Backpacking Project: Update

I left the woods for a day to recover, and that gives me the opportunity to update you on the Backpacking Project. I'll give a detailed report when I return from vacation in two weeks, but I completed a short overnight with my friend Ian and Baxter the faithful hound. I made mistakes, many mistakes,and the trip didn't go as planned, but all three of us had a good time, and I am now a backpacker.

Next backpacking trip is next week, and that will end my vacation. Back into the woods, and back to a quiet blog.

Backpacking Project - Friends

"Remember, George: no man is a failure who has friends." - It's A Wonderful Life

So far in the Backpacking Project posts, I've discussed the pack, the problem I had with getting a pack, boots, my packing list, and more. And while all those things are important, I think most important of all is the fact that I'm going to be doing these trips with friends.

Admittedly these are friends who I've met while publicly living what Donald Miller might call a "good story." I knew none of them before they expressed an interest in taking me into the woods. The cynical might say they simply feel sorry for me. Cynicism is its own reward. The online backpacking community has been amazingly supportive of my taking on this challenge, even while assuring me its not a challenge at all. I disagree with them about how difficult I might find backpacking, but still the support has been wonderful. I've learned so much and I expect to learn much more as the Backpacking Project continues.

In particular the three friends leading me on trips deserve mention. First of all is Ian, who is guiding me on the Loyalsock Link Trail in 8 days. This will be a three day trip of 18 miles, with the possibility of an additional
stretch to the area known as the Haystacks. The hike is described at Midatlantic Hikes, and I've poached the photo from the hike description at the link, Ian is going to introduce me to hammock camping. I suspect I'll have a lot to write about on that subject, as well as the wonders of the Loyalsock. I look forward to Ian's company as well as that of the loyal hound Baxter.

Ten days after the Loyalsock I'm meeting Adam for an overnight on the Appalachian Trail here in PA. Adam is an enthusiastic backpacker with a challenging health problem that would keep many men inside. In other words, he's the reason for this blog. Adam is going to have me on the ground instead of the air - where Ian is loaning me a hammock for the Loyalsock, I'm borrowing an ultralight tent for the AT trip. Our distance will depend on how the two of us feel and the suitability of a spot for pitching a tent.

Then next month I travel to Virginia for an overnight trip with John, the man who sent me his boots for my backpacking trips Our destination isn't set yet, nor the dates, but we are aiming for July, and the AT is probably the trail. We would most likely camp at one of the trail shelters.

A Taste For The Woods isn't just a home for my writing, or a an account of trips in the outdoors, but its also a celebration of friendship. I love the outdoors alone, but I push myself hard and further when I'm with friends, and the world, rich as it is, seems richer still in good company. Regardless of how these trips turn out I expect to have a great time with Ian, Adam, and John. Thank you in advance, friends.

Backpacking Project - Hiking With A Full Pack

I had the pack. I had the poles. I now had boots. It was time to try a full pack.

Or at least a fuller pack. My pack weight came to 13 pounds approximately, which means about nine pounds of stuff and four of pack. That's probably a pound or two less than I'll actually carry in two weeks on the Loyalsock. I used clothing I had in the back of the car to weight the pack.

The location of the hike was Warwick County Park, starting from Mount Pleasant Road trailhead, and
heading toward French Creek. The trail is the former right of way of the long gone Sowbelly Railroad, and isn't like the Loyalsock, but a man has to start somewhere.

My hike took me to French Creek's vista, overgrown as expected, and back for about three miles. The scenery was lovely as expected, and this is a park I hike in frequently, but since this was a shakedown or testing hike, I'll leave descriptions of the views for another post.

Welcome to Pennsylvania.

Here are my takeaways from the three miles, starting at the ground and going up....

Boots: The new boots from my friend John are better at support than the Brooks Cascadia trail runners. That said, as I mentioned in the last Backpacking Project post, the boots are slightly too large. I slid a little side to side and front to back on grades. I think tighter lacing and thicker socks will minimize this problem. The boots handled well on both rock and dirt, and I felt comfortable in them. I didn't have any plantar problems. The orthotic insole stayed in place.

