[pct-l] Thoughts from a 99 hopeful

[Allen Downs <allendowns@sprintmail.com>]

I’m in the process of preparing for a through hike this year, and wanted
to share some of my thoughts and decisions with the list.  I’m a
freshman member of the PCT class of ‘99, and I’m hoping my thinking will
be of interest to other freshmen.  I’m also looking for suggestions and
comments from other list members.

Following Jay Jardin’s example, I have been examining my gear, weighing
everything, and considering where I can save ounces.  Also, after a day
of hiking I’m tired.  I don’t have extra energy - mental or physical to
deal with difficult tasks.  I want shelter that goes up easily, a stove
that doesn’t require a lot of hassle, and so forth.  Here are some of my
thoughts on preparation for the trail.

Shelter

In the past I have generally used a tent but I recently (September)
spent 5 nights in Desolation Wilderness sleeping under a tarp.  I see it
as largely a trade-off of weight for skill - the tent is easy to set up
but heavier - the tarp requires more awareness of likely wind and
precipitation, and some skill to set it up appropriately, but is
lighter.  My current tent is a Sierra Designs Flashlite which weighs 3lb
10oz.  It is sold as a 2 man tent and is comfortable for 1 person and
gear.  IMO its main problem (besides weight) is the lack of a vestibule,
so rain follows me into the tent.  I have ordered a Wanderlust Nomad
Lite, a single walled tent weighing about 1lb 13oz with poles.  This
tent has been mentioned on this list, costs $225, has a vestibule (or
awning) and can be seen at www.wanderlustgear.com. Both the company and
the tent are new, but it sounds promising.  I expect to receive it soon
enough to take a few shakedown hikes before having to decide if I will
go with it.
I have also ordered the lightest tarp I could find which is an 8’ x 10’
silicone-coated nylon 14oz tarp from LW Gear (717 323-0909) at $99.  The
designer, Lynne Whelden, is the guy who produced the “How to Hike the
Pacific Crest Trail Video”.  If I can build up some confidence in my
ability with this tarp, I will use for at least some parts of the trail,
but if the Nomad Lite tent lives up to its promise, I would expect to
use it most of the way.

Pack

I have a Wild Line Quest 3,000 cubic inch pack weighing 2lb 6oz which I
purchased from “Only the Lightest” (800 933-4453) at $145.  This pack
worked well on a 6 day trip, and on several shorted trips, but I’m not
sure it would be large enough, and I have also just ordered a 3,500
cubic inch pack from LW Gear (717 323-0909).  This pack is mostly mesh,
weighs 14ozs, and costs $99.  I’m concerned that it does not have a
waist band, but want to at least give it a try - its only 14ozs.

Stove

Here I’m considering 4 possibilities.  1) The MSR whisperlite - the
stove with which I have the most experience.  Uses inexpensive liquid
fuel, but must be primed.  Jet has been clogging more frequently as the
stove has gotten older.  If I decide to go with this stove I will
probably buy a new shakerjet model.  2) The Peak 1 Micro Stove (6oz)
which burns a propane/butane mixture.  Light weight and easy to light,
but fuel is expensive, and may be hard to find, or to ship.  Difficult
to determine how much fuel remains in the can.  3) Esbit solid fuel
stove.  Light and cheap (3oz - $9 with 6 fuel tabs)  I have no
experience yet, but I expect it will take longer than the other stoves
to boil water.  4)  Zip Sierra stove (ZZ Manufacturing 800 594-98046 $56
w/shipping)- Wood burning stove with an electric fan running on 1 AA
cell.   Heavy (1lb 6oz) but no fuel needs to be packed - just gather
twigs some time before supper.  Blackens the pot.  Ashes must be cooled
and disposed of.  A little awkward to pack.
At this point I think #2 is most convenient, #3 is lightest even with
fuel for up to 10 days, making it the one I most want to like, but #1
may be best overall.

Water

I’m convinced that it makes sense to treat all backcountry drinking
water - why risk illness on the trail unnecessarily?  I’ve been using a
Katadyn Minifilter for 3 years. It weights about 9oz including its 1oz
stuff sack.  But it takes more time and effort to use than I am willing
to spend day after day on a through hike, and it is beginning to lose
its prime frequently.  I hope to find another filter with higher
throughput, but it looks like I won’t be able to beat the weight of my
Minifilter.  I expect I will carry a small amount of iodine as a backup.

I plan to take two 1 liter or 1.5 liter bottled water bottles and one or
two platypus water bags,  with replacements for both in my resupply
parcels.

Food

I plan on cooking one meal a day - supper.  I hope to limit my cooking
to bringing water to a boil, adding the food, stir, wait and eat.  The
basis of most of my cooked meals will be pasta or dehydrated masked
potato, with cheese, or beef jerky, or some other flavoring added.  (A
source for cheese powder is The Bakers Catalogue 800 827-6836).
Otherwise I plan on pop-tarts, dried fruit, trail mix, granola bars, and
other nibblies yet to be determined.

Schedule

After reading Ray’s book, my plan was to start in early May to avoid
heavy snow, but a friend with much more experience that I have has
convinced me that the desert heat may also be a problem, and an earlier
start is appropriate.  Assuming reports indicate normal or less than
normal snow in the southern mountains, I now plan to start on April
17th.  This gives me 2 additional weeks allowing less miles per day, or
less stress if I do have to wait at some point for snow to clear.  I
live in California, and a few days delay would just mean an opportunity
to visit home.

There are a lot of other areas to cover, but I think this is about
enough for one post.  I’d love to hear (read) your comments and ideas.

 Allen (no trail name yet) Downs


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