DAY TRIP REPORT - Joshua Tree National Park

Being a nearly lifelong resident of Virginia, I always get a kick out of traveling out west. To me, the environment differences couldn’t be more obvious. Often times when I see people give advice on backpacking, it is pretty clear their opinions are polarized to whatever happens to be in their backyard. My blog is no different as I tend to favor techniques and gear appropriate for the east coast while most backpacking gear manufacturers are grounded in the theory that the west is the only place to do anything outdoors. There is merit to both. With that said, if there is one thing Virginia has in abundance it is trees or other greenery. From floor to ceiling, if you aren’t near something green (and all the creepy crawlies that call this “home”), then you aren’t in Virginia. Heading to John Muir’s stomping ground within the Joshua Tree National Park was an expected blow to my ingrained “green” psyche and yet a welcomed memory to retain.

Joshua Tree National Park is located in southeastern California, west of Los Angeles (not to be confused with a U2 album). Declared a U.S. National Park in 1994 when the US Congress passed the California Desert Protection Act, it had previously been a U.S. National Monument since 1936. It includes over 1,234 sq miles of land. A large part of the park is designated to wilderness area; roughly 914 sq miles.

Straddling the San Bernardino County/Riverside County border, the park includes parts of two deserts, each an ecosystem whose characteristics are determined primarily by elevation. Below 3,000 feet, the Colorado Desert encompasses the eastern part of the park and features natural gardens of creosote bush, ocotillo, and cholla cactus. The Little San Bernardino Mountains run through the southwest edge of the park.

The higher, moister, and slightly cooler Mojave Desert is the special habitat of the Joshua tree, from which the park gets its name. In addition to Joshua tree forests, the western part of the park includes some of the most interesting geologic displays found in California's deserts. The dominant geologic features of this landscape are hills of bare rock, usually broken up into loose boulders. These hills are popular amongst rock climbing and scrambling enthusiasts. The flatland between these hills is sparsely forested with Joshua trees. Together with the boulder piles and Skull Rock, the trees make the landscape otherworldly. Five Washingtonia fan palm oases in the park are the few areas where water occurs naturally and wildlife abounds. The rock formations of Joshua Tree National Park were formed 100 million years ago from the cooling of magma beneath the surface. Groundwater is responsible for the weathering that created the spheres from rectangular blocks which were various sizes and stood at all angles in all configurations.

The ground is principally sandy with Joshua Trees, large rocks, and various brush and cactus throughout. In the short time I visited, I saw several animals which I’ll more simply refer to as rabbits, lizards, chipmunks, birds, huge red ants, and a rattlesnake - although I'm certain they have a more domestic local name. On the surface, the desert looks dead. Looking closer, the ground is full of holes and something is always buzzing or moving. In most cases, I felt uncomfortable as I was not familiar with this environment enough to know what I could expect from behind each rock, bush, and hole. My mind was a little too creative with the potential whereabouts and temperament of rattlesnakes which was a little discomforting. It is worth mentioning that I was about 30 seconds into the park and had just stepped out of my rental car as I moved towards the trailhead when I heard a rattle coming from a bush. It was literally square one step one, hence my reservations.

My impressions of Joshua Tree National Park are fairly simple – a nice place to visit, but once you’ve seen a square mile; you’ve seen pretty much all it has to offer as the rest is just the same stuff arranged a little differently.

