As The Crow Flies

There are some new maps out, of the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail). So far just Southern California and Northern Washington. I wanted to buy one. At the pcta.org site it cost 19.31, total. REI sells it too, they sell it for a total price of 25.49. But if you go to the National Forest Store the same map only cost 10.00 dollars, free shipping, no tax. They sell lots of other maps too, of course.

Update: I got my map…. this thing is so durable you could use it as a place mat. One map weighs 6.3 ounces… too much to bring on a long hike.

I was turned on to this system from reading the PCT-O7 yahoo group. These purifiers quickly remove bacteria and virus. They treat 3000 gallons– more if you back flush it. You can filter three ways: inline gravity feed which yields 5 gallons in 30 minutes, or sit on the bag and get it even faster, hook it up to a faucet and get it at 40 psi, or fill up the bottle and just drink. It says that there is no hard sucking involved.

I’m having a hard time getting more information on these. The inline filter weighs 6 oz, I believe, but I don’t know about the bottle filter. Aqua Mira– what I use– weighs 3 oz but only treats 30 gallons and that’s if you don’t accidentally not get the cap on tight. The biggest problem I have with Aqua Mira is running out of it on the trail.

On the PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) and the Appalachian the water is usually good and I didn’t feel I needed to treat much of my water, except in the desert, but on the Florida trail and at least the New Mexico section of the CDT (Continental Divide Trail) I was finding I needed to treat most of the water and ran out of Aqua Mira in the middle of nowhere and had to drink the cow spit straight up; it would be nice to have a water treatment that would last the whole trail, as I don’t like being bound to mail drops for my supplies.

Here is a link with more information http://www.sawyerproducts.com/viral.htm They are sold through http://www.justdrink.net/

Update:  I bought it and so far have not gotten it to work.  Read my review here

This is my new gear purchase: the Mont- Bell U.L. Thermawrap Jacket. It cost 111.20, including shipping, from Campsavers.com It will replace my Marmot dri-climb shirt and my Feathered Friends down vest. It’s suppose to weigh less then 8 oz (226 grams), in my size, and will save me 13 oz. (368 grams). It’s coming in the mail. I have high hopes for this jacket.

Update: It runs small and it wasn’t as warm as I had hoped.  I missed my down vest.

It brings the base weight of my pack down to under 10lbs (4.5 Kilograms). Of course, if a person were to add an ice ax, a bear canister, and a pair of running shoes– so they wouldn’t have to hike in the snow in sandals– it would increase another 4.5 lbs(2 kilograms).

I met a guy who told me his theory that people have a part of their brain that is only interested in survival and until this part is appeased it’s just not going to let you have any fun or let you think clearly about anything else. So, when you stop for the night it’s important to set up your tent and say, “Look, here is your home for the night�; take out something to eat and give yourself some water.

It’s why when you have company over you can make them happier if you show them where they will be sleeping that night and where everything is. Show them that there is food, water and a place to sleep.

My personal observations are that this is true. People start getting weird when they don’t know where they will be sleeping or if they are going to be fed.

I also remember Jardine saying something like this in his book. He said that if you don’t feed yourself well on the trail, if you don’t keep yourself hydrated, that the part of you that is only interested in survival will find a way to get you off the trail and back to town where food and water is more reliable.