Tuesday Oct 25, 2022

E23: From casual backpacker to long-distance hiker

This is one for the weekend warriors who want to try long-distance hiking.

There are lots of people each year who complete long-distance hikes with zero prior backpacking experience. They start with little to no practical backpacking knowledge, but with a clean slate, so to speak. Then there are people who hone their backpacking skills and test their gear on shorter trips in the backcountry first, and then take on a long-distance trail.

That's what this episode's guest, Jessica Raechelle, did in 2020. Before she hiked more than half of the Pacific Crest Trail that year, Jessica (AKA Frosty) gained years of backpacking experience on shorter trails in Canada. She had ingrained habits and favourite pieces of gear.

On the PCT, she quickly learned about the differences between, backpacking and long-distance hiking: physical, mental and in terms of gear needs.

Some old habits and cherished pieces of gear gave way to new ways of doing things and lighter gear. Some things stayed the same. Since 2020, Jessica has applied many of the lessons she learned on the PCT during subsequent hikes in Canada.

On today’s episode, Jessica will talk about the expectations she had going into the PCT, the new skills she developed on the trail and the habits she picked up from other long-distance hikers.

📍The Pacific Crest Trail passes through the traditional territories of dozens of Indigenous Peoples, including the Western Shoshone, the Kumeyaay, the Serrano, Washoe and others. To study an interactive map of the territories along the PCT, visit native-land.ca.

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E23: From casual backpacker to long-distance hiker

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