[pct-l] lots of PCT related stuff

[chelin at teleport.com (Sharon & Chuck Chelin)]

Good afternoon Junaid,

Concerning your questions:


Third--  Custom orthotics: have you tried em?

Years ago I had knee pain due to running on my unsupported flat feet so a
sports podiatrist made me a mild, customized pair of orthotics which I used
for several years before I went to a more aggressive pair of custom molded
inserts.  Knee relief was almost immediate and, apparently, permanent.  That
pair has served well in spite of thousands of miles of running, hiking, and
casual street-shoe wear.  However they do have, what is for me, a
significant disadvantage for hiking which caused me to find an alternative.
They are semi-ridged plastic, half-length, with a good heel cup.  As such it
is necessary for me to use some kind of insole above the orthotics, and I
have not been able to find an insole that works when wet, particularly
walking up or down hills.  I live and hike in the Pacific Northwest where
wet feet are a fact of life for 4-5 months of the year.  Slippery wet, the
relatively thin standard-type insoles slide on the insert and bunch up under
my toes. Once they have bunched and formed creases, they are scrap:  I can
never get them to stay in place again, even dry.  The solution for me was to
try off-the-shelf SuperFeet-Green supports.  They have the plastic support
inserts keyed to a relatively firm and sturdy insole, which has never slid
or bunched regardless of how wet they become, or for however long I hike on
hills.  I was concerned about the degree of support so I started using them
on short training walks, then finally graduated to long hikes, with a pack,
on real-thing trails.

My understanding is that good supports will resolve problems with low or
high arches, and prevent problems with more normal feet.

Fourth--  unobvious gear needs.

Here are some items from the bottom of my weight list:

Alcohol:  42.5 g.
Even if I don't use the alcohol stove I carry some alcohol to clean the pot
just before I cook, and usually the fingers as well.

Solid fuel tablet:  28.3 g.
Emergency fire starter.

Dog-tag with neck chain:  11.3 g.
Has name, address, phone number, blood type, drug reaction, etc.

ChapStick:  9.5 g
Lips, hangnails, skin cracks, balky water filter plungers, and occasional
tent leak sealer.

Safety pin assortment:  8.5 g
Safety

Write-In-the-Rain paper:  7.1 g
Because I live in the wet Northwest.

Dental floss:  5.7 g.
The toothpick in the Swiss Army knife is too thick.

Needle and thread:  5.5 g.
In case a pack seam opens.

P-38 can opener:  4.7 g.
My tiny Swiss Army knife doesn't have a can opener.

Tweezers:  3.7 g.
In case you don't carry a Swiss Army knife.

Bottle cap, spare:  2.4 g.
I've dropped a water bottle cap on a huge talus slope.

Ear plugs:  1.6 g.
In case of, A) noisy trains and trucks, B) weird noises in the night, C)
revelous neighbors, or, D) campmates who snore like A, B, and/or C.

Emory cloth, 1" x  4":  1.0 g.
I use it to work off the dry, rough areas on my feet before I apply salve to
help prevent cracking.

Eyeglass screws, spare:  .2 g.
Ken mentioned the screwdriver, but I don't seem to notice them before the
screw falls out.

Sixth--  Who likes pecan pie?
I do.  Does anyone dehydrate it into a firm, dense bar?

Steel-Eye