).

The other caveat is that about 90% of the people hiking the Appalachian Trail have no significant long distance hiking experience and the 10% who have a lot of experience are often on tight budgets currently.

So what this survey reflects is what people who really did not know what they are doing, did. On the other hand, it worked for them.