Food

 Food 
You either "live to eat" or "eat to live."  I'd read about hikers who cooked great meals, dehydrated them and vacuum sealed them for rehydration and reheating on the trail. I didn't have time for that given that I decided on March 3 to hike and had a start date of March 27.  That put me in the "eat to live" category.  I did have enough time to dehydrate apples and pears.

How much?
For each day I packed 1.5 to 1.75 lb of food into a plastic bag.  That won't replenish all the calories expended from walking 8-12 hours a day, but will hold you over until you can get to a trail town where you can catch up, eating everything you can.

Each day's first meal was 1 cup granola with some powdered milk all in one ziplock bag, that I'd dump into a bowl, add water and eat.  After that, I'd munch all day:  Clif Bars, Trail mixes.  I dipped a spoon into a jar of peanut butter every 30 minutes.  A bottle of olive oil would supply a mouthful of energy, also every 30 min.

 I bought olive oil at trail towns--the best leakproof container for that is a 500 ml water bottle.  I had some Annie's organic gum drops, but before long I disliked them for having too much sugar.  The nut mixes from Costco were a favorite from beginning to end.  Chocolate or yogurt chips in trail mixes became a gooey mess with the least amount of warmth, even buried in my backpack, thankfully confined to their ziplock bags. 

Stove or stoveless?

Plenty of better hikers/writers than I have written about this choice.  Google that.

   I went stoveless because I wanted to reduce the weight I carried and because I thought alcohol stoves were prohibited.  Regulations require that stoves have a shut off mechanism, which the failure proof alcohol stoves, having no moving parts, didn't.  I didn't want to take a heavier, more complex canister stove.  The key to taking an alcohol stove, that I should have remembered is that mine could be instantly snuffed out by covering it with an inverted can.
     FYI:  My saucepan, pot cozy, BIC lighter, spoon, alcohol stove, windscreen and fuel bottle weighs 9.5 oz.  Fuel for the stove would have been about 4-6 oz. The leakproof Nalgene container I bought to mix my dinners weighed 5 oz.

Stove
It's not really cooking.  It's reheating.  Cooking is a burden no long trail hiker needs on the trail.  One hot meal a day was what I had planned for.  Hiking the Wonderland Trail in 2013, I learned that more than that ate up 30-45 minutes.

Don't do as I did:  change my dinner plan from cook to stoveless without changing the menu.  I changed.  I decided I'd eat the same food intended for cooking by soaking the food for a few hours before dinner.  Food like instant rice needs heat for the water to soften.  Instant brown rice doesn't soften without heat--white rice is a stretch..

 
Stoveless
     A stoveless menu would have had different, and better, choices for dinner, perhaps like tortilla or pita wraps, more Idahoan potato packages, sausage, cheese, salami, pepperoni, tuna and salmon packs, nut butters, etc.
  Many stoveless choices will have water mixed in.
  Hummus mix is a good pick--sources abound.
  Idahoan potatoes hydrated well and tasted good cold.
  Pasta sides and rice sides did not sit well with me for my stoveless menu.
     Dried bean mixes, (pictured above) from a food co-op or maybe Whole Foods do rehydrate well without heat.

Coffee
I'm not a hostage to coffee.  If you're a coffee fanatic, you'll pay the penalty in pack weight, carrying grounds or beans, a French press, grinder, etc.  I like Trader Joe's Instant or Starbucks Via packs. The Via products are good and even do well cold, though I prefer it hot, if at all.

The JacksRBetter Sierra Stealth top quilt review

JacksRBetter (JRB) Sierra Stealth quilt

Rating:  ◙ ◙ ◙ ◙   4/5

Gear reviews aren't a major part of prepping for a long hike.  This item can do double service as quilt and serape, though this quilt is just the thinner brother of the quilt (the Sierra Sniveller) that better suits the Pacific Crest Trail.  Read on.

First, a little quilt talk, I've been using a quilt for camping since 2013.  Sleeping bags are OK, if one doesn't care that the insulation compressed by one's body has no value or that when turning, the face opening requires one to turn the entire bag, which exposes flattened insulation to cold air that you will feel.  After a few minutes it would regain its loft and insulate, but why bother carrying insulation that's useless underneath me?  Most quilts have insulation above and on each side of you plus a little on the bottom and don't have a hood.  That means

1. you need to learn the trick of turning without turning the quilt.  If you're sleeping on the ground, the sides of the quilt can be joined by cord or webbing under you or under the sleeping pad, making that a non issue.   
2. the separate head insulation you wear won't affect the quilt.  
3. you wear the head insulation around camp, making this another dual use item in your pack.

Most quilts also have no zipper, making them lighter still.

