[pct-l] Solio, Maps, and the herd

[Brian Lewis]

Responding to multiple recent posts ...

I too carried a Solio charger, as did several others I saw on the trail last
year.  For much or all of California it worked great, tie or otherwise
attach to the top of your pack while you're walking, because most
thru-hikers don't spend a huge amount of down time during daylight (i.e.,
you want it to charge while you're walking).    For Oregon and Washington
it's debatable whether it's worth carrying or not --- less sun, farther from
the equator, and more trees.   Catch is, the areas where the sun is best are
also the areas where there are more and more convenient trail stops where
you might recharge via wall current.  I.e., as a general rule of thumb it
seems to me that the places the solio charger works best are those where you
need it the least.   I was still happy with it in most of California.   By
the time you get to Oregon you'll be pretty experienced with how much power
your device(s) need(s) and can make your own decision for whether or where
to mail it home from.

Maps: my trail name is "Gadget", but I nevertheless recommend that folks
carry some sort of paper map, and not rely on maps in an electronic
device.   Note, however, that's just my personal opinion; if you take care
of your device and have sufficient power for it, coupled with the fact that
most of the PCT is pretty easy to navigate, I'm not saying that you'll have
trouble.  I just personally think it's best to have a reliable map, and the
weight of the paper isn't all that great (assuming you're not printing out
reams of paper for 1:25,000 maps and carrying long chunks worth at a time
...).
Halfmile's stuff is excellent in part because he walked and logged the
actual trail.  Every time when it mattered, I found his trail track to be
right on the money.

Will the "herd" clean out stores ahead of you?  YMMV of course, but I
started the day after the kickoff last year, and had little trouble in this
respect.  The very first resupply location, Mt. Laguna Store was out of a
few things, but when I asked they said they had a truck coming to restock
later that same day --- they know the herd comes through and apparantly they
account for it.   Later as things the herd spread out, I had no more
trouble.   Perhaps folks that run the kickoff event can comment as to the
attendance of folks registered as "plan to hike the trail" last year vs.
previous years, but I had the sense that it was at or near the record.
So I suggest that folks start the hike at the time that makes most sense to
them, without worrying about the herd effect unless you're a person that
really wants solitude starting day one.


Brian Lewis / Gadget '08
http://postholer.com/brianle