Gear Part II

On Sunday morning I hit up the Knobstone Trail again for some more training and a mini gear test on a few things I've purchased thus far. In a previous post I mentioned I was going to try to make this day a 16 miler, but due to some time restraints and other Sunday afternoon chores I had to shorten this slightly. It was a great day though, I was on the trail by 8:30 as the sun slipped over the Knobs and the sky was a crisp blue. It was cold starting out, and as far as clothes were concerned, I had on my Smart Wool base-layers, a Patagonia R-1 Fleece Pull-Over, Patagonia LW Glove Liners, and the Patagonia Men's Gi II

Zip-Off Pants.

I'm really glad I had the glove liners. They were perfect for hiking in. On our first Knobstone Trail experience I only had my heavier Black Diamond mid-weight Polartec Fleece gloves. I like them because they are wind resistent, but they got too hot to hike with, and with nothing on, my hands were cold...the liner gloves solved that problem perfectly. I've been told by a few people that I should forget about liner gloves, but I'm going to take them anyway after my experience this past Sunday. I'll probably send them home after a month, or more likely, I'll keep the liners and send home the heavier gloves.

I'm not sure about the Gi II pants yet. I like the idea of having zip-offs, and these had good reviews especially because they are quick-dry, durable, and relatively light, but two things of note: I didn't even use the bottom halves on this hike (even on the previous hike which was colder I only had shorts on with a baselayer), and secondly these pants fit baggier than I was hoping. I haven't given up on them yet, but time will tell.

The Patagonia R-I Fleece Pull-Over...LOVE IT!!! Its light weight and the breathable while you sweat, but still holds its insulating value! This was a tough hike with steep inclines and descends. I held a good pace with a 25 pound pack and covered 12 miles over the course of 5 hours in and out of snow, sun, and gusts of cold winter winds and I DID NOT TAKE IT OFF ONCE. Even with a pack on my back, the way it helped manage my body heat was

incredible!

Other gear items of note from this hike: eVent Shortie Gators, Black Diamond Flick Lock Trekking Poles, and Keen Targhee II Mid hiking shoes.

The eVent Shorties are lightweight, water proof, and best of all a good price (only 25 bucks)! They live up to their eVent name and I also like the extra inside patches where any rubbing and

ware may occur.

I was skeptical about getting trekking poles. I've never really used them in the past and I wasn't sure If I wanted to start now. Two things that I took into consideration with this purchase. First, it seems that most Thru-hikers these days use them (that's gotta account for something right?). Secondly, after Lindsay and I hiked the Knobstone Trail the first time through 4 inches of slippery ice and snow (which will

probably be typical for at least the first month on the AT), I was pretty convinced that trekking poles would have given me better balance, aid in any slipping, and an increased vote of confidence in my step. I feel like these reasons would lead to a faster paced and safer hike. On Sunday I used my new trekking poles and really liked them. I did develop blisters on the inside of my thumbs, but in time these should callus over.

Hiking shoes/boots: For obvious reasons this was and still is a big concern of mine. I tried on a lot of different brands (Vasque, Scarpa, Merrell, Montrail, Lowa, Salomon, Keen, and more) and read many reviews, but when it comes down to it you just need to go with what feels good on your feet. I decided to go for a more trail style shoe than heavy boot because honestly that is the trend these days, and I don't have a lot of time to break in a new pair of stiff boots. In addition, the technology in trail shoes is so good that a traditional boot is becoming a thing of the past unless you are doing some serious mountaineering. I found out from talking with people that a Thru-hiker will go through 4-5 pairs of trail shoes or 2-3 pairs of boots during his/her journey. I decided to go with the company Keen for these reasons: larger toe box (I have wide feet), extra durable patented toe protection, and an overall feeling of a slightly more durable construction than some of the other trail shoes. I also went with the mid style shoe as opposed to the lower cut for more ankle support, and protection against potential snow. I may

switch to a lower cut later on when it gets warmer and my feet, ankles, and calves get stronger.

I have to admit, I was sore as hell after the hike on Sunday, most notably my rear-end, shins, and ankles. It was muddy and slippery in the sun and icy in the shade. I did not have any hot-spots or blisters on my feet and it was a good day of training. With the recommendation of my Cross-Fit trainer I took Monday off. I was hobbling around like I had been put through the grinder, but I would prefer to experience all of this now while I have a bed to sleep in and a roof over my head. Hopefully all of this training is getting some of the worst soreness out of the way. I am really stoked about something though, after loading my pack up with all the gear I currently have, 2 liters of water, and 3 days worth of food it was still only 25 pounds! I'm pretty confident that I will be able to keep my final pack weight to 30 pounds or less. Hopefully this will decrease as I become smarter at weight management and the weather trends get warmer.