Probably one of the things I enjoyed most was my return trip from Joshua Tree where I took a flight from Los Angeles. While waiting at LAX, I noticed a guy in front of me wearing a ULA-Equipment backpack. As I was going through security, next thing I know he started asking me questions about an Appalachian Trail hat I was wearing. As it turns out, he was from PA and thru-hiked the AT in 2008 with his brother. He was in LAX after returning from doing some hiking in New Zealand and was gearing up for a thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. We talked quite a bit about gear, what worked and what didn't, and ultimately how he handled the AT. He said he took his time, nearly 7 months, partially because he took 100 "zero days". He also didn't have a single mail drop and instead elected to hike into town any time he needed food, laundry, etc. He said he had been using different kinds of tablets (MicroPur) to treat his water, but ended up not treating water at all from Virginia to Maine and reported no problems whatsoever. He used a Tarp Tent and a Gossamer Gear pack and quickly switched to running shoes after getting numerous blisters with boots. He said he enjoyed hiking through New Hampshire and Maine the most and reported it was also some of the hardest hiking with so many water crossings that keeping his feet dry was near impossible. He was in his mid-20's and said he realized about 2 weeks into his AT trip that he had a realistic chance on finishing it being that he really enjoyed being a YMCA outdoor educator and the initial steps of the AT. He reported that he hopes to finish the PCT and possibly even the CDT so he can join a couple of his friends who can claim they have done the Triple Crown. If you're interested, you can find more about him at his Trail Journal site (http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=216562).

DAY TRIP REPORT - Yosemite National Park

It has long since been a dream of mine to backpack the major parks within the United States. The parks which are on my list include Yellowstone, Redwoods, Arches, Grand Canyon, and Yosemite to name a few in the contiguous U.S. This dream has been perpetually “on hold” pending everything from funding, to vacation time, to waiting for my two sons to be at an appropriate age, and even my general health.

Recently I was fortunate enough to have a business conference which sent me to California. Being that the “business” aspect was only 4 days, it was my intent to burn the candle at both ends as much as possible to try to see everything I could in my limited time while stretching the trip to both weekends. Considering my options from my launching area of Los Angeles, I decided to make every effort to take a short trip to both Yosemite National Park and Joshua Tree National Park. My next two blogs will identify the highlights of these two amazing trips.

Yosemite National Park spans eastern portion of Tuloumne, Mariposa, and Madera counties in east Central California. It is always funny to me, being a Virginia native with minimal experience out west, to hear names like “Mariposa” which until now I thought was nothing more than a clever name for a lightweight Gossamer Gear backpack. The 1,189 sq mi park is roughly the size of Rhode Island and contains thousands of lakes and ponds, 1,600 miles of streams, 800 miles of hiking trails, and 350 miles of roads. Two federally designated Wild and Scenic Rivers, the Merced and the Tuolumne, begin within Yosemite's borders and flow westward through the Sierra foothills, into the Central Valley of California.

Yosemite covers an area of 761,266 acres or 1,189 square miles and reaches across the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada mountain chain. Yosemite is visited by over 3.5 million people each year, many of whom only spend time in the seven square miles of Yosemite Valley being that bulk of easily accessible attractions are readily visible within the immediate area. Although visiting in June isn’t ideal due to the crowds and heat, it was what I had to work with. Yosemite Valley represents only one percent of the park area, but this is where most visitors arrive and stay. El Capitan and Half Dome are two prominent granite cliff that loom over the valley and are also two of the most popular rock climbing destinations in the world because of their diverse range of climbing routes in addition to its year-round accessibility. Granite domes such as Sentinel Rock and Half Dome rise 3,000 feet and 4,800 feet, respectively, above the valley floor.

Yosemite has a Mediterranean climate, meaning most precipitation falls during the mild winter, and the other seasons are nearly dry (less than 3% of precipitation falls during the long, hot summers). While I was there, temperatures ranged from the 60’s to 70’s depending on the elevation. Being from Virginia and accustomed to humidity, it was amazingly comfortable to be in cool temperatures without all the fuss of the damp air.

The average (mean) daily temperatures range from 25 to 53°F at Tuolumne Meadows at 8,600 feet. At the Wawona Entrance (elevation 5,130 feet), average daily temperature ranges from 36 to 67°F. At the lower elevations below 5,000 feet, temperatures are hotter; the daily average high temperature at Yosemite Valley (elevation 3,966 feet) varies from 46 to 90°F. At elevations above 8,000 feet , the hot and often dry summer temperatures are moderated by frequent summer thunderstorms, along with snow that can persist into July. The combination of dry vegetation, low relative humidity, and thunderstorms results in frequent lightning-caused fires as well.