BAFFLES.  If you made a quilt, you could sew two sheets of fabric together on three sides, fill it with down insulation, and stitch it closed.  To keep the down from shifting, you might sew a line of stitches every six inches, which would work for moderate temperatures, but for colder nights you'll feel the cold along the stitching lines.  To fix that you'd sew in walls (also known as baffles) between those stitch lines, which would let the insulation fill in between the stitch lines and eliminate those gaps. 

The baffle orientation.  You can tell by the stitching how the maker oriented the baffles.  Stitches that run from left to right allow down to shift from above you to the left and right edges of your quilt or sleeping bag.  Stitches that run from head to toe allow down to shift along that channel.

Now, to the JacksRBetter (JRB) Sierra Stealth.  The JacksRBetter Sierra Stealth down insulated quilt has a temperature rating of 40-45 deg F.  Construction is sewn through meaning it has no baffles.  The stitching runs from left to right which means down insulation can shift to the edges of the quilt so you'll need to shake it to get the insulation back to the middle.  The JRB Sierra Stealth has six loops for securing it around a ground pad.  You provide the cord or webbing to join the loops.  I'm unsure whether it is better to link the sides of the quilt under the sleeping pad or under just your body.  The top corners have a snap which suggests to me that however you link the sides of the quilt below those corners, it might work better to join the corners behind your neck.  I haven't experimented with this much.

One can order the quilt with two options for the foot box, where your feet go: with the foot box sewn, or with the foot box cord locked and velcroed, allowing one to use the quilt flat on warmer nights or as a bedspread at home.  I ordered option 2.
   This quilt is wearable--you separate a velcro-closed opening in the middle, stick your head through the hole and voila, you have a puffy, "short-sleeved" jacket/serape like this:

Wearing your quilt as a jacket does not make your hairline recede.

I bought this quilt for use at home sleeping on my sofa in the winter, when I have the thermostat turned down to 64 deg F.  Is it warm enough to use for summer camping with my hammock in the Sierra Nevada (6,000-12,000')? 

Being of average height, I have the regular length.  It's long enough to side sleep and wrap the top over my head, leaving only my face exposed.  Because I turn during a night and also sleep on my back, I wear a separate hood (picture below).  Hot sleepers can get away with a wool or fleece cap.  The drawstring around the quilt's top end allows you to cinch the quilt around your neck to reduce heat loss from the torso.

When stretching the quilt from left to right (below) I noticed that neither the outside nor the inside fabric hangs loose, meaning that the inside shell is the same size as the outside shell, potentially allowing elbows or knees to stick into the insulation making cold spots more likely when I have the quilt wrapped around me.  By the same token, the inner shell is more likely to fill gaps, so maybe it's a wash.

Two questions I had:

1. Does it work as-is with a 20" wide Neoair sleeping mattress?  With a width of 52" I'd have about 10-12" of quilt on each side of me.  The edges don't float up but they rest lightly on the floor or ground and can shift about enough to permit heat loss.  While back sleeping, my arms fall off the pad and rest on the ground--I'd more likely link the edges under me on a cold night to keep my arms off the ground. Warm air not trapped in insulation will more likely carry heat away.  
2. How well does it work with the edges linked?     Quite well with the loops linked under the pad, though the quilt doesn't have enough weight to drape over me--requiring me to heat air space between my sides, the floor and the quilt.  I felt warm more quickly with the loops linked above the pad.  Also, linking the edges above the pad, the quilt kept my arms from rolling to the ground.

The JacksRBetter Sierra Stealth comes with a zippered vinyl storage bag and a stuff sack sewn from waterproof fabric--the seams aren't sealed.  It has a roll top that closes at the outlet with velcro.  After rolling the top down, I can wrap the attached 3/4" webbing around the sack and and lock it to a pair of D rings--it's more cumbersome than a more appropriately sized stuff sack with a draw string.  When I stuffed it, I always felt like I could have done better.

Positives:

1. Warm, light.  Mine weighs 460 gm (16.25 oz)  I'll not likely use the stuff sack that weighs 40 gm (1 3/8 oz), as the quilt can go into the same drybag with my hammock and underquilt.  
2. You can buy it stuffed with Activ-Dry down for $10 more.  The Activ-Dry treatment keeps the down drier when wet and lets it dry faster when it does get wet.
3. usable as a short sleeve parka.  Maybe leave your jacket home?  The velcro can attach to a JRB made hood, but I didn't find it necessary to have my home sewn hood attach to the quilt. I didn't find the velcro uncomfortable even on the skin of my neck ( see #2 below) 
4. soft comfortable fabric.
5. Many of JRB's products are in stock!  Other makers need a lead time of 3-6 weeks.

