[pct-l] Hiking Poles, Bear Canisters and Tarp/Bivy Setups

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

On Apr 23, 2009, at 7:35 PM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:
>
> First: Would you recommend the use of hiking poles on the whole  
> trail? If
> so, what brand/model would you suggest?
Since most people use them for their tents, the answer is yes. I  
recommend either Leki ultralights (which are really not so light) or  
Gossamer Gear Lightrek (which will float away.)

>
> Second: Would you recommend the use of a bear-proof food container  
> on the
> whole trail? Would you recommend hanging food from trees instead?
You can use an ursack if you want. I did. But it's not necessary. A  
trash compactor bag works well. You need an approved bear canister  
for part of the High Sierra, from approximately Kennedy Meadows to  
Sonora Pass.
>
> Third: For sleeping, it seems like many of you opt for the use of a  
> tarp as
> opposed to a tent. Do you normally use a bivy sack with a tarp  
> overhead, or
> just a tarp, or just a bivy sack?
Most people had tarptents, actually. A large amount of people just  
slept under the stars (and I don't know what they had inside their  
packs, probably tarptents.)

I plan to bring a tarp because I've decided I really like them. But I  
may go nuts in mosquito country in which case I will get my tarptent  
(Gossamer Gear The One.)