The weight of stuff

Near-towns hikes used to be where I’d go when time was limited, back when I lived in a town.  Now, towns are places to pass through briefly to stock up on groceries and find wifi.  Driving through Gallup, NM on the way to go backpacking, the rock formation above town looked interesting enough to check out on a dayhike at Red Rock Park.

Starting out, the urban feel pervades.  Parking is by the Church Rock post office, then walking through trash-strewn, wide open sand. 

Heading out from the Church Rock Trailhead.

My backpack is filled up with stuff, not my daypack but my full pack. For a six mile dayhike, but what else can I do?  Backpacking gear, electronics, and laptop (which I have along for my wifi pilgrimage—yes that’s for you, dear readers, so I can upload my blog posts). 

Getting closer to Church Rock

Ever since my tire was slashed several years ago at a trailhead, I don’t feel safe leaving valuables in my trunk at trailheads.  

Getting close to the edge to look into the depths of the canyon.

As much as I try to convince myself it’s ALL replaceable.  I think about what it was like when my house was broken into a few years ago and the box where I kept all my mementos and jewelry from my mom and great-grandma was stolen.  In some ways, it freed me to loose all that. Nothing I have now holds meaning like those items. 

Tall ponderosa peeking out.

Now it’s about the financial cost and the time it would take to sew all new DIY gear when my sewing machine is 2000 miles away.  And I want to protect myself from feeling that kind of loss again.  Also, maybe I’m more attached to my hammock and DIY top quilt that I’ve carried for so many miles than I want to admit.

A tree.  Pretty to look at but not one I’d want to hang from. 

Once I start climbing, it feels good to have the weight against my back.  Centered, balanced, energizing.  The laptop fills in for the weight of food, and it feels like heading out for a few days on the trail. 

The view from on top of Pyramid Rock provided perspective on the whole valley and Zuni Mountains to the south.

Maybe my legs are strengthened by carrying all this along.  Maybe this is keeping me in shape for backpacking.  After all, I’m always glad when I head out backpacking and my pack feels weightless since I’m so used to carrying a full pack around all the time.

Or maybe that’s just rationalizing.  What would it feel like to be totally free to leave it all behind?


More information

Red Rock Park

No New Gear

Want more time for backpacking? 

Try not buying new gear for a while.

This may sound counterintuitive.  After all, we are told that new gear will help us backpack more, and make our experience more comfortable, better, new and improved.

But researching new gear, shopping for deals, and testing out new gear— all of that takes time and energy.  What if instead all that time was spent on more important things like actually going hiking or backpacking?

Same outfit for the last 2000 miles.

This year, I embarked on an experiment to buy No New Stuff.  The impetus was that I took a massive salary cut to join AmeriCorps, and needed  to curtail my spending to fit the less than minimum wage “living stipend” (which had to cover essentials like health insurance, car repairs and insurance, and gas money). The experiment had unintended consequences— it freed up my time and also changed how I think about gear.

There is a myth that you need new stuff to improve your backpacking experience.  But things aren’t, in themselves, a source of joy.  Sure some basics are required and granted I already have quality gear that I bought back when I made more money.  But I used to waste time thinking up material solutions to my backpacking discomforts.  I wasted even more time getting sucked into the vortex of gear reviews and online forums, and even more time shopping online, trying out new gear, and returning gear.  The whole consumerist cycle added up to a huge time and energy sink that wasn’t necessary.

Cold feet get frustrating when you don't automatically go buy winter boots and instead try to make do.

My experiment taught me to instead concentrate on skills, adjust my expectations, and borrowed or improvised gear.  All of these not only save money, but I find them more intrinsically worthwhile activities.

For example, there is always going to be some lighter gear replacement.  I’ve spent hundreds of dollars lightening my pack, which improved my backpacking to a point.  But now, I just try to find out what I can go without, rather than replace the items I already have. 

Another case— over the years, I’ve spent countless hours on the quest for trail shoes.  And at the end of the day, I’ve got a closet full of shoes none of which keep my feet consistently happy.  Is there some miracle shoe out there that if I just kept looking would bring me ultimate comfort?  I’ve ceased believing in that.  Instead, I make do with what I have, and use techniques to keep myself safe and healthy. 

Taping my feet makes slightly poor fitting shoes acceptable.

