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[pct-l] Bird Spring Pass Rd Info; Of Tarps & Condensate



On my '00 hike, I had the utter surprise of being
whisked away from Bird Spring Pass by friends who
actually found and drove the dirt road from Onyx (and
found me just as I was about to round the bend out of
sight).

The road was not well-marked and pretty rutted,
especially nearer to the pass.  They were driving an
sub-SUV w/o 4-wheel drive (a Blazer, I think), but I
believe that a car could probably make it OK if you
didn't mind driving on a bad dirt road or going very
slow.  We got lost driving back out to the main road
to Onyx in the dark, so just pay attention to your
route.  Also, they found the dirt roads on a normal
road map!

Regarding condensation on tarps - yes, it's true that
you can get frequent condensate in tarps, even in the
desert and even if they are adequately ventilated.  I
have used all kinds of tents (single wall, double
wall) and tarps (simple styles and floorless tent
hybrids), and I've experienced lots of condensate from
the river bottoms in East Texas where the humidity is
90-100% on a dry day and at the 12,000 foot level in
the Rockies where you'd think there would be no
moisture hanging around...but there it is to greet you
when you wake up.

Of all the occasions and huge amounts of condensate
I've experienced, I have never had it get SO BAD that
it soaked all the way through my sleeping bag causing
hypothermia, nor has it ever ruined my gear for the
day.  It's annoying to brush up against it, to have it
dripping on you first thing in the morning, to have a
seemingly "soaked" down bag to deal with....but
functionally/practically it has never slowed me down
or caused more than minor annoyance.

Condensation happens.  You can minimize it.  But it
won't ruin your trip even if it does happen.  It's
really only an annoyance.  More urgent is making sure
you know where and how to pitch your shelter in a
storm so that water doesn't run beneath or into it.

Two cents,
Nocona




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