Getting my wife back on the trail after being diagnosed with MS

[bgraybackpacker]

Hello All you fellow hikers

Got a conundrum/ excellent opportunity to do some serious gear shopping

Background

Wife has MS and tires very quickly so switching her to as ultralight as I can get her. Current pack weight an astounding 30lbs. We would like to get that cut by at least 2/3rds down to 10 without food and water. I'm a fairly savy shopper of gear and always do my research with a bit of knowledge under my belt. My wife gets cold really quickly so it is really important that her layering system is both light and efficient to keep a cold sleeper warm at night. Also since she has MS if she gets too hot she is likely to shut down on me on the trail. We are hammock campers and are already going cuben tarp for her (and me when i go by myself or with friends )

Any ideas for the rest of her pack/ gear would be much appreciated. Price is not a consideration at this time due to an inheritance coming my way that is going to pay to get my wife back on the trail with me. Which honestly is the best thing that money can pay for. Thank you in advance for any help you can send my way.

[Rasty]

I'm assuming the Hammock set weighs about 4# so that leaves 6# for quilts (Over and Under), Pack and Clothing. Enlightened Equipment makes great lightweight quilts. Get a ULA CDT or maybe a Zpacks Cuben fiber pack.

[rocketsocks]

Consider going stoveless if you're not already.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ood-for-Thougt

[Swordpen]

Well, need a bit more info.

which of you is carrying the tent, or are you in separate tents.

who is carrying the water purification?

what water purification system do you want to use (filter only, filter & purification systems?)

Where are you hiking (AT or desert)?

Whats the temperature you are hiking in?

what is your food requirement: 1 pound/day, 1.5 pound/ day, 2 pounds/ day?

see where I am going with this?


So need some more info.

[Swordpen]

Also, does your wife have muscle or nerve pains? Does she slept ok on a floor, or need cushioning?

what are you doing for her to be able to get off the ground when sitting around a campfire or such - can she get off the ground easily, or needs a stool?

how steady is she on her feet, does she need trekking poles?

[bgraybackpacker]

Your right didn't think about those questions when I asked.

We do not tent we hammock camp basically like tarp camping just suspended under the tarp between 2 trees.

I usually carry the water purification and we use filter as it is faster than tablets. Thinking about getting the sawyer squeeze filter for that.

Hiking wise it is basically Pacific Northwest. Think horse grade trails with some fairly steep switchbacks thrown into the mix. Not much of that straight up and down the hills like you have on the AT. Our biggest trip was 40 miles in 5 days around Mt Rainier area.

Temperatures are variable but generally between mid 30's at nights (even in the middle of summer) up to about 85 or 90 on exposed ridges. Lots of UV exposure though.

Food is ok my wife tends to think that a 3 day backpacking trip is an excuse to diet. Don't get me started on trying to get her to eat more on the trail i've tried and she is just going to have to learn for her self.

To answer other questions posted by others.
She does sometimes have muscle and nerve pains.

She is none to steady on her feet so trekking poles are a must. She wants them to be adjustable though.

I'm not sure if she has a stool preference or not but I do so if she really must she can sit on mine and my butt will hurt on the log or ground around the campfire.

As to hammock weights that is a bit off the mark for weight. Its more like 2lbs MAX for Hammock with integrated bug net and 3-4 lbs for Top Quilt and Under Quilt.

The pack itself is going to be the last thing we buy for obvious reasons.

Well, need a bit more info.

which of you is carrying the tent, or are you in separate tents.

who is carrying the water purification?

what water purification system do you want to use (filter only, filter & purification systems?)

Where are you hiking (AT or desert)?

Whats the temperature you are hiking in?

what is your food requirement: 1 pound/day, 1.5 pound/ day, 2 pounds/ day?

see where I am going with this?


So need some more info.

[bear bag hanger]

A top and under quilt together should weigh about 3 lbs. My top quilt weighs 21 oz as does my almost identical under quilt (JRB Sierra Snivellers). That's 42 oz or 2 lb 10 oz and I'm good to about 20 degrees. 3 to 4 lbs sounds a bit heavy. You could save another half a pound by using a sleeping pad in place of an underquilt, but it is a little less comfortable. 2 lbs for the hammock sounds about right. As for getting someone to eat food, I've had the same problem with hikers who don't see the connection between not eating and the tiredness they feel after a day of hiking. But, if they won't eat it, then don't bring it. It'll save some weight. But, I don't know about the nutritional needs of a person with MS. There may be a need for eating the rest of us can live without for a short time.

[Swordpen]

I am not a hammock person so cant help you there.

As far as trekking poles, something with a flick-lock would be most easy to handle. I can only tell you about the ones I use & like: the Leki Lhasa Lite Antishock Women's Trekking Poles.

I also like my framed cuben zpacks Arc Blast backpack 50 liter, its only 16 oz, & really helped me cut down the weight I carry. Top notch backpack.

The Sawyer squeeze is a top notch filter, & only 3 oz.

Don't know if she is going to physical therapy, but a few sessions to re-enforce balance training (that she can the practice at home), might not be a bad idea. Your doctor can get her a referral for that.

Try to get her total packweight to 22# or so - with food & water (the lighter, the less it would affect her balance I'd think).

Maybe post her packlist?

[bgraybackpacker]

Pack List based off research about 1.5 yrs ago

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...FE&usp=sharing

This is the base pack some things like thru hike aren't going to happen with my wife but section hikes perhaps.

[bgraybackpacker]

She is a cold sleeper currently we have my winter UQ her all the time UQ a Hammock Gear incubator 0 deg with 2 oz overstuff. I sleep very warm in that. We won't be going with pads in a hammock because if she is not comfortable, i'm miserable.

