With just over a month til time to start hiking, I'm getting my final gear list ready. I will post a full list once I have everything.
As a preview, here are my "Big 3"
Sleeping bag: REI Igneo 17 (https://www.rei.com/product/111164/rei-co-op-igneo-17-sleeping-bag)
I was waffling between this bag and the Marmot Phase 20. I ended up choosing this one over the Phase due to it having a higher denier shell and being a little less expensive. While it is not quite as light as the Phase and won't pack down quite as well, the Igneo will likely be a little more durable, especially with the dog being along for the trek.
Tent: MSR Mutha Hubba. (https://www.rei.com/product/896095/msr-mutha-hubba-nx-tent)
A compromise between ultralight, and toughness and liveability. This tent is a 3-person, which we decided on in case we need to bring the dog into the tent with us for any reason, which makes it a little heavier. We also wanted something that the floor would be more likely stand up to the dog's nails. Many thru-hikers choose the Big Agnes Fly Creek, since that is one of the lightest true tents on the market (as opposed to a tarp-tent), but not only is that paper-thin, it also has no liveability to it. If one has to spend more time in it than just crawling in and sleeping, its going to be miserable.
Backpack: REI Flash 65. (https://www.rei.com/product/893906/rei-co-op-flash-65-pack)
I had considered dropping down to the Osprey Exos 58, but the Flash both fit better and carried the weight better. Simple as that. The Flash is still on the lighter end of packs in that capacity range, and I have put up to 35 lbs in it for a hike with no issue. I feel good about using it for a long hike where I will probably only have that range of weight for the first day of a very dry section, and usually will be in the 25ish lbs range.
Saturday, March 11, 2017
Saturday, March 4, 2017
GoFundMe
If anyone feels like donating to the cause, I have a GoFundMe going for my girlfriend and I.
https://www.gofundme.com/my-girlfriend-and-i-hike-the-pct
As it says on the page there, we ARE trying to raise all the money by ourselves, but we are not sure we will quite have enough, so I started the fundraiser. Just throwing it out there.
https://www.gofundme.com/my-girlfriend-and-i-hike-the-pct
As it says on the page there, we ARE trying to raise all the money by ourselves, but we are not sure we will quite have enough, so I started the fundraiser. Just throwing it out there.
Friday, February 24, 2017
2 months!!!
I have my official start date for the PCT: April 28th. Life has become crazy. I have to save up enough money to be gone for 5 months, figure out about storing what I don't get rid of before leaving, decide how we're getting to the trail head, and buy a few more items I need for the trail.
I still don't have a sleeping bag. I have been waiting on the Marmot Phase to become available, but if it doesn't soon, I might go with the Marmot Helium. There are other bags out there that are higher on the list of what PCT hikers use, and have incrementally better stats, but with my current money situation, either of the Marmots will be more doable.
I also need to get bear protection for my food, a couple more shirts, shorts, and socks, and other miscellaneous items.
I still don't have a sleeping bag. I have been waiting on the Marmot Phase to become available, but if it doesn't soon, I might go with the Marmot Helium. There are other bags out there that are higher on the list of what PCT hikers use, and have incrementally better stats, but with my current money situation, either of the Marmots will be more doable.
I also need to get bear protection for my food, a couple more shirts, shorts, and socks, and other miscellaneous items.
Thursday, December 3, 2015
Food update
I've been reading a bunch more about eating while through-hiking. Looks like most people don't even try to eat enough to keep up with the calories they are burning. There's some logic to that, though.
The more you carry on your back, the more calories you burn. The more calories you eat, the more time you have to spend eating. The more bulk you carry, the bigger your backpack has to be, further increasing the weight on your back. The more weight you carry, the slower you go, further increasing the amount of food you have to carry.
The generally accepted practice is a sort of feast-famine plan: eat just enough to keep you going while on the trail, and gorge yourself while in town to help make up for the deficit. Scott "Bink" Williamson, a perennial through-hiker of the PCT and contributor to "Yogi's PCT Handbook" with 13+ hikes of the PCT alone to his name, as well as being a Triple-Crowner, does this. He averages right around three thousand calories per day on trail, and then stuffs himself when he can.
You're going to lose weight on the trail. Period. You just have to be careful not to lose too much weight. Every year people have to give up on completing the trail because they become too far underweight. Many others realize they are heading for that, and have to take a few days to a week off to regain some bulk and stamina.
