[pct-l] Help!

[Trekker4 at aol.com (Trekker4@aol.com)]

1. You don't say what state you live in, and that greatly  affects going to 
FL to work on the FT.  
2. Take no offense to #2 here, but you're young, probably  have little or no 
hiking experience, especially long distances; so, you've got a  huge amount to 
learn; see #3.  
3. You have to be ready to hike the PCT in just 3 months;  if you don't have 
all your gear and prep pretty well in mind, maybe even if you  do, you've got 
a lot of work left.  
4. If you don't have all your gear, you've got 2-3 times  the work left; 
imho, resupply is easier than gear decisions, because resupply is  just "how many 
rolls of toilet paper do I need for 6 days", or  whatever.  
5. It'll take you at least $2,000 (10 weeks @ $9/hr, less  taxes and some 
life) to hike the PCT, probably more, especially if you have to  fly to San Diego 
and back home from Seattle or wherever; prices of off-trail  stuff in CA, OR, 
& WA are probably higher than average .  
6. Going to FL, partly just to condition, doesn't  make sense to me; the 
easiest way to condition for hiking is to hike, imho: A.  Start with no gear, just 
an hour of walking.  B. Add the hiking  boots/shoes.  C. Add an empty pack.  
D. Add a pound or more a  day.  E. Do more than an hour whenever possible.  F. 
If you  absolutely have to condition on a trail, start with very low mileage; 
hike your  hike; never let anyone else, no matter how cute you think he is,  
pressure you into hiking their hike; if you start with the pack, there'll  be 
plenty of people around, from those who've hiked thousands of miles, to those  
just like you.  
7. Go to ADZPCTKO to start your hike; or, take 4 days to  hike the 40 miles 
to Warner Springs and catch a ride back to ADZPCTKO, to give  you some idea of 
what you're in for. ADZPCTKO is where you can ask lots of  questions, but 
basically have to arrive ready to go; you may also meet others in  your situation, 
that need to start slow. 
8. I doubt anyone on this list would seriously disagree  with anything I've 
said.
 
Bob 
Big  Bend Desert Denizen
(Naturalized Citizen, Republic of  Texas)