PCT: Resupply
You may be thinking that there is no way Tyler is going to be carrying a 5 month supply of food, water, and gear on this trip. Well, you are correct. That would be complete lunacy. Although, if anyone were to complete an unsupported attempt of the PCT (i.e., carrying all of your food and supplies from start to end) I would crown you the greatest hiker of all time. Me personally… I will be striving for efficiency which means carrying only what I need. Now that I have a start date of March 18th, I can start planning my gear and food strategy.
There are a few aspects of the trail that are influencing how I am choosing to supply myself. First, ecoregions, which drive climate. Second, availability of ressupply locations.
Micro-ecosystems
The PCT has 8 ecoregions.
Southern California/Northern Baja Coast
Southern California Mountains
Sonoran Basin
Mojave Basin and Range
Sierra Nevada
Cascades
Kalamath Mountains
North Cascades
If you would like a little more information about each specific ecoregions, the Pacific Crest Trail Association provided a great summary of each on their instagram account, linked here.
Re-supply Towns
According to the Pacific Crest Trail Association there are about 75 resupply stops. Each resupply town is along the trail and accessible by either hitch hiking, walking, or shuttle. On average, over 2650 miles, this would mean that you are hitting a town roughly every 35 miles.
Why do these statistics matter?
Understanding the ecoregions of the PCT, as well as resupply locations helps to better prepare for the conditions. Conditions can dictate the gear that is required and the amount of food I will need to carry. With a March 18th start date, here are some things I am expecting.
Southern California Baja, Sonoran Basin, and Mojave Basin will be warm. However, rivers could be more reliable for water sources due to availability of water in higher elevations (snow melt).
I will encounter colder nights in southern California.
I expect snow in the Southern California Mountains.
Snow will be present in the Sierra Nevada.
Temperatures will warm as I move north through Northern California, Oregon, and Washington with the chance of fire increasing as summer progresses.
How do you resupply on trail?
There are three strategies that are wildly used by thru-hikers.
Mail your supplies – Many hikers will mail boxes to locations along the trail. This can be done either prior to starting the trail, or many hikers will also mail boxes ahead while on trail. Boxes are typically mailed to post offices or resorts that will accept hiker packages for a small fee.
Resupply while on the trail – Another strategy to resupply at stores in towns along the trail, purchasing all the supplies you need on demand.
Combination of the two.
Directions for mailing boxes
When mailing to a post office along the trail, packages should include the label information below.
Your Name
c/o General Delivery
Town Name, State Zip Code
Medium and large flat rate boxes are the best option for mailing because the boxes are free and cost to ship is not affected by the package weight. Make sure to mark the box so it is recognizable among large stacks of other hiker boxes. Also list an estimated time of arrival on the package. A list of options for mailing can be found in my ressupply spreadsheet, linked at the bottom of this blog.
My Strategy
My strategy will be to utilize a combination of both and decided based upon whether I will be resupplying with gear or food.
Most packages that I will be mailing myself will contain equipment that is needed to successfully traverse through the upcoming micro-ecosystem. For example, I will need snow gear, ice axe and crampons, to traverse the Southern California Mountains. Gear that would be unecessary to carry through the southern California Desert for 150 miles. My strategy is to mail the needed equipment to Paradise Valley Cafe where it can be picked up. Once I have completed the Southern California Mountains, I will mail the snow gear ahead to Kennedy Meadows south, where it can be used in the Sierra Nevada.
Food will be mostly purchased on trail, unless some wonderful friends and family would like to mail a surprise.
Advantages to purchasing food on trail:
Food preferences will change. Purchasing food on trail allows for more flexibility and the ability to satisfy craving and needs at the time.
More flexibility in where I will be stopping to resupply. Changes in itinerary throughout the hike are likely, I want to be as flexible as possible.
Disadvantages to purchasing food on trail:
Expensive. Most ressupply stops are resort towns or are remote and food will cost more.
Limited options. Some resupply stops have limited options for food to purchase. I do not have a full understanding what where these locations are, but this would probably be a situation in which I mail myself a box.
Some resupply towns have limited food options. In these cases, I will be either mailing myself a box from a previous town, or having my wife send one from home.
Keeping track of your boxes
To make sure I get the correct gear, I will be relying on a numbering system. All of my equipment will be placed into packages prior to leaving the trail. These packages will be numbered which will identify both what is in the package and a corresponding mailing location available in my resupply spreadsheet.
One thing I will say is that, this plan is currently theoretical. This is developed from the many blogs I have read, videos watched, and conversations I have had with prior PCT hikers. I do not know if it will work. That said, I do plan on updating this post, or writing an additional post about what worked. In the mean time, I encourage you to search out other resources, because there are a bunch! Take that knowledge and have fun coming up with a plan that will work for you!
Resources
Ressupply box list can be found here here.
Resupply spreadsheet can be found here.