Also, there was a psychological benefit that I won't dismiss. I always associate hiking with boots, and just having them on helped me form an image of me as a backpacker. Yes, I know I can hike in anything, and I encourage all my readers to hike their own hike, but still, the boots helped both my feet and my mind.

Poles: John criticized me for having my poles too short, and I corrected that this hike. The poles did their job, and there's nothing more to say.

Clothing: I didn't wear the clothes I am hiking in on the Loyalsock. No special reason. I'd just not done laundry. Cotton was fine for the three miles.

Pack: The fitting REI did was OK. The weight rested on my hips and not on my shoulders. However, there was one odd feeling I had. As you might have noticed from my photos, I have a spinal curvature. While the pack didn't hurt my back, it did force me into a different posture, one more upright than my normal scoliosis slouch. My back muscles feel, well, confused at being forced to take a different position. So do my arms and shoulders. I expect some soreness tomorrow from the fatigue tonight.

Food: I ate badly before hiking and suffered. Note to self - do not eat a heavy meal ten minutes before hiking. Hydration was fine.

Fatigue: Yes, I am worn out. Hiking with a pack takes more out of you, and I am tired. Of course I was tied before the hike for reasons I won't discuss here, so it might not be entirely the hike's fault.

The most important takeaway is that I feel I can do this, and while I am going to be challenged during my three days on the Loyalsock, I will be a backpacker. And after this hike, I consider myself one now.

Backpacking Project - New Boots

If you've been following the Backpacking Project posts, you recall I discovered last week that the boots I'd purchased in 2010 for hiking no longer fit. Well, the backpacking community came through for me again.

Among the many friends I've made online since starting the Backpacking Project is John, who is planning an AT through hike in 2015. He told me he had Vasque boots that were too large for him, and he didn't wear them anymore. In previous conversations we'd already discovered common links - we both love our Brooks Cascadias trail runners and Osprey Atmos packs, and we are both weight loss success stories - and it turns out we have the same shoe size. Friday morning thanks to John and the US Postal Service I received the boots, and I wore them to work that day to break them in.

The boots are the Vasque Breeze 2.0 with Gore-Tex. John was off on the size, which Vasque claims is US 14. The European measure they give, 48, indicates a size of about 13.5 US. I now use orthotic insoles that take up about half a shoe size in room. This puts the boots at about a 13, which is the size of my cycling shoes, my Brooks Cascadia and other athletic shoes, and most of my casual and dress shoes. The Asolo boots are a 12.

The fit isn't as tight as my Asolo boots. Even in 2010 when my feet were smaller the Asolo were tight. The Vasque are larger, and I don't feel squeezed in them. I realize hiking boots are supposed to be snug fitting so your feet don't move around in them, but I think the little extra room in the Vasque will be beneficial. After exertion or a long day I have swelling up to a half shoe size in my nerve damaged right foot, so much so that I sometimes will have my shoe off under my desk at work.

Here is a side by side by side comparison - Asolo, Vasque Breeze, and the foot of a formerly sedentary man etc etc etc. I won't be wearing those socks on the hike. I'm sending the Asolo boots to John, who will try them out.

Meanwhile, I've hit it off so well with John that he's going to lead me on my third backpacking trip, an overnight on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia in July or August. They say to know a man you have to walk a mile in his shoes. Well, I'm doing just that.....

Backpacking Project - Eating

As I mentioned in the Packing List post, for food on my upcoming backpacking trip on the Loyalsock Link Loop trail I was going to go with basic items that cook quickly in little water. This includes oatmeal, Knorr packaged pasta meals, and pouched tuna. Unfortunately I don't own a food dehydrator and I will be car camping for a week before the trip so I won't be able to prepare homemade alternatives.

My concerns are carrying enough calories to prevent this trip from turning into a Pennsylvania version of the Donner Party and having foods that won't upset my stomach. Exertion causes me to develop a ravenous appetite, and I'm going to be pushing myself harder than I normally do. I'm not a forager, and while I have a copy of Euell Gibbons' Stalking The Wild Asparagus on my bookshelf I'm not going to trust myself to start using it this trip. (Besides it adds to the pack weight.)

Aside from eating, there's the result of eating. I have what a more reserved generation would call "a nervous stomach" and I'm going to be under considerable stress during the trip even if it goes well. The last thing I want is to add to the potential physical discomfort I'll suffer by adding IBS to the mix.

