[pct-l] UL Tents

[Palomino]

John Abela wrote:

"All that said, I suspect you will get a lot of folks who say forget a
full-on tent, take some bug gear and a tarp and call it good - and save
yourself even more weight!!"

Bingo. For nobos, I don't think you need to carry a tent for the first 700
miles, but I would definitely carry a tarp and know how to use it. An April
snowstorm in the Lagunas is not uncommon. Most of the time, though, you can
cowboy camp. I think a tent is dead weight here.

I would add a bug net at Kennedy Meadows (south). And add an UL bivy at
Cascade Locks.

I section-hiked the trail between 2001 and 2009, so I had many opportunities
to try a lot of different gear combinations. The UL tent I kept coming back
to was the Gossamer Gear Squall Classic, basically a tarp with a bathtub
floor and bug netting. But the most versatile and practical shelter IMHO is
some bug gear and a tarp. Just experiment so your setup "fits" your body
size and the conditions.

As others have said, you can always change your mind as you learn your
needs. It's part of the fun.

Jim Ostdick
Palomino
San Juan Bautista, CA