Hiking Backpacks

That has a nice ring to it, huh? Hiking the Himalaya.

Surrounded by the tallest mountains in the world, seeing remote villages - and the enchanted smiles of the locals. The Himalayan mountains are spectacular, but the villagers made us feel at home. They showered us in attention, especially the children. We taught them the chicken dance, then they taught us a local dance and song. We thought about teaching them the Macarena, but decided to keep a shred of dignity :)

We taught them to play duck duck goose. They thought it was hilarious to “goose” us. We ended up doing most of the running. :)

We played cricket with them. They won :)

I was annoyed when I found out the trek I signed up for had porters (I wanted to carry my pack) - until I met the porters. Our porters bubbled over with excitement - laughing & singing, hopping and running - all with around 100 lbs strapped to their backs.

They taught me a call & response song in Hindi, I taught them Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star. My favorite porter, Ramveer, only knew three words in English: “Hello”, “Welcome” and “Yes”. Somehow we managed to have a ton of fun together anyway.

I never asked to try on our porters’ packs :)

Posted July 31, 2008 Comments(1)

India is a thrill.

Of all the places I’ve traveled, it feels the most like time traveling. Sadhus dressed in pale orange robes wearing elaborate face paint look like they stepped out of the 1st century - and they walk the same streets, share the same train seats, as high-power technology entrepreneurs wearing expensive suits and too much cologne.

It’s mind boggling.

I spent a day in Delhi dodging cows and the fast talking touts. I went to a few of the obligatory tourist destinations.

I visited the Red Fort and was amazed by this guy:

I spent a lazy couple of hours wandering around deer park in the sunshine:

I was amazed at the variety of religions - and the legions of worshipers at the Bahai Temple:

I headed up to Haridwar where I saw the Ganga Aarti, a river ceremony where thousands of pilgrims come to pray every evening-it was amazing.

A rural family buying flower & candle offerings.

The candles are lit and the offering is put into the river. Legend has it that Vishnu left his footprint in Haridwar, hence its importance in the Hindu religion.

You can even take a little bit of the Ganges home with you in one of these convenient, water-tight containers:

I continued up to Rishikesh and stayed for a day - just long enough to meet a lifetime’s worth of yoga obsessed westerners, watch the monkeys who came to visit my hotel balcony and go on a day hike up to a mountain-top temple.

Ready for some hiking stories? I hope so, because I just returned to Delhi from a 5-day trek in the Himalaya. I’ll post the story and pics as soon as I can :)

Posted July 27, 2008 Comments(1)

I think India hired Dr. Seuss to write traffic signs for mountain roads. They usually rhyme and read like children’s poems. Some of my favorites:

“Hurry Makes Worry”
“If You Are Married, Divorce Speed”
“Slow Around The Bend, Friend”
“Speed Thrills, But Kills”
“Mountains Are a Pleasure Only if You Drive With Leisure”
“Eager To Last? Then Why Fast?”
“This is Highway, Not Runway”
“Slow and Steady Wins the Race”
“For Safe Arriving, No Liquor in Driving”
“After Whiskey, Driving is Risky”
“If You Drive Like Hell, You Will Reach There Soon”

Those are real signs. REAL SIGNS! :) I love India!

Here are a couple of pictures I took from the window of our jeep as we drove up to the trail head:

Sheep in the road:

They were building the road before our eyes:

Posted July 27, 2008 Comments(1)

I was in India about a year ago. This was my favorite picture I took. I only stayed for a few days on a layover, but we made it to the Taj and just our luck, there was a solar eclipse. Amazing isn’t it? :)

Anyway, this is my last post til I arrive in Delhi. Cheers till then!

Posted July 17, 2008 Comments(1)

I bought my finally bought my running daypack for my trip to Asia. Which day pack did I pick? Drum roll please…..

