Walking HADRIAN'S WALL from North Sea to Irish Sea

[Melensdad]

BACKPACK Details: Lowe Alpine Centro 35

I've been using Lowe Alpine gear for years, its among the best of the best out there and, while generally pricy, it has proven its value by keeping me warm, being durable, shedding water, carrying gear, etc over many years.

After some soul searching and looking at alternatives, I've returned to Lowe Alpine for this trip as I needed a new, small pack that was full featured, yet very light and still was a "real" pack. Here is my new pack, it has features not found in unstructured packs to make it more comfortable to wear, more useable, and able to carry loads better too. This is a Lowe Alpine Centro 35. Its got just over 2000 ci of space, a water bladder pocket, adjustable torso length for the suspension, air channel vent system, internal frame, built in rain cover, etc etc etc.

Now I know some 'ultra light' hikers will debate the water bladder and suggest you can save a few ounces by cutting those out and using water bottles, but I'm not an ultra light junkie. I don't disparage them, its just not what I do, more power to the guys who can hike 30+ miles a day across Alaska and cook with a cat-food-tin stove. But at 50+ years of age, its more extreme than I choose to go.

So here is my pack . . . REAR VIEW:


FRAME SIDE VIEW: Note the suspension system to keep your back from sweating by keeping the pack off your back and creating an air channel between the pack and your body. I can argue that this GREATLY increases your comfort while hiking. (Yes, on a very heavy pack this does move the weight off your spine and moves the load farther back, but for light to modest weight loads --like this pack accommodates-- that is NOT an issue). Not sure if you can tell, but the waist straps have rigid supports on the outside of the padding, similar to an exoskeleton to properly disperse weight around you.


DETAIL VIEW of TORSO ADJUSTMENT: As we all have different length torso, this pack adjusts not just the length of the shoulder straps but optimizes the position of the straps to the back to the pack to keep the load in the proper location on your back, relative to your hips. This allows your hips to properly carry the load and disperse the weight of the pack. Your hips should carry most of the weight, NOT your shoulders! Shoulders are connected to the reasonably weak SPINE, while your hips are part of the pelvis and femur/leg portion of your skeletal structure that is contains the strongest/heaviest bones in your body. If your backpack relies on shoulder-straps, is not fitted to your torso, and has no waist straps, it is not a very well designed pack.


INTEGRATED RAIN COVER: Another feature that some of the ultra-light backpackers omit but that I wanted is an integrated rain cover. Its attached at the very bottom of the pack and pops out and covers the pack during rain.



RAIN COVER over pack:



Now I'm not saying this pack is perfect. No pack is PERFECT. For me a pack with rainproof zippers is silly because the pack material is not rainproof. This pack has just that type of zipper. I'm not even a big fan of zippers as those are typically the first thing to fail on a pack anyway. But such is life. Then there are the mesh side pockets. I'm not hiking through the 'wilderness' so mesh material is fine, but if you plan to walk through woods/forests/scrub/trees then avoid mesh side pockets, they tend to snag branches and collect debris. For walking primarily through fields and open areas, as this trip will entail, mesh works just fine.

For the ultra-light hikers, take a look at GoLite gear, they make some excellent packs too. I ruled them out for a couple reasons, as well as why I ruled out other brands. But there are devotees to GoLite who sing their praises because of their ultra light designs. As I said, I'm not an ultra-lite guy, but I throw it out there for anyone serious about weighing out their gear.

 

[EastTexFrank]

That is a good looking pack. It is loaded with some nice features.

Keep the reviews coming. I'm really enjoying hearing about the "modern" stuff.

 

[Melensdad]

That is a good looking pack. It is loaded with some nice features.

Keep the reviews coming. I'm really enjoying hearing about the "modern" stuff.

When I was in college I took a winter survival/camping course, we used frameless 'rucksacks' and thought we had it good because we didn't have carry things in our arms.

Then 2 of my friends and I walked a portion of the Appelatian Trail. By that time I had a "modern" Kelty aluminum frame backpack. The other guys had the old rucksacks. After only a few miles they were dying and I was floating along. I didn't realize how bad they had it until we switched packs on the way back and it didn't take long before I was miserable.

My goals, when I walk, are to 1) enjoy myself and 2) take what I need, in that order. If you burden yourself down with what you take, its hard to enjoy yourself. On the other hand, if you are smart with your gear, lighten it up in reasonable fashion, then you can enjoy yourself AND have what you need.

My wife is beginning to think I've become obsessed. In fact I have no desire to cut my toothbrush in half, peel labels off bottles or ration my toilet paper in an effort to save weight. But I will use this as an opportunity to buy some new gear that is APPROPRIATE to the trek. Further I have 88 miles of walking culminating at the destination along the shore of the Irish Sea, but before I walk that 88 miles I've got ~500 miles of walking to test this gear, adjust and alter it, discard it, and it seems to me the JOURNEY is really a total of 588 miles and much of that is discovery. When I see water the journey is over. What is going to be more fun . . . going on the journey or seeing the seashore?

Back in the late 70's this was a modern light backpack. They still work, but ...

 

[Melensdad]

Disappointed in Pre-Packaged First Aid Kits

The pre-made medical kits are pretty much a joke.

I picked up a compact medical kit that was described as being good for hiking, it specifically says its good for 1 or 2 people for multiple days.

While it has bandaids and moleskin, it is lacking in quite a few areas. 4 doses of Ibuprophen. 4 doses of anti-diarrheal. SERIOUSLY?

The pack itself is pretty nice, its well organized, it lays out nicely, each compartment is visible and they are labeled for quick identification. The pack's construction is heavy enough to impart a reasonable quality feel that should last for many trips before wearing or tearing, it has a hook to hang it, and it closes with a toggle that secures well.

Hikers tend to eat Ibuprophen (or Tylenol, or Aleve) like M&Ms. Seriously, for a multi-day hike, figure 2 doses of Aleve per person per day as the minimum. With Ibuprophen or Tylenol, figure 4 doses per person per day. If this pack was good for 2 people for 4 days, then there should be 16 doses of Iburprohen in the pack.

And probably the most feared ailment on the trail is diarrhea, not blisters. Diarrhea leads to dehydration and it will stop a hike quicker than just about anything else. 4 doses of anti-diarrehea medicine may help 1 person through 1 bout, but this is a multi-person/multi-day kit. What happens if both hikers get sick?

As for wound care the kit is actually pretty good. Lots of modest size pieces of moleskin, plenty of bandaids, even a small roll of tape. The kit claiims to have 2 disposable thermometers but I only found 1 of them. It has tweezers and scissors and safety pins. Where it does come up VERY SHORT (again) is with doses of triple anti-biotic cream. 2 doses. Hikers often get blisters, so the pack has 11 pieces of moleskin but just 2 doses of triple anti-biotic. WTF? It does come with about a dozen alcohol swabs for cleaning wounds, I thought that was pretty good.

