overly ambitious?

[pcvellen]

(cross-posted from trailforums.com)

I'm a Peace Corps Volunteer serving in Dominican Republic. Post-Peace Corps, pre-next-job seems like the perfect time to attempt a thru-hike of the PCT during the 2014 season. I'll have time on my hands, and the Peace Corps gives a $7000 readjustment allowance, so I'll have the funds. My trouble is this: I'm a long-distance hiking n00b. I feel that some of the life skills I've picked up in Peace Corps (and the hydration and dietary standards I've lowered) give me some trail-cred, but I don't know that that's enough to make a bid for the PCT realistic.

If I could get experience here, I would, but my gender and a lack of actual trails in this country make such a venture virtually impossible. I want to set myself up for PCT success, but I don't want to miss this window opening up in front of me. Should I do smaller, lower-pressure hikes when I get back to America until I have more experience, thereby forcing myself to have to create a new opportunity later down the road? Or should I go for it?

[pcvellen]

I would probably have a month or so in Los Angeles before I would want to head out, btw, so that I could get my gear together and make sure I'm comfortable with it and know how everything works (although I already have a lot of the gear I'd want to use because of the quasi-camping conditions of Peace Corps)

[Bill Strebler]

There are plenty of trails around L.A., and lots of steep hills. You can build up your stamina there for a while, increasing distance and difficulty each hike, going every other day. Until then, though, wherever you are you can be exercising in the meantime. I can't speak to safety, but the Dominican Republic has plenty of mountains of various grades and plenty of roads. Even if you have to walk the same 5 km over and over surely you can find somewhere to train, and if not just exercise in place if necessary. Now, I KNOW about keeping proper hydration, but in arid areas I seem to neglect it for some reason, so just be extra careful with that.

[leaftye]

You can totally do it.

For now, work on figuring out what gear to buy and learning how to be a long distance hiker.

Ray Jardine's book is a good way to do the latter when you can't get out on the trail.

Preparing your body is more difficult, especially if you're not able to get out and walk a lot right now. I'd recommend strengthening your ankles to prevent injury, and toughening your feet to prevent discomfort from blisters, but you don't need to. You can start hiking the PCT in horrid shape. You may be sore and sweat a lot, but it'll get better.

You'll be much less uncomfortable if you bring a good light backpacking system. Like if you started with a Tarptent Contrail, EnLIGHTened Equipment down quilt, Neoair mattress and ULA Circuit backpack, you'll be on the way to a very good system for the PCT.

If you can figure out what you want out of your system, there are plenty of folks that will help you put together a system. That means you don't need to learn about all the latest and great pieces of gear and the companies that make them.

Food is one of the hardest things to figure out. You'll need to eat a LOT. Probably a couple times more than you've ever eaten before. Trying to learn what you can carry, what you can find in any grocery store or gas station, and will actually eat a LOT of is a tough task. A lousy trail diet will mess you up many ways physically and mentally, so I'd devote a lot of time and effort to this. By effort, I mean to actually prepare and eat your proposed trail diet at home.

[pcvellen]

Bill, if I find another Volunteer to do some camping with me here, I'll go for it. Otherwise, my community would flip out at me if they knew. Sometimes I walk a few hours in one direction just to turn around and come back. My neighbors are always horrified at the thought and I spend the rest of the day getting scolded. I don't know if it's actually unsafe or if they're overreacting, but I don't want to chance it. I'm hoping to go on a mountain biking expedition through the mountains here, so that might help me get a better sense of what I'd be getting into. Also, what I meant by hydration standards was that I already treat my own water supply, unlike most Americans. And Leaftye, I was thinking of going for a hammock instead of a mattress.

[leaftye]

With the walking you do, you're already well on your way.

The gear example I gave was just an example. There are many ways to go. Figuring out gear is time consuming, and can be very expensive. If I were to do it all over again, I'd start a thread that explained what I wanted in terms of weight, convenience and comfort, and then let people recommend a full gear list. Actually, I'd do a bunch of those threads to whittle things down and to reboot when they inevitably get derailed. I would've saved LOTS of money.

I recommended Jardine's book, but Skurka is okay too.
http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-H...dp/1426209207/

Have you signed up on our sister forum, www.hammockforums.net?

Since you live locally, get on the PCT email list. You can also post there when you're looking for a hiking buddy during your month at home. Practice trips would be a really good idea to help you figure out how you're going to get that hammock hung when trees are scarce.

[burger]

Lots of newbies (to long-distance hiking) do the PCT every year. Heck, I knew a few folks on the trail who had never even backpacked before. So, yes, someone like you can do the trail.

If I was in your situation, the very first thing I'd do is order yogi's PCT guide: http:.//www.pcthandbook.com It has all of the information you'll need to get yourself ready, from equipment to resupply to dealing with the desert and snow. Start there.

[Geo.]

Go for it!
As long as you have reasonable physical fitness to start with you will 'walk' into it and (barring any unfortunate injury) your trail fitness will just keep increasing as you progress. An equally important thing to consider besides physical fitness is mental fitness - a lot of it's in the mind and if you really want to complete the hike, you will. The distance can be a bit mind boggling, but I found it useful to just look at it as a series of day hikes.
Hammocks sound good and I've been tempted in the past to get one, but bear in mind that in some locations on the PCT it could be difficult or even impossible to locate a suitable spot to string a hammock. I personally favour a light one man tent but that's just me.
Important - Make sure your footwear (whatever you choose) works for you.
You'll lose weight and never be able to carry enough food to satisfy your hunger! I relied heavily on dehyd type foods (weight) and eating my way through the menu of any diners I came across along the way.
Good luck, go for it, you won't regret it.