The Osprey Talon 22! It rocks. It is the most comfy daypack I tried on and it is the perfect size. I finally made it out to REI last night to make the purchase. And not a moment too soon! 3 days and counting till I’m on an airplane to India! I’m stoked.

Posted July 17, 2008 Comments(0)

While hiking the San Juan mountains in Colorado, we spotted a small herd of mountain goats. Wild animals bring out the animal instincts of hikers and our predator instincts kicked in. We all hunched down, trying to avoid being spotted. We watched for a few minutes, then continued hiking to our nearby campsite. We felt proud of our goat spotting, momentarily treasuring the rare experience.

The elation and pride were short lived. :)

We arrived at our campsite, wriggled our happy bare toes and snacked on cliff bars. Then the goats came. They didn’t hunch in the bushes inspecting us, they just came right over and surrounded us. We were excited that we got to see them so close up. Until they wouldn’t go away. We figured out what they wanted when Jack peed next to a bush. The goats wanted our urine! The crazy critters! They followed us around waiting for us to relieve ourselves, sometimes quite impatiently. Then they licked it up. Must’ve been the salt in it. Shrug.

I can’t tell you how disconcerting it is to pee while surrounded by three goats huffing and stomping impatiently.

I was instantly inspired to blog about this experience after seeing the pic below I found on Best Hike (Rocky Mountains)…see the look in the goats eyes! Jeez!

Mountain Goats - Glacier National Park - flickr - Nigel Finney

Posted July 16, 2008 Comments(1)

My roommate found a Frenchman, Sebastien on the street on Friday night. My house is home to five travelers, and it is a regular occurrence for us to welcome wanderers into our house. Sebastian has a wonderful story. He began his travels in Key West and biked across the country, from Florida to San Francisco. I love the idea of traveling long distances without motorized vehicles. He is warm, friendly and wise beyond his years.

And he has a Deuter Aircontact, which I made a b-line for as soon as I saw it, asking if I could try it on. Of course he said yes :) I asked what he thought of it. His favorite things: “It’s comfortable, its very comfortable. I’ve never had another big one, but it is very comfortable for the lower back.” His least favorite things: “the color is too shiny.”

Check out his blog at: Inspired Wanders. He has had some wonderful adventures!

Posted July 14, 2008 Comments(0)

I am officially a “Columnist” for US Outdoors Today! Super stoked about that title :) Check out my first article below:

Trail Entertainment

:)

Posted July 14, 2008 Comments(0)

I am smiling right now! I just found an article about Steve Irwin’s (Crocodile Hunter) daughter, Bindi, and the doll made in her likeness.

Steve was my hero in high school. He was the face of adventure and I adore his energy. I cried when I found out about his death.

I’m stoked that 9 year old Bindi is taking after her father in her quest to help animals and the environment. I think I would give up my Deva 60 to get to babysit for Bindi. She’s gotta be the coolest kid ever.

The 10 inch tall Bindi replica has her own pets, a python, cockatoo and a wombat. She wears her fathers infamous uniform of khakis and hiking boots. She even has her own pair of binoculars and a camera…way better than a convertible and dream house if you ask me!

Posted July 10, 2008 Comments(1)

I’m leaving San Francisco on July 20th and heading to Asia. So, I’ve been trying to get as much hiking in as I can before I leave. I had a really bizzarre experience yesterday in the east bay (Havey Canyon). I was hiking with one of my best friends and her boyfriend through the rolling hills of pasture lands. It was stunningly beautiful - we could see San Francisco and all the other towns surrounding us and the bay. There were cows all over the place, sometimes blocking the trail. There was one group of cows with some babies at the top of a hill. One baby was right on the path and the mother was looking at us angrily as we approached. The mother started rearing up at us and tried to chase us away. We ran away a little bit and pondered what we should do.

After a deliberating we decided that we should climb down into the bushes on the side of the hill and then come back up out of the bushes once we had gotten passed the cows. We started into the bushes and found that they were full of thorns and stinging nettles and other nastiness, but we kept going anyway. We could see the mother cow glaring at us through the bushes, steam coming out of her nostrals - probably amused at her power to scare away humans.

