Date: 2009-07-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Dear readers,Over the past 24 hours I've managed to stuff myself silly with all the fruits, vegetables, chocolate milk, brownies, and cinnamon rolls I could eat! I've also watched some Office, SATC, and the movie He's Just Not That Into You as well as gone to the theater to see My Sister's Keeper (tearjerker!). Oh, and I also got my Trader Joe's and Starbucks Mocha Frappucino fix. Can life get much better? Oh! Yes, it can! I also went to REI yesterday! Can you say field day? How I managed to spend so much money, I'm not quite sure. I'm gonna walk out onto that trail tomorrow feeling like a new hiker. I bought new trekking pole tips (1500 miles left mine really dull), 98% DEET Jungle Juice bug spray, a buff (finally, I can be as cool as Loon, Hot Sauce, Plunger and all of the Packadivas!), a new sports bra, and yes- of course, a new pair of Patagonia underwear (they were on sale- they're NEVER on sale!), and new shoes and new Superfeet!!! As is it's reputation, PA tore apart the soles of shoes. I bought the same pair again, except this time decided against the waterproof version, so I'm now rockin' W's Keen Voyageurs. I realized my shoes have been wet (inside and out) for weeks straight. My feet are never dry, so when spend the extra money to get shoes that aren't very breathable and simply take longer to dry? And as for my Superfeet, well, the one's I've been using were my original pair I got from Uncle Dan's in 2007 and wore all through Sage Walk. I estimate they had about 3,000 miles on them, so I figured I'd treat myself to some new arch support. I feel like a new person!Gangsta and I stared longingly at all of the cute clothes in store windows as we walked by. And by the amount of stuff I bought (treated myself to), it's apparent I'm shopping-deprived. Since only getting to wear two sets of [hiking]clothes for an entire summer, it's apparent how much I miss wearing feminine summer clothes. At least I have a hiking skirt... Man, this is so funny to hear me talk this way. I've never been one to dress up much. Maybe I'll come away from this experience wanting to be more girly? I'm not gonna lie, sometimes I've longed for my makeup and hair straightener (on days off, never on the trail).Alright, so with almost 1500 miles under my belt I've got some solid opinions on the gear I've been using and gear I've seen others using. I figured it would be helpful to give my two cents on TJ since a lot of readers are future-thru-hikers. I guess I'll just dive right in:PACKOsprey rules the roost, as far as pack brand goes this year. I would say 75% of hikers have an Osprey. Everyone has either the Ariel/Aether, Atmos/Aura, or their brand new Exos. A lot of people have switched to the Exos mid-hike since it wasn't on the market a year ago when a lot of people bought their gear. I love my Aura 65. Gangsta just switched to it and it's also what WindUp uses. Loon uses the Ariel 65. Of the 8 of us that went to the Hayden's house for amazing trail magic, 7 of us had one of those three packs. Granite Gear probably comes in second, with a couple ULA packs seen, as well.WATER FILTRATIONI love my Katadyn Hiker Pro filter. It's simple, easy to use, problem-free. I'll go through 2 or 3 cartridges over the course of my hike. I thought the steri-pen would be all the rage and I've only seen two people use it this entire trip. People who have fancier filters that use newer technology seem to have qualms or complaints. I would say at least half of the people use the chemical treatment Aqua Mira. It's the only chemical treatment I've seen used.TENTSMSR Hubba seems to dominate the tent world. Some people are going the hammock route for summer, but personally, I need my space that I can sit in and hang out in comfortably, so I knew a hammock wasn't for me. Of the 12 thru-hikers who spent a night at Bunyan's house for a cookout, there were 7 Hubbas set up in his yard. The other popular one person tent is the Big Agnes Seedhouse. Men seem to use that more than the Hubba. Maybe it's better fit for bigger bodies? Henry Shire tarp tents are also popular, but they are not freestanding so you can't set them up inside shelters, and they are single walled so if its raining and you touch the sides, it leaks. I love my Hubba. Crawling into it at the end of the day is one of my favorite things. My only complaint is in heavy downpours water splashes up under the rainfly into the mesh, sending a mist into my tent. It's not a huge deal, and those downpours never last more than a few minutes. You wouldn't have that problem with the newer Hubba HP that uses a lightweight nylon rather than the mesh for the walls. It's lighter weight than the Hubba but significantly more expensive. I have only seen one person carrying the HP. Personally, I like the all-mesh tent. It gets great ventilation and if the skies EVER clear, I'll enjoy sleeping without the rainfly on.TREKKING POLESLeki. Leki. Leki. Need I say more? Oh, for all of you future-thru-hikers, get trekking poles. Don't question the purchase. Every single thru-hiker uses them. If they don't start with them, they buy them at an outrageous price at Neels Gap, GA. I had never used them before either, but can't imagine life without them, now. I've been really pleased with my W's Luau's. They are ridiculously light and have a hibiscus flower design on them making them stand out amongst other poles. My only qualm is they are light brown in color, making them difficult to see/easy to forget in the woods among sticks and trees. I forgot them one time after digging a cathole and had to go back and look for the tree I pooped behind to find them! Putting brightly colored duct tape around them makes them more noticeable and gives them individuality if someone else happens to have the same ones.CLOTHESI love having a second set to change into at camp. An extra t-shirt and shorts don't weigh very much, and after hiking in the rain all day, dry clothes are priceless. Also, I've kept the wifebeater I decorated for WindUp and Gangsta's birthdays to sleep in. It's nice getting out of hiking clothes and putting on a soft, cotton tanktop to sleep in at the end of the day. To each their own, though...That's it for the big stuff (for now). Feel free to shoot me an email with any other questions about gear you may have. As for little things, I'm going through TONS of bugspray and almost no sunscreen. I am still using my first tiny little travel tube of Coppertone Sport I had from GA. In fact, I used the majority of it the first month or two when there was sun and no foliage on the leaves yet. I'm sure I'll go through sunscreen a lot more once we get above treeline in the White's... if we ever see sun. Oh, and I carry a tiny travel size deoderant that I use only in towns after I shower. I seem to notice my stink the most right after I get clean, so I like putting deoderant on right after I have the opportunity to get clean! For me, it's worth it (and Gangsta since she simply uses mine without having to carry it!). Okay, that's all for now. Take all of this information with a grain of salt. It's simply my opinion and observations of the cluster of hikers I've been with since March. Be aware, I'm slightly biased. That being said, I've been totally content with everything I started with in GA. I think I'm one of the few people who haven't switched or replaced ANY of my equipment that I started with. I guess that is where extensive backpacking experiences come into play. I knew what equipment I liked and what worked for me. Alright, I think I might start doing some job searching in my free time tonight... the end of my hike is not too far away and with this economy, who knows how long the process will take. And FYI, I'm altering my maildrop schedule! I was right on par with maildrops up until now. I am way ahead of schedule for my next 3 maildrops. Monson will be my last one before the 100 mile wilderness and summiting and is only 6-ish weeks away. INSANE!!!!! I can't even believe it. Anyway, click the maildrop link on the right for the udpated expected dates and addresses. PS- I love mail. A delicious meal prepared by Aunt Nancy and Uncle Jim is awaiting me (if their pups Missy and Logan haven't gotten to my plate yet). Food is calling.Happy Trails (and 4th of July!),Wags