Q & A Session with David Vogel - aka PedXing

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What is the best ________?

There is a lot of great gear out there.  I don’t think there is any single piece of gear that is the very best choice for everyone.  The goal is to find out what suits and fits you best.

What should I bring?

Once you have taken care of safety – all of your decisions are about comfort and personal taste. What is worth the weight for you? A lot of my learning is finding out what makes me happiest when I am on the trail.

You will find lots of lists of the “ten essentials” they aren’t all the same, but they will give you a good idea of what you need for safety.  I’d say you will need food (always carry some extra), clothing, boots, a map and compass, a light source (a lightweight head lamp is great), a fire starter, a first aid kit, safe drinking water (so containers and water treatment) and shelter. Sun protection, insect repellent, repair materials (even if only some duct tape wrapped around a bottle), rope (e.g. for hanging your food), and a knife or multi tool (I like the ones like the Leatherman Squirt that have mini pliers that can function as tweezers).



So it is essential to have a good back pack (frame necessary?,
waterproof?)

A good backpack helps a lot.  You will be carrying a fair amount of weight and it will be important for your body that the weight is well controlled.   I wouldn’t worry about water-proof – and with zippers and seams even a bag with water proof material will let in some water.  Also, liquids inside your pack can leak into the pack.  The key, then, is to have everything you want to keep dry in plastic bags.  Grocery bags are fine for most things, zip-lock bags for key things like matches.  Some people put a tough trash bag or contractor’s debris bag inside the pack.
The main things you get when you increase the price of a pack are lighter weight materials and convenient extras (“bells and whistles”).  Neither is essential, but I put more value on light weight. If you are new to trips of a week or more, I wouldn’t invest a lot of money in a bag unless money is really no object. If you keep backpacking, your ideas about how you want to backpack will change and chances are slim that you will feel you made the right pick off the bat.  It helps to try on a back pack first – I’d suggest going to a place with good prices and service (Like Campmor in New Jersey or Hilton’s Tent City in Boston – there are lots of others in other places.)  You might try going to an online backpacking board and asking what are great places that are convenient to you – or get to a place like EMS or REI when they have a very good sale.  Load up a few different bags and walk around in them and see how they feel. If staff at a store spend a lot of time with you and show you the bag you want to buy, please buy from them – its really not fair to use their services and then order on line.

Alternate plan if you are far from a good store: order from some place that has a liberal return policy and be sure to follow their rules so they can’t stick you with gear you don’t want.

You mentioned hiking poles. Are these important? Would ski poles work?

I find them very helpful.    Lots of people go without poles and do fine. If you have any knee problems at all, I’d strongly recommend them.  If not, they are something I might cut out if you have budget problems.  You might try ski-poles if the plastic thing at the bottom is removable (the thing that keeps the pole from going straight through the snow).  If you really need some kind of pole for some short term purpose (like balancing on rocks to cross a stream) you should be able to find a branch somewhere.

Here is a list of pros and cons I made after hiking with and without poles while hiking the New Hampshire AT (Grafton Notch to Norwich):

Cons:

* Extra weight
* One more thing to look after
*The poles get in the way when you need to use your hands a lot to get around (I was glad not to have them for Mahoosuc notch, and they got in the way while going for the summit of Mt. Adams).
Cost

Pros:
* Legs stay fresh much longer as the arms and chest take some of the work, impact and weight.
* Great for balance in: rock hopping and stream crossing.
* Help in maneuvering around muddy and wet spots in the trail.
* On rugged downhills, they ease things for the knees and ankles by taking much of the impact.
* Keeps the upper body involved, so it gets a work out, too.
* Can Help in keeping up a good rhythm/pace.
* Can go faster on down hills and rugged areas, since they can help in balancing and stopping.
* Useful for other purposes: Hanging things, setting up a tarp, tent or a hammock when used as a bivy, can be used as a splint in emergency, or to replace tent poles.
* Can go with lighter boot or shoes, as the support is not as needed as much as the poles do work and take impact.
* Some use in self-defense, esp from dogs.
* Can use to break up spider webs or shake a water laden tree or bush that overhangs a trail (so you don’t get wet).