Sometimes, the No New Gear rule got frustrating. I broke down after a few months and bought trail maps for the new area I moved to.  The experiment was about providing an opportunity to discover new ways of being, it wasn’t about being stupid enough to hike without something essential like paper maps.

Don't skimp on the important things like maps.

Don’t want to go so extreme as my No New Gear experiment?  Here are the lessons and practices that are the most valuable.  Give them a try and see if they help you to reduce your gear spending:

    -Make a list of your desired purchases, and give yourself 1-3 months waiting time before pulling the trigger. 

    -Do an experiment to see if you can go without the item you want.  Maybe you’ll find you don’t need it after all. 


    -Stop reading articles or blogs about gear for a while. See if you are happier with what you already have if you aren’t comparing your gear to other people’s.

    -Repair or patch your gear to get more use out of it. 

Just need more glue.

Holes are just a feature to promote air flow.

    -Replace broken items with things you already have. While I loved my platypus, when the hose went bad, I started using gatorade bottles instead. 

    -Borrow, freecycle, and ask around for a gear loan.  Get books at your library.

    -Skip the trip to REI and instead go take a hike.

    - Take a step back to examine what you really value in life. The biggest costs are in a life not fully lived, in days spent at home rather than on the trail.

The payoff for the No New Gear experiment went beyond just saving time and money.  Ultimately, I was able to afford taking the pay cut to do something of value: serving in AmeriCorps last summer and fall, and then being a Volunteer In Park at a National Monument this winter.  Both richly rewarding experiences that brought me joy and fulfillment.  Not having new gear was a small price for being able to realize my dreams.

Outer Mountain Loop- Day 2

The desert section of the Outer Mountain Loop was not the barren wasteland we’d expected from our view from the rim two days ago. Wildflowers were still blooming, pockets of trees were hidden in canyons around the springs. These surprises make desert hiking truly special in Big Bend National Park.

Is this really the desert?

Navigation wasn’t difficult along the Dodson Trail. We were surprised people get lost so frequently.  Cairns marked paths through the washes. Signs pointed the way at trail junctions. It seemed better marked than the PCT or the Arizona Trail, but I guess it’s all what you’re used to.

Cairns and narrow path lined with spiny plants.

Pathfinder and I hiked separately at our own paces.  I zoned out.  No sustained climbs, so my legs percieved the terrain that as flat, though I suppose there were up and downs. 

Just a few switchbacks.  But mostly flat... or flatish.

Why is happiness so easy out here?  Why do all the little annoyances—like spines embedded in shoes and clothes, the stench of five days without a shower, the heat rash and sunscreen eye itch—have no impact on my happiness level?  It's like I'm able to tackle anything. What would it be like to have this mindset all the time?

Looking up at the rim of the Chisos.

I used to think backpacking would allow time for deep, philosophical thoughts about the important things in life. What really happens is that I dwell on three things: water, hammock hang sites, and plant distributions and identification. Where is the next spring?  Could I hang from those bushes?  What were all these plants called? Why do the cactus grow at odd orientations? How has the lack of grazing impacts impacted these plant communities?  Not deep thoughts, yet, it is interesting to notice what the mind dwells on.  Is this what I think are the most important thoughts to be having?

Is this paintbrush blooming in December?

When will the ocotillo bloom?

What is this?  (edit: woolly paperflower)

What type of fern lives in the desert?

Have I mentioned how awesome it is to hike without grizzlies always on my mind?

Water sources were flowing and easy to find- both Dodson spring and Fresno creek.

Homer Wilson Ranch-- can you imagine life here in 1929?

After picking up our water cache from the box near the Homer Wilson ranch house, the storm came quickly...

Fortunately, the next day would be better...

Major shakedown hike

Will I be ready for my big three week long backpacking vacation next week?  Time for a shakedown!

First, gear testing.  I’ve got the same stuff I took on the PCT and AZT, due to my AmeriCorps budget (i.e. no new gear).  So I had to test out if the fresh superglue and patches will hold my old gear together.  So far, so good.

Did you really want gear photos when there are views like this?  Didn't think so.  You're welcome.

I did pull the trigger on a replacement toothbrush and new plastic ziplocks.  The new ziplocks were sort of shiny and smelled too clean, but hopefully I will adjust.  And they will get dirty soon enough. 

