[pct-l] trail journals

[patti kulesz]

that's really good advice...but I too need to make a comment about this...

on the VVR site is a link for a pretty long video of some guys who did the PCT quite some time ago. They were both very inexperienced backpackers from what I got out of the video. Anyways...one of them decided he wasn't using his fleece much and mailed it ahead...well wouldn't u know it...he was cold the entire time after that and got so tired of being cold he left the trail like 90 miles from the CA border. 

For one...for only another 90 miles after all teh other ones I've already hiked...I would have kept on going...what's another 90 miles of cold...

but most importantly...his fleece is one of the 10 essentials. Now I know all u ultra liters are saying o whatever..grams ...ounces...blah blah blah...well being someone that hikes alot alone and likes to go off the beaten path on many occassion and explore...not to mention having manyunfortunates happen as well while hiking...I have learned the hard way that it is important to ALWAYS carry certain items...ur 10 (or in my case 12) essentials. One never knows what may happen. Reading a journal from last year doesn't tell u what the weather will be like this year or whether or not u will get lost or hurt and end up stuck somewhere on the trail alone, cold and suffering for days. 

I don't know...take it or leave it...just my opinion and u know what they say about other peoples opinions...

patti

--- On Wed, 2/18/09, Georgi Heitman <bobbnweav at gmail.com> wrote:

From: Georgi Heitman <bobbnweav at gmail.com>
Subject: [pct-l] trail journals
To: sbryce at scottbryce.com
Cc: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.n>
Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2009, 10:58 AM

As a trail angel, I read journals when I have time, especially when hikers
include me in their address lists (hint, hint).  I talk/listen to a bunch of
hikers obviously, and I hear a lot of wishing....about tents, heavier
sleeping gear, mosquito repellents/netting, etc...that they'd kept it
longer/sent it forward/back home sooner.  Those kind of things.  One year we
had a couple of young men who'd sent their tents somewhere  from either
Belden or Chester and on their way here to Old Station, ran into one of the
worst rainstorms they'd met on the trail.  They staggered into The Hideaway
hauling down bags, so heavy and wet...they were cold and exhausted, stayed
for at least two days, maybe three, just drying their sleeping bags in our
dryer...and doing some heavy hot tub soaking themselves.  I'm repeating this
example from FireWalker's memory, I was gone for several days right when
they were here...but still, I'd be willing to bet that those traveling even
a few days behind these guys would have like to have heard about their wish
that they'd held on to their tents a while longer.
I realize this isn't exactly a message about gear reviews as much as about
what's sent somewhere else, and maybe why it was o.k. to send it then, or
why it didn't work out as planned. All I'm saying is that it pays to read
from journals that include info re what's happening ahead, especially
regarding weather. This incident was back in 2001, our 'spring' (most of
CA's 'early summer' ) rains ran late that year, if I recall.  Should this
turn out to be a late spring year, dumping those tents and warmer sleeping
bags too early could be a real mistake.  Reading ahead is one way to get a
feel for that, especially if mention of how the gear or lack of same the
journalist was carrying helped/hindered any situation, weather of otherwise
Just a thought,
FireFly.
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