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Krista
06-26-2013, 21:12
Heya,

I just did a gear test and my shorts smell like nothing else. I was planning to hike in small Nike dri-fit polyester shorts with the silly underwear cut out but they smelled ridiculously after 1 use. Would another fabric smell less? Suggestions?

Another question, what sort of limits should I put on my mileage at the beginning? Number of rest days per week?
I'm fairly competitive but I have a history of shin splints and I want to avoid overdoing it. Info about me: I'm a 22 yr old woman, an athlete and I hike decently fast. I'm starting out in DWG, Pennsylvania and hiking North for 2 months. I'm afraid that if I don't set a limit, I'll wear myself out in the 1st week.

Thanks for the advice!! See you out there.

ChinMusic
06-26-2013, 21:23
Merino wool is the best material wrt odor.

Shin splints: I think I walk too slow to get em. I have talked to several young, athletic gals on my thru that have suffered shin splints. They were miserable. You just have to have the discipline to hold back your mileage/speed if you have a history of SS.

A buddy of mine gave me this advice for my thru, "Don't be a hero on downhills."

rocketsocks
06-26-2013, 21:31
Maybe all the rocks in NJ will slow you at first and set the pace.....good luck on your hike, and keeping the smells at bay, after a couple days you probably wont notice unless you look in the faces of those you meet...no biggie.

Drybones
06-26-2013, 23:02
I can put a synthetic tee shirt on and it smells before I start sweating. I wear merino wool tee shirts and never have a smell....that I noticed anyway. For shorts I use nylon.

Dogwood
06-26-2013, 23:17
That's a fun thread title.

You're out there for a planned two months. It's not a race... is it? It's not just about MPD but MPH. Listen to your bod. Long distance long term hiking is something that's not over in a few hrs or even a day.

Here's the usual progression. It takes about 2 wks to get your trail legs. After that, in a short while you'll have a real sense of what long distance hiking is about as a thru-hiker having adapted to the physical and mental rigors of consistent trail life. Rome wasn't built in a day and neither is a 2 month hike.

Sarcasm the elf
06-26-2013, 23:59
As others have said, Merino wool is known for being the best at not retaining odors, however it's a losing battle and you will be amazed at how quickly you stop caring that much about how you smell. All the long distance hikers you meet will smell the same way anyway. :rolleyes:

I have not had the pleasure of dealing with shin splints before, but I have had knee issues that were caused by repetitive motion. Take the downhills slowly and thoughtfully, you can really reduce the strain on your shins by doing this. I would also highly recommend using a pair of good hiking poles as they reduce the impact and stress that hiking puts on your lower body and are a huge help on hills.

marti038
06-27-2013, 09:05
I'm no doctor, but I have had shin splints. In my case they were caused by running in a pair of shoes that were a poor fit for my feet.

I'd go to a running store or outfitter that has people who know how to read feet and recommend shoes or inserts for your particular needs. You may pay more for shoes there, but your body will thank you in the long run.

moldy
06-27-2013, 09:12
The smell problem, You can't do anything about it, I advise just getting used to it. It comes with the material and the daily exertion and lack of a shower. In your normal life you are worried about offending others. We all smell bad out on the trail. Now the mileage, the pace you set will not be your own. You may be starting your hike alone but within a week you will be on a team. This team will be anywhere from 2 to 10 other likeminded hikers.

da fungo
06-27-2013, 10:16
You can find underwear that's been treated with a silver ion solution, that is supposed to deter bacterial growth that is the basic cause of the odors. I've never done a through hike, but I've worn male versions for several days at a stretch on shorter hikes, and I've noticed no problems.

Sampson
06-27-2013, 10:51
Shin splints are very common when one is over exerting or is not in shape for whatever activity they are participating in. I would get them virtually every year when my soccer training camp would begin in august back in college. I'd go the entire summer without truly preparing for the season, and I'd pay for it during that first week back. I imagine it's even worse when you get older, but I exercise year round now so I haven't dealt with it since.

Dogwood
06-27-2013, 11:21
I had debilitating shin splints 250 miles from the end of a PCT thru-hike so seriously I literally could not walk without excruciating pain. Stayed off my feet for a week, did lots of stretching focusing on my legs, iced my shins daily, squeezed out another 2 lbs from my pack, popped some pain pills, bought calf compression sleeves, numbed my shins with gobs of Tiger Balm, reduced my daily mileage, and made it to the finish line at Manning Park. It was the closest I ever came to having to quit a thru-hike.

I guard against shin splints these days by stretching my legs even when not hiking(low impact aerobics, Tai Chi, wt lifting), paying CLOSE ATTENTION to my footwear and stride mechanics, engaging in better nutrition that builds my body up rather than eliciting a pro-inflammatory response, and listening to my bod ratcheting back pace and/or MPD as I feel it's needed being ever mindful of inflammation that quickly leads to painful episodes. Lots of helpful medical advice on line on how to traet and avoid shin splints.

Dogwood
06-27-2013, 11:31
You can find underwear that's been treated with a silver ion solution, that is supposed to deter bacterial growth that is the basic cause of the odors....I've worn male versions for several days at a stretch on shorter hikes, and I've noticed no problems.

+1 ditto to the silver ion thing helping w/smell.

illabelle
06-27-2013, 11:35
Krista, the following links may be helpful to you.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?81876-Female-urinal-use

http://andrewskurka.com/2013/female-hygiene-guide-tips/

http://www.thepstyle.com/pages/What%27s-a-pStyle%3F.html

Krista
06-28-2013, 20:30
Thanks for your time guys. I'm sticking with my unusually smelly shorts and starting with 10-15 miles a day. Fingers crossed it all works out.
I'll be on the trail on Sunday. Woooooohooooo

jeffmeh
06-28-2013, 20:35
Not only does merino take longer to "stink out," when you wash it you start from scratch. Some of the synthetics retain their odors even after washing (or at least they get them back almost immediately upon wearing).

WalksInDark
06-28-2013, 20:40
Someone said it earlier but I will "pile on."

In my own personal experience and in my observations of watching others while they hike (occasional observation) or backpack (frequent observation): more people trip and fall when going downhill than uphill. I would estimate that the frequency for downhill trips and falls is that they occur at least four times as often. In the case of backpackers carrying a heavy load, I can safely say that what might be a "non-event" trip at the beginning of the day ---when the backpacker's strength and endurance is high--- often becomes a blood letting injury later in the day and/or when the backpacker is tired.

Just something to keep in mind!

Snowleopard
06-29-2013, 12:49
Lyme disease is a serious concern from DWG north. I'd recommend long pants treated with Sawyer permethrin spray or pretreated Insect Shield pants. If you hike in shorts, it's best to use DEET on your legs and to do a careful tick search of your body once a day. Deer ticks are much smaller than regular ticks and can be hard to see.

It's not a bad idea to carry a spare pair of underwear/shorts and wash/dry one pair on the trail while wearing the other.

da fungo
07-01-2013, 16:34
That silver ion treated underwear I previously mentioned: Medallist makes and markets them under the SilverMax label, available on amazon.com. I think Eastern Mountain Sports also sells some under their own label.

Dogwood
07-01-2013, 16:41
Not only does merino take longer to "stink out," when you wash it you start from scratch. Some of the synthetics retain their odors even after washing (or at least they get them back almost immediately upon wearing).

+2 Ditto. Yup. I opt for various wt merino tops for hiking prolly 90% of my hiking mileage even in the Mojave Desert, southern Utah, Arizona etc and can attest the stink washes out well and they don't stink as much as any of my synthetic tops