View Full Version : are these necessary
sailorman50
12-30-2012, 01:52
being a boy scout I feel the need to be prepared. here are some questions i have concerning the line of lightweight preparedness and regular preparedness
what is the necessity of have rope for a bear bag on the trail? if it is necessary what length is recommended?
also are sock liners useful? i was planning on using saloman trail runners for my hike.
i've also heard its important to use a daily vitamin on the trail? what is everyones opinion on that?
what is dental care like? i was thinking a tooth brush cut in half and a medium or small tube of tooth paste
lastly, what is the importance of a repair kit on the trail. ive been camping and hiking several times and never needed one.
Hosaphone
12-30-2012, 02:09
also are sock liners useful? i was planning on using saloman trail runners for my hike.
Some people use them, some don't. Experiment with and without and see what you prefer.
what is dental care like? i was thinking a tooth brush cut in half and a medium or small tube of tooth paste
Don't forget to floss!
Dr. Professor
12-30-2012, 02:16
My luxury items: Electric toothbrush (holds a charge for a week and a half) & flask of scotch. I'm light enough otherwise (and getting lighter) that I feel I can afford the weight.
To me, light weight is all about compromise; I'm not willing to compromise on my teeth. I brush and floss at least once every day.
You need a rope to hang your bear bag. 50 feet is the standard. I'd stick with that.
As Hosaphone said, you need to experiment yourself with sock liners and socks in general.
Dental care is challenging for me. My hands generally aren't too clean while I'm on the trail. Usually it's not a big deal because my hands don't come in direct contact with my food and I use hand sanitizer. Even with hand sanitizer, I still balk at sticking my grubby hands in my mouth to floss. My dental hygiene suffers a bit between towns.
The repair kit is a tough call. It's like a first aid kit. You certainly can't carry everything you need to fix every problem, and you probably don't have the skill or time to fix every problem anyhow. So where do you draw the line? It's a bit easier when you use a foam pad, pack UL and stay in shelters. Foam pad means no flats. Packing UL means even if you break all the straps on your pack, you can still probably manage a decent pace without too much discomfort while carrying your pack in your arms. Staying in shelters means a broken tent won't be a disaster, plus fellow hikers at the shelter may share the materials needed to repair your gear. Even if you do all that, I'd at least carry a couple feet of duct tape or something similar and some string and needle.
No right answers, just "what I do's"
1. No rope for a bear bag because I don't hang my food. I do bring 10' of spectra cord in case I need to make a shoelace or tie something down or to something else.
2. Dental care - always. Travel size toothpaste, brush with handle cut off and I bring a full pack of floss. If had to choose I would pick flossing over brushing.
3. Sock liners - your call
4. vitamin - your call
5. Repair kit - what kind of repair kit? I've never carried one....
Tipi Walter
12-30-2012, 08:30
I quit taking my bear line for several months because I stopped hanging my food bags. Now I'm carrying it again but used only as a clothesline to hang out my sleeping bag on winter mornings after a night of condensation---and hanging out my wet clothing otherwise. Works much better that hanging all this stuff off a tree.
most thru hikers learn to package their food in ways that create very little odor and therefore only hang bags from the mouse lines when in shelters and just sleep with their food in their packs. I'm an outlier on this then because I still do hang food. Bears, and raccoons have a sense of smell much much keener than dogs and I have seen some big black bears. It's my guess that about half of my food hangs aren't technically bear-proof (i.e., a bear could climb enough limbs to get it down because they are very resourceful) but I've never had it happen. All this said, a 40' piece of 3 mil cord is real light - - just keep it in your food bag and hang it when you need to - it weighs a little less than a bagel. There are also some places on the trail where steel "bear boxes" are provided for food storage which is nice. This summer, I saw a 400 pound bear attack one of these boxes - - he went away and the box got tossed but the food was intact - - there was a group of kids camping in the area and my guess is that there was some smelly food waste (un-eaten spaghetti, eggshells, etc., sticky powdered drink mix -- avoid this sort of mess).
