[pct-l] Re: a few questions

[agrestis9@hotmail.com (Richard Winterstein)]

>Hello everyone,
>
>   I'm fairly new to the list and I have a few questions:
>
Welcome aboard!

>   -Could I assume a 6x8 tarp is a good size for one person? Or should I go
>w/ an 8x10?  I've never used a tarp before, but I'm going to start.
>

  Some people may find a 6x8 tarp adequate but I think it's a bit small.  If 
there's any chance you'll encounter slanting, wind-driven rain, I think 
you'll want the wider margin of an 8x10 tarp.  Plus, the roomier tarp gives 
you space to store your gear comfortably.  For ideas on how to pitch a tarp 
in various conditions, check out _Mountaineering:_ 
_The_Freedom_of_the_Hills_, where you'll find a page that illustrates five 
or six different configurations.
  Don't forget about the mosquitoes!  One common way to defend yourself, 
short of regular baths in DEET, is to take along a mosquito-netting 
enclosure or "bug bivy" which can be suspended from your tarp.  A lighter 
alternative is to take panels of mosquito netting and attach them with 
velcro to the edges of the tarp.

>   -Where are some good places to look for lightweight quilts.  I do much 
>of
>my packing in summer and a 20 degree bag is an overkill at times.
>
  There are some companies that supply sleeping quilts--GoLite is one of 
them; another one was mentioned when this topic came up recently, but I 
don't remember what it was.  However, it requires very little sewing skill 
or money to make one of your own.  Mine cost no more than 40 or 50 dollars 
in materials.  Look up the instructions Ray Jardine gives in the appendix of 
his PCT book, or browse through the webpages of http://www.backpacking.net/. 
  If you still have questions about how to make such a quilt, you can ask 
for help in the "Make Your Own Gear" forum at that website.  By the way, the 
same site also has instructions for making your own "tarp tent."

  One word of caution.  If you are making several radical changes to your 
style of backpacking, test your new techniques on a few short hikes before 
you go into remote country for a long haul.  Only after the allure of 
novelty has worn off will you know what does and does not work for you.
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