PCT 2009 baby!

Any comments?

Looks good to me. And it seems you found more ways to use a bandana..lol. Have a great hike!

Looks really good overall!

You might consider lighter trekking poles – you'll notice the difference over that distance. I just got my 2008 BPL Stix that weigh half of your BD poles, although they are fixed length.

I like Micropur MP-1 better than Aqua Mira. The MP-1 comes in foil packs – one little tablet per liter, and you typically only need to wait 30 minutes. Taste is barely noticeable.

Microspikes scare the hell out of me for some reason. Maybe you've had good experiences with them, but for the same weight, I would take a pair of steel Kahtoola KTS Crampons instead. Or use the aluminum if the 4 ounces matter and you don't mind taking them on and off when you hit rocky sections.

I like a pair of short stretchy gaiters for keeping sand, scree, weeds, etc. out of my running shoes. Think Skurka routinely wears these as well. The ones made of Schoeller Dynamic are best.

You might consider a second bandana, given some of your intended uses (wearing it)!!! lol.

I forgot to put in a pair of dirty girl gaiters, too. Any recommendations on lighter collapsible trekking poles? I do a lot of flying.

I plan on 3 bandannas. No multi-tasking when bodily fluids are involved!

Have you tried the Leki Ti poles for ladies? Love mine…and so far I haven't killed them over a year later – I am brutal on my poles.
Dirt Girl gaiters are a good choice!

I'm not clear on how this works.

Don't ask.

Why don't you add some sum formulas? There is no sense putting a list into a spreadsheet if you're not going to add up the totals!

1 bandanna to wear on your head or wherever

1 bandanna for blowing your nose

1 bandanna for drying off after peeing because "no matter how much you jump and dance the last 2 drops end up in your pants."

"Why don't you add some sum formulas? There is no sense putting a list into a spreadsheet if you're not going to add up the totals!"

I didn't want to since I'd have to split up the desert and mountain, haven't decided on some items and I'm still missing some gear.

Estimated base for desert: 9lb
Estimated base for mountains: 13lb

Maybe it's just because I am of Irish-German descent, but I would question carrying just two ounces of sunscreen, especially through sections of the desert and the Sierras.

Perhaps you are used to the sun (you are a resident of the Southwest after all), but I am fairly sun sensitive and will generally carry extra sunscreen if conditions merit. And if you are traveling across snow in the Sierras (a fairly likely occurrence if you are a north bounder on the PCT), you will have quite a bit of reflection off the snow.

On your tent…it's a bit of work to setup and considerably heavier than other options, but at the same time its robust structure makes site selection less critical.

Other thoughts…I can speak to the Washington section of the hike…Depending on the time of year you reach Washington, your weather experience can and will vary. We had early and heavy snow last year, with quite a bit of snow in the mountains in late September/early October. If you are quick and plan to be finished in August, the weather in Washington should be rather good. September is probably my favorite hiking season because of the change in the color of foliage(and appreciable lack of bugs) but the days get considerably shorter and it gets colder. Some Septembers are warm and relatively dry, some are cold and wet.

The difference in temperature isn't as big of an issue as the difference in humidity. There is a tremendous difference, in my humble opinion, between a 40 degree day in Arizona or Utah and a 40 degree day in Washington. The Southwest as you well know is very dry. The Northwest tends to be under clouds a lot of the time and thus the air contains quite a bit of humidity by comparison. It can make 40 degrees feel considerably colder and more clammy. And if you get one of those classic week-long rain spells in the Northwest, it can be pretty miserable to be on the trail sometimes.

Simply, I would take this into account especially if you think your hike will take you into mid-September or later.

Anyhow, best of luck on your 2009 thru-hike. I hope to see you out there!

Dirk

Thanks for the advice Dirk. I'm originally from the Northeast where the weather is similar to what you're describing. That's half the reason I moved to Tucson!

On sunscreen: I don't burn easily and plan on being covered up most of the time so I only need to lotion my face, neck and hands. 2oz is the minimum I'll have on my person at all times. My hiking partner burns if she watches a sunrise on TV so she'll be stocked.

Now that is a classic line. I have to remember that one.

My girlfriend has a similar reaction to snow. If she watches one of those Discovery shows where the survivalist romps through the snow, she turns up the thermostat five degrees.