I next turned to assessing my physical fitness.  Actually, that’s a lie.  I really didn’t pay any attention because the scenery was too beautifully distracting.  I climbed up a mountain just to have somewhere to go and didn’t calculate elevation change until after the trip (4000 feet). I like climbing uphill. It felt good. I hope I get to climb some more.

Evidence that I do sometimes end up peakbagging, if only by mistake.

Without gear or fitness worries, I focused on practicing my skills.  My upcoming backpacking trip will take me to new and challenging terrain, so I want to be sure I am well versed in the techniques that will get me through.

Went for a swim to practice my cooling off and floating around skills.  Then worked on sitting by the side of the lake and watching water striders.

I tend to get overconfident in my botanizing and take unnessary risks like thinking I will see a plant a second time and not stopping to take photos if I think the lighting could be better in a little while.  This shakedown hike really made me dig deep and revise my posey bagging priorities.  Because really it's the mental challenges that are the biggest.

Huckleberry pickin and eatin.  Definitely need more practice.

Think I have the cloudwatching down.  Still not good at cloudwalking.  But will keep trying.

I will not be blogging from the trail and I’m not telling you where I’m going.  But I will say that I’m super duper excited that my friend Arizona that I hiked with on the PCT will be flying out to join me.  Yippee!

Trip notes
This was a solo dayhike in the Swan Range of northwestern Montana.  Not gonna specify where exactly because I only saw 2 other people and really appreciated the solitude.  Huge thanks to C. for telling me about this spot!

Arizona Trail Gear

My Arizona Trail gear was similar to what I used on the Pacific Crest Trail last year.  To avoid redundancy, I will only describe my favorite gear for the Arizona Trail and the specific aspects of my clothing system that were well suited for this trip.  Otherwise, just refer to this post on my hammock gear and this post on everything else.

Here is a spreadsheet of my Arizona Trail gear.

Environmental conditions on the Arizona Trail
Temperatures varied substantially over the course of a day and with elevation.  I know it's hard to imagine, but it dropped below freezing several nights (the northbounders we passed said it got into the 20s for them). We woke up with frost-covered tarps a couple times.  Other nights stayed warmer.  I’d often hike for the first hour in my down puffy coat and gloves, with long underwear bottoms or rainpants.  At higher elevations, I’d keep my puffy handy to wear when we stopped at rest breaks.  Do not underestimate how cold it will be on the Arizona Trail!

Wearing all of our warm clothes while hiking during cold mornings. Photo by Jan.

Daytime temperatures swung wildly- from the 30s to the 80s, but we lucked out an it can got much hotter for the hikers that left a few weeks after us.  The sun and heat were intense. Because I am fair-skinned, burn easily, and have a family history of skin cancer, I cover up in loose clothing, carried a sun umbrella, and applied frequent and copious amounts of sunscreen.

Staying covered up and using my umbrella hands-free.  Photo by Jan.

Spines and nasty, sharp, overgrown brush on the trail were a huge factor in clothing choices.  Abrasion-resistant fabrics helped (but didn’t totally prevent) skin from getting scratched and slashed up.

Overgrown trail.

Biting and stinging insects were not much of a problem.  Though I admit I’m a person who is not normally bothered by insects.  Had a few gnats swarming around a couple days, but not enough to put on a headnet.  No mosquitoes.  Lots of bees but I only got one sting and it was because I went near a pothole where water was scarce and I figure the bee was just defending a rare water source.

Rain was more frequent than I’d expected— rained several days in the afternoon, and two nights we got a soaking rain.  This was an unusually wet spring.  Condensation soaked us a few nights when we camped down low.

Personal style
I am a lightweight backpacker with a baseweight of 12 pounds.  I carry a hammock because it allows me to sleep soundly, but I do NOT recommend a hammock on the AZT (see my article here).  I carry a lot of insulation because I get cold easily.

Favorite gear items for the Arizona Trail: Umbrella, Comb, Tweezers, and Sunscreen

Umbrella: Chrome Dome (8 oz)  (see my post for how to rig the umbrella on your pack)

Hands down my favorite piece of gear on the Arizona Trail was my umbrella.  The sun out there is fierce, intense, and relentless.  The umbrella kept me significantly cooler and allowed me to hike during the heat of the day without passing out from heat exhaustion.  At rest breaks, it provided shade when none was available.