Negatives:

1. It is black outside and in,--I can't tell which side has the foot pocket.  I often found myself trying to shove my feet in when the pocket was on the other side.   (the quilts rated for colder temperatures come in bicolors--pale green and black)  Two other quilt makers, Hammock gear and www.enlightenedequipment.com let buyers choose different colors.
2. JRB forms the foot pocket using Velcro and a snap.  The edge of the Velcro closure on which my ankles often rested, irritated me if barelegged or caught on clothing.  I took out the Velcro, replacing them with Kam snaps.  And because JRB's label came off with the Velcro, I resewed the label to the head end of the quilt on the outside, enabling me to easily ID the side with the foot pocket (issue #1 above).  This change reduced the weight minimally (7 gm) 
3. The velcro at the head/neck hole is scratchy too, but nowhere near enough to remove it, likely because it rests very lightly on my upper legs.  I also didn't have any interest in replacing the velcro with a zipper or other attachment.  It didn't irritate me in use as a jacket.  JRB sells a hood that has matching Velcro, helping keep it off your neck, but it's $60.
4. To cinch the draw cord at the head end, it has two huge cord locks, both behind my neck, when I've snapped the corners together for warmth.  Most sleeping bags have the cord lock at the shoulder opposite the zipper--having to reach behind my neck for two separate cords on the JRB quilt:  awkward.  When I have the quilt at chest height a the snapped quilt puts the cordlocks in the middle of my back.  
5. You can buy it stuffed with Activ-Dry down for $10 more.  This should not be optional.  They should just charge the extra $10 and make none without Activ-Dry.  It might save someone's life.

Wish list:  

1. A couple of pull loops to separate the head opening for use as a serape.  It's just a little fussy.

I wouldn't use the Sierra Stealth on the Pacific Crest Trail for a thru hike, because nights on trail do get to 20 degrees F in the high Sierra in June.  It would be fine for section hikes during warm season hiking in July and August.  Another JRB quilt, the Sierra Sniveller (25-30 deg F, 24 oz) or the Hudson River (21 oz) would be more suitable--though both are rated to 25 degF, their 2.5" of insulation may take you to 20 degF.  I used a 20 degree Zpacks quilt (21 oz) before I knew about JRB--I used the Zpacks every night on the trail.  The Zpacks quilt has a zipper on the back side--it joins the insulated sides of the quilt under you.

Disclaimer:  I bought this quilt for personal use and received no additional item of value from the maker.

Addendum.  March 5, 2018.  I sewed the foot box bottom shut because even when cinched tight, it still left a small opening for cold air to enter.  I moved the adjustment for the neck from the corners (back of the neck) to the middle, where I could easily reach it.

RE-supply on the Pacific Crest Trail

Resupply on the PCT

You'll hike 3-5 days between roads in southern California.  You have two reliable methods of resupply in Southern Cal:  mail your food or shop at a store after hitching a ride to town from the trail.  I didn't know very much and didn't do much research aside from getting Halfmile's trail guides (free) and using the given addresses to mail my food.  You'll find hundreds of blogs, as I did, on the internet about this.  I was overwhelmed by the info and just drew a blank.

If your diet is flexible, you can re-supply at trail towns, most of which are a short hitch from trailheads.  Most have regular grocery stores.  Resupplying this way cuts out the headache of timing your arrival to the opening hours of post offices where you might otherwise ship supplies.

Other things to include in supply boxes besides food.

1. Powdered laundry soap--really cheap from home, poured in a ziplock bag, really expensive from a laundromat.  If you don't use it, drop it in the hiker box for someone else.
2. travel size hand lotion.
3. toilet paper in a ziplock bag and an extra ziplock bag for carrying used paper out.

Mailing it:
I mailed boxes of food to myself at places where I was sure I'd be getting off trail.  I didn't know if I could walk 50, 75, 100 or 125 miles between resupplying.  One thing about resupplying at the shorter distances is you make yourself ease up on yourself a bit and keep the walk from becoming a forced march.
Fuel.  It's legal to mail stove fuel, but the law requires you to label it appropriately.  I've mailed alcohol fuel in a 500ml drink bottle--the bottles never leak and their flammability is nowhere near a canister of butane, nor is the bottle pressurized.

For packages going to post offices, I addressed my boxes like so:

;     My name
;     General Delivery
;     city, state  zip code

The zip code needs to be correct.  Half Mile has it on his trail guides.

I sent the Boxes by Priority Mail to post offices three to four weeks before my predicted arrival-- once you're on the trail you'll need someone reliable to ship boxes for you.  If you skip a pick up at a post office you can call them -- they will forward the package once for free.

