[pct-l] Keeping warm at night

[john at frozenpoodle.com (John Brennan)]

Someone mentioned getting cold during the night.  I have a one-word
solution: calories.

If you go to sleep at hiker midnight (9PM) and get cold at 3AM, that means
it has been six hours since you have eaten.  I defy any hiker doing 20+
miles a day, day after day, to go six hours without eating while awake. Your
body's doing a lot of tiny repairs all night.  The night crew needs food
too.

I'd eat something just before conking out and have something [usually trail
mix (fat & protein)] nearby to eat when my body started to run out of fuel
in the night.  (The rest of my food was stored appropriately for the
location.)  I found I needed more night food for the first 1000 miles.  My
body gradually adjusted to where I only needed food on the really cold
nights. 

I used a silk liner on the PCT.  For my next thru-hike, I'll be using
lightweight Merino wool sleeping clothes.  The liner can only be used a
liner (OK, and maybe for an occasional interpretive dance piece).  The wool
sleeping clothes will do double duty: keep my bag cleaner and serve as extra
clothes in a pinch.

To add to the bag discussion: The laundromat in Dunsmuir (mile 1518) was a
great place for me to wash my bag.  The big front-loading washers were
gentle on my down bag. 
If only Dunsmuir was easier to get to.  Next time, I'll include some soap
designed to wash down in my Dunsmuir resupply box.

John B., the hiker formerly known as Cupcake