Beavers PCT List

Welcome!

You can use an alcohol stove anywhere there isn't a fire ban. At some point there will likely be one. No way to predict when or where. You could always carry a stove and just go no cook when the bans are in place.

And for Leave No Trace reasons, you should really stick to your permit for you start date. Maybe call the PCTA if you want an earlier start.

Point of the permit is to avoid creation of those packs. Stick with your date.

The permits exist because there are so many hikers nowadays that the numbers starting each day were overwhelming the number of available campsites in SoCal, meaning that people ended up trampling fragile desert vegetation and damaging the resources. Don't screw things up for future hikers. Also, with the snow pack as low as it is, early April should be perfect. You will avoid much of the brutal heat that later starters will get.

As for your list, I had an Exodus FS and the blow-up frame died on me halfway through my thru-hike. Same thing happened to the one other FS owner I knew. Be prepared for that.

With all of its thorny vegetation, Southern California is where blow-up pads go to die.

No groundcloth?

If you're okay with cowboying, you might be able to skip the hexanet until KM.

Instead of bringing extra shorts, just get convertible pants.

Why carry the long-sleeved shirt? You can use your rain jacket to hike in if it's cold. If it's really cold, you can wear your smartwool shirt or down. If you don't want to hike in those, swap the l/s T for a 4-oz windshirt.

You probably don't need the rain kilt until Oregon.

Bandana + buff + wool hat is 2 head covers too many. Skip the first 2.

Given the drought, I would assume that you will face fire bans, possibly early on in your hike. Either be prepared to go stoveless or get another stove.

Good luck out there.

"With all of its thorny vegetation, Southern California is where blow-up pads go to die."

2+ decades of camping in Anza-Borrego and no punctures. It can be done.

Definitely see the value in permit date with all of that in mind now. Just dropped a message to PCTA to see about changing to a date with availability.

Matt:
Thanks for the stove advice. That sounds like the plan.

Scott:
Thanks for the Exodus FS heads up! Really glad to be aware of that ahead of time. Do they tend to get punctured? Or is it something where I should have a spare that could be shipped in if needed?

The idea of a long sleeve shirt was for sun, but it's something I haven't nailed down at all. I've found myself getting turned around when trying to pick apart what combo of upper layers to bring. I have a wind shirt I could bring, but figured it would just be hot in the sun.

Groundcloth for sure if no hexanet in the beginning. I just haven't had a chance to weigh it out yet!

All the little things really add up!

Thanks everyone!

"No way to predict when or where."

Correct. However, we can guess.

For the last few dry summers, along the JMT the Sierra National Forest put up fire bans first. It might happen by mid-summer, but it becomes more likely later in the summer. By the time you get to Oregon, things are damper.

The various national forests each set their own rules independently and publicize the fire bans differently. They often seem like they expect a backpacker to have internet access to learn of the news, but that doesn't seem like a realistic expectation. If you are walking along the trail in July and meet a ranger, you should ask. It can change at any time or place, but the general way they phrase it is that there are no sources of fire permitted unless they have an On-Off control valve. That would prohibit most wood campfires, alcohol stoves, and Esbit stoves. Canister stoves might become very popular this year.

So, if you have a resupply/support person back home who will mail stuff out to you, you might want to set them up with a canister stove burner. You can purchase fuel in the next town, hopefully.

–B.G.–

My Exodus FS failure and the one I heard about were just random leaks. If I blew it up early in the morning, it would stay full at first but be empty by the end of the day. The other guy I met tried to patch his with the repair kit MLD included with the pack, but it didn't work. I was too lazy to bother fixing mine–I just lived with a saggy pack for the last 1200 miles.

For multi-day hikes where I'm going to be in the sun, I always wear a l/s nylon shirt. It's sun- and bug-proof, and if you get hot, you can easily roll up the sleeves or unbutton it. I find that even with an umbrella, my arms and neck still get a lot of sun in a t-shirt. That's not just a sunburn issue–the less the sun touches your skin, the cooler you'll be.

Hey Beaver,

I hiked the first 500 miles last year and I am restarting this year in early May. This is what I think.

– Don't take the bug net for SoCal
– The Hexamid needs 14 stakes? I use 10 for my Hexamid Plus, which is larger.
– Don't take the headnet for SoCal
– Ditch the extra long sleeve shirt, use your Smartwool sleeping shirt if you want something warmer.
– Ditch the extra shorts. Consider changing your hiking pants to a something lighter. I have a similar pair of Prana shorts and the frabic isn't my favorite for hot places.
– Trade two Smartwater bottles for another 2L reservoir. It saves a negligable amount of weight but it also saves a lot of space.

Otherwise it's a pretty good looking list. You could save more weight by using a Prophet and a Nightlight if you wanted to go frameless.

On the subject of your permit, April 11th won't be ahead of the herd at all. The entire month of April except 4/2 and 4/3 are completely full. You're in the thick of it on the 11th or the 20th, might as well just stick with your permit. I have a friend starting on the 20th, maybe you'll meet him.

See you on the trail.