[pct-l] Advice on Gear List

[Jim & Brenda Johnson]

  I just wanted to bump this up one last time.
Thanks for all of the suggestions thus far...Diane, Chuck, Austin, Jim, 
and Mike.

And please excuse my naivety in my initial inquiry. It comes from 20+ 
years of
hiking with the old-school thought process, which takes a surprisingly 
long time to
change, given this stubborn Scottish blood. 58 pounds on Canada's West 
Coast Trail in 2005
down to 30 pounds on Glacier's North Circle Loop 2 years ago is 
advancement though.

Diane, that suggestion about skipping a bowl and eating out of a pot 
makes sense, solo hiking.
I tend to hike with 3 others on multi-day hikes in the Rockies each summer
and if we all ate out of the same pot I doubt I'd have any fingers left 
or a hand, let alone a spoon. lol

I can't skip the plastic glass. It's fairly lightweight anyway (yeah I 
know, they all add up)
but I love my milk and I regularly drink instant breakfast drinks with 
powdered milk
while on the trail (at home too, only with real milk). I don't think I'd 
want to mix it in a plastic bottle. Just my 2 cents.

Still not sure about the lightweight shirt and pants vs. tee and shorts. 
Not much need
for sunscreen (or bug spray) with long shirt and pants; more with tee 
and shorts.
Less mess/fuss with the pants and long shirt, more "freedom" with the 
shorts and tee
but also more need to be wary of brushing up against things and/or 
lathering on the sunscreen.

I usually wear a bandana, and when it's super sunny also a ball cap. 
Would this combo
suffice for SoCal?

We use the MSR HyperFlow for filtering water on all of our hikes. The 
thing's amazing, literally
a liter of water every 20 seconds. I don't think I'd be into dumping 
chemicals in me for 4+ months.
Again, just me. I guess I'd have to put up with the 10 ounces. I could 
definitely enjoy
drinking water on the spot though instead of waiting for chemicals to 
begin working.

Chuck, the reference to a Gorillapod/tripod was to use with a video 
camera. If/when
I undertake this adventure, I will definitely want to take video, and a 
lightweight(?) tripod would
certainly be helpful.

A "bumpad" refers to a thin foam pad, serving a dual purpose in not only 
assisting in preventing punctures
in my NeoAir while sleeping but also as a "bum pad" while sitting and/or 
resting (i.e. lunch breaks).

"Pack"...I got a ULA Catalyst a couple of years ago, and absolutely love 
the thing. It may seem big,
but it is definitely downsizing from what I hauled 5 years ago...a huge 
Kelty external pack.
I'd stick with the Catalyst, but would consider getting a ULA "Circuit" 
specifically for the PCT.
I'd keep the Catalyst for our Rocky Mountain adventures (i.e. more 
"stuff" with the boys, Backcountry Oven, etc.).
Any thoughts out there on the ULA Circuit for the PCT?

And, any comments on MSR's Groundhog Stakes for tenting? We've had 
issues with the tent stakes with our
Lunar Duo tents in the past, we've ripped off the top of a couple of 
stakes when removing them.

Thanks to all. This stuff is extremely helpful to any aspiring 
thru-hiker (or long distance hiker).

- jiffypop