[pct-l] 2016 prep

[tokencivilian at yahoo.com]

To add to this list of suggestions:

Not only should you test that rain gear but also test your sleeping system.  Wait for a clear, cold night....kind of like what the Seattle area has had these last couple of nights, and go camp.  Use your intended shelter, pad, bag, clothes you intend to wear in the bag,  etc.  Do this test in a place where you have a bail out - the backyard, or car camping or similar, in case temps end up well below your desired test temp, or your system is grossly inadequate.

Bring a thermometer so you know the actual temperature you tested your gear to.

Try and run this test on a night where you get lows of 20-25 degrees, which are representative of the lowest it will likely get to for most thrus in the typical start and finish windows.

Assess your gear and make necessary adjustments then test again.  Note that being a touch on the cool side is probably ok since you will only have a few nights this cold, and it probably doesn't make sense to carry extra gear for only a few nights of mild discomfort.  On the other hand, if you're freezing you probably need to make changes to increase warmth.  Of course, if you're super toasty, consider lightening your load.
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