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InvisibleDelicious Apes

Registered: 10/31/08
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Quoiyaien] * 1
    #11883774 - 01/23/10 04:05 AM (14 years, 8 days ago)

Hey Quoiyaien, great post and sorry I didn't thank you earlier. Maybe we can meet up when I'm in BC. :awesome:

Resurrecting this thread, this is the year. I copied this from my personal journal so I won't be hurt if there's no responses in this desolate forum, but here are my thoughts lately. Hopefully someone identifies/reads/enjoys.


I decided this fall I was finally, definitely going to start traveling at the nearest opportunity in Spring, hopefully before the end of March or early April. As of now the stops destination are an essentially blank canvas, but that doesn't matter taking into account my method of travel and the places I want to be. The main principles I want to follow in this are to be minimalist, efficient and independent as possible.

There comes a time where things become too stagnant, too comfortable, and time slips by faster and faster from the setting sun of a squandered day. In the beauty and expanse of nature, there are too many a missed rise of a golden sun on a fog-filled glacial lake in the Boreal forest, too many displays of Aurora Borealis on the trails in high elevation, and too many cold frozen mornings emerging from a wet tent traded for the warm apathetic sleep in a heated home.

There's something special in those woods, the woods in the country far removed from the city so filled with the distractions of the living, rather than the alive. In this silence, your tinnitus signals of a peace not yet destroyed by the hands of civilization. This silence and this peace is there, for you. Lone nights in the forest, the sounds of a light breeze causing the branches of an old willow to rustle warmly above your head while you lay in dreamless sleep brought on by exhaustion and contentedness.

These forests ask nothing of you. The water asks nothing of you. The forgotten majesty of an isolated ridge, the stillness, the desolation and beauty seen at a nearly un-accessible point on the map is nothing but a massive chasm of unequaled grandeur for those who care enough to lose themselves in it. Out here everyday is learning, and every decision means something. At day's end you fall asleep to the soft sounds of the night.

It is here, you can rejuvenate a failing spirit or the failing body. Surrender to the vast expanses, stop thinking and begin anew. Watching animals, traveling through mountain passes carved by glaciers millennia ago, and noticing the subtle and apparent give and take of the ecosystems. Learning to identify bushes, edible plants and mushrooms, and striving to become self-sufficient in an unforgiving landscape is the name of the game, and the knowledge you gain here is NOT illusory. One of the most liberating experiences is for man to return to his natural element and prove himself.

I fell deeply in love with nature, and seemed to be seeing it as well as myself in a new light in those first tentative solo trips, young and inexperienced.

The first thing I had a problem with was the absolute silence.


A  view of a calm wilderness trout lake, 20/5/2007 7:35 PM

The silence is at first unnerving, there is a sense that you shouldn't be here. But, as you are there longer, doing your daily routine through quiet, your meals in quiet, and at last laying your head in quiet, it becomes familiar, becomes therapeutic, resolving. If you haven't spent much time alone in the woods, this experience may be completely foreign to you. This is not the silence of putting on a pair of earplugs, this silence isn't necessarily a void at all. It's an all consuming awareness, that you know intrinsically is real and mysterious. You drift along the banks of a glass calm lake, and hear the song of a native bird augment the steady rhythm of the paddle cutting the surface. It's here where life is.

And it's there where a god can be found. Not a god from history books, not your personal god, no man's god. You may find yourself leaning against a large beech looking into the waves crashing in front of you, and feel the transient nature of that fleeting moment, and finally come to terms with the fleeting nature of your own consciousness. We find ourselves in a magnificent world where terrible things happen, wars are fought, and greed poisons everything. To realize you are but one life and one life missed, nobody could care one way or the other. The astonishing thing is you are there to make that choice. It's chance that many are so confused upon learning that they have, that they end up putting to waste themselves and the lives of others. You are here to watch it happen. For better, or worse.

Being in the wilderness is a quick remedy for the jaded, who make up a large percentile of population in developed countries. Perhaps I dwell on this fact too often, but the fact remains I am amazed I am even here. Cliched? Surely, though not intended here. The intricacies of the natural world and the incredible complexity of the human organism are and should be a constant motivator for those unhappy with life. But, it takes a certain amount of interest in the first place to escape the trappings of despair and start giving a shit about things you can never change. This is where eternity is. This is where you will return.


