I’m not real familiar w/ the climate in so cal and was wondering what the night temperature and insect situation is like at the beginning of a PCT hike. I favor the bivy sack but if it’s real buggy or doesn’t cool down quickly when the sun goes down I may reconsider. Thanks, much love. Zach
Zach
It’s cold. Some of my coldest nights were in SoCal. Crazy hot during the day, crazy cold at night.
yogi
yogi
I’d plan on nights down to freezing. Of course, some nights will be balmy and 60. There are only a few buggy places in SoCal. My 40 degree bag was perfect some nights, others it just wasn’t enough.
Suge
bbbbrrrr … first night at Lake Morena (and a few after) we woke to ice on our tarptent. I had to put my extra clothes in the bottom of my sleeping bag or they’d be frozen solid in the morning. For a while we used a regular, cheap tent, and the extra warmth it traped and space it allowed for getting dressed made getting up in the morning a LOT easier.
Bugs weren’t a problem in SoCa. Musquitos will get you worst during stream crossings in the sieras, flies were unpleasent around Mt Baden-Powell and a few other places.
Good luck!
Toes
toes
Hi team! Here’s one more view to consider. I started about two weeks after the pack in 2003. I didn’t have any nights that were cold in socal like yogi and toes describe above. However there were a few nights that were a little buggy, and annoying without any bug netting. The night before agua dulce, night past mt. baden powell come to mind. P.S. Hi toes- i met u at KM picking your guitar.
Highlife
Hey Highlife!
You may have been spared some cold nights, but how was the trade off for day temps? And oh, I’ll never forget the bugs past baden powell. Little swarms of hell.
Toes