PCT 2013 Mid-Late May Start NOBO – 3.5-4 month desired timeframe

I doubt you will need an ice axe or microspikes this year – snowpack won’t be much of an issue. You have a very nice list and just be sure to wear a fair amount of sunscreen and enjoy! It can get fairly warm in SoCal – 4 liters of water should be enough but be sure to keep an eye on the water report. Have fun!

It's a good list.

With the umbrella, you can probably get away without a rain jacket or rain pants for CA. But maybe think about adding one for OR/WA. Unlike the AT, on the PCT you are at high altitude, and when it rains it gets much colder. But if you think the umbrella is enough, then stick with it.

This is totally an area of individual preference, but I liked having a stove in southern CA. We generally hiked from 5 am until 1 pm and took an afternoon siesta until 4ish, after which we hiked until dark. We almost always cooked dinner during this afternoon down time. You can also just cook at water sources to avoid having to carry extra water.

If you're going to use the iTouch for navigation, I would suggest getting the best case you can find for it.

+1 on Dirk's comment. I would absolutely leave the Microspikes home this year. I would only consider the ice axe if you see reports of snowy passes. Since you're starting late, there should be a lot of people ahead of you to give you info on trail conditions.

Have a great hike.

With wanting to start hiking at 5am -> 1pm (nap/eat) then start again from around 4pm till dark…what do you think about just bringing a Petzl eLite (1 oz.) instead of the Petzl XP (3.30oz.) ?? What should I expect the light to be like at 5am in SoCal ?

Hiking at 5:00 a.m. is not terribly difficult if you are in the open. The light is much better by 5:30. However, you will probably need to wake up and cook earlier than you depart. A good headlamp is essential at 4:30 a.m.

–B.G.–

Appreciate the input — I think I'll be sticking with the XP since I can recharge it via the CORE USB rechargeable battery, and since I'm bringing a Battery brick (MonoPrice $32 4000mAh at 4.2 oz.) it will save me buying batteries along the way. Also will help if I hike early in the morning or later into the evening.

I was doing a 5am start many days in SoCal. There was little need for a headlamp to hike but I sometimes used it to pack. Gear looks fine. One caution, watch your feet. You may think they are bullet proof but the heat and fine dirt will quickly shred them. Take the time to clean your feet and change your socks. A few minutes will save hours of pain.

I was just up in your necks the woods, hiked Cheshire to Salisbury this weekend. Loved Sages Ravine!

Appreciate the info Greg — and I too love the Sages Ravine area. I'll watch my feet and do my best to take breaks and clean up. Adding a bit more weight in personal care items than I did on the AT, but with the constant feedback similar to yours (keep your feet clean, clean them often, and change socks frequently) I think the added weight will be worth it.

A final nagging concern I have is: With a 30* Zpacks bag, a Ghost Whisperered Hooded Down Jacket, Buff, WM Sleep sack liner (talked to many folks who gladly added a couple ounces to keep all the nasty out of their down bags) and sleep socks, and Wind pants / shirt if needed — I'm still wondering if I'll be warm enough. Guess I'll find out soon enough ! (I do have a WM Alpinlite as backup should the Zpacks bag not be warm enough)

I used my Golite UL-20 the whole way, no cold nights. As far as liners, I actually found that my long pants stayed relatively clean. My legs however would get filthy. So I never saw the need for a liner on the PCT. are you doing a journal? You will have at least one loyal follower!

The UL20 tends to be more of a 30* bag I think, so that should jive with what I was hoping to accomplish.

My BLOG / Website : http://www.peaksandvalleys.weebly.com (still not complete, but getting there) and will be trying to add to it during the hike (every few weeks).

QUESTION: Since I don't normally use long pants to hike, I'm a running shorts and t-shirt guy usually

—> What is the Best underwear / anti-chafing combo you've found ??

Anti-chafing
1) boxer briefs, far superior to lined short in my experience.
2) wipes and frequent cleaning.
3) anti microbial powder a couple times a day. (Also use powder on feet, great to prevent athletes feet and helps keep dirt from sticking)

I found chafing to be a much bigger issue with heat and high mile days. The above strategy has all but eliminated the issue.

To the good ideas in the last post, I'll add a couple more ideas:

Alternate going commando, i.e., no underwear. This helps some people (including me sometimes), but not others, so — YMMV. But if nothing else is working, give it a shot.

Losing weight is certainly no bad thing; I tend to chafe only when I'm carrying more pounds than I like, so that the inner part of my fatter thighs are more prone to rubbing together. Obviously this isn't a quick fix (!), but still.
On a thru-hike excess body weight is a problem that tends to take care of itself after the first 2 – 4 weeks on trail.

In my experience, I found a windshirt to be useless on the PCT. Of course this depends on your personal temperature, but I carried a Montbell wind jacket and found it to be useless. I either wanted to wear my down jacket or nothing, and found that the wind jacket was overkill. Just a thought.
Evan

My blueprint for not chafing…
1. Chamois Butt'r on inside of legs and other obvious areas (popular cycling product, they have it at REI) applied once each morning. They sell tiny packets to minimize weight.
2. Under Armour Boxerjock boxer briefs, which is something suggested up above.

And for no blisters…
1. Coat toes and feet with BodyGlide (popular running product, they have it at REI) once each morning. Never any blisters! They sell a travel size to minimize weight.