[pct-l] Do we need a GPS unit and coats

[Diane Soini]

I never wore my down jacket on the PCT except inside my sleeping bag I would drape it over my hips or in town where I would get cold. And the only places I was ever cold in my sleeping bag were in So Cal and in the Sierras if I camped near water. I never got cold on trail. I completed my hike at the end of August so I can't say what September and beyond is like.

I'd say the items you listed are warm enough.

On Mar 12, 2014, at 10:00 AM, pct-l-request at backcountry.net wrote:

> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 11 Mar 2014 16:10:45 -0500
> From: John Herrin <johndavidherrin at gmail.com>
> Subject: [pct-l] Do we need a GPS unit and coats
> My wife and I will be backpacking SoBo on the PCT from near Ashland OR to
> Kennedy Meadows South CA (approx 1030 mi). We are starting on July 7,
> hoping to end late Sept.
> 
> I own an older GPS unit that we used on the JMT in 2010. Truthfully I've
> never figured out how to properly operate it and likewise only used it to
> track altitude and daily mileage. So my question is, do we really need a
> GPS for this stretch of the trail. I have the most recent HalfMile Maps,
> Yogi's handbook and the Wilderness Press Pacific Crest Trail guide for
> Northern CA (Tuolumne to OR Border).
> 
> Also while I'm posting, I am a fairly hot person, that is I rarely get cold
> (I live in Chicago). We have backpacked all over Colorado, Wyoming,
> Montana, Washington St, and CA. I usually just bring my Marmot windshirt,
> no down jacket or rain coat. I wear a t-shirt and shorts (with the zip off
> legs) and have long underwear tops and bottoms in my pack if needed. My
> wife brings along a Patagonia UL down hoody (she gets colder than me). We
> both bring lightweight gloves and beanies.
> 
> Do I really need anything warmer? Should we bring lightweight rain gear?
> Frogg Toggs? Maybe a couple of ponchos. We are trying hard to keep our pack
> weights down and I hate bringing stuff we don't need/use. We are also
> retired and don't have a lot of money to spend on gear we don't really need.
> 
> Thoughts?
> Thanks, John and Tina Herrin