[pct-l] a few questions

[res46 at cornell.edu (Rebecca Emily Selling)]

Hi all,
   I have a few questions to throw out.  I'm going to be hiking from about
Agua Dulce to the Oregon border next summer (darn college got in the
middle of a thru-hike) and I am wondering about appropriate apparel for
that section.  My two main questions are: 1) Do you think a raincoat is
necessary or could I get by with just a windbreaker? 2)I plan on hiking
in running shoes for most of the time, but would you recommend hiking
boots for the extra-snowy/mountainy sections?  i.e. the high sierra? 
If not boots, how about gore-tex trail runners to avoid wet feet?  I'd
prefer to just hike in running shoes for cost and wieght reasons, but
if people have found that uncomfortable, I will think about bringing
drier sturdier shoes.

Another question regards shelter.  I am planning on bringing just a
tarp-tent.  Do you think I should bring bug netting for it for the
sections I am doing?  Also, I would like to try my hand at making my own
tarp-tent.  Does anyone have suggestions as to where to find a good design
and where to get materials?  Thanks a million!
Happy Trails :)
Becky Selling