Word of the Day: Foolishness
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| Heavy, Heavy 1999 (Guffy Campground) |
"Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow." ~ Henry David Thoreau, American Author
As my legs were moving this summer, the thoughts did flow indeed! And as the days moved past, my thoughts were dwelling more and more on what gear just wasn't working. For example, as I made camp each night and broke camp each morning, first thought was "Wow, this Tyvek ground sheet sure is noisy!" Sure the Tyvek is pretty light, but if I'm disturbing all the other hikers who are trying to sleep, what good is it doing me? This will be the first casualty, but what to replace it with? Not sure yet, I'm thinking of using ripstop nylon. Light and quiet. I would be willing to entertain ideas of ground sheets that worked for others.
This was one of those ideas that seemed great at the time, but didn't translate well once we got on the trail. I ditched this the first town we came to, probably Mt. Laguna, and bought an honest to goodness regular toothbrush. The problem? It was hard to maneuver around behind the teeth, and water and toothpaste ran down my hand every time I used it. Let's face it, a regular toothbrush is still very light.
This was one of those ideas that seemed great at the time, but didn't translate well once we got on the trail. I ditched this the first town we came to, probably Mt. Laguna, and bought an honest to goodness regular toothbrush. The problem? It was hard to maneuver around behind the teeth, and water and toothpaste ran down my hand every time I used it. Let's face it, a regular toothbrush is still very light.
Next up, the Light my Fire Spork. It was great as a spoon, and I didn't have a problem with it, but there were an awful lot of hikers this year who managed to break theirs. This spork is a tad bit flimsy, and utterly useless if broken. So I plan to carry the pictured utensil which is made of Lexan, very durable, and I have been using this spoon for quite a few years now. I though it would be great to have half a fork, but it was entirely not necessary. The spoon will carry me through!
The Z lite closed foam sleeping pad is definitely going to be out this summer. I will carry a short portion to use as a sitting pad, but will not be sleeping on it at all. My bones need a little more cushioning now, with well cushioned bones, I sleep better without all the tossing and turning trying to find a comfortable position for my hips. See below for a description of the mattress I will be using for most of the trail. I used this just before I got off the trail, and really appreciated the comfort.
This sleeping pad was a new discovery this year at Kickoff. It is the Inertia X-lite. I really liked the comfort that this 3/4 pad gave me over the Z lite closed foam pad, yet it is lighter than a full blown air mattress. The mattress also comes with a little rubber hand pump, so if you can't get it blown up as hard as you want with just your lung power, you can pump it up a little more with this. It can be used inside your sleeping bag or outside underneath you. I prefer using it outside. I have decided to switch it out with a Neo Air mattress for the Sierras and Washington for a little added warmth and comfort. To see more from this company, here is their website: http://www.klymit.com
I have a few more items that I may swap out for something else, they work well, but there may be something better out there. I just haven't figured out yet what I will be replacing them with. Included are:
- Shoes ~ I have been hiking in Merrell Moab Ventilators. Very comfortable, but causing a painful callous on the inside of my foot by the big toe. Considering Brooks Cascadia or ?
- Water Pump ~ Love the MSR Sweetwater pump, am considering an inline filter to reduce weight and quicker bag fill time at water sources. If I don't find one that will work for me, will continue with my old pump.
- Sleeping Bag ~ Will continue to carry my REI Sub Kilo +15 bag throughout Southern California, Northern California, and Oregon. I need a lower degree bag for the Sierras and Washington. Not sure yet which will be warm enough for me. I sleep very cold, as soon as I lay down and quit moving, my core temp just plummets.
If anyone has suggestions on what has worked well for them, I am open to hearing from you. A lot of my choices have already come from reading other people's blogs and journals, and quite a few items have worked well.
"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones." ~ Proverbs 15:30
Look into the Sawyer Squeeze, but try to get some Evernew bags instead of the ones that come with them. It's a great water filter.
ReplyDeleteI second the Sawyer, and unless you are going to cowboy, do you need a ground sheet? I always intend to cowboy but never end up doing it.
ReplyDeleteYou can toss your Tyvek through the wash (no soap, cold water) and then into the dryer on air (no heat) dry with a few dry hand towels to soften it further. No performance damage to the Tyvek except it might need to be replaced sooner. It makes it soft and quiet.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are great! This is why I love the hiking community. The Sawyer was first on my list to check out, I'm specifically looking for an inline filter that will work with my Platypus bladder. I'm going to really look hard at the Sawyer Mini. Too many people like the Sawyer not to look into it.
ReplyDeleteI do plan on cowboy camping, I love it if the weather is good, plus I would like to protect the bottom of my tent as much as possible.
My Tyvek is in the wash as I write. I will let you know the updates on what I've found in future posts. Thanks for taking time to help me out with all your wisdom and experience.