Loading Gaia GPS with Halfmile’s tracks and waypoints for the PCT from a smartphone

With Gaia GPS loaded on your phone,

Click on which section you want:


California Section A — Campo to Warner Springs
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section B — Warner Springs to Highway 10 (near Cabazon)
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section C — Highway 10 to Highway 15 (Cajon Pass)
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section D — Highway 15 to Auga Dulce
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section E — Agua Dulce to Tehachapi Pass
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section F — Tehachapi Pass to Walker Pass
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section G — Walker Pass to Crabtree Meadow (near Mt Whitney)
GPS Track (the PCT)  | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section H — Crabtree Meadow to Tuolumne Meadow (Yosemite)
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section I — Tuolumne Meadow to Sonora Pass
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section J — Sonora Pass to Echo Lake
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section K — Echo Lake to Highway 80 (Donner Summit)
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section L — Highway 80 to Highway 49 (near Sierra City)
GPS Track (the PCT)  | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section M — Highway 49 to Belden
GPS Track (the PCT)  | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section N — Belden to Burney Falls State park
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section O — Burney Falls State Park to Highway 5 (near Castle Crag)
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section P — Highway 5 to Etna Summit
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section Q — Etna Summit to Seiad Valley
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


California Section R — Seiad Valley to Highway 5 (near Ashland, OR)
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Oregon Section B — Highway 5 to Highway 140 (near Fish Lake)
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Oregon Section C — Highway 140 to Highway 138 (near Cascade Crest)
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Oregon Section D — Highway 138 to Highway 58 (near Willamette Pass)
GPS Track (the PCT)  | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Oregon Section E — Highway 58 to Highway 242 (McKenzie Pass)
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Oregon Section F — Highway 242 to Highway 35 (near Barlow Pass)
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Oregon Section G — Highway 35 to Cascade Locks
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Washington Section H — Cascade Locks to Highway 12 (near White Pass)
GPS Track (the PCT)| GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Washington Section I — Highway 12 to Snoqualmie Pass
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Washington Section J — Snoqualmie Pass to Stevens Pass
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Washington Section K — Stevens Pass to Rainy Pass
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)


Washington Section L — Rainy Pass to Manning Park, BC
GPS Track (the PCT) | GPS Waypoints (landmarks)

If it asks you which program to open with, select GAIA GPS.

Keep loading all the tracks and waypoints for every section you are hiking.

Now, with the tracks and waypoints loaded for all the sections you want, in GAIA GPS, select the menu button at the top left corner, select tracks, select which track you want,  select “download map along track”, select “save”.    While you have wifi make sure you zoom in on the map.

If you have a computer you can download Halfmile’s complete files:

GPS Data By State:
California — from Campo to Ashland, OR | GPS Data
Oregon — from Ashland to Cascade Locks | GPS Data
Washington — from Cascade Locks, OR to Manning Park | GPS Data

unzip them and email them to your smart phone.

Under “Settings”  there is a user manual

Hike in a skirt, toss your drawers, and pee standing up.

picture from: http://shoesyourpath.com/test-hiking-travel-skirt-by-macabi/

So why did people start wearing underwear?  Probably to keep their pants clean.  And why did they start wearing pants?  Probably to cut down on chafing when they rode horses.*  And why did women start squatting to pee?  ‘Cause they were wearing underwear and pants. So if you’re not riding a horse you might find your life improved without either.

I’ve been exclusively wearing a Macabi hiking skirt for years now.    On trail and off, year ’round.  I don’t own a pair of pants or a pair of underwear.

The number one advantage of wearing a skirt is doing away with underwear and being able to pee standing up without having to remove your pack—-this is no small life improvement.

If you are a man you probably have  mastered peeing standing up.  If you are a woman you may need a little trial and error to learn what works best for you.

Here is one technique to get you started:   Wide stance, with one hand grab the back of your skirt and pull it away from your body,  with the other hand pull up the front of your skirt, grab your pubis and with a finger on either side of your urethra, pull up so that your urethra is pointing in the right direction and is freed from the folds.  Pee.  Blot dry with the hem of your skirt, continue hiking.   (For some reason my skirt doesn’t smell like pee.)

20160305_075020One problem you may encounter is thigh chafing when it gets hot.  I solved this problem by taking a Summer Buff, sewing a little pocket around the top to push through a band of elastic,  and wearing it on one of my thighs.   Monistat Soothing Care Chafing Relief Powder-Gel also works well but you have to keep reapplying it.    I have never tried this but these thigh chafing bands might work.  

Not me; not my picture

With the Macabi skirt you can wear it long or snap it up for a knee-length skirt.  You can also turn it in to pants or shorts but I never do that.  I usually hike with it snapped up.

When it rains, I wear the skirt snapped up and a trash bag rain skirt over it.

It has huge self draining pockets so you can swim in it.   It also as a zippered pocket which is where I carry my money and cards— So they are always with me and secure.

The skirt is for both men and women–  it looks very good on men.

I met a woman in Sierras who would take off her top, pull her skirt under her armpits, and wear it like a dress to modestly clean herself on the trail.

* I didn’t research this or anything—just some info I pulled out of the atmosphere.