Date: 2009-11-01
To: Post Hike 10
Miles today: 0.0

OG notesI would like to address the equipment we used and saw on the trail. We started our thru-hike with a Tarptent Double Rainbow. Somehow a pole was lost in the mail and that put this tent at a great disadvantage. I had removed the ridge pole from its sleeve in order to fit the tent into the box that we mailed to the Hikerhostel. We flew into Atlanta and didn¢t want any equipment problems with airport security. I tried to correct this problem with a piece of plastic coat hanger but not very successfully. We slept in the tent the first night with no problems, it wasn't raining. By the time we set up camp on the third night we were in a terrible rain storm, and the shelters were full of weekend hikers. After we settled in the tent for the night C6 kept feeling like the tent was leaking on her. She kept feeling water droplets hit her. I think they were coming from the condensation on the inside of the tent. The impact of the raindrop would were strong enough to allow some of the condensation on the inside of the tarp break free and hit her. We decided to replace this tent when we reached Mountain Crossings Outfitter at Neels Gap the next morning; they had a great selection of lightweight tents. We purchased a Big Agnes Seedhouse 2 tent which we used for the remainder of our hike. If I could do it over again I would buy a Seedhouse 3 for the extra room. We traded smaller size for less weight by buying the 2 person tent; I would prefer more room in the tent. I don't want to give the Tarptent a bad rating as many other hikers used them and loved them, also we didn't use it enough to give it a chance. Single wall Tarptents do tend to accumulate condensation inside them so that should be considered from the beginning. I thought I had it opened enough to allow good airflow but the night was so wet I guess it wasn¢t enough.We both started with Big Agnes sleeping bags. I used my Mystic 15 deg and C6 had an Ethel 0 deg. Both of us had Thermarest sleeping pads to sleep on. I like the Big Agnes bags because the sleeping pad is an integral part of the system, the pad slips into a pocket on the bottom of the bag and is held in pace. I dislike the feeling of most sleeping bags because I toss and turn and feel like I've been eaten by a snake in them. With the Big Agnes the pad and the sleeping bag system it stays in place because your weight holds the bag in place. The Big Agnes sleeping bag does not have any insulation on the bottom of the bag to save weight, the theory of this is the body compresses the insulation under you in the other sleeping bags and minimizes its effectiveness anyway. In the beginning of our hike, the colder months, we use a sheet of Reflectix under our sleeping pad. Reflectix is a thermal insulation made of bubble wrap and foil, it is found in home improvement stores for insulating homes. It was light weight and easy to carry on our packs, it can also be used to make a pot cozy.   The reason we went with this extra insulation was in 2006 there were some nights I would feel the cold under me, I didn¢t this time with the reflectix.Something to consider is sleeping bags are rated for temperature by the manufacturer. They all have different standards and different comfort levels. The rating isn't necessarily meant to say you will be toasty warm in it at the rated temperature, some folks will feel that way others may not. I use my down puff jacket draped over my torso as I sleep and feel very comfortable, C6 needs the extra warmth over her feet. We made a small comforter out of an old sleeping bag for C6 to drape over her feet and she wore her down jacket. She had good success with the comforter and sometimes had to throw a hand warmer down there to add extra heat.We switched to lighter bags after Memorial Day in Virginia. We would have done it sooner but chose to wait until a family gathering when our daughter would be driving down and have lots of room for equipment in the trunk. As luck would have it we had a 33 deg morning a few days before the switch and needed the extra warmth right. I switched to a 20 deg rectangular bag that I have had for many years, it has lost so many feathers it is probably a 35 or 40 deg bag now. C6 switched to a 30 deg semi rectangular bag. In the summer I sleep directly on my sleeping pad and drape the sleeping bag over me like a quilt, C6 sleeps inside her bag. This system worked well for me I've used it many times before. C6 would get cold feet after answering natures call in the middle of the night. I was free enough to be able to throw my sleeping bag over both of us and put my feet over hers to warm her up.Okay I covered shelter and sleeping equipment now cooking equipment. We used a Jet Boil Group Cooking System (big pot). The system worked well when cooking and did a great job there. I had trouble figuring out our usage, I didn't like not knowing how much fuel we had and we kept buying new canisters and leaving partials behind. Canisters were readily available along the trail but I was nervous and bought them beforehand. I used many brands of fuel but liked the Jet Boil 4 season mix best. I used an Antigravity gear Pepsi stove for my 2006 solo hike and loved it, the reason I switched to the Jet Boil was because I would be boiling more water and I didn't feel the alcohol stove would be able to handle that. I was able to boil sufficient water and simmer with the Jet Boil as I had expected. I saw numerous hikers start with white gas stoves such as the MSR Whisperlite and switch to alcohol stoves. I would recommend the alcohol stove with a good wind screen for a single hiker, I don't know what to recommend for a party of two. I love the alcohol fuel bottle from www.brasslite.com it measures the fuel right in the bottle and pours it easily into the stove. I used the 16 oz model in 2006 and think it's the greatest. Take a look at them and see if you can locate one they are great. I don't know much about the Brasslite Stove, but the bottle is great.We used Petzl Tikka headlamps for lighting. These are great