[pct-l] Trail Gear

[Brian Watt]

Leah Katherine,

The following items wore/broke/fell-apart out on the trail for me this 
past year.
* Shoes - used 5 pair of Brooks Cascadias.
* Socks - used 10 pair on Injinji Liner toe socks.
* Clothing - replaced shirt and pants midway, they both had holes and 
were frayed.
* Sawyer Mini water filter - filter slowed way down over time, e.g. it 
took 6-7 minutes for 1L, replaced with regular sized Sawyer Squeeze at 
Timberline.
* Sawyer Mini squeezeable bottle - rips near top, replaced twice (about 
every 400 miles) until I switched to a Pepsi/Desani rigid plastic soda 
bottle as dirty bottle.
* Hiking Pole tips - replaced tips twice for each pole. See: 
http://www.1fifoto.com/hiking/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/IMG_1088.jpg
* Hiking Poles - broke pole going over Kearsarge Pass and had to buy a 
new set in Bishop. The old ones (one broken) needed new tips.
* Backpack - had a Gossamer Gear Mariposa backpack that has 
miscellaneous holes in various pockets, but the main pack was fine.
* Backpack Hip Belt -  backpack hip belt which was in shreads by the end 
and now needs replacing, but it held together until the end.
* Tent zipper - had a ZPacks Hexamid Solo Plus with two zipper pulls, by 
the end only one pull worked, made due until the end.
* Tent netting - mice ate through netting in Washington, repaired with 
adhesive patches, but it really needs to be sewn with patches or replaced.
* Sleeping bag - had a ZPacks 20 degree F down bag, by the end it had 
2-5 small holes near head-end leaking down, and needs to be sewed shut.
* Sleeping bag liner - end ripped open so my feet stuck out, need a new 
one now, but used it until the end.
* Sleeping bag stuff sack - was cuben fiber from Zpacks but got frayed, 
replaced with Sea to Summit eVac waterproof stuff sack in Washington.
* Down vest - ripped hole with misplaced safety pin, patched with duct 
tape, sewed shut after trail.
* Spoon/Spork - broke all but a single Lexan spoon.
* Cell phone cord - used a solar charger connected directly to my 
iPhone, went through 3-4 USB cell phone cords due to flexing and wires 
breaking.
* Headlamp batteries - used up 3-4 sets of three AA batteries.

Bri/Tartan PCT 2014