Trail Angel

Well, I like all the stoves that MSR offers. Went into a local supply shop and got to play around with two of them in particular. The Super Fly and Pocket Rocket. I originally thought that the Whisperlite was going to be the one for me, with the whole multi-fuel property…but frankly, I don’t get on the trail frequently enough, or for long enough hikes to justify it. So I think we are going to go with one that is bound to use the mixed fuel in the MSR canister. Also, I have heard plenty of nightmare stories about priming and setting tables on fire, etc, so lets play it safe too while we’re at it.

I’ll let you know which one I end up getting and also how it compares to say, Sterno.

For a good read, and frankly, one that really sold me, checkout this article: http://www.thru-hiker.com/articles.asp?subcat=2&cid=42

Hey gang, if you are having trouble viewing the site, give it a few days, we are moving to a new server which required a DNS update. We will be back you with you shortly…

well, the dieting is getting tough. i took a trip about 2 weeks ago and it threw me off. actually, during the trip i was able to eat pretty well, but got out of the habit of tracking my points. so now I haven’t been walking, haven’t been tracking points and in general, i am putting the weight right back on. which is going to make hiking 10-15 mile days VERY tough. once we put our itinerary together, maybe that will motivate me to dig down and stay motivated.

well, even though I don’t have too much to update on training, i found that Bryan’s post about marathon training to be interesting and informative. I wonder if hikers hit “the bonk”? Doubt it because usually, according to what i have read, you can find a shelter before you are too exhausted to proceed. and I don’t remember ever feeling like I couldn’t possibly move another step.

anyway, I am using this tool called an ActiTrainer and I really like its graphing capability. Here is a shot of my calories burned for this week so far. I am burning almost 1000+ extra calories/day. Pretty cool.

with just 5 months to prepare for 3-4 days of hiking, i have a lot of time. Of course, that time spans the holidays. So I need to be prepared for encountering lots of delicious food, and still being ready. right now, i am planning on combating it by just walking as frequently as I can. sometimes in the rain – and gradually wearing more stuff on my back. for instance, i definitely get thirsty while walking, why not put a couple gallons of water in my pack and walk with that? at least i can get a drink and get used to carrying 20-30 pounds. but i am going to gradually get to that point – for now, just walking 5 miles seems to be enough.

its october and our next hike is planned for late March. I am trying to get the counter at left -> to work correctly, but we’ll see how it goes. My biggest concern is being out of shape. I can walk 4-7 miles without too much trouble – on the road. But get me on a trail with 45 pounds of gear – and I am getting a little nervous. So I have started a mini training regiment involving more walking when i can and even carrying extra weight just to get used to heavier walking. I am also eating fast-food much less frequently. I’ll keep you posted on how it goes.