[pct-l] Gear/Resupply questions

[Jeffrey Olson]

On gear - think of gear as a system.  Each part has a place within it.  
Do you want to wear running shoes if your basic pack weight sans food 
and water is 20 plus pounds?  Do you want to cook food, or can you go 
without hot food and water?  If you're going to routinely carry 40 
pounds, do you want to carry a pack designed to carry 30 or less?

Are you comfortable trusting your experience and ability to make choices 
in highly stressful moments?   If so you'd likely use a tarp, running 
shoes, a 19 oz pack, a 20 oz quilt/bag, etc.  Basic pack weight would be 
between 8 and 12 pounds, or so.

There was a guy - Warner Springs Monty - who hiked one year 10 years ago 
with a base weight of five pounds or so.  I don't remember what he 
thought after his trip.  There's a facebook group on lightweight 
backpacking safety that explores this kind of stuff that he's 
administrator of.

Or are you relatively inexperienced with trips longer than a couple 
weeks, and think of gear as your primary buffer against weather, snow, 
terrain?  Everything will weigh a bit more.  The 20 - 25 lb basic weight 
becomes more realistic.

When hiking up and over little pass above Packwood Glacier in the Goat 
Rocks in 20 mph wind and mist so thick it's like rain, are you savvy 
enough to stop and get in your sleeping gear and warm up before starting 
to shiver uncontrollably?  Or do you think you'd just try to hike 
through it, shivering be damned? Are you willing to look for a safe 
crossing of a snowmelt fed creek, even if it takes an hour and a mile of 
hiking upstream to find a crossing that is safer than the one at the 
trail?  Or will you plow ahead?

When a situation gets tense and emotions are high - fear is real and 
present, do you calm down and rationally assess what's happening, or do 
you wind up with the fear and tension and make impetuous choices, 
believing you can make it by will alone?

Are you willing to abandon your "plan" in the first week of hiking?  If 
you develop foot problems from heat or not having broken in your 
feet/shoes, are you willing to step off the trail for a week, or slow 
down to have what you've planned?  Or do you think you'll put your head 
down and power through it hoping everything will work out - often what 
happens is the choice to get off the trail is made for you?

For many cost is a factor.  That said, you can make a lot of your gear 
if you have the patience and time, or get stuff off craigslist and ebay.

Read one of Ray Jardine's books on hiking the PCT.  You'll get a heavy 
dose of opinion based on experience, but most of it makes sense.  Even 
tough the books are 20 years old, the perspective is still valid for 
those who don't have a lot of long distance experience.

https://www.amazon.com/Pacific-Crest-Trail-Hikers-Handbook/dp/0963235923/

Jeff
Laramie, WY



On 10/15/2017 1:21 PM, David Zallis wrote:
> Hey Guys!
>
>        I am starting to look at gear and set my resupply points. I would
> love to get your thoughts on specific gear (brand and make) what worked for
> you and whatnot - Pack, Shoes/boots, shelter, bag/quilt, (snowshoes/ice axe
> - do I need them?), whatever other pertinent gear you think I need! Any
> thoughts on what is better in your opinion Lok sacks or a bear can?
>
> Also, any advice on setting resupply points? Right now I am using Craig's
> PCT planner to get a rough outline of my mileage/dates and using that info
> to look at where I will be research the town and set my resupply points.
>
> Overall, I tend to overwork things and don't want to do that but I have 6
> months. So I am trying to figure out what to focus on. Right now it is
> gear, the pacing I expect and my budget. Any other thoughts will be super
> helpful!
>
> Thanks,
>       David
>    (No trail name lol)
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