Brilliant Beth !!! That shakedown helped you learn so much. The best thing to prepare for hiking is hiking and going to work is a great idea. Having a goal of miles per day is good to have but don't let it be the priority. I think your plan to record animals is brilliant and that should be your main focus, everything else will follow so to speak. The chaffing is a pain and I've solved the same problem with cycle shorts or pants. Pants might be the go for you as that would also fix the tick problem. And yes the water. The color is often from tannins in leaves so just think of it as natural. As for the time it takes to filter just do the filtering when your doing something else like having lunch or resting or setting up your tent. I have found you can lean the bladder against something else and it just flows into the bottle while your busy doing something else and before you know it you're done. You've done all the hard work so I'm sure you'll be fine. Sorry if I sound like a know it all, just hoping to help. Happy trails 🙂
That was an awesome recollection of a brutal hike! I'm a HUGE user of my wee soap because I, too, have a "thing" with clean hands. I wash them all the time and on trail, clean hands with soap make me feel a billion times better. It just helps me so much I can't explain it. I support carrying small soap! You won't regret it.
Chaffing/tics/overgrown trail sections -- pants or leggings. Coffee -- mix the coffee with something like breakfast essentials. It'll "stretch" the coffee and add calories. Pace -- at first taking it slow is the way to go. Break yourself in without breaking yourself down. I've seen a few hikers this year taking three days to Lake Morena. Enjoy that early segment of trail that so many just jet through. The longer you take in the desert, the less sketchy the Sierra thaw will be. Whatever pace you choose, there will be advantages to your decisions. Focus on them, and you will en+joy your trek in the fullest sense of the word as your sense of joy will well up from within you, bolstering your confidence. The universe is right on time; so are you.
You are one of the most prepared, sensible backpackers that I have ever seen on UA-cam. 1) I love my 3/4 length ccf pad for break time. 2) Are you dead set against lightweight hiking pants? Have you tried them? They keep the bugs and the sun off your legs and protect them from brush as well. 3) I saw a small rattlesnake on my short day hike this weekend. 4) Good to hear I'm not the only one who dislikes the backpacker meals. I prefer stuff I might eat in every day life like peanut butter, mixed nuts, salami, cheese, instant mashed, etc. 5) Great observation on the amount of food; everybody does that it seems. Few people recognize it as a problem. I have yet to run out of food as the few times I might have, I just reduced the amount that I ate a few days before resupply (7 to 8 days between resupplies in the Sierra). Finally, don't worry about creating content for the people following you on UA-cam. Take pictures and videotape what you want to remember for yourself.
One item I have found huge success with is a pair of super lightweight/thin base layers for my legs. They prevent any chaffing, keep bugs from biting my legs for the most part, and helps with brush! It’s not as warm as it seems, and by setting them at water crossings they hold moisture for a bit helping to keep you cool 👌🏻 You seem to find so many snakes on your hikes.. I would be terrified! 😂
I ALMOST brought my base layer and decided against it. I wish I did because I would have liked to see how I felt in them when it's really hot. The snakes must know I am a safe place haha!
Try bicycling shorts. Don't overthink things. Don't worry about others. Just do YOUR hike. Get used to brown water and being dirty. You are going to be dirty and have no choice about water. You're preparing well. You will do great.
Longer shorts is awesome against chafing. 🙂 Oh, and I hope you learned to take it slow when you start the trail. Ease yourself into it, that way your body will last.
The scenery on your hike looked beautiful. Is it ok to ask where you all were on that hike? Also, I had to laugh because I'm also a person who doesn't like to put sprays or lotions on my body when hiking 😅 I thought I was the only one.
Nope, I'm another backpacker that hates using sunscreen and bug spray (of any kind). It feels horrible, worse that just pain dirt, gets in my eyes and mouth when I sweat, and contaminates the streams and lakes when I get in to cool down and rinse off the dirt. Bonus in not using this stuff is I don't polute the water with the stuff either (it can't be good for the aquatic insects and fish). I do bring along some hand lotion on trips longer than a few days and moisturize every night before sleep. Otherwise the skin on my fingers start to crack.
There is a Leslie Singlton with daughter heading NOBO. I follow all you hikers from my hospital bed but she hasn’t posted in 8 days and was posting daily. Pass this info on please I hope by my subscribing to all of you I can relay messages too through comments here
Youre doing amazing on your shake downs. Learning is the point. Things will all iron out as you are in trail. Keep trekking. 😀
Yes!! You have to take pictures!!
If I was as good as you, it definitely wouldn't slip my mind!