There are some tricks to help with this problem.
1.If you're of a slender build generally (like me), try to put on some extra fat weight before heading out. Gives you more to burn.
2. Get in as good of hiking shape as you can be before leaving. The better in shape you are, the more efficient your body is, so the less calories you have to burn.
3. Lighten your load as much as reasonably possible. As I mentioned earlier in this, the lighter your load, the less calories you burn and the faster you're able to go.
4. Make most of the food you carry very dense in nutrients and calories. Malnutrition can be as bad as lack of calories, and the more calories per ounce, the less load you need.
The generally accepted practice is a sort of feast-famine plan: eat just enough to keep you going while on the trail, and gorge yourself while in town to help make up for the deficit. Scott "Bink" Williamson, a perennial through-hiker of the PCT and contributor to "Yogi's PCT Handbook" with 13+ hikes of the PCT alone to his name, as well as being a Triple-Crowner, does this. He averages right around three thousand calories per day on trail, and then stuffs himself when he can.
You're going to lose weight on the trail. Period. You just have to be careful not to lose too much weight. Every year people have to give up on completing the trail because they become too far underweight. Many others realize they are heading for that, and have to take a few days to a week off to regain some bulk and stamina.
There are some tricks to help with this problem.
1.If you're of a slender build generally (like me), try to put on some extra fat weight before heading out. Gives you more to burn.
2. Get in as good of hiking shape as you can be before leaving. The better in shape you are, the more efficient your body is, so the less calories you have to burn.
3. Lighten your load as much as reasonably possible. As I mentioned earlier in this, the lighter your load, the less calories you burn and the faster you're able to go.
4. Make most of the food you carry very dense in nutrients and calories. Malnutrition can be as bad as lack of calories, and the more calories per ounce, the less load you need.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Putting off the PCT
My plan for next year was to go to school winter quarter, then skip spring and summer quarters to do the PCT and be back in time for fall quarter. That would have given me five months to complete the trail, which is about average. The year after that, go spring to early fall for the CDT, and then the year after that late spring through summer for the AT. Triple Crown in three years.
Unfortunately, it looks like three of the classes I need to complete my degree are only offered spring/summer. If I stuck with my plan, I wouldn't get my degree for four more years, and I would probably be pretty rusty on the subject matter by the time those classes came back around. If, instead, I take those classes this spring, I will be able to graduate at the end of that quarter and be done.
So, I'm pushing back the PCT til 2017. I had considered doing the AT next year instead, but 2100 miles starting in June might be pushing it a little to finish before winter in the north. If it was after having done the other two trails, I would be more enthusiastic about my ability to haul it a little and still complete. Also, with "A Walk in the Woods" out this fall, there are probably going to be a ton of people trying to do the AT next year. (Haven't seen the movie, yet, but I've heard good things and my girlfriend says the book is hilarious.)
As it stands, I'm considering trying to do the Pacific Northwest Trail. 1200 miles from the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park to the Washington coast on the Olympic Peninsula near Cape Alava. It looks to be a good mini version of the PCT. There's high desert in Eastern Washington, which will be good training for the Mojave section of the PCT. It also runs through the Olympic National Rainforest, so (especially if we're heading east to west and so ending in early fall) a good chance to try out our rain gear and preparation. It also starts about where the CDT ends and crosses the PCT, so it will connect the two together. Might have to connect the CDT to the AT after doing those, too.
Check it out: http://www.pnt.org/
Unfortunately, it looks like three of the classes I need to complete my degree are only offered spring/summer. If I stuck with my plan, I wouldn't get my degree for four more years, and I would probably be pretty rusty on the subject matter by the time those classes came back around. If, instead, I take those classes this spring, I will be able to graduate at the end of that quarter and be done.
So, I'm pushing back the PCT til 2017. I had considered doing the AT next year instead, but 2100 miles starting in June might be pushing it a little to finish before winter in the north. If it was after having done the other two trails, I would be more enthusiastic about my ability to haul it a little and still complete. Also, with "A Walk in the Woods" out this fall, there are probably going to be a ton of people trying to do the AT next year. (Haven't seen the movie, yet, but I've heard good things and my girlfriend says the book is hilarious.)