So this pack has essentials in terms of treatments, but I think it presumes that a 7-11 or Village Pantry Store will be just up around the next bend in the trail and that you will be able to restock it at your convenience. Its probably a great kit for your glovebox, but it needs to be altered and enhanced if you plan to trek out into the woods for a long weekend or cross England from East to West.

On the good side is that the kit has a very nice, heavy medical booklet included. By removing that booklet and throwing it away before you start your journey, you actually create quite a bit of space in the pack to add the stuff you need to complete the kit! I will also say that the medical book is a pretty good book, anyone not familiar with first aid should READ THE BOOK before discarding it to save weight and create space.

Honestly I could not find a better compact kit. It contains too much of some items, not enough of others, but its small and will serve as a base from which to build and alter.

But that said, all of the kits I found tend to be somewhat of a joke and therefore all of them need to be customized to suit your trip, even if they claim to be well suited to your trip.

I'm not sure if you'd be better off buying just the empty shell and filling it yourself, but if you are planning a trek far afield then consider these kits a "starting point" and not a "complete" kit.


And while these kits tend to focus on TREATMENT, how about we focus for a moment on PREVENTION? Rather than pack around a bunch of wound care for blisters, this little thing will eliminate the need for the wound care and prevent you from getting the blister in the first place. Of course broken in shoes and proper socks go a long way to prevent blisters too.

 

[Melensdad]

I've gotten some inquiries about what type of footwear is the best at the Indiana gun forum where I have a duplicate thread running about this upcoming walk. I just posted the following over at that site, figured I'd post it here for anyone interested.

...

FIRST OFF, let me just state that I am NOT an expert on hiking, but I do try lots of different shoes. Still, I'm NOT any sort of an expert.

That said I have several different walking and trail shoes in the closet now. I've got a pair of Merrell "Mix Master" Trail Running shoes which are wonderfully light shoes, wonderfully comfortable to wear on soft ground, but being in the 'ultra-light' category of shoes they tend to beat up my feet when taking long walks on asphalt. For asphalt I like to have a thicker midsole to absorb the constant pounding of the asphalt. I've had very good luck with Lowa, but currently have none. Ditto Asolo. I have an older pair of Merrell "World Walkers" which are a brogue style walking shoe, this is my second pair of those and they have taken me around the United Kingdom (twice), through France and through Spain, plus spent many months on my feet here in the US. Its a heavy looking casual walking shoe that is great for walking around cities, look good with casual slacks, etc. For most of my walking on asphalt lately I've been wearing a pair of Keen light hiking low tops. Not sure which model this pair is but they are great for walking on asphalt, they have enough flex and enough midsole shock absorbing qualities to stay comfortable for long walks. This pair has about 3 months of use, its likely I'll wear them out before this trip.

The lovely Mrs_Bob has been wearing a pair of "rocking sole" Sketchers for walking on the asphalt roads around our land. She also picked up a pair of Keen hi-top hiking shoes at Cabela's about two weeks ago. So far so good for her. I'm not a fan of the "purple wine" color of the shoe but she has some ankle issues and says that these give great support.

Generally speaking I favor LIGHTWEIGHT shoes. The problem with lightweight shoes is that they often have soles that are too soft for many surfaces. So its a balancing act to get the lightest shoe for me which still has a padded enough midsole to absorb the shocks of the harder surfaces like concrete and asphalt. When walking through grass, in the woods, on trails, etc then it becomes much less of an issue and a shoe built lighter like trail runners will work very well for me.

Somewhere, probably floating around the interwebs, there is a study about how 1 pound of weight on your feet equals something like 8 pounds of weight carried on your back. So if you want to walk a lot, and do so with regularity, then a light shoe will save your energy, that leaves you with more energy later in the day and allows you to either walk longer or to have more energy for evening activities if your walks are moderate length. On the opposite side of that, if you train in a heavier shoe, or with leg weights you can build up some endurance for longer walk where you would wear a lighter shoe.

I don't believe their is a "BEST" shoe, but there are shoes that are BETTER for some things and other shoes that are BETTER for other situations and that everyone has a different foot so its a good thing that there are hundreds of quality choices.

 

[Kane]

Gear is important. And how you pack it. But most importantly, Bob, (and regardless of local gun laws) will you be packin' anything special?

 

[Melensdad]

Gear is important. And how you pack it. But most importantly, Bob, (and regardless of local gun laws) will you be packin' anything special?

I'm considering taking a walking stick or possibly walking poles. Mace, guns, decent knives, pepper spray, asps, etc are all things that will get you tossed in jail, quickly.

The fact that there are probably going to be 4 or maybe even 6 of us on the trip may make it a bit safer as groups are usually safer than solo travel.

 

[EastTexFrank]

I had to smile when you were taking about rugsacks and your Kelty aluminum framed backpack. I too remember those and I still have it's slightly more modern brother, a Karrimor Karibou internal aluminum frame pack. It's sitting there ready to go as one of my BOBs.

I never have found an across the counter medical kit that I really liked. I used to just get a plastic box and fill it with what I thought would be needed. Most of us people that worked in some of the hellholes did the same thing. Having said that the best medical kit I ever had was put together for us by the doctors at our company medical center. It had everything you needed to keep you going long enough to get to an airport, get on a plane and get back to the States but it was more focused on tropical illness than first aid although that was covered too.

I'll be really interested in what you decide for hiking boots as my Danners' gave up the ghost. I really loved those old boots. I still have a pair of good shoes but they would be better called "country walkers" than hiking shoes. I don't need anything too heavy as my camping these days is by motorhome with various day hikes.

 

[Melensdad]

I'll be really interested in what you decide for hiking boots as my Danners' gave up the ghost. I really loved those old boots. . .

I won't be choosing hiking boots. At least I doubt I will. I'll very likely be choosing lite hiking shoes, probably something similar to, or a bit lighter than the Keen shoes I posted above.

Most of this walk is on grass and paths so a lite hiker is ideal. There will be some asphalt as we walk through a few cities so the shoe can't be too light with too thin of a sole.