You traveled without a stove which is what we were hoping to do, is
this difficult?

It’s a lot less work (laziness and weight were my main reasons for preferring it that way, but it also means fewer things to buy if you don’t already own a stove and a fuel bottle).  Some people need to have something hot in the morning and at night and miss that terribly if they don’t bring a stove.  If you bring an aluminum mug, you have the option of heating up some water over a camp fire. One key question to ask yourself, “are there foods I’ll be happy eating for two weeks that don’t require cooking?”   Nuts, dried fruit, hard sausages (especially dry salami), trail bars, breads that don’t have too much fluff in them (e.g. not the Wonder bread stuff), and cheeses are great.  I have fun at an Italian food store nearby asking the owner for advice and samples for cheese and sausages that will hold up to weeks on the trail.

Over the years, I’ve moved more and more to various trail mixes (Trader Joes has a great selection) and less and less on the dry salamis.



If we don't have a stove we will need to find our own safe water
sources, is there a clear system for this? How much water should we carry on ourselves at the beginning of the day/at any given time?

My solution is the Katadyn Hiker (actually a Pur Hiker made before Katadyn bought the Hiker line)  – a pump filter.  There are some slightly cheaper alternatives for filters.  Iodine tablets like potable aqua will kill the bad stuff, but leaves the water tasting off. You can flavor the water or use tablets that help remove the iodine taste (Vitamin C will also work).  Micro pure has more expensive chemicals that supposedly don’t alter the taste.  I like using the pump filter because it cleans up the water a little and because I can drink right away and cold water is still cold.  I still carry some iodine as back up and for first aid purposes (i.e. to make a sterile iodine solution.

Most people think I’m strange to carry the weight of a filter, but not carry a stove.  Most people will drop the filter before they drop the stove as they try to cut back on weight and simplify their hike.

Do you think we should have a tent?

Yes - or at least some kind of emergency shelter.


You brought a hammock which seemed very handy, do you recommend this?


I love my hammock (an ultra-light Hennessey). It’s under two pounds.  The tarp and the side tie strings give a lot of options for configuring the set up – so I can balance air circulation with weather protection in whatever way I want. I can also run cord under the Hammock and tarp to dry things out overnight without the risk that they would get rained on. With a little practice it got easier to set things up so I could lie comfortably and not get into that hammock “banana” shape. I felt looser getting up out of the Hammock in the morning than getting out of my own bed. 

I had a real life test on the New Hampshire AT of using the Hammock as a bivy and it worked fine.  But it still did OK through substantial wind.

Or would it be wiser for first time hikers to go from shelter to shelter? How much do shelters cost/do you need to book your planned arrival in advance (this doesn't seem like it would quite work)?


I’d suggest trying to stay at shelters, but having some back up shelter that you carry with you. That way if something delays you, you don’t have to face the choice of hiking at night and trying not to lose the trail vs. stopping for the night with no shelter.  It will definitely take the anxiety out of worrying if you missed the shelter.  Also, if the bugs are bad – you may prefer a bug screened tent to a shelter.  Also, you may prefer a few nights away from the shelter. For the two of you, get a two or three person tent.  Some supposed two person tents may be too crowded for you.

What did you bring?

In ’05 I stuck with the gear list from an earlier trip, annotated in the following link (except that I wore light weight boots and did not bring the cold weather items):

http://forums.alpinezone.com/408-gear-list-notes-new-hampshire-traverse.html

It was mostly the same in ’07, except that I went back to trail runners. 

How did you keep weight down but still stay relatively comfortable?

The key is to do some backpacking in advance and know how you like to backpack.  Every ounce you carry should suit your purposes.  For example, I found I didn't like chemically treating my water and much preferred a filter pump, although most weight conscious people prefer chemical treatment.  On the other hand, the work and the weight related to cooking and cleaning up were not worth the pleasure of having hot food so I skipped the stove.

