Enduro1525 - Pacific Crest Trail Journal - 2015

Pre-Trip Entry

Pre-trip planning has now evolved to the point where I need to start stuffing resupply boxes and get them to my friends Jeff & Kathy's for mailing while I'm on the trail.
This year I have been using a dehydrator and a vaccum sealer for my meals. Ive been drying everything from bacon to tofu. Looking forward to mixing my meals on trail. Plan is to go stoveless this year. However, I am hesitant to hike without hot food and my beloved coffee. Re-hydrating food in a container in my pack will work so I may use this technigue in areas where I know fuel (stove mix) will be scarce. Always a pain to be thinking about not running out of fuel so with a cookless option, I'm covered. Only drawback is I have to carry a cook set (8oz) and fuel(3.5oz)if I want hot food. Another advantage of having a stove and fuel is that, in areas of nasty nasty water, I can always boil it.

Going very light this year, even lighter if I trash the stove and fuel. Purchased an Enigma,a 20deg quilt this year from Enlightened Equipment (Minnissota). Its custom made by a small mom and pop. Awesome job guys, cant wait to use it. Its a total of 20 OZ!! Back will still be the GOLITE JAM (stripped to 1#). I had a local seamtress reinforced all the load point stitching (Thanks Jessica). Tent will be the same Big Agnes fairview (Stripped). Its the heaviest gear at 3#-10oz with poles but I love this tent and could not find a comparable one without spending $ 400 to save another 1#+. So, another 800 miles for the Fairview. PAck: 1#, Tent 3.75# Bag: 1.3# Total base: 6.05# Another2-3# in gear, clothes, electronics and I'll be near 8-9#.

This is a good weight as I expect to have to carry upwards of 5 liters of water in some sections, plus 5 days food.

I have been running with my camelback filled with a 20# dumbell, cycling with friends (Thanks Kristina) and teaching spin as well. Also, swoling up at the gym although it will be short-lived as my upper body will surely atrophy again over the 50 day period.

Hoping SiS(daughter Sarah) will maintain the home and yard while I'm gone. Love her to pieces. she is really a remarkable young woman. Proud to be her Dad.

More on pre-planning and a 'gear list' later.

Enduro

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