Its been quite a few years since I've owned a pair of 'hiking boots' because I just don't see the need for anything that heavy on my feet. I think most are simply obsoleted by the new technical hiking shoes and boots that are much lighter in weight, offer better flex, and are more comfortable. Now I won't dismiss Danner boots, they are extremely well made and are comfortable, but I still think they have been surpassed by most of the new designs. Guess what I'm saying is that Danner made boots for our generation, but honestly our generation isn't the generation that is driving outdoor sports anymore. Their St Helen's GTX boots are probably the most modern in their line => http://www.danner.com/boots/st-helens-low-gtx-xcr-grey-green-hiking-boots.html but at 33 ounces they are pretty heavy compared to many of the competitors.

If I wear out this pair of Keen's before this trip, here are some other other choices that I will consider (assuming they are still made when/if I need to replace the Keens before the trip).
GoLite "Mountain Gecko" => http://www.zappos.com/golite-mountain-gecko-charcoal-pompeian?zfcTest=fcl:2
Lowa "Tempest" => http://www.zappos.com/lowa-tempest-lo-taupe-stone?zfcTest=fcl:2
Teva "Event" => http://www.zappos.com/teva-riva-event-charred?zfcTest=fcl:2

There are many others but those represent the type of shoe that have generally replaced hiking boots. I'm not a fan of wearing ultra-lite "trail runners" for a long walk of any kind, but I'd consider a heavier pair of "trail runners" for a long walk.

 

[Melensdad]

Last couple of walks have been totally uneventful, just a hair over 4 miles, average time is right at a pace of 20 min per mile. The closest thing to excitement in these walks is that today we ran upon a wayward horse that was then captured and put into a fenced area by someone who lived where the horse had come to visit??? Hopefully the owner will come by and claim his horse. In the mean time there is a stray horse on State Line Rd at roughly 151st street (Illinois side of the state line).


EQUIPMENT UPDATE:

SHOES ~ My Keen walking shoes are great for walking on the asphalt roadway but I find that I get an uncomfortable amount of heel shock when walking on grass. That seems very strange to me as grass should offer more cushioning. I cannot understand how a softer surface can transmit more shock to my heel but I've tried it several times along the road and the results are always the same.

The lovely Mrs_Bob's wine purple Keen boots seem to be treating her well and giving her the needed ankle support that she requires.



CAMELBAK "Podium Chill" Water Bottles These bottles have been coming with us on the walks and I can NOT give them a great recommendation. Oh they pretty much work as advertised, they offer a layer of insulation, they do keep your water a little cooler. But no significantly so that it makes it worth the extra cost. Even tossing a couple ice cubes in the bottle doesn't really do much good, 60 minutes later the ice is melted and the water is tepid. The biggest benefit that I see with the "Chill" model Podium bottle is that the bottle doesn't 'sweat' in humid weather. But I'd simply say that the insulation on a walk is of marginal help and not worth the added $2.00.

But I will say that the CamelBak Podium valve system is a good system and is worth the money. The top of the bottle has a shut off that allows you to completely seal the bottle. But even if you leave the top in the 'open' condition the bottle does NOT leak. The system uses a silicon mouth piece that has a valve that opens and allows waterflow when you squeeze the bottle. But without pressure on the sides of the bottle the valve stays sealed enough that it will not drip or leak. This makes for simple one handed drinking, no need to pull open a valve, remove a cap, etc. Just leave the lock in the OPEN positiion and then put the bottle to your mouth and squeeze whenever you need a drink. So save a couple of $ and buy the standard CamelBak "Podium" bottle if you like this valve system.

 

[Melensdad]

GEAR UPDATE: KOPPEN Convertible Hiking Pants

For casual wear in the summer, and for travel, I wear "convertible" lightweight hiking pants on a pretty regular basis. If you don't know, "convertible" pants have zip off legs that let you turn them into shorts by zipping off the legs.

The pants are also gusseted for plenty of room and free movement. They also have a fitted knee for free flex/movement. The one downside to these pants is that they come with a narrow 1" wide web belt and if you want to wear them with a gun belt you'll need to find a very narrow gun belt.

Like many of the newer high tech fabrics these pants claim to wick away perspiration to help keep you cooler.

And, like many other high performance clothes, the pants provide sun protection by blocking harmful UV rays, despite being such a thin lightweight material.

This year has been a really bad year for TICKS around my property and I picked up a pair of these to try out. Liked them so much I went back and bought another pair this evening. The pants are made by KOPPEN, sold by DICK'S SPORTING GOODS and have a natural bug repellent incorporated into the fabric. While wearing these pants this summer I never got a tick on my, but I had several ticks climb on me while wearing other pants this year. Not sure if that is coincidence or if these pants actually work to repel insects. The tag claims the pants repel ticks, flys, gnats, etc etc

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Regardless of if the bug repellent is effective (they claim its good for 70 washings) the pants are very nice, very lightweight, quick drying casual pants. Good enough that I bought this second pair for my Hadrians Wall walk. The pants are a very tight nylon weave, its not waterproof, but it dries out quickly in the sun. I have not snagged the material so I'd consider it reasonably durable, despite its VERY LIGHT weight.

KOPPEN makes some nice shells, base layer shirts, rain pants and rain jackets. I've not tried any of their other items but I'm impressed enough with this brand that I may be trying some of their other products.

 

[Melensdad]

FAILED EQUIPMENT . . . rain gear!

GEAR UPDATE:

RAIN JACKET FAILURE:

Looks like I'm due for a new rain jacket.

First off, I decided that my rainproof fishing jacket, with nice gore-tex is too heavy to carry and too large to compress.

So that had me digging around and I found an old lightweight jacket with a "rain proof" tag. I will not mention the brand because its at least a half dozen years old ... probably much older ... but I figured I'd try it anyway. Took a Tupperware bin and slipped it under the fabric. Poured a bit of water on the fabric. Walked away. Came back a little while later and the water had started leaking through slowly. So that jacket is a no go.

Off to search for a packable rainPROOF jacket. I'll settle for rain resistant pants, but I want a rainproof jacket.

Yes, I will probably be nice and get a new rain jacket for the lovely Mrs_Bob too.


---------


As for the walking, we are regularly doing 4 mile trips on the hilly land around the property, mostly walking on the roadway. Looking forward to the fall when the crops come in and we can walk along the river behind us and some of the tractor paths. We do take a couple days off (never in a row). We did map out two different 5 mile routes with the little Garmin GPS and will be pushing up to that point. Biggest problem is finding the time! Fall fencing season at the high schools is starting up soon and both my wife and I coach at one school, plus I also volunteer at another school, and I work at the fencing club too. So its going to be hard to fit in 4 or 5 miles walks.

 

[Melensdad]

Any of you folks here use "Trekking Poles" when you hike or backpack longer distances?

I just bought 2 pairs of Leki poles, one for me, one for the lovely Mrs_Bob.

I've been hearing a lot of good things about using trekking poles by people who use them but it seems like most people have never tried them.

