9 Tips for Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in 2026 (BPR #348)

In today's episode of Backpacker Radio presented by The Trek brought to you by LMNT, we are breaking things down for the class of 2026 PCT thru-hikers with another edition of our top tips for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail. Chaunce and I are joined by everyone's favorite sauce/SOS, Elise Ott to share some brand new tips for trekking between Mexico and Canada, including advice about managing the sun, thoughts for approaching the trail during a high snow year, tips for dealing with wildfire, the beauty of cowboy camping, the importance of rolling with the punches, and much more. We wrap the show with some important news from the PCT southern terminus, the most overrated month for backpacking, the bucket list of animal sightings, and I give my one minute gear reviews on a slew of new items I tested on the SDTCT, including the a new pack, shelter, and trekking poles. LMNT: Get a free sample pack with any order at drinklmnt.com/trek. Mountainsmith: Use code "TAKEAHIKE" for 20% off at mountainsmith.com. [divider] Panel with Elise "SOS" Ott Elise's Instagram Time stamps & Questions 00:05:25 - Reminders: Apply to vlog or blog for the Trek, sign up for the Trek's newsletter, and listen to our episodes ad-free on Patreon! 00:08:17 - Introducing Elise 00:13:53 - Tell us about your upcoming running goals 00:22:30 - Introducing today's panel 00:24:01 - Elise's Tip #1: Roll with the punches 00:27:06 - Chaunce's Tip #1: Look up side quests in advance 00:30:41 - Zach's Tip #1: Have a plan for the sun 00:34:44 - Elise's Tip #2: Save more money than you think you need 00:36:45 - Chaunce's Tip #2: Prepare for encountering wildfires 00:48:40 - Zach's Tip #2: Consider going southbound in high snow years 00:56:05 - Elise's Tip #3: See it for yourself before making decisions 01:03:15 - Chaunce's Tip #3: Cowboy camp if you haven't yet 01:05:40 - Zach's Tip #3: Break it down into small sections 01:08:00 - Honorable mentions 01:13:52 - Stay Salty Question: What is your hottest take in the world of backpacking? Segments Trek Propaganda: Barrier Construction Set To Begin at CDT Southern Terminus by Kelly Floro QOTD: What's the most overrated month for backpacking? Triple Crown of bucket list animal sightings One-Minute Gear Reviews Mail Bag 5 Star Review [divider] Check out our sound guy @my_boy_pauly/ and his coffee. Sign up for the Trek's newsletter Leave us a voicemail! Subscribe to this podcast on iTunes (and please leave us a review)! Find us on Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Play. Support us on Patreon to get bonus content. Advertise on Backpacker Radio Follow The Trek, Chaunce, Badger, and Trail Correspondents on Instagram. Follow Backpacker Radio, The Trek and Chaunce on YouTube. Follow Backpacker Radio on Tik Tok. Our theme song is Walking Slow by Animal Years. A super big thank you to our Chuck Norris Award winner(s) from Patreon: Alex and Misty with NavigatorsCrafting, Alex Kindle, Andrew, Austen McDaniel, Bill Jensen, Brad & Blair Thirteen Adventures, Bret Mullins aka Cruizy, Bryan Alsop, Carl Lobstah Houde, Christopher Marshburn, Clint Sitler, Coach from Marion Outdoors, Eric Casper, Erik Hofmann, Ethan Harwell, Gillian Daniels, Greg Knight, Greg Martin, Griffin Haywood, Hailey Buckingham, Jackson Storm, Jason Kiser, Luke Netjes, Matty in AZ, Patrick Cianciolo, Randy Sutherland, Rebecca Brave, Rural Juror, Sawyer Products, The Saint Louis Shaman, Timothy Hahn, Tracy 'Trigger' Fawns A big thank you to our Cinnamon Connection Champions from Patreon: Bells, Benjy Lowry, Bonnie Ackerman, Brett Vandiver, Chris Pyle, David Neal, Dcnerdlet, Denise Krekeler, Jack Greene, Jeanie, Jeanne Latshaw, Lloyd Harris, Merle Watkins, Peter, Quenten Jones, Ruth S, Salt Stain, Sloan Alberhasky, and Tyler Powers.