One of the under-rated keys to going light is food, another is water.   Don't carry food that offers less than 100 calories/ounce and try to get much higher.  A high fat diet is OK for a backpacking trip, especially if you are burning more calories than you take in.  A variety of nuts and extra virgin olive oil are great healthful high fat, high calorie foods.  Olive oil adds great flavor.  If you cook, dried tortellini is a great meal to use olive oil with.

For water, be aware of how much you need to get to your next sure source of water and add in a margin of safety.   A lot of people carry a few pounds more than they need.

Any gear secrets? Not really.

Light weight aluminum mugs from Market Basket or Wal-Mart are great weight efficient solo cook pots.  Plastic mesh bags for holding onions make good light weight pot scrubbers.

Any packing mistakes that you regret?

On earlier trips, I carried too many extra things.

What degree sleeping bag worked best?

For July and August, I'd aim for 35 - 40 degrees and carry a cheap sleeping bag liner.  For June and September, you might want to 30 to 35.  On surprisingly cold nights you can close up the bag and put on all your clothes (a knit cap will definitely help).  I much prefer a bag with a full zipper.  It adds a couple ounces extra, but at night I can fall asleep in the liner, with the bag beside me.  When it cools, a full zip bag can be used as a blanket.  If it cools further, I can slowly zip myself in.



and hiking boots (any recommendations?)

The fit is way more important than the brand (as long as it isn’t crap) – I’d be happy to give you an opinion on any specific brand.  If your ankles are strong and you are in good shape you could probably get away with trail running shoes.  It’s a safer bet to go with light weight mid-length boots that offer ankle support.  I think your best bet is to go to a place that will fit you and that knows about backpacking.  An alternative is to go to an outlet store that lets you try things on.  The key things I’d look for would be ankle support, traction, comfortable fit and light weight.

One issue is whether to get water proof boots.  Some don’t bother, because feet sweat and sometimes you step in water that is higher than your boots and the more water resistant boots are, the slower they are to dry out.  The Long Trail is often muddy and wet – if you want to try to keep your feet dry, go with water proof water proof.  Upside: you are more likely to succeed at keeping your feet dry with waterproof boots.  Downsides: if they get wet, waterproof boots will stay that way longer, also even waterproof breathable fabrics don’t breathe as well as non-waterproof – with waterproof materials, you are more likely to have your socks get wet from sweat. 


What sort of clothing should we have?  Under Armor/synthetic
materials...but what about sleep wear, underwear, socks...because you
don't really change do you?

Synthetics, wool, even silk – almost anything but cotton is OK. Cotton will not keep you warm when wet and takes forever to dry.  A good synthetic shirt will dry off fairly quickly while you wear it.  Body heat is surprisingly effective at drying off most non-cotton fabrics.

It helps morale and protects your sleeping bag if you try to keep something to change into to sleep in.  It helps to have something dry to put on before going to bed.  If your sleep clothes are wet, you can wear them for a while before going to sleep and your body heat will help dry them.  It can also help to have a sleeping bag liner (a cheap synthetic will do fine).

I try to rinse out my clothes often – especially on a hot day.  It doesn’t hurt to get myself a rinse, too.  Then I can wear the clothes dry – it can feel pretty good on a hot day.

How many sets of clothes should we bring?

It helps to have 3 layers of clothes: a wicking layer, an insulating layer, and a wind/water proof layer.  I don’t use water proof stuff much in the warm months because when I’m walking with a backpack, I sweat and if I have a water proof jacket on I sweat more and I’d rather get rained on that be sweat soaked.  A water proof jacket will help a lot.  A water proof breathable jacket with pit zips (zippers at the arm pits) is ideal.  Marmot Precips are great, but there are lots of imitator/competitors that you may get a better price on.

