John and I are getting ready to embark on our first multi-night backpacking/camping trip! We are continuing our journey on the Appalachian Trail beginning at Three Forks and will trek to Neel Gap. Altogether, this will be about a 26 mile hike. While I am very excited to get back on the Appalachian Trail, I also have some concerns.
My first concern is the weather. Up to this point we have been blessed with good weather on our hiking and camping trips. However, the weather forecast for our trip dates is not looking too promising. There is a strong possibility we will have some thunderstorms during this outing. We will be sleeping in DIY hammocks with a Kelty Noah’s tarp for an overhead covering. I hope and pray that we will not have a strong storm blow through our campsite during the evening hours. If it does, then I hope our tarp will do its job and keep us dry. This could be the first time it gets put to the test.
As far as hiking during a thunderstorm goes, that worries me as well. Obviously I don’t want us to get hit by a lightning strike! That goes without saying. In addition to that worry, I’m also concerned about staying dry. As of the time I am writing this post we do not have any rain gear other than an emergency poncho. I talked with John about it since he has some prior experience hiking in the rain. His thoughts are that we’re going to get wet either way, either by rain or by sweat. We went for a walk around our neighborhood Monday and it was sunny when we left. However, just over a mile into our walk, the rain clouds came and we found ourselves caught in a downpour! I was wearing a pair of shorts I thought would be good to take on our hike. When we got home I decided I would test them. I hung them over the shower rack to let them dry overnight. The next morning they were still soaking wet! There goes that theory. John was wearing a pair of athletic shorts and those were dry. So now I’m trying to decide if I should buy a pair of athletic shorts, too. I’m also trying to decide if I need to invest in some Frogg Toggs to keep myself as dry as possible. John thinks those will just make me sweat even more. I don’t know, he may be right. I don’t want to take any unnecessary gear, but I also want to be as comfortable as possible.
My last concern is the distance we will have to cover during this trip. We have a two day hike before, but this will be the first time we have hiked three days in a row. There are a couple of reasons this concerns me. The first reason is my knee. When John and I first started hiking I began having knee problems. Going downhill was the worst! The steeper the hill went down, the worse my knee hurt. This problem persisted for several months. I finally saw an orthopedic doctor to find out what was going on with it. He diagnosed me with patellofemoral syndrome which basically means I have an irritation of the under-surface of my knee cap. He recommended some exercises for me to do at home and to use some Kinesio tape during rigorous activity. The problem has greatly improved since then, but I still worry about another flair up. I’m thinking I should probably take the tape just in case I start having any problems. My other concern is water, especially the first day. There will be a 6 mile stretch where there will not be any water supply. This means that we will have to carry plenty with us to get from Hawk Mountain to Justus Creek. This may not be a big deal, but we will have to carry more weight than we would like to. Every once makes a difference when you’re backpacking!
In spite of all these concerns, the one thing I do know is that I always find beauty on the trail that makes it all worth the trip. Also, we’ve both been conditioning to prepare ourselves for this, so I will be eager to see if the conditioning we have put ourselves through pays off. I know we’re both going to be tired, but I hope our endurance will be much improved.
I will write a follow up to this post to reflect on whether or not my concerns were justified. In the meantime, I hope you will find a trail in your area and enjoy all it has to offer. Happy hiking!
July 12, 2016 at 11:45 pm
You guys are awesome!! I completely understand all your worries. Good luck- I cannot wait to hear the wonderful news when you are done!
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July 12, 2016 at 11:50 pm
Thanks Page! I did decide to get some Frogg Toggs to try and stay dry. I will let you know how it goes. Thanks for the encouragement!
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July 12, 2016 at 11:57 pm
I know you can do it. Yes, you will be tired and you’ll probably be aching from muscles you didn’t even know you had, but your determination and faith in the Lord will see you through.
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July 12, 2016 at 11:59 pm
Thanks Aunt Billie! I’m sure that’s true, but I’m excited nonetheless! Thanks for always taking the time to read our blog and to comment on it. It means so much to us!
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July 13, 2016 at 12:45 am
Two words … polyester shorts. See what you can find. Most of my shorts are bathing suits with the liner removed and then I wear wicking underwear. But, this is from a guy’s perspective. I don’t know what options you will be able to find.
Good luck!
STinGa
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July 13, 2016 at 1:04 am
Thanks Tom! It seems that there are more options out there for the guys than there are for the girls (at least not without a high price tag). My husband has several pairs of polyester pants and shorts that work well for him. I haven’t had that kind of luck. I find that even the women’s active wear (the pants or shorts) doesn’t dry out that fast. I appreciate the advice and I will continue looking. Keep the comments coming!
Thanks,
Cathy
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July 13, 2016 at 2:43 am
Love reading your blog! Weather is definitely something to be aware of…and something you have no control over! Have you had thoughts about purifying your water as you hike from streams? Not sure I am 100% comfortable with that but I have heard of others doing it. Good luck and enjoy your hike!
JoAnn
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July 13, 2016 at 11:42 am
Thanks JoAnn! Yes, we have a water filter that will definitely be used on this trip. We’ve used it before and haven’t gotten sick yet. Hopefully that trend will continue! Thanks for reading our blog and commenting. Your support means a lot to us!
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July 13, 2016 at 2:46 pm
Good luck! will be looking forward to the reports after…..couple ideas i’ve been thinking about as well or have heard about following folks this year on the AT….seems most report that rain gear just makes you sweat even more if yo hike with it on…..however, i think i’d want it in case you get caught in a quick down pour and you can just put it on and wait it out instead of actually hiking w/ it on…. i’ve heard good things about the the rain kilt from Z-packs…(bit pricey for a 3 day trip but if you keep this up long term- might be worth the invest- http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/cloudkilt.shtml
Keeping the feet dry and shoes dry is my biggest concern….so i’m thinking once done hiking for the day…insert some kind of absorbent mini or cut down towel in each boot over night…heard newspaper works ok..but i’d want something you can use over and over….this would work for your clothes too i would think….but the key for clothes is getting the right material….merino wool seems the way to go….i use merino wool socks for work…and love them…they don’t soak up the moisture as much and dry out much quicker….but they make shorts/pants/shirts w/ the stuff as well…..granted, you’ll pay some for premium materials…..I think Icebreakers is one of the brands a lot of hikers use…..stay safe….have fun!
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July 13, 2016 at 3:40 pm
Thanks for your comments Scott! I agree. I think putting on the rain gear and stopping to wait it out is probably the way to go. John doesn’t want to use the rain gear because it does make him sweat more. I also appreciate your thoughts on how to dry out my hiking shoes and clothes. I will have to give that a try. Thanks for your input and keep the comments coming!
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