Walking HADRIAN'S WALL from North Sea to Irish Sea

[Kane]

I'm not a rabid hiking enthusiast by any measure, but have been following this compelling thread since the beginning. Interesting. Sounds like it'll be a great trip.

It also looks like, Bob, that you've done your homework and are going first class with hiking gear. So many variables that can make a trip a success or failure, depending upon the right gear for the right conditions. Looks like you've got it all covered.

Admittedly, tho, that's a whole lotta' gear. If you don't mind me asking, how much do you think you'll have invested in trip-specific brand new hiking gear before you take the first step of what looks to be a great and memorable journey for you and the family?

 

[Melensdad]

I'm not a rabid hiking enthusiast by any measure, but have been following this compelling thread since the beginning. Interesting. Sounds like it'll be a great trip.

It also looks like, Bob, that you've done your homework and are going first class with hiking gear. So many variables that can make a trip a success or failure, depending upon the right gear for the right conditions. Looks like you've got it all covered.

Admittedly, tho, that's a whole lotta' gear. If you don't mind me asking, how much do you think you'll have invested in trip-specific brand new hiking gear before you take the first step of what looks to be a great and memorable journey for you and the family?

In Sweden they have a saying: THERE IS NO BAD WEATHER ONLY BAD CLOTHING

There is very little that is more miserable than being cold, wet or cold & wet while doing work, hiking, etc. So yes, I am doing my homework on the new gear. I was wearing an old pair of CHEAP 'rainpants' last night while I was out snowblowing the roadway. I literally opened up nearly 3 miles of roadway so I was out for quite a while. Those, so-called 'rainpants' had me soaked through to my butt. So I believe in getting the "right" stuff. I could have used another pair, I have better, but those were handy.

As for how much, I dunno.

Depends upon how you define the clothes. I use many of the shirts that I bought to test, especially the synthetic shirts, all summer as long sleeve lightweight sun shirts. Those could be considered wasted $$$ because they won't be going on this trip. Those shirts probably average about $30 each.

The Merino Wool shirts probably average $100 per shirt. That is outrageous but I love them. I had Merino Wool long ago, I have had it over the years, I have it now. I'm going to take a bunch of those on this trip. Some of them were purchased for this trip, but I wear them regularly.

The Arc'Teryx vest was bought at a season end close out, its not specific to this trip, it cost about $150 on close out, full retail was probably $200?

My LEKI hiking poles were about $120. They are expensive poles, they have features that cheap poles don't offer like a camera adapter to tranform it into a mono-pod for taking photos. They have shock absorbers so my arthritic hands/arms don't suffer from impact shock. You can get cheap poles for $29 at Wal-Mart. You can also get $200 carbon fiber poles too.

I wear hiking boots and hiking shoes ALL year. But the Zamberlan Crosser boots were about $200. Best boots I have ever pruchased. By far. I also have the shoe verson of the same boot. Cost a bit less. Not sure which pair will go with me, shoe or boot.

As for raingear, my new rain/wind jacket was named as the best of the best by Outdoor magazine, retails for about $250, I got mine as an end of season item from Steep & Cheap for about $135. Rainpants cost me just north of $110.

My new backpack from Mammut was $139. Honestly I think it was mis-priced. The same retailer now has the same pack for $179. I have seen it in the $225-$250 range pretty regularly. Needless to say I am thrilled with that deal.

I probably have $200 invested in stoves, I will take only 1 stove with me. Looks like I will probably take the SNOW PEAK GIGA POWER stove. At least that is where I am leaning now. I'll buy the fuel in England. That stove is about $70.

I like DARN TOUGH Merino Wool socks, they are about $20 each. Cabela's In-Genius Merino Wool/Synthetic Blend socks are also very very good, cost about $18. STOIC Merino Wool socks are pretty good, can find them on sale from time to time for $5 a pair, or $18 off sale. I buy them on sale when I can find them.

PRETTY MUCH MULTIPLY EVERYTHING BY 3 since there are 3 of us going on this trip.

 

[Melensdad]

Bought a new toy. Basically a kitchen cutlery set in a plastic sheath. I was looking at various camp knives, Leatherman tools, Boy Scout knives, etc for picnics.

Despite the fact that we are not tent camping on this trip we are going to be eating meals out on the trails and they will probably fairly simplistic meals but sometimes a nice loaf of bread, a pad of butter, some quality ham or salami is all you want. Cutting a loaf of bread with a tiny Leatherman blade, or Scout knife is a good way to mangle the bread.

This is a nice knife, shaped like an over sized butter/cheese spreader with a sharp serrated edge and a real handle. Blade is probably 4", give or take a bit. The small fork pops out of the sheath and the back side has a Can Opener, a Bottle Opener and a flat head Screw Driver. The sides are shaped and cut, but polished smooth, to give a good firm grasp. Its light, not super light, but light enough.

