Gear Review: Patagonia Nine Trails Shorts

Patagonia nailed it with their nine trails shorts.

The blend of 86% polyester/14% spandex is what I would consider to be an ideal material for hiking shorts.

They're extremely soft and have a generous stretch, which perform amazingly under thru-hiking conditions. They wring out well, dry unbelievably quickly and breathe nicely in warm weather. I wore them nearly every waking hour and never got tired of them, and had absolutely zero chaffing problems.

After 5 million steps, mine are still going strong. I am considering buying another pair just to have on hand, since the best products are inevitably discontinued.

My favorite feature was the three zippered pockets, which securely handled snacks, flashlight, money and other small items that I did not want to lose.

The only complaint would be the liner they come with, but a pair of scissors easily took care of that.

7.1 oz (Men L) 3.8 oz (Women S) with undie-liner removed.

At $52, they are pricey, but I felt a worthwhile investment for a thru-hike.

One Week and Counting!!!!!!!

(Phone Message Transcribed by Bethany)

Good morning! Today is Thursday, September 20, 2007. We’re calling from the Monson General Store at a pay phone outside. We’re moments away from getting a hitch back to the trail. We’ve got probably seven or eight days of food as we are carrying all the food that we need to reach Katahdin and summit, as well as the night afterwards. We plan to climb Katahdin and Baxter Peak, one week from today, September 27, 2007. We’ve got one extra buffer day thrown in there in case of weather or anything else.



Lauren has a wrap on her ankle. A friend gave her some extra pain killers in case that she needs them (they would normally be behind lock and key, haha!) Our friends Josh and Sarah (aka He-Man and She-Ra) surprised us by catching up with us yesterday. We all stayed at the same lodging in town called Shaws.

Anyway, our packs are pretty much maxed out as far as capacity and weight. They have no frame in them so they feel quite heavy on our shoulders. I’m probably carrying about 35 pounds and Lauren is probably carrying 25 pounds. We’re hoping for a really great stretch here to finish out the trip strong! That’s the news from town, and we will probably not be in contact with anyone for the next week. Thanks to everyone for keeping up with us and for all the encouragement!!!

Over and Out.

A Case of Mistaken Identity

Figgy and I do not look like typical thru-hikers, and quite often to our amusement, we are mistaken for day hikers.

We lack all of the "official" characteristics that people expect from "real" thru-hikers.

• trekking poles


• large pack


• heavy boots


• northbound beard

We do not carry trekking poles because our loads are so light we don't need them. Same goes for the leather boots, so we use running shoes. And we find gaiters to be unnecessary. (Many of the techniques we've employed this summer come from Ray Jardine's insightful and provocative book on the subject.)

And since we take care of ourselves at home, we figure it couldn't hurt on the trail. Even after one week without a town stop or real showers we still have people comment about how clean we look.

Just this weekend we met a friendly couple who in typical fashion mistook us for dayhikers. Andrew has recorded their impressions of us on their blog. On another occasion we arrived at a hostel where we even confused a bunch of thru-hikers who had not met us yet. They were wondering if dayhikers were allowed to stay there as well.

Anyway, fun times. I guess appearances can be deceiving.

The OFFICIAL Halfway Point

(Phone Message Transcribed by Bethany)



We’ve made it halfway! Today is Tuesday July 10, 2007 and I’m calling from mile 1,087.9 Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Pennsylvania. Today Figgy and I crossed the official halfway point. We are now closer to Katahdin, Maine than we are to where we started back on Springer Mountain, Georgia.



We’ve had a little drama on the trail since I made the call yesterday. It turns out that Pennsylvania state legislature is having a budget crisis which put a freeze on all state park spending. What that meant for us, was that Pine Grove Furnace State Park, as far as we knew was closed today, they were certainly closed yesterday on the 9^th, but when we showed up today the budget had been approved and they were open! That made it possible for me to participate in the half gallon challenge which is a writ of passage for any northbound AT thru hiker. I sat down with a half gallon of Neapolitan ice cream and I finished it in 26 minutes and 52 seconds. (Impressive!?!) We were joined by our friends Google and Sunshine who also joined in the fun.

In other news, we woke up this morning and noticed that our shoes are nearing the end of their life because our knees are feeling a bit stiff and our feet sore. It looks like we are just in time to receive our new shoes which will be coming to us at the end of the week. We will use a total 4 pairs each for the trip, which is right on track for what we expected. Rather than 1 pair of heavy, blister creating, leather boots, for about the same price, we have been using light weight running shoes which have been working amazing for us. We have only had one blister between the two of us for the whole trip so far!



