[pct-l] gear advice

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

For tent I recommend the 6-Moons Designs Lunar Duo. You'll have a  
roomy two-person tent with less weight than a Big Agnes. This assumes  
you are using trekking poles. The solo version would also be roomy  
enough.

For pack, I suggest not getting the biggest pack but getting the  
smallest pack you can get away with. Your biggest concern is will it  
hold your bear canister.

I used an Osprey Aura 65 for a large segment. It worked great when I  
needed to haul a lot of water and my bear canister fit okay (I used  
the old Garcia). But after I got through the Sierras, it was way too  
big and I've never used it again, not even to hike the desert again.  
Still, it's a good size and you can remove the lid to save a little  
unused space later in the game.

I found that a very light down jacket was only used in towns and as  
an extra layer of warmth occasionally inside my sleeping bag. Don't  
forget that if you get cold enough you can wear your rain gear on top  
of your jacket and you can wear your beenie. Wearing everything at  
once should actually be a weight-saving strategy for the worst  
conditions.

On Dec 24, 2012, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> From: <dm at quixnet.net>
> Subject: [pct-l] gear advice
>
> I still lack two major items of gear for the 2013 PCT and would  
> like some input from you experienced hikers (I'm new to backpacking).
>
> Tent choice is narrowed down to either a Big Agnes FC UL1 or UL2.   
> I'm 6'1" and think the extra room of the UL2 would be worth the few  
> extra ounces of weight, especially since I am a bit claustrophobic.
>
> Pack choice is currently between Osprey Aether 60 or Atmos 65.  I  
> don't know if I really need that much volume but am trying to plan  
> for the heaviest load I'll need to carry, not the average.  I have  
> a 1 lb. sleeping bag, one pair of Kuhl hiking pants, 2 Smartwool  
> underwear, Icebreaker tee shirt, Smartwool long johns, beanie,  
> Buff, wide-brimmed hat, ChromeDome umbrella, 3 pair of sox, rain  
> gear, fleece gloves, camp/water shoes, trekking poles and a Jetboil  
> Sol Ti stove.  With the addition of the normal odds and ends, what  
> is the least volume backpack I can get by with?
>
> With the above mentioned clothing items, will I likely need a down  
> item?  If so, should it be a vest, jacket, or jacket with hood?
>
> I would appreciate advice from you grizzled veterans of the trail!   
> Or from you veterans of the lovely feminine persuasion.
>
> Dwane Koppler
> (virgin backpacker)