[pct-l] SoBoing in SoCal questions: water caches, hammocking vs. shelter/cowboy camping, rain?

[Ed Jarrett]

I have hammocked the northern half of the trail as well.  But the southern-most 200 miles that I did this year would be a challenge to hang much.  There are a few places where one could easily hang, but there are long stretches will little that resembles a real tree, much less two of them close enough together.  I took a tent through that stretch, but did cowboy camp quite a bit, and that would work so long as you are using a pad vs an UQ in your hammock.

Ed Jarrett (Eeyore)A Clay Jar: http://aclayjar.blogspot.com/  Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdJarrett53 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ed.jarrett.71 

> Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2014 12:33:21 -0400
> From: ilikepeace at gmail.com
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: [pct-l] SoBoing in SoCal questions: water caches, hammocking vs. shelter/cowboy camping, rain?
> 
> Hi All,
>   I'm finally going to finish a southbound thru-hike I started a few years
> back.  I have a couple questions about Southern California that maybe
> someone can help me with.
> 
> In general, are most of the water caches still in place for September?  Is
> there considerably less natural water in southern california in september?
> Seems like the water reports are mostly for the benefit of springtime NoBo
> hikers and not updated throughout the summer...
> 
> Will it ever rain/snow in Southern California in September?  Is it a waste
> to bring rain gear in Southern California?
> 
> I've gone with a hammock the whole trail north of VVR, but I assume that
> there will be less or no hammockable trees in Southern California.  I
> thought I might just cowboy camp when there are no good trees...but I'm a
> bit worried about rattlesnakes.  Is it smart to have an enclosed shelter in
> the desert to avoid rattlesnake and the small chance of precipitation?  Am
> I being irrationally fearful to think that a rattlesnake would bite me if
> I'm sleeping in the dirt?
> 
> 
> Many Thanks!
> 
> Happy Trails,
> Fire Belly
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