Another newbie with questions

[AdamantiumKid]

Well as my first post, I thought I would ask y'all a few questions that popped up in my mind after reading through various threads for the past day and a half! I know these have probably been answered before, so I'm sorry if these are tedious repeats for everyone. Oh...and they will definately not be my last questions as I plan my thru-hike!

- Seems most are anti cell phone. Is this because of the distraction of the ringing or because it's not "roughing it" to carry one? Is it frowned upon amongst hikers to carry one, turned off so you can have it for emergencies or when in town, away from other hikers?

- Dogs. I have 2. I know it will suck leaving them for the duration of the thru-hike, but what do people do with pets? I have this fear or leaving them with someone who becomes attached and then wants to keep 'em.

- Doc Bronner's. I have used it before I even considered a thru-hike, but that tingle feeling is kinda annoying. Will I change my mind when it's all I have? And do people mostly use the mint because the smell doesn't attract animals or because of the tingle?

- Just about every book I read gives the pros and cons to internal vs. external packs. Internal is comfy cause it forms to your back; external is nice cause it allows air flow and so on... So which is it? And none of this "it's a personal preference" stuff. Let me know what YOU like and why :)

- Coffee. I drink it every morning. Should I ween myself off of it or learn to love the taste of instant?

-Last one for now... TP. Do they make a kind that is more biodegradable than others? Do you have to pack it out? Bury it?

Thanks guys. I'm very stoked about planning my thru-hike and this site is an awesome resourse. You all rock the house.

[Lone Wolf]

The majority of hikers carry cell phones.
You don't need Bronner's for hiking.
Packs. I like them both. It IS a personal choice.
I drink coffee most every morning while hiking. No reason to give it up.
Carry plain ole TP. Bury it 6 inches.

[SGT Rock]

What he said.

And good luck.

[AdamantiumKid]

You don't need Bronner's for hiking.

Is there something else good to use other than going without "soap"?

[Lone Wolf]

Couldn't tell ya. I've never used soap of any kind while hiking. You don't need it.

[SGT Rock]

Sure, use Ivory bar soap. No smells. And to make it harder and last longer unwrap it and let it sit out for about a month before you start. It will shrink down some before you start using it, won't lather up as much, and last longer. The only think you have to plan for is where to pack a wet bar of soap when you use it.

[AdamantiumKid]

Yeah I had thought of that "where do I put a wet bar of soap" issue.

At home I tend to use liquid soap since it lathers more, but I would imagine on the trail a big lather is unwanted and unneeded-you just something to break the dirt off.

[SGT Rock]

Well here is a suggestion: sandwich size zip lock. Just a suggestion. :D

[AdamantiumKid]

Durr. Of course it would be something as simple as a ziploc LOL. :cool:

[Lone Wolf]

Yeah I had thought of that "where do I put a wet bar of soap" issue.

At home I tend to use liquid soap since it lathers more, but I would imagine on the trail a big lather is unwanted and unneeded-you just something to break the dirt off.
Plain old water and a bandana works fine. Save the soap and such for towns.

[AdamantiumKid]

Save the soap and such for towns.

You just answered my next question. Thanks L. Wolf!

[Alligator]

There are a couple of different ways to make coffee besides instant:
coffee bags (like tea bags)
coffee press
cowboy coffee.

[AdamantiumKid]

There are a couple of different ways to make coffee besides instant:
coffee bags (like tea bags)
coffee press
cowboy coffee.

Yeah, I found that since I got snobbish with my coffee (sorry i worked for Starbucks, don't hold that against me though), the robusta beans used in the coffee bags tastes like cardboard to me. The coffee press is a great idea as long as I can afford the space in my pack. What is cowboy coffee? Or should I be afraid to ask? :eek:

[StarLyte]

There are a couple of different ways to make coffee besides instant:
coffee bags (like tea bags)
coffee press
cowboy coffee.

Oh oh cowboy coffee----any of you that were at Trail Days for Whiteblaze breakfast got to sample Mala's cowboy coffee--?? Trail Angel Mary knows what I'm talking about.