Rest break under the shade of umbrellas.

Umbrellas also provided us countless hours of entertainment and/or protected us from mountain lions and other dangers.  The umbrella also kept us dry in the rain.  Who knew it rained in Arizona!?!?  I can’t imagine hiking the Arizona Trail without an umbrella.

I thought Arizona would be sunny all the time.  So, what is this wet stuff falling from the sky?

Comb (plastic, from the hiker box) and tweezers (from my Swiss Army Knife, classic)
A comb removed cactus spines more easily than tweezers, but both were essential on the Arizona Trail.  Jumping cholla and burrs could be brushed off immediately with the comb before they’d work themselves in further.  Using your fingers for spine removal hurt too much--don't even think about it these spines have barbs.   When you’ve got a cholla sticking out of your skin, you want it off RIGHT NOW.  I kept my comb in the hipbelt pocket of my pack for easy and quick access. 

Removing a jumping cholla with my pink comb.

Tweezers extracted problematic spines that would embed in your skin. They also removing a bee sting from my cheek. 

Sunscreen: 3 oz bottle of Neutrogena Ultra sheer dry-touch SPF 70
I tend to be fairly thrifty, but I’ve learned not to skimp when it comes to sunscreen.  This type has a non-offensive odor and goes on thick but doesn’t feel gross.  I carry the 3 oz bottle because I need to apply it every two hours in copious amounts so I don’t burn to a crisp, even under my umbrella and hat.  Do not underestimate the Arizona sun.

If you are fair skinned like me, just suck it up and carry the 3 ounce bottle.

Clothes System

Hiking shirt: Railriders adventure shirt (6.5 oz)
Loved this shirt!  Great abrasion resistance for the brushy, thorny parts of the trail.  It prevented my arms from getting slashed up.  Provided great sun protection, side vents were good for cooling, roomy cut felt comfortable and breezy.  My major complaint with this shirt is that the sleeves are too short.

Hiking skirt: DIY skirt (4.5 oz)
A skirt worked really well for me.  Skirts are cooler, so prevent problems with heat rash.  I also love the versatility of being able to take off or put on long underwear/ rainpants over or under my skirt.  It also makes it very easy to go pee standing up.

Gaiters: DIY tall gaiters (3 oz)
These tall gaiters that I sewed myself were ESSENTIAL for protection from spines and nasty brush.  I can not emphasize how overgrown some parts of the trail were, and how many prickery, pokey plants are out there waiting to attack your flesh.  Having tall gaiters to protect my lower legs allowed me to wear a skirt, which together with the gaiters is a versatile system.  This combination was cool in the heat, and then in the cold I would wear my long underwear under the tall gaiters. 

Fleece Hoodie: Melanzana Micro grid  (9 oz)               
I love the warmth and coziness of sleeping in my fleece hoodie.  The material feels great against my dirty, sweat-encrusted skin.  The front pouch keeps my hands warm.   Some people might get away with sleeping in just long underwear, but I sleep cold so prefer to sleep in my fleece layer.

Long underwear bottoms: Patagonia capilene 4 (5.5 oz)
Wore these every night and hiked in them the first hour or so in the cold. 

Down coat: Montbell UL (7 oz)
Went with my lighter-weight down coat this trip and that worked well.  Wore this for hiking the first hour every day, and used it at rest breaks at higher elevations.  My down coat is an essential part of my sleep system because I use it as a hood with my top quilt.

Down booties: Goosefeet socks (2.8 oz)
Love my down booties!  Keep my feet from freezing at night.  I no longer question the extravagance.  These are an essential part of getting a good nights sleep.

Down hat: Black Rock Down (1 oz)
OK so maybe this was excessive.  But I wore it most nights and mornings, and it sure felt good to not be freezing cold.  This hat provides lots of warmth for just an ounce.  Love the band, and it stays on when I sleep.

Gloves: Surplus Wool Liner Gloves (1.5 oz)
Wore these while packing up and hiking the first hour.

Sun hat: Sunday afternoons sport hat (2.5 oz)
It was sometimes too windy for the umbrella, so the wide-bimmed hat was essential for sun protection..  This one has excellent coverage and ventilation.  The chin strap held the hat on in strong wind.

