[pct-l] Hammocks and feet growing

[Jerry Hull]

In 2005, to celebrate my 60th year on earth, I did the PCT thru Oregon -
California state line to Cascade Locks, 465 miles.  I hiked in Asic trail
runners - and at the end, my shoes still looked relatively new while my
brother-in-law's New Balance were trashed.  Unfortunately, I had let the
shoe salesman talk me into shoes that I thought were too small - and I was
right.  I ended up with blisters - but only on the end of my toes.  I've
since bought some Asics that were a full size larger, and they've done fine
on shorter (3-4 day) hikes.

And I hung in a home-built hammock for my entire trip - 27 days - except for
one night  The one night I tried to sleep on the bunk in a shelter was
definitely the most miserable night of the trip.  

I used a self-sewn "pea pod" sleeping bag that completely surrounds the
hammock, and never slept cold.  I woke without back pain - which I suffer
regularly at home - and won't ever go back to ground sleeping if there's a
choice.  There was never a place - including the one shelter where I didn't
hang - that I couldn't have hung a hammock.

FWIW, YMMV, HYOH, and all that other alphabet soup...

Jerry Hull
"Stitch" (since I sew most of my own gear)
starship at peak.org