Yosemite was designated a World Heritage Site in 1984 as it is internationally recognized for its spectacular granite cliffs, waterfalls, clear streams, Giant Sequoia groves, and biological diversity. Almost 95% of the park is designated wilderness and to pretend that a trip of any length could summarize the amazing beauty and breathtaking scenery would be foolhardy.

Of California's 7,000 plant species, about 50% occur in the Sierra Nevada and more than 20% within Yosemite. There is suitable habitat or documentation for more than 160 rare plants in the park, with rare local geologic formations and unique soils characterizing the restricted ranges many of these plants occupy.

The geology of the Yosemite area is characterized by granitic rocks and remnants of older rock. About 10 million years ago during the shift of the plate tectonics, the Sierra Nevada was uplifted and then tilted to form its relatively gentle western slopes and the more dramatic eastern slopes. The uplift increased the steepness of stream and river beds, resulting in formation of deep, narrow canyons. About 1 million years ago, snow and ice accumulated, forming glaciers at the higher alpine meadows that moved down the river valleys. Snow can be seen on certain peaks year round. The movement of the ice cut and sculpted the U-shaped valley that attracts so many visitors to its scenic vistas today. For a guy from the east coast, it seemed a lot like a giant fishbowl. The valley was virtually flat and handled the bulk of the visitors who merely explored the vastness of the area between the surrounding granitic rocks walls.

The park has three groves of ancient Giant Sequoia trees; the Mariposa Grove (200 trees), the Tuolumne Grove (25 trees), and the Merced Grove (20 trees). This species grows larger in volume than any other and is one of the tallest and longest-lived. These trees were much more widespread before the start of the last Ice Age. I visited the Mariposa Grove and found them to be outstandingly beautiful. I had been to the Sequoia National Park earlier in the week and liked the fact that Yosemite didn’t fence in every tree as it allowed me to get up close and personal. The sounds and smells in a forest containing one of the giant Sequoias is almost something out of a fairytale.

The Mariposa Grove contains the fifth (publically known) largest tree in the world. This tree is lovingly referred to as “the Grizzly Giant”. This enormous tree is believed to be 2700 years old, the oldest known Sequoia tree. Sequoias are among the oldest known organisms on earth, surpassed only by the bristlecone pines. The Grizzly Giant is 100 feet in diameter at its base and is 209 feet high. It is the largest tree is Yosemite and is estimated to weigh 2 million pounds. The picture on this blog is of me with one of the smaller trees in the Grove. Keep in mind, I’m 6’6” and 280 pounds.

My experience in Yosemite was inspiring. The whole environment was so different than my normal stopping ground that I found myself merely starring off into the wilderness several times and being amazed by something as simple as the feeling of dirt. Animals and trees were different, the sounds and smells were different, and it all seemed so “wild”. I even got a kick out of chatting with the chipmunks and trying to avoid being eaten by a bear who walked around with her two cubs within a very close proximity. It was quite an amazing and enchanting experience - one which has left me reassured to educate my kids of the different environments of the world as it is as important to understand differences of wilderness as it is to appreciate differences in people and politics. I also learned that curvy roads are equally horrible and nauseating in California as they are in Virginia. Not limited to just Virginia either apparently, California also affords the right to drive to people who quite literally appear to have the genetic composition of fecal matter. On a sad note, I was also reminded how dangerous certain outdoor activities can be. While in the valley, I watched a helicopter pick up the remains of a touristist who fell off the climbing ladder on Half Dome. He simply slipped and tumbled to his death. It was sobering.

Bottom line – if you can’t find inspiration and a love for the outdoors in this environment – you might very well be dead.