Rising sun on a lake in Northern Ontario, 21/7/2007 5:58 AM

What's there to gain? For you, maybe nothing. For someone else, everything. The thing about the real world is there are no rules, there is nobody telling you, as an individual what you can and cannot do, and there is nothing to filter what you get from an experience other than your own self, your own truths, senses and relation to a more deliberate life. Seeing the benefits of living and travelling off-grid is not hard to think about, but it is difficult to achieve these treasures. Life goes by slowly. In all of the environments you pass, no matter how diverse, it is only your commentary and thoughts to keep you company.

It isn't easy. For every ounce of physical strain & growth, there are 10 ounces of mental growth and the will to persevere in adversity. When you are alone, there are far too many situations you encounter that can't be approached with an absent mind. Daily, you are to make choices that put your life into your own hands, and that is a huge part of the allure in the first place, to have control and to feel powerful, to live without fear.

If you have fear clinging to your psyche, it'll cause you to make poor decisions and will eventually eat away at your sanity. The great thing about nature is with a level head, there is nothing to fear. The lessons learned have a positive impact on a formerly depressed mind once you find yourself among the masses and away from the serenity that was once at your fingertips and thriving within your soul. Going through crisis changes you forever.



There are a few rules I have for myself:

• No cell phone, no EPERB, no GPS.
• Map, compass acceptable of course
• At least a month in between resupplies, longer for canoe travel
• Take advantage of any bounty the land has to offer, cattail tubers, berries, etc.
• All travel done by foot, bike or canoe


I'm refusing to bring a sat. phone, GPS or any technology that will distance me from the core of the experience. I'll make calls from pay phones when I resupply, but other than that I don't want much contact. With the shunning of potentially life saving devices, it becomes ever more important to have faith in my decision making and a sharp mind when away from civilization for weeks at a time.

For my diet, There are a few staples I am looking into packing. I've been vegetarian since Oct. '08. This will definitely change to pescetarianism at the least, for fish are plentiful and a great source of fuel in the wilderness. I have not decided about small game such as rabbits, squirrels or partridge, duck, ptarmigan etc. I think I will have to, because to be honest nothing tastes better at the end of a long exhausting day than nutritious vitamin packed flesh of a wild animal. My main opposition to humans eating meat is factory farming.



Come spring, I want to head west and spend the beginnings of it in Banff national park and the Albertan Rockies. I'm attracted by possibilities of mountaineering, and thru-hiking regions. I then plan on traveling up to British Columbia, and spending some time in the city there, enjoying the gorgeous coast. I feel a strong gravitational pull on my body telling me to go north from here, as Alaska has always been an enigma, out of reach. I'm not sure if I can get the funds for a bush plane flight, but it's in for consideration. If you fall off the Alaska highway you can find yourself in untarnished wild, so it may not be necessary. I have an idea of turning back East before it gets too far into the summer. I want it to come full circle and culminate in Labrador. We'll see.


My Hilleberg 4 season solo tent. Got it for a great deal at $350 barely used.

One thing I know is you can only sit around for so long, when there's so much out there waiting for you.

The time's right, I see this as a necessary thing for me to do at this point in my life having gone through a recent crisis, and a current addiction to amphetamine that should be taken care of while it's in infancy (8 month user). It'll be a chance for sobriety, growth and gaining more mental fortitude.  :wutermelon:

I may bring some drugs. I want to eat LSD or inject 4-AcO-DMT on the edge of life in a valley somewhere, to truly test the limits of my death anxiety. No doubt it'll be a trip of its own.




Edited by Delicious Apes (01/23/10 08:05 AM)


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OfflineQuoiyaien
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Delicious Apes]
    #11884789 - 01/23/10 12:52 PM (14 years, 8 days ago)

Good read man!

I am a bit of a gear head, what all are you carrying?

Also, when you resupply, what staples do you like grab?

