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Re: prepping 2019 summer backpacking

Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2019 1:27 pm
by Love the Sierra
Hate to say it, because how much I despise it, but I do weight lifting. I squat with a barbel slightly heavier than my pack weight, leg presses double my pack weight, and these exercises called step up to lunges holding the same as pack weight. (Go up two high steps, come down two high steps and into a lunge after the last one. Just like those wonderful granite steps we all love😀) I do lots of ab and upper body work too so that I can lift my all too heavy pack. I am about 5’3” and weigh around 120 and go out with WELL over 45 LBS when I am going on a long 6 day trip. It is amazing how much the weight lifting helps.
I also day hike with a full pack and so does my adult dog beginning 2 months before our first trip.

Re: prepping 2019 summer backpacking

Posted: Sat Jul 27, 2019 2:21 pm
by Wandering Daisy
I do not "prep" for backpack season. I just do my normal 5-7 mile per day dog-walk, occasional bicycling and day-hikes near town or on the coast. This year I was more disciplined about getting out every day. I got a Garmin GPS watch to track my walks, and it has been fun tracking all my various routes. Permits are not a part of my backpacking - I always do first-come permits. I do enjoy planning trips, so I did a ton of map work and configured more routes than I could do in a lifetime! Great entertainment.

I am now in the middle of my 2019 backpack season, not prepping! I have done shorter (5-6 day) trips so far; Yosemite, two in Emigrant and loop over Duck Pass. Because of conditions (snow, high water) every one except Yosemite, has had to be adjusted (reduced in scope). That has been disappointing. Right now I am sitting out mosquito season, and will do two longer 11-day trips in August until just after Labor Day. Unexpected requests from children to babysit the grandkids in October will cut the season short. Unfortunately the grandkids are in school, so I cannot take them backpacking.

I am trying to limp along this season with gear. Have numerous packs, all old and none which is perfect; two worn out tents that I keep patching; plenty of hiking pants and shirts, but all threadbare; a broken and splinted 50+ year old fly rod, similar age reel, odd assortment of flies; a 15-year old sleeping bag, but I washed it and it looks almost new (yeh!); my husband's crampons after I broke my own last year; high gaiters that are nearly shot and wool socks with very thin heel sections. And my 2001 car is on its last legs too, trying to figure out what to buy next.

New for this year; Black Diamond trekking poles (free replacement after I broke my REI poles on second trip last year); shoes which I replace every year. And best of all- I got a new camera! So far I love it.

Pack weight has remained pretty constant for the last five years or so. Base weight 18 (with out bear can)-20 (with bear can) pounds. I am reducing food slightly from about 1.5 pounds per day to 1.2 pounds per day. Quit carrying water- instead the Sawyer mini for drinking on the trail. Quit carrying rain pants - just taking faster drying regular hiking pants, plan on getting wet. As a concession to old age, I added a 6-oz blue foam pad to put under my 8-oz x-small Thermarest Pro-lite.

This year I am packing food just before trips instead of packing up everything for the summer. Although the latter makes packing for trips faster, the food tends to get stale and pick up odd flavors from the plastic bags. I use regular store-bought food, no freeze dry meals; I just keep an eye on deals whenever I shop.

One challenge for me is to backpack and keep up my garden. So again, I have planted, just beginning to get crops, and here I go out of town. Neighbors get most of the vegetables; hubby does not eat vegetables left to his own devices, and says if a plant needs watering more than once a week it does not deserve to live. When I am back in town I try to revitalize the poor plants. I need to get serious and put in a garden with automatic drip irrigation.

Re: prepping 2019 summer backpacking

Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2019 11:36 am
by SSSdave
LtS, indeed agree that similar to pack weight lifting helps alot just like stair climbing as the leg motions are similar.

WD, wish I carried such a low weight. Well actually I do day hiking once at base camps. My camera daypack plus tripod is 15 pounds. Add in clothing, boots, and pocket stuff and am up about 20 pounds. But with the full pack, the soles of my feet keep getting sore after 4 miles. And that is increasingly looking like a reason I may not go over Shepherd Pass in 3 weeks as I'd hoped.

On my Desolation trip I returned from yesterday August 1, punched a hole in the toe on one of my 2016 Asolo 320 GV boots. Soles are worn down and one lace buckle cracked off. Looks like the updated product is the TPS 520 GV and that is going to cost me $360 including tax. A pair is at a local REI so this economic peon living on monthly SS checks may buy it this week that with the $33 Co-op membership dividend brings the cost down to $327.

Have been impressed with the $12 white 3'x7' Tyvek ground sheet I bought last year so just bought a second. So much better than the blue reinforced plastic sheets I'd been using.

My Mountainhouse freeze dried dinner supply is getting low so just ordered 11 pouches for $86 worth on amazon.

A few of my older NP-FW50 lithium-ion batteries for my camera have gotten weak thus are not worth the added weight carrying so just ordered another 4 for $32.