I'll leave this here... “ What on earth would I do if four bears came into my camp? Why, I would die, of course. Literally shit myself lifeless. I would blow my sphincter out my backside like one of those unrolling paper streamers you get at children's parties--I daresay it would even give a merry toot--and bleed to a messy death in my sleeping bag.” ― Bill Bryson, A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail I don't have many opportunities to use that quote, so I thank you. P.S. When I hiked it I was averaging 20 miles per day. This was very simple to calculate however, having only spent one day on the trail.
FastFredie...I got mine at a surplus store right outside Ft Stewart. Looked new...no signs of wear. I pieced it together for about 60 I think. One of my better purchases. I do want to pick up a German Army issued pack...these look pretty good and the guys on our Nijmegen team really like them. http://int.berghaus.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-brgrowgbp-Site/en_NG/GeoShow-Product?pid=420519
I have the Exos58 pack. You can't go wrong with it. Under 3 lbs and very breathable. Ospreys warranty is the best in the biz, as well.
I also switched from butane to a caldera cone cooking system. You can use wood, esbit or alcohol in it so you're not screwed when you run out of heavy and hard to find butane bottles. You can find the alcohol in any automotive or hardware store. Very light and efficient. Here's the one I have. https://www.traildesigns.com/stoves/caldera-sidewinder
I'm sure it's tough as hell, and would be a money saver, but it looks deep, as in thick off your back behind you, rather than tall and narrow like some of the more modern stuff. Does it pull your shoulders back? After the Lyme stuff, my biggest concern is my old body. Not unlike some of you guys here, I've busted myself up a few times! Broken both ankles twice, so we'll see how they hold up to 2200 miles, and collarbones 3 times, so I'm concerned how the packs will sit on my shoulders...
That's pretty funny! I've told my wife a number of times "I don't have to outrun a bear, I just have to outrun you!" I think I figured that if I can average 15 miles/day, it'll take 5 months.
Son's traps were shot when he got done. Took him a couple months to put the weight back on. He lost 20lbs and wasn't big to start with. He's beat up too. Skate boarder, but young and strong. Joined the army after he finished, in Alaska now but headed to Ranger school in March.
And that is EXACTLY what I don't want to do! Which is why I've been reading the sh!t out of gear reviews, and even more helpful are reports of what successful hikers started with vs what they finished with and why.
Traps? From not using them? I'm hoping using poles will help the upper body some. Losing 20lbs wouldn't be a deal breaker for me either...
I'll PM my info. When you're tripping along the NY/NJ border and feel like coming out into the sun for a bit, I'll get you a meal. -Kevin
I don't quite get your hopscotch logistics, but the farm is 23 acres. You're welcome to park something here.
My plan is to start at the bottom of Skyline Drive in Afton, VA, so I find a suitable parking area there and drive north about a hundred miles to say Front Royal, VA, and park the second vehicle there. Then we hike south to the original vehicle, hop in, hit the grocery store somewhere, and drive north past the vehicle we left in Front Royal, maybe Harpers Ferry, park, and hike back to Front Royal. Most hikers need to get off the trail every4-5 days to find a food store anyway, and need to hitch or walk the highway to town, where we'll just have our own vehicles waiting somewhere nearby. And like I mentioned, we'll have a dog, so hitching, or finding hotels in town will be more complicated. We can also keep things we need we're going to need, like fuel and gear to swap out onboard. Also, if we want to take any side trips along the way we can. May not be a perfect plan, so it's subject to change. Where's your farm?
Stuff gets broken, worn out, wants to be changed because of weather changes, etc. He broke a pack frame, wore out boots and cloths, got rid of tent for a hammock in the warmer weather, needed a heaver coat in September in Maine!!! It goes on and on, expensive trip.
That's what I was wondering, looking at that army pack. Modern packs are designed to carry the weight on your hips, and the shoulder straps are just there to keep it from rocking back and forth or falling backwards. My broken and plated collarbones don't want to be carrying too much of the load!
Mailing address is Butler TN, we're closer to Mountain City. Doe Valley, between Iron Mountain and Doe Mountain. The AT runs along Iron Mountain across the valley from us. It crosses TN91 at Cross Mountain Rd about 5 miles away. I cross it on 321 by Hampton on my way to work.
The medium Alice pack holds 35L and is rated for 50lbs. Both the large (50L) and medium use the same external frame. It's airy, lotsa ventilation back there. A DIY upgraded pack uses the newer Molle waistbelt which takes a lot of the load (just lookin' at pics of the waistbelt and you intuitively know it's good to go) and the Molle shoulder straps look really cush. There is an enhanced strap version...I think it's simply a cross-chest adjustable strap, could also be additional padding. The Molle belt/straps are ergonomic and reported to be very comfortable. For reference, the medium Alice has three external pockets across the rear while the the large has three slightly larger pockets across the rear with a bridge of three smaller pockets above them, plus that fat main pocket. An external bungee run through the three pocket flaps on the medium pack is helpful in keeping the load from packing down or to cinch up on the load. (I wouldn't consider the fat one for anything but emergency bug out. It would have to be a freebie and it would just get tossed into the Jeep anyway. I'm not carrying the load it's capable of anyway, regardless of its use.) Not sure what's entailed with the mod but there are enough "hits" on web searches to answer that question. I believe it's even available already upgraded by some enterprising individuals. Lookin' at ready availability vs gunshow hit or miss, the price is easily doubled just for the components. To add to the confusion, there's also Molle II, which may be what's being used in these upgrades.. Not to be concerned, virtually any item of military gear can be adapted to other versions. That's part of the beauty of their systems. If you can, I recommend gettin' to a surplus store to, at least, check the stuff out. MilSpec has standards so, if you consider this route, ensure it's contracted gear and not knock-off garbage. A genuine pack will also be waterproof. I don't think you'll be replacing anything as long as you stay away from knock-offs. The key to carrying with any pack is to load the weight high. Put light stuff in the bottom, heavy stuff in the top. This keeps you standing more erect which, because you're not hunched over to maintain balance, doesn't have the shoulder straps pulling on you as much. As it has to do with a medium Alice pack, the main compartment isn't really sack-like. It has rectangular shape so things can be stacked orderly, use the outer pockets for the really light stuff. Broken ankles? You're gonna want boots with excellent support...careful they don't get too heavy. 1000g insulated hunting boots are out of the question. I mention hunting boots cuz they can provide some very good support and excellent traction. I'd be wearin' aggressive treads with slightly padded 8" uppers so there's cushioning for bumpin' sharp objects and good overlap between my pants and boots. Spray the shit out of your pants lowers, the boot uppers and inside the pants cuff. Might even consider gaiters when an infestation is likely if you go with a lower hiking boot and/or shorts/zip off pant lowers. Those little bastards will get inside your socks. Socks. Cushioned-sole socks. Change 'em out frequently. WigWams, et al. Maybe tick-proof, too. Damn you're gonna have fun!