We expect to reach Boiling Springs Pennsylvania tomorrow afternoon and we will enjoy a ‘zero’ day the following. I am feeling invigorated and refreshed after our swim here at Fuller Lake in the park, and we are going to enjoy a leisurely stroll as we put on a few more miles before we camp tonight.

That’s the news for now. Over and Out.

Hydration on the Trail

Water is one of our most essential needs on the trail. We each require approximately 1 or more gallons of drinking water per day which is over 8 pounds and would certainly be a considerable load to carry. Since water is relatively plentiful on the A.T. we don't need to carry it all at once. Typically we only carry 1 quart (1 litre) or less and move between water sources where refill our bottles and "camel up" (drink as much as we can, usually a full bottle).

At the beginning of the trail, within the first mile after leaving the terminus at Springer Mountain, there is a shelter with a water source. At that spring, while filling our bottles a sign caught my attention...



The sign had the typical strong warning for hikers to treat or filter all water on the Appalachian Trail because the quality of the water can not be guaranteed. What surprised me as I looked closer was that the sign was dually endorsed by the U.S. Forest Service and by one of the largest manufacturers of water filters. Go figure.

As hikers, we have been drilled to believe that giardia is lurking at every turn, and that this life giving blessing is actually something to be fearful of.

The greatest downside for us in filtering or treating water is not the time, weight or effort required to obtain it. The greater liability is that it encourages us to drink significantly less than we normally would, which leads injuries related to dehydration.

Although we are clearly in the minority, Lauren and I choose to drink our water directly from the source - untreated and unfiltered. We are very selective about where we fill up, we hike from spring to spring and evaluate the surrounding area on our map - and if in doubt we choose to move on a few more miles. However, we do carry Aqua-Mira as a backup treatment and have used it on occasion. Namely, The Great Smoky Mountains, where horses and millions of people share the A.T., and the handful of streams where we had no alternative sources.

Obviously we are taking a risk, but it is one we are willing to take, especially since studies have pointed to poor hygiene as a greater culprit of giardia. For that we carry gel alcohol (like Purell) and use it after answering nature's call or signing the hiker register.

If planning for a hike of your own, please weigh the options for yourself and make your own decision. We just wanted to give an accurate picture of our experience on the Appalachian Trail so far.

- - - -

Thanks to The Crow for her correspondence several months ago on this topic.

Photography from the Trail

I normally prefer shooting with a Digital SLR or even my Hasselblad Medium Format Film Camera when I can, but this trip called for something a bit different.

Up until a week prior to departure I was planning to take my 3+ pound Nikon D70 with a 28-105 zoom lens. I made a lightweight foam case for it, bought extra memory cards and was ready to bring it along.

Then, a week before the trip, my friend Kevin showed me his Canon SD1000. The thing is literally the dimension of a credit card and slightly more than 3/4" thick. Best of all, it takes video, makes sound recordings and is intuitive to use.

The trade off between the highest quality images vs. an easily accessible, compact, lightweight camera has been worth it. I have not regretted the decision once. And the ability to record video and sound clips has been an added bonus.

Thanks Mom

One thing we had neglected to plan for was when the weather becomes too hot and muggy for our sleeping quilt which also serves as our bug protection with a headnet.

From Blacksburg / Pearisburg, VA I called my mom and asked her to sew a net-tent that suspends beneath our tarp based on Ray Jardine's kits. She made quick work of it and shipped the net-tent off to us Waynesboro where I received it and tried it out in the yard today.

It works great. Thanks again, Mom. We appreciate your support and involvement in our journey. Now we won't go insane from the biting critters we have in store.

Typical Day In Our Thru-Hiker Kitchen

So what are we eating on the trail to power our attitudes and legs for 20 miles a day?

Back home we've done a lot of experimenting with living foods and have found that they work well for my diabetes and that we're both energetic and in peak shape. We've been eating "raw" for nearly 2 years now - raw fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains and greens.

Well, after 3 weeks on the trail, our appetites have definitely ramped up and our bodies now know these miles are a daily ritual, not just a fluke. We've gotten to the point when we sit down to eat, we don't want to stop. So sometimes we aren't so picky about what form the calories come. But Ben and I have noticed a big difference in our hunger, cravings and appetites on our diet compared to what a more typical thru-hiker is experiencing.

It's been our plan to include as many living foods as possible on our thru-hike. We believe that food which comes straight from the earth, eaten in its simplest form, gives the most nutrition, energy and life force to our bodies. So, what exactly fills our food bags?



