[pct-l] G'day and some questions.

[David Ellzey]

Welcome to the madhouse Caroline,

Re: sleeping bags - you should be able to hike the first 700 with your 5 degrees Celsius bag with only a handful of uncomfortable nights but in the High Sierras you will definitely want something warmer, not sure about your previous experience there but it can get extremely cold there in June. Think about a 20 degree Fahrenheit bag plus some ultra light warm clothing items on top of that. Most people just carry the 20F bag from beginning to end.

Re: gaiters - don't get overly concerned about the rattlesnakes, yes you will see a lot of them but as long as you are cautious the odds are astronomical that you would have an issue with them. Most people who wear gaiters buy the Dirty Girl ones online, I also use them. They are not that tall and only designed to keep debris out of the trail shoe.

Re: hiking partner - assuming you start between mid-April and mid-May you will easily find other people on the trail to hike with. Again, don't over think the rattlesnakes. You are more likely to be run over by a car sometime during your hike than get bit by a rattler.

It is difficult to tell from your post how much weight you plan to carry but you might want to explore methods for reducing that. You need to find that balance of the lowest base weight possible that your experience allows you to be comfortable with. More weight means a higher chance of injury, especially if you push yourself. Also the lower the weight the more you will enjoy the miles each day. On the other hand, if you are not experienced with long distance hiking and wilderness treks you may find yourself being miserable without certain amenities that are essential for YOU to be happy. However you decide to go, remember that you are doing this for you own reasons and feel free to ignore anyone's advice, especially mine.

BigToe

-----Original Message-----
From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net] On Behalf Of Caroline
Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2010 11:40 PM
To: pct-l at backcountry.net
Subject: [pct-l] G'day and some questions.

Firstly I'd like to say G'day to all on this list and introduce myself :D I've been a lurker on here on and off for a while over this past yr and have to admit I've found this an excellent source of info and occasional source of humour! My name is Caroline and my aim is to thru hike the PCT with the 2010 hikers. Obviously I'm also an aussie. 
 
I still have a few questions I was hoping I might find some answers on. 
 
My first is to do with sleeping bags. I'm currently looking at bringing my Roman sleeping bag which is rated to 5 degrees celcius. So that'd be around 40 fahrenheit if I'm correct. I'm a little confused on this though. Most of the posts I've read on here seem to indicate a bag rated at 20 so I'm assuming 20fahrenheit? That's minus temps in celcius. That seems awefully extreme for most of the trek so I'm just trying to clarify and get an idea on whether mine is actually warm enough or not. 
 
I have been lucky enough to sleep outside on a sidewalk in LA twice for extended periods of time (legally, I wasn't homeless LOL-I swear!)  and I'll admit to being caught out with the cold the first trip over. I found I was much better prepared the 2nd time and think the bag would definitely handle it. I also think it'd be fine in the Sierras from May onwards based on a previous travel there. But I thought it might be far too hot in the desert based on previous travel thru Death Valley during the summer. I found the nights there to be much like our aussie summer nights and quite pleasant. It obviously cooled down a ton from day temps but was still bearable. So this doesn't help my confusion any. Am I better off with a slightly warmer bag right thru or should I be changing bags along the way? Can anyone shed some light on the temps I'm likely to encounter compared to somewhere I do know like LA or Death Valley at night? 
 
My next question is to do with Gaitors. I wear them in Australia without fail when I hike. I wear high gaitors (just below the knees) partly to keep the crap out of my boots and socks but also for snakes. I tend to walk a lot off trail and bush whack around the local area so it's far safer for me to be wearing them than not. I noticed in the US though you have specific gaitors for rattlesnakes? Apparently they'll bite straight through mine. While I don't see it being a huge issue and I don't PLAN on getting bitten, what are your thoughts on rattlesnake gaitors? Has anyone worn them? How comfortable are they? 
I'd still like to be wearing some type of gaitor just to keep debris out of my shoes and for water crossings but was just curious. 
 
I was also hoping to find someone willing to hike the first few days with me at least. In the hiking I have done in the US I've never encountered a rattlesnake, so I'll admit to being a little cautious and would love someone to take pity on me and hike with me till I do get past my first encounter LOL. I won't be the fastest person starting out on trail but I'd rather start slower and build to 20+ mile days than drop out in the first month. Any takers?
 
That's all for now I think. I'm bound to have forgotten something but hope you can help :D
 
Caroline 
 


      
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