[pct-l] General Gear Questions

[The Mountain Goat]

Gear Questions...Base pack weight can be divided into catagories. People have different comfort zones. For the purpose of discution I have divided them into 3 catatories. 
1. Ultra Light 0-12 LB
2. Light weight 12-20LB.
3. medium Weight 20-28LB.

Yes, you can go up from there, but were thru hikers, section hikers and groupies, so for the purpose of argument lets keep it under 28LB.

I fall into the lightweight area. I like having some creature comforts, but still doing my 22 miles average. Everybody is probably going to have a different answer, but suficive to say, if your a ulta light your going bear bones minimum. Light weight you making trackes, with very few creature comforts. For me it was the 3 LB tent. Yep, I did a thru hike with a 3LB, 3oz tent. Good in them snow storms. :-)

This leads into the second question. Yep, used the 3LB tent. Sierra Designs light year. great for mos-squitoes, and par-cip-a-tation. If your using tarp tents, tarps, or anything less than 2LB, your probably an ultra lighter. 

ok, third question: Sleeping bag, quilt or just a kilt?
for 25 years before doing the thru-hike, I went with Synthetic, with the theory that if you got your bag wet, your dead meat. But as I was realizing the weight of them things, and that after 25 years, I realy didn't get my sleeping bag wet, I went all Down for bags. Its the best weight for warmth ratio. Since I had a good tent for weather, ok for some weather, it worked good for me. As for the Quilt, I have always used sleeping bags, so I leave the quilt question for the kilt people, reinhold you out there? :-) .

 p.s. I used a 20 degree bag for Sierras and last 200 miles before Canada, and a 45 degree bag (just 15 oz) for the rest of the distance.

Good luck, and happy hiking.
-Mountain Goat-





     Wed Jan 10 02:54:09 CST 2007          
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I'm trying to compile some data. I have 3 questions. Feel free to answer
or not. 
     1. base pack weight.
        general 3-season, or thru hiking weight
     2. Tarp or tent
        (Considering a tarptent to be a single-walled tent )
        And if a tarp, then do you carry any bug protection.
     3. This is a two parter with 4 possible answers. Sleeping bag or
        quilt, and down or synthetic insulation.

Thanks for all responses, and feel free to add anything you'd like.

E-Psi
Energy, Position, Momentum



 
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