21 Days at Neanderthal University

[Alligator]

You hit it on the head. I should have mentioned that much of my spike usage was on designated horse trails (Pine Ridge/Fodderstack Ridge)---and if anyone knows about horses they know the tremendous amount of damage a 1,000 lb horse on steel hooves can do to a trail.

And then of course there's the ageless discussion of hiking pole tips and what they can do to trails---but I don't see alot of people here discussing the subject---and nowadays a great percentage of backpackers use bare tipped hiking poles w/o rubber tips. See this old thread from 2003---


https://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/sho...trekking-poles




Thanks for the blurb. As outdoorsmen we should be extremely proud of our Neanderthal heritage.

"Much" is not all as far as what trails you were on, plus the situations you refer to mandatory use may perhaps be a bit steep for horses. Of course we could discuss poles but you're just deflecting. If either of those two are "bad" in your viewpoint, it doesn't make your practice ok. If you just didn't give it much thought, whatever, no harm no foul, just save them for winter use.

These microspikes are "Twelve 3/8 in. hardened stainless-steel spikes per foot dig into icy terrain" with "Stainless-steel flex chains help prevent snowballing". On a full plant of the foot, that would be 12 incisions plus any number of chain rings digging in, with the chains being flexible and more likely to grab a little circular bit of soil. (Pound a chain into the soil halfway and then move it back and forth horizontally.) The forward 8 spikes are in ring configuration as well, there are only four in the back, but all the incisions would be close on the ground. As far as a trekking pole point, mine have been a small flat or concave up hollow tip (many manufacturers though so different options may exist). That's one sorta point to 12 spikes plus chains. Plus poles aren't driven into the ground on purpose and the weight distribution is likely less on average as poles are used for balance. Honestly I don't see nearly the same impact at all, I had already considered the differences before I posted. You are using both anyway.

[Tipi Walter]

I think that's how tipi trains for these trips he runs hills with little mitten on his back. And I think his backpack is sexy like a big beautiful woman with lots of curves hugging your back all day

Reminds me of Jack Huff in 1929 who carried his Mom seven miles up to Mt LeConte in a chair strapped to his back.

18491367_1414174708639855_5494149509812348692_o.jpg

[Tipi Walter]

BONUS PIC

Trip 215 (165)-XL.jpg
How to eat a frozen Clif bar w/o snapping off teeth? Cut it up in bite sized nuggets with your trail pruners.

[JNI64]

What do you do to stay so fit and strong at your age?
Like in between trips . Looks like you eat natural and clean that helps for sure. But do you practice yoga, stretching, walking?
Or just doing this your whole life you've developed strong bones,tendons, ligaments muscles?

[JNI64]

What do you do to stay so fit and strong at your age?
Like in between trips . Looks like you eat natural and clean that helps for sure. But do you practice yoga, stretching, walking?
Or just doing this your whole life you've developed strong bones,tendons, ligaments muscles?

[JNI64]

That Jack Huff yeah a real badass!!!!!

[Tipi Walter]

What do you do to stay so fit and strong at your age?
Like in between trips . Looks like you eat natural and clean that helps for sure. But do you practice yoga, stretching, walking?
Or just doing this your whole life you've developed strong bones,tendons, ligaments muscles?

I hate exercise for exercise's sake so I don't do much between trips---I let the trips themselves be my exercise regimen. In June 1980 I gave up all apartments/houses and started living out of a backpack around the town of Boone NC (with a heavy backpack of course) and humped tremendous weight on a daily basis---which I think helps the body to adapt over time. Alot of people think heavy weight ruins the body but it's just the opposite for me---repeated weight-humping strengthens the bones, tendons, etc as you say.

I think the human body adapts to any activity if that activity is repeated long enough. An excellent violinist plays so well because he/she repeats endless practice patterns and performs recitals on a nonstop basis---so it is with backpacking. I also do yoga but it's meditation and not hatha---and maybe being a lifelong vegetarian helps. No booze or cigarettes of course.

None of this is to say I'm a "perfect human specimen" because I have several nagging health concerns---like prostate issues. But once I strap on a 90 lb pack my body knows exactly what to do with it and what to expect. No surprises here.

