[pct-l] Getting some rest

[Diane at Santa Barbara Hikes dot com]

After a while I learned the secret of getting some good rest and  
relaxation, for me anyway. Might work for you, might not. Here's what  
never worked as much as I wanted it to:
- Hotels. The air smells funny, the air-conditioning is noisy, the  
bed feels funny. Not good for sleep.
- Trail angels. I appreciate what they do, but it's always restful.  
The other hikers may stay up too late, snore, party late into the  
night. If you are in someone's home, you might feel like you have to  
walk on tip-toes not to be a burden. If you can sleep in your tent  
outside away from others, it might be more restful for you.
- Shelters. The chance you will arrive at one (how many are there?  
Two?) shelters at a time you want to stop is low. I passed Peter  
Grubb hut in the morning. I passed the shelter at Government meadow  
in the afternoon, but a scary guy was already there.

What does work:
- Setting up your tent in a yard.
- Setting up your tent somewhere near town hidden from view. By  
extension, a zero on the trail would work, but it's hard to overcome  
the urge to make miles if the trail is right there.
- Campgrounds are better than hotels. You will be far more used to  
sleeping outdoors than indoors. Campgrounds with a lot of families,  
RVs and rednecks should be avoided at all costs. This includes Lake  
Morena. If there's a hike-bike site far from the rest of the sites,  
that is ideal.
- Spending part of the day in your tent napping and reading and being  
away from everything is extremely relaxing. For some reason, this is  
easier in a tent than in a hotel.
- Having a tent so that you have privacy from others. A stealthy  
color like light gray also helps. It's actually harder to see light  
gray than green, should you have to resort to a stealth camp near town.

Hope you find something of use here, at least something to consider.
Diane