Hawke's Bay man Tom Winlove takes it to the extreme for charity

Tom Winlove and his friend Brent Thurlow are setting off on the Pacific Crest Trail on May 5 to raise money for The CatWalk Trust. Photo / Supplied.

Kiwis are known for their outdoor antics - some might go for a hike to their nearest DoC hut, others opt for the Tongariro Crossing or perhaps the Te Araroa Trail.

But Hawke's Bay's Tom Winlove and Wellingtonian Brent Thurlow are a little bit different.

The two outdoor enthusiasts are taking it to the extreme by hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in the US - it's nice and easy and not the least bit insane - only a 4270km rugged hike from the Mexican border near San Diego, north to the Canadian border.

The 32 year olds plan on completing the hike in about five months, which means hiking an average of about 32km each day. They are both keen outdoorsmen and aim hike with base pack weights of around 7kg.

"The fact that we can even consider doing this hike is such a privilege, especially when there are so many people who can't even consider walking to the bathroom or to their mail box, let alone over 4000km," Winlove said.

"Because of this, we are supporting The CatWalk Trust and 'hiking for those who can't'. We have set up a Givealittle page to help raise funds and awareness for the Catwalk Trust. The trust is dedicated to supporting world-class research and innovation in spinal cord research."

The two have also set up their own Facebook page and Instagram under the name 'Kiwis Thru America'.

They aim to use these to record their journey and to keep family, friends, donors and anyone else interested, informed of their progress on the trail and of their Givealittle page.

When it came to both the physical and mental challenge of the hike - Winlove said they were both prepared.

"As long as we don't pick up any injuries along the way and we keep our nutrition and basic hygiene up, the physical component of the hike shouldn't be a problem for us, it's the mental aspect which could really get you.

Doing almost nothing but hiking, eating basic camp food, sleeping in a tent and dealing with rain and wet gear at times, for five solid months would drive a lot of people crazy. But it's this mental challenge that excites us both, a true test of our mettle."

Their Givealittle page rose over $1000 in the first day. Although this was mainly from friends and family, Winlove was hopeful that the Hawke's Bay community will get in behind them and help raise money for the charity.

You can donate to their GiveaLittle Page here: https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/hiking-for-those-who-cant.