Lightweight Water Shoes and How to Cross a Stream

This spring, Virginia has received a significant amount of rain. Out west, snow at high altitude is melting. The result is our rivers and streams have an abundance of water. For drinking and bathing purposes, an abundance of water is great. When water crossing is necessary, an abundance of water is merely an opportunity to soak your gear and possibly get injured. So how can a lightweight backpacker effectively deal with water crossings without adding unnecessary ounces to his/her pack? Well, I have a couple of suggestions.

First, despite the fact that many lightweight resources claim it is completely unnecessary, I always bring an extra pair of footwear if I know there is potential for a water crossing during my trip. Personally, I don’t subscribe to the theory that lightweight and breathable footwear dries quickly enough to use on the trail and in water because I’ve found that any shoe I wear seems to retain enough water to give me blisters and otherwise irritate my feet. As a result, my goal is to bring the absolute minimum secondary footwear necessary to effectively and responsibility cross water.

Although I have made shoes in the past of Tyvek and foam, I simply can’t duplicate the fit, finish, utility, cost, weight, and lightweight nature of the Sprint Aquatics Mesh Shoe (http://www.sprintaquatics.com/prodinfo.asp?number=901). At $4.50 a pair, and on sale now for $3.50, you honestly can’t go wrong. I should also mention that the sizing on their webpage is incorrect as I wear a 14 and their large fits just fine even though they claim it is for 11-12 size feet. My large pair weighs 54 grams or 1.9 ounces. You won’t be able to participate in a track and field event with them, but for their intended use, they are excellent.

So now that you have the proper footwear, the next step is to understand how to cross a body of water. First, pack everything you want to stay dry inside your pack. It is recommended that you use a dry bag, although a simple trash bag pack liner generally works just fine as long as it is twisted down at the top and otherwise free of holes. Locate a shallow area which is a short distance to your destination. Next, unclip your belt strap to ensure you have better lateral hip movement and can free yourself more easily from your shoulder straps in the event that you slip. Face upstream (i.e. the water should be coming at you) as you will be able to gain better perception from the water and any pending obstacles. Next, get a stick or something to put in front of you to aid with your balance and lean slightly forward on it as you walk to effectively give yourself three points of balance (foot + foot + stick). Remember to avoid walking on logs and rocks with algae, seaweed, plant life, etc. as they will likely be quite slippery. Generally speaking, keep your eyes on solid objects beneath the water as the moving water could distract you. With that said though, be leery of things floating at you such as sticks, trees, brush, fishing line, and even snakes. Shuffle your feet from side-to-side leading to the other side of the bank.

Micro-Sized Footcare Treatments

As disclosed by my son's pediatrician, I didn’t spend enough time with my shoes off as a child and as an adult I have fairly weak feet. As a result, my pack always has some footcare products to include Adventure Medical Kits Glacier Gels and Leukotape as discussed in other blogs. I have also been known to carry BodyGlide and Hydropel.

An important topic for lightweight backpackers is the need to repackage items which are otherwise bulky or heavy into something smaller and more lightweight. Unfortunately, this isn’t always easy for items such as BodyGlide and Hydropel. NOLS instructor and talented illustrator Mike Clellan had an excellent picture on his website which showed how he repackaged items (see picture) which he lovingly refers to as his “Dinky Kit”.

For items like Hydropel which comes in liquid form within a tube, it can be easily repackaged in a smaller container such as the widely available micro droppers. For something like BodyGlide which has the consistency of deodorant, it isn’t as easy. Unfortunately, the desire to repackage these items have left some to be inventive to the point that they degrade the product or otherwise make it unusable. I saw a posting on a forum where a guy had stuck his stick of deodorant into the microwave to turn it into liquid. He then poured it into a smaller container. This was a decent idea in theory, but within the new container he didn’t appear to have a way to get it out as the container itself was just smaller, not functional to raise and lower the deodorant stick. I think a better option would have been for him to find a lighter/smaller deodorant-style container and simply pour his heated solution into it so he didn’t lose the function of the container itself which allowed for the deodorant itselt to be pushed up within the container for easier application.

