Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
Dogs are excellent judges of character, this fact goes a long way toward explaining why some people don't like being around them.
Woo
If, for example, the wind is coming hard and fast from the East, but the clouds / storm are obviously coming equally hard & fast from the West, be ready to take shelter FAST, cause you are about to get T-Stormed! Or at least a pretty good storm & high winds.
Curse you Perry the Platypus!
To those switching from tent to hammock- keep your camping pad, and put it under you while you sleep in your hammock. Keeps your back from getting cold.
Trail name- Jingles.
I try to multi-task gear as much as possible. Instead of carrying prepared cotton balls and vaseline as an emergecy firestarter, I use the cotton balls and antibiotic ointment (Neosporin), the clear NOT the cream, i already have in my first aid kit. Combine only when needed. These don't burn quite as long but are still effective.
i carry para cord, works for anything and it's tough cord so it can with stand a lot. i also use it to hang my food bag
i like to have a 9 volt battery and still wool for fire starting when it's wet. it works, adds a little extra gear to you list but it's small and not heavy. i got tired of not being able to start a fire when it was wet and using my stove fuel to start fires. this was my solution and i like it.
1. Use my clothes bag for a pillow with my fleece jacket wrapped around it for comfy sleep.
2. Sleep in my camp clothes and keep my clothes for the next day inside my bag at my feet. Easy to get to in the morning and they're nice and warm.
3. Put my water bladder crossways on top of my food bag. Keeps the food cooler.
4. Use a Nalgene bottle to carry red wine. The extra surface area it has in the bottle lets it aerate extremely well. A bottle of wine is 3/4 of a liter, the bottle is a liter. Plenty of room.
5. You can't carry too much coffee or too many Snickers.
6. A little silver flask that holds a few wee drams is always a good thing.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us."
Each time this thread is revived, I experience a bit of sadness. Moxie died a few weeks after having been elected to the Maine Legislature. Moxie, a thru hiker, was an enthusiastic member of the founding board of our Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust. The trail lost a true friend.
Weary www.matlt.org
I've found that when I'm getting the "trail mad", it's a sign of not drinking enough water.
Keeping my gear organized at camp helps in getting an early start.
It seems that I cover more miles in the early morning in a shorter span of perceived time. Or in other words the first 6 miles don't feel as long with an early start as opposed to a late one.
I try to resupply on food after I eat in town, helps cut down on the impulse buying of trail munchies and thus too much food.
I try to keep my pack on during short breaks, it often seems as soon as the pack leaves my back that the motivation soon goes too.
Too much caffeine in the morning makes for a long afternoon.
Noises at night may sound like they come from larger animals than they really do.
it is strange that a man would put the pieces together as they please opposed to being content with where the pieces fall
For those who might at times sleep in a shelter here is a tip how to move a leak away from where you are sleeping.....place a peice of cord up against the leak run the cord downhill to the spot you want to move the leak to....the water will follow the cord to its lowest spot and drip there....it does work....I performed this on leak at Tom Floyd shelter to the amazement of 2 other hikers....with age sometimes comes wisdom
The Captain
Some knew me as Piper, others as just Diane.
I hiked the PCT: Mexico to Mt. Shasta, 2008. Santa Barbara to Canada, 2009.
I have a double wall solo tent. When I set up, I attach the rainfly at bottom and on side opposite opening. Leave it lying on the ground beside tent. Enjoy bug-free view of stars. If it starts raining, it takes about 30 sec to jump out of tent, pull fly over, attach it to top and other side and crawl back in.
My rainfly came equipped with guylines for the fly, but I leave them home because I haven't found them to be necessary/helpful.
Dee
healthymom
I wear sports bras when I hike. (yes I am a chick).
My sports bra makes a great place for my car keys and and just about any
other valuable I want to stick down there. (yes I have big boobs and cleavage makes for some great padding).
I use/carry a small Nalgene when called by nature at night if it's raining. I also use it as a washing machine. Rinse it well, insert socks or underwear, add some Dr Bronners and fill halfway or so with water. A combination of twine and duct tape lets me hang it sideways on the side of my pack; bouncing along provides washing action. I get clean socks and underwear for carring a cup or two of water for an hour....