Date: 2017-04-16
From: Morgantown, WV

To: Morgantown, WV
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

4/17/17 Morgantown, WVMiles hiked: 544.4, Miles to go: 1645.4We had a nice Easter yesterday. Marguerite, my step-daughter Jenny, and I went to Easter service, we came back and walked dogs and started taking pictures off the wall. I think the packing will start in earnest today. I also ordered new shoes and insoles today. The Altra Lone Peak 3.0 trail runners have been working for me, so I ordered another pair. I opted for the low rise instead of the mids to save a few ounces. I expected to get about 500 miles out of each pair, so I am right on schedule. I also plan to switch out my winter gear while I'm home. We are past the Grayson Highlands and it's almost May, so the threat of cold weather is diminished. Leaving behind the winter gear will help reduce my pack weight. The balance of weight vs comfort is a constant consideration and constant topic of discussion. Uncle Heather is an ultralight backpacker. He carries a 12 lb base weight, which does not include food and water. His pack is very small and allows him to hike very quickly. It also reduces wear and tear on his back, legs, and feet. On the other hand, he often gets cold at night because he has a light sleeping quilt ("Pack light, freeze at night"). Although I've never met him, Double Barrel has become a legend on the trail for the enormous pack he carries. He is purported to carry two bear canisters for food storage (hence the name Double Barrel), camp chair, and a solar shower. He also only hikes about 8-10 miles a day because his heavy pack slows him down. 1st Sgt and I fall in the middle between these two extremes. My pack weight is somewhere in the 35 lb range, including food and water. 1st Sgt appears to be about the same. The pack is heavier than I'd like; however, I don't freeze at night. If you will recall, I started out with a 20 degree hiking quilt and had a couple of miserable nights before Marguerite sent me my 15 degree mummy bag. The bag was especially nice when we hiked into winter in the Smokies. Now, the bag is getting a little warm at night, so I plan to switch back to the quilt. I also plan to switch back to my hammock. Although I have been very satisfied with my Zpacks Altaplex cuben fiber tent, I look forward to returning to my hammock. My original plan had been to start out in my hammock; however, since you sleep suspended in the air, you tend to lose much more body heat to convection than you do when sleep on the ground in a tent. As a result, you have to carry additional insulation in the form of an underquilt with the hammock. Of course, the underquilt means more weight. So, in the end, I substituted the 19 oz tent for the hammock. I have been very jealous of the hammockers I've seen on the trail. Hammocks have some distinct advantages over tents. First, you aren't sleeping on the hard ground with roots and rocks under you. More importantly, all you need is two trees with the appropriate spacing. The ground can be sloping, rocky, etc, and it doesn't matter because you are suspended over it. On several occasions I have had to set up my tent on less than ideal surfaces, leading to issues which made sleeping difficult. Even without the underquilt, my hammock and tarp weigh more than my cuben fiber tent. So, I am going to have to eliminate additional weight to compensate. I should be able to eliminate some winter clothes that I won't need anymore. I think I've even got 1st Sgt considering a hammock! Once I get my summer pack lined out, I'll share my gear list.