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Hiked the incomplete McGill Creek section this morning. 2.4 mi in, then again back out. There's no map of it at the CT's .org website, but once you find the start of the trail through the overgrowth, it's well-blazed, and despite probably not getting much traffic, only a little of it is starting to get overgrown. I set 2 personal bests - average hiking speed just over 3 mph (based on the unofficial distance), and "most spider webs walked into." Yes, I flipped my poles in front of me regularly, b…

Ha ha, I had to do a double take when you mentioned cold beer and ribs. I thought, "London? Cold beer? Ribs? London England?" and then I saw you wrote "East London, South Africa". The movie Everest was showing on FXM tonight. That movie, and more so, Into Thin Air by Krakauer, always remind me why the highest mountain isn't a desirable goal (for me). But in watching the movie, I did look for fanny packs. I didn't see any.

Quote from jimmyjam: “All I have is an ocean kayak and a canoe. The canoe is my favorite. ” I know it's a real thing, but "ocean kayak" sort of sounds like it's in the same category as "Everest summit fanny pack"

Quote from Traffic Jam: “2). Finances. Hammocking seems very expensive...bottom quilts, top quilts, pad, tarp, straps and hardware. I don’t trust my silly DIY stuff for keeping me warm and estimate $1000 for a good set-up. ” I agree, to an extent ... namely, I bristle at the notion that one must spend a lot on hammocking to even find out if it's for you. One might spend $125 on a basic hammock setup (netted hammock, tree straps, tarp - repurpose sleeping bag and pad for hammock) and if you don't…

Quote from IMScotty: “Personally I think a hammock provides the best of all worlds. Above the ground I never worry about flooding. On nice nights I hang open air, on rainy nights the tarp gives me good protection. My Warbonnet Blackbird comes with an integrated bug net for when I need that. Did you try hammocking and decided it was not for you? Perhaps it was the hammock? I love my Blackbird, some people prefer bridge hammocks. Might be worth borrowing a Blackbird for a night and see how it goes…

I think much depends upon where you pitch. If it's hard packed, you're going to have more risk of surface water running under your tarp. If you can pitch on softer forest duff, and have good tarp coverage, much less risk. Does your bug bivy have a bathtub floor of any sort? Seems to me there's a reason people look for bathtub floors in ground shelters, and it's not just for splash. Personally, I'd save the experimenting for another trip, and focus on finishing the BMT - you already had to postpo…

Wanted to report on the warmth of this quilt design, which was, as noted, found on hammockforums dot net. Preface: I'm a cold sleeper ... meaning, I get cold at night easily. Very easily. I took this quilt as my only top insulation (save for clothing) at a backcountry site here in TN about a week ago. At the time there was a brief respite from the punishing heat - we had 80F high and 60F low at around 2000 ft elevation. I was in a hammock with bug net and CCF pad as insulation below. Temp was pr…

Below zero or below freezing? 32 degrees would be a huge rise in temperature from an overnight low if it was still morning. In any case, your point stands. I like Snugpak stuff pretty well, but it's not aimed at the UL set.

Oh fluffy and warm down topquilt, is there any lousy day you can't make better? appalachiantrailcafe.net/index.php/Attachment/10581/ Many thanks to Traffic Jam! I want to pay her back, just need to figure out what sort of financial spreadsheet she likes best. With friends like TJ, who needs alteration shops that have no guts to try this sort of thing?

Phil Spector, is that you?

