Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail..?

Question

Would contact lenses be a serious issue?.. Would I need to forget them and just bring glasses?.. Do I need to make and dry my own food supplies for 6 months or can they be bought instead?.. Are cameras (digital or video) too heavy to bring for the whole trip?.. Is it worth bringing GPS?.. Anything else I'm not thinking of?..

Answer 1

Sounds like you plan to hike the entire trail. Bring the glasses! Also bring a few pairs of disposable contacts. That way you have both just in case.

As for food, you can do it either way but packing 6 months worth is going to be a huge chore. Look at your maps and plan for regular "re-supply" stops along the way. I would suggest a stop every 6 - 10 days with the 10 day being the absolute maximum. An advantage to this is that you can call home to let people know you are still alive and healthy.

Bring the digital camera and extra rechargeable batteries with a charger. On your re-supply stops, recharge the batteries! Also bring along excess, yep excess, memory. It is amazing how many photos you can take on a long hike. If you don't already have your camera, look into some of the super zoom point & shoot cameras. A DSLR with lenses adds a lot of weight.

With a GPS unit, you will be packing along batteries for it. No need to have it on all the time, just enough to mark "way points" and to navigate places where the trail may not be well marked or readable.

Always bring your topo maps and a compass!