[pct-l] Matt's equipment questions

[yogilists@xxxxxxxxxxx (yogi hicker)]

Pack - my suggestion is to carry the lightest weight pack that fits you and
feels good.  A superlight pack that hangs off your shoulders would feel much
heavier than a pack that weighs 2 pounds more but is comfortable.  I carried
an Arc Tery'x Khasmin 52 without the top lid.  It weighs right around 3
pounds.  Very comfortable.

Stove - There's not a lot involved in making an alcohol stove.  Many people
make really cool-looking pepsi can stoves with a bazillion holes for the
fire to shoot out of.  I tried, but couldn't get one of those things to
work.  I simply use a potted meat can.  I pour the alcohol in, and it burns
like sterno would for fondu.  You can use a tuna can, too.  For a stove
stand, I went to the hardware store, picked up some stuff that looks like
chicken wire, bent it into a circle.  My can goes inside the circle, my pot
sits on top of it.  I use the windscreen from my MSR stove.  The whole thing
fits inside my pot.

Cookware - go to walmart and look at the "greasepot".  It weighs something
like 4 ounces and costs about $5.

Shoes - I've never seen a PCT thru-hiker wearing heavy boots.  Most PCT
thru-hikers wear running shoes or lightweight trail shoes.  Change your
shoes for the Sierras if your desert shoes don't have good tread.  I
recommend using different shoes for the first 700 miles.  Campo to KM is
really hot, and you need the most breathable shoes you can find.  Beginning
at KM, you need shoes with good tread, something that will help you on the
snow fields.

Shelter - The tarptent is an excellent design for the PCT.  It doesn't rain
very much on the PCT, and your shelter is used to keep ants and mosquitos
away from you.  The tarptent does just that (with a floor), and provides
enough ventilation that you don't get a lot of condensation.




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