 

[Melensdad]

Oh, price was about $25.

It also should be safe for use in England, which has very strick knife laws. It would be difficult to define this as a 'weapon' under their knife laws, which, from what I can tell make life miserable for anyone with a traditional lockblade knife, and even more miserable for anyone who keeps a knife in their pocket. I don't fully understand their laws, but I'm sure this knife falls on the 'safe' side of the laws and its cheap enough that if it gets confiscated then I am not going to cry.

This knife is clearly designed as a kitchen tool type knife. It locks securely into the sheath for safety and takes a bit of manipulations with 2 hands to remove.

This shows the scale of the set up, next to my Toaks Titanium cutlery set, which is basically a standard size (OK maybe a little on the smaller end of the standard size, but still pretty much normal).

 

[Melensdad]

One question often asked is what I am actually going to carry on this hike and why. Realize that this hike is really a string of long distance day hikes, each terminating at a small pub, inn or other place where there is a bed and some food. So this is not a remote trail hike, although there are many miles of remote trail with nothing around for mmiles, we still have a set termination point for each night. That fact dictates that we do not need to carry a tent or sleeping bag.

I could not really find much helpful information about what to take, some recommended we carry less than I have planned, others recommend more. I know we have some option items we are packing. I modeled this based on several recommendations from people who have walked the 500 mile El Camino de Santiago pilgramage trail, which is a longer, but similar walk with places to sleep along the way.

So let me give a quick rundown of the gear in the pack -- keep in mind I am carrying my gear and most of my daughter's gear because she had back surgery, so I will be carrying 2 sets of most of these things, but there will only be 1 set of cooking gear, 1 first aid kit, etc:

Clothing

• Extra Wool Socks (mostly DARN TOUGH brand, some STOIC, some SMARTWOOL)
• Extra pull over wool shirt (probably wear it in the mornings, carry it IF/WHEN the temps go up during the day), maybe 2?
• Rain Pants
• Rain/Wind Jackets
• Lightweight gloves
• Hat - water-resistant for rain, wide brim for sun (mine is an OUTDOOR RESEARCH "Seattle Sombrero" that is well used, its my tractor hat, my sitting by the pool when its too danm sunny hat, my goofy looking travel hat, my embarrass my daughter in public hat, so it serves many purposes, its made of Gore-Tex, and has proven to be worth every penny I paid for it many years ago)
• Micro-Fleece overshirt/jacket (mine is a well worn FIRST ASCENT, not sure what the girls have)
• Insulating vest
• Possibly a cheap rain poncho for downpours -- MOSTLY to protect the backpacks & their contents! -- Backpacks have rain covers, but in a downpour contents can still get wet because the body side of backpacks are NOT protected by the rain covers, so in a downpour a poncho that covers you & the pack is the right solution.

Cooking/Kitchen/Food Related

• Snow Peak Giga-Power iso-butane stove
• Small fuel canister for stove -- my sister is buying these over there for us, can't travel via air with these canisters
• GSI brand Pinnacle Dualist cookset (small pot, couple of bowls, stove & fuel fit inside -- unnecessary items REMOVED so I am carrying parts of this setup)
• Titanium mugs, super light, water bottles slip into them, so they take very little space.
• Cutlery sets (Toaks Titanium, fork, spoon, knife)
• Buck knife/fork/multi-tool set shown a couple posts above
• Water bladders in backpacks (Camelback brand, 1.7 liter capacity)
• Platypus soft sided Wine bladders for picnic lunch (Mylar wine flasks, weigh almost nothing empty, hold a full 750ml bottle of wine)
• Food will vary by day, depends upon what we find.

OTHER

• Headlamp (Snow Peak Snow Miner) - hope we DON'T have to use them!
• First Aid Kit (probably the heaviest single item other than water, mostly stocked with blister meds, ibuprophen, etc)
• Diabetes supplies -worst case senario the insulin pump fails and we need manual back up, not much weight, but a bit more volume than I expected it would occupy.
• Personal Care Items
• Seat pads to sit on ... demanded by lovely Mrs_Bob!
• 1 Small lightweight tarp for picnics on wet ground/grass, approx 6' x 6' ... demanded by lovely Mrs_Bob too!
• Camera (SLR type) regular lens + additional telephoto lens
• Pocket Camera
• Cellphone (not sure if we will get reception in rural areas)
• Possibly a GPS unit???
• Compass + Trail Map --much of the trail is supposed to be reasonably well maked, but have been warned that some areas it is easy to get lost.
• Guide book with historic information about the wall
• Walking/Trekking Poles --usually in my hands, not strapped on the pack!

