[pct-l] for experienced PCTer's

[chwillet at indiana.edu (Christopher Willett)]

A couple of comments:

I don't think you need to take 2 pairs of shorts and convertible pants. 
Nix one pair of the shorts.  Second, I highly, highly, highly recommend
that you not hike in the short sleeve shirt in SoCal and the Sierra, and 
instead go with a long sleeve shirt.  In SoCal, the sun will chew you up
if you do not protect your skin.  Sunblock doesn't count.  Unless you are
planning on doing not much at all during the hours of 11 to 3, or are
hoping for a lot of cloud cover,  I would plan on covering up.  Now, I met
(and hiked with) a lot of people who wore t-shirts in SoCal and sine did
okay.  Some didn't.  Some ended up on buses heading home, or with their
thumbs out heading to the nearest town.  How many times have you seen 
desert dwellers in shorts and a t-shirt?  In the Sierra, you'll have to
battle with mosquitoes in the valleys and with really tough reflected 
light (off the snow) up high.  Having long sleeves helps with both.

I'm not a big short gaiter fan, so I'd probably leave them at home.
Others like them, though.  However, in SoCal you'll want to keep you 
feet as cool as possible.  Having heavy weight nylon encasing them 
isn't a super good idea but, again, some people find the advantages 
outweigh the disadvantages.  In
the  Sierra, it is absolutely essential to have sunglasses.  Cheap Walmart 
ones will work okay. Reflected light again, here.  I'd probably leave the 
spare pair of underwear in the bounce box also.  Ditto for the 
camp towel.  You have a capacity for more than 
10 liters of water, which might be a little excessive.  However, water 
bottles are pretty light.  Just make sure to use that capacity and 
drink a whole lot.  By covering up completely and drinking lots of 
water, you will be able to hike through the heat of the afternoon with 
some comfort.  You might consider a pair of ear plugs for nights in 
shared rooms, or even on the trail.  There are some loud snorers out
there.  You can get the nice rubber ones at a hardware store (look in the 
safety section) for about a dollar.

What you have looks good for starting. Remember that it is a lot colder in 
SoCal than many people think (including myself before I hiked).
Once you get to Big Bear, you'll have a reasonable idea of what you 
need in SoCal and can make changes then.  Best of luck on the hike!  


Suge



----------------------
Christopher Willett
Department of Mathematics
Indiana University
831 East Third Street
Bloomington, IN. 47405-7106
(812)-855-1448
chwillet@indiana.edu
mypage.iu.edu/~chwillet