I am on the verge of my great "Fuck Off" as I have so eloquently labeled it, and would like some input on the minimalist style you seem to have adopted.  I have done things a little too domestically, relying on a fulltime job for money, the need of a food dehydrator and a home to prepare all this shit...  I am looking for some insight into your methodology.  Anything you would mind sharing would be most wonderful (ie, what you do for money, where you live when not travelling etc... any and all input is good)  :laugh:

:hippie:


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OfflineQuoiyaien
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Quoiyaien]
    #11884887 - 01/23/10 01:05 PM (14 years, 8 days ago)

I should add, that i am trying to get off the grid as much as I possibly can... without having the usual, inevitable recoil back into civilization.  I want this to be my life, not some special trip I make only when I can afford it.  I will obviously work when I need money, but not in my usual get a job, get a place, get a car kinda way. All the jobs I usually take on go right through peak traveling time (April-November), so I have to rethink these options. 

:hippie:


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Offlinedummy
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Quoiyaien]
    #11892175 - 01/24/10 03:57 PM (14 years, 7 days ago)

you guys don't worry about mountain lions at all? thats the biggest thing stopping me from sleeping in the woods.

by the way, that was an awesome and very inspiring post. probably the best i've ever read on this forum. thanks a lot.


Edited by dummy (01/24/10 04:12 PM)


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OfflineSpaced_Cowboy
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: dummy]
    #11900714 - 01/25/10 07:24 PM (14 years, 5 days ago)

That sounds awesome dude, If your starting in Banff national park and enjoy mountaneering, SCrambles in the Canadian Rockies is an awesome book I definately recomend you getting. It has about 150mountains you can get to the top of without a rope. Now mind you some of them you would probably want a rope(if you slip and fall you fall 1000feet and die) But alot of them Like MT Temple, and most of the moderate ones are just alot of work but definately give a great reward.


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OfflinePDU
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Spaced_Cowboy]
    #11904509 - 01/26/10 10:23 AM (14 years, 5 days ago)

This is a great thread. I have found Quoiyaien's posts especially helpful.

I am also interested in thru-hiking, but am very inexperienced with wilderness survival. I've read lots but have never done any multi-day trips into the true wilderness ...

Luckily i am starting to find friends who are interested in such things so this will be the summer for me to get out and figure things out.


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GO OUTSIDE.


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OfflineQuoiyaien
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: PDU]
    #11906455 - 01/26/10 04:12 PM (14 years, 5 days ago)

Quote:

PDU said:
I have found Quoiyaien's posts especially helpful.






Why thank you :heart:

:hippie:


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OfflineSpaced_Cowboy
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Quoiyaien]
    #11915824 - 01/28/10 12:26 AM (14 years, 3 days ago)

Quoiyaien's posts are very helpful, especially the one about all that food, I love to save money. I'm trying to get a friend of mine to join me on some backpacking down in the appalachians. Honestly I have no idea where to start really. I Don't really no much at all about eastern North America. Recently just figured out where the appalachians where hahaha. I was born in Lake Louise alberta but relocated to Ontario 5years ago and miss the mountains so bad. So finding out that I could drive to some cool mountains(albit not as tall as the rockies) and do some hiking in much warmer climate aswell. I have decided though that I want to do the Contental divide/Great Divide trail the PCT trail and the Appalachian trail/Canada part whatever its called before I die. I'm only 18 so I think I can getter done.


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InvisibleShroomismM
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Spaced_Cowboy]
    #11916306 - 01/28/10 06:02 AM (14 years, 3 days ago)

If you're thinking of doing the Appalachian Trail... DEFINITELY read this site... tons of useful articles, info, links, and advice from seasoned thru-hikers. The site focuses on the Appalachian Trail thru-hiking, but there is a plethora of info there for anyone interested in thru-hiking. More data there than even a fanatic would need.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/


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InvisibleDelicious Apes
Registered: 10/31/08
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Spaced_Cowboy]
    #11917961 - 01/28/10 01:53 PM (14 years, 3 days ago)

Quote:

Spaced_Cowboy said:
Quoiyaien's posts are very helpful, especially the one about all that food, I love to save money. I'm trying to get a friend of mine to join me on some backpacking down in the appalachians. Honestly I have no idea where to start really. I Don't really no much at all about eastern North America. Recently just figured out where the appalachians where hahaha. I was born in Lake Louise alberta but relocated to Ontario 5years ago and miss the mountains so bad. So finding out that I could drive to some cool mountains(albit not as tall as the rockies) and do some hiking in much warmer climate aswell. I have decided though that I want to do the Contental divide/Great Divide trail the PCT trail and the Appalachian trail/Canada part whatever its called before I die. I'm only 18 so I think I can getter done.