Quote from Astro: “Just go old school like Myron Avery. ” I have seen other images showing the CT being measured in the same way (smaller wheel). I have no idea if the Obed section is really 14.1 or not, but I do think it would be very hard to measure it with such a device, as the last mile of southern end consists almost entirely of loose, moss-covered rock steps that you use to ascend and descend. How can a rolling wheel be accurate over those? (and there may be much more of that, we didn't ge…

It was warm, not hot, but very humid; I really overheated. I may need to experiment with no hat - I'm used to protecting my scalp by covering up, but I think it may be contributing toward cooking my brain when backpacking in those conditions. I can't cool off - sweating buckets. Maybe I could go to a cotton bandana, or just put some SPF 50 on there every 2 hrs. Or a combo - go Willie Nelson style bandana, keep the sweat out of my eyes, yet the top part free to evaporate sweat and cool that way. …

BP and I did Eagle Bluff section yesterday. Equal parts rewarding and challenging. In warm weather (it was 80s yesterday) you may need more than 2L of water - I sure did, thanks to the elev gain and lack of breeze. There aren't that many spots to get water either. It's 11.7 mi long; waterfall at MM 2.7 (picture # 2218) and then nothing filterable until MM 8.8, a stream that was barely a trickle (and is reputed to often disappear in summertime). It's quite overgrown in several long stretches. Whe…

It was good to see Bo Peep again for a CT hike; she's not as slow as she thinks she is. I had done this section (Soddy Gorge South) twice before, once in fall, once in winter. This was my first time out with leaves on the trees, and it definitely makes a difference! Felt like a totally different hike, which scratches my itch for novelty. I'm now at 126+ miles on the CT, with mostly long (shuttle and/or backpack) sections to go. Spotted some graffiti in a rockhouse. I usually find it upsetting/di…

I found this NOLS presentation by Tom Smith to be informative, persuasive, and worth your consideration. It's a bit Alaska-centric, but also addresses black bears ... it does not exclusively focus on grizzlies. It's long, but entertaining and interesting throughout. youtu.be/PExlT-5VU-Y tl;dv: He recommends spray (40:00) over bells (29:10) and firearms (37:45), and hiking with 1 or more partners. Would love to see an update of this; it dates to 2012. [Stephen Herrero is another serious researche…

Quote from Astro: “Quote from Time Zone: “Quote from Wise Old Owl: “Quote from Bo Peep: “ ” ” That's pretty interesting, Wise Old Owl. The difficulty of getting nylon stockings in wartime has been featured in a number of period shows, including a favorite of mine (recent only to me), Foyle's War. I heartily recommend it. ” TimeZone,I watched like the first 9 seasons of Foyle's War when it was on Netflix. Supposedly there are another four seasons. If you now anywhere they are available, please le…

Quote from Bo Peep: “The color is burgundy, not pink. ” The color looks a bit different in the photos compared to in-person. Perhaps the flash over-exposed it, making it more pink? [official color = ruby]. In one of them (the one with the pattern laying on the uncut throw), it actually looks orange.

Quote from Wise Old Owl: “Quote from Bo Peep: “Thanks for those links JJ. I used a French seam that was explained on the Thru-Hiker site. ” I am so FULL of USELESS info - My Grandfather who was stationed in France WW1 (1918) noticed a war shortage of nylons among st the french women. They used to take a fine mascara and paint a french seam on their legs to make the men pay attention to them. He figured out a way to get the nylons from England to France hiddin in letters. Here is the rest of the …

My quick 2 cents on bivies: Advice on them should be climate-specific, because what works out west may not work as well in the east. Condensation and bug protection are the big problems. Condensation is mitigated by: - a humidity gradient - dry air outside the bivy. Not common in the southeast overnight. - a breeze - sometimes available, though on average, winds die down at night - breathable top to bivy, esp. mesh - but then you'll need a tarp for rain protection, and your setup isn't much diff…

Quote from Bo Peep: “Quote from Time Zone: “... ” Welcome! So glad you decided to join us, TZ! Regarding blazing (or lack of)... when hiking solo, I am usually very vigilant about my surroundings and hyper-sensitive about getting lost. I love to hike solo, but there are times when it makes me anxious. It was difficult to enjoy some of the BMT sections due to what I believed was poor blazing. Hiking with a trusted partner allows one to relax and not worry as much. Because I feel more secure in sk…