[pct-l] Pct-L Digest, Vol 37, Issue 35

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Jan 16, 2011, at 9:18 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> air mattress punctured by an evil cactus spine.

I think the whole cactus spine thing is highly overstressed. It would  
seem pretty impossible in my opinion to have a cactus spine puncture  
your air mattress inside your tent. I'm sure it has happened, but  
really there aren't a lot of cactus spines laying around. Bring one  
of those Gossamer Gear 1/8 Thinlight pads. They fold up pretty small  
and will protect your mattress. Or bring a cheap closed-cell foam  
pad. Lots of people use those to sit on throughout the day, keeping  
them on the outside of the pack for easy deployment. You'll see the  
fresh bumps left by Z-rests all along the trail. You can pair that  
with your air mattress for protection.