Instead of flatly repackaging BodyGlide, I found a couple of options even lighter than their 1.02 oz stick. First, they offer a .28 oz “mini”, but personally it looks like it is about a ¼ full and the rest is just dead air space to make the product look more full. Another option would be to use a new Band-Aid product called “Friction Block” which comes in a very dense .88oz stick. It is thereby physically smaller, lighter, and more full than the BodyGlide, and it is likely equally effective.

Lightweight Gloves

At the risk of drawing attention to my gear geekness, I decided to address the topic of “gloves” closer to summer to avoid the mass number of people who will recommend therapy groups for my gear addiction. Besides, if you read something you like, you could probably find a better deal on it now instead of waiting for winter.

To a lightweight backpacker, gloves are often considered a luxury item. After all, a pair of spare socks worn on the hands, or pockets on a jacket, both tend to do the job sufficiently without the extra ounces. If you’ve decided a pair of gloves is worth the weight and utility, than you have a couple of decent options.

When selecting a pair of gloves for backpacking, there are a couple features worth considering other than fit, pack size, and weight. First, what kind of temperatures will you be experiencing and what will be sufficient to keep your hands warm? Second, will your hands be getting wet (i.e. will your hands be exposed while hiking in the rain, for example, if you use trekking poles)? Third, do you need to worry about wind (some very warm gloves can be made fairly useless in substantial and constant windy conditions)? Fourth, will you be wearing the gloves when you hike or only at camp (hand sweat and need for durability on trekking poles may be an issue and the wrong gloves used with trekking poles can give you blisters)? Lastly, do you need to use them to handle anything fresh off the stove or fire which would easily burn (wool can handle hot items whereas fleece and synthetics will burn/melt)?

Yes, there is a lot to consider.

First off, it is worth mentioning that a “mitt” style glove is more efficient at maintaining warmth between fingers. Unfortunately, mitt gloves are more difficult to maneuver for finite handling. Also, constantly taking on and off a pair of gloves to gain use of your fingers is quite miserable, especially if your hands are wet or gloves are too tight. To get the same benefit of a mitt and gain finger dexterity, some people use half-fingered mitts which have fabric to pull over the fingers to form a mitt if desired or otherwise leave the fingers exposed if necessary. Unfortunately, these are often heavier than other options. Others choose the standard 5-fingered glove to both keep warm and to maintain some finger movement.

Different fabrics also perform differently when warmth is desired. Fleece is inexpensive, doesn’t perform well when wet, and is heavier than lightweight wools...but is generally a decent lightweight, inexpensive, and reasonably functional option. Wool is generally more expensive, dries poorly, retains decent warmth when wet, and is lighter than fleece. Possumdown is on par with the price of wool, dries fairly well, retains excellent warmth for minimal weight, and is lighter than wool. Ounce for ounce, Possumdown shows the greatest weight to warmth ratio, second only to goose down.

Different fabrics also offer different benefits when staying dry is a concern. GoreTex is heavier than microporous polypropylene (DriDucks/FroggToggs), is expensive and fairly durable, but does not breathe very well. Polyproplylene is lighter than GoreTex, is inexpensive and breathes well, but it isn’t very durable. eVENT is lighter than polypropylene, breathes fairly well and has decent durability, but it is fairly expensive.

Despite knowing these things, my “glove journey” has run the gamut and ultimately I ended up with a variety of options. Below are some of my findings for your consideration. Please reference the labeled picture (weights are based on size XL gloves, so if you have smaller hands, you have lighter gloves):

