Unlike Popular beliefs, you do not need to be in amazing shape nor to have extensive backcountry experience to hike the PCT. I have shared the trail with hikers well over 200 pounds or some who never spent a single night in a tent before and they still managed to enjoy themselves while making it to the end. Hiking the PCT is a mental game before anything else.
Obviously, if you are suffering from any kind of knee or back injury, have difficulties breathing or are seriously obese, it might not be the proper endeavor for you, otherwise, I encourage you not to worry too much about your physical shape.
If physical shape is not a great indicator to guess who can make it thru or not, the mental strength and commitment definitely is. At some point, mosquitoes are going to drive you crazy, extreme heat and extreme cold will break your spirit and you will feel pain in muscles you did not even know you had. It is important to know your WHY. Why are you out there? Why are you trying to achieve this ? What are you enjoying to mitigate the bad and make it all worth it in the end? That “WHY” is different for all of us and just looking for something exciting to tell your friends usually does not cut it.
During my 4 months on trail, I found out that successful hikers will usually belong to at least one of the following 4 categories if not more:
The achievers
Those hikers usually have extensive experience in either trail running, marathon, previous thru-hikes… They are in good shape right from the start and will typically be trying to cover the most ground possible every single day. They enjoy walking a lot more than camping. They do not care that much about spending time in town or making a lot of friends on trail as very few will keep up with them.
The adventurers
Probably the most represented population on trail, maybe I am saying this because I am one, who knows? Adventurers are not just hikers. They enjoy getting out of their routine and try something different even if uncomfortable, they can hike but they can also go on a bike trip cross country, move to live in a RV or spend a month exploring Asia. They are usually comfortable with their everyday life even if they welcome the opportunity to escape it from time to time. If they do not always have extensive backpacking experience nor are pursuing a triple crown, they appreciate the occasional challenge.
The escapists
Those may not necessarily be the most social you will meet on trail. They are usually fed up with city life or 9 to 5 jobs, they love the outdoors because they want the opportunity to be by themselves, to enjoy the peace and quiet. The journey is a lot more important to them than getting to the end but it doesn’t mean that they cannot enjoy a good time around the fire or make friends with fellow hikers.
The outdoorsmen
As the name suggest, outdoorsmen are outdoor people. They love nature and everything it has to offer. They do not care if they are in a group or alone, they have extensive experience of the backcountry and they are the ones you need to travel with if you don’t know how to spot poison oak or wild onions. The PCT will be one of many hikes for them and it is common to find them on another trail only few days after completion.
Nothing here is scientific nor will I pretend that I got it all right, I am merely sharing my observations from trail life. I do not believe there is a real certainty that belonging to one of those types will get you all the way to Canada (or Mexico if you SOBO) but I have a much stronger opinion on those who jumped on trail and shouldn’t have:
Campers
You can love the backcountry, you can enjoy going on a 3-day loop around your local lake but thru-hiking is an entire different beast. Thankfully, there is a lot more information out there, a lot more people sharing their story for us all because Campers would usually be the one struggling the most. Having a bit of backpacking experience, they usually do not realize they are not prepared. Thru-hiking requires a commitment from you, you have to cover ground most days because the weather window for completion is relatively narrow. Campers who prefers sitting by the fire, lying in their tent, fishing or barbecuing will usually be frustrated when most of the day is spent walking rather than enjoying those leisure activities. They would either quit the trail because they are not enjoying it or slow down and give up on making it to the terminus.
People looking for friends
There is absolutely nothing wrong with making friends on the PCT. I was part of the biggest bubble on trail and I would not have it any other way but the concept of “trail family” has been heavily publicized the past few years and maybe the wrong way. It appears that thru-hiking became famous for its values of charity, brotherhood and overall sense of community so some people are drawn by that a lot more than by the hike itself. This create a situation with a lot of people that shows up in Campo and embrace the social aspect while struggling with the mileage.
Anyway, if the PCT is calling you, give it a try. It might be for you or it might not but either way, you will learn a lot in the process.