Posted by Miles: O
Sleeping, eating, hydrating and resupply.
I mailed out three boxes this morning. Two to Kennedy Meadows with food and snow gear and my bounce box to Mammoth Lakes.
There is a popular Vlogger named Darwin who is walking the PCT this year as well and does a similar thing to me but in video format. To get a visual of what I’ve been writing about the last couple of days you may want to check out his latest clip over on YouTube.
I forgot to take a photo of what a good resupply looks like before I boxed it up and mailed it ahead but here is one of my food for the next 6 days.
A thru hikers diet is not that healthy. It’s all about minimising the weight and packing in calories. A typical days menu and option goes something like this.
Breakfast:
- pop tarts or granola bars
- I can’t do oat meal these days
- Day of leaving town – fruit bowl, orange juice, yogurt and coffee, maybe a pastry
Lunch:
- Tortillas with cheese and salami
- Avocado (only 1st and 2nd days from town)
- Fruit (from town day 1)
- Tortillas with peanut butter or Nutella
- Bagels with the above
- Fretos mixed into bagels or tortillas
Snacks:
- Chocolate bars
- Little Debbie’s
- Power bars
- Cliff bars
- Nut bars
- Gummy Bears
- Drink flavours and electrolytes
- Nuts and dried fruit
Dinner:
- Ramen with tuna, spam or bacon bits
- Idahoian instant mash with tuna, spam, bacon bits or jerky
- Freeze Dried meals like Backpackers Pantry, Mountain House etc…
- I’ll start adding olive oil to meals soon for the extra calories
Mick Beckers 
Thought you and Darwin were in fairly close proximity…. can’t wait for you to hit the Sierra.
Do you ever get bored when you’re walking? Is this the longest hike you’ve ever been on?
Hi Melissa. Some times it gets boring, like when you’re walking through the same sort of terrain for a couple of days in a row with no views. But I always try and find a positive. A lot of the time you just into a zone and the mind wanders, thinking about all sorts of stuff. There are so many distractions in our lives today and we often don’t dedicate the time to think about what is really important in life. Sometimes, if there is a boring stretch, I play music on my phone, listen to a podcast or audio book.
Yes – this is the longest hike I’ve attempted. The Te Araroa trail in New Zealand was 3,008km, the PCT is around 4,500km.
What food do you miss the most? -outdoor ed class
Pizza! I had a huge craving for steak the other day and hunted out the biggest one I could find when I got to town to resupply.
Gday Mick, How ya goin? What has been the worst animal you have seen and have you been bitten? Hope you enjoy the rest of the hike, Talk soon xo 🙂 🙂
Hey guys. I’d have to say the rattlesnake that I almost stepped on twice. 1st when I put my foot down next to, and the 2nd time when I lost my footing as I jumped in the air because it scared the shit out of me. Very lucky not to have been bitten as I’m not wearing gaiters. I’ve seen signs of mountain lions and bears but haven’t had any encounters yet. And a big coyote shot past me on trail a few weeks ago when I surprised it. I’m moving into bear country soon and will have to carry a bear canister by law to store my food through the Sierra’s.
Hi mick, what food do you miss most from Australian? What did you enjoy most about the desert?
Hi Rachel. Australian food, I’d have to say meat pies, real coffee and vegemite. Americans just don’t do meat pies, have no coffee culture at all; and ban vegemite because it’s got too much folate. I’d love to have some vegemite to spread on a tortilla for breakfast or lunch.
I think the challenge of getting through the desert has been the most enjoyable aspect. It is really testing with the heat and lack of water and can really kick your arse if you’re not careful. Pushing my body and mind to get through has been great.
Thanks for that Mick. I watched Darwins video format. He’s obviously another experienced walker so It was good to get his take on walking with the desert sun. Four litres plus a day and walkers and families must be so very thankful for the angels that leave the top up sites in good state with water supply. Very impressed that the Trail has sign in books along the way. Did that happen in New Zealand? Anyway, looks like you have organised your supply drops ahead. Great tactic and something to be learnt from walkers like you. Now heres hoping the snow will melt a bit to make your next chapter a little easier. Wonderful keeping up to date with you.
Do you want me to post some Vegemite in a zip lock for you?