[pct-l] help with layers of clothing

[Diane Soini of Santa Barbara Hikes]

On Jan 24, 2013, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> From: Bill Potter <billpotter at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [pct-l] help with layers of clothing
>
>
> Question 1 - will the Columbia shirt, down jacket and rain jacket  
> be warm enough for the weather I'll encounter on the PCT or should  
> I get the Marmot parka instead of the jacket? ?I consider myself  
> average with temperatures, I don't run hot or cold.
I'm female. While hiking I was comfortable into the 40s, or whatever  
it is early morning on the coldest days, with just my tank top, long- 
sleeved "desert" shirt and zip-off pants. Wore all this when it was  
100, too.

In a couple places I ran into colder weather and managed with a thin,  
polyester long-sleeved turtleneck (thank you Mammoth thrift shop)  
instead of the tank top and my light windbreaker (Patagonia houdini)  
on top of my desert shirt.

Somewhere in Washington I went through a cold spell where I was quite  
cold and could not rest for long or else my hands would go numb, but  
as long as I kept moving I was okay. I was always warm enough at  
night in my sleeping bag so being super cold during the day didn't  
scare me. I kept meaning to do something about this problem of being  
so cold but then I'd go another day just dealing with it until  
eventually it wasn't a problem anymore.

You'd be surprised what you can buy when you need it, and mail home  
when you don't.

>
> Question 3 - in rain do you just leave your feet to get wet? ?I  
> don't mind hiking wet but I've never done it for days or weeks at a  
> time like I hear can happen in Washington.
My feet were soaking wet for at least 10 days in a row in Washington  
(all of the first two sections), and then pretty much randomly here  
and there after that depending on the weather and the stupid bushes.  
I cursed it.  Cursing doesn't help, by the way. Wet feet is an  
annoyance, not a danger.

My feet were also pretty much wet all day, or I should say that just  
when they were dry again they got soaking wet again, all through the  
High Sierra. It was annoying but kind of nice to finally have clean  
feet after So Cal. In Nor Cal they were dirtier than ever, so it was  
short-lived.

The trail pounds the difference between danger and discomfort into  
your brain pretty much every day until you finally get the message.  
If you are stupid like me, you'll get it on your way home from Canada.