The night before I was sitting around camp. Mala filled a HUGE pot with water, put it on a propane burner, then threw a can of coffee right into the water!! I was in shock. He brought it to a boil then turned it off. NPR Gary said that's Mala's cowboy coffee. Sure enough the next morning at the Whiteblaze breakfast I had some. Most coffee grounds were at the bottom of the pot. It was hot. It was great.

It was deelishus. Good job Mala.

That was KICK BUTT java. WOW.

[Lone Wolf]

Cowboy coffee? Throw the gounds in a pot, add water, boil then strain. I think it sucks but others rave about it.

[AdamantiumKid]

So it's kinda like turkish coffee where you throw the ground in hot water and let them settle out... Sound like a mouthful of dirt if you're not careful!

[StarLyte]

So it's kinda like turkish coffee where you throw the ground in hot water and let them settle out... Sound like a mouthful of dirt if you're not careful!


Nooo, if you do it the right way, the grounds settle to the bottom!

[Lone Wolf]

So it's kinda like turkish coffee where you throw the ground in hot water and let them settle out... Sound like a mouthful of dirt if you're not careful!
Yeah, it ain't all that. Overrated.

[jlb2012]

Is the trick to get the grounds to settle in cowboy coffee to toss in a little cold water before drinking?

[AdamantiumKid]

All this talk about coffee, gets me thinking more about breakfast in general. this should be on a new thread most likely, but on the subject of breakfast:

I have a book that mentions people eating cold cereal for breakfast on the trail. Really? Dry or with milk? And if it's with milk, what kind?

[Ewker]

non fat (or fat) instant dry milk

[bigcranky]

Coffee -- a Melita plastic cone and filters make great coffee. The MSR Mugmate filter makes very good coffee. The coffee bags are okay in a dire emergency.

Pack -- internal frame Six Moons Designs Starlite. Yes, I've used externals, and I hated them. Internals are much more comfortable *for me*, and I haven't noticed any difference in how much I sweat, which is gallons no matter what.

Cell Phone -- it doens't work well in the mountains, and when it does work some jerk hiker is always calling and saying "guess where I am right now" or ordering Miss Janet to bring them pizza and beer in the shelter, or calling for a helicopter rescue because they are tired. Sure, most hikers carry one. I often do. I use it in town instead of a pay phone (not many of those left). Otherwise it stays buried.

Dogs -- dunno what to say here. That's a hard choice.

Never tried Doc Bronner's myself. I do carry a tiny tiny bottle of regular liquid dish soap to clean my pot and spoon, one tiny drop at a time. Use a piece of plastic mesh from an onion bag -- it scrubs well and shakes dry, no smelly sponges in your pack.

TP -- what lone wolf said.

[jlb2012]

I usually eat uncooked oatmeal with brown sugar and water for breakfast.

[AdamantiumKid]

Use a piece of plastic mesh from an onion bag -- it scrubs well and shakes dry, no smelly sponges in your pack.

That's a great idea.

[Amigi'sLastStand]

The majority of hikers carry cell phones.
You don't need Bronner's for hiking.
Packs. I like them both. It IS a personal choice.
I drink coffee most every morning while hiking. No reason to give it up.
Carry plain ole TP. Bury it 6 inches.

Yup, exactly.

[Ewker]

if you don't want to cook in your pot try this site www.freezerbagcooking.com (http://www.freezerbagcooking.com) I just boil water and add to my meals. No mess to clean up. Lots of good meals listed

[frieden]

Well as my first post, I thought I would ask y'all a few questions that popped up in my mind after reading through various threads for the past day and a half! I know these have probably been answered before, so I'm sorry if these are tedious repeats for everyone. Oh...and they will definately not be my last questions as I plan my thru-hike!

- Seems most are anti cell phone. Is this because of the distraction of the ringing or because it's not "roughing it" to carry one? Is it frowned upon amongst hikers to carry one, turned off so you can have it for emergencies or when in town, away from other hikers?

- Dogs. I have 2. I know it will suck leaving them for the duration of the thru-hike, but what do people do with pets? I have this fear or leaving them with someone who becomes attached and then wants to keep 'em.

