Tent Upgrade

I just purchased a Big Agnes - Fly Creek UL1 tent for the PCT. Lighter weight than my Particle 13 (4 lbs.) from North Face, the Fly Creek tent weighs only 2 lbs. 2 oz., a savings of almost 2 pounds. You can tell the materials are thinner on this tent. I hope it holds up as well as the Particle 13, which is still in great shape after 2,175 miles. I think the bulk of the weight savings are from the pole configuration. I did switch out the aluminium tent stakes for titainium and eliminated the guylines. I'm also pleased that Big Agnes is using DAC's new green anodizing process on their tent poles.

Most people carry a tarp on the PCT, but I really like the bug protection you get from a tent. Maybe someday I'll start using a tarp on shorter trips, but for a long distance hike, a tent makes more sense to me.

A Good Night's Sleep

When I hiked the AT in 2006, I started out with a Marmot Atom sleeping bag. It was a down bag rated to 40° and weighing only 1 lb. My strategy was to use a bag liner to increase the temperature range and carry it the whole way. After a couple really cold nights in Georgia,  I was re-thinking the plan. I ended up getting a warmer bag and sending the Atom home. I purchased a synthetic bag made by North Face, the Cat's Meow, weighing in at 2 lbs. 10 oz. and rated to 20°. It was much warmer and really heavy. I did switch back to the Atom for the summer and then back to the Cat's Meow before I hit the White Mountains in New Hampshire.

I just bought a Super Stretch Down Hugger #1 Short from Mont-Bell, for the PCT. It has 800 fill down (better quality than 600 fill down), and is rated to 15°. So, it's warmer than the Cat's Meow and only weighs 2 lbs. 3 oz. The nights on the PCT are supposed to be cold, so I plan to use the same bag the whole way. This bag has elastic built in to allow it to move with your body, allowing more comfort and reducing the amount of dead air space your body needs to heat.

I was considering Mont-Bell's new Spiral Down Hugger that would be 3 oz. lighter. It has some of the stretching properties as the Super Stretch, but I decided 3 oz. was worth the difference in comfort. I think a good night's rest is important on a long distance hike.