I'm 18 as well.

Quoiyaien sure is a valuable poster here, I got a lot of essential information from one post. For my gear basics: Hilleberg Akto 1 man 4 season tent. (Very light and quick to put up, I am pleased with it. Also a small vestibule). A Kelty 4000cu external frame pack with a shit load of space, as well as being comfortable. Love the external frame. MSR pocketrocket for a stove, mainly quick water boiling. I like to use the fire as well. Katahdin bag, foam rest. I am thinking about picking up a feathered friends rock wren for the colder months.

Looking into a light hammock as well, I know people who swear by them in the spring/summer climates.


Edited by Delicious Apes (01/28/10 02:12 PM)


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InvisibleShroomismM
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Quoiyaien]
    #11918179 - 01/28/10 02:26 PM (14 years, 3 days ago)

I'm sort of a gear head as well.
Here's my main gear:

Pack: Granite Gear Nimbus Meridian - 3800cu in, 62L - 3lb 8oz


Shelter: Hennessy Hammock Explorer Ultralight w/ extended sil-nylon Fly - 2lb.9oz


Bag: Some 20 degree REI down mummy bag (I need to get a synthetic bag)

Stove: Custom Made Beer Can Penny Stove - 1oz

Also have a MSR whisperlite I have for backup, but never use it.  Also a jetboil, that I never bring heh.

Water: MSR Miniworks EX - 16oz


Cooking: Non-Stick Titanium Pot (REI I think).. Lid Doubles as a Frying Pan - 6 oz.


TOOLS:
Gransfors Bruks - Small Forest Axe (1.5 lbs.. worth its weight in gold)


Sven Folding Saw (1lb):


Fallkniven F1 Survival Blade - Official blade of the Swedish Air Force


And never go anywhere without
50'-100' of Paracord


5' of duct tape wrapped around a pen, and a flashlight
(ALWAYS should have duct tape!, and bringing a whole roll is a waste or space and weight. Take a few feet and wrap it around a pen or flashlight. MULTIPURPOSE EVERYTHING!)


I probably wouldn't take the axe or saw for thru-hiking on the Appalachain Trail or something, no need. But I take them both EVERYWHERE whenever I'm camping or backpacking in the wilderness. The 2 1/2 lbs they weight is MORE than worth it when you are freezing and you can expend MINIMAL energy to build an amazing fire or shelter in no time flat.

I like the wilderness experience, but I LOVE my gear and wouldn't want to be without it.. it certainly makes life out there much more comfortable, knowing you have the proper gear and proper tools to handle whatever may come your way.


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InvisibleDelicious Apes
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Shroomism]
    #11918336 - 01/28/10 02:53 PM (14 years, 3 days ago)

Solid man, solid. I have a full sized Gransfors and love it, I'll have to pick up the one you posted for shorter trips. I also have a nice light Bahco Laplander I've had for a couple years that is as sharp as ever, will be carrying that.



Paracord FTW. I only have 25' feet left lying around, must add that to the list.

I've opted not to bring a water filter. What do you think? I just don't see myself using it enough for the space it takes (which is not much but as you know every bit counts).

That hammock looks fucking nice. It weighs about the same as my tent though. I'm going to look for a cheap one for daily camp needs. Great to be able to get yourself off the ground sometimes when you're out in all conditions.. Like the design of your pack as well. I decided to go for the old school external frame (Super Tioga) without regret although it is a little bulky I love the space and comfort.

I'll start listing my nutrition & supply plans soon


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InvisibleShroomismM
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Delicious Apes]
    #11918523 - 01/28/10 03:14 PM (14 years, 3 days ago)

Not bringing a water filter is pretty iffy if you are in backcountry. I wouldn't risk it unless you know for sure there are clean sources of water available all through the trail. I know plenty of thru-hikers on the Appalachian Trail that just bring iodine tablets for backup, and never use a filter.. but the AT is one of the most traveled trails in the US and there is plenty of fresh water sources along the way. Well me personally, I filter my water first then boil it when I want to be really sure. You can always just boil it but I don't really like that idea, you're still drinking all the particles and crap in it. I don't like to sacrifice too much comfort for weight.. and to me.. having clean water is pretty important so I deal with the 12 ounces or whatever it is.