Some delivery addresses will be at the homes of Trail Angels or at retail businesses. Some will assess a handling fee to receive your package. This fee is totally worth it and you should consider it a trip expense.

The Supercat Ultralight stove and Firebucket windscreen

Thanks to Jim Woods (http://jwbasecamp.com/Articles/SuperCat/)  I had a great ultralight alcohol stove to use for my hike when I decided to start hiking with a stove to heat my food.  The stove, windscreen and fuel bottle together weigh less than 25 gm.  (an ounce is 28.35 gm)

Here they are on a scale:

The stove, 6.37 gm.

Fuel bottle and foil windscreen.  17.44 gm.  

Jim Woods' Firebucket
Jim also has another innovation I made but didn't take.  He conceived his Firebucket as a better windscreen for reasons enumerated on this page.

Jim Woods' Firebucket windscreen/pot stand

I made a Firebucket.  I haven't used it in the field because my triple fold foil windscreen did the trick on a stormy night under my tarp. 
For my bucket,
1.  I left out the bolts and wingnuts (which I'd surely lose) in favor of a fold on each edge of the joint, that work like the caldera cone's joint.
2.  I used an inverted empty 5.5 oz aluminum cat food can as the platform for my super cat stove. I can easily light my Supercat without the Firebucket getting in the way. I use another 5.5 oz can as a snuffer.
3.  I cut the flashing so my saucepan would sit on the supercat on a 5.5 oz can.  The Firebucket's diameter was just small enough to support the saucepan (with 3 cups of water) without the supercat underneath  I could use a penny stove on the ground below the stove.  I can put out the flame on either stove by dropping an inverted spare 5.5 oz can over its top.
4.  The Firebucket weight:  51 grams = 1 3/4 oz

My Firebucket's joint.

The inverted 5.5 oz cat food can serves as a stable base for the stove.

The stove on the base.

My Evernew saucepan on the stove.

The saucepan with nothing underneath, the top of the Firebucket holds the rim of the saucepan on the right.  I wanted it to fit a little tighter than it does for just a smidgen more confidence that the lip on the right won't slip.

Evolution of Gear for my PCT hike

This is the list at the start and the verbose story of how it changed.

Beginning of hike:
Pack, Shelter, sleep system:
Ray way pack   12 oz
DIY pack cover
Ray way 32 degF alpine quilt, 32 oz
DIY sleeping hood 3.4 oz
knitted sleeping socks 3.7 oz
fleece pants  6.5 oz
Neo air Xtherm mattress, 16 oz
Poly Cryo tarp  7.6 oz
DIY bridge hammock with 10' tree straps 34 oz
Tyvek ground sheet 7x3  5 oz
Total:  120 oz = 7 lb 8 oz


Technology:
Flip phone 4 oz
iPod Touch 3 oz
camera 4 oz
charging adapters 6 oz
Total:  17 oz

Carried Clothing: 
Montbell down jacket 5 oz
t neck LL Bean Powerdry, black 8.5 oz
fleece arm warmers 2 oz
North Face button down shirt 10.8 oz
mittens 5 oz
Frogg toggs rain jacket 5 oz.
Rain skirt 2 oz
Total 38.3 oz

Worn or hand held items:
Patagonia Boxer shorts
REI convertible pants
Icebreaker wool t-shirt
Frostline ankle gaiters for gravel exclusion
Chrome Dome umbrella 8 oz
Black Diamond trekking pole 8.9 oz

Other items
8 oz bottle (brand?) for olive oil  1 oz (?) This one worried me for its potential to leak.
Sawyer mini water filter 3 oz
Platypus 2 L canteen x2  2.8 oz
Gatorade bottles x2 3 oz
Nalgene food mixing container 5 oz
REI plastic Spoon .5 oz
Bear can 2 lb
first aid kit (ibuprofen or naprosyn for pain, cetirizine for allergy, loperamide for loose stools, moleskin) 3 oz
Toilet paper 3 oz.
sun screen 1 oz
Fenix flashlight plus battery .75 oz
BD Spot headlamp 3 oz
Gerber knife 0.6 oz
Dental:  brush, paste, floss 1 oz.
2400 mah Power bank 3 oz
Pack rain cover 2 oz
8 tent stakes 2.5 oz
Compass 1 oz
lip balm 0.5 oz
space blanket 2.5 oz
Paper maps 3 oz
Total:  44.1 oz  
Grand Total:   14 lb 11oz

Evolution of the list:
Pack:

1. Rayway pack, 12 oz. I added pads to put some space between my back & the pack (they weren't thick enough to keep the pack away from my shirt--my back got completely wet with sweat) The shoulder strap foam in the Rayway pack was stiff and hurt when I had a fresh load of food and water.  I hadn't an opportunity to try the pack in a warm climate before the trip and discover how hot I'd get.  
2. At Big Bear (266 miles) I switched to a ULA Circuit for 550 miles.  2 lb.  Really good load carrying, but still wet.  
3. I tried an Osprey Atmos AG65 through Northern Cal, and some of Washington, A great pack with great ventilation on the back, but the belt slipped when wet and the shoulder straps irritated bare skin.  I laughed quietly when some weekend campers thought the pack was too big for me to be a thru hiker.  Well, by then I was a flip flopping thru hiker.
4. I ended up keeping an Osprey Exos 58:  2 lb 8 oz  With the Osprey my shirt got slightly damp, but never wet and carried my gear well.  Pockets on the shoulder strap and hip belt, and I could easily pull out and tuck my water bottles in the side pocket.

Bottom insulation.  

1. Thermarest Neoair Xtherm regular 17 oz.  R value: 5  This worked in the bridge hammock (below) and isn't comfortable in a traditional hammock.  It was great for ground camping. 
2. Hammock Gear 20 F underquilt, replacing #1 after leaving the deserts for good.  20 oz.

Top insulation.

1. Ray way synthetic quilt.  32 ounces.  Temp rating purported to be 32 degF, but untested.
2. Replaced at 266 miles (Big Bear) by Zpacks 20 deg quilt 20 oz.
3. On do-over, I'd buy a quilt with different color inside and outside, sourced from Enlightened equipment, so I can figure which side has the foot pocket, to save me that 5-10 seconds of discovery and having to flip the quilt.
4. Possible option:  JacksRBetter wearable quilt.  It has a velcro sealed hole allowing you to put your head through and wear it.  I only dislike the coarseness of the velcro closure on the foot pocket--sharp on bare skin and catchy if wearing socks. .  A continuous closure isn't necessary to form the pocket, as I found after replacing the velcro with five snaps.  The maker's label came off with the velcro. I sewed it to the top edge, helping me know which side had the pocket. 

     Quilt usage requires some kind of head insulation.  I made my own synthetic insulated hood, that I could also wear around camp.  

Ground cloth.  Tyvek ground cloth 3 feet by 7 feet. 5 oz   I appreciated the rugged material through the deserts, though I once used my Poly cryo tarp (below) on the leeward side of a giant juniper bush during a severe wind storm north of Lancaster, thinking that I'd wrap it over me in event of rain.

Roof.  

1. poly cryo tarp  5 oz. Don't use this unless you plan to replace it every 3-5 weeks. This tarp lasted 7 weeks--by which time the smallest nick would run like mad.  I also didn't like that it was clear, because the light of moon or stars shining through distracted my sleep.  Before I threw it away it had multiple repairs with duct tape, which may have tripled its weight.  The real offender was the hammock's spreader bars rubbing on the tarp.  Poly-cryo works well as a ground cloth.  
2. I used a Warbonnet Superfly from Northern Cal to Canada.
3. Many hikers used a tent.  One hiker used a tent 110 miles and never cowboy camped in the deserts until she asked "permission" to camp with us.  Big Agnes Fly Creek 1 was a favorite as were Cuben tents by various makers.

Tent/tarp stakes: Ruta Locura carbon fiber

Floor.  DIY bridge hammock with suspension and spreader bars .  23 ounces(?).. . I'd taken a couple shakedown trips in a traditional gathered end hammock but wasn't totally convinced I'd be comfortable.  I could have dropped 10 ounces, but the bridge did work really well with the NeoAir Xtherm mattress.  The aluminum spreader bars often made noise in the pack.

1. DIY gathered end hammock with diy bug net 15 oz(?)  The gather fell apart because the zip tie broke. 
2. I didn't have another zip tie so I tied the end of the hammock in a knot and went to sleep.  
3. I lost confidence in my ability to make my own hammocks and bought a Warbonnet Blackbird double layer 1.1 oz ripstop (whoopie sling version) with sewn in bugnet. ~ Weight : 1 lb 6 oz.

Hammock tree straps:  10' diy polyester straps.  5 oz.

2 Bic lighters, one given away to father/son weekend campers

Black diamond Spot.  3.5 oz  I handheld this at hip level for walking predawn in the deserts.  Heavy.  I omitted this for the rest of my hike north of Echo Summit.
Fenix LD 01 Single AAA cell flashlight. Extra battery.  1 oz.  This was a backup, but it worked really well as the only nighttime light after leaving the headlight out.  Usually handheld.  