Breakfast: Dried fruits and nuts, or meal bar that combines them - such as Larabar.
Lunch and Snacks: Energy-packed concentrated meal bars with whole grains, fruit, honey, nuts - Such as Bear Valley's Pemmican or MealPack Bars - and then more figs!
Dinner: Sprouts, soaked overnight, mixed with instant dried hummus or other powdered carbohydrate. And don't forget the Texas Pete.
Dessert: (Most Important!) Dark chocolate & countless spoonfulls of almond butter or PB.

At dinner we've been eating a combination of 4 different types of sprouts. I specifically chose ones that are complete proteins when eaten together, that sprout quickly (less than 2 days), and can be found easily in towns without health food stores.

We really feel satisfied so far and do not experience AYCE (all-you-can-eat) cravings for meat, bread, and just TONS of food, like many other hikers on a more standard backpacking diet. It's been amazing, really. We know one hiker who was coming into town today to eat some burritos and an entire pizza!

So while we're at home we prefer fresh, uncooked foods - and while we're on the trail we're doing the best that we can.

The Great Smoky Mountains Revisited

Last time I was in the Smokies was on a spring break trip in 2000. I carried a 6.5 pound backpack, 3 pound boots, 5 pound tent, water filter and more. I covered about 25 miles in 3 days and when I was done my feet hurt so badly with blisters and bruises I could hardly walk.

This time around my load was a fraction of the weight, we covered all 72 miles of the A.T. in approximately the same amount of time and my companion was a lot better looking -- no offense Dave!

It was powerful to visit the section of the A.T. where I had met my first "Southbounder" (a person walking from Maine to Georgia) and to relive a time when I had first aspired to do a thru-hike.

The Approach Trail at Amicalola Falls State Park

So on April 30th we begin the 8.5 mile approach trail at Amicalola Falls State Park where we set off for Springer Mountain on our 2174 mile journey to Maine.

This picture requires a bit of disclaimer, though. We registered at the trail head a day early an snapped this photo, so we'd have something to post back to the site. Our packs are also not loaded with the food we are bringing, so they are filled slightly less than they actually will be. Also, the sign is a bit outdated, so the distance to Katahdin, Maine is a bit slighted.



As hopeful thru-hikers, we were #596 and #597 who registered at the Amicalola Falls State Park Approach Trail, the traditional route to the AT's southern terminus. We're told that an approximately equal number of hikers get to the terminus via a .9 mile fire road trail and register at Springer.

That means only about 1200 hikers are registered this year, which seems to be a bit lower than normal.

When registering, we were surprised how many people had ginormous pack weights recorded by their names. Our packs came in at 9 lbs. before food, and in our quick glance of the register, there was only one other hiker whose pack was in the neighborhood at 12 lbs. The rest of the notebook was filled with 25, 40 and 55 pound packs. In the short time we were at the visitor center, we actually met 2 people who were ending their hikes with only a few miles on the trail. It seems like these monster packs can certainly make hiking tough. I can relate since that's exactly what I was carrying until 3 years ago.

Lauren said she thinks most people won't even take us seriously or will think we're not responsibly prepared just because it isn't difficult to walk under our loads. Even though lightweight backpacking gear isn't really all that new, I bet she's right.

Anyway, it's 1:35am on the eve of our hike, and I'm ready to rock! I need some sleep first though.

Preparations from Mickleton, NJ

Here we our with our packs this morning in Mickleton NJ before our southbound road-trip to Lauren's sister and brother-in-law Amanda and Jason in Virginia.

We spent night with Lauren's parents last night; our third location with family in as many days. After arriving by greyhound, it was an afternoon of last minute shopping details (cash, food items, shipping supplies) with Lauren's dad as our chauffeur.

Due to time constraints in L.A., we brought more hiking gear than we'll need with the intention of sorting it all out in New Jersey. Last night we stayed up late again, paring each of our base packweights(all items before consumable food and water) to below 8.5 pounds or 3.8kg. If you're curious, I've posted spreadsheet with the details.



Oh, and the red jacket I'm wearing is the one I completed from the "$500 jacket" post. It has a hood, fits perfefctly and I'm really happy with how it turned out!

A New Look at Wool

I've worn wool garments before and they remind me of two things: itchy and hot. Recently I was turned on to some manufacturers who are taking a new approach to wool, making clothing that fit neither description. And the benefit of wool is that it does not promote bacteria growth (i.e. armpit funk) unlike polypropylene or synthetic wicking materials.

