Packs and Things

Today was another great day with family.  This time we invited my folks to come down to have lunch with us and while away the afternoon relaxing by the creek.  We grilled out hamburgers and served potato salad and baked beans.  It was a fine lunch and we spent the afternoon reading and talking while we watched almost all the campground occupants pack up, hitch up, and pull out.  It was a pleasant afternoon.

Port for water bladder tube (blue water drop)

Teri asked for a few more details about my new pack.  I’m always excited to talk hiking gear.  But before I get into the specifics of this new pack, a little background information might be helpful in understanding my choice in packs.

I can carry my camera bag inside the main compartment

First and foremost--I’m not an ultralighter. Especially not on a day hike.  There are some things I like to have and I don’t care how much they weigh. Secondly, I’m a firm believer in being prepared for an emergency and so I carry what is commonly referred to as the “ten essentials” which includes an emergency shelter.  Thirdly, we like to hike to enjoy the beauty of nature.  We don’t want to be the fastest hikers or the ones who can go the farthest.  Fourth, I’m a type A personality and I thrive on being organized.  Last, but not least, I live in a motorhome.  I can’t have an array of packs for every occasion like I did when I lived in a stick house.

Mesh water bottle pockets on each side

That being said, what about this new pack?  I selected the REI Lookout 40.  If you want an ultralight pack this ain’t it.  It weighs 3 pounds and has a capacity of 40 liters which for a day pack is huge.  I don’t always carry a lot of stuff; more often than not the pack is half empty.  But, on those cold days when I want to carry a thermos of soup for lunch and my bulky winter jacket, there’s room.  If we want to hike up to the waterfall, sip coffee, eat danish, and read a book, there’s room to carry all that stuff plus a small blanket.  If it’s hot and I want chicken salad and a glass of wine for lunch, there’s room for the cooler.  If I anticipate extraordinary wildflowers or, in the words of Tom Mangan over at Two Heel Drive, “charismatic megavistas”, I have room to carry the SLR along with a 300 mm lens all tucked safely away in its own bag inside my pack.

A large zippered pocket behind each
water bottle pocket

This pack has some nice features which I really like.  It has lots of pockets to help me stay organized.  There is a mesh water bottle pocket on each side.  They’re actually large enough and deep enough to hold a water bottle.  Since I normally carry a water bladder inside my pack, I probably won’t use those mesh pockets for water.  However, I can think of a zillion things that I might put there.  On the inside of the pack against the back wall there is a water bladder pocket and there are tube ports on each side of the pack.  I’ve never used those ports on any of my other packs, so probably won’t on this one.  Behind the mesh pockets are large zippered pockets.  I was so excited to see those pockets.  That’s where I like to carry my lunch and snacks and most packs only have the mesh water bottle pockets on the sides.  There is a large outside pocket in front of the main compartment.  That pocket has mesh dividers to keep things organized.  I have a place for pen and paper, headlamp, fire starter, extra boot laces, and a zippered mesh pocket for the first aid kit.  In the very top of the main compartment is a small waterproof pocket with a zipper on the outside--a perfect place for my wallet, car keys and phone.  The waist belt is padded with a small zippered mesh pocket on each side.  I’ve never had these pockets and am excited to have a handy place to carry lip balm, sunscreen, and tissue.  Gene uses his little pockets for snacks.

The back of the pack is covered in egg crate foam stuff which is then covered in mesh.    On my old packs, this was the part that got so stinky from sweat.  This foam will not absorb the moisture so I guess it’ll dry faster since only the surface is wet and be easy to clean.  The label claims this material is cooler.  It does seem to be better ventilated and it is very comfortable against my back.

Small mesh pockets on each side of the waist belt.

This pack is rated to be comfortable for loads up to 40 pounds.  I don’t even carry that much on a backpack.  However, I do often carry 15-20 pounds on day hikes.  With all the pockets it’d be easy to distribute the weight evenly and the waist belt is sturdy enough to carry the load so I guess I believe 40 pounds might not be an exaggeration.  I might give it a try for an overnight backpack some time.  It has straps on the bottom to carry a sleeping pad.  I’ll have to take Gene along, though, to carry the tent.

