Date: 2008-03-07
To: The weight of socks
Miles today: 0.0

I'm a member of a woman's hiking blog on Yahoo, and have been the recipient of the best training and coaching on hiking from women all over the world! I posted this acknowledgement of them and decided to post it here too."Well girls I was weighing the things I plan to bring on my hike, and I have to say that hiking socks are damn heavy! I mean, for their size they're a lot heavier than I would've thought they'd be. I do have some ankle hikers that I'll switch to when it warms up, and I sprang for a pair of PossomDown socks (VERY light!) to sleep in & for emergency back-up hikers if needed, but regular old mid-weight synthetic/wool combo hiking crews are heavy girl! Right about now you may be thinking, 'that Barefoot Sage has finally cracked under the strain of prehike stress! Lighten up about a few ounces already, you gotta have socks so get over it!' In truth, I've always been a little cracked (LOL), but this is something else altogether. It is a testament to the great advice of all the gals on this site! When I first started getting ready for this hike, my mindset was that I was pretty strong, would undoubtedly get stronger, and an extra few ounces here and there weren't a big deal. So I was including all manner of things on my mental packing list that I just couldn't do without and would throw in because "after all, they only weighed a few ounces." Then I went grocery shopping with my pack and schlepped home 48 pounds of groceries. Only a few miles, but damn THAT WAS HEAVY! My neck, shoulders & back were all feeling the strain after only that short distance on flat sidewalk in good weather. I was hoping to have at least SOME fun walking on this trip, and I knew that if I was carrying anywhere near that kind of weight I might as well forget making it to Maine because it would be shear misery. From that moment on my primary focus shifted from throwing in little things because they only weighed a few ounces, to chucking everything I could possibly do without and lightening up the rest! My 3 lb tent became a 8 oz tarp with a seperate net tent to be sent only once the bugs started really getting bad, my lovely bound journal - a weeks worth of loose paper at a time, my 3.5 lb boots - 14 oz trail runners, my 1.7 lb gortex rainshell & pants a 9 oz Frogg Togg set with a cuban fiber pack cover sewn onto the back of the jacket (packa), my heavy MSR Whisperlite International stove w/ metal fuel bottle - a 1.5 oz alcohol stove with a plastic soda bottle fuel bottle, my stainless cookset a titanium pot & mug, my cell phone AND camera AND mp3 player - an enV phone with all three in one, etc. AND, I won't even bother to shock you with the stuff that got crossed off the list altogether. Suffice it to say that I won't be bringing heels or evening wear for town stops!!!The many voices of experience, suggestions, ideas, various product information, et cetera that you gals have shared in this group have shaved off probably 20 or more lbs from my pack, and I'll wager it'll save my thru and give me a shot at actually going the distance in one season. Not only that, but several of you have already given me trail magic, while others have offered it for the future on the trail at various points along the way. (I can't wait to meet each and every one of you!) I can't tell you how supported and looked after by you all that I feel. I may be doing a solo" thru-hike, but the truth is I feel like you're all coming along with me (weightless no less!) and words can't express what a comfort that is to me.So you see, it's because of you that I now realize that hiking socks are indeed damn heavy, thank you very much!Carole aka Barefoot Sage