Hydration, heat, ice, and such

imported
#1

I’m attempting a nobo hike starting roughly april 20-21st and have a few questions for thru hikers from previous seasons. First off, how did people carry extra water through Southern California? How much did you typically carry (in water)? What kind of clothes did you find necessary (for example, did you leave your raincoat at home)? How cold did it get on a typical night? And then to the Sierras… on a typical snow year, how often did you encounter snow? Did you use your ice axe much, or was it dead weight? Did you change footwear for the sierras, or stick to more ventilated shoes appropriate for the SoCal section?

Any answers to these questions would help me much. I know conditions change much from year to year, esspecially in the High Sierras, but was just looking for a rough idea for my planning.

random dude

#2

I haven’t done the trail yet, but i’ll see you out there this year. Now when i run into some random dude, i’ll know who you are.

markv

#3

  1. In 2.4 L platypus water bags.

  2. I had a maximum capacity of 7.2 L. I seemed to always have between 1 and 7.2 L on me depending on how far I was from a water source. Plan on consistent 20 mile waterless stretches, with some 30s, and some close ones also. The water situation isn’t as bad as you might think.

  3. Long sleeve shirt, pants, and a big hat. I would carry sun gloves now as well. I kept my rain coat as it doubled as a wind breaker for me.

  4. This depends on elevation. I had nights below freezing. I had nights in the 50s. About 1/3 of the nights I was cold in my 40 degree bag.

  5. Snow was ever present above about 9500 feet in 2003. Since the trail is mostly above 9500 feet, I was in snow for the better part of 2 weeks.

  6. I used mine a lot. Not only for self belay (never had to arrest), but also for glissading and for cutting steps in hard snow.

  7. I kept with trail runners but would switch to very light boots with ankle coverage now. My ankles took a beating from post holing and them hitting rocks below.

Suge

#4

Ditto Suge, with a few slight differences:

  1. I carried less water as I got more comfortable with desert conditions. In the dry sections in NoCal and So Oregon, I could get carry as little as 3 L for a 25-30 mile day. I hated those 7 L carries in SoCal.

  2. I was really comfortable all the time in my cheap Campmor 20F bag.

  3. I felt good with trekking poles instead of an ice axe. My partner really felt good with her ice axe. It did make a great latrine tool and I missed it when she sent it home.

  4. I’ll not use boots again.

Garlic

#5

More info on the sun gloves please. Any special brand or just a light weight, light colored glove to keep the sun from burning the hands? thanks

Janet

#6

I’d probably buy from:

I haven’t used their gloves, but their shirts are nice. Otherwise, look for something very light and breathable. The backs of my hands were the only thing that really took a beating from the sun.

Suge

#7

As for water, lots and lots of platypus’, but I have to admit that after the sierras I hated them and switched to nalgene’s and gatorade bottles (the bags started grossing me out). The amount of water carried depended on how far the next water was. I would say my max load was something like 7 liters, I had a six moons design pack and even though it wasnt ment to hold that wieght, it still did a great job and took the extra stress well. I think my heaviest load was coming out of Tuolomme Springs/ Mojave, I remember hating life a lot that first day! You will probably just figure out your water needs on the fly. I always carried at least an extra liter as I drank more water then the average person out, and even found myself out of water, thirsty and still not close to the next source.

As for clothes I wore a REI sun shirt (button up) with sleeves that you roll up or down. I loved this shirt. I started with a lame X armor shirt and quickly found the sun came right thru it, and I wore lots of sun screen. I did opt for regular running shorts though and I was glad as they are lighter and dry faster then cargo hiking shorts.

I always carried my precip, I hated the thought of getting wet, but I didnt need it until Oregon or so. But I was pretty miserable the first week (cold wise) because it was getting really cold at night. Even with my down bag it was chilly and hard to get moving so I would ditch your fleece or down until you are sure you dont need it.

I was a 2007 hiker so no snow and no need for an ice axe. I did take a course pre-PCT and would suggest it to everyone. I took a course in Mammoth through SMI and it was awesome. I even met another PCTer there. I used the same shoe, brand the whole trip until snoqualmie pass (merrills and then went to Salomon).

Hope those help.

junkfood

#8

Mangrove is a manufacturer of sungloves. I had some until they got blown away in a windstorm a couple days north of Idlywild. They were nice but they get stinky quick. I used trekking poles daily and they constantly oriented my hands towards the sun. My hands are sensitive to the sun and I get sun poisioning after a couple of days of direct sun. After I lost the gloves I had to put 45 spf on a few times every day until I hit oregon. You can make them out of silk weight capilene too. I don’t think they would be that difficult to construct.

Spigot

#9

Found them, thanks

Janet

#10

Going from Suge’s way of doing things,

  1. I also used those 2 1/2 liter roll up platypus bags, along with a nalgene and a gatorade bottle or two (this is a holdover from the AT)

  2. I could carry nearly 8 L, but I only carried 5 max, and usually about 3-4. Sometimes I did get worried, but I only had real trouble on Hat Creek Rim (nor cal)

  3. Desert wear was a cotton, long sleeved, light fabric shirt, skirt, gaiters. (tall gaiters or pants are indispensable, unless you like scratched up legs). A large brimmed hat is also important, as are sunglasses. Some people used those sungloves, which seem reasonable. I just slathered on sunblock. I did carry a windblocker the whole way, though. A rainjacket starting in Oregon, and a down coat for the Sierras, and OR/WA. The only clothing I switched was from a cotton to synthetic shirt after So Cal.

  4. I carried a 20 degree bag and a silk liner and was happy with it. Some nights were cold, some were hot. Mostly, though, it worked fine.

  5. I did not need an ice axe in 2007. In a typical year, I would have been scared for my life on some of those slopes if I didn’t have one. Think of a 45-60 degree slope, walking along the side of it, in other hiker’s tracks, with slick snow. I hit some of those sections, but most of the time, the fall wouldn’t have been far. There were sections that would have had snow any other year, and you could have been in trouble without a way to slow your decent (think, hitting large rocks after going downhill at a good clip).

  6. I used trailrunners until I had a really bad sprain, days from anywhere, in the Sierras. I think it was due to having such a heavy pack. From then on, I used boots. They were hot sometimes in Nor Cal, but when I’d stop for a break, I’d peel off my socks and shoes, and let them dry. I was doing this with trailrunners, too, in So Cal.

Good luck with your hike!

wing it