[pct-l] Pct hike summer 2013

Thu Jun 7 23:11:49 CDT 2012

Sleeping on the floor at home - that's some hard-core sleep prep.

-Travis

On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 9:55 PM, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net> wrote:

> Good evening, Chris,
>
> The best conditioning for hiking in the mountains with a pack is to hike in
> the mountains with a pack, but any physical conditioning is better than
> nothing to develop the cardiovascular systems and some of the muscles.
>
> There can be a bit of a problem with a program that doesn’t heavily
> emphasize walking, such as biking or swimming:  Soft tissues – such as
> heart, muscles, and lung capacity – develop fairly quickly, while bones
> require much longer to adapt to increasing loads.  The lack of foot
> toughness is another problem.  Blisters are a fact of life for many new
> hikers starting at Campo.  Soft feet don’t go well with hard muscles, a
> strong heart, and big lungs.
>
> Another problem early in a long hike is the inability to get a good night’s
> rest.  Sleeping on the ground isn’t easy for the long-time bed sleeper.
>  During
> training the hiker probably sleeps poorly and becomes convinced that the
> only answer is to invest some kind of fancy – read “heavy and expensive” –
> sleeping pad.  What works for me is to begin months in advance sleeping at
> home on a carpeted floor wrapped in a blanket in lieu of in a bed.  That
> makes sleeping during training hikes much easier.  When it’s time for the
> long hike I can spread my 3/8” foam pad on the ground about anywhere and
> enjoy the sleep.
>
> Enjoy your planning,
>
> Steel-Eye
>
> -Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye
>
> http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09/
>
>
> On Thu, Jun 7, 2012 at 6:56 PM, Chris Anderson <srhspaded at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
> > :)  It would be grand if I could just hike every single day for the next
> > 10 months to get ready for what the trail is going to serve up fresh and
> > raw...but alas, that isn't feasible...so my thinking is that I need to
> > immerse my self in minimalist situations to constantly asses my gear,
> even
> > if just for weekend trips...trying to incorporate it everyday, so that I
> > can get accustomed to not having "everything and the kitchen sink" with
> me
> > (funny story...my roommate is suprised that I won't be bringing a gun
> with
> > me, and said I should at least by a kukri..."dude, its only like a pound
> > and you can fight off bears and mountain lions").  I plan on starting
> > eating the same ol' cold fast breakfast I expect to have out there before
> > work everyday...also i want to test out food to find that "special
> > breakfast" that meets my calorie needs and I won't grow tired of.  Also,
> I
> > am thinking about biking to work EVERDAY to get accustomed to the
> elements,
> > rain or shine
> >  (its actually hard to find rain days in so. cal. thouigh) ...to break
> out
> > of my cocoon of comfort...cuz i know it isn't gonna be a stroll in the
> > woods and i gotta build up my callouses, feet, hands, and soul...us
> > flat-landers are behind the learning curve ;)
> >
> >
> > On a side note...any and all advice is welcome from seasoned vets and
> > aspirationalists alike
> >
> >
> >
> ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs even
> > though checkered by failure, than to rank with those poor spirits who
> > neither enjoy nor suffer much because they live in the gray twilight that
> > knows neither victory nor defeat!
> > -------------------------------------
> > A man's interest in a single bluebird is worth more than a complete but
> > dry list of the fauna and flora of a town.
> >
> >
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> >  From: Bill Burge <bill at burge.com>
> > To: Scott Bryce <sbryce at scottbryce.com>
> > Cc: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> > Sent: Thursday, June 7, 2012 6:32 PM
> > Subject: Re: [pct-l] Pct hike summer 2013
> >
> > BINGO!
> >
> > I too learned that I could put on a 40 pound pack and hike 15+ miles.
> >
> > BUT, learned it was different to do it day, after day, after day…
> > Sleeping on the ground wasn't that big a deal, but wearing the same
> > clothes, battling UV exposure, elevation gain, blisters, searching for
> > water, etc - made it an entirely different process!
> >
> > 325 miles later, it became a bit of a grind...
> >
> > SomeGuy
> > Bill Burge
> > bill at burge.com
> >
> >
> >
> > On Jun 7, 2012, at 6:28 PM, Scott Bryce wrote:
> >
> > > On 6/7/2012 6:43 PM, Chris Anderson wrote:
> > >
> > >> I can do 20 miles in a day on easy terrain but i think its going to
> > >> take some endurance training and a strict regiment to be able to do
> > >> it day in day out.
> > >
> > > This is good thinking. I started in 2008 knowing I could put on my pack
> > > and walk 20 miles. No question. What I did not know is whether I could
> > > sleep on the ground, and do it again the next day. The trail kicked my
> > > butt. I was one of the many who dropped out early.
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