[pct-l] Camp shoes and such

[jomike at cot.net]

I have to agree with Steel-Eye.....leave sandals and just wear your trail 
shoes.  If you have time and want your feet to breathe, go barefoot.  I've 
found that the feel of the ground is nice, even stimulating for my feet 
after a long hot, sweaty day in shoes.  Just be careful wear you step.

Reading between the lines though, I sense you're anxious and ready to hit 
the trail.  And once you're going I think all the obsession to detail will 
evaporate.  12lbs or 22 lbs?  All will work itself out given some time, even 
if it means giving up your pair of fancy sandals to the baby bears for a 
teething piece.

I'm not a minimalist in the true sense of the word, whatever the word is.  I 
grew up in the 70's and think that was the best decade in American history, 
no matter how big the packs got.  I even plan on taking a small sunshower 
and taking a hot shower most nights.  It's my one true extravagence.  I also 
need my glass of wine every night.  But then I've never done anything nearly 
this ambitious.  I plan on reading Jardeen's book but I've also been doing 
this long enough, and know myself good enough, to figure out what works and 
what won't.  For all else I trust in my judgement.

Good luck and I look to forward to meeting up with you at some point.

Romano

**************************

Well stated. Some of mine are a camp chair held together by;...my air mattress; a pillow, small though it be; coffee (bagged) for the a.m.; and just for fun, a light weight guide to CA wildflowers and trees. But, I must go on record, I am not a thru hiker. I do wear trail runners though; pack by ULA at 2#s 7 ozs; tent at 2#'s 4 ozs., etc.

I'm assuming most of you have heard about CA's drought caused by three years of below normal levels of precipitation. Newspaper tells me even IF we gets a wet spring, we'll still be far below normal (for the 3 years). So, water warning for the whole state (basically). Do you notice I qualify a lot of things!

are we there yet