[pct-l] Sleeping Bags and Cutbacks

[montedodge at msn.com (Monte Dodge)]

 Sleeping Bags??? I think for the extra 5 ozs. of down I would go for the 15 degree bag. You can always open a hot bag but harder to make a cold bag warm. Yes you can wear your extra clothes to beef things up, but if it's been cold and rainy all day ( like can happen in fall Washington) you don't enjoy wearing your wet fleece/poly to bed. Old fat guys like me get around very well with a 20 degree and find it warm, but having enough blubber to put a harp seal to shame helps.
   Remember as you thru-hike , you lose your body insulation and if you are a cold sleeper, take an extra 5 ozs. of down.
  NP cost cutting???? Anyway you slice it, Park service is getting " Starved Out" on funds.  PI in Seattle put out mount Rainier's funding over the last few year's and each year funding is reduced. Even the money we pay doesn't all make it back to the NP. Only 49 cents per dollar and Np's, and only 17 cents!!!! per dollar on Forest Service. This is a planned stave out , not a budget issue by the " Big Boys".  ( But will are shooting for a 87 billion dollar budget to rebuild Iraq) At least they will have nice trails!! ( Maybe even a new shelter or two!) TIC