Found a surprising stat about the Pacific Crest Trail water carries

I was reading the PCT water report from last year and saw that the average carry between reliable sources in the Southern California section is 4.7 miles, not the 5-6 I always planned for. This came from the 2023 hiker survey data posted on the PCTA website. It made me rethink my whole water weight strategy for the first 700 miles. I used to pack for a full 6-mile gap, which meant extra pounds. Now I plan for 5 miles max, which saves weight on most stretches. Has anyone else adjusted their water plans based on recent trail data?

2 comments

2 Comments

finleyf882d ago

Wait, are you sure you're reading that stat right? The 4.7 miles is an average, but it includes all the tiny carries too, like a one mile hop between caches. The big dry stretches, like the 20 mile one into Cajon Pass, are still there and will wreck you if you only plan for five miles. I'd be careful using that average to cut weight, because the bad sections haven't gotten any shorter.

claire_walker2d ago

So you're telling me the average is brought down by all those fancy trail angels leaving water jugs every two feet? Lol, that's like saying my average hike is easy because I sat in camp for most of it. I guess math can technically be correct but still feel like a dirty lie when you're staring down a 20 mile dry stretch with a single liter.