Long Distance Hiking

Here's a nice article on long distance hiking offering numbers on most successful ways to treat water, boots, tents, and average miles per day.

http://hikinghq.net/book_long_distance.html

Nice post rick, very informaive, might pick the book up for a read. Although the groups I hike with call anything over 20 miles a trek and we don't trails. The info was real good though. One question though, he said they herdly slept in tents or shelters and went to hotels or hostiles, wonder why.

The trail is pretty crowded and there are a few shelters along the trail but they fill up quickly. The hostels and hotels (these aren't Hiltons by any stretch) are right near the trail and they're aren't that many shelters. You have to start early in the year to make the full trek, which means spring rains.

Here's a picture of a newly built shelter.

http://www.virginiaplaces.org/parkto...ingshelter.jpg

I found a hiking estimator to go with this thread. It will tell you how long a hike will take based on distance, elevation and speed.

http://hikenh.netfirms.com/HikeTime.htm

Neat shelter, did they run out of boards?

No. They were just bored with the boards.

Well, I saw an opening there so I had to comment :D

That shelter is not camping.

Agreed. But the Appalachian Trail is trekking.:D It just offers a place to get out of the rain and keeps you from sleeping on the ground. Since you're on the ground....oh....for 3 or so months, anything is better.

It may be trekking, buuuuuuuuuut why use that if I got my diamond shelter?

After a month or so of setting up a tent or tarp, it's just nice to crash out and not have to drag out your gear.

Very True.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beowulf65

It may be trekking, buuuuuuuuuut why use that if I got my diamond shelter?

---

hey Beowulf do you ever sleep in hammocks? I like them easy on the back,and dry.

In the last month everything between me and the coffee pot is a trek. And getting from my bed to my desk is a long haul.

If it were not for the grand brats I would not get my daily exercise.

Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Beowulf65

It may be trekking, buuuuuuuuuut why use that if I got my diamond shelter?

---

I have been thinking of getting one of those.. (or making one). What are the downfalls of them? Your comments please?? :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rick

Agreed. But the Appalachian Trail is trekking.:D It just offers a place to get out of the rain and keeps you from sleeping on the ground. Since you're on the ground....oh....for 3 or so months, anything is better.

---

Going to try the Pacific Crest Trail... at least part of it.. this summer if I can get away from here... Does that count? :D

rick; that's when i usualy just burrito myself up in my rain fly and hope i don't wake up wet.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ridge Wolf

Going to try the Pacific Crest Trail... at least part of it.. this summer if I can get away from here... Does that count? :D

---

Since it covers over 2,600 miles I'm guessing that....yeah it qualifies. How much are you going to do?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crashdive123

Since it covers over 2,600 miles I'm guessing that....yeah it qualifies. How much are you going to do?

---

Just local here in the Pacific Northwest.. Probably some of Oregon and/or Washington.. Never been on that trail.. and I live here. so this summer I am making plans.

Good luck with that. and have fun. We expect pictures when you get back.

I love my diamond shelter, to me its more comfy than a hammock, I have used a hammock quite a bit but now I prefer the diamond shelter. I made mine from a painters canvas, 8x8 and painted it with deck stain (oil based and let dry for about three days in the shade, run a smooth stone over it and it becomes real plyable and is very water resistant (there is no such thing as waterproof in my opinion) I've never had a water problem in three years.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by crashdive123

Good luck with that. and have fun. We expect pictures when you get back.

---

funny you should mention that... I have been toying with a website idea lately and have a digital camera. So that is the perfect opportunity to illustrate and write about outdoor survival techniques.... I'm workin' on it.. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Beowulf65

I love my diamond shelter, to me its more comfy than a hammock, I have used a hammock quite a bit but now I prefer the diamond shelter. I made mine from a painters canvas, 8x8 and painted it with deck stain (oil based and let dry for about three days in the shade, run a smooth stone over it and it becomes real plyable and is very water resistant (there is no such thing as waterproof in my opinion) I've never had a water problem in three years.

---

Do you have a ground (footprint) sheet? I have the idea to make the cover to 10 X 10 or 12 X 12 and then a separate ground sheet.. all with aligned grommets for the two of them and peg down on three sides... I am thinking that you need to make the ground sheet smaller to conform with the top sheet in a raised (say 3 to 4 ft) peak on one corner and lower in center obviously.. so the ground sheet and top match at the grommets.

This is probably off subject for this thread.. but convenient.

My ground cloth is seperate, only 6x6 that I lay on, use a wool blanket in the winter and nothing in the summer. Here's an example of mine, one piece and the ground cloth is seperate.
http://img403.imageshack.us/img403/2...youtlc9.th.pngor this is more like mine.http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/3...ond2lq1.th.png

Ridge - I use the same design but bought mine. It has grommets around the perimeter and cloth sewn to the center for support. I bought mine from campmore:

https://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/s...Not3TQWg%3D%3D

I just use a sleeping bag insert instead of a ground cover.

http://www.wizzywigweb.com/longshot/...mond_photo.jpg

You can see the raised portion in the middle. You can either use a pole inside to raise the top or, like mine, use the built in ties to run a line thru it and to another pole at the rear of the tent.

Here's another method using a ridge pole:

http://www.womenofthefurtrade.com/images/0e573160.jpg

Thanks guys... I will soon contact a tent maker to see how much the canvas is and/or what he can do with it... if I decide to have it made.. if not, then I'll do it myself. But if I can find the right item already made and it has a reasonable price.. I may just go ahead and buy it ready made. Still up in the air on it at this point.. It is to be carried in on a backpack so needs to be light enough for that. The pack is already getting a little heavy with the other stuff... may need to lighten that up a little too. :D

Ridge - Either get one with grommets or tie downs as you can see in the last pic above. If you carry a poncho, you can tie it to one side as a wind block if the wind shifts on you, it gets cold or it's raining. Set your fire off center to one side then you can close the other side with your poncho and stay pretty warm.

If you have it made, you can even have flaps built so you can drop either side.

Here's another thread on tarps:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ht=canvas+tarp

Another:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ht=canvas+tarp

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Rick

Ridge - Either get one with grommets or tie downs as you can see in the last pic above. If you carry a poncho, you can tie it to one side as a wind block if the wind shifts on you, it gets cold or it's raining. Set your fire off center to one side then you can close the other side with your poncho and stay pretty warm.

If you have it made, you can even have flaps built so you can drop either side.

Here's another thread on tarps:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ht=canvas+tarp

Another:

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ht=canvas+tarp

---

yeah... I saw those.. thanks. :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ridge Wolf

Going to try the Pacific Crest Trail... at least part of it.. this summer if I can get away from here... Does that count? :D

---

Ridge Wolf I am hoping to try parts of the PCT this summer too... it counts. Looking to hear from anyone who has hiked the Nor Cal, Oregon and/or Washington sections.

Ray Jardine has written some of the most insightful, helpful stuff on long-distance hiking and going light. "The Pacific Crest Trail Hiker's Handbook" is full of great, novel ideas that seem a bit weird at first but really make sense once you think about it.

I highly recommend these two books for advanced backpacking skills:

The Advanced Backpacker: A handbook of year round, long-distance hiking.
By Chris Townsend http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Backp...4384029&sr=1-3

The Backpackers Field Manual, A comprehensive guide to mastering backcountry skills (2nd edition) By Rick Curtis
http://www.amazon.com/Backpackers-Fi...ref=pd_sim_b_1

Thank you very much.

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