Dental Care - pretty much what 10K says - - I keep a toothbrush cut in half and a travel size tube of toothpaste and about 1' of floss in a sandwich bag - - I keep this with my food
I don't use sock liners - - smartwool hiking socks are my go-to. I would think that liners would create extra stuff to rub around and create blisters - - take care of your feet
A multi vitamin is a good idea - I prefer to get my vitamins through food but in the backcountry, it's harder - - it's not essential everyday though - - especially for a younger person
Most people way over-pack first aid stuff: I take a pair of latex gloves so that if you have to handle someone else's _____, you'll be safe. I add to this about a half roll of paper coaches tape
make sure you get paper and not the slick kind more common in drug stores. A couple of Dr. Shoals blister pads, a needle, and some ibuprophen and you are done - - all this fits in a ziplock
and should weight less than about 2.5 ounces. I also take a little slice of Dr. Bronners bar soap in a sandwich bag - - about a 1/2" x 1 1/2" slice which is enough soap to stick a wet hand in
and wash your hands and face if you need to and after you use the privy. Keep the soap out of streams - - just pour a little out of your water bottle for a rinse. Skip stuff like hand-sanitizer and baby wipes - - this is
junk that (mostly) newbies tote along that you don't need.
I also carry about 1/4 roll of toilet paper and use about 3 squares daily
I don't carry a "repair kit" per se - - some duct tape wrapped around a trekking pole, a fuel bottle, or a water bottle will repair most anything. On the AT, the next easy town to get to is usually only about 15 or 20 miles and the next road is normally only about 5 miles - - if something really malfunctions and needs repair, most people just duct tape it and go to town.
Cookerhiker
12-30-2012, 09:01
Glad to see I'm not the only one who's big on flossing. Doesn't weigh squat, important for dental hygiene.
I gave up on sock liners about 5 years ago after concluding they didn't help much if at all on the sweating and blister prevention front.
The only extra vitamin I bring on the trail is Vitamin C. In normal i.e. off-Trail life, I'm getting sufficient C from what I eat & drink.
garlic08
12-30-2012, 09:05
50' of paracord is always in my pack, whether I hang food or not.
I don't carry anything that needs a repair kit other than a needle and thread. And duct tape, of course. I carry dental floss and use it when needed for extra strength thread. You can carry a needle in the case. I don't carry any tools either. Just a single-edged razor blade in my first aid stuff.
A full length toothbrush is my luxury. I also try to keep my hands out of my mouth when I'm on the trail. Toothpicks are good to have. I use baking powder instead of toothpaste.
I don't use sock liners because they don't work for me, but I only know that after many days of trying them out. They're cheap enough to jettison.
Lone Wolf
12-30-2012, 09:08
cut the toothbrush in half. really? how dumb. it don't weigh **** as is
50' of paracord is always in my pack, whether I hang food or not.
I don't carry anything that needs a repair kit other than a needle and thread. And duct tape, of course. I carry dental floss and use it when needed for extra strength thread. You can carry a needle in the case. I don't carry any tools either. Just a single-edged razor blade in my first aid stuff.
A full length toothbrush is my luxury. I also try to keep my hands out of my mouth when I'm on the trail. Toothpicks are good to have. I use baking powder instead of toothpaste.
I don't use sock liners because they don't work for me, but I only know that after many days of trying them out. They're cheap enough to jettison.
yep - the paracord could also be used in a pinch to repair something - - I find that it's super rare that I need to repair something of my own - - I think on occasion, I've cut a piece of cord to tie something up for someone else. My guess is that Garlic carries a razor blade vs a pocket knife. Lots of ultra-lighters do this, and it's fine - - I carry a very small light knife because I use it for slicing cheese, cleaning my toe nails, and other "luxuries"
hikerboy57
12-30-2012, 09:12
cut the toothbrush in half. really? how dumb. it don't weigh **** as isreally why not just hollow it out?
i do bring 50' of paracord. i sleep with my food, but there have been a few times where a ranger insisted i hang my food due to "problem bears", and it also serves as a clothesline, shoelaces, pack repairs, snare,belt,jumprope,extra guyline for tent in heavy wind, garrotte?
and heavy duty floss
cut the toothbrush in half. really? how dumb. it don't weigh **** as is
I do it so that it'll fit in a ziplock. A full size toothbrush will only barely fit diagonally and after a few days the closure on my ziplock fails from the pressure of opening and closing the ziplock.
cut the toothbrush in half. really? how dumb. it don't weigh **** as is
Occasionally, I carry a full length toothbrush - - it's not so much about weight to me, I like it to nest sideways in the bottom of a small sandwich bag - i roll it up nice and tidy - - it does an equal job of brushing - and every single thing in your pack (unless it levitates and defies gravity) weighs something
I do it so that it'll fit in a ziplock. A full size toothbrush will only barely fit diagonally and after a few days the closure on my ziplock fails from the pressure of opening and closing the ziplock.
ha - you beat me to the explanation
hikerboy57
12-30-2012, 09:22
ha - you beat me to the explanation
i just get a travel toothbrush that collapes into the handle
First off I'm assuming you're thru-hiking the AT.