- Doc Bronner's. I have used it before I even considered a thru-hike, but that tingle feeling is kinda annoying. Will I change my mind when it's all I have? And do people mostly use the mint because the smell doesn't attract animals or because of the tingle?

- Just about every book I read gives the pros and cons to internal vs. external packs. Internal is comfy cause it forms to your back; external is nice cause it allows air flow and so on... So which is it? And none of this "it's a personal preference" stuff. Let me know what YOU like and why :)

- Coffee. I drink it every morning. Should I ween myself off of it or learn to love the taste of instant?

-Last one for now... TP. Do they make a kind that is more biodegradable than others? Do you have to pack it out? Bury it?

Thanks guys. I'm very stoked about planning my thru-hike and this site is an awesome resourse. You all rock the house.

First of all, Welcome! :welcome We hope to see you out there!

I think the negative of a cell phone would be distraction (for you and other hikers), and weight. The benefits are safety and logistics (calls for a shuttle, room reservation, "hey, I'm lost in town, where's the hostel?" Personally, I'm going to carry mine.

I'm hiking with my dog, because he's a service dog. What kind of dogs do you have? What are they like? Did you ever think of letting them get a job? Seriously. There are people in Tampa who train and work service and therapy dogs for free, or for the cost of the dog's food. Don't worry, they won't keep your dogs, but if you don't mind, they might like to keep working them when you get back, if you don't want to work them yourself. A therapy bunny came into the store the other day. Yep, a lop-eared rabbit - in a covered stroller (looked like a mesh box, with a zipper top). Animals are very soothing to a lot of people, even heathy ones, and your dogs could help a lot of people while you are gone. It doesn't hurt to check it out, and you know they'll be loved on all day!

I haven't solved my issue with soap, yet. There is an excellent book at work about making your own products at home, using all natural ingredients. Just remember, even if it's all natural, you still have to wash up away from the water source. I was going to give the Dr Bronners a try, just to see if it was an option. I thought there was another one, other than mint? Also, rubbing alcohol works well for keeping the stinkies away.

An external pack throws me off balance. I've tried two different kinds. I do a lot better with an internal, but maybe it's because I'm only 5'5".

The probability of me giving up my coffee is zero (although, I use an organic instant coffee that doesn't make me feel icky). There is a reason you should give up coffee during any type of endurance thing. There is something in coffee that saps your energy, and it isn't the caffiene. Studies have been done with caf. pills, reg. coffee, and decaf coffee. Both coffee groups lost energy half way through the workout. Get hooked on herbal teas, before you start.

They do make hiking TP. If I can get my weight down far enough, I'm going to use regular TP, and carry a small cannister with a locking lid. Have you ever dug your hole, and found that someone else had already gone there? It's not pretty.

Have fun with your planning!

[AdamantiumKid]

I'm hiking with my dog, because he's a service dog. What kind of dogs do you have? What are they like?

I was going to give the Dr Bronners a try, just to see if it was an option. I thought there was another one, other than mint?

I use an organic instant coffee that doesn't make me feel icky.

Get hooked on herbal teas, before you start.



I have a 10 y/o black lab-shep mix who is very docile and well behaved and a 2 y/o beagle who is friendly, but a bit stubborn and mischevious. i will have to look into the service dog thing...

I deduced that the mint Doc Bronners is good since mint is a natural weed like plant in the wild and animals will ignore the scent. Other scents might be too much like food or flowers.

Where do you find organic instant coffee?

And the only downside to herbal tea is the lack of caffeine.

[SGT Rock]

You can make an ultralight coffee press. Get an MSR Mugmate and then throw away the top. Then get a foil lined pouch - like the one almonds for salad toppings come in. Finally get a top from a Gatorade bottle, works really well if you are using a Gatorade bottle for your water bottle.

Step 1: when in town, get the beans of choice and grind them fresh, this is hard in small towns, but in bigger ones most grocery stores have this. Store the grounds in the foil lined pouch, it will stay fresh tasting like you just ground it for about 3 or 4 days.

