[pct-l] In the abundance of water, the fool is thirsty

[Sean 'Miner' Nordeen]

There is something else you could have done that I frequently have done in SoCal sections.  If you find that the temps are causing you to go through too much of your water too fast and that you won't have enough to get to the next water source, you find some shade and STOP.  Wait out the heat and continue on to the next water source when the temps are cooler so you don't need to drink as much.  Do this even if that means hiking into the dark.  And if you are worried that the situation will continue the next day, you force yourself to get up at first light and hike when its cool.  I find that I can hike more then half my daily mileage easily during the cool of the early morning and it takes much less time then hiking during the heat of the day since my body doesn't have to work to stay cool at the same time.   Just a thought for your future trips. 

As a general rule, I always hike with at least 3L carrying capacity even if I know water will be abundant; though I often dry camp which requires carrying more water into camp.  I'm probably one of the few thru-hikers that still had a 4.5L capacity when hiking Washington last year during the coollness of September; and I obviously never needed all of it.

-Miner

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Check my 2009 PCT Journal out at http://www.pct2009.lifesadventures.net/Journal.php