Small waterproof pocket at the top of the pack

There are a lot of packs out there from which to choose.  What you select really depends on your hiking style.  Just like buying a pair of shoes or an RV--decide what you want to use it for then shop for something that will accommodate that use.  For hiking gear, good outfitters or REI have salespeople that know their products and can really help answer your questions.  They also carry quality (and usually more expensive) products.  You don’t usually get the knowledgeable sales personnel or the quality products at the big box stores.

Egg crate foam for extra ventilation against my back.

Hope this helps, Teri.  Have fun shopping.  I just love this stuff.  Hope it wasn't too boring for those readers who don't hike.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Room, Lots of Room

The most important news of the day is that we got our slide fixed.  We were up and at it this morning to pull into our dealership at 8 AM.  There aren’t really appointments for service.  They tell you the day to come in.  For everybody coming in on that day, it’s first come, first served.  We fully expected it to take the better part of the day so we had plenty on our list to do.

Our first stop was at Camping World for new light covers.  All of the 12 volt lights in our motorhome have those plastic covers.  We noticed a few days ago that one of them had a hole in it where the heat from the bulb had, over time, damaged the plastic.  I decided it was a fire hazard, so took those plastic covers off the three lights we use often.  We decided to go with the LED lights instead of those hot bulbs.  They didn’t have our size plastic covers, so we still have one with a hole in it.  May have to order that online.

Our next stop was REI, but we had to pass right by Krispy Kreme Donuts before getting to REI.  No sense in letting that opportunity go to waste.    We haven’t had a Krispy Kreme since Christmas; might not have even had a donut since then.  We were way overdue.

At REI I finally bought a new pack.  I’ve been carrying a Kelty Redwing day pack for about 15 years.  I love Kelty packs and own both a day pack and a backpack.  At one time, I had three Kelty packs.  But, their new day packs I don’t like as well.  I went with an REI Lookout 40.  It’s on the large size for a day pack at 40 liters, but I like a large pack for winter hiking when I take a bulky jacket and also for those times when I want to take my SLR.  I can put the whole camera bag inside my pack.  There are also lash points on the pack to attach my tripod.  I’ve also been known to take a soft sided cooler on a hike.  The Lookout is rated to carry up to 40 pounds comfortably.  That’s way more than I want to carry on a day hike, but at least I know the camera, a heavy jacket, or a lot of water shouldn’t be a problem.  I transferred all my stuff this afternoon and walked around some.  It feels really good.  The real test will be a hike.  We’ve got rain in the forecast for the next 3 days so it may not happen until next week.  I left all the tags on just in case it turns out I don’t like it.

REI is not too far from my parents’ home so we drove over there to visit with them and spend the rest of the day.  We were really surprised when our dealer called after we’d been there only about an hour.  We rushed off to get our home and make the trip back to Montgomery Bell State Park.  The site we left was still open, so we’re right back where we started from.

It’s great to have the slide out again.  Even though we can get to everything with it in, and it’s only 2 feet deep, it makes a tremendous difference in living space.  I feel like I’m living in a mansion.

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Men Sweat, Ladies Glisten

Contributed by Gene.

Do you remember leisure suits and double knit polyester pants?  Todays hiking clothes for next to skin wear are normally polyester.

Polyester for hiking took over from polypropylene .  The British Army used polypro base layers on Her Majesty’s forces in the Falkland War.  Since it was a plastic, it melted often compounding the soldiers’ injuries.

Polypro did not fall out of favor with hikers due to melting.  It was, to use the British colloquialism, the PONG factor.  Polypro was The Pro at retaining body odors.  It seems that after a while they could not be laundered fresh as a mountain breeze.  They’d stink soon as you put them on.