Bought these for me => Corklite Antishock - Shop - LEKI
And these for my wife => Cressida Antishock - Shop - LEKI

I'll probably write up a gear review in a couple weeks after I've got a couple weeks worth of use on them, but in the mean time I'm curious if anyone here is using any hiking/trekking poles?

Here are the poles that I've been using. My wife's poles are nearly identical, just a smaller hand grip and painted in girly colors

The poles are set for 115 CM and they have marks on the shafts both lower sections of the shaft so that you space them evenly and spread the load without having one section too long, and therefore weaker.

The grips have cork inserts and have vent cut outs. Supposedly cork is the best 'overall' material for comfort in all weather? I honestly don't know if that is true. One thing I really like is the way the straps adjust (more on that later). The grips have an 8-degree forward tilt angle, which seems to be very comfortable, but they do offer some models with an additional angle (not sure how much, but I'd guess closer to 15-degrees).

Here is the Cam/Lever/Speed lock system (front & back) that is on the upper section of each pole. Leki claims their lever system is the strongest in the industry. I also really liked the system used by Black Diamond on their carbon fiber poles, its much lower profile than this system. But this system, while somewhat bulkier, is totally snag free and nicely rounded. It is very easy to operate, I've not tried it with gloves on, but I don't think that would be an issue.

Here is the Leki twist lock system, mine also incorporate their shock absorbers. There is roughly a 1/2" of play and (so far) I've not had any issue with the shock system bottoming out on our walks, but again, our walks, while hilly, are on smooth asphalt. The twist lock system from Leki is supposed to hold about 100# more than their lever style locks. I've had no problems with slippage, but then again I only have a short amount of experience with this twist lock system.

The pole ends, with the optional (extra cost), road boots. The boots slip on and are very secure, so far no slippage or risk of them coming off. They are supposed to be made of 'vulcanized' rubber (like a car tire) and are not showing any wear (yet). There are standard Carbide tips (replaceable) under the road boots.

The 'baskets' have notches cut into them so the poles can be locked together for carrying. The baskets are also (fairly) easily removed. I suppose for road walking they are totally unnecessary but I leave them on. I really don't see any need to remove them for road walking.

The grips are hand specific, each strap is marked with a "R" or "L" for use with your right/left hand.

Strap adjustments are simple, fast and secure. Rather than try to describe the cam lock system they use, here is a photo from their brochure:

The shock system is use replaceable if it ever fails, here is another brochure photo that explains it. Its housed at the joint between the bottom and center shaft systems under the twist lock mechanism. The lowest part of the shaft recedes into the center part of the shaft upon impact. You cannot adjust the shock system, it is factory pre-set, operates like a mini-auto shock absorber. The Black Diamond system uses silicone(?) and rubber at the base of the grip and is also not adjustable.

Poles with the anti-shock system cost about $25 more than poles without it. It is something I really debated upon and then decided to spend the extra money for it.

My logic is simple. FIRST: Most of my local walking is on asphalt country roads. Anti-shock works well on asphalt. So far I like the anti-shock system, but again, 95+% of my walking now is on the local 2 lane country roads. I may come to hate it when I use the poles to walk across country in England??? SECOND: I'm in my 50's and I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, its most prominent in my wrists and shock to my wrists causes me lingering pain.

 

[Melensdad]

Had my second dog attack while walking yesterday.

Unlike the first time, when a large aggressive German Shepard Dog approached my wife and I, this time I was walking alone and saw a guy on his porch, a large Boxer and a small old fat Pug. The guy and I shout greetings to each other as his home is well off the roadway. Then I start to hear him commanding "Ollie" to stay and I figure he is commanding the big Boxer. Next thing I know, the little Pug is out in the roadway, waddling his fatness up to me, he plops on the ground, goes belly up and waits for a belly rub. Meanwhile I'm keeping my eye on the boxer, who has followed the Pug but stopped at the edge of the yard to watch. Dog's owner comes out, we chat a bit, he picks up the lump of Pug and carries it back home.

If you are going to get "attacked" by a dog, this is the right way for it to happen!

MINI GEAR UPDATE: CamelBak Podium "big chill" bottles:
In other news, we are still using the CamelBak insulated Podium "big chill" bottles. We no longer bother to put a few ice cubes into them, they melt by the end of the walk anyway. Probably would hold them if we 1/2 filled the bottle with ice but what is the point? I'd rate it as a good idea but one that really doesn't work for us. If you want cold for an hour, this will do it. If you want cold for 2, 3 or 4 hours, forget it.

MINI GEAR UPDATE: Cabela's Mid-weight Hiking socks:
Hate these socks. Complained out them in a prior post where they bunch up a bit underfoot, the padded foot also tends to slide around as the piles are too loosely woven. Got my first blister today. I blame these socks. Should be noted that I have a pair of Cabela's lite hiking socks with their In-Genius design, that pair I really like, its nothing like their mid-weight sock.

Been pushing out to 5 miles with the walks.

And I have made a discovery with the trekking poles. Other than they actually work to keep you upright, keep your airway open and lungs functioning better, other than having more energy at the end of every walk, therefore being able to walk farther, other than all that, they do take pressure off your legs.

Oh, and don't assume that both poles should be the same length. My left pole is set about 3/4" (2cm) shorter than my right pole. Seems to work out great that way. For me. For the lovely Mrs_Bob, she likes the poles the same length and likes them a bit longer than recommended (maybe an extra inch).

Overall I really like using the walking poles. The Mrs is still adapting.

Pushed out another 4 mile walk early this morning. Left the house and it was comfortably cool. 1 hour and 18 minutes later (3 miles per hour pace) we were back at the front door and it was miserably hot. I was wearing a 'cool technology' shirt that supposedly wicks away moisture and keeps you cool. It works great inside an air conditioned home! Out in the heat, you sweat.

 

[Melensdad]

Gear Update ~ the first total rejection after testing:

Cabela's Mid-Weight Hiking Socks have just been relegated to the trash can. I will not use them for casual wear. I will not use them in the field. I will not hike in them. I'm done with them. They are trash. I complain about them every time I use them, sometimes you wonder if its the shoes, but I have issues EVERY time I wear these socks.