I’d have back-ups for the wicking and insulating layers, and maybe a set of long tops and bottoms just to sleep in.  A third or even fourth set of socks can help.  With three, I try to have it so I am wearing one, working on drying out a second, while I have a clean and dry pair in reserve).

On warm days you can wash clothes in a stream (I just rinse them out and don’t use soap so as not to pollute the stream), put them on and walk them dry.

You will most likely be wearing shorts and a short sleeved shirt most of the time you are moving.  Even on a cool day, walking with a pack generates lots of heat.  I’ve been hot with short sleeves and long pants in 20 degree weather.


You mentioned wearing 3 pairs of socks...warm, thin, thick, do you need
bigger boots for this?

3 pairs of socks turned out to be over-doing it for me with delicate grafted skin.  A thick backpacking sock and a thin liner sock is the traditional way to go with boots and should work fine. I suggest using the socks that you plan to hike with when you try on boots.

With trail running shoes, go for good light weight non-cotton socks.  I stuck with trail runners for my second E2E trip and wore wool blend socks that stopped below the ankle for most of the trip.

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TRAIL QUESTIONS

What was the overall cost of doing the hike for you (not including
pre-supplies like clothing or a backpack, but pretty much everything
else)?

I think I spent about 330 dollars on the trail for my ’05 trip. About 85 was for “splurges” – a night at the Long Trail Inn and two restaurant meals.  About 85 was to buy some replacement gear on the trail.  And then there was about 8 - 10 dollars a day for supplies (mostly food). I already had the gear I needed.  I also bought a bus ticket to get me to Vermont.

I spent a little less than that in ’07 – although I’m not counting a weekend off the trail when my wife came up to meet me at Appalachian Gap. 


How far do you think we could make it in 2 weeks?

If you start in the south, 10 miles a day should be easily doable.  I have known some very fit, mile hungry backpackers to more than double that on a daily basis.  I’m neither youthful, nor fast and I had some 20+ mile days each time – these were long days, however.

What sort of compass/directional skills are needed?

I don’t think I looked at my compass the whole trip.  It’s important, however, that you be able to know where you are on a map and figure out what direction you are heading in.

There are some sites with good info, such as http://www.learn-orienteering.org

What sort of wilderness food selection skills are needed?  You did eat
some wild food right?

I mostly stuck to berries I knew. It was fun, but nowhere near a significant source of calories.  Mostly wilderness food selection skills can make the trip more fun.  I think some basics can help in an emergency.

It probably helps to know the Universal Edibility Test – just as a life skill and confidence builder.  Chances of needing to use it on the LT are vanishingly small.  Here are two relevant links:

http://www.survivaliq.com/survival/survival-use-of-plants_s1.htm
http://www.wikihow.com/Test-if-a-Plant-Is-Edible


You also mailed food to yourself and I read about this in the Long
Trail Guide.  Is this a wise thing to do?

It helped.  It meant I could get re-supplied without having to hitch hike or walk into town.  There are only a few places on or very near the trail to do this.  Long Trail Inn, just North of Killington is one.  Jonesville PO is another.  Generally hitching is very safe around the trail and some towns like Manchester are exceedingly easy to get a ride to.


Is good gear really expensive?

To save money on gear, the best solution is to borrow from someone you trust.  On the web, watch http://www.steepandcheap.com
http://www.rei.com/outlet/index.html
http://www.sierratradingpost.com/
http://www.campmor.com

and watch the sales elsewhere.  Get yourself on an EMS mailing list, also.  If you live near an REI – find out when their next used gear sale is and get there early (before it starts) – you can find great deals on stuff returned for trivial reasons – but inspect things carefully – some damage is trivial to non-existent some stuff is useless.  You have to be a member, or have s member with you who will buy it.  I think you can join at the sale.  The lifetime membership was 15 dollars when I joined; it’s probably gone up a little since then.

What did you eat on the trail?

Sausages and cheese (esp. ones not needing refrigeration), nuts, trail mixes, breads and crackers, dried fruits.   I enjoyed an occasional trail bar or chocolate bar.  I had blueberries and other edible berries as I came across them.