As it stands, I'm considering trying to do the Pacific Northwest Trail. 1200 miles from the Continental Divide in Glacier National Park to the Washington coast on the Olympic Peninsula near Cape Alava. It looks to be a good mini version of the PCT. There's high desert in Eastern Washington, which will be good training for the Mojave section of the PCT. It also runs through the Olympic National Rainforest, so (especially if we're heading east to west and so ending in early fall) a good chance to try out our rain gear and preparation. It also starts about where the CDT ends and crosses the PCT, so it will connect the two together. Might have to connect the CDT to the AT after doing those, too.
Check it out: http://www.pnt.org/
Thursday, July 30, 2015
Waterproof gear and "wetting out"
So, in my search for a rain jacket, I was considering a few that were super lightweight and supposed to be very breathable. Then I came across a blog that talked about something I knew on one level, but hadn't actually taken to the logical conclusion.
Every rain jacket with a waterproof membrane (Gore-tex, eVent, etc.) has at least 2 layers of fabric to it: the actual waterproof membrane, and the outer layer that is visible to the world. That outer layer is there to help with durability/abrasion resistance. The outer layer also helps with waterproofing by having a chemical waterproofing agent on it. That chemical does fade over time, though. Hence the reason REI sells waterproofing washes and sprays.
Breathability is how much air (especially water vapor) can escape through a material. The more breathable a jacket, the less you sweat while wearing it. The less breathable, the more you are going to sweat, even in cold weather. Usually, the waterproof membrane is the least breathable part of a jacket. This is why most membrane manufacturers are in a race to make more breathable, but still fully waterproof, materials, and it is a huge advertising point.
The process of "wetting out" pretty much negates all benefits of breathability. Wetting out is what happens when the outer layer of a jacket gets soaked. It becomes so full of water that there is no longer any breathability because the water forms an air-proof barrier. The waterproof membrane might still be protecting your skin from the rain, but the lack of breathability means you are going to get wet from sweat. This is why most jackets have some sort of venting, be it a flap on the back or pit zips.
The jacket that first caught my eye was the Outdoor Research Helium II jacket (http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/mens-helium-ii-jacket.html). Super lightweight, very packable, and supposed to be highly breathable. The lack of pit zips, though, turned me off.
The next jacket was the Marmot Essence (http://marmot.com/products/details/essence-jacket-new). Just as lightweight, this one uses pit vents instead of zips to save the weight of the zippers (every ounce counts on long hikes). Also very packable and breathable even without the vents.
Looking at Marmot brought me to the Super Mica (http://marmot.com/products/details/super-mica-jacket-new). It only weighs a bit more than either of the other two, uses the same waterproof membrane as the Essence, has pit zips, 2 pockets (the other two only have one), AND has reinforced areas where a backpack will be resting. I picked it up and have needed it on one hike so far. The breathability is no joke. I think I'm going to be very happy with it on the trail.
Every rain jacket with a waterproof membrane (Gore-tex, eVent, etc.) has at least 2 layers of fabric to it: the actual waterproof membrane, and the outer layer that is visible to the world. That outer layer is there to help with durability/abrasion resistance. The outer layer also helps with waterproofing by having a chemical waterproofing agent on it. That chemical does fade over time, though. Hence the reason REI sells waterproofing washes and sprays.
Breathability is how much air (especially water vapor) can escape through a material. The more breathable a jacket, the less you sweat while wearing it. The less breathable, the more you are going to sweat, even in cold weather. Usually, the waterproof membrane is the least breathable part of a jacket. This is why most membrane manufacturers are in a race to make more breathable, but still fully waterproof, materials, and it is a huge advertising point.
The process of "wetting out" pretty much negates all benefits of breathability. Wetting out is what happens when the outer layer of a jacket gets soaked. It becomes so full of water that there is no longer any breathability because the water forms an air-proof barrier. The waterproof membrane might still be protecting your skin from the rain, but the lack of breathability means you are going to get wet from sweat. This is why most jackets have some sort of venting, be it a flap on the back or pit zips.
The jacket that first caught my eye was the Outdoor Research Helium II jacket (http://www.outdoorresearch.com/en/mens-helium-ii-jacket.html). Super lightweight, very packable, and supposed to be highly breathable. The lack of pit zips, though, turned me off.