Bear line: I carry 50' of Kelty Triptease and the smallest carabiner I can find. I use the PCT method of bear bagging (google it).
Sock liners: I don't use 'em. They're light enough to carry a pair and try them on the trail.
Dental care: I use a child's toothbrush. I also use gel toothpaste carried in a 1/2 oz sized dropper bottle.
Vitamins: I don't use any except vitamin I.
Repair kit: A large needle and some dental floss along with a small (maybe 2') of duct tape along with a repair kit for my NeoAir is all I carry.
In Scouts you learned that you should "Be Prepared" and that is a good thing. On the trail you need to be prepared to make it to the next town for repair or replacement if you have a gear problem. That is usually only 3 or 4 days at the most. Using some of your bear bag line to repair a broken pack strap buckle for example is a lightweight way to handle a gear problem. Look at your gear and think about what could break, if it does break can you do without it for a few days? If not what else do you have with you that you can use to repair it.
I'm surprised you didn't ask about a first aid kit.
bigcranky
12-30-2012, 10:39
Bear bag rope: not rope, but some sort of lightweight slippery cord like Spectra. You can keep this under 2 oz. As others have noted, this is a useful item for more than bear bag hanging.
Sock liners: only if you need them. For light trail runners, I find light merino wool socks work best. Something like the Smartwool PhD Light Crew, or the Ultralight Crew in the summer. Sock liners might be more useful if you were wearing big heavy boots.
My wife takes her regular vitamins on the trail. I probably ought to do so as well.
Bring a regular tooth brush - nothing worse than trying to brush your teeth with your hand jammed half in your mouth. Small travel-size toothpaste, you can get new ones at any drug store or grocery store up the trail. Bring floss.
My repair kit has gotten a lot smaller over the years. I have the Spectra cord, a couple of large safety pins, some duct tape wrapped around a water bottle, a tiny sewing kit that I got at a hotel, and not much else. It all fits in a Ziploc sandwich bag, along with a votive candle and a spare mini-Bic. The duct tape and the sewing kit have proven the most useful over the years. Oh, and the safety pins - I gave one to a starting thru-hiker in Georgia who had broken or lost the button to his pants. (He was having a really bad day.)
Happy trails!
i just get a travel toothbrush that collapes into the handle
You're one high tech dude.... :)
50' of paracord is always in my pack, whether I hang food or not.
Garlic, I consider you one of my mentors and I never would have figured you'd carry 50' of paracord.
50' is a LOT of cord. What's the most you've ever used?
Turk6177
12-30-2012, 11:23
+1 on the paracord, however, I found the easiest way to store it was to stuff it in a zip lock bag. I tried the electricians weave, and rolling it into a ball, etc, but it kept getting twisted and tangled. Honestly, the easiest way to store it and deploy it is to simply stuff it into a ziplock. I think in the future, I am going to switch to some kind of spectra cord. The paracord holds a lot of water when wet. I also used the cord to hang and dry items. It has a lot of uses.
I have never used sock liners, but I do treat my feet every day with Glide stick and never suffered a blister. Sometimes I treat them at lunch as well.
I use a cut down tooth brush and a drop of Dr. Bronners as my toothpaste. I do floss with dental floss tape (Glide) but may switch to regular waxed floss since it can also be used for sewing.
I have to take medicine every day, so I don't have a problem throwing a multivitamin in with my pills since I have to carry them anyway.
+1 on the repair kit. I keep some duct tape wrapped around a plastic store credit card. I bring some Leukotape the same way for blisters (which I have not had to use-see above) I store a needle in the top layer of that tape so it doesn't get lost or poke anything.
