Here are the most common questions people ask after “Are you Freakin’ Nuts?”

1. Are you taking a gun? No, its too heavy, and frankly, unnecessary. For Utah canyon trips, remote areas, hell yes I’m packing. But the PCT is a “civilized” trail.
2. How much does your pack weigh? Hikers talk about their “base weight”, which is everything you need, not including food and water. My base weight is about 17 lbs. You are considered an “ultra light” backpacker if your base weight is under 10 lbs. “Lightweight” is under 20 lbs. The real pack weight on my back will be 17 lbs plus how much water I need to carry to the next reliable water source, plus how many days food I need to carry to my next re-supply. Water weighs 2.2 lbs per liter, and my food for a day weighs about 2.4 lbs. So, if I need 3 liters of water to get to next source, and 4 days of food until I can resupply, I’m leaving camp with 33.2 pounds on my back. For contrast, when I’m doing Utah canyon hikes, and water is uncertain, I’ve carried up to 52 lb pounds, mostly water.
3. Are you going to do the whole thing? My only commitment is to start the trail. I’ll go as long as my body and sense of humor remain intact. If they do, I’ll keep going. I’m 55 as I write this, twice the age of the average person who starts this journey. I’m just going to enjoy every step and go as far as the Gods will.
4. What do you eat? Main meal of the day is a dehydrated entree, supplemented with powdered Idahoan mashed potatoes and additional freeze dried ground beef. Jean prepares these in a gallon ziploc freezer bag, and I simply add 2.5 cups boiling water, stir, and wait 20 minutes. Other than that, several types of protein bars and a pound of my own trail mix, aka hamster pellets, made of macadamia nuts, sweet coconut flakes, granola, peanut M&M’s, and flax corn chips.
5. How long is it going to take to finish? Most successful thru hikers finish in about 4.5 months. Timing is the key…. You need to start early enough to get through the Southern California desert before it gets too hot, thus the April start date. When you get to the Sierra Nevada mountains, about 6 weeks and 700 miles later, the snow is beginning to melt high in the mountains. The earlier you head into the Sierra, the more snow you’ll have to deal with. However, wait too long, and you’ll be losing valuable days to get to Washington, where winter comes early in the Northern Cascades. Ideally, you want to make Canada before the late September snows start falling. Averaging 20 miles per day is the gold standard. If you can do that, and minimize “zero” or off days, you’re on track.