Clothing. 
Rei convertible hiking pants.  I'd likely leave these home in favor of leg warmers and shorts.  (All right, I hated them--the zippers were too fussy)

PataGucci Hawaiian print boxer shorts.  Great worn alone on warmer days.  Only a kilt could be cooler down there.

Icebreaker wool tee shirt, I also picked up a cotton t-shirt in Julian, which I trimmed off at beltline for better ventilation.

Montrail trail running shoes

Darn tough socks (Oops, no spare socks!)

Knitted sleeping socks

DIY synthetic insulated hood for sleeping.
Mitten shell and fleece mittens

L.L. bean fleece turtleneck shirt, lightweight and warm, but with a loose weave that often requires a windbreaker. No known replacement today.
North Face button down shirt.  This is a door stop.  I wore it to bed for its pockets for keeping my phone warm.  

Mont bell down jacket seven ounces.  See above for a dual use quilt by JacksRBetter that will let you save your $$ and weight.

DIY fleece pants w/zip off legs.  These were a disappointment, due to their weight compared to Mont Bell down pants and it just didn't get cold enough to use while hiking.

Footwear.  
Trail running shoes.  My feet have been wonderful tools for the hike.  They didn't seem to mind  any shoes but the Lowa Renegade Low tops.

1. Montrail (thin and light, but model unknown) wonderful, but I'd already had some miles on them.
2. La Sportiva Wildcats--well fitting and supportive, though my second pair lost support in the mid-sole--I forced REI to take them back.  
3. Altra Lone Peak 2.5--great, with a very accommodating wide toe area, but they let all the water in from bushes overhanging the trail after a very wet cold night.  
4. Hoka One One Challenger ATR--great shoe until I found the Altra's.   
5. Lowa Renegade GTX Low tops--they never came close to breaking in after 130 miles.  They hurt!
6. Fool that I was, I wore Hoka One One Goretex lined Mid Tors for 450 miles on Oregon's PCT, because I was sure that it'd rain a lot.  I hated having super cold water flushing through my Altras in Washington, but it's worse to walk in sweaty socks.  It rained only for a day or two south of Mt Hood and they wetted through in the rain.  They were too warm for most of Oregon--I had to change socks to let them dry every 50-60 minutes.

I can't defend my schizoid footwear approach.  It has nothing to do with any kind of injury, as the only issues I had were two or three minor blisters.  Maybe,  it's the human tendency to forget that"better is the enemy of good" I seemed to have a different part of my feet or legs bother me every day for some stretches of trail, for which I'd alter my gait enough to make the issue recede or disappear.

DIY dirty girls, breathable stretchy cloth gaiters that kept small pebbles, burrs and pine needles out of my shoes. Dirty Girls is a company that made popular colorful dust gaiters for hikers.

The walking roof

Golite Chrome Dome umbrella 8 oz. in one hand with trekking pole in the other.  Some hikers with the dome had rigged their packs to hold the dome hands free, which sufficed for two or three hours midday.  By hand holding I could tilt the dome when sun came in from the sides or front.   It completely protected upper body and arms every day but the fourth when the fierce sun penetrated enough to burn the tops of my bare shoulders.  I used sunscreen only on my legs.  I've since then painted the underside of the canopy with black fabric paint, decreasing the transmitted light even more drastically.  I regretted not having the Golite in Northern Cal--it was hotter than the deserts!  I got it back to walk Oregon and Washington.  GoLite went out of business, but you can still buy these domes.  Source:  $44 @Six Moon Designs

Hat.  A visor with built in head band worn for my entire time on trail.  It got soaked in the forehead region often.  This was more of a fashion statement than a real utilitarian item.  I'm more partial to a do-rag with a $2 foam visor from Joann Fabrics.  

Trekking poles.  One Black Diamond pole CF Alpine.  Replaced with pair of much lighter BD Carbon Distance Z poles, which didn't last 900 miles.  I have Rutalocura CF poles for my next long hike.  Gossamer Gear poles have a rep for fragility.  I heard Komperdell CF are worthy--no personal experience. One has to accept that carbon fiber likely will break before aluminum, so the weight savings MUST be significant to choose CF--it was.  

Food 24 to 28 ounces per day is not really enough for 15-20 mile days, so you have to catch up in trail towns and eat BIG.  Breakfast of granola with powdered milk.  I'd put into ziplock bags dehydrated bean soup or bean mix (Taste Adventure and Fantastic Foods) with pasta, rice or potato flakes.  True stoveless food: tortillas for wraps, cheese, peanut butter, tuna & salmon packets. Trail mix from costco morphing from one with yogurt pieces (which melted in the heat) the salted mixed nuts--I loved the brazil nuts. Costco nut mix.  I liked Idahoan potatoes cold or hot.  Neither Rice Sides nor Pasta Sides ever gained favor with me.  