Lastly, I disagree that alcohol wipes are useless. I think using them to wash your undercarriage at the end of the day can kill various bacteria and funk that may lead to rashes or jock itch, etc. I tried dry baby wipes that I would reconstitute with water, but the ones I bought were too cheap and just disintegrated as I tried to scrub with them. I think a name brand probably would hold up better. Enjoy your hiking.
Odd Man Out
12-30-2012, 11:41
For dental care I also bring a travel size bottle of mouthwash. I know it's "heavy", but I'm kind of addicted to it, and it is an important part of dental hygiene, although I suppose the Macallan 12 Yr would also work ;-) . Duct tape/Needle and thread for repair.
no right or wrong answers as someone else said
What I do:
Carry about 20-25 ft of spectra cord. Use it for all sorts of things including properly hanging my food and scented items when I feel the need. I feel the need in areas where Grizz live or where mice and rats are an issue. In some black bear areas I will always protect those same items. I store it in my cookpot with a rubber band around it.
Cut off tooth brush, I know it's anal, but also like a Colgate WISP mini toothbrush with a pick on the handle end. No toothpaste. Bring floss but only wrap a few feet of the waxed kind around my toothbrush handle or remove the floss wheel from the box. The floss is useful for heavy thread so can double as a repair item, sewing up a deep large cut, etc When on trail I regularly clip my nails and take care of my skin. Even though I have a gotee I shave regularly when passing through a town. Just something I choose to do and don't make a big deal of it. Most hikers let hair grow. You might be surprised how a cleaner appearance can get you further in life even when hiking! Nail clippers, small bottles of Dr Bronners, Lithium batteries, small boxes of laundry detergent, Neosporin, small tubes or cans of skin care, disposable razors, bug juice, sunscreen, etc are just the kind of items that I buy cheaply and drop into an ocassional resupply box. Try buying some of those items at a convenience store, IF they have them, and see how much they can cost!
I also gave up sock liners about 5 yrs ago.
No repair kits on non-remote U.S. based hikes. The AT doesn't meet my definition of a remote hike. AT towns have places where repair kits or something equivalent can be purchased. I do wind a couple ft of duct tape around my water bottle though. Duct tape fixes just about everything! I also clip a few safety pins(brass or stainless) on the outside of my pack.
Vitamins and supplements. You don't want to go there with me! If given the choice I wouldn't hike for an extended period without them! They DEFINITELY make a BIG difference in not only my hiking but my overall quality of life. Most folks would be adequately served with a multi and a few pain relievers such as Alleve, Asprin, Vit I, etc.
sailorman50
12-30-2012, 12:47
thank you for the input everyone. the 50' of paracord is a good idea. i think im gonna go without sock liners because ive never felt a need for them. for my dental care, im gonna stick with a travel size tooth paste, tooth brush and soem floss. my repair kit will be duct tape only, i cant sew to save my life any way. and as for my vitamin im gonna see the options at a rite aid or cvs.
see you all on the trail
Oh okay I thought by repair kit you mean something you buy in a kit.
I wrap duct tape around my hiking poles And like dogwood put some safety pins on my pack. And 10' of spectra cord.
I like the way you processed that Sailorman50. Get the info that you feel you need to come to a quick conclusion, without over analyzing these things, and move on. Done. Adapt along the way when needed. Next. KISS.
Cookerhiker
12-30-2012, 13:12
For dental care I also bring a travel size bottle of mouthwash. I know it's "heavy", but I'm kind of addicted to it, and it is an important part of dental hygiene, although I suppose the Macallan 12 Yr would also work ;-) . Duct tape/Needle and thread for repair.
Should we start a campaign to persuade companies to invent freeze-dried or dehydrated or powdered mouthwash that can be reconstituted with water? Or does it already actually exist?:-?
hikerboy57
12-30-2012, 13:17
Should we start a campaign to persuade companies to invent freeze-dried or dehydrated or powdered mouthwash that can be reconstituted with water? Or does it already actually exist?:-?
http://www.drugstore.com/products/prod.asp?pid=55651&catid=183793&aid=338666&aparam=goobase_filler
http://cdn.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000HwEwi1FGrVE/s/750/listerine-breath-strips.jpg
Slo-go'en
12-30-2012, 13:27
Here's a picture of the contents of my emergency/spare parts box. Everything goes into the plastic food storage container to keep it dry and the buttons on the cell phone from being pushed and turning it's self back on.
