Backpacking

[InbetweenDreams]

Well I think for the time being, like you said, would be to practice loading the pack and figuring out how to distribute the weight... As far as backpacking, far too hot to do much as I came back completely soaked head to toe in sweat.

However, bike touring is still very much something I can do during the summer and can still test out the gear. The only difference is that for touring I would go for the butane grill instead... At 5lbs and its size just a bit too big unless I got a larger backpack...which while I would be ok with the weight but I need to know that I'm not going to kill over trying to haul more and more weight. I mean I'm definitely getting in better shape...heart rate dropped down to 48 yesterday...kind of made me nervous at first but everyone is telling me not to worry.

[Camfer]

A 5-pound butane grill is great for car camping, a picnic, or emergency cooking at home. It's not so good for bike touring due to its bulky size and heavy weight.

You can take a backpacking stove for bike touring. It would eliminate more than half the weight of that grill. I know you're done buying gear right now, but for $100 you can get an MSR backpacking stove that will burn all kinds of fuels, like white gas, kerosene, unleaded gas, etc. Get a heat shield too. I relied on one for a week out in the Andean high country and it worked great and the 20 oz fuel still had fuel left after providing all our need for 2 guys for the whole week.

I'm still wondering about why your pack straps are not staying tight. Are you sure they are threaded properly through the buckles? And yeah, shoulder soreness does come with carrying a pack.

[InbetweenDreams]

Yeah 5lbs doesn't seem all too much but it is a significant portion compared to the rest of the gear... I haven't done a loaded ride with the trailer but with a small load it didn't slow me down too bad. I have a Burley Nomad trailer which makes loading stuff very easy...also easy to load way too much as it can hold 100 lbs -- which is way too much for most people to pull. I figure about 35lbs (including the trailer itself) is pretty well the max for me currently. I plan on adding a larger cog on the back to have a bail out gear while going up hills with heavy loads...

As for the straps, they may not be threaded properly, haven't made any changes, threaded as it was when I bought it.... It is an inexpensive backpack from Wal-Mart -- perhaps that will explain it right there lol. Holds 47 liters and is just enough to hold all the stuff. Probably should have got a larger pack...

[Camfer]

The great thing about a small pack is you can't overpack!

[InbetweenDreams]

You should ruff it and bring nothing. Not even clothes. You will come back stronger and better for doing so. Eat bugs and use branches as shelter or covering at night. What does not kill you makes you stronger. And good luck.

Haha...No.

The great thing about a small pack is you can't overpack!

This is true, however definitely means you have to pack the right things.

[LJay]

[MENTION=23180]axle2152[/MENTION], one of the things you will want to study eventually is the efficiency of various fuels--butane vs. gas, etc. As Camfer mentions, some of the specialty stoves really put out a lot of heat from very little fuel. That is a great thing when you want to avoid carrying the weight of fuel. The windscreen is a major asset. Using the kind of stove you have without a carefully set up screen will mean that most of the heat will be dissipated. Makes for a frustratingly long time to boil water.

[InbetweenDreams]

So I went up the rim trail again with a friend. We went in a little over 2.5 miles making about 5.28 miles in total. It was about 1,500 feet in elevation gain and took over 4 hours...and it was hot and muggy and then it rained.

One thing that appears to be a potentially a major problem, the backpack is not water resistant at all. After it rained and got back to the house I found that everything in my pack was damp or wet. Question is can it be sprayed with something like camp dry to help deal with that and how long to expect that to last. Damp is one thing but when your ham radio is soaken wet can become a big problem.

Otherwise it was a good day hike and was able to try out some new clothing I got from Eddie Bauer...didn't really plan on spending the extra money or to go to the mall but I had too much time to kill.

Anyway, I think some wanted to see my pack so here it is...and a few pictures on the trail.

[Camfer]

A nylon rain poncho that goes over you and the pack would help keep the rain off. You can put all your stuff in a waterproof bag inside the pack. You can try applying the water repellent, but I would not rely on that alone.

You might find it more comfortable with the chest strap another inch or two lower down. Experiment to find what is right for you.

[InbetweenDreams]

Yeah you know I almost bought a poncho and should have. I was going to delay getting one but mother nature always has kind reminders. I have a feeling the repellent wouldn't be all too effective...does work well on tents in my past experiences. When I was a teenager I would leave tents up for months...it was kind of a hangout and a way to get out of the house while I was at the house.

One thing I didn't mention were the new socks, while I didn't go for the smart wool socks I did find some non-cotton work socks and wow they made a difference. While my feet did eventually get wet from sweat and probably the rain I never had any soreness or felt like I might end up with a blister. One thing that would be a concern is drying out the boots...I would think dry boots, socks and feet are generally a good thing but I suppose there are instances where that simply isn't possible.

[MikeW]

Come visit me in California [MENTION=23180]axle2152[/MENTION] and we'll go back packing in Yosemite's high country...







In my experience there is little more exciting and terrifying than being caught in a lightning storm at 10,000 feet that is first rain and then turns to snow.... in mid July.

LOL!!!