Step 2: Start to boil water in a pot. Any pot or stove will do. I like alcohol stoves myself.

Step 3: While waiting for the water to boil, put the desired grounds for a big old cup of coffee in the mugmate.

Step 4: when the water is boiling hot, pour through the coffee in the mugmate.

Step 5: allow the water to soak through a bit. Enjoy the smell :D

Step 6: (and here is the ultralight dirtbagger trick) use the cap off the Gatorade bottle to press the extra juice from the grounds inside the mugmate as you lift it out.

MSR Mugmate without lid: ~0.7 ouonces
Cap from a Gatorade bottle: ~0.2 ounces
Zip lock foil lined bag: ~0.3 ounces

Provide your own cup.

[StarLyte]

All this talk about coffee, gets me thinking more about breakfast in general. this should be on a new thread most likely, but on the subject of breakfast:

I have a book that mentions people eating cold cereal for breakfast on the trail. Really? Dry or with milk? And if it's with milk, what kind?

Powdered milk guy-just add water. They even make generic.

As for soap, I take a mild liquid soap with me that I can also use as shampoo. Sometimes I take lanolin wipes, just depends on how long I'm going to be out there and how much weight I want to carry. Sgt. Rock's suggestion of a small bar of Ivory soap is good too.

Good Luck and have fun.

[max patch]

Cold cereal or uncooked instant oatmeal with nonfat dry milk and honey and tang for breakfast.

I drink coffee every morning but after about a week on the trail I stopped - not worth the hassle and time of firing up the stove. I'd rather hike than cook.

Doc Bonners is good, just don't believe the stuff about using it to brush your teeth. Campmor trail suds (concentrated) is good too. You won't believe how good washing your face feels at night.

[AdamantiumKid]

Yeah I have tried using it to brush my teeth before. Ick.

[SGT Rock]

You can use baking soda for your teeth. It will also work as a rash treatment if you get monkey butt and you can use it on stinky hiker clothing.

[the_iceman]

Cowboy coffee is the way to go. I drink a least 2 8 oz espressos every morning from my Krupps steam pot at home. Cowboy coffee or boiled coffee can be just as good and does not have that muddy flavor that starbucks has.

Here is what I do. Bring the water to a rolling boil. Be careful the pot is not too full becasue when you add coffee it kind of foams up. Spoon in the desired amount of coffee. My home brew is 2 scoops to 8 oz in the steam pot. As soon as the water hits boil again remove from heat and cover. Let it steep for a few minutes. The grinds settle out. Decante the coffee into mugs and drink.

Other options:

Throw eggs shells in to clarify your brew.

Add a pinch of salt.

[frieden]

Where do you find organic instant coffee?

And the only downside to herbal tea is the lack of caffeine.

I get the organic instant coffee at the health food store (Nutrition Smart, here). Yeah, the caffeine is lacking in herbal tea, but you don't miss it after awhile. You might like the African red tea. It's too spicey/strong for me.

[AdamantiumKid]

I will have to try the African red tea. I have seen it at a couple of different stores. I have a feeling that food-wise, the local health food store is going to be a better resource that I had though it would be!

[frieden]

Yeah I have tried using it to brush my teeth before. Ick.

Use baking soda and tea tree oil for your teeth (you may want to add mint oil or something for flavor). The tea tree oil will disinfect, and the baking soda will clean. :D

[frieden]

I will have to try the African red tea. I have seen it at a couple of different stores. I have a feeling that food-wise, the local health food store is going to be a better resource that I had though it would be!

I'm back at square one with food. I was going to dehydrate meals at home, and then put them in my resupply boxes. I don't have the right dehydrator (with a fan), and it was a pain in the behind just to do a bag of beans!!! I don't know if I want to invest in a decent dehydrator, battle with the one I have, or figure something else out. MREs are heavy.

[AdamantiumKid]

I know from experience that MREs are heavy from having to schlup them around Bosnia. And they don't say "comfort food" to me like say, mac and cheese or a nice pot of Lipton buttered noodles with chicken does. It's definately gonna be worth a trial and error period for me in figuring out what I like and what works before I get out there!

