Camping on the PCT

One of the most challenging things for me out here on the PCT is finding the right place to plop down for the night. While we are out here to hike I think everyone's favorite time of the day is when they finally get to take off their pack, peel off those nasty shoes, sit down and just feel their muscles sing as they finally get to relax. Its actually quite a crazy concept if you think about it though how we really just stop whenever we feel like it. Most of us have our beds or at least a motel or campground which are designated as a good place to lay down for the night, but out on the PCT you actually can just drop your pack at any moment and find a place to sleep. Any fellow hiker who has camped with me probably knows better than to let me decide where we will stop for the night because I often don't pick a good spot. The worst is when you wake up and hike just 100 more ft to find the best campsite ever. I have found that it truly is a fine art of knowing how to select the best site and some are far better than others

This is one of the biggest difference you hear from the AT hikers as well. On the Appalachian Trail they have established shelters where everyone will stay and all the hikers camp together and know where these sites are located. Out on the PCT, there may be a few campsites marked on the maps where people like to stay, but people really just sleep wherever they feel like so if you don't plan ahead, you will not congregate to a single location. Sometimes I end up camping just a mile from someone else for multiple nights yet never run into them. I tend to like to use the established sites when they are labelled on the map, but after a while you start to develop a skill for reading the topo maps and know where might be a good spot to call it quits for the day. Below I will describe some of the different spots you may encounter out on the trail and some of the advantages and disadvantages they pose.

By a Lake/Pond

Advantages
- You will have plenty of water for the night and the morning
- If you get in before dark you may choose to go for a dip in the water or at the very least can scrub all the grime off you dirty, dirty feet
- You can usually find some flat ground and some trees to camp under
- You can make a fire without having to worry about not having enough water to put it out with

Disadvantages
- If you are anywhere besides southern California you are likely to encounter some mosquitoes. By far some of the worst mosquito campsites I have stayed at were by lakes and when you have no tent to screen you from them they will keep you up all night long
- Sometimes lakes can be popular spots if you are by trailheads so you may encounter slightly noisy backpackers who don't adhere to your 9PM bedtime. This has rarely been a problem for me but its true thru-hikers sleep on a old folk's schedule

By a Creek/ Spring

Advantages

- You will have plenty of water for the night and the morning
- Again you can scrub those nasty feet and this time the flow will take that water away so you don't have to worry about forgetting to fill up your drinking water first and trying to filter from nasty stagnant water you just washed your feet in
- You can make a fire without having to worry about not having enough water to put it out with
- These are usually popular camping sites so many times there will already be an established campsite with a fire ring where you don't have to worry about disturbing the environment any more

Disadvantages
- If you are anywhere besides southern California you are likely to encounter some mosquitoes again. Creeks and springs usually aren't as bad as lakes because mosquitoes prefer stagnant water to breed in but there is still plenty of that to be had and you are still more than likely to encounter these pests.
- Many times these creeks are cutting a V into the valley or the spring is on the side of the mountain so there may not be many flat places to camp
- Sometimes depending on the valley you are sleeping in you can wake up to be covered in dew. Fog often likes to settle in the valley which has led to me waking up with a damp down sleeping bag which is never a good thing

On a Ridge / Cliffside

Advantages
- You will have amazing views of sunrise, sunset or potentially both sometimes you won't even have to get out of bed
- You will most likely be free of any bug problems

Disadvantages
- No trees for me to tie my hammock to, so many times, I'll sleep on the ground
- Many of these spots can be quite rocky and hard to find a great spot where you don't have rocks jabbing you in the back
- It can often get rather windy so up here you will often have a cold night's sleep and can also make cooking with an alcohol stove rather difficult
- You may have to worry about your lighter gear flying off down a cliff

On a Mountainside

Advantages
- You will be away from most of the mosquitoes down by any water sources
- This may be the only option when that is all there is for the next couple of miles
- If you have a hammock you can easily tie it to two trees and the fact that the ground is slightly sloping below you doesn't matter

Disadvantages
- Nobody likes sleeping on a slope or unlevel ground
- You will likely be away from water, cannot have a fire and there isn't any easy place to sit down
- Gear can roll a long way down and its not fun playing fetch

In a Field

Advantages
- The ground will be flat and there will be plenty of good area to sit, cook and do other chores
- Without trees you will have an awesome view out into the stars and can check out all the constellations
- Often these spots will tend to be a bit more on the mosquito free side without water sources nearby

Disadvantages
- You are more likely to wake up with dew on your sleeping bag because there are no trees to take up that moisture in the air
- There won't be any trees to tie your hammock to or tie a bear bag up to
- You may be lying in a field where cows or horses like to roam. While this has never been an issue for me, I have heard of other hikers getting trapped in their tent because a herd of horses came by and decided to park themselves all around their tent

In An Established Site

Advantages
- You do not further disturb the environment and continue to leave no trace
- There usually are established fire rings so you won't have to build a new one and sometimes even leftover firewood people have previously gathered (not really that big of a deal for me though seeing how I have had less then 10 fires out here since I am always paranoid that I won't put it out all the way and don't want to start another forest fire)
- There is often nice soft flat ground for you to sleep on and plenty of trees to tie a hammock to

Disadvantages
- If they are popular campsites for hikers they also may be popular for wild life. That includes everything from the park bear looking for a midnight snack from your bear bag to the tiny little field mice who may just decide to build their next nest in your pack.
- You could get in to find that all the good spots are taken and now you have to keep going when you have had it in your mind that you would get to stop here. While this doesn't sound like a big deal it is. So much of the trail is mental and when you tell your body it will be done once you get to one spot and then find you have to continue on its never fun.

On the Trail Itself (AKA Speed Bumping)

Advantages
- This will always be an option at any time on the hike and you are guaranteed a semi flat strip to roll your sleeping bag on
- You have extra incentive to get up and go in the morning
- Its the best way to hike insane amounts of miles. People who try to break the records can literally drop their pack when they are too exhausted to go on and call it a night

Disadvantage
- You may have other angry hikers come by in the night or morning
- Not actually a real camping site and not a fun way to thru-hike
- No water, no fire, no enjoying time off your feet just pure hiking