[pct-l] planning priorities

[Kevin Cook]

Hello all,

I'm well into planning for my 2011 thru hike. There are still many things
undecided, but I'm having trouble prioritizing things. Here is my dilemma...

Right now, cash flow is limited, but I'll have plenty for the hike in April.
I planned to mail myself a substantial portion of my food along the way, but
I also realize that most(?) hikers resupply along the way. I already have
most of my gear, but I'm starting to reconsider some items for replacement.

For my food, I'm planing to dry a lot myself and/or order some freeze dried
ingredients in bulk. Freeze dried stuff is just soooo light, even compared
to dried stuff! When I backpack, my food is always the heaviest part of my
pack, so for me, that's the easiest place to try and save weight. In order
to send myself resupplies along the way though, I need to gather up the food
well in advance so I can package it all up and have my boxes ready to ship.

I've also grown concerned about bugs. My sleep system is a hammock and tarp
setup that I made myself. They work great, but I'm considering making new
ones. I have one tarp that I made bug netting walls that attach with velcro.
It's not too heavy, but it is very bulky. When I made it a few years ago, it
was a proof of concept experiment, so I used inexpensive bug netting. It
worked so well though, that I have taken it on several backpacking trips
now. I'm considering making a new setup, but there is some cost and time
involved.

There are also things like maps and databooks, permits, bear canister,
shoes, etc

So my question is... what things do you all think I should worry about
first? I have a little money to spend each pay period between now and April,
but only in the range of $200-300 a month at the most. Come April 1st, I'll
have all the funds I need, but I'm concerned there won't be enough time to
get everything ready if I wait until then. Plus, I miss out on trying to
catch deals along the way. I'm planning to start my hike on April 20 (my
birthday), so that isn't a lot of time.

I realize that there are no right or wrong answers to this question. I'm
just looking for your opinions. Hopefully you will try to explain why you
think I should prioritize one thing over another though ;)

Thanks in advance for your feedback. It's getting harder and harder to think
about anything else besides this hike!

-- 
~ Kevin
Soon To Be PCT Thru Hiker!
"The indoor life is the next best thing to premature burial." Edward Abbey