[pct-l] Subject: Shelters!

[David Money Harris]

Jake,

I have been hiking with a Light Heart Solo Cuben Fiber, which is a great ~20oz tent but expensive and now only offered in SiNylon.  Six Moon Designs has some similar options that are light and dependable, and I saw many on the trail but don’t have personal experience.

Like Robert said, I mostly cowboy camped from the border to Kennedy Meadows, then found myself in my tent almost every night because of ants, mosquitos, and other critters.  I just got a much better night of sleep when I put up the tent.  There are some young guys who can sleep through anything and put up with a bug net on their head instead, but it would drive me crazy.

In SoCal, I started bouncing my tent 5 days at a time when the weather forecast was perfect.  I could have ended up in a jam if a big surprise storm moved in, but I had two emergency trash bags that I’ve used in a light surprise rain in conjunction with a sheltering tree, and in the worst case, I could have hiked through the night and stayed warm in my rain gear.  North of SoCal, I wouldn’t have wanted to risk bouncing the tent.

David

Jake,


Hi everyone,

I've been reading the forum for a while and finally registered myself,
thank you for all of the generous advice that has been doled out over the
years.

My question is about shelter systems. I'm planning a thru hike for this
year, and one of the last pieces of gear on my list to figure out is my
shelter. I don't own anything yet, so I'm looking to purchase something.
The options are a little daunting; there seem to be so many.

What kind of shelter has worked for you? I've been doing my best to narrow
down my pack weight, and would like something light.

Is it possible to go tarp only for the PCT? What about rain fly only? Or
one of those combined with a groundsheet? Is there an area of the trail
where it's easier/more practical to go minimal in that way? Or an area of
the trail where you would specifically recommend I have a full tent or more
substantial shelter?

Thanks a ton,
Jake