[pct-l] Ultimate List of essential gear (for me anyway!)

[Bradley Issler]

1. Therm-a-rest Neo Air.  Why?  It's light, strong, comfortable and
insulating.  You ultra-lighters are a different breed, but for 5 months on
the trail I enjoyed having a "bed" to sleep on.  I tried a regular pad for a
minute in SoCal, but every night after hiking all day, I found my back and
hips hurting from the ground. I never had a problem with punctures!! Which,
brings me to #2

2. Tyvek groundsheet (with homemade corner tabs for staking down).  Tyvex is
heavier than polycro, but if you are a bull in a china shop, like me, then
you want Tyvek.  You can pull it out anywhere you take a break and sit on it
without worrying about being gentle.  I used my tyvek for so many things,
including glissading.  And, though my corner tabs went mostly unused, I was
able to pull it out one rainy day in Oregon and stake the back down and put
the front part up on my poles for an improvised shelter.    Also, if you are
getting Tyvek, I found that the sheets that Six Moons Designs sell don't
hold onto leaves and brush like the sheets that you would get at home depot
do.

3. Petzl e-lite.  This thing is amazingly light and works great.  Not the
brightest, but probably one of the lightest.  I was able to read at night
with it.

4. Swiss Army Classic Knife.  I did not believe it when everyone on here was
touting this knife as being "all you need," but, it really is!!!

5.  Sunday Afternoons Adventurer hat.  I did not use much sunblock, if any
at all, on my face during my hike because of the exceptional head, face and
neck coverage of this hat (I did wear sunblock on the ice and snow though).
I wasn't too impressed with the look of it when I first got it.  It reminded
me of something my Grandma would wear to garden.  But, it did not matter
that much in the end, as it is sooooooooo functional.

6.  2 Gatorade liter bottles and 2-2+liter platypus bladders.

7.  Baby wipes!!! Worth the weight...again, for me!

8.  And, of course, my Ukulele.  This is optional though.

I am sure you can't wait to tear this apart. But, in the end, it does not
matter because I am right, and you are wrong :)~

Hope this may help some newbies make decisions...though, it will probably
just make things worse.  Oh well!

See y'all soon,
Jukebox.