- PossumDown (1.62 oz) – Best general lightweight glove for warmth and function
- DeFeet Wool (2.50 oz) – Best heavy duty wool glove and has a gripping surface
- SmartWool (1.58 oz) – Solid lightweight wool glove, although more warmth can be gained from PossumDown for the same weight
- Mountain Laurel Designs eVENT Mitt (1.23 oz) – Best rain mitt
- ULA Rain Mitt (1.26 oz) – Close “second” rain mitt when durability is not a concern
- Mountain Hardwear Fleece/Windstopper (2.11 oz) – Excellent cold weather gloves used while hiking
- Outdoor Research Nylon Mitt (2.92 oz) – Excellent cold weather mitt used while hiking
- Fingerless Fleece Mitts – Generic (3.42 oz) – Good all-round option, extremely warm, durable, best for finite finger movements, but a little heavy
- Outdoor Research GoreTex Cold Weather Mitts (9.41oz) – Best for very cold weather, but irrelevant in most circumstances as they are too warm to be worn while hiking and too cumbersome for camp (for most reasonable conditions)

REPORT – Trail Days 2009, Damascus Virginia

On May 15th and 16th I had the opportunity to attend Trail Days in Damascus Virginia. This location and this date are not random. Damascus is the approximate halfway point on the Appalachian Trail. For those thru-hikers who started their journey on time in March from Springer Georgia, many would be rolling through Damascus over this weekend.

Damascus is a very small town and dubs themselves as “the friendliest town on the trail”. The folks I ran into were indeed friendly in every way, so forgoing a visit to every other town along the AT, I’ll simply assume their self-nominated title is correct. By my observations, Damascus seems to exist solely for AT hikers. There are at least two outfitters, churches which offer showers, coin laundry, a post office, and everything has some quant name referring to backpacking, the AT, outdoors, etc.

The weather mid-May in Virginia is always a little tricky. This year, both days were supposed to be in the 80’s and there was a 60% chance of rain. My wife, I, and our small son dodged few rain drops while sweating bullets, but for the most part the weather cooperated.

Trail Days offers visitors to meet a variety of small cottage manufacturers as well as those who are well know. The town essentially opens itself up to everyone and under every tent is someone signing, selling crafts, or otherwise showing outdoor equipment.

Trail Days is one of the few places lightweight cottage manufacturers gather and I’m very happy it occurs in Virginia as I believe the only other events where you can find them together are both out west. The vendors who made the trip this year included Mountain Laurel Designs, Jacks R Better, Warbonnet Hammocks, Anti-Gravity Gear, Six Moon Designs, Hennessey Hammocks, Eagles Nest Outfitters, Speer Hammocks, and a new comer to the lightweight tent business, Light Heart Gear. Many other vendors were there, like LaFuma, Nemo, Enertia Trail Foods, and various outfitters. Several hiking/backpacking organizations, such as the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and The Hiking Society, also made an appearance. To my surprise, despite being on the list earlier in the year, Backpackinglight.com and Gossamer Gear, didn’t make it. One of the sponsors was Backpacker Magazine and I didn’t see them either other than their name on a big sign. Several guest speakers, to include the second thru-hiker of the AT and others who gave photographic portrayals of the trails, provided entertainment and quality reports.

I talked to many vendors simply because I am intrigued with learning about new products and engineering efforts even if I personally can’t use what they are selling. For example, I spoke with Brandon of Warbonnet Hammocks (http://warbonnetoutdoors.net/blackbird_h.htm) about his “Blackbird” offering. It is arguably one of the hottest hammocks on the market as it has extra fabric for a genuine footbox and even a small shelf inside the hammock for gear. It goes up quick, is well made, and it is a nice twist for the tree hangers out there. Brandon is also a quality guy with the best interests of his customers in mind. I also talked with the two Jacks of Jacks R Better (http://www.jacksrbetter.com/) for about 30 minutes. We covered everything from their very interesting “Bridge Hammock” to their wearable quilts. Both are entertaining fellows who clearly want to deliver a good product and I was very encouraged with what I saw. Unfortunately, I have a bit of bias towards hammocking after failing to find one that worked for me in years past with caused me to return offerings from Speer, Jungle Hammocks, Mosquito Hammocks, The Travel Hammock, Claytor Hammocks, and Hennessey Hammocks. Based singularly on appearance, I felt the Warbonnet Blackbird wasn’t long/big enough for my 6’5” and 275 pounds despite it receiving rave reviews across the board from other hammockers. I should mention that Brandon, the owner of Warbonnet, offered to let me try the Blackbird. Simply, I choose to opt out as I wanted to be respectful of his product and the stand being that he would no doubt need to show it to several hundred people over the weekend and the risk of possibly damaging it was too great to me. Although, I did get a chance to lay down in the Jacks R Better Bridge Hammock, which was very comfortable, I thought it pinched my shoulders too much and wasn’t quite long enough. If I had my choice if it fit, I think the Bridge Hammock provided the most comfortable lay of any hammock I’ve ever tried, but it was over 2 pounds and one to fit me would be heavier to the point that it probably wouldn’t be worth it for me to carry. Either way, I was very impressed by both and I will be leaving my hammock options open.

