Rethinking My Pack - Sawyer Squeeze v Aquamira

I hiked 644 miles last year. I left my old, heavy MSR filter at home and used Aquamira to treat water. It weighed a lot less than my filter, and had no moving parts to fail. It adds a slight flavor to the water which I did not find disagreeable. A few times I was running low, and had a hard time finding it in town, but I never ran out and it never failed me. - On the other hand, it seemed a shame to bespoil pure mountain spring water with it, and treating nasty tasting, tannin-stained water out of slow-moving streams made me pine for a filter.

Later in the season, I started seeing these Sawyer Squeeze filters. Folks used different bags and bottles to feed them. They squeezed into water bottles, they placed them in-line with their pack's bladder system, and they set up gravity systems to work while they ate. With an advertised 3 oz field weight, I was pretty excited about them, and I vowed to look into them when I got home.

Sawyer Squeeze vs Aquamira after the break ...

Lessons Learned - Water Treatment

When I started thinking seriously about long distance hiking, one area that concerned me was how best to keep myself hydrated - Collecting, filtering, treating and carrying it, how much to carry, and other questions I didn't know to ask. I had an MSR Sweetwater Microfilter, Nalgene bottles, a Camelback bladder system, a folding bucket - It all added up to a lot of weight ...

I delved into the resources of the intertubes to see what people were packing, and spent way too much time on Backpackinglight and WhiteBlaze. I found the Ultralighter, gram-weenies lurking therein to be invaluable resources.

To a person, they advocated leaving the filter behind, and using Aquamira drops as a 3 oz solution to the issue of treatment ... (More after the jump ...)

Walkin' With The Ghost Whisperers

J.R. "Model T" Tate's book about the history, myths, lore and legends surrounding the Appalachian Trail is now available for the Kindle! On his third thru-hike of the AT, the author realized he had hiked past hundreds of monuments, historical markers, old buildings without ever hearing the stories behind them. He embarked on researching these stories, and trots them out like we were sitting around a campfire in a voice that betrays his southern roots. That the story follows the trail northward makes it handy to have in one's back pocket to read and to refer to along the way.

Bonus! While the printed version is thick and heavy, the Kindle version is weightless! Link to Amazon [here].

Lessons Learned - Cameras on the Trail

I love my camera. It ain't for everyone, and most backpackers would probably prefer a smaller, lighter camera. Perhaps one that's water proof. But I wanted the image quality that comes with a big sensor, in a package that wasn't as bulky or as heavy as a DSLR. So I carry a Fujifilm X100.

My thoughts on cameras for hiking (here).

During my northbound Georgia section, I carried it in a padded nylon case by Tamrac. (Upper right in photo at right) Their Tamrac 5693 Digital 3 Camera Bag (Black) is a perfect fit for the X-100. I put a shoulder strap on it and slung it over my shoulder after I put my pack on. The camera was accessible that way, and well protected. If it rained, I put the whole thing in a dry bag, and stashed it in my pack.

When I had to go home with my knee injury, I spent a lot of time cutting weight out of my pack. That case weighs 7 ozs ... Almost half a pound! It had to go. But what to replace it with?

Where I'm At

I know, I know ... I've been delinquent in posting updates. I'd like to say I've been completely focused on banging out the miles. But, the truth is, I took the easy way out and just updated Facebook with photos and a few lines. I'm sorry.

And, the Blogger app for android does not seem to allow me to respond to comments ...

I've written several updates, and I'll continue to do so till I'm up to date. Which brings me to that point.

Once again, an injury has taken me off the trail...

I made it thru the Whites, the Green Mountains and into Manchester, VT. All while limping along with foot pain that was all too slowly improving. A doctor on the trail suggested I get a script for Prednisone, and that was working swell.

New Hampshire's White Mountains

I came down out of the mountains to a bit of road walking towards Gorham, NH. At the intersection of US2 and North Road sits White Mountain Lodge & Hostel. A wonderful New England lodge that has been beautifully maintained and converted into a hostel catering to AT thru hikers.

I limped in with a sore heel and surrounding tendons that had been bothering me for a while. They took all my dirty laundry, gave me loaner clothes, showed me the common room with a big TV and a shelf of DVDs, a fridge full of pizza and Ben & Jerrys ice cream, and a bunk with a real mattress and clean linens. A shuttle took us twice daily to the local super Walmart for resupply. The freezer had ice packs.

Heaven. I never wanted to leave.

Hiking Maine's Mahoosuc Mountain Range

Southern Maine's Mahoosuc Range, a northern extension of the White Mountains, has the reputation as the hardest section of the Appalachian Trail. A 4000 footer, and several that are nearly so. Steep notches where the trail goes straight up and down. A foot path that is often shear rock face, and slippery when wet. It's the home of the infamous Mahoosuc Notch - A mile-long jumble of boulders described as the most difficult, or fun, mile of the trail, depending on one's predilection for bouldering.

After my shipmate, Ray dropped me off at The Top Of The World, I hiked a few miles to a campsite by a stream, The next morning I traversed Bemis Mountain. A long, steep descent brought me to South Arm Rd where I camped for the night. The next morning I got a lift to Pine Ellis Lodge in Andover to resupply, and to ice my feet and knees. More after the break.

Nobos I Knew

Started running into northbounders I had hiked with back in Georgia.  Mouse appeared on the trail in the Bigalows, recognized me,  but not really.  I reminded her we had met at an overview in Georgia.  That didn't ring any bells so I told her "It was a nice night for a knife fight," an expression she had used to show off her Tennessee accent.  That brought it all back!

A few days later, I ran into Wiffleball - So named 'cause he hiked with a bat and ball and organized games at shelters along the way. We had started hiking together the first day from Springer Mountain, along with DamnYankee, Loopy and DarkAge, but he was soon stretching his legs and got well ahead of the rest of us.

Old Shipmates Along The Trail

Ray Richards, a shipmate from our time on USS Eisenhower in the 70's, and an unabashed "Mainah," met me at "Top of the World" in Maine, with milk and home-made whoopie pies!

Stratton, the Crockers and the Saddlebacks

Sue runs the Stratton Motel & Hostel in Stratton, and she shuttles hikers all over the region. I gave her a call when I reached my point of frustration trying to hitch into town, and she came out to pick me up.

Stratton is a good resupply town. There's a grocery store across the street from the hostel, along with a diner open for breakfast and lunch.  Other places in town offer options for dinner, and there's a hardware store offering some supplies hikers may need. And Sue's hostel has a full kitchen, showers, and a living room with TV and a closet full of DVDs.