So polyester, still a form of plastic as it happens, took over.  Polyester does not retain odors nearly as badly. But, make no mistake, after many wearings during sweaty hikes, it to will lose it’s ability to come clean and fresh smelling

There are, of course, quite expensive athletic wash products with enzymes and such to combat this olfactory scourge on our sensibilities.  I spent an inordinate amount of time  on internet research and it was learned the common man or woman’s polyester anti-pong recommended stategey to be:

Wash early and often, in the hottest water the care label allows.  SHOUT and other pretreatments are generally okay and can be rubbed in with the fingertips, but don’t allow pretreatments to stay on the garment longer than five minutes, according to the instructions on the container, or unspecified disaster with result.

We’ve tried various techniques to get rid of the stink including soaking in a bleach solution.  Once over the line, it’s hard to retrieve.  My favorite strategy is to buy cheap poly garments to begin with.  No $40 shirts for me.  When they stink irrevocably, replace them with new, cheap hiking clothes.  Sooo, my blue shirt got to stinky and now I have a new red one--$5 at Marshell's.

Looks great with my orange hat, don't ya think?

That’s it for today.  Thanks for tagging along.

Fighting a Cold

I’ve been feeling a bit under the weather the past few days--stuffy nose, slight headache, sneezing, very little energy.  Sounds like a cold; feels like a cold.  I haven’t taken to my bed, though.  We’ve been out doing a few things.

Sunday, we were all ready for a hike.  We got in the car and drove past Tony and Diana’s place and were surprised to see their car there.  We thought they were on their way to visit friends in Sarasota.  As it turned out, they had brake problems.  Forget the hike; we needed to take care of our friends.  We drove them to Auto Zone then to the grocery.  On Monday morning, they had their car towed to a dealership.  From there they went on to visit friends, so we don’t know the outcome of the brake issue.  They should be back tomorrow with all the details.

It’s just as well we didn’t go for our hike on Sunday.  I wasn’t feeling all that great and it was cold and windy.  Not a good day to be out.

Monday was a little warmer, although the early morning temperatures were below freezing.  We debated about hiking, but Webster flea market won that contest.  Gene has had funnel cake on his list since we got here.  I thought for sure he’d get it at the FMCA rally, but he didn’t.  Besides funnel cake, he wanted a pair of sunglasses so off to the flea market we went.

It was a very successful shopping day.  He got his funnel cake right away, then we strolled up and down, in and out looking at everything for sale.  I think you could find anything under the sun at that flea market.  He found is sunglasses as well as a buckle for his pack waist belt to replace the one he step on and broke on Sunday night.

Besides tomatoes and fresh strawberries, I found a pair of knockoff Crocs.  I’ve been wanting a pair of something that I could just slip on for quick trips outside.  These will work perfectly and can’t be beat for just $5.  They only weigh 4 ounces.  I may go back next week and get another pair. They would be great camp shoes for backpacking trips.

Speaking of backpacking.  Gene found the time to fix his Thermarest sleeping pad.  When we were on our trip to the Arctic Circle, he discovered that it had a leak.  Try as he might, he was never able to find a hole or feel where the leak was.  Since we don’t have a bathtub, he didn’t have a way to check for the leak.  He took it up to the indoor pool here at the campground.  It only took a couple minutes to find the tiny hole.  It was so small, he was able to fix it with glue.

We’ve had a fun Valentine’s Day.  I fixed Gene pancakes and bacon--one of his favorite breakfasts and he did the laundry for me.  Boy, was that a treat.  For the afternoon, we took a drive up to Ocala for lunch.  We had lunch at Murphy’s Oyster Bar, but it wasn’t all that great.  Oh well.  We both enjoy browsing through bookstores.  We found a Barnes and Noble, ordered coffee and a brownie to sip and munch while we leafed through a few books.  Gene was trying to find a Florida wildflower book, but he was not completely satisfied with any of the three they had to choose from.

Since I've mostly been resting, I've had time to work on the blanket for my next grand niece, who is due in April.  I'm finished all but weaving the loose ends through.

