Some hikers thrive on a difficult trip while others wear down quickly.
To survive & thrive, most importantly, avoid getting sick.
Be sure that standards of hygiene are maintained. Faecal contamination of any kind is the easiest way to get sick. Be sure to put alcohol-based antibacterial gel on your hands throughout the day, particularly before you stick your hands into a bag of GORP.
Brush your teeth with treated water. Al Brawn in Soaring with the Eagles cites a statistic from Tilton (Gut Reactions)
Viral syndromes & diarrhoea account for 60% of the illnesses and 45% of the illness evacuations (from wilderness programs)!
Proper food and safe, sufficient water are essential.
Safe Water
Water is a big concern on the WCT:
- protozoans
- bacteria
- viruses
- contamination by sea water
There's been a lot of logging inland affecting the streams & rivers you cross on the West Coast Trail.
You have a choice of water treatment methods:
- boiling
- chemical disinfection
- filters
- purifiers
On the WCT we recommend you take a good purifier — the Katadyn is a favourite though we've had good luck with many other units.
We are careful to collect water from the best possible source & then hang it at our campsite in 10 litre water bags. If it's raining we fix a tarp to drain into a water collector.
We then take turns pumping water.
Make sure your purifier is well maintained. They need frequent cleaning on a hike like the WCT.
Check Al Brawn's book Soaring With the Eagles for a comprehensive summary of Water and its treatment.
Be Prepared
The West Coast Trail is long & strenuous.
You must be prepared mentally & physically. You must haul the right gear.
You must be informed. Do your homework. Take notes from or printout sections of this website.
Despite our strident warnings, many people survive the West Coast Trail as their first major hike. Our experience is that any fit person can do the WCT -- unless they have chronic knee, ankle, or back pain. Unless the weather deteriorates badly.
But the more prepared you are, the better.
First Aid Kit
Prepare for the worst! You need a far better First Aid kit than usual on the WCT.
We thought we were overcautious when bringing a heavy knee brace & ankle brace on the West Coast Trail. One of our hikers started using the knee brace on the second day & wouldn’t have been able to finish without it. Her trip would have been ruined.
Someone in your group should be qualified to administer First Aid. This is a serious responsibility.
Pre-hike Conditioning
You should be fit to attempt the WCT.
To prepare for the hike, some load up the pack and practice climbing up and down a ladder. Good idea.
Climb stairs while wearing your pack.
We take short practice hikes, too, with extra heavy packs (loaded with books and power tools).
Dr. George Kinnear PhD, University of Calgary, devised a hikers conditioning program called The Six Pack; specific exercises for:
- Neck & Shoulders
- Chest & Arms
- Low Back
- Abdomen
- Hips & Upper Legs
- Calves
This training program is published in Soaring with the Eagles by Al Brawn.
Hiking Technique
- Avoid the strain of big lunge step-ups, and the impact of big drop step-downs, whenever possible.
- Step OVER a log or obstacle to a foot placement of similar height to your back foot when you can.
- Zigzag on steep sections. Many small steps are better than taking one big step up or down.
- To assist with a big step-ups (when unavoidable) push down on your knee with your hand as you extend that leg
- Take many short rests. Sit with your pack-on whenever you find a convenient stump or log.
- Take off your pack to stretch whenever possible
- Make frequent adjustments to your pack harness. Keep shifting weight off of pressure points.