[SGT Rock]

MREs are a bad way to get calories. The weight to calorie ratio sucks. But making dried fruit is fun and tastes good. You can also dry tomatoes, peppers, mushrooms, and all sorts of other goodies.

Add to that the vast choices in a supermarket if you read labels. Look at the package to see weight and calories and nutrition info. I still do this when not on the trail just to see what kind of cool choices are available.

[AdamantiumKid]

Is there a proper way to dry fruit without buying a dehydrator, or is the cost of such a device worth the food you get from it?

[D'Artagnan]

Not to veer too far from your original post, but I don't recall you mentioning a stove and might suggest you look at the Jet Boil with the coffee press as an option to solve the coffee dilemma. Just a thought.

[frieden]

Is there a proper way to dry fruit without buying a dehydrator, or is the cost of such a device worth the food you get from it?

Check out "Backpack Gourmet" by Linda Frederick Yaffe; ISBN: 0-8117-2634-7.

[SGT Rock]

I have only used a dehydrator. Got it as a gift one Christmas.

The original fruit I did I used lemon juice as a sulfide and didn't like it much. Then I found out pineapple juice makes a good sulfide so I started buying canned chunked pineapple. That way I could make dried pineapple and use the juice to soak other fruits and veggies in before drying. Then to top that off, I used the left over juice to freeze and make fruit pops.

[AdamantiumKid]

Not to veer too far from your original post, but I don't recall you mentioning a stove and might suggest you look at the Jet Boil with the coffee press as an option to solve the coffee dilemma. Just a thought.

Well, I have been researching stoves (as well as sleep sacks, tents, utensils, fuel, etc etc etc...) This first post was just to get my name on here and answer a few of the hundred questions I have or am going to have while I plan.

For stoves, the big thing is going to be I am planning on thru-hiking with one, possibly two other guys. I'm the chef of the group so either I cook on a stove big enough for everyone, or it becomes every man for himself (3 stoves, 3 pots, whatever). This, combined with the fact I am the only coffee drinker of the 3, will have to take priority on stove decisions.

[AdamantiumKid]

I have only used a dehydrator. Got it as a gift one Christmas.

*AdamantiumKid adds "dehydrator" to amazon.com wishlist...

[Lone Wolf]

Well, I have been researching stoves (as well as sleep sacks, tents, utensils, fuel, etc etc etc...) This first post was just to get my name on here and answer a few of the hundred questions I have or am going to have while I plan.

For stoves, the big thing is going to be I am planning on thru-hiking with one, possibly two other guys. I'm the chef of the group so either I cook on a stove big enough for everyone, or it becomes every man for himself (3 stoves, 3 pots, whatever). This, combined with the fact I am the only coffee drinker of the 3, will have to take priority on stove decisions.
Bad choice on hiking with partners. Most times it doesn't work out. Carry all your own gear. Don't share loads.

[SGT Rock]

I agree with Lone Wolf. Even when I hike with my kids we all have our own stuff and I know we are going to stick together.

[AdamantiumKid]

Well going on the thru-hike without at least one of them is not a possibility, but I will take the advice on "don't share loads" to heart. It just means a bigger expense on a few things to buy in duplicate. We will be going on many smaller hikes before hand so hopefully we'll find out pretty fast what does and doesn't work.

[Footslogger]

I agree with Lone Wolf. Even when I hike with my kids we all have our own stuff and I know we are going to stick together.
========================
Ditto here ...we generally hike together (BadAss Turtle and I) but we each carry all of our own gear, including small lightweight shelters.

'Slogger

[SGT Rock]

See the article on Deal Shopping and Dirtbagging. It doesn't have to be expensive.

[Dartman]

Internal or external? Thru-hiked with an external in '01. Did 1/4 of AT this year with internal. I prefer external for the airflow and multiple external pockets to keep small stuff organized.

[AdamantiumKid]

Thanks SGT Rock, i will check it out.

[the_iceman]

Just because 2 or 3 of you start together there is a big chance you will not all continue or continue together. It happens a lot. I hike with my brother and we each carry a stove. Sometimes we only light 1 stove but for dinner I might heat water for hot drinks while my brother cooks dinner.

