[pct-l] Recent and fresh experiences

[lpmcduff@juno.com]

Thanks for your note, Greg, and expecially thank you for the water you
stashed last spring.  It got us off to a great start.

As far as recent and fresh experiences for the class of 2000, I would say
we enjoyed being in Washington early and not worrying about winter
weather.  I think our light packs helped us get there.  Here are a few
things that worked for us:

Stove.  We used a modified pineapple can which burned Esbit tablets or
alcohol.  When I was carrying both I would get the water boiling with
alcohol, then drop in a piece of an Esbit tablet to do the simmering. 
Alcohol was readily available in 12-ounce containers as gas-line
anti-freeze.  We carried it in a 20-ounce green Sprite bottle.

Tarp.  We made ours out of 1.1 ounce silicon coated nylon purchased from
Outdoor Wilderness Fabrics and seam sealed with a 50-50 mix of silicone
caulk and paint thinner.  It pitched with three sides on the ground and
worked for wind protection as well an rain.  We used our inverted hiking
sticks connected by a 6-inch piece of plastic hose for support.

Mosquito netting.  We sewed a piece which draped over our hiking sticks
covering our upper bodies.  We used this more often than the tarp.

Clothing.  We didn't carry any waterproof gear, only a nylon shell, and
for most of the hike did not carry a fleece jacket, just a mid-weight
underwear shirt.  We did carry fleece through the Sierras, but I used
mine mainly for a pillow.  It got cold at night, but we cooked and ate in
our sleeping bags.

Conditioning.  In addition to daily training (running, biking, carrying a
loaded backpack) we took two 5-day training hikes, one on the Pinhoti
Trail in Alabama in January, and one on the Appalachian Trail in March. 
This helped us hike 20-mile days from the start without hurting
ourselves.  

We'd be happy to answer any questions from the class of 2000.

Annie and the salesman 
* From the Pacific Crest Trail Email List |  http://www.backcountry.net   *

==============================================================================