One of my co-workers is quitting at the end of next week. She's about the only person on this side of the building within ten years of my age, so that's a bit of a bummer. Until I asked her why. She's outdoors minded (search and rescue certified, many excursions, etc.) and is going to hike the entirety of the Pacific Crest Trail. The reasoning is that one of her neighbors recently died, and it had an impact on doing this now rather than later. It's a strong decision. This morning the birds were singing in the thrush across the street, the sun was somewhat out, and tonight is my mid-week run (grouped runs from Tuesday through Thursday). This spring and summer will be spent outdoors at the least, I've been thinking a lot about the nature of the work and the nature of nature. This year, I think, is a training run for bigger things in more ways than just running. We do what we can, while we can.
I met someone at a MeetUp that wants to do the PCT. I hope she goes for it. She's in her late 20s and said if she isn't married or having kids by next year, she's going to pack up and go do it. The philosophy I use is I'd rather try and fail than not try at all. As long as I think it can be attempted safely, it's worth a try. It's really helped me do more outdoors things that might have otherwise intimidated me. I've failed along the way, but trying again was eventually successful.
That's the exact same philosophy my co-worker has (maybe it's an engineering thing...). Planning on buying a tent and a pack in the next month or so. Definitely by the end of April, at the latest. The tent I'm really gunning for is currently out of stock.
What are you looking at? I'm not an expert but enjoy looking at gear. I like my bigger bag but will probably pick up a new smaller daypack.
Tent: Six Moon Lunar Solo. Holy shit that's a lot of tent for how light it is. Too bad I can't order it for another month. Pack: I'm going to get fitted for one in the next couple of weeks and take it from there, but the obvious choices seem to be Osprey, Gregory, or Salomon. Somewhere on the order of 45L - 55L is what I'm looking for. Just bought another pair of running shoes (same pair I currently have, because I love them), and need a new pair of hiking boots. Or rather, will by mid-season less I want more knee problems.
24 oz for a tent! That's awesome! I have the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1, one of the lightest tents, and it's a full ten ounces heavier! That's significant. I have an Osprey Atmos 50AG, and it's awesome. I carried it up and over Algonquin, on to Iroquois and down to Lake Colden one day. I learned: set up camp somewhere lower and do day trips to summits. I also learned that even at the point of total exhaustion, this bag didn't hurt my shoulders or back. Like you said, Osprey is an obvious choice (I followed the crowds), but they're one of the obvious ones for good reasons. Do you do any trail running? I haven't but have been thinking about trying it this summer. I think it might be a good middle ground between street running and hiking. What are your thoughts on sleeping pads? I have one, and it's comfortable enough, but it seems really bulky.
I'm making a very poor decision and running the Soaring Eagle 10k in preparation for a half-marathon I am running. It will be the second trail race I've done, every Saturday I do a 5k that's half trail, half paved. A full on trail race is a bit different of a beast, especially out here where 500-600 ft of elevation gain is a "light" trail run. Sleeping pads I like! It's good to have a firm, even base to sleep on instead of having a sleeping bag conforming to whatever kind of ground you may be on, and it also acts as insulation between your sleeping bag and the ground, as AnSionnachRua mentioned. It's good for my mental and physical health on weekend trips.
This gear talk makes me really want to go on a long walk. On sleepy pads, don't you think they're essentially for blocking out the cold coming up from the ground?
Good point! They make up for the sleeping bag getting flattened under body weight. I think the comfort aspect is important, too, as good rest can make a hike more enjoyable and more productive.
I know a guy who did the PCT too - he came back skinny like hell after it. His next adventure, he want to camp out in the north and he's still undecided between somewhere in Siberia or North of Quebec. (I told him he has better chances of making it out alive in Quebec in case of some sort of emergency, but I think he's too seduced by the romantic aspect of Siberia...) Been trying to get him for an interview for my travel stories series i'm just getting into, but he's a busy guy.
Fair play to her! I've met some people who've done the PCT (though more who've walked the Appalachian) and it sounds utterly amazing. I'm very jealous you have such a trail in your country; in Ireland there's no trail that would take more than a few days to walk.