Hiking Backpacks

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)