[pct-l] Water Caches

[Jim and/or Ginny Owen]

One of the problems with known water caches is that people DO count on them.  They carry less water - a quart or two instead of a gallon.  Not only is there the risk that the cache may be empty, but also, because people are expecting the water, they are more likely to arrive empty.  Instead of just topping off with the water - drinking a bit to get by, they fill up two or more quarts.  That makes the caches empty out much faster.  Has anybody thought about putting out the water but not advertising them?  Then they are a treat - and not a disappointment or danger when they aren't there.

 

When we hiked the PCT in 2000, we didn't know where the water was going to be.  We knew about a couple of possible caches, but because we were ahead of the crowd, we knew we couldn't count on them.  One that we had heard about on Hat Rim didn't exist that year -- at least not when we were there.  Fortunately, we never expected the caches to be there. Each was a surprise.  Yes, we had to carry more weight - but so what?  It is an expected part of desert hiking - and of thruhiking.  When we found a cache, we cameled up happily, but it was a treat, not a necessity.  I don't think that advertising the caches is really doing the hikers a favor. 

 

Ginny