Date: 2014-03-07
To: Update, Sawyer Mini, and Esbit Stove
Miles today: 0.0

How in the world do people put smiley faces on their journal page???I am done training. Like Freedom, I feel I have nothing left to gain by more training and may hurt myself. I trained over 100 miles in February with a 35-40 pound pack. My base weight is now just over 16 pounds. I removed my camp-shoes from the gear today but may purchase some flip flops during the hike if I find I need to get out of my boots. I read several journals concerning early injuries and I would be heartbroken to get injured before I start. This is a shout-out to Chris who wrote today that he injured his leg at the hostel the night before he was to start the trail. Get well quickly and see you on the trail once that leg gets better. Chris - Karma must have thought March 7 was not a good day to start the trail. Tuesday, March 11 the Illinois State Museum in Lockport will host a members's event and introduce me to the members to raise awareness for my charity walk. I am greatly appreciative to the Museum. You can read the article about my hike on twitter - Roadwarrior03182014 or @ILStateMuseum. To donate call 815-838-7400 and mention my name. This week I discovered my Swayer Mini water filter doesn't fit the new, energy saving water bottles. Over the winter I learned the following lessons about the Swayer Mini which changed my water strategy. In the fall I planned to use the Swayer Mini attached to my Hydration tube and water systems. This winter I scrapped that plan. I found: 1) while filling the hydration bag directly from a stream, a Platypus, silt and debris got in the bag. Holding a coffee filter over the end of the bag works, but is slow. 2) in the cold Chicago weather my hydration line will freeze and with the Swayer Mini on the hydration line, it is difficult to blow the water back into the bag to prevent freezing. 3) the Swayer Mini freezes on the line rendering it useless. So I will just carry a 24 oz water bottle for dirty water and pour filtered water into the hydration bag. The Swayer bags work as a canteen, but seem impossible to fill from streams and lakes. I will not bring them. I cut a water bottle in half and will use the half as a water cup in shallow water if needed.   There is a big difference in the performance of alcohol stoves in warm and cold weather. In warm weather the alcohol stoves work better and water boils faster. In cold weather it is harder and slower. I tested my Esbit Alcohol stove with denatured alcohol this winter and found: 1) In very cold weather the alcohol is difficult to light, and once lit, it can take up to 3 minutes for the stove and alcohol to heat up sufficiently and operate properly. 2) It does take longer to heat cold water. In 25-30 degree temperatures, it takes 10 minutes to boil 16 oz of cold water plus another 3 minutes to heat the stove for a total of 13 minutes. I expect altitude will add even more time to the cooking process. The Esbit cook set uses the cup as a lid for the pot. I put aluminum foil over the top of the pot as a lid and this saved nearly two minutes. I found that even in these harsh conditions, that I used only 1.1 to 1.3 ounces of fuel to boil 16 oz of water. As a result, I plan to reduce the fuel I will carry from 16 oz to 10 or 12 oz. I will put the fuel in a water bottle that is a different size and brand, and one that does not fit my Swayer Mini so I don't accidentally confuse fuel with water.Antiperspirant: I changed to non-scented. Thanks everyone for the safety advice and I should have realized the risks of carrying scented antiperspirant.   I read some posts about the cost of things at Mountain Crossing Outfitters at Neel Gap. I checked their website and found the prices to be comparable and sometimes less than I pay for gear in Chicago, except for Walmart gear. No complaints but I am sure others in lower cost-of-living areas will think otherwise. FYI, alcohol is $0.25 an ounce. Looking forward to getting someplace warmer than Chicago and hoping the Polar Vortexes are over this year. Snow predicted for next week.Note for laughs. My father met a guy in Indianapolis who claimed to have hiked the entire trail with a rifle. Ha Ha Ha Ha Don't believe everything you hear. Common sense, trekking poles and a pocket knife are more than enough protection. Everyone have a good day and stay healthy.