We purchased some ultra-fine weight wool shirts in hopes that we'll be less offensive in town or ride-hitching situations. Although pricey ($50-80) compared to the button down polyester shirts we were considering, we thought they might be justified over a summer of use.

After some extensive testing -- wearing both ways on my bicycle commute and sleeping in it for a week -- I am a believer in the odor-free reputation of wool. I look forward to seeing how they will perform on the trail.

Some manufacturers include:
Ibex, Icebreaker, Smartwool, Patagonia

The Whirlwind that was Pittsburgh

My mom helped us make some alterations to our lightweight rain gear. Who would have guessed that my mom and I would have sewing as a common interest!?



My quilts are a bit different than hers, but she did say it was "cool" and that "technically it is a quilt."

We took a break from our busy day of preparations to show my parents and Hannah our tarp shelter and quilt. When she was shopping for s'mores ingredients with my mom, Hannah said that her "bones were excited" to go camping with us in the backyard.



It was fun demonstrating our gear for my family.

Many people we meet have trouble comprehending sleeping in a tent so a summer under our tarp sounds even more extreme. And the best way to let them see the advantages of a tarp is a backyard demonstration. The truth is, our tarp is roomier and drier than because it eliminates condensation. Like most lightweight gear, carrying a tarp can be more functional than the traditional counterpart, but you can only carry less on your back if you carry more in your head.

My $500 Jacket

Okay, I actually don't know how much it cost me, but after materials and the time-intensive sewing process, it certainly wasn't cheap. So why wouldn't I just pay $30-70 for a brand name shell jacket and be done with it?

Well, the problem is that I fall in between the standard sizes for most manufacturers of long sleeve garments. I'm 6'2", trim, with long arms. So if I buy a Large, most times I'll be swimming in the torso. And If I buy a Medium, the chest will fit well, but the arms will look like I had a post-adolescent growth spurt.

Since I'm making the jacket myself, besides a perfect fit, the other benefits are that it will be better constructed, will have only the features I want and nothing more, and will be lighter weight anything I could buy commercially.

I stayed up until 1:30am last night working on it, and it's almost done. I'll definitely post a picture of it when it's finished.

Footwear for the Trail

Backpacking in running shoes might seem like an odd idea. It certainly was for me when I first considered it. Ray Jardine promoted the idea that if one carries a light enough load, then the extra weight, bulk and support offered by traditional hiking boots is unnecessary. He calculated that over the course of a long day hiking, every ounce removed from the feet is equal to 6 pounds on the back. Ray's argument was persuasive enough to get me to try it, and I'm convinced I'll never go back.

The benefits continue beyond weight, since on a long hike, your feet WILL get wet. With boots, the moisture stays inside, even more dramatically with waterproof ones. Running shoes allow the moisture to escape immediately and can dry overnight or while being worn.

Until last night, we were unsure of which shoes we'll start with, but now this question has been resolved. Eastbay offers a good selection of shoes at reasonable prices and we outfitted ourselves with these ones last night. Somewhat disturbingly, out of their entire inventory, Lauren and I independently settled on the same brand and model (Asics Gel-1110) based on our criteria below.

• Lightweight (less than 11oz for one shoe)
• Breathable (lots of mesh)
• Little or no motion control (not relevant when going off-road)
• Inexpensive (we'll need 3-5 pairs each)
• Style (not sure how we did on this one, but they'll be muddy soon enough!)
  

One of the trade offs with lightweight running shoes is that they will most certainly wear out. We expect they may last about 500-700 miles, which would put us somewhere past Damascus, VA. These pairs cost us $49 each, so we expect to be able to finish the trail at around $250-300 if we go through 5 pairs. We'll probably get by with less, but either way, we're spending about the same amount as a "good pair" of traditional boots, but are traveling with significantly more comfort and ease.

Gear We're Carrying

We've been working on our gear up to the very last minute, and no doubt it will be evolving during our journey as well.

With 3 days until our launch at the Springer Mountain Approach Trail, it looks like our base packweights will each be around 8.5lbs (3.8kg), before consumables food and water. (Consumables are not included because they fluctuate based on resupply points, and average about 2 additional pounds per person per day).

Here is a more detailed spreadsheet of what we're carrying.

Huge a thanks to Ray and Jenny Jardine for all of your innovation sewing inspiration and kits, to AYCE for your fantastic hiker resources at thru-hiker.com, thanks to Adrian and the crow for your helpful input, thanks to fellow seamsters Will L. and the JF crew and to Patch for your inspiration with the rain mitts.