Calling on the collective wisdom of the ETS brain hive!

A friend and I have decided to hike the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island in B.C. and I could really use your help. The trip is a couple of years off, but with my young kiddos and current employment/financial situation, that's the perfect amount of time to plan and accumulate and test the gear I need I'm looking for practical advice but think of of it as a creative thought experiment, if you like. We've got two years to "play" with.

Have any of you done the West Coast Trail? (Teslinhiker, maybe?) Any big trail/west coast thru-hikers with common trail advice to share? Specifically, I'm looking to for your help to:

1) Buy a personal locator beacon, which will work on this trail specifically - and hopefully in my home territory in South Easter Ontario, Canada.

2) Upgrade to more lightweight gear, specifically the big ticket items like boots, pack, tent, sleep system, tarp, etc. I've got a tight budget, so I'm looking for the best bang of the buck without having to take out a second mortgage. DIY stuff is a family hobby so fire away with the suggestions!

3) Curb my over-packing tendencies and take what I'll need with a bit of comfort and a security blanket.

We're planning an early season trek of the 75-km trail, hitting the trail head in May, before peak season hits, and we're thinking of allowing ourselves a week to ten days, for girl-talk, photo ops and general decompression.

Advice? Thanks for the help, my friends!

This should be an interesting and informative discussion.

I have not done the trail and most of my experience has been in more arid conditions, so it will be worthwhile to read what those more familiar with those conditions have to say...

Whatever gear you select, be familiar with it well before the trip - boots well broken in, etc....

I have found that a conditioning program,mostly running, has made long backpacks much more enjoyable.

No experience with this trail, but first, I think you should lay down some "known" things for planning, e.g.,
1. Have your friends done this trail before?, If so, what were their experiences?
2. What time of year, or more importantly, what type of weather? What is the worst weather you could reasonably encounter?
3. How remote is it, e.g. cell phone coverage along the trail or not?
4. How long do you expect to be "out" on the trail?
5. What is the worst case? How long before rescue?
6. "Trail" suggests it is a traveled/known route; What are the experiences of others?
7. Are the backpack kids on the trip or not? And how does that change planning?

In short, I suggest that the devil is in the details. Don't try to prep for TEOWAKI, but make some plans for the conditions you might reasonably encounter. If the trail is, say 3 days from a worst case rescue, don't plan to restart civilization.

You are right in asking for advice/assistance: that is the first step!

Also, a quick search revealed a website about this trail that states "All Persons Planning to hike the West Coast Trail must read and understand the material in this guide to prepare for their hike" . . . " It has the reputation of being one of the most grueling treks in North America. It is isolated, strenuous, physically challenging and potentially hazardous" . . ."Hiking the WCT demands stamina and expertise in hiking and backcountry camping skills. Only competent backpackers should attempt the entire route. You are required to cross deep gullies on fallen trees, negotiate very steep slopes and follow an irregular, slippery trail. This is a wilderness area and it may be many hours before help can be obtained should an accident occur. All hikers should carefully evaluate their individual and group abilities before attempting the route." So, it sounds like your question/concerns justify careful planning. Quote from: http://www.westcoasttrailbc.com/trail_guidebook_map.htm

I hope so hikermor! I hike a lot but I'm rookie at this distance and in this environment. Other than the basics of hiking, I'm considering myself a newbie on this one!

Research, conditioning, gear testing will be the biggest parts of my prep. I've never done a trip of this scale before, so I'm taking all the advice I can get and spending the next two years trying to assimilate it all. (i.e. I am a chronic over-packer so I need all the help I can get.)

As an aside, 75 kms is about as long a big-out trek as I can reasonably contemplate, so that's an added layer of thought in this experience, but I'll put that off to reflect upon on the conclusion of the trip.

Thanks for the idea of adding running to my routine. I started a walk-to-run program a year or so ago, and it messed with my knee, so I slowed down and went back to hiking regularly with a loaded pack. It's working! My distance, time and general condition are improving again after a substantial lay-off. After more than a year of hardly hiking at all, it's great to be back on the trail and I can hardly wait for this trip!