I also talked with Ron Moak with Six Moon Designs. He mentioned both the Refuge and Refuge X were being redesigned and that they will probably make another appearance in spring/summer 2010 with a bathtub floor and other options. He had pretty much all his shelters and packs on display and it was nice to see them up close and personal. He makes good stuff and it was fun to tinker with everything.

One of the more enjoyable conversations I had was with Ron Bell of Mountain Laurel Designs. After seeing his products, it is pretty clear that his website doesn’t quite do justice to his products (this is a common theme, in my opinion, for the cottage industry and Ron’s site is actually one of the best). First, MLD craftsman ship simply seems to me to be better than others. Second, MLD offerings are well thought out are far more realistic to backpackers who need functional options as compared to other manufactures who cut corners (literally) to try to save a few ounces. Take MLD’s Grace Duo, for example, which is a simple rectangle tarp. The full coverage, which others taper, is much more functional to me and the weight is very responsible. The colors he uses are also very bright which is something I feel is a significant plus as I believe strongly in the emotional impact bright colors of shelters have on the inhabitant. He also uses Cuben Fiber quite extensively which I like a lot. Another structure I liked quite a bit was the floorless DuoMid. It is very similar to offerings by other manufacturers, but seemed to be better made and more roomy in every aspect. He had his eVENT mitts and gaiters on display as well as a couple of pack. All were top notch quality.

Although I don’t have a ton of money in my pocket, if I did I think I’d spend it on a MLD Grace Duo, possibly in Cuben or the bright yellow silnylon, the DuoMid in either silnylon or Cuben, or I’d wait for the Cuben Fiber Refuge X by SMD to be released next year.

Trail Days always proves to be a fun experience as it is always nice to see something new, meet the manufacturers and perhaps give some feedback, and get hands-on experience with the great products of the cottage industry.

Conditioning for the Hike

I meant to include this in an earlier post, but I simply didn't have any room to squeeze it in. One of my favorite forums is Backpackinglight.com and a member recently provided a link to an excellent article from Washington Trails Association on how to condition for a hike of any reasonable distance or amount of time.

For me, conditioning for nearly anything has been an uphill battle. Twelve years ago, and no kidding on this one, I was a college athlete who worked out 3 hours a day. Running up to 8 miles and hitting the weights for another 1-2 hours and even playing basketball for another two hours was a completely normal activity for me - each DAY. Many days I didn't sweat and I pretty much ran everywhere, not to get there quickly, but because my body had this "get up and go" attitude. I ate right, lived clean, and there really was no physical obstacle I ever thought would get in my way. Twelve years later, now sporting a Type 1 diabetic body that apparently laid dorment since childhood, and now knee deep in the confines of work and family, I still work out 3-5 times a week for about 90 minutes each day. Unfortunately, I'm convinced my efforts would be equally rewarded if I just ate a jelly doughnut. NONE THE LESS, I keep trying and pushing as I enjoy working out and the gains I do get allow me one less hurdle to overcome down the road. It is also a good stress reliever.