I thought it was really funny that 3 kids from the midwest got scared into the bushes by some silly cows!

Posted July 8, 2008 Comments(2)

Traveling is a high calorie activity for me…I like to try every dish in each new place I go, and believe me, Thai curries and chocolate mousse add up quick! To keep the calories at bay, I go for runs once a day during my travels if I’m not hiking or backpacking. I’ve been using one of those $0.99 cloth grocery bags to carry my water, book, ipod and a sweatshirt. It kind of rubs at my shoulders and is starting to hurt.

I decided to make an upgrade for my upcoming trip to Asia. :)

The following packs are all small, and light weight. I made a side by side daypacks review below to make it easy to see the differences.

I am trying to decide between The North Face Recon II ($79), Osprey Talon 22 Pack ($99), Osprey Stratos 18 Pack ($74.83), Gregory Reactor Pack ($69), the REI Flash UL Pack ($25) and the REI Stoke 19 Pack ($59.50). I am leaning towards the REI Flash. The price makes me smile and I like that it is basically just a stuff sack with shoulder straps. It turns inside out and becomes a stuff sack! How cool is that!?! Sometimes I carry oddly shaped items back and forth, so I need something that will accommodate anything. On the other hand it looks less comfortable than the other packs. I’m going to run over to REI this coming weekend and check them all out. I’ll let you know what I decide!

Alright, I’m off go buy a daypack!

Posted July 6, 2008 Comments(1)

Shock it Back!

This bear canister sends out pulses of electricity that are just strong enough to deter bears and their forest friends from disturbing your breakfast while you sleep, but won’t hurt them:

Pretty amazing huh? I am very impressed with the cannister’s innovation. I mean, who thinks this stuff up? It is brilliant :)

It sells for $235-$265, depending what size you want: 13.9-15.8 ounces. It comes in three sizes: 450, 600, and 900 cubic inches. Check it out here. The “controller” turns the electricity on and off and is the bulk of the cost at $200.

It will keep your food safe from bears for 75 hours, which works out to nine nights if you sleep eight hours. I’d say most people put their food away at least an hour before they go to sleep, so trying to take it out for nine nights seems to be pushing it, but it would last for one week even if you like to sleep in.

The cannister does add weight: the controller weighs in at 7.2 oz, and the storage sack: 7.3 oz.

I don’t think I’ll be able to afford this anytime soon, but if any of you out there get a chance to try this gadget, let me know! I’d love to hear your review!

Posted July 5, 2008 Comments(2)

I heard the term “food stress” for the first time while on a three week Outward Bound trip during high school.

It means:
1. The tension you feel when you see food but can’t eat it…watching the pot for 20 minutes while the rice cooks=food stress.
2. There is also an element of food hording…arguing over who gets the carrot cake flavored cliff bar=food stress.

If you want to witness food stress first hand, bring this sandwich for lunch next time you go hiking. Your friends will drool :) At least my friends always do. I tried this recipe for the first time a couple weeks ago. We were sitting on the tippy top of a mountain, soaking up the sun and pine smell. I was starving! I made this sandwich and let everyone else have a taste. One taste turned into two tastes…then three. You get the picture. Bring enough to share!

Recipe:
• 1 can black beans
• 1 big yellow lemon
• As much salt as you want
• 2-4 slices of bread
• Any veggies you feel like carrying (cucumber?)
• (Bring a can opener!)

Directions: Cut the lemon in half. Squeeze it into a bowl and remove the seeds. Open the can of beans, discard the water. Pour the beans into the bowl and add the salt. Using a fork, mash the beans until they are a creamy texture. Spread the beans onto the bread.

Enjoy!