Now I probably could throw out the small cooking stove and the small cookset. We could skip hot coffee on the trail, we could simply eat sliced bread, tomatoes, cheese and salami sandwiches every day. But as this is only an 8 day hike I'm willing to carry the extra 3/4THS of a POUND of weight that those cooking supplies weigh (yes, its a tiny stove, compact cookware). I also don't want to spend my trail meals limited to cold cuts/bread/etc. I'd like to mix those things up a bit, and especially if we have some fairly cool days, I'd like the option of something warm, even if only instant soup and hot coffee. Temps average between 40 and 55 degrees F so it makes for nice 'activity' weather, but not necessary quite warm enough to be comfortable for sitting and resting at lunch or break.

As it is planned now, we have a 30 Liter capacity Lowe Alpine pack that my wife will be carrying + a 45 Liter capacity Mammut pack that I will carry. My daughter will only carry a simple hip pack with a bottle of water and a couple small pockets due to the back surgery. I seriously doubt that between the 3 of us we can fill that much capacity with the above lists ... but I suppose a loaf of crusty bread can fill quite a bit of space!

NOTE: We are travelling light, while we are going to be in the UK for more time, we will leave our luggage at my sister's home near London, pick it up after the walk, and continue our trip with luggage.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Interesting list!! Everybody has their own priorities. I must agree with Mrs Bob that a little comfort is nice.

It looks as if you are going to cost me more cash again. I need to look in to those wine bladders. Although we gave up backpacking in favor of RVing quite a few years back, when we're out and about we still take day hikes and pack in a picnic lunch. Those bladders could be an ideal addition.

Why the question marks on the GPS?

 

[Melensdad]

I'd point out that I do have some waterproof compression bags that fit inside the backpacks. Those are high quality things, available at only the finest Wal-Marts. A couple other small waterproof bags for things like cell phones, wallets, etc.

PICTURE BELOW

. . . I need to look in to those wine bladders. Although we gave up backpacking in favor of RVing quite a few years back, when we're out and about we still take day hikes and pack in a picnic lunch. Those bladders could be an ideal addition.

These new ones get somewhat mixed reviews. The new ones I bought were Platypus brand, some claim they leak around the opening and they are hit or miss ... so I bought 2, just in case. When they don't leak the people who review them claim they actually maintain the quality of the wine. GSI makes some too and I bought several of those a while back. I've even given them away as gifts.

GSI mylar wine carafe => http://www.backcountrygear.com/gsi-...W3q1DpSXYKTrJn9tnjdXLRoCOMbw_wcB#.VNaPnIc70wF

Platypus Wine Saver => http://www.rei.com/product/781836/platypus-platypreserve-wine-preservation-system-package-of-4

Why the question marks on the GPS?

Not sure I want or need the weight and bulk of another small piece of electronics, and the associated batteries that go with it. I've got a compass and a map, probably a lost art, and I'm probably rusty with its use, but this is just the excuse needed to relearn old skills. 1 set of batteries will NOT last all day, so it will have to be used, turned off, then on, then off, etc so figure we'd need 8 sets of batteries even with intermittent use. Overall it may just be more grief than its worth?

 

[Melensdad]

GEAR THAT WILL NOT GO TO ENGLAND

ICEBREAKER Merino Wool 200 Bodyfit Base Layer
Simply put, this shirt is not comfortable enough to go with me. Its a great shirt, but it is a 'bodyfit' cut, which means it is a very tight fitting shirt. I just don't like that tight fit. I want something that fits me, but doesn't act like a girdle to hug me into shape. Its the nicest, most expensive Merino Wool that I own, and it will be left behind.

Point 6 Wool 'Light Hiking' Socks
Its a good sock, but not as good as either the Cabela's InGenius (wool/synthetic blend) or the Darn Tough (all wool) Light Hiking socks.

SOTA MUKA white gas stove
This is a GREAT stove, it really is a shame it won't make this trip, but its a little too big, a little too heavy, a little too much, especially for a trip when the uses will be fairly minimal as breakfasts and dinners will typically be eaten in English Pubs and lunches and snacks will be the only use for the stove. So this, being the biggest, is eliminated. I'm leaning heavily toward the stupid-simple ESBIT solid fuel stove. Its tiny and light and will boil water. Nothing more, just boil water. But that may be all I need to make a couple cups of coffee a day, maybe some oatmeal for a snack, etc. I have NOT yet ruled out the alcohol stove, nor have I ruled out the SNOW PEAK iso-butane stove. The alcohol stoves are simply liquid fuel versions of the ESBIT, they heat water. The SNOW PEAK is tiny, even with a couple fuel canisters its still pretty light and small. It is also more flexible for cooking so its not been cut, at least not yet.

