[at-l] Tarps, cooking, hiking at all.

[AT-L <AT-L@fallingwater.com>]

Boy, go away for a few days hiking and I've got over 150 AT-L emails. If I'd
have been gone as long as planned my server would have crashed. Do you guys
(gals included) ever sleep?

Anyway went hiking on the PCT for a few days enjoying :( the great La Nina
weather we've been getting lately. Rain, cold - well you name it. No Felix I
didn't get in touch with Mike. He misplaced my phone number and when he
found it and called from Cascade Locks I was already on the trail. So he was
a couple of days behind me. Hope he enjoys snow. Got pass by one backpacker
caring snow shoes. 

I finally bailed today because I didn't want get into the big snows coming
up. Any way a trip report will be coming soon to a website near you. I'm
hoping my blisters - from 4 days hiking in soaking boots - will heal enough
to head out later this week and hike South. But I have to drive all around
Washington tomorrow retrieving my food boxes first.

As to cooking in tents, well the old adage always works for me. Never say
never. Personally I've done it, but dreaded each time. The biggest problem
for me is that when I'm likely to be doing it, fatigue is an issue. You have
to really focus your mind. Something that's hard to do at the end of the day
when you're cold and tired. I've not checked mountaineering tents lately,
but they used to come with a zipper in the floor to allow you to get to bear
ground or snow. Plus they are often bigger than backpacking tents. - You
know mountaineers. They're he men and can carry anything. Well almost.

I don't cook in tents anymore simply because I use tarps now. Last night I
was laying in my sleeping bag under my tarp cooking on my little Esbit. (Yes
the flames do burn downward at times, so you need and insulator under it to
cook in a tent.)  

Also I slept with my open food bag just 6 inches from my ear. Although I did
wake up once this morning thinking a mouse had invaded it. I just closed it
figuring if I'd trapped the mouse I'd get it in the morning. Sorry no mouse,
bears, or people. Just cold gray cloudy skies. WHERE"S MY SUMMER?

Anyway as to tarps, it's fairly easy to add netting around the boarders of
the tarp to keep out the bugs. It's lighter than a separate netting and
doesn't get in your way. Plus the netting deflects water coming in the sides
of the tarp well. (It rained most of Friday night.) I'll also have photos of
the tarp setup on the web also.

Well back to recovery mode!

Ron "Fallingwater" Moak
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Fallingwater Journals - www.fallingwater.com
Pacific Crest Trail Assoc. - www.pcta.org
American Long Distance Hikers Association - West -
www.gorp.com/nonprof/aldhaw


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