Backpacking Along the Pacific Crest Trail

What you get on this adventure:

• • An experienced, local hiking guide with extensive knowledge of the area
  • 4 days of backpacking the Pacific Crest Trail
  • Transportation to the trailhead and back
  • Group camping gear (water filter, stove and fuel, toilet paper and waste bags, bear canister, travel trowel)
  • Backpacking tent (let us know if you plan on using your own tent in advance, and who you are planning on sharing a tent with, if traveling with others)
  • Trekking poles
  • Breakfast, lunch, and dinner during the trip (starting with lunch on Day 1 and ending with breakfast on Day 4)
  • Snacks (select options available, you are encouraged to bring your own!)
  • Tea, coffee, and hot cider
  • First aid kit

What’s not included:

• • Transportation to Oregon
  • Backpack, sleeping bag, and pad
  • Accommodation prior to and after the tour
  • Guide gratuities — optional

While no backpacking experience is necessary, good physical fitness is a must! ​Participants must be able to hike up to 10 miles a day up moderate inclines while carrying a 40lb (or heavier) pack. Your guides will teach you everything you need to know about backpacking. The importance of proper physical training cannot be emphasized enough! By arriving with your heart, lungs, and legs in top condition, you maximize your potential for a backpacking trip and your ability to enjoy the wilderness.

You’ll be carrying group gear to ensure a safe and successful adventure. Part of backpacking is learning what you do and don’t need, and your guides are here to help you finetune your pack load so it will be manageable for you to carry on your adventure. Group gear will be an additional 5-10 lb to your pack. Keep in mind that you’ll also be carrying your own tent, sleeping bag/pads, clothing, backpack, etc.

There are several routes your guides have in mind, some totally beginner-friendly, some a bit more intermediate. So if you’re looking for a challenge, there will be a route for you!

• Beginner-friendly routes require good physical fitness and the ability to hike up to 10 miles a day over easy to moderate terrain with a 40 lb backpack. No backpacking experience is necessary.
• Intermediate routes require good physical fitness with some backpacking experience. Participants must be able to hike up 10 miles a day over challenging terrain and steep elevation gains while carrying a 40 lb pack. Dry camping will be involved, this requires you to carry up to 4-6L of water for stretches on the trip.

Backpacking gear

• • Backpack (55 to 70-liter capacity)
  • Backpacking sleeping bag – 20°F to 40°F (down will be warmer, lighter and more compressible than synthetic sleeping bags) 
  • Backpacking sleeping pad
  • Packable pillow – inflatable or compressible
  • One pair of clean sleeping socks
  • Headlamp and extra batteries
  • Stuff sacks or waterproof dry bags – for gear and food organization
  • Trash compactor bag – to use as a waterproof backpack liner

Clothing (all clothing should be synthetic or wool)

• • Sun hat
  • Warm beanie
  • Sunglasses
  • Bandana or neck gaiter 
  • Hiking shirt
  • Fleece, down, or synthetic packable jacket (no ski jackets please)
  • Hiking shorts or convertible pant
  • Waterproof outer shell jacket and pants
  • Lightweight hiking boots or hiking shoes (broken-in, and sturdy enough for trail use)
  • Hiking socks (3 pairs), pro tip: leave a clean pair to live in your sleeping bag to ensure a clean and dry pair of socks to change into at end of the day
  • Underwear and sports bra (2-3 pair)
  • Swim suit (optional — many choose to go in shorts and sports bra)
  • Thin gloves for warmth
  • Top and bottom base layers

Personal items

• • Water bottles or hydration bladder (2-4 liters total)
  • Additional “backup” water storage (this is an extra 2 liters for water-scarce sections. Having a collapsable solution will save space in your pack)
  • Utensils and dinnerware
  • Lightweight mug, plate or bowl
  • Spork (or fork and spoon separate) and a knife
  • Small lighter
  • Ear plugs
  • Eye mask
  • Personal medications (enough for your trip and two extra days)
  • Menstrual products
  • Urinary products
  • Sunscreen
  • SPF-rated lip balm
  • Toiletries
  • Cash for gratuity (at your discretion)
  • Hand sanitizer
  • Wet wipes
  • Face covering (when riding inside the vans)
  • Quick-dry camp towel
  • Insect repellent and/or mesh head covering

Optional items (remember that the more you bring, the more weight that you are carrying on your back, don’t underestimate how every little ounce begins to add up!)

• • Lightweight camp shoes with a backstrap (Crocs are a great example!)
  • Backpacking camp chair
  • Sleeping bag liner (provides extra warmth and comfort)
  • Snacks, candies, and caffeine (for motivation in the trail)
  • Headphones (for motivation in the trail)
  • Packable lantern
  • Rechargeable battery pack (recommended)
  • Over-the-head bug net (recommended)
  • Bear resistant food-storage canister or sack (will be provided)
  • Extra blister treatment supplies (will be provided)

Of course! You’ll need to bring your own backpack, sleeping bag, and pad, and if you don’t have your own, there are plenty of rental companies in Portland—the starting point of your tour. You can rent from LowerGear Rentals, Mountain Shop, Portland Paddle, or any other rental company in Portland. Make sure you make arrangements in time. Contact us if you need any help!

All meals from lunch on Day 1 to breakfast on Day 4 are included, including snacks.

Your guides will provide a combination of meals cooked from scratch and pre-packaged trail meals and snacks. Upon booking, you will be provided with a waiver where you can notify them of your allergies and dietary restrictions. You are welcome to bring as much of your own food for the trip, as well as any other personal gear related to food preparation.

Service dogs are welcome on this trip, but just a heads up—weather and trail conditions could be challenging for canine companions.

Generally, non-service dogs are only allowed on private trips, and accommodation cannot be guaranteed for a non-service canine. We are happy to discuss this with you, but the final decision on non-service canines would be dependent on the safety and comfort of our guides and other trip participants.

Finally, your guides cannot take responsibility for the safety and comfort of dogs with respect to the outdoor elements.

Group sizes and prices:

• • For this backpacking tour along the Pacific Crest Trail, the usual client-to-guide ratio is 10:1. 
  • It takes a minimum of 5 people for this tour to run.

Hiking the Pacific Crest Trail can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.

If you’re looking to join an all-women version of this trip, check out our all-women backpacking along the Pacific Crest Trail.

Min. age requirements:

• • If you are older than 18, you’re good to go.
  • Minors younger than 18 may be permitted to join the hike on a case-by-case basis, but must be in the presence of a parent or legal guardian.

If your group has hikers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.

To get to Portland, Oregon, most people fly into Portland International Airport (PDX). From there, you have a 15-minute drive to your guide’s office in Troutdale.

You’ll meet your guide and your fellow backpackers at 7 am on Day 1 at the guide’s office, 121 E Historic Columbia River Hwy, Troutdale, OR 97060. Their office entrance is located below and behind the storefronts in downtown Troutdale. Turn left off the main street immediately after the “Gateway to the Gorge” arch to access the lower parking lot.

We highly recommend that you cover all your bases with both emergency medical and travel insurance.

With medical insurance, if you have an accident or medical emergency on or off the mountain, you’ll avoid paying out of pocket for costly expenses. This covers everything from hospital treatments to emergency air transportation and more. Travel insurance covers canceled flights, natural disasters and other scenarios that may interrupt your travel plans.

If you need assistance selecting the right insurance for your group, let us know and we will be happy to help!