So, that’s what we’ve been up to.  Hope you’ve had a nice Valentine’s Day.  Thanks for tagging along.

An Unplanned Day

Well, well, well.  This day didn’t turn out anything like what we had planned.  Those silly weather people changed the forecast to 100% rain.  Now you know how I feel about hiking in the rain.  I can tolerate a little bit, but I’ve had plenty recently to last a while.  Even Gene, who will usually go no matter what, chose not to hike today.

So what to do on a rainy day?  Go shopping, of course.  All this hiking and fingering the merchandise at the vendor’s booths got me to wanting a new day pack.  The Kelty pack I normally carry is just a little large for summer hiking.  It’s great for winter--it’ll hold all kinds of jackets and fleece pants and extra shirts.  But in warm weather, I don’t need all that space.  Besides, that pack is old and all the waterproofing is worn off the inside fabric.

View from Humpback Rocks

I like Kelty packs (I have 3 of them) and I was dismayed to see that the small day packs don’t have a waist belt at all.  Gotta have a waist belt.  The next size larger has a real weight-bearing waist belt, but it is a Redwing--the same thing I have.

View from Cedar Cliffs

This morning, we went down to Rockfish Gap Outfitters to look at packs.  I pushed and pulled, zipped and unzipped just about every day pack they had on display.  I found a Vaude that felt good, had several pockets for organization, was half the size of my Redwing, and even had that new air flow through back webbing that is so popular now.  We bought the Vaude and came home.  I immediately unloaded my Redwing and packed my new pack.  The minute I put it on fully loaded, I knew I didn’t like how it felt.  I put all my stuff back in the Redwing and tried it on.  Ahhh, what a good feeling.  I switched back and forth between those packs 3 times to be sure I really didn’t like the Vaude.

Back to the Outfitter.  This time I took my Redwing with all my stuff.  I tried on several packs.  Found an Osprey that felt good fully loaded with my stuff, however, it was just too large for me.  In the end, I settled on a new Redwing.  I’m a Kelty girl, I guess.  Just love all those pockets.  It’s the same size as the old one, but at least it isn’t peeling off the waterproofing inside. It has a few new “features” which my old one doesn’t have--mesh side pockets, a water bladder pouch inside, and a map pocket.  And it’s a pretty mauve and gray.

That’s what we did today.  It was almost as good as hiking.  By the way, it has rained all day long.

The photos posted today are of views we didn’t get last week.  Last Tuesday, Gene hiked past Cedar Cliffs overlook and also over Humpback Rocks in the rain.  There were no views from either place on that day so I dug out my photos from 2008--a bright, sunny day--so you could see the views from these too fine overlooks. The AT doesn’t actually pass over Humpback Rocks.  There is a short side trail over there, but it is definitely worth the extra effort--on a sunny day.

Preparing for Wet Weather

Well, it looks like rain is in our forecast for the next several days.  Today was one of those non-hike days which was just as well since there were thunderstorms in the forecast.  However, it didn’t start raining until about 3 PM; we had a beautiful morning to hike if we hadn’t planned our day around the forecast.

We finally got all our rain gear dried out.  While I washed our filthy clothes this morning, Gene cleaned boots and applied a fresh coat of water repellant.  He also sprayed my poncho and cap with some silicone stuff to help repel the water.

Since we are going to sweat when we hike and the condensation will make us wet anyway, why bother?  That’s a valid question which has no answer.  I think it’s a game we hikers play to see if we can actually stay dry.  It gives us something to think about as we hike down the trail.