 

[Melensdad]

I had hoped to get up to Chicago today and visit REI and a couple other outdoor stores but that was not to be. Best I could do was a trip to the strip mall and Dicks Sporting Goods. Melen came to help choose. Dicks has Columbia, North Face, Koppen and a few other brands from which too choose. I chose a Koppen rain jacket for me. Melen chose a very similar ladies version of the same brand for the lovely Mrs_Bob, who is off running other errands. Nice thing about the Koppen brand is that it was ON SALE

I've got some of their convertible hiking pants and am really happy with those, hopefully these jackets will be just as good. For $49 I think they should serve me well. Seams are tape sealed so water can't leak through the stitching. There is a toggle lock elastic cord at the waist so you can snug up the waist. There is another toggle lock and elastic cord to tighten the hood. The sleeves have adjustable velcro closures at the wrists and the elbows are articulated to allow for free movement. The full liner is an open mesh which should provide some ventilation. Pockets zip open/closed. On the downside, no internal pocket. Weight is right at about 1 pound.

Mine:

Mrs_Bob's:

The tag. You'll notice that the smaller tag says "PACKABLE" but I think that is a lie. Or, maybe an ancient Japanese Origami master can figure out how to fold this thing up. Apparently it is supposed to fold into its own LEFT pocket, the instructions were specific, LEFT not RIGHT. Not sure it will ever fit into its own pocket, but I did manage to pack mine into a fairly modest size ZipLock style bag.

 

[Melensdad]

We have been down in Winston-Salem NC dropping our daughter off at college but that has not stopped us from walking. Sticking with our early morning (before sunrise) walking routine, we have been using some new headlamps. These are the SNOW PEAK "SNOW MINER" headlamps and they are pretty dorky looking, but are extremely well designed and serve a dual purpose.

This is the only headlamp that I found that was BOTH a headlamp and a tent/camp lantern.

There is a large 1.5" diameter silicone globe on the front of the headlamp, push the dome in to collapse it and you get a focused spotlight that easily throws a beam well out in front of you (claims 40 meters).

But squeeze the dome and restore it to its dome shape and the spot light turns into a soft glowing area light that will light your tent. A couple of these will light a small campsite. The light in this mode is easily bright enough to read a book by, and is diffused enough so that you don't go spot blind. It eliminates the need for a compact flashlight in the pack as it serves multi duties. One of the 2 adjustment clips on the headband includes an integrated hanging hook, so you can hang if from a rope, branch, etc.

It also has HIGH - LOW - STROBE capabilities. The single silicone encased button contols all functions. Push once for HIGH and again for OFF; push quickly TWICE for low and again for OFF. Push quickly 3 times and the warning strobe starts with a claimed 200 hour flash time. While on HI (80 lumens) and claims to burn for 55 hours with 3 (included) alkaline AAA batteries. Also, if you have it in HIGH mode you can push & hold the button and it will slowly DIM the bulb allowinly you to control the brightness, release at the desired brightness and it stays at that setting until you turn it off.

The integrated hinge allows you to angle the headlamp down and it has several (5) secure click stops so you can adjust it to project the beam exactly where you want it.

There is no RED LIGHT/GREEN LIGHT functionality so this is probably NOT a good headlamp for setting traps, hunting, etc. It is, however, an extremely good light for backpacking. Retail is $55. Got them for $42 vial mail order from Moosejaw.com

At 3.6 ounces on my scale (with batteries installed) its not the very lightest unit, but its plenty lightweight. I can see why this won the BACKPAKER Magazine Award for best headlamp. Again, great backpacking/camping headlamp, probably not a great hunting/trapping headlamp.

SINGLE BUTTON control is on the top and encased in silicone.

Here you can see the hinge that allows you to point the beam downward (5 down click positions). Also if you look at the strap you can see the integrated hanging hook that is part of strap adjustment.

Here the front globe of soft silicone is extended into the dome shape position to cast an area light pattern for illuminating your tent or campsite. This is especially useful when combined with dimming function and is plenty bright enough to read under. Simply use the integrated hook built into the headband and hang it to illuminate the area.

With the dome collapsed, the lens focuses the beam and projects a spot light out about 125 feet in front of you. The silicone dome also illuminates and provides a modest amount of residual light for up close vision and gently illuminates a modest area, but the majority of the light is well focused out in front of you.

-----------




GEAR UPDATE: NATHAN Amber Warning Strobe

WARNING STROBE:
NATHAN clip-on amber strobe for walking along roads past dark. Hopefull we won't need it at all, but its in the pack. If we are still walking at dusk then it will be clipped to the back of the pack, just in case. These are inexpensive safety devices, NATHAN makes safety gear for road workers, road runners/joggers, etc. The LED lights are incredibly bright and are programable with either a flashing pattern or can be left ON. If it is unneeded not too much of a burden, size is about 3/4" thick, 2.5" tall, and 3/4" wide (easily fits in the palm of your hand). StrobeLight | Nathan Sports

This little thing is AWESOME.

When walking (jogging/bike riding) at night this thing is SHOCKINGLY BRIGHT. In strobe mode you don't want to be walking behind it because its flashing will make you crazy, the last person in the line needs to be wearing this.

One of the best pieces of safety gear I've ever bought for use along the roadside!

 

[Melensdad]

One of the newest pieces of gear that I've just started using a couple weeks ago is a pair of specialized 'trekking' poles. These things are awesome. Basically they are glorified ski poles but there are differences. They are used to take stress off your knees, shift some of your load and make it easier to hike with a pack. Without a pack they increase your cardio conditioning, but still provide the other benefits too.

My wife has nearly identical poles. But there is something I just added to my right pole. Its a camera mount. It took about 60 seconds to install in the top of the pole handle using the kit supplied by the manufacturer. Its over-priced at about $20 but it weighs only a couple grams, its non-obtrusive, and it adds more utility to the poles.

Basically the kit includes a new top piece to the grip, which has a threaded brass insert to accept a camera mount, the mount itself, and an integrated silicone rubber cap to seal dirt out of the threads. This effectively turns the pole into a mono-pod for taking photos. Plant the carbide tip of the pole into the ground and you can use the camera's timer to take photos of yourself, your hiking party, etc.

Top of grip with the camera mount installed.

Top of grip without the camera mount, but with the silicone plug inserted.

I wish I had taken these down to North Carolina with me. We were down for my daughter's freshman orientation at college, lots of walking around campus, could have gotten some use of these poles.

 

[Melensdad]

Got a small pouch to carry my camera on the belt strap of my backpack.

This is NOT designed for carrying a camera, its simply designed to be an extra pouch, and an ultra-lightweight one at that. Made by GOSSAMER GEAR, the pouch weighs in at a feathery light weight of 0.9 (9/10ths) of one ounce. Its 4" by 6" and about 2" deep. Made of rip stop nylon with both sewn & welded seams so its durable. Made in America. It is not padded, but I may put a thin piece of closed cell foam across the inside of the front to protect my camera from bumps? Figure that will add another 1 ounce. . . if I need it.

