Date: 2007-12-13
To: Gear Thinking
Miles today: 0.0

Just an update on how the gear front looks as the hike draws closer (70-something days away now!). Serious Pro-and-Con deliberations are setting in, with middle-of-the-night musings about the tiniest details:Hiking Poles: I have a great pair of EMS poles that are very lightweight, long enough for me at 48", and that collapse down to 22" so that they store on the pack very tidily when necessary. But other concerns loom: -the Rainbow tent will need poles at least 51" long when setting up on a platform or frozen ground (they hold the ends apart by tying off the corners to the ends of the poles instead of staking)-the most field-serviceable brand is Leki, which the EMS poles are not-months of daily use will call for a really strong pole, which the current ones aren'tSo, I ordered some Leki's and am very pleased with how they address those three concerns, BUT they only collapse to 30", which is really a long item to have in the side pocket of the pack. I was really bothered by this when I first saw them, but decided to sleep on it (so to speak) and now, writing out the merits, think I will just have to deal with this. I also have never been one to really lean on my hiking poles - I just use them for balance since I don't actually trust them to hold my weight, since if they slip, or collapse, it could be really painful - but I think this could change under the day-after-day demands, and the need to share the burden that the legs and feet are bearing. At least that's what everyone tells me. Shelter: I'm choosing to tent for first two months, because of the cold and also because of the ease of sorting thru stuff - can pitch your pack into the tent and decant it and rummage to your heart's content for that lost sock or powerbar (and if YOU don't find the powerbar, the mice will find it for you...). The hammock is vastly more comfy, but you need to be compact and tidy about your things - this'll be a lot easier after some weeks on the trail. Stove: I've been an Esbit tablet fan for years, burned in a little cat-food-can stove. Quiet, no fuel spillage, small and portable. But I am not impressed with cold-weather efficiency, and REALLY hate the guck on the bottom of the pot - residue from the burning tablets. Also, they smell awful when they burn. I saw this summer a Caldera Cone in action, which looked pretty good: alcohol stove with custom-made wind screen which also holds up the pot.(http://antigravitygear.com/cald_cone.php) Quiet, no residue on the pot, smells fine, and very efficient. The winning feature was one I hadn't thought much about - it is immensely stable. When you cook on all kinds of surfaces - the ground, picnic table, shelter beam - sometimes in crowded conditions, usually when tired, and with cold hands -the benefit of a wide and stable base to the operation looms large. A careless move and your noodles are all over the shelter floor, or, worse, someone's jacket sleeve is torching up from spilled fuel on the picnic table - so, reducing the likelihood of this type of event is really good. Okay, now what's the problem? Well, the cone itself is flexible metal flashing material which needs to ride in the pack somehow without being dinged up too much. It unrolls, but is quite large when flat. It also can roll fairly tightly in on iteself, which produces a thinner cone shape. Ideally, any carrying case would double as a dish or cup - my problem with conic cups is that the base is the narrow part, and inherently less stable. Some people solve this by getting a titanium cooking pot/mug, all in one, in which the cone can ride neatly. My pot, currently, is bigger than that,(which I like) and won't work as a holder for the cone.So I'm looking for a cylindrical, light but rigid item to carry it in, with lid, so the cone doesn't work it's way out and get crushed, or cut up my pack or clothes with its sharp edges. I think I'll find such a thing, others have solved this problem. But it's the only inelegant aspect of an otherwise great system.( 12/21/07 NEWS FLASH: found a good holder for the cone - rigid plastic 32oz. drinking cup from the dollar store, a little taller than the cone so it'll protect the edge, and big enough to rehydrate a freezer bag meal in - just the multipurpose item I was seeking. Price was right - 33 cents. Also, tasteful light green....)Enough for now. Endless gear dithering opportunities for months to come!!