[pct-l] split hiking day

[Bob Bankhead]

When we did the section from Mojave to Walker Pass, we too used the split technique; hiked until 11 am then ate and rested - never could sleep long in that heat - until 5 or 6 pm, then hiked on. We found that those long, needle-sharp leaves of the Joshua tree don't provide much shade on their own. We carried one of the heavier (12 oz) dual-sided ground cloths - orange on one side, Mylar on the other. We rigged this  from a Joshua tree and our trekking poles with the Mylar side up to make a solar shield. As the angle of the sun changed, we slowly lowered the appropriate side to keep us shaded. Worked great. My partner was very jealous of my umbrella which reliably shaded my feet during these rests but was useless while walking most of the time due to the strong desert winds.

Today, Adventure Medical Kits makes a similar and far lighter (2.8 oz) 2 person emergency blanket that would work just as well as our heavier shield. It is 60 x 90 and costs $5.50   See http://www.aeromedix.com/product-exec/parent_id/14/category_id/21/product_id/1328/nm/AMK_Emergency_Survival_Blanket_2_Person. I've seen them at REI.

Wandering Bob