[cdt-l] gear

[cdt-l@mailman.backcountry.net (Rafi Youatt)]

Used a tarp the whole way and loved it even more than before. It ventilated
really well in the rain, kept things dry (with one notable exception in
Glacier when I had to camp at the car campground in Two Medecine and on the
hardpacked ground, and a river came through), held up in some pretty howlin=
g
windstorms, and was spacious. The bugs were a bit of a problem with it, as
we just had a bit of bug netting sewn to the head of the sleeping bag =96 n=
ext
time I will have better bug protection (just string some netting from the
tarp I think)=85

My shoulder straps only 3000 c.i. EMS rucksack held up the whole trail and
though it was a little heavy in places where I was carrying more than 6 day=
s
of food, I will probably say that I=92ll never put a hip belt on again for =
a
summer trek unless I=92m carrying like 2 weeks of food or something. I thin=
k
it really helped me walk more normally and let my old beat up knees make it
through the whole summer without much trouble.

Pulled out the old Jardine mylar-covered umbrella trick in the Great Basin
Divide area, which I=92d never done before, and wished I=92d done it in oth=
er
hot places. The shade it gave was great. Heard some folks used Mormon
handcarts in the GBD to pull their packs =96 hadn=92t thought of that one
myself.

Still looking for the perfect rain gear setup. I went with a poncho (that I
could throw over my pack) and I also had a water-resistant (aka, in no way
water resistant) shell to put on underneath if it was really coming down
just to keep warm, and that was a pretty good combo. Except in northern MT,
when we started to get snow flurries and some colder sleet stuff, and then =
I
felt just a little under-geared. Considered Frogg Toggs (or equivalent) and
a garbage bag pack cover as a substitute but never got around to it.


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