Completed My Thru Hike! Thank you Whiteblaze!

[FinnMelanson]

How did you like the ZPacks Hexamid Soloplex? Any tricks for setting up in the rain?

I have some issues with the soloplex, but one thing that was great was that I never really worried about setting up in the rain-the cuben fiber material dries really quickly so if I set it up in a downpour I could just use my t shirt to dry off the inside of the tent and it would be all set within a few minutes. I set up in downpours quite a bit, especially in Maine.

What I don't like about the soloplex is that water would pool around the tent and subsequent rain drops would hit the puddles and "hop" over the bathtub setting and soak the insides of my tent. This was really only an issue in torrential downpours, but Zpacks needs to address this problem quickly.

Also, I recommend paying and extra 50-60 bucks and getting the duplex tent from Zpacks. It weighs maybe 2-3 ounces more and is really more fitting for one person. I had a hard time fitting all my gear into my tent each night.

[Siarl]

Congratulations!! I will be using your advice and gearlist as a guide for what I have not purchased as of yet. Would you do anything differently as far as your clothing and gear choices other than the tent you have already mentioned? I have not purchased any of my clothing yet or the stove choice.

[FinnMelanson]

Congratulations!! I will be using your advice and gearlist as a guide for what I have not purchased as of yet. Would you do anything differently as far as your clothing and gear choices other than the tent you have already mentioned? I have not purchased any of my clothing yet or the stove choice.

I started out with ALL Merino Wool clothing and it lived up to it's billing for the most part-it helped regulate my body temperature depending on the weather, it didn't stink (seriously), and it was very, very comfortable. However, it was simply not durable, especially the socks and the t shirts. I had to replace the t shirt after 600 miles and just switched over to a synthetic t shirt after that.

I used a long sleeve merino wool t shirt in camp and it lasted the whole trip. It was real comfortable to slip into and stay warm with after a long day hiking. I also used my rain pants as camp pants. I also used a smart wool beanie, if it was cold and I even used my rain jacket in camp as an added layer.

I used Injinji toe socks and a smart wool liner on my feet along with my Brooks Cascadia 9's and I NEVER BLISTERED ONCE. Seriously. The injinji/brooks combination has made blistering OBSOLETE.

[FinnMelanson]

I used a single pair of nike running shorts the whole way. They were great-real durable. I used nike compression shorts as well and never really had an issue with chaffing.

[Demeter]

Congratulations! Sounds like you had a lot of fun. Thanks for sharing!

[Elewolf]

I used Injinji toe socks and a smart wool liner on my feet along with my Brooks Cascadia 9's and I NEVER BLISTERED ONCE. Seriously. The injinji/brooks combination has made blistering OBSOLETE.

Okay, I just want to make sure I am absolutely clear about this. Did you use Injinji toe sock "liners" with Smart Wool outer socks? Or did you use the actual "midweight" toe socks. I have been looking around Denver/Boulder for the Injinji liners, but can't find it anywhere. I dread blisters!!

[Deacon]

Okay, I just want to make sure I am absolutely clear about this. Did you use Injinji toe sock "liners" with Smart Wool outer socks? Or did you use the actual "midweight" toe socks. I have been looking around Denver/Boulder for the Injinji liners, but can't find it anywhere. I dread blisters!!

I just bought a pair of liners from sockaddict.com. You can buy one pair for $10 and it's still free shipping.

[FinnMelanson]

Okay, I just want to make sure I am absolutely clear about this. Did you use Injinji toe sock "liners" with Smart Wool outer socks? Or did you use the actual "midweight" toe socks. I have been looking around Denver/Boulder for the Injinji liners, but can't find it anywhere. I dread blisters!!

Sorry for the confusion. You can really use any sock to wear over the Injinji liner. I think it is important to wear 2 pears of socks because it will preserve the life of the liner sock (reducing friction and wear and tear against the shoe). Personally I wore a smart wool ski sock that went up and over my calves. I liked the high sock because it also protected against ticks. Just make sure to prioritize the injinji liners. They are amazing. Hope this helps.