Funny enough, "conditioning" of any kind is completely irrelevant to some people. We'll just call these people "genetically gifted people on my hate list". You know the kind, average to mildly tall, skinny, long-limbed, able to become a cross-country runner with the simple purchase of a pair of new running shoes, and able to chow down on a pizza with ice cream on top just before hitting the trail. Essentially, these are the same people who could save the world of its energy problems if we could only find a way to bottle their non-stop motor.

With that said, the conditioning guidance attached is for the rest of us, the "you and me's" of the world who need to watch their diet, who need to exercise, and who need to be proactive about maintaining a certain level of fitness for any fairly challenging activity.

The article can be found at http://www.wta.org/magazine/WT-05-08-FEATURE-TRAINING.pdf. (If for some reason the link doesn't work, let me know and I'll e-mail you the file.) Fortunately, it is very short and to the point because, let's face it, none of us needs to read a 90-page documentary by short-short aficionado Richard Simmons or see the "after" picture of a successful diet and exercise program when we know all too often we are the "before" picture.

Have fun breaking a sweat.

Future Lightweight Gear

If you read my blog, you know that I have a bit of an obsession for gear, specifically knowing what is coming and how it might fit into my backpacking needs to increase my backpacking happiness. With this said, I wanted to mention a couple new pieces of gear coming to market which I haven’t seen mentioned elsewhere. Each of these items haven’t been officially mentioned to the public, so let’s keep this between you and me :)

If you’re like me, carrying a lightweight and functional shelter is a top priority. Fortunately, the release of the “Refuge-X” by Six Moon Designs and “The One” by Gossamer Gear, both full enclosure tents, now means mosquitoes can be kept at bay and tarps can be left at home for less than 16 ounces.

As I mentioned in another blog, Six Moon Designs is also coming out with a one-man tent for taller guys. It will be made with the same materials as their Lunar Solo, but in a different design. Assume it will be lighter too. Roan Moak mentioned it will hopefully be available around late summer/fall 2009, but design and production issues may slow it down. These same issues are slowing down the re-release of the updated Cuben fiber Refuge-X too.

A better kept secret is a shelter under design by BackpackingLight.com unofficially known as “The Tartan”. Supposedly, it is roughly 21 sq.ft, weighs 16 ounces, and will be about 8’ long with a width of 2-3 feet. The entire footprint will roughly be 10’x5’. It will be made of a Cuben fiber canopy and noseeum inner lining with a floor made of a new, yet unknown fabric with silicone coating. Essentially, it will be a double-wall tent for less than a pound. The release of this new shelter, which likely won’t be until Spring 2010, will no doubt have a huge impact on the lightweight industry. An unintentionally released photo is above.

Gossamer Gear, one of the few lightweight cottage industry companies I can think of who refuses to budge from delivering only highly lightweight and functional products, is also tweaking their infamous Lighttrek 4 trekking poles a bit. They are planning on adding straps to the handle and also some kind of mechanism to hold a camera. I have a pair of the Lighttrek 4’s with an early (beta) attempt at a hand strap and I look forward to the continued innovation to make these 3.4 oz (each) carbon adjustable poles even more functional. They are truly phenomenal.

As mentioned in one of my earlier posts, Mountain Laurel Designs is going to start adding a “roll-top” feature to their backpacks. To me, this makes a ton of sense as having merely a cinch-top does little to keep out falling forest duff or rain/snow. With the roll-top, and being that MLD packs are already made of the highly water-resistant and extremely durable Dyneema-X fabric, it is fair to say that a trash bag liner will be more than sufficient to keep everything out. I predict plummeting stock values for pack covers as educated lightweight backpackers will know it isn’t necessary.

Finally, and although it isn’t new, I just wanted to mention that the lightweight titanium long-handled spoon is finally back in stock at Backpackinglight.com. It is, as far as I know, the lightest titanium long-handled spoon on the market and is wonderful when avoiding dragging your knuckles through a bag of food is desired.

So there you go. If you know of anything else worthwhile which is on the lightweight backpacking horizon, please let me know.