Most people don't bother to carry a spare MP3 player and ear buds, a second flashlight or knife, but what the heck? I'd hate to be without any of those if I loose or break my primary one.
A little hard to see is the microfiber cloth for cleaning my eye glasses and the nylon repair tape. There is a small sewing kit above the sissors, which includes a thimble for pushing a needle through heavy fabric. Not shown are a couple of spare AA and AAA batteries, a small charger for the phone and a bottle of "New Skin" for blister treatment.
18692
cut the toothbrush in half. really? how dumb. it don't weigh **** as is
Why do you get out of being so abrasive?
daddytwosticks
12-30-2012, 17:28
I've sometimes hiked wearing two sets of very light sock liners with my trail runners. This is especially nice in warmer months. Keeps my feet cooler. :)
Hosaphone
12-30-2012, 17:59
Most people don't bother to carry a spare MP3 player and ear buds, a second flashlight or knife, but what the heck? I'd hate to be without any of those if I loose or break my primary one.
18692
What MP3 player is that? Or more importantly, does it take AA/AAA batteries, what's the battery life, and can it take sd/micro sd cards?
Wise Old Owl
12-30-2012, 18:25
You're one high tech dude.... :)
Now 10-k You will not win friends by be Saar-cas-tic!http://ts1.mm.bing.net/th?id=H.4673062721095696&pid=1.7&w=111&h=151&c=7&rs=1
MuddyWaters
12-30-2012, 19:27
being a boy scout I feel the need to be prepared. here are some questions i have concerning the line of lightweight preparedness and regular preparedness
what is the necessity of have rope for a bear bag on the trail? if it is necessary what length is recommended?
also are sock liners useful? i was planning on using saloman trail runners for my hike.
i've also heard its important to use a daily vitamin on the trail? what is everyones opinion on that?
what is dental care like? i was thinking a tooth brush cut in half and a medium or small tube of tooth paste
lastly, what is the importance of a repair kit on the trail. ive been camping and hiking several times and never needed one.
1. Obviously to hang your food bag, if desired to. 50' usually works for a PCT hang. Not worth going with less. If you need to scavenge a few feet for repair, etc you can. Not everyone hangs food.
2. I have no use for sock liners. The people that do are the people that get blisters, possibly due to boots and heavy socks. Its counter to what you may think you know, but lightwt shoes, and light thin synthetic or wool socks work best if you keep your pack wt reasonable, say less than 30 lbs.
3. Couldnt hurt since diet is so horrible, but I doubt too many actualy carry vitamins around. You wont die without it.
4. Dental care is about like at home, or less. Tooth powder or baking soda is lighter than tooth paste, and smells less too.
5. Only repair kit I carry is 6ft duct tape , needle, unwaxed dental floss. These are multipurpose items, intended for body repair, as well as gear. Some might carry a repair kit for inflatable sleeping pad too.
I forget to comment on the vitamins. My stance on it is simple. If you take them at home, continue taking them on the trail.
Here's a picture of the contents of my emergency/spare parts box. Everything goes into the plastic food storage container to keep it dry and the buttons on the cell phone from being pushed and turning it's self back on.
Most people don't bother to carry a spare MP3 player and ear buds, a second flashlight or knife, but what the heck? I'd hate to be without any of those if I loose or break my primary one.
A little hard to see is the microfiber cloth for cleaning my eye glasses and the nylon repair tape. There is a small sewing kit above the sissors, which includes a thimble for pushing a needle through heavy fabric. Not shown are a couple of spare AA and AAA batteries, a small charger for the phone and a bottle of "New Skin" for blister treatment.
18692
you carry all this in your backpack or your car? You've got three cutting tools here - - and that rapid link is steel - wow - heavy
Why do you get out of being so abrasive?
