Читать книгу 101 Hikes in Northern California. Exploring Mountains, Valleys, and Seashore онлайн

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Keep your pack’s center of gravity as close to your middle and lower back as possible. Heavy items should go against the back, becoming progressively lighter as you pack outward and upward. Do not place heavy items at or below the level of the hip belt—this greatly diminishes your ability to carry that weight on the lower body.

Sleeping Bag Nights are surprisingly cool to cold in Northern California, especially at higher elevations. A sleeping bag rated to 20 degrees is recommended for all-purpose use, though a model rated to 0 degrees is often a better option in the spring and fall seasons or for people who prefer extra warmth.

Down sleeping bags offer the best warmth-to-weight ratio, are incredibly compressible, and will easily last 5–10 years without losing much of their warmth. However, untreated down loses all of its insulating ability when wet and takes forever to dry—a concern during long rainy spells. Some sleeping bags now offer water-resistant down, which reduces this risk.

Synthetic-fill sleeping bags retain their insulating abilities even when wet and are cheaper, but weigh more and are bulkier. Keep in mind that synthetic-fill bags lose some of their loft and warmth after a few seasons of use.