I fucking LOVE my hammock. Can string it up almost anywhere, never have to worry about sleeping on sticks, or waking up in a wet spot.. and I sleep like a baby in a cocoon and wake up feeling great.. never have back pains. Biggest downside is that cold sucks balls in a hammock, you got that free wind blowing underneath you.. if its even remotely chilly, you HAVE to have some type of thermal insulation under you, or you'll have a freezing back and a hot top.. not cool. I carry a foldy thermarest, which gets the job done.. but eventually I want to get an underquilt/nest.

That Gransfors is amazing. They make the best damn axes in the world.. and a lifetime guarantee on the head, how can you go wrong? People thought I was crazy to pay $120 or something for a little axe, but then when they saw how flawless it was, and how light.. they changed their minds.

My pack is also fucking amazing. I did a lot of research before deciding on it, Granite Gear makes some awesome packs but this one was the money. Most hardcore lightweighters use the Ozone, the much smaller lighter weight GG pack, this one is much bigger and like a pound heavier and has more pockets and such, but it holds all my crap and then some. The suspension system is comfortable as FUCK... I can easily carry 40 lbs in this thing all day long without it even causing a strain, barely even noticeable.. it hugs your back so nicely at all the right angles, and very generously padded and ventilated. The suspension system is also completely adjustable which is refreshing compared to a lot of packs.

I used to like the external frames, they are really handy for carrying a lot of stuff - mostly for all the little extra pockets, and being able to lash stuff on the outside. I just went for an internal frame for the whole lightweight/minial thing.. they are easier to carry as they have a lower center of gravity and hug your back tighter. Yeah you only have one main compartment so things can get cluttered but it's a compromise.


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OfflineSpaced_Cowboy
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Shroomism]
    #11918735 - 01/28/10 03:41 PM (14 years, 3 days ago)

Filtering waters gunna be weird for me. Never had to do that stuff before. All the hikes ive done in the rockies the water is like the absolute most awesomeness water i've ever drank anywhere in the world hahaha. I'll prolly just get some chemy tabs I think I have some laying around anyways


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OfflineSpaced_Cowboy
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Spaced_Cowboy]
    #11918759 - 01/28/10 03:43 PM (14 years, 3 days ago)

Electrical tape is awesome 2 and a little roll is really small and you get alot out of it.


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OfflineGreat Scott
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Spaced_Cowboy]
    #11921846 - 01/29/10 12:35 AM (14 years, 2 days ago)

I was thinking about getting a couples of these things.

http://www.amazon.com/Aquamira-Frontier-Emergency-Filter-System/dp/B000OR115W/ref=sr_1_11?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1264750251&sr=8-11



It's an emergency filter.
So it probably isn't meant for frequent use, but I imagine is Does work? Like filters out giardia and shit?  :penguinmonkey:


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:thumbup: :thumbdown:


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OfflinePDU
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Shroomism]
    #11922300 - 01/29/10 03:51 AM (14 years, 2 days ago)

Quote:

Shroomism said:
My pack is also fucking amazing.




Hey Shroomism - how much did this pack cost you?


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InvisibleShroomismM
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: PDU]
    #11922500 - 01/29/10 05:44 AM (14 years, 2 days ago)

Don't remember exactly but I think I paid $200-240 for it brand new about a year ago and it's been worth every penny so far.

Campmor has it right now for $120 - That's a fucking steal. This thing is QUALITY and is the lightest weight pack in that that size class. At least it was a year ago.

Haven't done any research lately to see if they've made any new/better packs.. but I've had mine for over a year now and it's still almost like brand new. Probably have this thing for many many years to come unless it gets stolen. Just added a bunch of strips of duct tape all to the bottom to prevent wear, as I set it down on concrete a few times and I noticed the fabric got a little fuzzy/worn in some spots. Don't want that. Half of the bag is a reinforced ripstop type sil-nylon material, and the rest is 210d cordura.. it's strudy but it is a lightweight bag so you want to be gentle with it when possible.. you don't want to thrash it like you can with a rugged canvas external frame or something. It can take abuse but I like to take care of my gear so it takes care of me.. 