Another good question is why do we spend tons of money on Gore-Tex lined boots to keep our feet dry when rain runs down your leg right into the boot.  I came up with this combination of clothing to keep my feet dry during wet weather.  The goal is to keep the water off your legs otherwise what doesn’t just roll on into your boot will be wicked down by your sock.  In a downpour, I put on my Gore-Tex gators.  These legging type things have a strap that fits under your boot and a clip which hooks to the boot lace to holds them in place.  Hikers use gators for a number of purposes--they are great to keep dirt, leaf, and other debris off your socks and out of your boots, they keep your legs warm, they protect your legs from stinging nettle, poison ivy and plants with thorns, and if they’re Gore-Tex, they’re waterproof.  Although the gators come up to me knee, they won’t keep the rain from running down my leg and on into my boot.  On top of the gators, I wear my rain pants.  This combination works pretty good for me and if it isn’t too hot, I can keep from having a heat stroke.  Gene and I always challenge each other to see who has dry feet the longest.  Are we starved for entertainment, or what?

Of course, the day hiker just stays home on rainy days. That’s what we’re doing this afternoon.  However, our thoughts are with all those thru-hikers who are out in this storm.  Their cloths are wet, their boots are wet, and their rain gear is wet, if they had it on.  They’ll come into a shelter for the night and take all that wet stuff and throw it in a corner or hang it from a string and pretend it will be dry by morning.  It won’t, so in the morning they’ll put on those same wet clothes they’ve been hiking in for 3 days, stuff their feet into cold, wet boots, and head on out, probably in the rain.  As they hike, they’ll be trying to figure out a way to stay dry in wet weather.

Tomorrow, we’re going to try to get the last 7 miles into Rockfish Gap hiked.  That will be the end of the Blue Ridge section and we’ll be ready to start through Shenandoah National Park.  The weather forecast is better--only a 20% chance of rain.  Gene will hike no matter what.  I will decide when I look at the sky.

That’s it for today.

Wild Places

In the Sept-Oct 2009 issue of AT Journeys I read an article featuring an upcoming documentary film by National Geographic about the Appalachian Trail.  This documentary is apparently one in a series produced by Brian Armstrong about America’s Wild Spaces.  In that article Mr Armstrong was quoted as describing the mind of a thru-hiker as very much a wild space.

Clearly, for anyone to desire to go into the wilderness for an extended amount of time forgoing the basic conveniences of toilet, shower, clean clothes, and fresh food, they must have something going on in their heads that is unlike most of mainstream America.  Having spent some time in long-distance hiking, Gene and I must fit into the non-mainstream category.  However, Gene takes this bizarre thinking to all new heights as demonstrated by his project on this cold, rainy day.

The quest of every long-distance hiker is to travel light.  In days of old, it was not uncommon for a backpacker to haul 60 lbs of gear on his back.  That would certainly make your back hurt.  With the introduction of lighter weight materials for clothing, sleeping bags, and even packs, weights came down to a more manageable 35 or 40 lbs.  That’s an improvement, but as one who typically carries 30 lbs, let me tell you that that is still a back breaker.  The ultralight hikers strives for less than 20 lbs to include food and water.  Now we’re talking lightweight.

The great mystery in long-distance hiking is how to be comfortable in camp without carrying so much “stuff” as to make the hiking miserable.  To solve this dilemma, backpackers have taken the scissors to every unnecessary part of their gear.  They have cut off straps and buckles and zippers.  They’ve shortened their sleeping pads and done away with the “shoulders” and hoods of their sleeping bags.  They’ve taken to wearing “tennis” like shoes instead of heavy boots and many don’t wear underwear.  Every item that goes into the pack is analyzed for it’s usefulness and, if it is included, is carefully inspected for anything that can be cut off to save weight.  One of the more weighty items in the pack is the cook set.  This was the focus of Gene’s project for today.

I’ve heard of hikers in the early days carrying cast iron into the wilderness.  Holy cow; I just can’t image.  Today, the lightweight backpackers carries titanium if they can afford it, or aluminum.  But the cook pot is not what is heavy these days--it is the stove and fuel canister.  There are many commercially made stoves that are very lightweight.  We have an MSR windpro which weighs about 7 oz.  Of course, it requires a canister of isobutane which weighs another 7 oz with only 4 oz of that total weight being fuel.  Over the years, hikers have experimented with burning alcohol which can be carried in a plastic coke bottle.  Basically, you pour the alcohol into any container and light it.  Gene’s project--the perfect alcohol stove.