Brilliant Beth !!! That shakedown helped you learn so much. The best thing to prepare for hiking is hiking and going to work is a great idea. Having a goal of miles per day is good to have but don't let it be the priority. I think your plan to record animals is brilliant and that should be your main focus, everything else will follow so to speak. The chaffing is a pain and I've solved the same problem with cycle shorts or pants. Pants might be the go for you as that would also fix the tick problem. And yes the water. The color is often from tannins in leaves so just think of it as natural. As for the time it takes to filter just do the filtering when your doing something else like having lunch or resting or setting up your tent. I have found you can lean the bladder against something else and it just flows into the bottle while your busy doing something else and before you know it you're done. You've done all the hard work so I'm sure you'll be fine. Sorry if I sound like a know it all, just hoping to help. Happy trails 🙂
Thanks George! All of that is really helpful!
Good luck on the PCT.....go RPK ! I recognized our town in your video!
arcteryx shorts! 5l” insteam! a must!
All these prep/vlog videos before your thru are really hyping up your series. Can’t wait to watch!
That was an awesome recollection of a brutal hike! I'm a HUGE user of my wee soap because I, too, have a "thing" with clean hands. I wash them all the time and on trail, clean hands with soap make me feel a billion times better. It just helps me so much I can't explain it. I support carrying small soap! You won't regret it.
Chaffing/tics/overgrown trail sections -- pants or leggings.
Coffee -- mix the coffee with something like breakfast essentials. It'll "stretch" the coffee and add calories.
Pace -- at first taking it slow is the way to go. Break yourself in without breaking yourself down. I've seen a few hikers this year taking three days to Lake Morena. Enjoy that early segment of trail that so many just jet through. The longer you take in the desert, the less sketchy the Sierra thaw will be.
Whatever pace you choose, there will be advantages to your decisions. Focus on them, and you will en+joy your trek in the fullest sense of the word as your sense of joy will well up from within you, bolstering your confidence.
The universe is right on time; so are you.
You are one of the most prepared, sensible backpackers that I have ever seen on UA-cam. 1) I love my 3/4 length ccf pad for break time. 2) Are you dead set against lightweight hiking pants? Have you tried them? They keep the bugs and the sun off your legs and protect them from brush as well. 3) I saw a small rattlesnake on my short day hike this weekend. 4) Good to hear I'm not the only one who dislikes the backpacker meals. I prefer stuff I might eat in every day life like peanut butter, mixed nuts, salami, cheese, instant mashed, etc. 5) Great observation on the amount of food; everybody does that it seems. Few people recognize it as a problem. I have yet to run out of food as the few times I might have, I just reduced the amount that I ate a few days before resupply (7 to 8 days between resupplies in the Sierra). Finally, don't worry about creating content for the people following you on UA-cam. Take pictures and videotape what you want to remember for yourself.
Thank you!
You may be overthinking a tad, but I get it, I did too!!
One item I have found huge success with is a pair of super lightweight/thin base layers for my legs. They prevent any chaffing, keep bugs from biting my legs for the most part, and helps with brush! It’s not as warm as it seems, and by setting them at water crossings they hold moisture for a bit helping to keep you cool 👌🏻
You seem to find so many snakes on your hikes.. I would be terrified! 😂
I ALMOST brought my base layer and decided against it. I wish I did because I would have liked to see how I felt in them when it's really hot. The snakes must know I am a safe place haha!
Try bicycling shorts. Don't overthink things. Don't worry about others. Just do YOUR hike. Get used to brown water and being dirty. You are going to be dirty and have no choice about water. You're preparing well. You will do great.
Blaze says this is the main problem people have; they don’t train with weight which leads to injuries on trail.
Longer shorts is awesome against chafing. 🙂
Oh, and I hope you learned to take it slow when you start the trail. Ease yourself into it, that way your body will last.
I definitely re evaluated my plan to make it to Lake Morena on night one!
The scenery on your hike looked beautiful. Is it ok to ask where you all were on that hike? Also, I had to laugh because I'm also a person who doesn't like to put sprays or lotions on my body when hiking 😅 I thought I was the only one.
I believe this is Lake Sonoma 😁
Yes it's Lake Sonoma!
Thank you both. It looks beautiful
Nope, I'm another backpacker that hates using sunscreen and bug spray (of any kind). It feels horrible, worse that just pain dirt, gets in my eyes and mouth when I sweat, and contaminates the streams and lakes when I get in to cool down and rinse off the dirt. Bonus in not using this stuff is I don't polute the water with the stuff either (it can't be good for the aquatic insects and fish). I do bring along some hand lotion on trips longer than a few days and moisturize every night before sleep. Otherwise the skin on my fingers start to crack.
@Michael B great points! I would rather have a sunburn than the smell or feel of that stuff on me. I'm glad I'm not the only one 🙂
P.S. -- Have you tried testing your Garmin on the way to and from work?
There is a Leslie Singlton with daughter heading NOBO. I follow all you hikers from my hospital bed but she hasn’t posted in 8 days and was posting daily. Pass this info on please I hope by my subscribing to all of you I can relay messages too through comments here
Your friend seemed to show no sympathy when your boyfriend fell…
Yeah she is a jerk!