So then, here is what I will eat for my three days and two nights on the trail. As usual your comments are helpful to me, as they help me rethink my choices.

Breakfast:
Instant oatmeal, two packets
instant hot chocolate

Lunch:
Day one - peanut butter sandwiches brought with me
Day two and three - Knorr pasta packages

Dinner:
Knorr pasta packages
Bumblebee or Starkist pouched tuna, various flavors

Snacks:
Trail mix

Backpacking Project - So long to Asolo

As I mentioned in the last Backpacking Project post, I needed new insoles to keep my developing PF symptoms at bay. And in the post several months ago discussing "Footwear for Hiking", I wrote about my feet shrinking back into my Asolo hiking boots. Well, that didn't happen. My feet are still too big for the boots, and the addition of the insoles renders the boots unwearable. So my Asolos are destined for a hiker's flea market - they have little wear, easily less than a 100 miles - and I'm left with the problem of deciding what I wear during my trip in two weeks.

I currently have three choices:

1. Buy new boots. While this choice might prompt cries of joy on online forums, my budget doesn't extend to new boots this year. So unless I luck into some massive clearance sale, have an unexpected flush of cash, or get a gift (I need a size 13, gentle readers), my choices are reduced to:

2. Hike in the new Cascadias. I'm now on the Cascadia 8, the 7 above being worn out. I've put the new insoles in, and the shoes are comfortable, but I don't know about for six to eight miles of backpacking. Brooks says the shoes are not intended for backpacking, but my load will be relatively light, and when you consider the shoes are already supporting over 300 pounds.... still, its either these or.....

3. Hike in the Ozark Trail boots I purchased on a whim a few months ago. If you aren't familiar with the brand of boot, its the house label for Wal-Mart. (Yes, I do at times shop at the Beast of Bentonville.) I'd toyed with the idea of doing a cheap boot vs Asolo comparison for you, gentle reader, but I'd never gotten around to it. The Ozark Trail boots size 13 last had to have been designed for Sasquatch; the fit improved with the replacement orthotic insoles, but the boots are still wide on me. A hike of a mile on pavement seemed OK. Again the boots don't perform as well as my Asolo did, or perhaps as well as a top of the line boot, but the goal is to get me through this trip. I'd only use the boots for the two backpacking trips - the three day on the 11th and the overnight on the 21st - and perhaps as a second choice to the Cascadias on day hikes.

The Backpacking Project posts have been the most popular on A Taste For The Woods, and the hiking community is very supportive of my goals. Please, share your thoughts in the comments below. Should I backpack in the Ozark Trail boots? The Cascadias? Something else?

Backpacking Project - Boots and Insoles

How did you spend President's Day?

Readers will remember three months ago I had a little fall at the Kimmel Overlook on the Appalachian Trail. The Emergency Room at my local hospital diagnosed a "soft tissue injury" in my right heel and sent me home with crutches and a boot. I used the crutches three days and wore the boot for four, and then took it easy for a few more. My first hike after the fall was ten days later, and I've been hiking since.

However, the past couple of nights at work I've had occasional tenderness in that same heel. I suspect its because I'm wearing shoes that don't support my arches. Or I should write my fallen arches, as like many fat and former fat people my arches are flattened. Since I don't want the problem to worsen either before or during my planned trip I'm going to get replacement insoles for my shoes and my hiking boots. Also, because I suspect this is the beginning of plantar facsiitis, I'm starting the stretching routines recommended for people with PF. Meanwhile my hiking preparations continue.

Backpacking Project - Getting Used To The Pack in Corporate America

I have quirky ideas. One was prompted yesterday by the knowledge I have three weeks to get used to the backpack, and to carrying items in it. So I couldn't think of a better way to continue my 'training' on days I don't hike by carrying the pack into work. My office is used to my being 'weird' - after all, I spend my free time outside instead of getting drunk or watching television like normal Americans do - so I didn't get a second glance when I wore the pack to my desk. It was a light load, consisting of lunch, a few books, headphones and MP3 player, and a shirt in the bottom of the pack, but was a load and I feel it helped. My back is bad, and very bad at times, and those muscles need to get used to my Atmos.