On the scale, showing the front side:

The back has 2 straps for sliding onto your backpack belt. It also has a velcro tab that locks it onto your belt so it doesn't move once you set it in place (very nice feature!).

Top view, plenty of space for a modest size camera, with standard lens attached. Mine fit with room to spare. Not visible in the photo but there is a key hook inside the pouch too!

Not 1 but 2 zipper pull tabs, so you can use it as a center open, right open or left open pouch (another nice feature, allows you to position it most anywhere and still be easy to open!).

Mounted on my pack:

Its outrageously priced at $15 but worth every penny anyway! A camera fanny pack weighs in at over a pound, this weighs under an ounce so I could carry 15 more of these and still have less weight than a camera fanny pack. Its amazing well thought out with the 2 way zipper, internal key hook, velcro lock, seam sealed seams that I have to wonder how many designs with trial & error went into perfecting something so simple.

Anyway, just another piece of kit for the trip.

If I have to carry it, I want it to be the lightest it can possibly be. Why carry a 1 or 2 pound camera bag when I can slip the camera into a pouch that weighs less than an ounce?

 

[Melensdad]

Too hot to walk yesterday during the day so we planned to go about 9pm last evening. It was 86 and HUMID so we figured it wasn't worth the effort.

Set the alarm clock for 4am, figuring we'd get in a walk before our morning showers and heading out for our daily tasks. Let the dogs out and when I opened the door it was like breathing in air from a hot oven. Screw that. Back to bed. It was 79 and HUMID as a sauna. Weatherman says the "heat index" is over 100 degrees.

I think I may float around in the pool for awhile, but I'm not putting on my trekking boots and heading out in this heat for a 5 mile walk.

 

[Melensdad]

I'm really coming to appreciate 2 items that will probably never make it to England, but are a tremendous aid to me now when I walk along the roads by our home. Until we get closer to the travel date, and until the actual walking itinerary is set, I won't know for sure if these items are coming with us. But I seriously doubt we will be walking at night when these are needed. Further, the sun stays up longer in the far northern latitudes of northern England, especially at that time of the year when the days are longest.

But for now, the 2 totally indispensable walking aids that get a lot of use are the Snow Peak "snow miner" headlamp and the Nathan amber warning strobe.

EQUIPMENT UPDATES

SNOW PEAK "Snow Miner" headlamp: Excellent!
I used to have an inexpensive Eddie Bauer headlamp but the Snow Peak headlamp is much nicer in several respects. First the elastic headband is wider than my old one, and much more comfortable. Second, the point of aim of the beam is adjustable because of the hinge. Third, because of the goofy silicone bubble/dome design, it actually throws BOTH a directed beam out at a distance AND a wide angle diffused pattern right down to your feet. No other light that I have tried illuminates both the distance and the footpath in front of you so well.

I admit that I do not have a huge basis of comparison with headlamps, and I also will state that this is a great hiking/walking/backpacking/camping headlamp but if I was to use a headlamp for walking a trap line or hunting then I'd want one that red/green LEDs in addition to a white LED. So this may not be a good choice for a hunter/trapper, but its an excellent choice for backpacking & camping.

One note of caution, when walking along the woods at night you may find the headlamp attracting its share of bugs. I've learned, even if my glasses fog up from perspiration, to keep my glasses on because it keeps bugs from flying into my eyes by accident. Had a bug do exactly that. Was hell trying to wipe that thing out of my eye on the side of the roadway. But that will happen with ANY brand of headlamp.


NATHAN STROBE: 2 thumbs up
The other item I love is the Amber Strobe Light from Nathan. This is nothing short of a 1/2 ounce of nearly blinding light that lets cars know you are there LONG before they could ever see you at night. Much of my walking is on 2 lane rural roads with cars often passing by at 50+ mph. I'd feel a lot less safe without that little strobe connected to my belt pack flashing away.


DARN TOUGH Micro Crew Coolmax Hiking Socks: Best Available?!?

LINK => http://darntough.com/hike-trek-1467.html​

I've got 3 different pairs of DARN TOUGH hiking socks, and the Micro Crew sock make with their Coolmax fabric blend (no wool) is the best of the best. These are genuine American made in the state of Vermont by American workers socks and are expensive but worth every penny. There are a lot of brands that I have not tried so I can't say these are the best hiking socks in the world, but I can say that they are so good that I have stopped looking at other styles from DARN TOUGH and completely eliminated other brands

I've got their 1/4 Crew Wool hiking sock and that would be my 2nd favorite. Its Merino wool cushion sock and its also a very good sock, my favorite of the wool socks. I also have their Micro Crew Cushion sock, again a hiking style sock, it has a nifty Apalachian Trail logo on it, but it is my least favorite of all the socks, the cushioning is a bit too thick for me. Its not bad, but its just got a bit too much and its a pretty warm sock too.

The best sock that I've tried that is NOT from the DARN TOUGH company is the CABELA'S LIGHT HIKING SOCK with their In-GENIUS design. Its nearly as comfortable as the Coolmax Micro Crew from DARN TOUGH. On the other than, I threw a pair of CABELA'S cushioned hiking socks in the trash about a week ago, it was a full cushion design was just uncomfortable on long walks/hikes.

 

[Dargo]

DARN TOUGH Micro Crew Coolmax Hiking Socks: Best Available?!?

LINK => http://darntough.com/hike-trek-1467.html​

I've got 3 different pairs of DARN TOUGH hiking socks, and the Micro Crew sock make with their Coolmax fabric blend (no wool) is the best of the best. These are genuine American made in the state of Vermont by American workers socks and are expensive but worth every penny. There are a lot of brands that I have not tried so I can't say these are the best hiking socks in the world, but I can say that they are so good that I have stopped looking at other styles from DARN TOUGH and completely eliminated other brands

I've got their 1/4 Crew Wool hiking sock and that would be my 2nd favorite. Its Merino wool cushion sock and its also a very good sock, my favorite of the wool socks. I also have their Micro Crew Cushion sock, again a hiking style sock, it has a nifty Apalachian Trail logo on it, but it is my least favorite of all the socks, the cushioning is a bit too thick for me. Its not bad, but its just got a bit too much and its a pretty warm sock too.

The best sock that I've tried that is NOT from the DARN TOUGH company is the CABELA'S LIGHT HIKING SOCK with their In-GENIUS design. Its nearly as comfortable as the Coolmax Micro Crew from DARN TOUGH. On the other than, I threw a pair of CABELA'S cushioned hiking socks in the trash about a week ago, it was a full cushion design was just uncomfortable on long walks/hikes.