KEEN hiking shoes
Not sure which model these are, but they are not going with me. They weigh more than my new Zamberlan 230 Crosser boots, and they provide less support than the Zamberlan boots too. Plus, the KEENs are also less comfortable, less stable and offer less feel for varying ground conditions. Unless I wear out the Zamberlans, or unless something better comes along that I try (and I am NOT looking) then the obvious choice for me to wear will be the Zamberlan 230 Crosser hiking boots. Simply the best light weight hiking boot I have ever encountered.

KOPPEN baselayer polyester hiking shirts
These are very comfortable shirts, I actually like them a lot and wear them all the time. But they get a funky stink about them, even if you just wear them around the house doing light activities that might raise up a bit of sweat. Any sweat that gets into the material transforms into a nasty funk. No thank you, I don't need 8 days of smelling myself all funky. So these inexpensive, comfortable, sun-blocking, moisture wicking shirts will stay at home. I wish they had anti-microbial anti-funk additives blended into the fabric like some other polyester shirts incorporate. But they don't. So they stay at home.

​

Adding to the above list I have some more things to add to the NOT-GO list of things I've purchased. Now some of these are things I use on a regular basis at home, but they are not good enough or not suitable for taking on the trip after giving each of them proper scrutiny.

KOPPEN rain jackets
These were purchased on sale, at low prices, they are fine for using in a rain, either light or heavy, but only for short durations. Its not that they are not waterproof, its that they are not breathable enough and you just sweat inside them.

KEITH Titanium Cookware
This is absolutely top quality stuff, feather-weight too, and if this was just going to be the lovely Mrs_Bob and I on this trek then it would be my first choice. But this is a smaller capacity set than the GSI Pinnacle Dualist, and Melen is joining us on the hike, so going to the larger capacity set gets the nod for practical use THIS TIME.

Outdoor Research, Mountain Hardware, Columbia & all other synthetic base layer shirts
While many of these are very comfortable, very easy to wear, after a while they just stink when you wear them. Even the "Anti-Microbial" shirts that claim they won't stink after use tend to stink, not sure if the anti-microbial stuff washes out of the fabric or what, but all these synthetic shirts tend to pick up a good dose of "funk" and the Merino Wool shirts tend to remain reasonably 'funk free' with extended use.

Alcohol Stove
The one I bought is technically a very cool little stove, but it has too many parts, too much to mess with, basically not worth the effort. A different, simple "Fancy Feast" stove made from a cat food can would be far more practical and useable. But I simply prefer a canister stove.

Esbit solid fuel stove
Tiny, lightweight, easiest of all to carry, this was my 2nd choice. If I was doing a solo trip this would have been my first choice. Lack of adjustable flame, limited fuel burn time are both considerations against this stove for this trip.

Eddie Bauer FIRST ASCENT "Accelerant" jacket
Its a great light jacket for active wear, just decided that I'd be using a different layering order and this jacket does not work with what I will be wearing. I have no regrets on this one. Just not for this trip with this weather. If it would be a little cooler/colder then this jacket would be just the ticket.

Camelbak Insulated Water Bottles
Fine for local hikes where you can fill them with ice water, but too bulky and to heavy for a trip. We have Camelbak bladders, if we need to supplement water beyond that it will be with locally purchased bottled water. A retail bottle of water is much lighter because the plastics are far thinner. When empty they can be crushed and take up little space, or refilled and reused.

Water purification (filters, chemicals, etc)
I've been assured that this is not an issue, we can carry enough without worry. In the planning stages you may recall that the lovely Mrs_Bob said she would NOT carry a pack. So that left me carrying everything. With Melen joining us, the lovely Mrs_Bob changed her tune, she will be carrying a pack and that is another 2 liter water bladder that I don't have to worry about. Melen won't carry a full pack, but she will have a 'Fanny pack' that holds a 1 liter water bottle. So between us we have plenty of capacity to carry water. If pressed, I'd probably would have chosen a SAWYER filter, but I won't even need that.

 

[Melensdad]

OK here is the stuff I will probably be carrying, plus add in my daughter's gear too which will double up the clothing.

45Liter pack, 2 Leki anti-shock trekking poles. Rain Pants. Rain Poncho. Rain Jacket. Lightweight insulating vest. Medical kit, stripped and repacked with extra moleskins, blister bandaids, Skin Glide, etc. Misc Personal items. Headlamp. Compass, Guidebook, Map. Utensiles. Cooking pot, fuel canister, backpack stove. Insulin/Diabetes supplies. Mylar wine 'bottle' and titanium coffee mug. Extra wool socks. Micro-fleece mid-layer. GPS is in the photo, I am unsure if that will go with us.

Cameras are NOT in the photo, they will add both weight and bulk.

Water bladder is inside the backpack and not visible.

I am undecided on the cooking pot, I have a smaller, lighter pot, that may go instead? Or the whole thing may be tossed out completely and I may have to go with less coffee on the trail It all depends upon how much room is in the pack.