for hands free use. I wouldn't go back to a regular flashlight after using one of these. They give great light in the immediate area but do not cast a beam out away from you. I had an incident where I had an animal about 30 feet from me and I couldn't get sufficient lighting on it to identify it, I think it was a Bobcat and I would have loved to seen it better.We both used Granite Gear backpacks on this hike. I used the Stratus Latitude pack that I finished my 2006 with. I love the pack it is comfortable and rides well on my back, it is showing its age after 3000 miles though, and I plan on using next year to finish our hike and then retiring it. C6 used a Meridian Vapor Ki Woman¢s Specific pack. She had the wrong size pack for the first 500 miles. She was in pain most of the time and had a lot of trouble. We kept thinking it would settle and she would get accustomed to it. It ended up she had a pack too short for her torso. I recommend buying a pack from an outfitter who knows how to fit you. I have a theory that many people buy packs that are wrong for them then think it hurts because they are not used to it. They then use the pack for one or two hikes and it ends up collecting dust. A thru hiker needs to have a properly fitting backpack it will be on your back many hours; if it is uncomfortable it will make your hike miserable.We had her re-measured in Damascus and discovered she needed a larger pack. She had a small torso pack and needed a regular torso pack. Once she had the new pack she was more comfortable. The new pack developed a bad seam almost right away and it has been splitting more ever since. It is hard to exchange equipment as you hike, you are constantly moving and the only transportation is your feet. It is almost impossible to go back to the outfitter you bought it as you progress along the trail. My recommendation is buy the pack from an outfitter you know will stand behind what they sell. Buy from one who has a policy to take it back if you don't like it. Use the pack fully loaded as you train for the hike. C6 used the original pack on our shakedown hike in Vermont last summer. She didn't have any problems at that time or so we can remember. Then again maybe she discounted the problems thinking she wasn't used to wearing a pack all day and it would get better the more she wore it. I believe most people buy a backpack and accept the discomfort. They think it is uncomfortable because they are not used to the weight on their back and don't think the pack is causing it.   UPDATE: Granite Gear replaced the pack with a brand new one. We mailed it to them with a note explaining the problem and received a new one in return. Thank you Granite Gear!FOOTWEAR IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT you will use. Yes I yelled that out, I can't stress it enough. Your feet are your transportation system; if you can't walk you can't hike. Most hikers use trail runners, these are heavy duty sneakers and not boots. There are two advantages to these shoes, they are light weight and they allow your feet to dry fast. The disadvantage is they are light weight and your feet feel the impact of the trail with every step. Both C6 and I used hightop leather hiking boots, I used LL Bean Cresta Boots and C6 used Vasque Sundowner Boots for most of the hike. This kind of boot was the most popular kind ten or fifteen years ago but has fallen from popularity as lightweight hiking became popular. The main reason for lighter shoes is to save your legs from doing extra work when they lift your feet. We have the heavier boots because I have never been able to get my pack weight below 30 pounds and my ankles need the extra support. Although C6's pack was lighter she too was in the high 20 pound range. Seeing everyone have success with lightweight shoes we did try a hightop sneaker type shoe from LL Bean for a while and almost ruined our feet. They certainly were lighter but our feet felt every stone under our feet and gave little support. We also had a huge problem with wet feet every day and not from rain or streams. These boots held the sweat from our feet inside everyday and we were not able to dry them in the evenings due to all the wet weather we had. Prior to using these boots our feet had toughened up and we were doing pretty good. The calluses that had formed earlier in the hike softened up from being wet all the time and became problems in these boots. I will never hike in anything but hightop leather boots.A side note about boots that we heard from other hikers was not to bother with Goretex. They feel that your feet will get wet anyway and dry more slowly due to the Goretex. They would rather take their chances when it is wet out with hopes of drying quickly when it clears up. I can¢t disagree with that and may consider it when I have to buy new ones, why pay the premium price for Goretex. Boots are a personal decision you have to find one that is comfortable for your style of hiking.Water purification is a well discussed topic on the trail. Some people filter, some use chemicals, some use steri pens and some do nothing. We used a Pur Hiker Pro filter; they are now sold a Katadyn Hiker Pro, same filter new name. I prefer filtering over chemicals for a couple of reasons. First is the filter does not add any taste to the water like some chemicals do. Second are we can fill our water bottles and hydration systems and drink right away. If you use chemicals you have to wait about 30 minutes before drinking. I usually arrive at the water source with an empty bottle and thirsty. I fill my water bottle drink it and then refill it before moving on, I don¢t have to wait 30 minutes to drink. I know I¢d be able to do the same thing if I used a Steri pen but they are so new and I guess I don¢t know enough about them to feel comfortable with it. Last but not least is doing nothing, drinking the water straight from the source. There are many hikers who do this and don¢t get sick, just like there are some who do use filters or chemicals that do get sick. I guess each person must decide for themselves.