That's just how LW is - I took offense once upon a time - he's mostly harmless - he reminds me of two or three guys some of you thru hikers may know - - they are good people (mostly) but are very set in their ways - anything that they don't do or don't like or don't know all about is just stupid:
Uncle Johnny (Erwin, TN)
Fat Chap (Glencliff, NH)
Baltimore Jack (Everywhere, I think (Neels lately?) (thought I'd throw you a high compliment LW - just to be nice)
LW is fitter and he is a hiker but all three are cut from the same cloth
We should all aspire to be more like Bob Peoples
Personally I usually single layer my socks. But if the feet are tender or tired I always double, usually with nylon. The issue of whether to double layer has been settled conclusively. The following is from the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine website:
In a study of 357 marine recruits on Parris Island, South Carolina in 1992, the use of a CoolMax® liner with a heavily padded terry design outer sock using a wool/polypropylene blend significantly reduced blisters compared to a single layer sock (40% vs. 69%). Adding a CoolMax® liner to the standard sock significantly reduced sick call visits (24.4% standard vs. 9.4% standard with liner).
Another study of 1,079 soldiers in 1993 tested five sock systems on blister frequency and acceptability by soldiers. Synthetic fiber socks significantly outperformed the standard wool sock. Adding a CoolMax® liner to the wool sock significantly reduced blisters. When comparing single, extra-thick acrylic padded socks to double layer sock-systems, the double-layer system was superior owing to the shielding of the open terry loops from the skin surface and the movement interface created by the double-layer system. Three other military studies have demonstrated a blister prevention superiority of double sock systems vs. single layer socks. .
swjohnsey
12-30-2012, 21:05
Needless to say, the Marine Corp continued on with the standard sock.
Lone Wolf
12-30-2012, 21:07
Why do you get out of being so abrasive?
huh? it IS dumb. my opinion. that ain't abrasive
Slo-go'en
12-30-2012, 22:42
you carry all this in your backpack or your car? You've got three cutting tools here - - and that rapid link is steel - wow - heavy
Yes, I carry all that in my pack and it weighs less than a pound when fully stocked. I can trim it back to about 8 oz if I don't want to carry the whole kit.
The MP3 player is made by RCA (although I doubt they actually make it), available at Walmart. Runs on single AAA and goes for about 30 hours - longer if you splurg on lithium batteries. No SD card slot, but is 2 Gig. That's big enough to hold a resonable selection of music.
Personally I usually single layer my socks. But if the feet are tender or tired I always double, usually with nylon. The issue of whether to double layer has been settled conclusively. The following is from the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine website:
In a study of 357 marine recruits on Parris Island, South Carolina in 1992, the use of a CoolMax® liner with a heavily padded terry design outer sock using a wool/polypropylene blend significantly reduced blisters compared to a single layer sock (40% vs. 69%). Adding a CoolMax® liner to the standard sock significantly reduced sick call visits (24.4% standard vs. 9.4% standard with liner).
Another study of 1,079 soldiers in 1993 tested five sock systems on blister frequency and acceptability by soldiers. Synthetic fiber socks significantly outperformed the standard wool sock. Adding a CoolMax® liner to the wool sock significantly reduced blisters. When comparing single, extra-thick acrylic padded socks to double layer sock-systems, the double-layer system was superior owing to the shielding of the open terry loops from the skin surface and the movement interface created by the double-layer system. Three other military studies have demonstrated a blister prevention superiority of double sock systems vs. single layer socks. .
Yea but I'm not hiking in combat boots!
My study on hiking in trail runners conducted in 2011; 1 hiker, 2,181 miles, 1 blister.
cliffordbarnabus
12-30-2012, 23:31
only floss the teeth you want to keep
garlic08
12-31-2012, 10:06
Garlic, I consider you one of my mentors and I never would have figured you'd carry 50' of paracord.
50' is a LOT of cord. What's the most you've ever used?
I always hang my food and use all the cord. I've camped enough in grizzly country to make a habit out if it. I even hang it if I leave my pack behind on a short side trip (long story behind that habit). It's mice, ravens, and ermine I've had actual problems with, not bear.
I've also used it to repair a Nordic ski binding (saved my life), as a nominal "handline" for an acrophobic partner on a tricky downclimb (hey, it worked), for extra tent guys in extreme wind, to pitch a non-freestanding tent on a wood platform in New England, to retrieve creek water from a high bridge over impossible, poison oak infested banks, to replace pack and (others') gaiter straps, other minor gear mods, even a clothesline once in a while. Leaving the line behind would venture into Andrew Skurka's "stupid light" category, for me.
Yes, I carry all that in my pack and it weighs less than a pound when fully stocked. I can trim it back to about 8 oz if I don't want to carry the whole kit.