My goal is to carry 20# or less. Given that I'm going to add an entire 2nd set of rain gear, 2nd vest, etc that may be a hard goal to attain.

 

[Melensdad]

Looking around the guest room where we have all our gear sprawled about and wondering what the hell have I gotten myself into!

Back in the good old days gear was as cheap as what you had in your closet, things were simpler. A hell of a lot heavier/bulkier too.

The new stuff is amazingly light! Easily packable too. What would have weighed 40 to 50 pounds and required a large backpack now easily fits into a modest overnight pack or even a Daypack and weighs a mere 20-25 pounds!!!

This trip has grown with the addition of our daughter, who as a Type 1 Diabetic has special needs in terms of medical gear, and obviously also needs her own equipment too. So we have gone from 1 backpack + 1 hip pack to 1 backpack + 2 Daypacks.

Rain gear is probably the most advanced over the years. And is also the biggest expense. Gore-Tex is no longer state of the art, it's too heavy, too stiff for easy packing, and not light enough. Newer composites, mostly multi-layer materials, weigh just OUNCES for an entire jacket, with thin fabric that doesn't seen like it would be possible to be durable, but apparently will stand up to the rigors of rock climbing?

While rain gear is the most advanced in technology, the best socks are still tried and true wool socks. Although they have all sorts of elastic in them now to grip your feet in specific places to prevent slipping, which could lead to blisters. And wool is not cheap. Typical price for a good pair of hiking socks is $20 per pair. This pile is a PORTION of the socks that Melen and the lovely Mrs_Bob will be taking on the trip.

 

[EastTexFrank]

The new stuff is amazingly light! Easily packable too. What would have weighed 40 to 50 pounds and required a large backpack now easily fits into a modest overnight pack or even a Daypack and weighs a mere 20-25 pounds!!!

That's why I love reading your posts and reviews. I haven't kept up with the advances in gear over the last decade or so. My only criticism of the modern stuff, especially outerwear, is that if it gets hit by one spark from a campfire ... poof, big hole. I ruined a lightweight down jacket in Colorado a couple of years ago. The ripstop nylon shell looked as it had been peppered by birdshot by the time I got the fire going.

Perhaps that says more about my fire lighting abilities that the durability of the jacket.

 

[Melensdad]

Frank, the superlight clothes will burn through a lot faster than my older Gander Mountain storm proof fishing rainsuit. No doubt about that. But that Gander rainsuit is a pain to put on and take off, it weighs as much as everything else that is going into my backpack combind (probably including the pack?) and likely would not fit into the pack if I tried to fold it up. Oh, and I'll bet the outer shell will burn as easily as the new stuff too, but as its much thicker overall, it probably will not have holes all the way through. Still, if the outer layer is burned and pockmarked like your down jacket, I doubt it would ever be considered waterproof after you wear it while lighting a campfire.

NOTE TO SELF: Stay well back from ETF's campfires!


FWIW, my MOUNTAIN HARDWARE RAINPANTS have zippers that run from the waistband to the cuff on both legs. The zippers have storm flaps and closures over them. They can be slipped on while wearing the biggest hiking boots, they can be stripped off just as fast. The design is excellent, and the breathability is about 2x times better than Gore-Tex while being about as heavy as the wings of a butterfly and capable of being folded into their own pocket. Reviews on these pants are nothing short of excellent, basically saying you can hike in them all day, in a heavy downpour and still remain dry.

I bought similar rainpants for Melen and for the lovely Mrs_Bob, but theirs are from Marmot and they had similar reviews and a similar design.

 

[Melensdad]

Another of my high quality ultra-expensive Wal-Mart outfitters specialty products. Truth be told they actually had a cheaper version, but it didn't include the windproof matches so I opted for this, clearly superior model. This one also has a striker on the side. I think it was about $4.00.

The model without the striker or the matches was smaller too, held maybe 10 matches, the one below holds 25 . . . but the smaller one was only $1.00. I think thee extra $3 spent was worth it. Figure the larger case has maybe 4 more cents worth of plastic in the construction, and a rubber 'O' ring to keep it water tight down to depths of 30,000 leagues under the sea.

 

[Melensdad]

Package arrived from REI.

Got some BODY GLIDE. The pink ones are for the ladies, they smell pretty. This stuff is also available at your local CVS or Walgreens under other brand names, but usually only available in TINY sizes. Its great for rubbing on your heels and the sides of your feet when you get new boots (don't have to be hiking boots!) and you wear them a little longer than you should. Or new dress shoes. Or if you are hiking long distances.

GLIDE is simply a lubricant that helps prevent blisters and chafing.

Pack straps bothering you? Rub some GLIDE on your shoulders where the straps rub.

Bra straps rubbing? Sweating along the elastic of the bra? Rub some GLIDE along those areas.

