[pct-l] various comments

[Vic Hanson]

First, for those of us who get the list in digest fashion - PLEASE don't just hit reply and send  the whole digest out with your reply, then we have to scroll down to find where the old digest ends and the new posts start.

Sleeping bags - I normally get cold easily but found that while thru-hiking my metabolism speeded up and I needed less warm clothing hiking, in camp and sleeping. I used a 20 deg. Marmot Helium and was too warm for N. Calif. and much of Oregon. Should have switched to a 30 deg. bag but didn't have one (I used a Tarptent most every night). I have read that the rating on most sleeping bags is not a comfort rating but more of a minimum to keep from freezing rating!

Cooking - Even using an alcohol stove, food like mac and cheese or soup will cook after the flame runs out if you use a pot cozy for 5 minutes or so, I used my stocking cap. I wore a sombrero during the day and then in the cool evening put on my warm stocking cap when the food was ready.

Zero/Town days - I took more zeros than planned, mostly because I enjoyed the people I was hiking with and they wanted to stop. We did take a number of Neros, get into town for breakfast - shop, go to the postoffice, wash clothes, used the internet, visit with others, have a big lunch and then hit the trail again in the early afternoon. That was a nice compromise for us. 

Hiking cost - If you are frugle like me in non-hiking life, you will find that you spend much more on food while on a thru-hike. I rarely eat out when at home, even traveling I carry a cooler with sodas, cheese, lunchen meats, along with crackers and bread. So town stops were expensive, especially in resort areas. Or just spend 1 night in town, rather than 2, sleep near town 1 night, that way you still get the full day there for whatever you need to do.

Question marks - For some reason, some emails sent to the list add question marks, it didn't happen in the past (before a half year ago or so?). It seems to be worse with yahoo accounts, but I don't think it is limited to yahoo.

Sugar Daddy