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If you’ve ever thru-hiked the Pacific Crest Trail—or even thought about it—chances are you’ve heard of Halfway Anywhere’s annual survey. If you haven’t, here’s a rundown: Ever since 2013, Halfway Anywhere, a blog run by thru-hiker and serial adventurer Tyler “Mac” Fox, has collected and published a massive collection of data about the previous year’s PCT thru-hiking season. The goal is to arm would-be thru-hikers with as much info as possible as they plan their adventures (the survey covers everything from favorite resupply stops and strategies to permit start dates, hiker health, trail magic and more). Even if you’re not gearing up to hit the PCT, the data is plain interesting, and says a lot about the backpacking community at large.
This week, Halfway Anywhere published the much-anticipated results of the 2024 survey (it’s the first of many analyses to come; Fox also writes specific guides on gear-related data and more). I dove into the results in comparison with previous surveys to see what’s changed over the years, and what trends defined this most recent season on the PCT.
Fox reported that 764 hikers filled out the survey, many of whom completed a thru-hike but some of whom left the trail for various reasons. View the complete survey results here.
PCT hikers are aging up
Perhaps the most notable point from all of Halfway Anywhere’s results is that PCT thru-hikers are getting older. The age of the average PCT hiker has increased by more than a decade since Fox began collecting data in 2013. At the time, the average survey respondent was 26 years old. That number has steadily climbed every year, with 2024 reporting the oldest average age yet of 38. While it’s possible that early surveys skewed toward younger respondents, it’s clear that thru-hiking isn’t only for twenty-somethings any longer.
Thru-hikes are getting pricier
While the stereotypical thru-hiker is a penny-pinching dirtbag, the cost of doing the PCT is ever increasing. Fox’s surveys show that PCT hikers in recent years spent only moderately more on gear than they did a decade ago, but the cost of an entire thru-hike has almost doubled. Modern day thru-hikers are dropping five figures on their journeys: Last year, PCTers spent an average of $10,149 during their time on trail (that’s $71 per day). In 2015, when Fox first collected this kind of data, thru-hikers reported spending an average of $5,705 on their entire thru-hike.
Meanwhile, gear spending has seen only a modest increase over the years. This past season, thru-hikers spent an average of $1,708 on backpacking gear prior to their hikes, up $463 since the survey began in 2013.
The overall spend increase is likely due to resupply and lodging prices going up, as well as travel costs—no surprises there.
It was a low year for flip-flops
The 2023 season was a record year for alternative routes on the PCT thanks to long-lasting snow in the Sierra. This last year, on the other hand, saw far fewer flip-flops: Seventeen percent of thru-hikers flipped, while the rest hiked straight on through. The majority of that group reported flipping due to fires rather than snow. (Survey respondents said that fires and smoke were the greatest challenges they faced on trail in 2024).
Grocery store food reigns supreme
This season, cheap grocery store food had a resurgence over commercial backpacking meals, which have been reported as hiker favorites over the past few years. Halfway Anywhere ranked ramen and Knorr Rice Sides as the most popular meals amongst 2024 PCTers. Peak Refuel freeze-dried meals barely edged out Idahoan Mashed Potatoes for third place. As for snacks, M&Ms reigned supreme for a fourth year in a row. Snickers, on the other hand, have dropped in popularity over the years but still made it into the top five.
And so much more
We’ll eagerly await Halfway Anywhere’s subsequent data drops in the coming weeks, especially to learn more about what gear 2024 PCT hikers loved most. In the meantime, here are a few more of our favorite statistical tidbits from the survey.
Average total length of a thru-hike: 144 days
Average daily mileage: 19 miles (or 21.7 if you account for zero days)
Percentage of survey respondents who completed their thru-hike: 77
Average number of resupplies: 29
Most common animal sighting: Rattlesnake
Most popular pack: ULA Circuit
Most popular shelter: Zpacks Duplex