Inner thighs rubbing (no need to lose weight) just rub some GLIDE.

Clearly the uses for body GLIDE are unlimited

 

[EastTexFrank]

Mr Skurka, you are amazing. Truly bloody amazing. I've always used Vaseline but you come up with .... "Body Glide". Where do you find this stuff?????

 

[Melensdad]

Mr Skurka, you are amazing. Truly bloody amazing. I've always used Vaseline but you come up with .... "Body Glide". Where do you find this stuff?????

I first found it at a local pharmacy in the first aid section

It is sold under different brand names. The reason I bought the stuff from REI is because its sold in larger sizes. The stuff I have from CVS, which I think is a J&J product, is about 1/3rd the side of the pink GLIDE brand applicators. And while a little goes a long way, I never went on an 8 day hike before so I figured I'd rather have more than less.

As for Vaseline, that is messy and doesn't work as well.

Go to the pharmacy and look in the blister first aide area for skin glide or anti-friction balms. Same stuff.

 

[Melensdad]

Just a few more things, not all are new. Far less glamourous than most of the gear that will be going on the trip. But essential never the less.


PICTURE #1:

MONEY BELT - something to own, wear daily, in any foreign land, UNDER your clothes. Keep only the daily spending money in your wallet, keep your reserve cash, valuable documents, etc in the money belt. We have 2 different versions of these things, one is in the photo, its worn around your waist, tucked into your pants, the OTHER is worn around your neck, hangs under your shirt.


DUCT TAPE - about 1,000,001 uses for this stuff from covering your blisters, to repairing rips in a jacket, fixing a walking pole, applying pressure on a cut, holding a torn sole on your shoe, covering your shoe/boot laces when one breaks, etc etc etc. Those two strips are actually folded up, each is 6' long. If you carry a water bottle you can wrap tape around the bottle for simple storage. Some people wind it around a walking pole shaft. I prefer it stuck to easy release decal backing paper and folded. But there are many options.


POOP SHOVEL - Because rumor has it that, on occassion, a bear will s#it in the woods! This is a new one, I couldn't find my old one. It is a SEA TO SUMMIT brand, all aluminum, handle collapses to make it more compact for carry. This one is pretty nifty, comes with plastic poop bags that slip into the compartment in the handle. The shovel is strong enough to dig into many types of ground to bury the poop in places where that is legal, and clearly strong enough will scoop poop into a bag for later disposal.


TOILET PAPER - 'nuff said.


NOT IN ANY PHOTO BELOW:

SEWING KIT - (not in the photo), any sort of travel sewing kit works, like the flat ones that some of the nicer hotels provide free with a needle or two, and a few wraps of different color thread. Like the DUCT TAPE above, uses are unlimited. Pop a blister, sew garments, etc.


PICTURE #2:

COMPACT TARP - just for picnics on wet ground, can double as a pseudo poncho if wrapped around the body. Packs small, about the size of 3 decks of cards. Light. Found it at Wal-Mart, on close out, in their camping section.


PICTURE #3:

WATERPROOF BAGS - basically fill each color sack with a different type of gear to keep things organized inside the backpack. Bonus is that they keep anything inside protected from rain. Another Wal-Mart find.


PICTURE #4:

SEAT PAD - a demand from the lovely Mrs_Bob was to carry a padded seat cushion, this pad is inflatable and actually surprisingly comfortable. It rolls into a very compact size and comes with its own stuff sack. From REI. Too damn expensive for what it is, can't say there is a real value, but I can say that without it we probably wouldn't be taking this trip.

 

[Melensdad]

Doing some "test packing" of the backpacks.

Mine will carry the most, but is also has a 50% larger volume than those carried by Melen and the lovely Mrs_Bob so mine is going to have some room to spare. I will also have some common items including:

• A first-aid kit, which takes up a surprising amount of room in my pack and weighs more than it should. I think there is room to shave a bunch of weight off of the first aid kit by removing some of the less commonly used items and focusing more on blister control, some headache tablets, etc.
• A cooking kit, which is probably still over-kill and may get trimmed down a bit more. I could drop the compact bowls that are stowed or even switch to a smaller pot. For the most part I just want the cook kit for my coffee habit; we may be traveling in England but that does not mean that I plan to switch to tea.
• Wine flask (lightweight/collapsable version)
• Compass, Map, possibly a GPS too.

Both of the ladies will carry what they need but will be pretty much stuffed because they are 30 and 35 liter size packs.

Especially the pack carried by Melen since she will be taking back-up/emergency diabetes care items in the event that her insulin pump fails while we are on the trail.

Pretty much looked at the rain ponchos as un-needed. We all have new rain suits and packs that have rain covers. Poncho's are quick and light but miserable in wind, don't keep your legs from getting soaked, which leads to water running into the top of your boots, etc. So the ponchos will stay home.