Thing is fing amazing though, I highly recommend Granite Gear packs.

and if you do end up getting one.. check out all the cool accessories you can add to them - http://www.granitegear.com/products/overview/accessories.html
I recommend getting one or two of those armored pockets.. I got 2 large ones.. they work perfectly with the GG packs and attach right on the sides. Thickly Padded and pretty much completely waterproof, with waterproof zippers. Excellent side pockets for storing small things/things you need quick access to without digging through the big main bag. They also have little pockets for the waist strap. So you can basically have a comfortable ass lightweight internal frame pack, with some of the features of an external (more pockets!)

2 of those added 460cubic inches of space to my pack for 7.4 oz. And if I don't need the space or want to shed the weight they pop off in about 5 seconds.
In one of them I carry my fire making kit, survival kit/mini tool kit, mini first aid kit.
In the other one I usually carry snacks/energy bars/gorp, headlamp, compass, map, sunglasses, camera, other little things I want quick access to.


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Offlinethe_drummer
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: Shroomism]
    #11922506 - 01/29/10 05:55 AM (14 years, 2 days ago)

Cuscus has an 8100 ci pack for like $50 on amazon. I don't know about taking it across the wilds of the great north but I'm planning a hike of the AT this spring and that is what I'm taking with me.

As to the meat thing, don't know if this had been brought up yet but nuts are an excellent alternative to meat. And of course jerky lasts forever if you do decide to bring meat. Those are going to be my two sources of protein.

But I guess the beauty of the AT is that you can stop every few days and resupply. You're never too far from civilization. If you had to trek through uninhabited areas, your best bet would obviously be to bring stuff to hunt and forage with.


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"That's the vernacular, isn't it?" --Mrs. Peel


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InvisibleShroomismM
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Re: Thru-hiking. [Re: the_drummer]
    #11922681 - 01/29/10 07:45 AM (14 years, 2 days ago)

Hope you try out that pack first... you never know how a pack will wear or if it will even sit properly until you have some weight in it and carry it around a bit. Last thing you want to be doing is walking 2,100+ miles with an uncomfortable, heavy ass pack. oh nvm.. you said hike not thru-hike.
Of all hiking gear though, I'd say pack is the single most important thing to try out first. If even the only thing.
2 things about that pack in particular though: 1. It's cheaply made, 2. It weighs NINE pounds itself.
If you can get past that.. that's probably the best pack you can get for 50 bucks unless you make your own..
For my big three pieces of gear.. I'd just as soon spend a little extra for something tried and true and much lighter.. and skimp and save on the stuff that doesn't matter much, like clothes. i.e - buying the $58 designer poly moisture-wicking shirt - or getting the same thing without the label and racing stripes at a thrift store for $1. The $180 MSR stove that weighs 3 lbs, or the $3 alcohol stove that weighs 1 oz that you built in 20 minutes.. etc


FOOD
As far as foods go, you generally want to go for really high calories, dense, super nutritional stuff. The biggest nutrition out of the densest foods.
Nuts are of course an obvious choice, they last forever, are packed with protein, essential fats and amino acids. Peanuts, walnuts, almonds, all very very good. Then you have Dried Fruit and Chocolate for sweet and high calorie complex carbs and you have your basic GORP variation.
Seeds.. pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds.  organic peanut butter w/ sprouted flatbread.
Tuna is a good source of protein and omega 3s that will stay fresh for months unrefrigerated, though I only get them in the foil pouches not the cans, for obvious space/weight issues. I sometimes carry a little bottle of olive oil, to chug straight.. or add to stuff.. when you need a nice calorie boost and some good ol omega3s and fat.

Pasta meals are good.. but I try to avoid instant oatmeal and top ramen and easy crap like that.. it has hardly any nutritional value and I really try and avoid white flours, hydrogenated oils and MSG COMPLETELY.. and high fructose corn syrup. I avoid them normally but I REALLY try and avoid them while backpacking, your body needs fuel to be in top performance and poisoning it doesn't help.
Whole grains are good, steel cut oatmeal is very good, just requires more prep time to cook.. not more cooking. Just soak the grains in water for an hour or two before cooking and cook as normal. Fresh fruit is a luxury whenever you can get it, I always try and bring several dried fruits.
Cheese is another luxury, some cheeses pack well.. a nice sharp block of cheddar or something will stay good for a few days if you wrap it. 

