How to Not Look Like a Noob on the Pacific Crest Trai
Status can be a funny thing. Of course, it is most obviously expressed through shiny hardware and easily recognizable logos, but it gets far more interesting when you start to observe the more subtle signals — the way you tuck your shirt, or what you eat for breakfast, or your particular brand of notebook can mark you as in or out. And, of course, what counts as a status item varies wildly across human tribes. In our series “Insider Goods,” we’re talking to members of different tribes (some with their real names, some anonymously) to learn about the niche status items among Broadway actors, ballerinas, or brain surgeons.
Today, we look at Pacific Crest Trail thru-hikers. Each year from mid-April to late September, roughly 8,000 hikers seek to walk the entirety of the 2,650-mile PCT, which stretches between the U.S. borders with Mexico and Canada. Trekking the PCT, which surged in popularity in the past decade partly thanks to Wild, Cheryl Strayed’s 2012 memoir (as well as the 2014 film adaptation starring Reese Witherspoon), requires specific backpacking gear, which is often super lightweight and durable. But there’s another level to the gear: not looking like a total noob. We talked to four PCT veterans to get the lowdown on what marks someone as a seasoned thru-hiker on the trail and at camp, from the gear to use, the clothes to wear, and the places to stop for free beer and pie.
February 5, 2025
The Strategist
Sisi ni Vox Media, kampuni inayoongoza ya vyombo vya habari vya kisasa. Tunaongoza wasikilizaji wetu kutoka kwa ugunduzi hadi tamaa. Tunahamasisha mazungumzo muhimu juu ya kile kilicho sasa, kinachofuata, na kinachowezekana.
Mitandao yetu ya wahariri huchochea mazungumzo na ushawishi wa utamaduni kupitia uandishi wa habari, hadithi na ufafanuzi juu ya matukio ya sasa, mtindo wa maisha, burudani, michezo, dining, teknolojia, na ununuzi. Katika dijiti, podcasts, TV, utiririshaji, hafla za moja kwa moja, na kuchapisha, tunaelezea hadithi zinazoathiri maisha ya kila siku ya watazamaji wetu na kuburudisha kama vile wanavyojulisha.
Chunguza Maudhui Zaidi
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari
This stuff flat-out works and this bottle from Sawyer is easy to apply, lasts for six weeks or six washes, and is less than $20.
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari
Smart backpackers now combine a lightweight filter like the Sawyer Squeeze with chemical tablets as backup – a system that processes water from alpine streams and desert potholes alike.
Majina ya Vyombo vya Habari
This insect repellant's permethrin spray provides long-lasting insect and tick protection for clothing and gear, effective for up to 6 weeks.
Kutoka kwa kikosi
Mazungumzo ya Campfire na jamii yetu, kutoka kwa Wanachama wa Squad na Mabalozi kwa Washirika wa Brand na timu ya Sawyer.