[dangerdave]

I'm on board with the Injinji socks, Finn. I've been looking for a combination to minimize blister worries, and I think you have nailed it. Makes perfect sense.

Thanks again for your informative answers. Us THWB's appreciate it.

[rocketsocks]

Cool, didn't know they made these, may try em.

http://www.socksaddict.com/4662-Inji...-Toesocks.aspx

[dangerdave]

I see Cro-Mag used the same setup for socks on his thru.

And I hate to be a total nube---reality bites---but exactly which Injinji socks did you use, Finn? There's several different weights, and numerous heights---no-shows, crew, OTC, etc.

I've already got socks to fit over the Injinjies, but I'm curious which style/weight you used as liner. The Injinji OTC Coolmax Socks are rather eye-catching, but I'm not sure I want that much attention.

[FinnMelanson]

I see Cro-Mag used the same setup for socks on his thru.

And I hate to be a total nube---reality bites---but exactly which Injinji socks did you use, Finn? There's several different weights, and numerous heights---no-shows, crew, OTC, etc.

I've already got socks to fit over the Injinjies, but I'm curious which style/weight you used as liner. The Injinji OTC Coolmax Socks are rather eye-catching, but I'm not sure I want that much attention.

I used the "Liner Crew" series, but it looks to me like any toe-sock on their website will do the trick. I think their "Trail 2.0" series looks even better.

[FinnMelanson]

I truly believe that the Injinji Sock/Trail Runner combination has effectively made blisters OBSOLETE. Seriously. I never blistered once the entire hike. My hike would have been A LOT different had I been dealing with blisters.

[Texaco]

Never crossed paths with you, but congrats on finishing! I was a 114 day (109 hiking) thru, and ran into many people in the mid-Atlantic section, doing 30-35 miles a day for a month on end, who weighed in on the "you're missing out" discussion. I had an amazing adventure, blogged daily, and made friends for a lifetime. Wouldn't change a thing about how my hike turned out.

Congrats again!

[BuckeyeBill]

congratulations

[MamaBear]

Big congrats, Politician!!!! It's great to hear that you made it to Katahdin and finished the trail. I think the last time we saw you (and Ryan for that matter, but he did dinner and moved on) was at the Spaulding Shelter in Maine. My son and I were sectioning from Gorham to the Bigelows, you might know us better as Pom-Pom and Cameron. We often wonder about the people we met along the way and if they've finished and try to find out.

[FinnMelanson]

Big congrats, Politician!!!! It's great to hear that you made it to Katahdin and finished the trail. I think the last time we saw you (and Ryan for that matter, but he did dinner and moved on) was at the Spaulding Shelter in Maine. My son and I were sectioning from Gorham to the Bigelows, you might know us better as Pom-Pom and Cameron. We often wonder about the people we met along the way and if they've finished and try to find out.

Thank you! Great to hear from you! I hope the rest of your hike went well! You might recognize some of these names--I summitted with Ryan, Six Slash, Shroomer, AZ, and Birdman

[MamaBear]

You're welcome! Yes, I do recognize some of those. Ryan, of course. Shroomer and AZ stayed in Rangeley at the same time we did, that's how we met them. Pretty cool that Shroomer finished his Triple Crown! Birdman stayed with us at Spaulding Shelter, too. Thanks for letting me know they finished, too, I only knew about Shroomer.

[Andy P]

Congrats!

[rafe]

Never crossed paths with you, but congrats on finishing! I was a 114 day (109 hiking) thru, and ran into many people in the mid-Atlantic section, doing 30-35 miles a day for a month on end, who weighed in on the "you're missing out" discussion. I had an amazing adventure, blogged daily, and made friends for a lifetime. Wouldn't change a thing about how my hike turned out.

Congrats again!

Friends for a lifetime? You're 22. How would you know?