I've discovered that the US Special Forces have done a lot of the testing for me. Having just returned from visiting my son, I bought several items used by our special forces. The only socks that are used in Ranger School are the crew length Darn Tough wool blend socks. I'm told that the US military has discovered that no sock that isn't a wool blend will survive. I always thought wool was for cold weather, but in the last week I've discovered that the 'cool weather' wool blend Darn Tough socks are the only socks I have ever worn that are dry in the evening and don't stink after wearing them a full day in 100 degree weather, besides keeping my feet cool.

I absolutely hate wet socks and have always taken a couple of pair of socks with me wherever I am going on really hot days and change socks when my feet get hot and wet from sweat. If not, I end up with shoes that stink and I simply throw them away then. Once a shoe/boot has absorbed the stench of a sweaty foot, I no longer want it. I have a closet full of shoes and boots and every one still smell like new even if they are nearly worn out. After learning that the SEAL's and Rangers only use the wool blend Darn Tough socks, I now do not need to take a change of socks with me on a hot day. Darn Tough offers dress socks as well as their other purpose designed socks. If wearing them for 5 weeks straight in the Everglades carrying a 90 pound backpack, never being out of the water and not wearing out, I figure they should work well for me.

I also found that, in a casual dress situation, I really like the Tactical Tailor brand "rigger's belt". It never slips, is very comfortable and would take years of extreme use to wear out. There are several knock-offs of this belt but, after examination, it's clear they are not of the same quality. Granted, I'll probably never need the rigging clip on the belt that is used for emergency evacuation by a helicopter and will hold 7,000 pounds, but if a guy was deer hunting or something like that, I could see where the rigging clip could be useful.

 

[Melensdad]

I've discovered that the US Special Forces have done a lot of the testing for me. Having just returned from visiting my son, I bought several items used by our special forces. The only socks that are used in Ranger School are the crew length Darn Tough wool blend socks. I'm told that the US military has discovered that no sock that isn't a wool blend will survive. I always thought wool was for cold weather, but in the last week I've discovered that the 'cool weather' wool blend Darn Tough socks are the only socks I have ever worn that are dry in the evening and don't stink after wearing them a full day in 100 degree weather, besides keeping my feet cool. . .

Well their wool 1/4 length hiking sock is my second favorite sock. Great for a hiking shoe, but I don't know if they are tall enough for a hiking boot. Like I said, their wool sock is my second favorite. I've had two surgeries on both of my feet, I tend to favor a thinner sock, and the wool seems to have more cushioning than I like. So its personal prejudice more than anything else.

 

[Dargo]

Well their wool 1/4 length hiking sock is my second favorite sock. Great for a hiking shoe, but I don't know if they are tall enough for a hiking boot. Like I said, their wool sock is my second favorite. I've had two surgeries on both of my feet, I tend to favor a thinner sock, and the wool seems to have more cushioning than I like. So its personal prejudice more than anything else.

Ah, my wording wasn't what I intended. I probably should have said that I'm amazed at the actual variety of types, padding levels, lengths and types of socks Darn Tough has. All of my "work" (meaning working in the barn or on heavy equipment etc.) boots are steel toe boots that are considered 6" boots. My motorcycle and clearing land boots are 8" boots and some have a composite toe and others do not. It is a pair of these that a snake got it's fangs stuck in when it bit me after I accidentally stepped on it (no, it didn't make it). Darn Tough has socks to meet the boot height and different thicknesses. They are one of the few companies who do not have "one size fits all" type of socks. I wear a size 10EEE. A sock made for someone with a size 13 foot just doesn't fit me right.

I have two pair of 'dress' socks from them that are very thin yet keep my feet dry and comfortable in leather shoes. I'll readily admit that I sweat a lot. Heck, I can sweat in the shower! With that being the case I'm just thrilled that I've come across a type/brand of sock that does an excellent job of wicking moisture away from my feet. You may not be the sort of guy who easily sweats 2 or 3 gallons if working outside on a hot day like we are now having. I can easily go through several 3 liter hydration packs in a day. Since I drink so much fluid to replenish what I sweat out, the military style hydration bladders work better for me than trying to attach a 2 liter sized cup holder on my mower or piece of equipment.

 

[Melensdad]

Scroll up in this thread, I just bought the newest hydration pack from CamelBak. Mine is the 2 liter size (its what fits into my backpack).

They came out with a new style that is beefed up a bit, guaranteed not to split.

http://shop.camelbak.com/d/1096

 

[Dargo]

Scroll up in this thread, I just bought the newest hydration pack from CamelBak. Mine is the 2 liter size (its what fits into my backpack).

They came out with a new style that is beefed up a bit, guaranteed not to split.

http://shop.camelbak.com/d/1096

That is what I got at the PX except the one I got is a 3 liter. Same brand and all. You just don't sweat like a pig so you could get the normal size. I'm filling mine now since I'm leaving to watch my youngest play soccer. It may look odd, but not as bad as if I packed one of the 5 gallon orange Gatorade jugs just for my use.

 

[Melensdad]

IN DEPTH REVIEW: Hiking Socks

Here are my 4 top choices of hiking socks in a pictoral review.

I'd point out that socks are probably the most important piece of gear, other than your hiking shoe/boot. They are critical in wicking away moisture (sweat) and critical in preventing blisters. If you get blisters then you are probably using the wrong sock. Hiking socks in particular, are designed to hug your feet and designed not to shift around under load, especially if you are carrying the excess weight of a heavy backpack for very long distances. Realize that backpackers will walk 10 to 20 miles per day with roughly 30 to 35 pounds of gear, while many who 'camp with a pack' may only walk a handful of miles with similar, or heavier loads. Hiking socks are also designed to wick moisture away from your skin and to provide some padding to your feet to protect them from your boots rubbing blisters into your skin. They typically are tight fitting, and very fitted over the arch area of your foot as well as above your heel and ankle to prevent shifting.

You will notice the Cabela's sock, while very good, has the least bottom padding. You will not notice that DARN TOUGH claims to have twice the thread count of most weaves and that leads to a very dense sock, one they claim is far more durable. I can tell you the bottom of the foot loops (piles) are more tightly woven than other brands, and one of the reasons I recently trashed a different pair of Cabela's (NOT of the IN-GENIUS design) was because the bottom loops (piles) were so loose they not only offered virtually no padding, but they essentially acted to allow my feet to move around, or slip, on the loosely woven piles.


#1 TIE: DARN TOUGH Micro Crew Coolmax Hiking Sock
Suitable for hiking shoes and hiking boots. Slightly shorter than a standard Crew sock. These are lightly padded, made with synthetic blend yarns and are designed for wicking away moisture and for keeping your foot a bit cooler (minimal insulation value) but still providing some level of cushioning. The DARN TOUGH Coolmax blend is 38% Coolmax® Polyester, 31% Nylon, 26% Acrylic, 2% Lycra® Spandex.