 

[Umberto]

BTW, there is never enough toilet paper, especially with water and food changes, then there's the beer. One can get Charmin in the little 3 packs, as well, and I'd get some wet-one packs, too. They work for hands and face as well as butts.

 

[Melensdad]

BTW, there is never enough toilet paper, especially with water and food changes, then there's the beer. One can get Charmin in the little 3 packs, as well, and I'd get some wet-one packs, too. They work for hands and face as well as butts.

I've never seen the Charmin!!!

We do have a travel pack of wet-ones, I guess it never made the photo shoot

 

[Melensdad]

Well did some 'test packing' yesterday.

I have a 25" tall backpack. It will NOT fit into my 26" suitcase.

Seems that a 26" suitcase is 26" long from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the handle, leaving me with a suitcase that is more like a 23.5" suitcase. So I'm on a hunt for a duffle or rolling bag that I can stuff my backpack into and check into baggage. We have to check our trekking poles (according to TSA) because they have carbide tips. I've also heard horror stories about backpacks getting destroyed in baggage if they are not somehow wrapped in cellophane or enclosed in a duffle.

Back to REI again?

 

[Melensdad]

Buried somewhere back in this thread are posts about various different socks.

DARN TOUGH "Light Hiking" Merino Wool socks are the reigning champion of all the socks. They work, they fit, they don't slip, they are comfortable.

Tied a bunch of others. Some failed miserably. Up until now only the Cabela's InGenius socks, which are a hybrid dual layer sock that is merino wool + a synthetic layer.

But I got a good deal on some SMARTWOOL Phd Light Hikers. These are merino wool, with various panels of elastic that are strategically located to keep the socks from slipping or shifting around. These are very comfortable socks. Been testing them out during casual wear, but I've not tried them on a hike. That may change today. So far I would say that if these things prove themselves while hiking around the area then they may be eleveatd to (at least) the #2 position in comfort and function.

These are $20 per pair socks, this was a discontinued color, got them for $12. Picked up 3 pairs, wish I had ordered 6

 

[EastTexFrank]

Smartwool socks used to be my favorites until you guys turned me on to Darn Tough. I also have some In Genius socks from Cabelas.

For hiking or walking, my order of preference would be Darn Tough, Smartwool and then In Genious. For casual, about town, the Smartwool and Ingenious would swap places just because the In Genious look a little bit dressier that the SW. Tell us what you think of them once you get a chance to put them to the test.

 

[Melensdad]

Smartwool socks used to be my favorites until you guys turned me on to Darn Tough. I also have some In Genius socks from Cabelas.

For hiking or walking, my order of preference would be Darn Tough, Smartwool and then In Genious. For casual, about town, the Smartwool and Ingenious would swap places just because the In Genious look a little bit dressier that the SW. Tell us what you think of them once you get a chance to put them to the test.

I still love the DARN TOUGH socks for hiking.

The new SMARTWOOL "Phd" series of socks are really nice too. I don't much like the other SMARTWOOL socks but the "Phd" series have several areas of elastic to keep your foot from moving around in the sock and keep the sock in place. The version I purchased were "Ultra-Light" socks, which may be better for hotter weather than I expect to encounter in England.


. . . . . . . . . . . . .


BTW, the lovely Mrs_Bob took all our backpacks over to a neighboring farm where she knows the lady. Years ago she took quilting class from the lady. She had her sew some patches onto each of our backpacks.

I guess we have to go through with it now

 

[Melensdad]

Less than 30 days away now.

Melen's backpack is with her in North Carolina, it is mostly packed, just the last minute stuff and her rain jacket need to go into the pack. She will be flying to England with me out of the Greensboro airport, via Philidelphia on May 7.

The lovely Mrs_Bob has her hiking gear all packed away, with the exception of her hiking boots, which she still wears for recreational walking. She will we flying to London, direct flight from Chicago in about 2 weeks.

My gear is pretty much scattered about. When we go for trail hikes in the area it is my pack that is carried with water and sometimes a packed lunch. I need to gather things up and pack them.

All our packs will be stowed inside suitcases with our hiking poles. The TSA frowns upon passengers carrying metal poles with sharp carbide points onto airplanes. Some agents allow it, some do not. So the only safe way to get expensive poles reliably to & from your destination is to pack them in luggage and check them through.

--------------- ++++++++ ---------------​

Well the government is clearly here to help us so I went to the TSA website to try to get an answer to the question. I figured the TSA should be the final arbitor of this, right?