Posted July 4, 2008 Comments(0)

I have the Gregory Deva 60. I really love the pack, as do many other women out there - it is the most popular Gregory Back pack on the market. I was curious about what makes the pack so comfortable, so I decided to dig around on the mighty internet and find out. Ultimately I wanted to help you all figure out which Gregory back pack is the right one for you.

There are two Gregory technologies that come into play with these packs. I put the descriptions of the technologies from the Gregory website below. You might want to take a deep breath before continuing to read…

“The Response CFS Suspension System with our Quick-Adjust, 5-point angle waistbelt adjusts to five different hip belt angles with ease, and the ultra-soft precurved 3D wastbelt and harness provide maximum comfort by eliminating wrinkling and hot spots on main contact areas of the hips and shoulders. Twin aluminum stays are supported by a horizontal anti-barreling cross stay to ensure that the pack will not barrel under extreme weight.”

“The Response AFS Suspension System is an independent rotating waistbelt system that automatically registers hip angle, while the customizable pivot control system mirrors your body’s movements and evenly distributes weight, increasing both load support and movement. Ultra-soft precurved 3D waistbelt and harness provide maximum comfort as you hike.”

That was an eye-full right?

It all has to do with weight. The AFS system packs are comfortable up to a load of 55lbs. The CFS system can handle a heavier maximum load of about 70lbs.

The Gregory Jade 50 Pack and the Gregory Z55 both use the JetStream LTS Suspension System. Get ready for another eye-full:

“Gregory’s Proprietary JetStream LTS Suspension System provides true airflow across you back by using a lightweight, thermomolded framesheet with a hollow aluminum stay that supports the load without adding excessive weight. Ventilated, moisture wicking harness and waistbelt systems combine for all day comfort while a padded lumbar promotes positive load transfer.”

In other words, these packs are light and would be uncomfortable if you loaded them with more than 45lbs.

The Makalu and Petit Dru Packs are mountaineering packs. The Gregory Makalu is designed to be comfortable with loads of up to 55lbs. The Petit Dru Pro Pack is designed to be comfortable with weights of up to 70lbs. Mountaineering packs are designed to be more durable and will stand up to being dropped from up high and scrapped against cliffs.

So which pack to pick? There are really only four things to worry about:

There are really only four things to worry about:
• How much weight will you carry
• How much space do you need
• How durable do you need the pack to be
• Most importantly, how does it feel

That last point is so key, and it is so subjective. The only way to really know for sure is to try it on :) Good luck kiddos! If you have any nuggets of wisdom, I’d love to hear!

Posted July 4, 2008 Comments(0)

The Chinese government is closing Mt Everest for maintenance. I found an article about it in The Independent, along with the photo below.

40,000 hikers visited the Chinese side of the mountain in 2007 - they left 120 tons of garbage. 120 tons is about the equivalent of 20 large elephants. Many hikers ditch their equipment at the top of the mountain to lighten the load on the way down. Garbage isn’t the only thing left on the mountain; officials estimate that Everest is a grave for 120 people who failed to make it back down the mountain. A grim thought eh?

So, it is time for a clean up. If everything goes the way Chinese environmental groups plan, the clean up will take place in the first half of 2009.

Posted July 3, 2008 Comments(0)

Rain in my last post - Time for a bright ray of sun in this post.

A solar powered portable charger! This is a techno-addicted-backpackers dream. Every time I go backpacking my phone & IPod die while sitting in the car waiting for me to return. With the Solio, I’ll be able to charge my gadgets right back up without needing to use the cigarette lighter or even be near a car. This little gadget could save lives! It will charge your GPS, your IPod, and almost anything else that needs a power boost away from home.

I found this great photo on the Solio website:

Saol, a Kenyan villager uses the Solio to charge up his phone when he needs to call for medical help.

I thought this was a sweet new product. I hope you do too! If you like it so much that you want to buy it, it is reasonably affordable at $100. If anyone out there gets your hands on one of these, let me know! I would love to hear your opinion and share it with everyone out there in blogland.