I forgot to add that the backpackiddos are not coming on this trip. It'll just be the two of us with our families at home keeping up electronically.

Neither of us have done the trail before, but we've both lived in B.C. and have friends and family who have done it. We're soaking up their recollections!

Cell phone and GPS coverage are at the top of our priorities list. This isn't intended to be a survival epic. It's a popular, well-hiked trail, so there is lots of anecdotal stories and research to study.

I read this too, and doesn't it sound perfect?! We're both experience hikers, and are looking forward to this challenge. We aren't taking it lightly, believe me!



EDIT: That sounded "rose-couloured glasses" didn't it? Not taking it lightly!

i just looked thru the trails web site and it sounds like a major adventure,cable cars!!!???
all i can think of at this point is too have a small Gaz lamp along for heat.i know on canoe trips when i have got cool and damp,ok wet,after a day on the lakes and carrys that getting into my MSR shelter with a lamp on low warmed me fast.

If knees are an issue, and sooner or later they will be consider adding in some cycling -primarily for cardiovascular benefits. What you are doing will work just fine, as you are discovering.

Quite the choice for a hike!

I am probably one of the few on this forum that has hiked the WCT and that was about 15 years ago. Even though we went near the end of June, unfortunately for us, it was cold, wet and miserable and we almost bailed a couple of times. I have no desire to do the trail again as I am not fond of humid rain forest hiking for days on end, even if the scenery and experience is outstanding of which the WCT is known for.

Others have already given you general advise that can apply to most trails but there are many specifics to the WCT that you may already have found in your research. In your research, you will probably have read that the WCT can be a tough and demanding trail, both physically and mentally so don't take this lightly. Be prepared for rain, wind, fog, mud, high humidity (you will never feel dry), blisters and sore backs.

On the flip side, the trail can be a real scenic and enjoyable trip when the weather cooperates. Either way, if you complete the trip (many people fail) you will have a lifetime of memories and photos so take a good quality camera (not a cell phone) with extra batteries and SD cards if applicable.

It should go without saying, but I will say it anyway. You need to be in great hiking condition. This means, your body is used to carrying a pack for hours and days on end. Of course, the same goes for your feet. There is a big difference between good general walking condition and good hiking conditioned feet. Also waterproof and breathable boots are a must. You don't need big mountaineer style boots but a good mid style hiking boot will suffice. Also quick drying, synthetic clothing is a must and a light waterproof/breathable jacket will make a big difference in comfort level.

Some general links:

Parks Canada - Pacific Rim Preserve website Note that one of the pdf links has a list of rules that must be followed and Parks Canada will readily enforce if they see or hear of anyone abusing the rules.

Google search of Clubtread.com and west coast trail specific info. Clubtread is a local forum that has years of trail and hiking reports, especially from the southwestern BC and Vancouver Island areas. This is without a doubt, the best place for any up to date info. I also happen to hang out there a lot.

West Coast Trail Wikipedia page

Sounds like a good time! Have fun and be safe.

Sounds like a great trip! As far as gear goes, have you considered a quilt instead of a sleeping bag? The insulation under you gets compressed anyway, so the theory is that you might as well eliminate that to save weight. There are quite a few small manufacturers of backpacking quilts, and none of them are cheap, but check out Enlightened Equipment. They make both down and synthetic insulated quilts, and for the wet environment you will be in I would probably go synthetic (it's also much less expensive) even though it is heavier and bulkier. Actually, these quilts are made to order--you get to pick the temperature rating, length (nice for a short person like me), width and colors! Thinking about places to get gear less expensively once you know what you want, check out www.geartrade.com and of course Ebay. As far as shoes go, personal preference plays a big role--some people (and I am one of them) prefer to hike in trail running shoes rather than heavy boots…with waterproof boots your feet will probably still be wet from sweat, and lighter lower-cut shoes help you be more nimble. Wool socks are good since they lose less insulating value when they get wet.