Sun wristies: DIY fingerless (1 oz)
Essential for sun protection.  Protected my hands from spines, abrasion, and windburn too.

Sunglasses: Oakley Juliet  (1.8 oz)
Wrap around, good quality sunglasses were also essential.  Also helped for wind, dust, and bug protection.

Raincoat and Rainpants: Zpacks Cuben jacket and pants  
Just right for the few times it rained.  Plus wore for extra warmth and while doing laundry.

Raincoat, rainpants, and umbrella--because it does rain on the Arizona Trail.

Trail Shoes: Keen Voyagers and Altra Lone Peaks
I prefer low-cut trail shoes that are highly breathable and NOT gortex.  But I have major problems with finding shoes that fit my huge feet (they are so big I have to wear men’s shoes) and my bunions.

I love/hate both of these shoes.  The keens give me blisters on my pinky toes when I carry more than 5 L of water.  I got a stress fracture last summer while wearing the altras with microspikes, and while I thought my stress fracture had healed completely (hadn’t felt anything in 6 months), wearing the altras again started to aggravate the old stress fracture injury two weeks before I started this hike. 

On the Arizona Trail, I started with the keens but got annoyed with how hot they felt and with my pinky toe blisters.  So after 100 miles I picked up the altras and carried TWO pair of shoes, and alternated during the course of each day.  It felt ridiculous carrying two shoes, but this was the healthiest option because I’ve struggled so much with my feet.

Shoe frustration.

Carrying two shoes for a little while allowed my blisters to heal and my feet felt great in the altras, but I hoped that wearing them only part of the time would not put too much stress on my feet.  Unfortunately, my stress fracture site started feeling weird after a few days of wearing the Altras-  not painful, but I could feel it.  It was so frustrating because the altras feel awesome otherwise and give me no other problems, but I was not gonna mess with that stress fracture.  So for the last 100 miles I wore only the keens.  Since I was carrying less water and doing low miles, I had no foot problems.

For future hikes, I dream of finding trail shoes that give me neither blisters nor stress fractures, and that don’t hurt my bunions.  Is this too much to ask? If anyone has suggestions for me, please comment below...

That's it for the gear talk.  As I said, my hammock gear was reviewed in another post, this post is on everything else, and I talk more about my water system for the Arizona Trail here.  Let me know if you have any questions or comments!

Disclaimer: I am a Gossamer Gear Trail Ambassador, and I got the Mariposa pack from them for free.  All other gear was purchased by me.

Next Generation DIY Hiking Skirt

Holes are erupting on my old hiking skirt after all the use it got on the Pacific Crest Trail and Arizona Trail this past year.  Time to sew a new version of my favorite hiking skirt!

Next generation DIY hiking skirt--in upsidedown tree print!

I made two skirts this time in case I don't get back to my parent's house for a while.  The downside of traveling, couchsurfing, and life on the road is that I don't see my sewing machine very often, since I'm storing everything at my parents' house.  Thanks Mom and Dad for letting me transform your living room into a spacious sewing workshop for a few days!

A second glitter camo DIY skirt.

I took some photos while I was sewing so you can see how I made my hiking skirts.  I’ll also include a mock-up of my homemade pattern and include comments on fabrics and design notes for all you DIYers out there.

Advantages of hiking skirts
   - Prevent chafe and upper thigh heat rash because they are breezy.
   - Easy and fast to pee.  Allows peeing standing up.
   - Versatile- add long underwear underneath in the cold.  Wear rainpants over them, tucking extra material down into the pant legs.
   - For thick undergrowth and bushwhacking, wear with tall gaiters.

I am not bothered by biting insects while I hike in a skirt.  In camp, rainpants worn over my skirt prevent bites.

My skirt design features
   - Side pockets with double layer of material, sized to hold a map and smartphone.
   - Low-profile elastic waistband comfy beneath backpacking hipbelt
   - Cut to allow freedom of movement.  Plenty of material and flare to allow big steps.
   - Fabric in prints, colors, and glitter to make me smile.

Materials

Considerations in choosing fabrics:
  - Stretchy for motion (lycra).
  - Abrasion resistant for bushwhacking and overgrown trail (ripstop). 
  - Doesn’t chafe when wet.