Here is what I found:

On the page of PROHIBITED items . . . http://www.tsa.gov/traveler-information/prohibited-items
Item Carry-on? Checked?
Baseball Bats NO OK
Bows and Arrows NO OK
Cricket Bats NO OK
Golf Clubs NO OK
Hockey Sticks NO OK
Lacrosse Sticks NO OK
Pool Cues NO OK
Skates (including ice skates and rollerblades) OK OK
Ski/trekking Poles NO OK
Spear Guns NO OK
For more information, please read our Traveling with Special Items section.

Then on another page with a graphic I found . . . http://blog.tsa.gov/2013/03/tsa-prohibited-items-list-changing_5.html ~~~but a disclaimer on the same page says the implementation th rules allowing the items pictured has been delayed~~~ Photo from TSA at bottom of this post


The most current PDF download of the TSA Prohibited Items brochure currently shows, on page 2, that Ski Poles are approved for CHECKED baggage but NOT for CARRY ON into the cabin. Now if the TSA was logical they would either remove the graphic that I found on their website, or they would, in large red letters, or some other significant way, indicate that the graphic is NOT accurate. But logic may be too much to ask of a government agency.

LINK => http://www.tsa.gov/sites/default/files/assets/prohibiteditems_brochure.pdf

 

[Melensdad]

GEAR REVIEW: BUCK Picnic Knife Set:

Just a bit of a follow up on the BUCK knife that I bought. It comes in a plastic sheath with a fork/bottle/can opener thingy. Never used that fork thingy. And the plastic sheath is bulky and hard to get unlocked.

But the knife is awesome!

We used it recently on our hike up Pilot Mountain, NC. We liked it so much it is now in the kitchen and is one of our favorite knives.

The blade is incredibly sharp, and the serrations allow it to go through soft crusted bread, tomatoes and other delicate/hard to cut foods just as easily as it cuts through dried salami. Plus the shape of the blade does effective double duty for spreading peanut butter or liverwurst with easy. The handle is large and not toy like on so many picnic type knives, it gives plenty of leverage when needed. This impulse buy turned into a year round favorite kitchen tool too.

 

[Melensdad]

I haven't been doing a lot of gear reviews because I have not been buying much lately. But I thought I would touch on "technical fleece" layers. I have several of these, each different. Earlier in this thread there is a write up about a First Ascent technical fleece, which I like. This one is about an ICEBREAKER brand. I've also got Arc'terryx and Mammut. Each is very different.

ICEBREAKER Merino Wool Technical Fleece

This is a 260 weight Merino Wool blend fleece. It has a wool outer layer and a synthetic inner layer so it is very very comfortable, even against your skin. Merino Wool is typically advertised by the "weight" with 150 weight Merino about the equivalent thickness of a cotton undershirt. 200 weight being considered a medium weight. 250 weight and above being considered a heavy shirt or light sweater weight. So at 260 weight Merino this would be considered a heavy shirt/light sweater.

This, like most 'technical' style fleece layers, is designed to be worn over a baselayer (undershirt) and/or under a shell/insulating layer. In milder weather the fleece easily works as an outer layer garment.

Most technical fleeces, therefore, fit fairly close to the body and typically don't hang loosely.

This has 2 interior pockets on the lower abdomen, 2 exterior pockets (handwarmer) on the lower abdomen, and 1 upper chest pocket. The chest pocket has side access so it works even when wearing a backpack. The interior of the chest pocket also has a cord-pass-through for your iPod so you can run the earbud cord up inside your fleece.

All of the zippers have cloth pockets that overhang the top edge. That is a really nice feature on the main zipper for under your neck, and that makes it much more comfortable when fully zipped, but I'm not sure it really does anything special on any of the 3 pocket zippers. The bottom side of each zipper pull is serrated for a positive grip, but the top side is embossed with the brand logo and sort of slick. The serrations are a nice touch, but I prefer pull extentions made of cord with a plastic tab, easier to use with a glove than just trying to grab the zipper pull. Although when not used with gloves its just a moot point.

The collar is NOT merino wool but is rather the synthetic fleece, and the red part feels like it is 3 layers thick, just below the red part of the collar is a double think area of merino that runs around the collar. A nice touch when its cold.

There are 2 hang tabs for drying it out. One inside the collar and one on the bottom seam. This is great for in-the-field drying from a tree, etc.

 

[Melensdad]

The journey begins.

The lovely Mrs Bob is now in London with my sister. Melen and I will be there in 2 weeks after Melen's finals are complete and I load her dorm room stuff into a storage locker.

 

[Melensdad]

On the bright side, I don't think Hadrian's Wall runs through wooded/forest land.

 

[EastTexFrank]

You may pass a tree or two but no forests that can remember.

That sign reminds me of the winter survival course I took about a thousand years ago in the Scottish Highlands. The point that was hammered home was that if you got lost or the weather closed in, STAY PUT. Don't go blindly wandering around as nothing good will happen.

I'm really looking forward to your reports and pictures from your trek.