A top and under quilt together should weigh about 3 lbs. My top quilt weighs 21 oz as does my almost identical under quilt (JRB Sierra Snivellers). That's 42 oz or 2 lb 10 oz and I'm good to about 20 degrees. 3 to 4 lbs sounds a bit heavy. You could save another half a pound by using a sleeping pad in place of an underquilt, but it is a little less comfortable. 2 lbs for the hammock sounds about right. As for getting someone to eat food, I've had the same problem with hikers who don't see the connection between not eating and the tiredness they feel after a day of hiking. But, if they won't eat it, then don't bring it. It'll save some weight. But, I don't know about the nutritional needs of a person with MS. There may be a need for eating the rest of us can live without for a short time.

[Bati]

Some say that hiking on an uneven trail helps the balance come back if you're remitting. If so, your wife might want to take short walks in town on the street curbs and rock-hopping through creeks to see if it helps.

Consider bringing a 25 foot or so piece of webbing, as well as the knowledge of how to use it belay someone if you're going anywhere where balance could be critical.

One of the easiest ways to lighten the load and improve the safety aspects is to hike with another person or another couple. You can share a filter (take drops or tablets just in case you get separated), and share a stove and maps. If you're hiking too slow for most of your friends, try friends with kids- they'll do shorter miles yet you'll still have extra adults around if you need them. As a bonus, you don't have to look for loop trails if you shuttle cars or do crossover trips.

[zelph]

My wife gets cold really quickly so it is really important that her layering system is both light and efficient to keep a cold sleeper warm at night. Also since she has MS if she gets too hot she is likely to shut down on me on the trail. We are hammock campers and are already going cuben tarp for her (and me when i go by myself or with friends )

Let your wife carry 10 pounds of what ever it takes to keep her warm. You carry the other 20 pounds. If you want her back on the trails bad enough you'll figure a way to cut your weights down.

[bgraybackpacker]

Ha ha ha, my pack already weighs more than hers BECAUSE I carry the extra necessities.

Let your wife carry 10 pounds of what ever it takes to keep her warm. You carry the other 20 pounds. If you want her back on the trails bad enough you'll figure a way to cut your weights down.

[stranger]

Heya my mother has MS and hasn't missed many beats...she is still very active and sure she gets tired, but don't we all. Exercise is the best thing for MS as far as I'm concerned, my mother has had it for 15 years now and going very well. Glad to hear you guys are hitting the trail together!

[middle to middle]

I have MS and the hike was good. I found that I got fatigued and later in day tended to drag my feet. finally tore a ligament in ankle and stopped hike. So plan on half day walks go in cool weather and maybe a boot over ankle ? Or tape ankles. I also fell a lot later in the day because of fatigue. Be careful, I learned to twist while falling so I landed on the pack. Probably should use two good walking sticks. Have fun !

Tom

[BCPete]

I watched my aunt struggle with MS for over 25 years, and was humbled how much my uncle did to help her with outdoors stuff. They were very outdoors oriented people, and have some wild tales about some canoe trips they did/attempted while working around her condition as it progressed. You have my admiration for getting out on the trail for backpacking trips!

IMO ... I'm thinking you better find a way to carry all of the gear for the both of you, so that she's able to concentrate on just walking down the trail (sans pack) without injuring herself. Obviously trekking poles are needed for her, and I would get the best you can find. So bottom line is that I would transition the whole question to how much weight you can carry! The main thing is for her to stay injury free IMO. My aunt had a few injuries happen when she started to have some bigger mobility problems, and I would say those were the things that really progressed the downward spiral of her MS - and their ablility to do anyside outside. The disease marches brutally on, and you can't afford an 'off' year for your wife to heal up from something that happened on the trail just because she was carrying a backpack. You wife might not quite be there yet (absolutely not being able to carry a pack), but she will probably be getting there quicker than you'd like - and you don't want a surprise injury to happen because she was pushing things too far without realising it.

My wife & I backpack in the Cdn Rockies, and I would have to carry a 50 to 55lb pack to do a 3 day bp trip if she didn't carry any pack (she's very cold blooded also, and her pack weighs about 20lbs for a 3 day trip - lots of warm clothes & sleeping bag). I would call that the price I would have to pay to keep backpacking as long as possible with her if she had MS.

MS sucks ... stay positive and do whatever you can to keep getting outside. Good luck.

[Butterfly58]

I have MS. Some of the things I have to do above and beyond a "normal" hiker is to take extra insulation because I get very cold at night. I would suggest extra warm socks and a much lower rated sleeping bag than you would expect to need for whatever the temps are. I also get very hot easily and quickly. You probably already know, but others may not, that with MS the body's temperature regulation system doesn't work correctly. Take an extra bandana or something to keep wet (also extra water) so that she can cool off by wrapping it on her neck, arms, wiping her face, etc. Take lots of rest breaks so she doesn't fatigue and when she says she's done, she's done. Plan to do short days. Or at least allow for some naptimes in the afternoon. Good luck!

[S'more]

I have MS too. Trying to go as light as I can, but must make sure I have all that I need, sometimes takes precedence. Such a hard time with heating and cooling issues. As Butterfly58 said, our body temp regulation doesn't 'work'. Cold hurts, and overheating comes easy. Anything to help with cooling will be a plus, if that is an issue for her. Glad she has your support! Good Luck to you both!

[RF_ace]

if money is no object, one could easily do 5 days for under 12 pounds

[bgraybackpacker]

These are all good suggestions however does anyone have any gear choices that would work well in a person with MS whom would like to have a pack weight in the lower teens and still deal with the rigors of MS? FYI she is stubborn and entirely self sufficient so me carrying everything is not in the cards. I do however carry the greater bulk of camp necessities.