#1 TIE: DARN TOUGH Merino Wool 1/4 Sock
Suitable for hiking shoes. These are built similarly to the sock above, but uses Marino Wool instead of the synthetic Coolmax blend. This has somewhat less padding (looping) than the sock above but is still very comfortable for light hiking.

#3: CABELA'S IN-GENIUS Lightweight Hiking Sock
Suitable for hiking shoes and boots. This is a traditional crew length. The Cabela's sock offers an added layer of front of shin padding if you wear a mid-hight boot. This sock uses a 2 layer system that is made of Inner layer: 70% olefin, 30% X-Static silver nylon. Outer layer: 62% stretch nylon, 35% merino wool, 3% Lycra® spandex. Its form fitting but offers only very light padding at the heel and the toe, and then only a small area is padded. I should point out they also make a Mid-Weight and a Heavyweight version of this same sock if you want more padding.

#4: DARN TOUGH Merino Wool Micro Crew
Suitable for hiking shoes and boots. Construction looks very similar to the DARN TOUGH Coolmax Micro Crew. Padding on the bottom of the foot is somewhat more substantial than the Coolmax version. I find it slightly too padded for my taste, but that is very subjective.

 

[Dargo]

Those Darn Tough sure have some wild designs. I have some coming that I hope aren't too wild.

 

[Melensdad]

Those Darn Tough sure have some wild designs. I have some coming that I hope aren't too wild.

By the way, in each photo above, the sock on the LEFT is right-side out and the sock on the RIGHT is an inside-out sock from the same pair so you can get a better look at the construction of each style.

 

[Melensdad]

Yesterday I went out after the heavy rains stopped, did a 5 mile road hike in my best time. 1 hour 24 minutes as tracked by my Garmin Oregon GPS. Normally when my wife and I hike on roads we easily maintain a pace of 3 miles per hour, our typical road hike is 4 miles and it typically takes us 1 hour 18 minutes to finish our normal 4 mile course. And while Indiana is generally flat, I live on a ridge over a river in the area of the county that has more hills than any other I know of, so the terrain here is atypical of much of the county.

Road hiking and trail hiking are two different animals. While I can easily pace 3+ miles an hour on the road, I don't expect to hit 2.25 mph on the trail when we get to England. First, the trail is going to have a lot of uneven surfaces, roads are generally smooth. Second, grass is much slower to walk in than asphalt to walk upon and much of our trek will be in fields. Third, we are hiking as a group, 4 of us (so far) and we can only hike as fast as the slowest member.

Our plan is to hike 11 miles per day, roughly 2 mph in open terrain. Stopping to visit each of the Roman forts, towers, archeological digs, etc that we come across. So the trek should be far LESS strenuous than the practice hikes that we are doing now.


=========================


GEAR UPDATE: Leki Hiking Poles

Been using these things for a couple weeks and really loving them! Oh, for sure they have a huge drawback, they make you look like a total DORK when you are walking on the side of the road. Not much funnier than seeing some guy in a Boonie hat, shorts and hiking boots planting 'ski poles' into the asphalt while he walks. But I havt to say, the darn things do help you out with your hikes.

My wife and I are each using LEKI brand trekking poles. With retail prices approaching $160 for the more expensive set (hers), and not much less for the cheaper set (mine), these are the 2 most expensive pieces of hiking gear that we will have on the trip. Shopping around you can, as I did, find discounts of about $25 below retail. But still, these are the single most expensive items that I've spend money on in preparation for the trip. Even my new hydration backpack cost significantly less (HINT: buy last year's model and you'll get packs at 1/2 price).

But the TREKKING poles ACTUALLY WORK. Just like 4 wheel drive cars have more traction and are more stable on bad roads than 2wd cars, so is a human with Trekking poles more stable. They claim also that poles help your breathe better, they shift the burden of hiking off your knees and distribute it through your arms too. They increase your workout when training and increase your stamina when hiking with a pack. I'll admit that I was very skeptical, but also I was curious enough to take the plunge and give poles an honest try. So I studied the various poles.

TARGET stores sells NIKE walking poles for under $50 and WAL-MART sells some no-name brand for about $35 per set. Both brands look like cheap Chinese toys compared to the sets that we are using. First off, the shaft locks on both of the big-box-store brands look like they would collapse under your weight. The shaft locks on the LEKI brand are well designed, sturdy and tested around the world to hold up against your falling body weight. They are also accredited by a testing facility. If the shaft lock fails your pole is worthless! Second, the grips are canted forward 8-degrees on the LEKI poles, which mimics your hand grip, but the grips on the bargain poles, and many lesser poles, are straight vertical handgrips. Third, our poles have a shock absorbing system built into them which does not exist on the rigid cheaper poles, so each pole plant on asphalt, cement, or even packed dirt will send a jolt through your wrist and up your arm.

My poles are part of the LEKI lightweight series of trekking poles and are the CORKLITE ANTI-SHOCK poles while the lovely Mrs_Bob is using a pair of their CRESSIDA ANTI-SHOCK trekking poles with full cork grips and anti-shock shafts designed specifically for women.

IF a lot of your hiking is on Asphalt then buy a set of Anti-Shock poles. If most of what you do is on trails then save the money and buy a quality set that doesn't use an anti-shock system.

There are several other good poles out there. Two other brands that fall in the premium category of poles would be Komperdell and Black Diamond. Honestly I didn't get a chance to handle any of the Komperdell poles prior to my purchase, but their reviews by Backpacker magazine, and on forums put them in the top quality grouping. Black Diamond is another premium brand. I opted for the Leki brand over Black Diamond because I like the anti-shock system better on the Leki than the B.D. but clearly others prefer the B.D. Leki puts the anti-shock shock absorber at the joint between the bottom and mid section of the shaft. The Leki system weighs about an ounce and it is progressive and simple. Works just like a tiny automotive shock absorber. The Black Diamond system uses what appears to be silicone rubber under, and below, the grip and their system also is simple, progressive and it works, but I simply preferred the Leki system better. R.E.I. also markets their own brand of poles and many of those get excellent reviews from hikers and its another brand to consider.

Honestly I thought I'd try one set of Black Diamond and one of LEKI, but then I figured that if I needed a repair part that the commonality of parts of owning all the same brand was the wisest choice. Glad I made that choice.

So, if you are a hiker, and you use a backpack and you don't have a set of Trekking Poles, do yourself a huge favor and buy a set. You will not regret the purchase.



================


This morning's walk. 5 miles, 1 hour 37 minutes ... 3mph.