Posted July 2, 2008 Comments(0)

Some people hate hiking in the rain. I personally enjoy it, mostly because I do a great job of packing for it.

I recently spent a weekend hiking back home in the midwest during the downpours and floods, and I managed to stay pretty dry. Keeping dry while backpacking is just a matter of having the right gear. Most of the important items are listed below. If you have more ideas, let me know and I’ll add ‘em!

1. Garbage bags. The big thick kind.
Garbage bags have so many uses. As long as you have a few of them with you, you can skip out on most of the other items I recommend and still make it through the storm, dry as on a sunny day. I’ve used them to cover my pack. I’ve made a poncho out of them before. I separate my wet clothes into one garbage bag, and my dry clothes into another. I prevent leaky toothpaste, contact solution and tomato sauce from oozing everywhere. Garbage bags are really the key to keeping dry, but everything below will help out too.

2. Ziplock bags. The more sizes the merrier.
Ziplock bags are great for smaller items. The keep my book, compass, Bandaids, food, and other vulnerable bits out of the water.

3. A hat with a brim.
I love being able to see my surroundings when it is raining, and a brimmed hat is a great help. It keeps the water out of my eyes, and doubles as sun protection when the skys clear.

4. A pack cover.
I got my $600 tax cut the other day, and I sprung for a new backpack rain cover. I chose a Gregory rain cover with my Gregory Deva 60 Pack, but I didn’t have my new pack with me on my rainy trip to the UP. I did bring my new government sponsored rain pack cover with me though. I was using my friend’s Gregory Baltoro pack with my new rain pack cover…It worked great! Way better than the garbage bags I used back in college…Though the garbage bags were definitely more fun in a way.

5. A clear plastic bag big enough so that I can fit a partially open map into it and still see it.
Keeping the map dry…trust me, this is important! No more explanation needed! I hope!

6. Water proof boots
Throw in some extra socks too - because no pair of boots I’ve had has ever, actually been water proof!

7. Quick drying clothing.
Modern technology has given us many things. One my favorites is polypropylene. It turns a cold wet experience back into a comfortable one in minutes instead of the hours it takes for cotton to dry.

8. Last but not least, a poncho.
Yep, you could use a garbage bag for this one too! But a poncho is hands-down more fashionable.

With these seven items, you will be good to go when you are hiking through the rainy season…in the Upper Peninsula, or in Thailand!

If you have any great tips of your own, drop me a line!

Keep hiking!

Posted June 29, 2008 Comments(0)

Your legs throb. Your heels are covered in blisters. You have to hide your food from bears. Going to the bathroom involves using a shovel and swatting at swarms of flies.

Why Backpack?

It sounds awful, sometimes we feel awful when we are doing it.  But we love it.

I went to Tahoe over the weekend with a bunch of friends.  We were at about mile number 8 when my friend Greg asked the all important question:  Why do we do this?  It hurts, it is boring, we could see almost all of the same things with a car but not have to work so hard - so why do we like hiking.

The first response we came up with was, of course, FOOD!  We hike so that we can eat more and so that the food tastes better.  There was some argument over this reason. You can eat more while hiking, but it isn’t usually quality food, and my favorite Thai restaurant certainly makes better pad thai than Mountain House.

The next response was escaping daily life and getting away from it all.  Everyone agreed with this.  Hiking and being in nature is a great way to forget about the office, the obligations of daily life and the faster pace of the city.

Our final answer to Greg’s question was: Hot tubes.  Our final stop before heading back to San Francisco
For me, I love hiking more than anything.  I love it so much that I’ve never even bothered to question myself why I love it…I just do.  I never feel bored while hiking and I love being reminded of how small and temporary I am compared with the huge mountains and 1,000-year-old sequoias.  For me there is something magical about being immersed in nature.

What are your reasons for backpacking & hiking?

Posted June 27, 2008 Comments(0)