If you haven't watched it, check out the DVD series by Scott "Squatch" Herriott about the PCT. He has three DVDs that follow hikers for parts of the trail. It's light-hearted and fun. You can get all three for less than $40.
http://www.walkpct.com/

Anyhow, the reason I bring this up is one guy runs out of sunscreen in one of the movies in the Sierras. He decides to use olive oil instead. Obviously, this did not work well. The guy was severely burned and blistered.

Best of luck to you!

Dirk

you haven't got your cook pot yet? if you can find an evernew 1.3l ultralight ti, its only 5oz with the lid and really wide to help get every oz out of your fuel. i hear rei has them under their brand now or something? i love mine though. also i saw you don't have a head net. i wont leave home without mine anymore. deet does nothing to keep the biting flys off of you while you pause to enjoy the view, take a picture, catch your breath, look at your map, or anything else you can do with a bandanna. .7oz of pure sanity IMHO.

After searching forever to find the old evernew pots I realized the rei ones are the exact same specs. Someone mentioned they branded them. Also, brasslite.com has tibetan titanium pots with same specs as the old evernew pots, as far as I can tell. I ordered 900ml one from brasslite, lid fits nice and snug. I like it and it works perfectly with my new gram weenie pro stove.

Antigravity Gear now has what appears to be the full Evernew line. There's some really interesting stuff I had never seen in the past.

I just bought an Evernew 600 pot that might just be the perfect small solo pot for use with alcohol stoves.

It's the small one on the right. Nice wide bottom, and weighs less than a Snow Peak 600.

Margaret:

Congrats on being able to hike the PCT next year! Remember to also focus conditioning and food preparation/planning.

You have a great list started. I encourage you to shave as much weight as possible off of your pack weight. Tarptents (with floors) could save almost a pound. Your raingear is also heavy, especially pre-Washington. You probably won't need the crampons & bear cannister before Kennedy Meadows (if at all). Consider carrying your soap in a smaller container and keep the bottle in your bounce box.

You may want to consider adding:
Headnet
Pillow
Water capacity
Bowl (so you don't have to share the pot)
Map, data book, Guide Book pages, Yogi's pages
Wallet (permit, $, credit card, ID, etc.)
Repair kit (sewing kit, super glue, Platypus patch, etc.)
Writing pad & pen
MP3 Player
Windscreen for stove
Hiking shorts (swimming, doing laundry)
Upgraded blister kit

Most hikers change their gear as they see what works for them. Very few get it exactly right at Campo so don't feel "locked in." Also, remember it gets very cold in the desert sections and the Sierra. Hike your own hike and choose gear that's right for you.

Lucky

I added/subtracted some stuff and put in a skin out totaling formula. We decided to each carry our own cookware, stove and water treatment instead of sharing.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pAUwAx36u6BRLOAdl9OOvYQ&hl=en

You might check out the TiGoat poles at:

http://www.titaniumgoat.com/poles.html

…At 3.2oz each, these are extremely light.

It currently says they are out of stock, but I have emailed to see when they might have some available.

How do you like your MH Phantom? I currently use the 15 degree bag and I love it!

Hey everything looks good, have you considered getting a lighter pack? Something closer to the 1 lb range ie. GG Miniposa or Mariposa, ULA Conduit…IMO you would be doing yourself a huge favor by droppin that pound in the pack department.

I just got the short GG LT4s and they feel wonderful. I don't think they'd collapse enough for air travel though. I carried REI Peak UL poles on the WT3 trip and they packed up fine in my suitcase so those are an option.

I'm hiking the PCT this year, too. I also hiked last year.

I really did not need my long undies. I did sleep in them every night until Section C and then I got tired of changing and started sleeping in my clothes. Turned out that worked fine so I sent my undies ahead in my bounce bucket where they stayed. I didn't make it to Oregon/Washington so maybe I would have needed them later.

I don't see why you need the extra soccer shorts since you have zip-off pants.

I know it's hard to believe, but you probably won't need the soap. At least not until you start getting tired of hotels.

And I agree that you won't need that much sunscreen if you stay covered up. I stopped using it after a while completely. I also rarely used the DEET, preferring barrier methods like my headnet and long sleeves/pants. Another trick I found was to use the straps on my poles laying over my hands to keep them away from my hands (yes, they follow you!)

I'm wondering if I can put a little bit of DEET in another container because once in a while I wanted it on my hairline and the backs of my hands. They seemed to love to burrow in at my hairline around my hat.

Maybe I'll see you on the trail! Or kickoff.

A 35 ounce pack? Wow – That's a lot. There are plenty of lighter options.

The GoLite JAM2 is a good option.