Cleaning the can

From the local Wal-mart he gathered up a number of cans--bean dip (aluminum half ounce), tuna (steel, 3/4 ounce), cat food (aluminum, one-third ounce), and potted meat.  It turned out that the potted meat can was exactly the same size as the Fancy Feast can and interestingly enough it cost 10 cents less.  He also purchased a hole puncher.  The goal was to discover which was the most efficient can to boil a pint of water without using a pot support but which was also stable enough not to easily tip over.  The stove we often use on long-distance trips is the pepsi can stove, but it requires a pot support.  This stove weighs less than an ounce, but the pot support weighs an additional 2 ounces.

The work station

Fancy Feast can hardly weighs anything

punching the holes

He is spending this rainy day making a variety of stoves.  Cans have to be cleaned, labels and glue removed, and holes punched for air circulation.  That will be all he gets done today.  Testing the stoves will need to wait for a non-rainy and less windy day.

Even Peanut lost interest in this project

The goal is to get below the 3 oz of this pepsi can stove and pot support

He is in his utopia--there is nothing he’d rather be doing.  Brian Armstrong told us the mind of a long-distance hiker was a “wild space”.

The End of This Journey

We will be leaving Virginia in about 8 days. In the meantime, we have friends visiting from Tennessee for a couple days and there are a few other things we want to do and see in the area besides hiking. So, I guess I’m going to have to leave the rest of the Appalachian Trail for another time.

I always like to look at the numbers at the end of a long distance hike. For this trip I spent 7 continuous days backpacking with D-tour, 3 additional backpacking days, and 11 days of day hikes to cover 144 miles of new trail (some of the day hikes were out and back so I did not count those miles twice). I ate 1 small jar of peanut butter, 2 tubes of saltine crackers, 7 noodle dinners, 3 lbs of GORP, almost a pint of ice cream, two chocolate shakes and a whole bag of snack size snickers bars, and lost 7 pounds. I don’t want to know how many miles I drove back and forth to the trail. I saw 2 black snakes and a copperhead. That’s not much in the way of wildlife (unless you count thru-hikers as wildlife). The best day for flowers was the day of 29 pink lady slippers. I really can’t complain about the weather. For the 21 hiking days, there were only 3 times it rained. Of course, the last storm gets more points than the others.

I was not completely satisfied with my gear. When Gene and I go together, we split some of the gear—he carries a bigger tent and I carry a larger cook set. Since I knew that first week would be tough, I tried to lighten up as much as possible. Although adequate, I would have been more comfortable in a larger tent. Also to save weight, I left out my afternoon cup of coffee. It is purely a luxury item, but it adds so much enjoyment for me. I took our smallest cook pot rather than the larger, nonstick pot. That little difference in clean up was remarkable.

There were only two things that I can think of that I actually forgot. On the week backpack, I forgot the windscreen for the cook set. I had plenty of fuel so it didn’t cause a problem in that way, but it took longer to cook and I had to be really careful of flames blowing in every direction. The last backpacking trip I forgot to take my reading glasses. I usually don’t take my $200 progressive lens glasses on the trail. I can see fine for distance, I just need a little assistance up close. My $20 reading glasses from Wal-Mart are perfect. My arm is long enough for me to read the guidebook or tell what time it is without glasses at all during the day. But the closer the sun gets to the horizon, the less I can see. Not having my reading glasses was a real problem the night at Lewis Mountain. Not being able to see my Sudoku puzzle was a minor inconvenience. Not being able to see what time it was during the storm was a real annoyance. During the height of the storm, I decided I would call Gene at first light. I hardly ever call him, so I don’t know his number. Isn’t speed dial great? All I knew was his area code was 865. This really wouldn’t have been a problem except there was no cell signal at Lewis Mountain. There was only a pay phone which doesn’t have my directory programmed into its memory bank. Not being able to see his phone number was truly and earnestly a problem. I tried for quite some time to see the numbers in that tiny screen on my phone. When I finally thought I had them figured out, I wrote them down in giant size to be easily read at the pay phone. Since it was after 6 AM and I thought Gene might be up, I just gave the old cell phone a try. To my surprise (and relief) it rang. All those hours worrying over that one little thing.

