[pct-l] International hiker, a few questions

[Diane Soini]

On Feb 11, 2014, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Message: 5
> Date: Mon, 10 Feb 2014 14:45:57 +0100
> From: Tobias Spiegelhalter <tobias.spiegelhalter at gmail.com>
> Subject: [pct-l] International hiker, a few questions
>
>
> 1. Is there a way to search the archives of this list (non-manual)?

Google is the only way. Type mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/  
along with your search term.

>
> 2.2 When I hopefully reach Manning Park, what would be the easiest way
> to get home? Could I travel to Vancouver Airport with the Canada  
> Permit
> or is that not allowed?

Most people take a bus from the Manning Park Lodge. I think it still  
runs. Otherwise you could try to hitchhike. And yes, many people will  
go to the nearest airport. I actually went east and drove home.

>
> 3. Gear:

It is very rare to find a 6-moons designs tent in a store in the US.  
We have to buy most ultralight stuff online. San Diego is one of the  
US larger cities so they will have at least one REI you might be able  
to visit for any last minute items. The suggestion to order and ship  
to Scout and Frodo is a good one, but of course you don't get to look  
at your gear. Another option is to attend the kickoff and buy some  
gear, but you'll probably already be on your way.

>
>
> 4. Budget
>
The $/mile is usually strongly argued and nobody can agree on it.

I can tell you that hotel rooms for just one person ran me around $60- 
$100 a night. You can make that cheaper by not staying in hotels or  
sharing rooms.

Eating out usually ran me about $15-$30 per meal. I never wanted to  
cut down on hot meals.

Shipping a 3 gallon plastic bucket cost me about $12 each time.

There were always a lot of odds and ends to buy.

I can't remember exactly what groceries cost me. Maybe $80-$100 or so  
per segment? Some places I would buy a lot more, like Ashland where I  
bought for the entire state of Oregon so it's hard to remember. Maybe  
somebody has a more accurate figure because this guess seems both too  
low and too high to me.

I remember in Ashland I had $600 of spending money to use for the  
rest of the way to Canada for groceries, shipping things and meals  
out. I had already bought my groceries for Oregon. I was done with  
hotels eating up my money but figured if I needed one, I'd put it on  
my credit card (I did get one in Snoqualmie to get out of the rain).  
I spent about half of that $600.

California is more expensive than the rest, mostly because California  
has more opportunity to spend (more towns) and you have to buy more  
things as you figure more things out while Oregon and Washington are  
pretty remote most of the time.