PCT hiker stats.

Your link is bad. Do you mean this? http://www.halfwayanywhere.com/pacific-crest-trail/pct-hiker-survey/

HYPER LINK

Why is it that hikers "got sick of their Sawyer Squeeze?"

White people like to hike. Great article. Wondering if peeps that were sick of sawyer would rather opt for tablets for ease of use or pump filter for ease of use … article mentioned water filter as one thing many would want to invest more in … a lot of peeps don't like tabs so maybe they weren't minding weight increase for daily ease of use with a pump filter?

"daily ease of use with a pump filter"

It seems like a gravity filter is the easiest of all.

–B.G.–

I would not read too much into the results. Unless the survey was done by somehow randomly sampling from all attempted thru-hikers, the results are going to be biased. I'm guessing that the author created a surveymonkey-type poll and posted it on FB, WB, etc. That would explain why the sample seems to skew young–there were quite a few 55+ hikers the year I hiked, but hardly any in this survey.

It is very likely that when the survey was done they were using the crappy 1st generation squeeze bags that would break if you just sneezed on them.

The filter is rock solid…the original bags were a joke.

Tony

While the survey was interesting, one resource was voted both among the best and among the worst (Yogi's book). :)

What I found interesting is the amount of people who were doing the PCT as their first thru-hike.

But, as others said, this is not a scientific poll. Good info for discussion, though.

22.6 pounds for the average base weight is crazy
Only wish I could do the PCT, but if I did it would be with a base of about 5.5- 6.5 pounds, depending on location.
Love this survey.

Paul,7

In some ways, the fact that it is their 1st thru hike is no surprise.

If you think about it….what "normal" person is going to check out of society, quit their job, be away from girl friend/wife/family, etc.

Those who are young simply could be delaying starting a career/family and don't have ties to bind them to the working world and therefore they have an "easier" time of checking out for 6-7 months.

Part of me wonders how many of these people chose to do the PCT were having a moment in their life where they were looking to discover themselves, mid-life crisis, etc.

Not that I am looking down on them or saying that there is something wrong with them, but you have to admit, something has to be pretty motivating for someone to check out of society for 6-7 months.

The PCT is "famous" and the "longest" on the West Coast, which people may gravitate towards for that very reason.

Kinda like hiking Mt. Whitney without any experience….just because it is the tallest.

Tony

"What I found interesting is the amount of people who were doing the PCT as their first thru-hike."

In 2009 I'd bet that at least 75% of thru-hikers had a previous long-distance hike under their belt. If that's changed, I think we know who to blame for that (hint: her last name rhymes with "frayed").

"In 2009 I'd bet that at least 75% of thru-hikers had a previous long-distance hike under their belt."

In 2008 too, there were a whole lot of AT veterans in "the herd". It was my first thru-hike and I certainly wasn't alone, but even there I think that folks doing their first thru-hike on the PCT were more experienced at backpacking in general (better prepared, better expectations) than is average of first-time AT thru-hikers.

And yet — the completion stats in that survey are if anything higher than what I remember hearing is normal for the PCT, or at least not any lower.

Who knows what that means.