I tried to have the pack match my attire. For some reason I couldn't find my orange tie, so I had to coordinate with my socks. I think it worked.

Still, good as I looked, and comfortable as the pack was, I long for the day I'm not wearing a tie and loafers, but my hiking shirt and boots, and earning the description "backpacker." That day is in three weeks.

Backpacking Project - Pack List

Time for my preliminary list of gear I will be wearing and carrying on my three day trip on the Loyalsock Link Loop Trail. We are doing this over three days, two nights, for a distance of 18 miles, along with a potential few additional miles if we, meaning I, have more in the legs and want to see the rapids known as The Haystacks. Expedition leader is my friend Ian, and Baxter is the official dog.

I'm not listing weight of items below, and I've backed off my initial estimate of 9.5 pounds. That was unrealistic for a first time backpacker and for one my size - my clothes are bigger and I'll carry more food, for starters, than the tiny people who are over-represented in the hobby.

That said, here is the preliminary list:

CLOTHING

One par of Cabela's Guidewear pants.

My typical hiking ensemble, minus the fisherman's shirt. 

One Columbia fisherman's shirt
Asolo hiking boots
Three pairs of athletic underwear
Two pairs of wool Columbia hiking socks
baseball cap
HIKE For Mental Health bandana
running shorts or swimsuit and athletic t shirt
Crocs for camp shoes

Its not the just the voice of my mother telling me to wear clean underwear; like many former super-obese people, I have a lot of loose skin, and I'm prone to rashes in certain places if I don't keep clean. I've found I can safely reuse wool socks a day before the ick factor gets to me. All of this clothing is synthetic or wool aside from the bandana and baseball cap.

SHELTER

Hammock I am being loaned for the trip. Ian tells me the weight of the hammock is 2 pounds, which includes the top tarp. He's suggested I use two additional coverings which will add 2 pounds to the shelter. In addition I'll bring a microfiber travel pillow.

KITCHEN

Ian is loaning me an alcohol stove and titanium mess kit. I'll bring my spork.

WATER

Ian is carrying a water filter, and filling up in a stream should be easy. I'll carry a couple of water bottles on my person and in the pack.

FOOD

This will be my basic bike camping recipe of Knorr's instant items, packaged tuna, and oatmeal. I'll have fat person snacks with me, especially on the first day. Tea will be English Breakfast, as I need a strong brew in the mornings.

BATHROOM

Paper, camp soap, toothpaste in a plastic bag, toothbrush. I'll have to ask Ian if I should bring my own trowel. I think I should; I'd feel uncomfortable borrowing his knowing what he'd used it for. Since we live in Ticksylvania I'll spray and carry repellent and use sunscreen.

PERSONAL

Camera, cell phone, batteries for camera, lightweight headphones, MP3 player. These and the car keys go in my pockets, not the pack.

BACKPACK

Osprey Atmos 50

POLES

Inexpensive aluminum poles from my friend Chris.

What am I overlooking? What am I doing wrong? I know you have an opinion, please share it in the comments.

Backpacking Project - The Pack

ATasteForTheWoods‏@ATaste4TheWoods

@OspreyPacks thank you for making a pack that fits a 48 inch waist. @REI thank you for helping me find it last night pic.twitter.com/S5grd9fTOk

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Its appropriate I include the Tweet here, since the pack is named for a bird. The pack I am wearing is an Osprey Atmos 50. I'm carrying a ten pound weight, and despite that I'm comfortable. Admittedly the carpeted floor of an REI store isn't the same as a hiking trail, but I think its a good sign a guy with a bad back can carry a pack without discomfort. 

The much discussed problem with the hip belt getting around my waist wasn't a problem. The Atmos has a long belt, and the hip pads expand forward to offer more support. Unlike the Gregory and REI hour brand packs I tried, the Atmos adjusted so the bulk of the weight falls on my hips. I had been told that due to my waist size more of the weight would be on my shoulders, but the Atmos proved that claim false. 