 Vegetarian bean mixes at my local health food store. (Maybe available at Whole Foods or your local co-op)

Peanut butter.  I almost always had a jar of peanut butter in Southern California.  I would eat a tablespoon of peanut butter every half hour.  No-stir was best for warm season hiking.

Olive oil.  I also had olive oil for at least the first 800 miles.  I used a plastic bottle made for camping--it didn't leak, but it seemed imminent.  I have since read that the 500 ml disposable water bottles (e.g. Dasani) worked well for olive oil.  I took a small gulp of oil every 30 to 40 minutes. 

Food storage.  Bear can:  Wild ideas carbon fiber expedition can.  I wouldn't need this for another 700 miles but cookie monster suggested I take a bear can from the Mexican border all the way to Canada.  I took the Wild Ideas can instead of one of the heavier, cheaper cans.  Every other hiker said I didn't need it until getting into the Sierra Nevada--like I didn't know.  2 pounds.  Hey, Cookie Monster, I sent my can home at Big Bear and got it back at Lake Isabella.  I continued without it from Echo Summit.  I hung my food nightly from my hammock suspension--no problems with critters cp. people who brought food into tents--mice chewed their way into tents.

No stove for southern California.
Northern California to Canada:  Jim Woods' Cat food can alcohol stove (DIY).  1.75 ounces with fuel bottle and foil windscreen.  Fuel either mailed or sourced as HEET gasoline additive in the Yellow bottle.  

Nalgene container for soaking food.  4 ounces--too heavy!  Sent home when stove use started.
Evernew 0.9 L saucepan when I took up the stove--5.5 oz.  Pot cozy of Reflectix bubble wrap.  Bic lighter.
REI Plastic spoon--it broke when using it on cold peanut butter.

Water purification:  Sawyer Mini water filter.  If you expose this to subfreezing temperatures while wet inside, it'll damage the filter elements.  Other hikers had the Sawyer Squeeze--better flow but same issue.  I ended the trip using AquaMira which ran out two days before finishing--I just dipped into a stream and drank--I didn't get sick.

Two one liter smart water bottles to carry water--these would go on the shoulder straps of the ULA Circuit backpack.  Hydrating with the Rayway wasn't so easy. Later, two Gatorade bottles replaced the Smartwater bottles, fitting better in the Osprey pack's side pockets. In the deserts I would drink several ounces every 20 minutes, by the clock.

Electronics and route finding.  I started with a flip phone, a compact camera and iPod Touch with their charging cords.  I sent all those home when I got a new Samsung smartphone at Big Bear.

Anker 10,000 mah Backup battery.  7.75 oz  This replaced the pathetic little Power Bank, which was likely old technology when someone gave it to me just before the trip.
Earthmate app for use with Garmin inReach Explorer.

Half mile/Guthooks app for android 

Paper maps. (Half mile)  

Wrist watch.  I began with a large multifunction Armitron and downsized to a women's Armitron weighing 20 gm. less.  The smaller Armitron had no timer function, which I used to keep on schedule for staying hydrated in the deserts.  I'd go back to a full function Timex watch in a women's size in a NY minute.

More Electronics.  Personal locator beacon (ACR) or two way satellite communicator such as the Delorme (now Garmin) inReach explorer or SE.  Spot might be OK--its user experience has been spotty (no pun intended).
     You need something, whether for yourself or to save someone else.  I kept forgetting to have my ACR sent from my kitchen drawer.  I had none when I was helivaced out of Kings Canyon NP for high altitude pulmonary edema--I waited in place a day before another hiker with an inReach came.  A Park Service chopper arrived 3 hours after the call.  On returning to the trail after my evac, I took both an inReach and an ACR.  Reception with the Garmin can be spotty and can depend on a small window of exposure to the relevant satellites, that is, between trees or rock formations, etc, causing delays up to two hours sending/receiving messages.  Even so, I loved having the Explorer's two way communication in areas of no cell service.  The ACR uses a different satellite network than the inReach.  InReach users without a smartphone and the Earthmate app will find the device very awkward for sending messages--it's not a touch sensitive screen and composing a sentence is much more tedious than using a keyboard with one finger.
     Battery level monitoring.  The inReach indicates how much charge you have left.  The ACR permits a test communication, but no indication of charge and it isn't a rechargeable battery.  That's why I pack both.

First aid kit (FAK).  a very basic first aid kit of a few band aids and meds:  ibuprofen & naproxen for pain, Zyrtec for allergies, ? for altitude sickness. ? for Lyme disease?