[JNI64]

Well good for you getting out of the matrix. Like you said the human body is meant to work, use it or loose it. And alot to be said about muscle memory as you mentioned as well. Ted Nugent just turned 73 and you'd never know it another good example of good clean living no alcohol, drugs or tobacco for him either.

[JNI64]

Bearing and carrying that much weight is incredibly good for your overall bone structure as you get older building good strong bones. And the other most important stuff like a strong heart,lungs,etc.

[Hosh]

Bearing and carrying that much weight is incredibly good for your overall bone structure as you get older building good strong bones. And the other most important stuff like a strong heart,lungs,etc.

You boys should get a room, lol!

[JNI64]

You boys should get a room, lol!

Lol, hey that's not funny. Nothing wrong with praising somebody, lift them up. And I know what I'm talking about I've spent my whole life in the physical fitness world.

[JNI64]

To many people get the mindset once they turn a certain age your doomed, not true, not true at all.

[Tipi Walter]

You boys should get a room, lol!

We already have a room, it's called a forum chat room. And you're in the room too.

[JNI64]

We already have a room, it's called a forum chat room. And you're in the room too.

That's okay Hosh I won't tell anybody you were in a room with 2 fellas chatting.

[cmoulder]

BONUS PIC

How to eat a frozen Clif bar w/o snapping off teeth? Cut it up in bite sized nuggets with your trail pruners.

You can also put it under your hat for a few minutes to warm it up.

Used to do that all the time in subzero weather in the Whites of NH where the old-style PowerBars were more like metal ingots than food.

In the event you're not carrying pruning shears.

Hunkering_Whites_02.jpg

[Leo L.]

Fun fact, once in the sinai Desert, a young local Beduin, bright and intelligent, provided the idea of a "Beduin University".
This would be the space Beduins are living anyway, so any Beduin would be student at the Beduin University from birth on through his whole life.

[Tipi Walter]

You can also put it under your hat for a few minutes to warm it up.

Used to do that all the time in subzero weather in the Whites of NH where the old-style PowerBars were more like metal ingots than food.

In the event you're not carrying pruning shears.

Hunkering_Whites_02.jpg

Good pic. Power Bars are the worst of the lot when it comes to 0F. GoMacro bars are a close second.

Fun fact, once in the sinai Desert, a young local Beduin, bright and intelligent, provided the idea of a "Beduin University".
This would be the space Beduins are living anyway, so any Beduin would be student at the Beduin University from birth on through his whole life.

You got the right idea and the jist of my title. 21 Days in the College of Neanderthal Studies etc.

[Leo L.]

You can also put it under your hat for a few minutes to warm it up.
...

Did a 4-days trip recently in sub-freezing conditions, and got to the habit that I kept walking pretty much the whole day, munching small things while walking.
Things I wanted to be thawed I put under the front part of the jacket and first this ice-cold items closer to the skin kept me cool, second after half an hour the items were thawed and warmed-up enough to chew them even with my old friable teeth.
Learned this habit from Mongolian people.

[Tipi Walter]

Did a 4-days trip recently in sub-freezing conditions, and got to the habit that I kept walking pretty much the whole day, munching small things while walking.
Things I wanted to be thawed I put under the front part of the jacket and first this ice-cold items closer to the skin kept me cool, second after half an hour the items were thawed and warmed-up enough to chew them even with my old friable teeth.
Learned this habit from Mongolian people.

Reminds of a guy who puts his wet "laundry" (like washed undies/bandana/socks) in his pants by his crotch to dry out. May not be advisable for food items.

[Leo L.]

Not exactly crotch, but I'm doing the pants-pocket-dryer-trick all the time, during the warmer season.

The one Sweden guy who got stuck for many days in a Bilzzard showed another trick to dry items on the lid of the cookpot - good idea, I think.

One possible issue I'm munching at forever is how to dry out heavy leather boots during longer winter hikes, when you can't "hike them dry".
Just recently I came up with the idea to put a bottle of hot water inside each boot for a few hours in the evening, but didn't try out this one so far.