Now that I have the pack, I need to build up muscles so I don't have to be broken in, or broken, on

the Loyalsock and AT. Last night I took the pack out for a walk at Warwick County Park with a light load - I threw a pair of jeans and a shirt in, and headed out. My back was sore at the start from not sleeping well, and it was sore at the end, but less so, which means the pack is free of blame. Since this was a two mile hike on gentle ground I didn't bother changing into unnatural fibers or boots, so forgive me for wearing cotton. I promise not to do so on my backpacking trips. 

Backpacking Project - When Loyalsock

Date for the three days on the Loyalsock - Link Loop trails is set for June 11 to 13. My hiking companion is loaning me a hammock which can support my weight and weighs all of two pounds. He will carry the water filter and cookstove; I'm responsible for my food, clothes, borrowed hammock, water, cookset, and whatever personal items I take.

I'll post my full gear list in the next day, but my preliminary estimates, including water and food, is at about ten pounds, not including the pack.

Speaking of the backpack, I still don't have one. While I've met with the store manager of Eastern Mountain Sports and accepted their apology, the pack I was shown and fitted with, the Gregory Baltoro 75, is far too much pack for my needs. It fits well, but I should try on other, lighter packs, and see what other manufactures and retailers offer.

A reader suggested I simply use my daypack if my loads are going to be so small and light. There are two problems with this idea - my daypack, which I purchased in 2010 when I only dreamed about doing something like this, is too small in capacity and too small in fit. I have a 21 inch torso and a 48 inch waist. As for why I purchased a bag too small, being a formerly sedentary man rediscovering the outdoors means you make mistakes. I simply didn't know backpacks came in sizes, and I purchased it from a discount retailer. Its an Outdoor Products Skyline, and a nice bag, but too small for backpacking.

The Backpacking Project - When!

We've set a date for the backpacking overnight trip. It will be relatively short, somewhere in central PA, and tentatively on June 21. The friend I am going with has an ultralight tent he can lend me, which will reduce my pack weight.

I'm excited, but also nervous. And the side of my nature that wants to plan a day in the woods like Eisenhower planning the D Day invasion is going into overdrive. What about water? Bring it all in, or purify, and if I purify, how? Boots or trail runners? And, well, not to put too fine a point on it, what about elimination? I had to dig a hole when rustic camping in 2010 but I forget how I, ahem, managed the mechanics of filling it.

Anyway I have a lot to ponder, and hopefully not over ponder.

In addition there is another friend who wants to get me out for a three day trip on the Loyalsock Loop trail in Lycoming County. The scenery is amazing and much of the hiking isn't difficult, but 18 miles over three days will push me. I said yes, because this blog is about doing things. But we still have to set the dates.

Too fat to backpack?

My first visit to a store to shop for a backpack turned out differently from my expectations.

I stopped at Eastern Mountain Sports, a regional outdoor chain here in the Northeast United States, and one I've shopped at before. I spent a few minutes looking at backpacks. A salesman approached me, we started talking about my upcoming backpacking trip, and as soon as he discovered I have a 48 inch waist, he said "you shouldn't be backpacking."

"Why?"

"You can't get a hip belt in sizes that big. The pads will be in the wrong place and all the weight will be on your shoulders.You will hurt yourself."

"I don't want all the weight on my shoulders. What do you suggest?"

"I don't know. The only manufacturer I know that makes packs for bigger guys is Gregory, because the owner is a big guy himself, but he's built differently, with really big shoulders.They probably won't fit you."

The conversation continued on the same lines, with the salesman discouraging me from going on a backpacking overnight, at one point saying I could hurt "internal organs." He did offer me a rental, the EMS house brand Long Trail, which still didn't fit right but he thought looked better. He also didn't want to give me my torso size, which is what I'd need to correctly size a pack. He did, saying 20 inches was my size.

I left the store discouraged. Was my backpacking overnight not going to happen? Was I too fat to backpack?

However, a little bit of research resolved my doubts. To pick one example, Cabela's makes a backpack suitable for an overnight or weekend trip with a belt that will fit a 50 inch waist. Kelty makes a pack that will fit a 54 waist. I'm sure there are others.

Also, I learned that for some backpacks hip belts are changeable, meaning the belt could be swapped out for one larger. And I've been advised there's always do it yourself changes to the belt.

