I was playing around with the wonderful PCT Planner web site, and I looked at the exported data it gave me. The file was in a simple CSV format, which contained all the text and numbers of my plan, but without all the dependencies between them, so I imported it into Google Sheets, and started adding formulas in relevant places.

Just a quick update - I have just received the two free SIM cards I ordered from T-Mobile. I have no idea if I’ll be able to activate then in April, but I’ll give it a shot.

I have started looking into solar panels back around 2007, while following Craig Stanton’s blog of hiking the PCT. I really liked the fact he was using a GPS to log the trail while he was hiking it, mostly because I am really into mapping. He was using an OHararp LLC GPSlogger (An older version of this) that came along with a solar panel to keep it running during the long hike.

Well, I haven’t set foot on the PCT, so I can’t really tell you what I will eat over there, and what “Works for me” or not, but I thought I’d share my plans, based on the experience I do have from the AT, and some other self-supported hikes I’ve had. In total, I guess my food choices were pretty boring on the AT. I didn’t mind eating the same kinds of stuff day after day, and I just stuck to whatever kept me full at night.

I’ve been trying to figure out what cell company/mobile plan to use while in the US. I don’t need a lot of minutes or messages, and only a moderate amount of data. I was thinking about trying to get a data-only plan, because I expect to be using mostly Skype to call back to Israel, but I will be dependant on having 3G reception to use it even just for making local calls, and I guess many backcountry locations will only have 2G reception available for voice calls. Not to mention I’ll have to fool the cell company into thinking I have a tablet, and not a phone, which may or may not be according to the contract I’ll be signing.