Took my first hiking adventure with a mostly loaded pack (I have little things to get yet) on Saturday. There were several things that I had to do in order to make sure that I was ready:
1) Look at what I had, weight each piece, and put it into my spread sheet that I made to calculate the totals
2) Find out how to pack everything, and actually pack it.
3) Get snacks and water for the "wonderful" adventure.
1.....Even though I weighed everything already, I wanted to do it again to make sure that I accurate the first time. Well, I wasn't. I put the weight into my spread sheet that calculated everything. I'm not doing too bad. I only have few little things to get. There will enough weight left for food and water. There is about 1.5 kilos left to my "weight limit".
Here is what I am taking so far...
I was able to do the 8 miles without being "spent". However, I did notice some "hot spots" on my feet. Maybe tapping the problem areas each day will help prevent blisters. From everything that I am reading, taking care of my feet should be the number one priority.
2....YouTube was a great help to know how I should pack everything. It wasn't too difficult really. Sleeping bag on the bottom, heavy things towards my back, lighter things away from my back, and frequently used things on the very top. I did find out that my pack is way too big. It is barely half full! I don't know if you can tell it from the picture, but there it is.
I ordered a new pack...a Gregory J38 to be exact. This one should be a better fit in the torso, and it's smaller in liters (38L vs. 45L) The best part is that it's purple. While I was ordering, I went ahead and got a couple of "dry sacks" to keep my clothes and sleeping bag dry and clean.
3....Candy and I had a great time hiking Saturday. We made it 8 miles with our packs! Whoot Whoot!! The creeks were flowing beautifully. It seems that my running has paid off.
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