The MP3 player is made by RCA (although I doubt they actually make it), available at Walmart. Runs on single AAA and goes for about 30 hours - longer if you splurg on lithium batteries. No SD card slot, but is 2 Gig. That's big enough to hold a resonable selection of music.
ok - it's certainly complete - - ;)
being a boy scout I feel the need to be prepared. here are some questions i have concerning the line of lightweight preparedness and regular preparedness
what is the necessity of have rope for a bear bag on the trail? if it is necessary what length is recommended?
also are sock liners useful? i was planning on using saloman trail runners for my hike.
i've also heard its important to use a daily vitamin on the trail? what is everyones opinion on that?
what is dental care like? i was thinking a tooth brush cut in half and a medium or small tube of tooth paste
lastly, what is the importance of a repair kit on the trail. ive been camping and hiking several times and never needed one.
Bear rope - your call. I take a 50' hang and it only weighs 2 oz. http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?products_id=79
Socks are very much a personal preference. I would recommend as lightweight of material as possible. I have been hiking with Wrightsocks which are two very thin layers, popular in the running world.
Multi vitamin. I took at least one every day. I think it will depend greatly on the quality of food. I ate a lot of junk. The vitamin may not help but it wont hurt.
Toothbrush. Don't cut your tooth brush in half. If you want to save weight maybe take a baby toothbrush, they are smaller.
Repair kit. I would definitely recommend the following items. Duct Tape, a tube of superglue, a couple of rubber bands, couple of zip ties and needle and thread. I stored the thread on a small plastic bobbin for sewing machines. Also if you have an air mat, bring a patch and the rubber cement. I used every item I took multiple times. All of these items were included in each resupply package
MuddyWaters
12-31-2012, 16:00
Personally I usually single layer my socks. But if the feet are tender or tired I always double, usually with nylon. The issue of whether to double layer has been settled conclusively. The following is from the American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine website:
In a study of 357 marine recruits on Parris Island, South Carolina in 1992, the use of a CoolMax® liner with a heavily padded terry design outer sock using a wool/polypropylene blend significantly reduced blisters compared to a single layer sock (40% vs. 69%). Adding a CoolMax® liner to the standard sock significantly reduced sick call visits (24.4% standard vs. 9.4% standard with liner).
Another study of 1,079 soldiers in 1993 tested five sock systems on blister frequency and acceptability by soldiers. Synthetic fiber socks significantly outperformed the standard wool sock. Adding a CoolMax® liner to the wool sock significantly reduced blisters. When comparing single, extra-thick acrylic padded socks to double layer sock-systems, the double-layer system was superior owing to the shielding of the open terry loops from the skin surface and the movement interface created by the double-layer system. Three other military studies have demonstrated a blister prevention superiority of double sock systems vs. single layer socks. .
Only proves its needed in the military training , with their combat footwear, and what they do. Running, humping heavy packs, etc.
A sock liner is a band-aid for another problem. Pure and simple.
#1 preventative is light body weight and light pack
35" works for me..2.5 oz.
Light weight does help. Conditioning helps too. The skin gets tougher with more walking. It takes time if you want to do it without getting blisters though, and I think it's best to avoid getting blisters.
35" works for me..2.5 oz.
35'. Single tick. 35 inches might not even be enough to get it tied it to a tree. :)
huh? it IS dumb. my opinion. that ain't abrasive
Actually it is abrasive. Saying "I don't think it's worth cutting a toothbrush handle in half" is an opinion.
Saying cut the toothbrush in half. really? how dumb. it don't weigh **** as is is abrasive.
G-FOURce
01-03-2013, 14:25
does anyone else carry a hammock suspension toggle for hanging food via PCT method? yeah, i know its not necessary, but i prefer one b/c its smooth (rope just slides off instead of having to loosen it) and it weighs nothing. my rock bag, 50' of Zing-it, and the toggle weigh about 1.5oz total.
Drybones
01-03-2013, 16:27
The only thing I'll add is to take a small roll of Kenyon repair tape, it weighs almost nothing and cost only a couple of bucks. My tent, sleeping bag, and down jacket have holes that I repaired using it...also used it to patch holes in several wool tee shirts, finally figured out I was getting the holes from closing my hip belt on them. The tape does not come off with washing.