I use more stretchy material on the sides for nice movement as I hike.  Lycra isn't as abrasion-resistant as the ripstop.  The ripstop on the back panel is good to sit on and provides more protection in front when bushwhacking.  Using the two fabric types together is a compromise.

Front, back, and pocket fabric:  Ripstop Supplex nylon from Rockywoods.com.  More abrasion resistant, but only comes in solid colors.  Has slight stretch.

Side panels:  Lycra (tree print from a pair of leggings, glitter camo from Joann's fabric).  Fabric stores have limited selection of print fabrics, so I used a pair of lycra leggings with gorgeous tree print (my trail name is "Hemlock" because I love trees).  I cut them apart to use the material, but had to use it upside-down so it would be the right size.   Thus, the "upside-down" finished skirt. 

Ripstop material (left).  Cut open lycra leggings (right) to provide fabric for the side panels.

Basic Pattern
The pattern is my own design, and I've only ever made this skirt to fit me (about 34 inch waist--varies between 32 and 36 inches depending on weight gain/loss).  See Megan's notes below in the comments section for how to alter the pattern to fit your waist size.

This skirt was about 21 1/2 inches long when finished.  

Cartoon of the pattern for the front and back panels.

Cartoon of the pocket and side panel pattern.

Cutting out the material
Be sure to cut on the grain of the fabric.  I tried doing a skirt cut on the bias, and it stretched out too much.

My actual patterns are works in progress.  Years ago when I was obsessed with my pack weight and dropping ounces, I'd make the skirt short to keep the weight of the skirt down.  When I saw how much sunscreen I kept having to apply to keep my knees from burning, I decided to sew the skirts longer to provide more coverage (but I haven't weighted the new version- I know it has to weigh more but now I just don't care).

I allow for about 5/8 inch seams on the sides.  The top waistband allowed for about 1 1/2 inch.

Cutting the front and back panels out of ripstop on the fold.

Cutting pockets (left) on the fold.  Cutting side panels (right) out of lycra on the fold (cut 2).

Cutting the front panel (right) out of blue ripstop material.

Constructing the skirt
Simple slip pockets were constructed by sewing two pieces of material together (left) with a hole at the top to flip the material through.  Then topstitching the fabric around the edges.  I sewed the top again using the coverstitch on the serger as decoration.

Sew two fabric pieces right sides together (left) then flip and topstitch (right).

Attach the pockets onto the side panels six inches from the top, centered.  I sewed them on with several passes of the machine to provide extra stability.

Sewing pocket onto the side panels.

Reinforce the edges of the pockets with some ribbon on the inside.  The top of the pockets need extra durability or they will tear the thinner lycra.

Rainbow ribbons to reinforce the tops of the pockets (inside view).

Outside view of top pocket reinforcement.

Topstitch used the wide cover stitch on my serger.

Putting panels together
I used a serger to attach the side panels to the front and back.  The differential feed setting prevents puckering on stretchy fabric.  If you don't have a serger, you could use a narrow french hem.

Sewing the side panel to the front (and back) panel using a serger.

Waistband
A narrow elastic waistband has less bulk to fit under the pack waistbelt.  I did a rolled hem but didn’t close off the channel.  Then I topstitched around the first seam with the serger for decoration.  Then, I threaded 1/2 inch elastic through the channel and tied it off with a knot that I can untie and adjust as needed.

Leaving the elastic band open allows quick adjustments to accommodate weight changes on the trail.

Bottom hem
Length of the skirt depends on preference.  Sunburned knees convinced me to lengthen this skirt a few inches to a final length of about 21 1/2 inches.  Previous versions used a small handkerchief hem (narrow hem twice).  For this version, I did a narrow hem and then added detail with the cover stitch on my serger.

Hem detail (inside view).

Comments, questions?  Please email me or use the comment feature if you have any questions!  I'd be especially interested to hear from anyone who tries this out!  Happy sewing!

References and further information

My first hiking skirt (made from an old hiking shirt)

My 2nd Generation skirt in Durastretch camoflague with DWR finish (from Rockywoods).

Can’t sew?  Here are two hiking skirts you can buy: 

This Melanzana fleece skirt was inspiration for my design, but I’ve modified it over the years.

Purple rain skirts are gaining in popularity.