[pct-l] Switchback's Anti Heat Recommendations

[Hiker97 at aol.com]

_reinholdmetzger at cox.net_ (mailto:reinholdmetzger at cox.net)   writes: Another 
option is hike at night.....sleep during the day.
Like  Switchback said drink lots of water, but not to much, and eat food 
containing  salt like salted nuts and potassium like banana chips......to replace 
the salt  lost due to sweating. I remember in the Marine Corps we always took 
a salt  tablet every 2-4 hrs on our forced marches. Oh yes, there is safety in 
 numbers.....hike with a friend or two.
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Yes, that is another great idea to hike at night.  That is why I  recommend 
you take a paper copy of the moon phases with you on your hike.   See 
_www.moon-phases.net/calendar/index.php_ 
(http://www.moon-phases.net/calendar/index.php) .   Hiking with some partners in challenging areas is good too.  I would 
start  hiking at 4-5 in the morning if I faced a difficult section.  By 10-11 AM 
I  could set up camp for a nice rest after some good miles on the trail.  Then 
 around 5 PM I would start hiking again until 9 PM.  No problem.  You  have a 
nice 10 hour hiking day, which might equate to 20 miles on the  trail.  Not 
bad at all.

 
Of course, if you really wanted to make miles you would  divide your hiking 
day up into thirds.  From 5 to 10 AM you hike 10  miles.  From 11 to 4 PM you 
hike another 10 miles.  Then the last  third you hike from 5 to 10 PM for the 
last 10 miles for a total of 30  miles.  That is how I would do it at a 2 MPH 
pace.  If you hike  faster, then the mileage would be much greater.  I would be 
very careful  about putting these types of miles together back to back.  You 
need to  rest.  Also, you need to ramp up to this type of hiking routine over 
a  period of time on the trail.
 
You want to break into the trail  (Rhythm) and not have the trail break you.
 
Cheers, Switchback
 
 



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