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[pct-l] Some Notes

Howdy Y'all!

Well, I'm gearring up for a southbound PCT thru-hike and thought I would
pass along some items on various topics that have been working well for
me.

First off:  homemade packs.  I liked Jardines idea of a super-light pack,
but I despite several attempts at shoulder straps, I couldn't come up with
anything satisfactory.  So, heres what I did:  I modified a pair of REI
shoulder straps off a New Star.  I used a setup similar to Dana Design and
some big strips of velcro to anchor the straps to the pack.  My current
system is awesome, no problems!  The straps do a fantastic job of evenly
distributing the weight of the pack.  

Next up:  blister training.  This may be old news to many of you, but the 
current system I'm using has virtually eliminated my blisters. My feet
have been toughening up nicely since I started going for a walk in the
morning, then going barefoot, and then fininshing the day with another
walk. I've been hitting 12-19 miles a day with this method.  Going
barefoot allows the feet to dry out, which seems to do a great deal to
heal blisters for me.  Also my feet have been loving my since I started
using the Ultimax Triathlete Ultra-Lite socks and a pair of Asics Gel
130's.  I was using a pair of synthetic liner socks before the Ultimax's,
but the Ultimax's do a great job of conforming to the shape of the feet
and NOT bunching up.  I also really like the Asics because of the
fore-foot cushioning and general fit.  My favorites so far.

Also in the foot care dept., I picked up the book "Fixing Your Feet" by
John Vonhof.  The book is a great resource for foot care products and
'preventive maintenance and treatments for foot problems of runners,
hikers, and adventure racers'.  Worth taking a look at.  The duct tape
section for blister care was interesting!

Here's a recipe for Logan bread I came across in a book I picked up at the
library:
Mix in a bowl:  1/2 c. butter, 1/4 c. brown sugar, 1/3 c. veg. oil, 1/2 c.
molasses, 1/2 c. honey
Mix in a seperate bowl:  3 1/4 c. whole wheat flour, 1/2. c soy flour, 2/3
c. seaseme meal (or seeds), 1 1/4 c. sunflower seeds, 1/3 c. dry milk, 
1 1/2 tsp salt, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
Mix all together, put in a 9x9 greased pan (the dough should be about 1"
thick in the pan), and bake for 40 min at 300 degrees or until done, of
course!  
I figured that if I made nine bars per batch, then each bar was about 500
kcal.  According to the cookbook, the bars should last up to 2 months!!
Also, I would throw in things like walnuts, raisins, coconut, etc. to add
some variety to the bars.  

Another recipe I have come to love is for Gorp Squares!  These things kind
of taste like Reeses Pieces, and there's no baking!
Melt 16 oz. semi sweet choc. chips and 1/3 c. honey in a bowl
Mix 1/2 c. chopped dates, 1/2 c. raisins, 1/2 c. shredded coconut, 1/2 c.
cashews, walnuts, or almonds, 1 c. uncooked oatmeal, and 1 c. peanut
butter. 
Mix together and pour into greased pan.  Let cool and cut into bars.  
Beware though, these things are addictive!!

For anyone looking for housewrap-style Tyvek, 9 ft width, this is who I
got mine from:  Ron Lawrence at 619-578-9927.  He sells the stuff for
something like $1/ft + $3 shipping.  

I recently finished a 7.5'x8.5' tarp made out of 1.4 oz silicon coated
ripstop.  The tarp weighs 13 ozs, with tie-down cord!!!  The material is
pretty tough stuff, so I'm planning on using this for the PCT.  To seal
the seams, you can just use clear silicon caulk that you can get at any
hardware store.  Mine doesn't leak!  The only source I know for this
material is Stephenson Warmlite Tents at 603-293-7016.  The material is
expensive at $10/yd, but at 1.4 oz/yd (the coating is included in that
figure), it's hard to beat!

And finally (it's about time!!), I just read two awesome books by Tom
Brown:  "The Tracker" and "The Search".  Tom was taught how to track,
hunt, and live in the woods by one of the last Apache's to be raised in
the traditional ways, Stalking Wolf.  The books are stories of various
adventures and experiences Tom had while growing up in the woods.  These
books have given me a new respect and understanding of wilderness.

That's it for now.  If any of these ideas sound interesting, try 'em out,
you might like 'em.  Then again, you might not!  I'd be interested in what
works for others, so go ahead and post it (heck, that's how I learned to
make an alcohol stove, and I love it!).  Comments, ideas, and constructive
criticism welcomed!

john thoreson

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