The next jacket was the Marmot Essence (http://marmot.com/products/details/essence-jacket-new). Just as lightweight, this one uses pit vents instead of zips to save the weight of the zippers (every ounce counts on long hikes). Also very packable and breathable even without the vents.
Looking at Marmot brought me to the Super Mica (http://marmot.com/products/details/super-mica-jacket-new). It only weighs a bit more than either of the other two, uses the same waterproof membrane as the Essence, has pit zips, 2 pockets (the other two only have one), AND has reinforced areas where a backpack will be resting. I picked it up and have needed it on one hike so far. The breathability is no joke. I think I'm going to be very happy with it on the trail.
Monday, July 27, 2015
Protecting food (and us) from Bears
One of the biggest pains, gear-wise, on the trail will be bear-proofing our food. There are two generally accepted methods of dealing with this: hanging your food and/or bear canisters.
Hanging your food is the most convenient. All you need is a sack of some sort, some rope, and a high enough branch that's a bit away from your campsite. Toss your food in the sack, tie the rope to the sack, sling it over the branch, and tie it off. All done. Doesn't take up much room or weight. The problem with this is that most National Parks don't allow that method.
Bear canisters are pretty much what they sound like: big jugs that you stick your food in that bears can't get into. These do have the advantage that if bears try to get your food they can't crush it, and they help seal the smells in so bears are less likely to try in the first place. These are required for hiking through most national parks. The downside is that they are big, bulky, heavy, awkward chunks of plastic.
Right now, in the lead for Bear Canisters is Lighter1 Big Daddy (http://lighter1.com/products/). One of the lighter canisters on the market, it still weighs in at 2lbs 4oz. Not ideal. Also awkward to pack.
A new contender on the market is the Ursack S29 (http://www.ursack.com/product/ursack-s29-allwhite/). Not yet approved for use in most national parks, it is a bear-proof BAG. Made of bulletproof material, this 7.8 oz container can be used to play tug of war by 2 bears holding it in their teeth and come out unscathed. This would be much easier to pack and much lighter than a bear canister. There are a couple downsides, though. First, bears can grab it and run off with it, so hanging it out of their reach is still recommended. Second, your food will get crushed by a bear if you use it alone. This is why they make an aluminum liner (http://www.ursack.com/product/ursack-aluminum-liner/) made of airplane grade aluminum (adding 10.8 oz, the system is still lighter than most bear canisters of the same volume). Third, bears can smell the food through the bag, so the company recommends the use of odor proof bags to help avoid drawing bears to you.
I'm really hoping the Ursack is approved by the parks I'll be trekking through by the time my trip rolls around.
Hanging your food is the most convenient. All you need is a sack of some sort, some rope, and a high enough branch that's a bit away from your campsite. Toss your food in the sack, tie the rope to the sack, sling it over the branch, and tie it off. All done. Doesn't take up much room or weight. The problem with this is that most National Parks don't allow that method.
Bear canisters are pretty much what they sound like: big jugs that you stick your food in that bears can't get into. These do have the advantage that if bears try to get your food they can't crush it, and they help seal the smells in so bears are less likely to try in the first place. These are required for hiking through most national parks. The downside is that they are big, bulky, heavy, awkward chunks of plastic.
Right now, in the lead for Bear Canisters is Lighter1 Big Daddy (http://lighter1.com/products/). One of the lighter canisters on the market, it still weighs in at 2lbs 4oz. Not ideal. Also awkward to pack.
A new contender on the market is the Ursack S29 (http://www.ursack.com/product/ursack-s29-allwhite/). Not yet approved for use in most national parks, it is a bear-proof BAG. Made of bulletproof material, this 7.8 oz container can be used to play tug of war by 2 bears holding it in their teeth and come out unscathed. This would be much easier to pack and much lighter than a bear canister. There are a couple downsides, though. First, bears can grab it and run off with it, so hanging it out of their reach is still recommended. Second, your food will get crushed by a bear if you use it alone. This is why they make an aluminum liner (http://www.ursack.com/product/ursack-aluminum-liner/) made of airplane grade aluminum (adding 10.8 oz, the system is still lighter than most bear canisters of the same volume). Third, bears can smell the food through the bag, so the company recommends the use of odor proof bags to help avoid drawing bears to you.
I'm really hoping the Ursack is approved by the parks I'll be trekking through by the time my trip rolls around.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)