cwhitt7
04-19-2014, 01:46
Hi Everyone - Long time reader, first time poster (newly registered).
My brother in law and I are looking to hike the 100 mile wilderness in late July and would like perspective on our current approach, and help on a couple of questions we have.
We're both experienced hikers and avid endurance-sportsmen. We try to do at least one backcountry trip together each year, but do several on our own otherwise. We plan to hike northbound from Monson with no resupply and would like to do better than 20 miles each day. Our last section hike was the Smokies portion of the AT (6 days, including some additional off-AT hiking). Here are the areas where we'd appreciate any perspective y'all might have:
Logistics
What is availability like at shelters in the 100MW? Should we plan on staying outside of a shelter most nights?
Which map(s) are best to use to prepare for the hike, and where can I find them?
Generally, can we count on shelters every 10 miles or so, or are they further apart in the 100MW?
Any suggestions on how to divvy up the mileage/days?
Gear
We carry hammocks and prefer not to use tents. We carry one dry-fly between the two of us (we double up on the same set of trees when it rains). Are there any stretches on the 100MW where hammocks are not practical?
Rain-gear - From what I've read, some seem to equate Maine to SE Asia in the monsoon season - Any recommendations on something that I won't overheat in?
Shoes - I hike in light mid-top shoes that offer some water protection. Should I take my trail runners instead to handle the all of the water? (My over the ankle boots will retain water/weigh more longer than the trail-runners, but will not offer the support for traversing more technical terrain with a heavy load).
Thanks for any/all advice y'all have on our questions or in general!
Clay
My brother in law and I are looking to hike the 100 mile wilderness in late July and would like perspective on our current approach, and help on a couple of questions we have.
We're both experienced hikers and avid endurance-sportsmen. We try to do at least one backcountry trip together each year, but do several on our own otherwise. We plan to hike northbound from Monson with no resupply and would like to do better than 20 miles each day. Our last section hike was the Smokies portion of the AT (6 days, including some additional off-AT hiking). Here are the areas where we'd appreciate any perspective y'all might have:
Logistics
What is availability like at shelters in the 100MW? Should we plan on staying outside of a shelter most nights?
Which map(s) are best to use to prepare for the hike, and where can I find them?
Generally, can we count on shelters every 10 miles or so, or are they further apart in the 100MW?
Any suggestions on how to divvy up the mileage/days?
Gear
We carry hammocks and prefer not to use tents. We carry one dry-fly between the two of us (we double up on the same set of trees when it rains). Are there any stretches on the 100MW where hammocks are not practical?
Rain-gear - From what I've read, some seem to equate Maine to SE Asia in the monsoon season - Any recommendations on something that I won't overheat in?
Shoes - I hike in light mid-top shoes that offer some water protection. Should I take my trail runners instead to handle the all of the water? (My over the ankle boots will retain water/weigh more longer than the trail-runners, but will not offer the support for traversing more technical terrain with a heavy load).
Thanks for any/all advice y'all have on our questions or in general!
Clay