We like our hot meal mid day then siesta for a while to beat the heat and recover. I look for quick, and convenient in a stove

A lot of ultra-light people will recommend a home-made alcohol stove. Others will say canister, others multi-fuel. You have to find what is right for you. Go to an outfitter and look at them all. Then think about it. Then pick one. Then, before you buy, come back here and ask for the cons about you choice. Then weigh it all out and go for it.

[AdamantiumKid]

Yeah we talked about that last night. "What if one person can't go on." Gear never came up. I guess it really should have!

[the_iceman]

Dr Bronners used to come in vanilla as well I believe. I was always partial to the peppermint myself. Too much foam when brushing teeth. You used to be able to order a 55 gallon drum. The small bottle used to be $1.00 and not $3.50. EMS used to carry it now they have their own cheap, thick, imitation crap.

Check out the source http://www.drbronner.com/drb_sai_liquids.html (http://www.drbronner.com/drb_sai_liquids.html)

A whole range of scents and even a bar soap.

[Lone Wolf]

Dr Bronners used to come in vanilla as well I believe. I was always partial to the peppermint myself. Too much foam when brushing teeth. You used to be able to order a 55 gallon drum. The small bottle used to be $1.00 and not $3.50. EMS used to carry it now they have their own cheap, thick, imitation crap.

Check out the source http://www.drbronner.com/drb_sai_liquids.html (http://www.drbronner.com/drb_sai_liquids.html)

A whole range of scents and even a bar soap.
But you don't need soaps of any kind on the trail. That simple.

[fiddlehead]

Getting back to the dehydrator question, I've dehydrated food in an oven, with the door slightly oven and the oven turned on as low as it would go. And also i have dried food in the sun. Here in Asia, you see it being done all the time, and i used to do peaches in season because i had so many, there's no way i could do them in my dehydrator even though i have a big one.
You do need screens though, which you can make from wood frames (not unlike picture frames) and teflon screening which you may have to buy. Perhaps you could use aluminum screening from a hardware store.

ON another thought, i never carried soap on the trail either. It's one of those overrated things like (water filters or first aid kits)

[map man]

Some have mentioned different cooking options, but one to consider that has not been mentioned is going without altogether -- eating all your food cold. I think the benefit of warm meals on the trail is more psyochological than physical. I've found I don't need warm meals when hiking and I save some weight and hassle leaving the cooking gear behind.

On the subject of dehydrating foods, particularly fruit: raisins and figs I find to be good trail foods and don't need to be dehydrated. Both keep without refrigeration as they are. They're both a good source of potassium, which is important to get a lot of when hiking, especially in hot weather.

[Amigi'sLastStand]

Bad choice on hiking with partners. Most times it doesn't work out. Carry all your own gear. Don't share loads.
Agreed. LW has more experience that me here, but I have never seen the shared load concept work either.

Buy a dehydrator for fruit. If you wanna dehydrate meat, there's a thread here on WB and tons on the web about how to do it at home in an oven.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=9284&highlight=dehydrator
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=51&page=6&highlight=dehydrator
My description:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=15817&highlight=dehydrator

[AdamantiumKid]

Well we talked again last night and decided to take the advice. Seperate stoves, seperate tents.

[Caveman1]

My wife has been having trouble with blisters in her Asolo boots which she has had for approx. 1 yr. Recently, I ordered a pair of NB 851 hikers from Cabela's thinking the "athletic shoe" design might give her some relief.

When they came in, they were packaged with "Norvus" Inflatable Plastic Packaging which is essentially 4" x 5" sections of inflated plastic which are perforated every 2 sections. I tore off 2 sections (2 each 4 total) and placed in a 1 gal. zip loc baggie. Excellent pillow and weighs nil. Bulky to pack but can be wrapped in a shirt or other material for comfort. I tried to pop the sections and they stand up well to pressure.

Check it out.

FP International
Redwood, California (800-888-3725)
www.fpintl.com (http://www.fpintl.com)