The approach PPL takes is what I do as well.
I'm not sure how cold it is where you are, but I usually get the chitted peas in the ground while frosts are possible, it presents no problem for me.
The young pea plants can fall victim to squirrels and other pests. To protect them from harm, get a roll of plastic gutter guard mesh, roll it out over your planted pea row, and arch it over the row by staking it from the sides. That provides a little protection until the plants are rooted and have made a few leaves. After that, roll the gutter guard up until you need to protect another row of something else you planted.