Vegetables are generally the hardest thing to bring on the trail but something you definitely need. If there's one thing most hikers don't get enough of on the trail.. it's probably fruits and veggies. You need greens and you need that roughage. You can get creative with dehydrated stuff and making soups and whatnot, but dehydrated food has its own drawbacks, it loses vitamin content very quickly as it oxidizes.
Canned greens (canned anything) is not AT ALL viable with nutrition to weight ratio. Smoked greens are one good option.
YERBA MATE tea is a very good idea.. it's loaded with nutrients.. vitamin Bs and tons of amino acids and minerals your body uses, it's like drinking a super salad.. But don't drink it too often, as it is a diuretic. 

Vitamin C is not stable to light, heat, or air. Therefore dried fruits and vegetables have usually lost over 90% of their Vitamin C content. You definitely want vitamin C. That's one thing you may consider supplementing, it can be hard to get vitamin C on the trail unless you know wild plants that contain it or stop for fresh fruit every other day. Vitamin C is a `very` essential nutrient your body needs to survive and unlike many other vitamins, the body is unable to produce its own, and it can only store a certain amount.. so you need to regularly "refill your C levels" if you want to stay in good health. Luckily, C is pretty easy to get if you know where to look, it is contained in tons of wild plants, pine needles, rose hips, all kinds of fruits, wild plants and flowers etc.

You can(SHOULD) also supplement with chlorella/seaweed/spinach other superfoods like that. The point is to get as much fresh fruits and vegetables on the trail as possible - the more the better - most people don't get nearly enough.

And I always recommend getting to know the edible plants in the area and being able to properly identify SAFE things to eat, that's a VERY useful skill to have.. if you can supplement your diet with fresh greens and other wild edibles from your environment, that helps a ton. Picking greens on the trail could be a major source of your fresh vegetables diet.

So basically there's a few major things to be conscious of:
Your body is burning way more calories than normal while backpacking. You need to replace those extra calories with food, or it will eat your body instead. Contrary to popular belief, eating more is not always as easy as it sounds. Say If you normally burn 2,000 calories a day, while backpacking you are probably burning more like 4,000-5,000, you need to replace those calories. Most hikers are usually deficient in one or more of the following on the trail: (and thus many end up losing tons of weight)
- Not getting enough CALORIES
- Not getting enough PROTEIN
- Not getting enough/ANY VEGETABLES
- Not getting enough/ANY CALCIUM

- COMPLETE proteins, and getting enough of them (Combing grains w/ nuts and/or legumes). If you are eating a combination of nuts, grains, seeds, or beans then you are getting complete proteins and don't have to worry about it. If you are eating meat too, that's already complete. But getting enough protein and fat can be an issue, you are burning a lot hiking.
- Fruits and Vegetables - eat them often, eat many different kinds. Eat fresh whenever possible.
- Calcium - Cheeses, Yogurts, some fish, leafy greens
- SNACKING throughout the day - making sure you get plenty of fuel - through carbs, fat and protein. - stuff like GORP, chocolate, granola/energy/candy bars. Try not to eat tons of sugar though. But after an especially grueling day, you really need to replace those complex carbs in your body. Pasta and grains are good to eat at night to replenish your carb store, and eat your high sugar stuff AFTER exercising, not before..so you aren't spiking your insulin and plummeting your glucose levels, leading to less energy.
- Avoid like the plague: "Instant" grains, instant white rice, white flours, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Hydrogenated Oils, MSG.. and processed and 'empty' calorie foods.

A word on vitamin supplements/pills -
Quote:

"There is unlimited evidence whole grains and vegetables are significantly more valuable than supplements. Eat well to get usable nutrients, don’t assume that a vitamin tablet is a healthy substitute for vitamins from food."




A multivitamin or something can be helpful to maybe fill in the gaps if you are deficient in a certain vitamin or something... and it's certainly better than nothing at all.. but get your nutrients from your FOOD, and don't rely on a pill for proper nutrition.. that's my advice.


And here is a list of common backpacking foods people bring and their nutritional info so you can compare foods side by side.
http://www.whiteblaze.net/index.php?page=nutrition


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