[pct-l] Music on the Trail and Rain Gear

[Nathan A]

Gary,

Agreed proper gear is a must and safety takes precedence over creature
comforts, My goal is to be as reasonably safe as possible without being
excessive. I have heard of the trail of gear that is left in hiker boxes,
mailed home, or bounced ahead because it is not needed.  For a light rain
or even a quick storm my proposed setup would enough. I would even
"survive" freezing rain or snow just in less comfort than my rain jacket.
In essence my question is how many days of rain did most people see from
Campo to Kennedy Meadows. If I am only going to see a handful of wet days
it is easier to justify the reduced weight. If I see rain, hail, and snow
every other day then of course it is needed.



However, I have never hiked the PCT so I am trying to learn from the
mistakes of others. I have already heard back from a few people that hiked
last year that if they did the hike again they would follow the setup I
suggested.



Everyone is always quick to suggest leaving the phone behind but I would
assume you are almost as likely to find a hiker with a gun than one without
a cell phone?


On Tue, Feb 19, 2013 at 9:16 AM, <gary_schenk at verizon.net> wrote:
>Completely different question: I am thinking of bringing a wind jacket,
>Mylar umbrella, and just a cheep $1 plastic emergency poncho as my rain
>gear until Kennedy Meadows. Obviously my biggest concern is the San
>Jacinto's. Does this seem sufficient rain coverage for the amount of rain
>typically seen on this section of trail?

> Call me old-fashioned, but I'd make sure I had enough proper gear to
> survive the varying conditions found on the trail first, then if space and
> weight allowed, bring electronics. Not the other way around.
>
> Freezing rain in the Lagunas in April is not unheard of.
>
> Gary
>