This trip was a “first” for me to backpack with someone other than Gene. Diane was a great hiking partner and we enjoyed the week together. The two times I went out solo were also “firsts” and, although I was not afraid, I was unhappy. However, going alone proved to me that I am capable of living in the wilderness with only what I can carry on my back.

All things considered, I am very satisfied with this journey. Much more of the trail awaits and I shall be back out there some day.

For now, we’re headed to New York.

Gear List

John Muir on trip planning—“Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence.”

The amount of fuel I take is based on the number of days I expect to be out.

Long distance hikers want to know what is being carried by other hikers. I’m as guilty as everyone else. It is all in an effort to get your pack weight down. That and the envy associated with the “latest and greatest” stuff someone else has. So here is the list of stuff in my pack, including weights and some brand names.

Tent—2 lbs 13 oz (Sierra Designs Ultra-Lightyear) (including stakes)
Rope to use with tent inside shelter—1 oz
Food bag—1.5 oz (Golite)
Rope for hanging food bag from tree—3 oz
Fuel (alcohol) in a 20 oz coke bottle, 1 lb
Cook pot with lid, pot support, pot lifter, lighter, coke can stove—9 oz
Cup—1 oz
Spoon—0.25 oz
1st aid kit—4 oz
Toilet kit (tissue, comb, tooth brush, tooth paste, 8 wet wipes)—7.5 oz
Whistle—1 oz
Repair kit (extra cleavis pins, split rings, duct tape)—1.25 oz
Flash light, photon microlight—0.7 oz
Sleeping pad, Thermarest—1 lb 10 oz
Sleeping bag—2 lbs 6 oz (Feathered Friend, 20 degree, down)
Pillow case—1.25 oz
Camp shoes (Crocs)—9 oz
Poncho—14 oz
Water bags (2) plus 1 tube and bite valve—two 1.5 liter bags 2.5 oz, tube 2.5 oz
Aquamira—3 oz
Paper and pen, puzzle pages—1 oz
Sit upon—2 oz (square of closed cell foam)
Maps—2 oz
Guide books—4 oz
Pack—4 lb (Kelty frame pack)
Phone—3.25 oz

Total Gear = 16 lb 8 oz (approx)

Rain jacket 6 oz (Sierra Designs)
Rain pants 5 oz
Baseball cap 3 oz
Gloves 1 oz
Socks (Bridgedales) (2 pair in pack, 1 pair to wear) 2.5 oz/pair
Liner socks (1 pair) 1 oz
Hiking shorts (1 in pack, 1 to wear)—Wal-Mart Starter 5 oz, Lady Foot Locker 4.5 oz
Hiking shirt, (1 in pack, 1 to wear) Wal-Mart 5 oz, LL Bean 4.5 oz
Long underwear (1 set) Patagonia capilene top, REI bottom, 12 oz
Long underwear for sleeping (silk weight) 6 oz
Bandanas (3) 1 oz each, total 3 oz
Gaiters 5 oz

Total Clothing = 4 lb 4.5 oz

GRAND TOTAL = 20 lb 12.5 oz

Tent, pad, and sleeping bag.

This is the base weight of what is in my pack and what is on my body. Add to this weight food and water. My food averages just over a pound per day plus about a pound extra in case of an emergency. I probably carry too much food. For a week, that makes right at 30 pounds on my back. I always eat the heaviest food at the beginning of the trip. I don’t drink as much water hiking as I should, but the amount of water I carry at any given time is based on the availability of water along the trail. One quart weighs 2 lbs.