Any mistakes on the trail that you regret?

I'd have loved to have taken more time....  If only I'd managed to beat my pay check addiction.  Also, one evening setting up the hammock under clear skies I was very lackadaisical about hanging my tarp – a thunderstorm soaked most of my things.  It took me a couple days to get things dry again.


1)      Did you hike it alone???  if so, did you feel safe???

I did most of it alone.   I felt safe.   You will likely run into other people very day.  In the North there were days when I only met one or two.   I think people with ill intentions are unlikely to be on the trail.   If you really want to feel safe, pepper spray (I think its legal on the LT) might be an option.  I never took any.

Going North to South might have a safety advantage.  Since the vast majority of people are going the opposite direction you will pass by more people (useful if you are injured and slowed down).  On the other hand, South to North increases your chances of meeting up with someone you might want to hike with.

2)      Do I need to worry about bears???

No.  It never hurts to take proper precautions.    Hang your food or bring a bear canister and don’t go to your sleeping space smelling of food or anything that will entice a bear.   I don’t believe there have been any bear attacks on the Long Trail.  I heard of no bear problems there at all.

Don’t sleep in the clothes you eat in.

3)      What would you do differently???

I’d take a little more time if I could get enough time off and venture into a few towns more.   I’m thinking of going again and if I do, I will reverse direction to make it different.

Note:  After this answer, I did hike the LT a second time in the reverse direction.  Unfortunately I had to do it in even less time.  I’m still looking forward to having a month to do the LT some year – although if I ever get a month, I may give into the temptation to go further.

4)      What problems did you encounter, if any???

Other than rain and wet trails that seemed like streams, not much.   I  had trouble with swelling in one leg near the end of E2E #1, but that was due to an injury unrelated to hiking and to my mis-management of it (wearing too many things that restricted circulation)

5)      Any suggestions/ideas???

Hiking poles help for stream crossings, balance, wear and tear on knees – and probably for self defense if needed.

Lighten up your load.   The less weight you carry the better.   Unless you love it, don’t carry any food that provides less than 100 calories/ounce.   Fat is your friend on the trail – don’t carry too many extras of anything.   Since hubby is meeting up with you have a chance to buy new things, hit a Laundromat, switch out supplies etc.

Wicking synthetic clothes are the best.    Avoid cotton.  Wool and silk are great also.    Use any preparatory hikes to weed out what you don’t need.


Should I start at Massachusetts or In Canada?

The North is generally more remote.   The trail is rougher, town access is more difficult and there are fewer people on the trail.  The roads you cross will be less traveled.   The guide books are written for people heading north, and on the whole, the trail is marked better for people going North.  If you are nervous about your preparation for a hike that will last several weeks or more, it’s probably best to start in the South.

The advantages of starting in the south are: 1) there are more people in the first 100 miles and more people are going your way, so you feel more connected to other people, 2) it is easier to get into town and to get re-supplied, check out your gear or get gear or advice from an outfitter, 3) you get to build up your strength for more rugged terrain and longer stretches without re-supply,  4) there are lots of great places to stop and swim if you are easing your way on to the trail.

Advantages for starting in North are:  1)   You feel more alone and start with more of a wilderness experience, 2)  if you are starting off slow you are spending the time in a area that is fairly remote and fairly special, 3) even in the south where there are many more hikers, you are moving the opposite direction from others and don’t feel like you are moving with the herd, 4) if you are traveling solo and worry about not having any help if you start having difficulties you do have the advantage of running into more people (so you also get more info on the trail ahead).


Useful sites for planning:

http://www.viewsfromthetop.com/index-vftt.html
http://forums.backpacker.com/eve
http://www.rocksontop.com/phpbb2/
http://forums.alpinezone.com/
http://www.thebackpacker.com/ - has a trips page
http://www.trailforums.com/ - go to the  Long Trail forum
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=417
http://www.longtrailhiking.info/ new and looking good!