Water

When I hike in the High Sierra, I seldom carry more than 1 liter of water. Lakes and streams abound in the Sierras and they provide frequent opportunities to drink, cook, bathe, and wash. But on the Pacific Crest Trail, especially in the desert, there are stretches of the trail that are 20-30 miles long without water. Because water is so critical for a safe and successful hike, there is a water report to help PCT hikers know exactly where the reliable water sources are and how far it is to the next one. I will be carrying a copy of the water report with me as I hike and sometimes carrying 7 liters of water with me on very dry sections of the trail. That's over 15 pounds of water!

I am looking forward to hiking through the desert, but to be honest, I am not looking forward to carrying all that water. Trail angels often leave water caches in the desert sections and they are a blessing to hikers, but when the majority of hikers are passing through the desert in May and June (often called the "herd") the caches can be overwhelmed. I have read stories of people arriving at a cache needing water and finding the cache dry. It is easy to get dehydrated in the desert and I plan to carry enough water to survive without the caches. If there is water, that's great, but if not, I want to know I can hike to the next permanent water source without too much discomfort. Keep calm and hike on.