I don’t add my boots into my pack weight. If I did, I’d have to cry. I’m wearing for this trip Montrail Comp XCR Fusions that weigh 2 lb 4 oz. Some of my friends like to wear low cut, light weight trail running shoes, but I have a tendency to fall so I want a sturdy boot to support the extra weight, with vibram soles to grip the rocks, high sides to protect my ankles, and Gortex to shed the water.

Toilet kit

I also carry Leki trekking poles, one in each hand. I used to think trekking poles were just something else to carry. I can’t begin to count the number of times my poles have kept me from falling all the way to the ground, or even from turning an ankle. They are worth the effort to carry just for the benefit of transferring some of the weight off my knees. And I feel so much more secure crossing streams with “4 feet” down instead of just 2.

I carry a couple things for comfort. One is a short length of rope to string up my tent inside a shelter. Normally, I don’t sleep inside the shelters, but sometimes it seems necessary. To keep the critters off me, I sleep inside my tent body and use the rope to lift it up off my face. My bones are too old for a Z-rest or a Ridgerest. I have to have the more cushiony Thermarest to keep my bones happy at night. I guess my feet are paying for the extra weight during the day, but I can’t help it.

Also note that you can not purchase a Kelty frame pack that weighs 4 lb. I have achieved that weight by cutting various parts off with a razor blade. I have tried internal frame packs and prefer my Kelty even if it is a heavier pack. It works for me.

With this on my back, I am off.

On The Road Again

We are preparing to leave Nashville on Monday. It has been a great 3 weeks. We have had the opportunity to visit with several of our friends and most of the family who live in the area, plus a trip to Georgia to visit with my brother, nephews, and the new great nephew. But I get hitch itch after about a month, and I am feeling that longing for the road.

Practice pitching the tent

We are heading to Bowling Green, KY for the Life on Wheels conference, then to Virginia and the Appalachian Trail. I am looking forward to the LOW conference. This will be our first conference, rally or anything like this. We have heard how much fun they are.

It is so small

I am especially anxious to get started on my hike. I don’t want all that training in Erwin to wear off any more than it has. Besides visiting with friends and relatives, I have finalized my plan for the hike, made out my menus, bought and repackaged food and carried the full pack on my back for a couple hikes. I have also practiced one last time pitching my tent (it is still tiny), working with my stove, and purifying water.

At least I can sit up inside.

Thursday, May 1, I rolled up my sleeves and got all the monthly chores done. I didn’t want to leave Gene with the task of defrosting the freezer or vacuuming out the weep holes. He is such a Type A personality that if he knew they weren’t done he would be right in there doing it. I’ve already made him a list 2 pages long of things to do for me and the cat while I’m on the trial.

Practicing lighting my stove.

Thursday evening we had dinner with two couples from the Montana Owners Club. We had never met either couple, but felt like we are long time friends with Bill and Helen. We regularly keep up with them through their website which was how we discovered they were in Nashville for a few days.

Practicing treating water.

Friday I had time to visit with my friends in the lab at St. Thomas Hospital. These people occupy a special place in my heart. I worked there for a number of years on every shift and in several departments, but it was the folks in anatomic pathology that got me through college. They were happy to let me work flexible hours to accommodate my class schedule. I couldn’t have done without that benefit. The pathologists were invaluable in their support. Dr. Lou taught me how to sharpen knives on the stones (that was a long time ago, they use disposable knives these days) and I used that skill as a demonstration in my first speech class. It was good to see them and catch up on the gossip.

Reminds me of chemistry class

I had lunch Friday with my good friend and teaching partner, Karen. We are both retired now, but we taught for years on the same team, and our conversations together outside of the school setting were filled with almost nothing but lesson plans, students, and what the chances of a snow day were. I got in the truck after our lunch and realized that other than inquiring about mutual friends, neither of us had mentioned anything about school.

So, today we are securing the Montana for travel, checking the tires and filling up with fuel. We are pulling out bright and early Monday morning.