A few clothing questions:
Do I need rain pants to start? I know it seldom rains in So.Cal, but should I carry them for extra warmth, or will tights to sleep in be good enough?
Also, will a Patagonia R3 jacket be good enough as a main layer, with a silk long sleeve underneath, and Frog Toggs jacket for warmth at night? I’ll have a 25 degree down back (WM ultralight) and a silk liner, with hat, gloves, socks etc. SHould I be warm enough? I sleep cold…
Thanks
A-Train
I never used rainpants on the PCT. I wear Supplex, which kept me warm enough when it rained. My jacket was Frogg Toggs. I got cold when it was sleeting but that only happened a couple of times, and we were able to set up a tent before it got too bad. The PCT is mostly a hot trail. Even in the Sierras, we didn’t need a lot of extra clothes. We had extra clothes mailed to KM and sent them home from Lone Pine. The only time I would worry about being cold is in Washington, where the all day rains can be a problem. There I would get the rainpants. I used a 20 degree down bag - which worked for me. I was never cold sleeping. The liner should make the difference work for you.
Ginny
A-train: i used the same bag (WM Ultralight) last year on the pct and never felt cold @ night. On two pct thru-hikes, i never carried rainpants. I would agree with Ginny, that normally the trail is quite warm (& dry) except for the North Cascades in the Fall.
That being said, one of my coldest days last year was in the SoCal desert! - a cold, windy, rainy day near the Whitewater river - San Gorgonio Pass area. In '97 i got caught in a nasty late season blizzard just south of Forester Pass. (Friday the 13th of June!) That wasn’t fun, but it was managable when i kept moving & obviously i survived. Both of these situations are unusual, given a normal NOBO schedule. You should be fine with the gear you listed. I always carry one of those tiny $1 (Walmart) emergency ponchos with me - they do a great job in keeping everything dry, unless its extremely windy. Have a great hike!
freebird
Your insulation clothing sounds fine. I wouldn’t bother with rain pants unless you plan to be in Washington from mid September on.
Don’t forget about the SoCal sun: Cover up, don’t rely on sunscreen. Long shirt, long pants, big hat, gloves if you can. I was suprised at how (relatively) easy hiking was during the middle of the day in SoCal and I think alot of that (relative) ease was due to the clothing I wore. And all the water I drank.
Suge