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June 14, 2010 10:10 am
Treking poles have gained a lot of popularity recently. I have never been a fan of them. People who use them swear by them, even ex non-believers like me:)
I have read countless articles debating their pro’s vs cons. On the one hand using them is supposed to help absorb shock to your knees, help provide stability which can improve posture and reduce back injuries. They are also helpful for river crossing’s and other situations where maintaining balance can be tricky.
The argument against them is you expend more energy and burn more calories using them. Maybe not such a big deal on a 3-4 day hike but on a 6 month thru-hike your burning 3000-5000 calories a day and those calories aren’t so easy to come by. Expending extra energy is a serious consideration.
Even if you only use them for stability and impact reduction in certain situations, you have to carry them the rest of the time and then the extra weight is a concern.
Well after much debate I have caved in and bought a pair. I am much older than the average person attempting a thru-hike and my knees aren’t feeling all spring chicken either. So with much hesitation I’ll give them a shot, but they are on the top of my list to get mailed home if I deam them not worth it.
I did manage to get a pair of the Ultralight series and they weigh very little. I knew I should have picked them up in NYC though, I could have saved $25. Oh well.
June 14, 2010 1:46 am
Wrapping up my stay here in Portland, ME. It has been very nice! I have found some nice walking trails to get in shape on, finalized my gear, seen most of down town, ate some great food and watched some World Cup.
The weather has been grey, rainy and foggy but I am ok with that since the rest of the week looks to be pretty nice and I’ll be camping from here out.
Getting up very early tomorrow to catch a bus ride to Bangor. I have arranged a ride from Bangor to Millnocket where Baxter State Park is and Mt. Katahdin.
I am excited, but measured and focused on the task ahead. Katahdin is no joke at almost 5,300 feet (well for us east coasters anyhow;)) Hoping for a good nights rest, up early for some yoga and will get settled in at Baxter State Park tomorrow. Will hopefully climb Katahdin Wednesday.
June 12, 2010 1:23 pm
Anyone who has taken a bus ride that is longer than 4 hours knows its about the absolute worst way to travel. I just got off in Portland, ME after 8 hours of bus hell. My body feels like a pro wrestler tossed me around like pizza dough and I am running on about 4 hours sleep (for the week). It’s nothing a Guiness and a week of yoga won’t cure though:)
So why would I take a 8 hour bus ride at midnight no less, to Portland when I could have taken a much faster train. Well…
WORLD CUP!!! I Am a soccer fanatic. I believe there is no sporting event in the world that rivals the World Cup. I have come to terms with the fact that I will miss most of it due to the hike. There are however 2 games I am set on not missing. USA vs England and the final.
I would have been cutting it close by train. So I hoped a midnight bus out of NYC so I could be in town in time for the big game. Now to find a place to settle in and enjoy the worlds greatest sporting event!
GO USA!!!:)
June 11, 2010 6:05 pm
Crazy Indeed! Leaving for Portland Maine.
[youtube fGKVpTRe8GM Society]
June 10, 2010 10:53 pm
Don’t have time to shoot pictures of all of it but here’s the final gear list. Looks like a lot but many items are small. Will get a shot of the loaded pack up soon.
Hammock
Backpack
Stakes
Nail clippers
Water Filter, Iodine Tablets & PA Neutralizer
Water reservoir
Water bottles 2
Rope
Hooks
Trowel
Knife
Fire starter & waterproof safety matches
Penny Stove
Denatured Alcohol
First aid kit
Head lamp
Bug net
Rain poncho
Shell (jacket wicking layer)
Hat
Towel
River/Camp Shoes
Bandanna
2 t-shirts
1 long sleeve shirt
1 Fleece
3 heavy duty socks
2 liner socks
1 Pair of pant/shorts (legs zip off to make shorts)
Data book
Ziplocks
Blister prevention/treatment (second skin)
Toothbrush
Tweezers
Toothpaste
Bug
Sun
Glide (anti-chafe)
Soap
Ibuprofen
TP
Sanitizer
P38 can opener
Goddess pendants:)
Phone
Camera
Zen mp3 player
Charger (one for both phone and mp3 player)
House keys
Debit card
Drivers license
Plastic bags (for hauling out garbage)
June 10, 2010 10:53 pm
While today’s camera phones are getting better I have higher standards, especially for a trip like this. So I have to bring a good point & shoot camera. One of my main concerns was how to get the photos from my point and shoot up to this site.
My droid uses micro SD cards. My camera standard SD cards. I found a adapter that will now let me take pictures using the point and shoot and save them to a micro SD card. I can then take the micro card, insert it into my Droid phone and viola! 12 mega pixel image stabilized photos uploaded to this site via my phone but shot with the camera! I am sooo very happy this worked out. Hope you enjoy the photos!!!:)
June 10, 2010 10:53 pm
I’m not to big on canned food (preservatives and chemicals yuk!!!) and I’m sure they won’t have Whole Foods Wild Caught Salmon at a small grocery store in the woods, but inevitably I will at some point have to eat canned food.
So I picked up a couple of these P38 can openers. They were developed by the military during WWII. Super light and tiny:)
June 5, 2010 12:13 pm
I leave for Maine in 1 week now. I am filled with a mix of emotions.
Due to certain events in my personal life the last 2 months have been somewhat hellish and I at one point decided to cancel the hike all together. I have pushed through all of that though and I am now almost ready to leave. Nervous something will go wrong, confident I can totally pull this off, excited to start the “Journey of a lifetime”, and somewhat anxious.
I am not at all in the physical shape I had hoped to be but I am getting better the last week or so. I will take it slow at first and rely a little on the saying “The trail will get you in shape”.
Things regarding the hike have been going very well. There were a few things I had either procrastinated on or wasn’t sure about. Everything is coming together quite nicely actually. I had an equipment order that at the time of ordering I wasn’t sure would be ready in time, but it should be here by Tuesday at the latest. Its the last of my gear.
I was a bit unsure and nervous about how I was going to get from Bangor, ME to Baxter State Park where the north end of the trail begins but I have found a shuttle service. I could save some money and take a bus to Medway, ME and then get a ride from Medway to BSP but the bus doesn’t get into Medway until 7:30 and the park closes at 8:30 so its cutting it to close. Better to pay a little extra for a ride than have to stay in Medway or Millnocket a extra night.
June 4, 2010 11:37 pm
Sea To Summit Pocket Shower
weight: 4.25 oz
Capacity: 10 liters
Shower time: 7 mins
View Site
June 4, 2010 11:30 pm
Ultralight Towel