The point of this post isn't to trash Eastern Mountain Sports. However, there's a lot of bad information out there regarding bigger people and outdoor gear, and this is a chance to get good information in the public eye. Also, EMS lost a sale. I was in retail sales for several years, and you don't make money telling people no. This is something they can work on.

I am attempting to open a conversation with Eastern Mountain Sports on Twitter about what happened yesterday. I'm also asking for information on packs for larger folks from manufacturers. Follow me: @ATaste4TheWoods

Oh, and the backpacking project is still on.

The Backpacking Project - Gear

The goal? Transform the formerly sedentary man rediscovering the outdoors into a backpacker.

When? This year.

Where? An overnight short distance trip in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, or New York.

The subject? Male, age 48, 6 feet 2 inches tall, approximately 300 pounds and dropping. Medical concerns are bilateral knee replacements, occasional back trouble, and poor coordination/balance. Limited hiking experience.

Now that the conditions of the project are out there, its time to discuss equipment - what I have and what I need.

Clothing: I should be set here, but here's what I plan on wearing on the trail:
- Cabela's "Guidewear" pants
- synthetic underwear
- Columbia fisherman's shirt
- baseball cap
- Merino wool socks
- Asolo hiking boots
- Crocs as camp shoes

Hiking poles - I have a set of aluminum poles.

Backpack - I have an Outdoor Products internal framed backpack, but its clearly too small for me and too small for what I plan to do. I don't want to have to load my gear onto the backs of people I hike with - that defeats the purpose of this project.

Sleeping bag - its a six pound Columbia bag, far too heavy. Its fine for bike touring and car camping but I need something lighter.

Sleeping pad - I have a piece of foam.

Tent - I have a Columbia "Lost Lake" two man freestanding tent. It weighs seven pounds, again too heavy. If I am unable to secure a lighter weight tent I may need to restrict my backpacking to locations with shelters. A hammock is a poor idea in light of my weight.

Stove - MSR Pocket Rocket, which uses fuel in canisters.

Cookwear and utensils - Coleman, but lightweight.

Suggestions on improvements to any or all of the above are welcome.

The Backpacking Project

My childhood heroes were outdoorsmen. Lewis and Clark, John James Audubon, Daniel Boone, the various men and women in Jack London's stories.... Later, as a formerly sedentary man rediscovering the outdoors, I thrilled to the exploits and writing of John Muir, Nessmuck, and more Appalachian Trail hikers than I can remember.

But while I could read about them, I never thought I could emulate them. My back was in such bad shape I never thought I could carry a backpack. Yes, I can ride a bike and have the bike carry my gear, but that's not quite the same, and while "bikepacking" is wonderful, its restrictive compared to backpacking.

The shape I was in prevented me from carrying weight on my back, and that shape was the letter "S." The photo to the right is from my first metric century bike ride, in Delaware in June 2007. I'm a little older, a little heavier, and a lot more straightened out since my knee replacement. I'm also a little wiser, and less likely to be discouraged. So, since I have friends who keep telling me I can backpack and they want me to go with them, I thought I'd take a test hike with a loaded pack. So yesterday I headed out.

The location was Warwick County Park. The distance, two miles. The pack is an Outdoor Products "Skyline" model, a sort of entry level interior framed pack. I partly filled it with clothes, a couple of water bottles, camera, batteries, and a couple of Pop-tarts. I pulled on the pack, grabbed my hiking poles, and headed out.

The experience wasn't quite what I expected. People with scoliosis have horrible posture unless they work at it. I slouch too much. I'm too "head forward", and on a climb I really look like I'm leaning into the hill. The weight of the pack seemed to straighten me out a bit. I felt I slouched less. Because I was alone I don't have a decent photo of the pack on me, so I can't show how it fit or ask if I was wearing it correctly. That will have to wait until I'm hiking with somebody.

At the end of the two miles I felt tired and I had some slight feeling of strain in my shoulders, upper back, and

middle back. But not a great deal of strain. And I feel tired but mobile this morning. I think I might be able to backpack after all. While I may never hike the Appalachian Trail in its entirety, I feel confident I can get to the point short distance overnight and three day trips are possible. I will keep you informed how I'm progressing on this project to turn me into a backpacker. See you on the trail!