Vitamins.
Imodium (diarrhea)--I used this for loose stools which afflicted me from walking long hours, you want more control over when you have to stop.  A few pieces of Moleskin, though I had two minor blisters the entire hike.

No epi-pen. No snake-bite kit. no ambu-bag.  No triangular bandage for broken arm, etc.  Just the meds above.
Other Medications:  For high altitude, I will pack nifedipine, to prevent high altitude pulmonary edema.
A certain reliance on emergency communication devices as discussed above is essential to a lighter pack and a lighter attitude.  Severe conditions require evacuation, not self treatment.  Examples:  a compound fracture, snake bite, high altitude pulmonary or cerebral edema, head injury, a laceration requiring irrigation and stitches.  Sending another hiker out for help wastes precious time.  If travelling solo, that hiker may be a long time coming.

Swim suit, goggles (I used these once at Lake Isabella in a cold pool--not worth taking)

Toothbrush, dental floss

Mylar emergency blanket, 2.5 ounces.  I used this for 3-5 really cold nights inside my 20 deg bag.  I folded it in half and became the filling for a rectangular taco in my quilt.  Humid, yes, but it did the job.  It self destructed on the fourth or fifth use.  It also kept insensitive moisture loss from condensing on the surface and outer layers of insulation of my quilt.  I'll always carry one.

   Some duct tape wrapped around a trekking pole.  I'm embarrassed to say I used all of it and borrowed some from other hikers to repair my poly cryo tarp, which fell apart after 7 weeks.  It was good while it lasted and would have been good if I had a new one every 4-5 weeks.

EAR PLUGS.  At the pilot's lounge at Tehachapi airport (if it ever re-opens to hikers)-- the train tracks are only a long stone's throw away.  I slept very, very well through 120 dB blasts.

Toilet paper.  Cat hole digger. (Deuce of Spades)

My base weight before water and food: about 18 lb.  With 12 lb of food/water, the Osprey handled really well.  The Rayway carried the load just barely OK, but might have been better if I'd left the bear can and had a lighter quilt.  At some threshold of total pack weight (maybe 30-32 lb), an extra pound suddenly makes the load onerous.

Final gear list:
Osprey Exos 58 pack,  2 lb. 8 oz
Warbonnet Superfly tarp (this tarp has 'doors' to keep out blowing rain)
Warbonnet double layer hammock w/built-in no-see-um netting.
8 Ruta Locura tent stakes.
Hammockgear 20 deg under quilt
Dry bag
Zpacks pack cover
Zpacks 20 degree quilt
Chrome dome umbrella
Delorme inReach
ACR personal locator beacon
Samsung Galaxy Note 4

Patagonia long underwear bottoms
LLBean fleece zip turtleneck top (to be replaced by a Patagonia Capilene thermal weight Hoody)
 Darn Tough extra socks
 North Face button down shirt--same pale yellow color.  I replaced the buttons with snaps, but this heavy shirt may yet stay home.
 montbell down jacket
 montbell  pants
DIY rain skirt
DIY rain gaiters
 Outdoor Research helium II rain jacket
Dyneema mitten shell
DIY fleece mittens
DIY hood

Cat food can alcohol stove,  windscreen,  snuff can,  fuel bottle--1.8 oz
Evernew saucepan. Pot cozy, spoon, Bic lighter 8 oz

Basic first aid kit as above
Aqua Mira water purification
Dental stuff
Platypus 2 L canteen x2  2.8 oz
Gatorade bottles x2 3 oz

Toilet paper 3 oz.
sun screen 1 oz
Fenix single cell flashlight plus battery .75 oz
Gerber knife 0.6 oz
Dental:  brush, paste, floss 1 oz.
Pack rain cover 2 oz
8 tent stakes 2.5 oz
Compass 1 oz
lip balm 0.5 oz
space blanket 2.5 oz
Paper maps 3 oz

Memory of cowboy camping

Yes, this was the beginning of a treatment of preparing to section hike or thru hike the Pacific Crest Trail.  I just had to get this on "paper" before I forgot. 

Almost two years after my March 27, 2015 start, I have trouble remembering if I slept on my side in the deserts when cowboy camping on the Pacific Crest Trail.  I'd find a campsite, make a meal, lay out my quilt and pad on top of my Tyvek groundsheet, clean myself and change into my sleep clothes. I remember getting into my quilt with the quilt edges under my back and waking up in about the same position. I don't remember Jerry rigging a pillow.   Maybe I was too tired to roll to my side. I don't remember waking up with a sore shoulder or neck from side sleeping.  That's a good walk.