Paws on Watatic

Molly and Me on top of Watatic.

On this turkey day I give thanks to my furry and steadfast companion. 

Thru-Hiker, Moss

The last time I met with Fox he suggested I get in touch with a couple of female thru-hikers contacts he met on the trail. One of them is, Angela, A.K.A Moss, who completed the trail in September of 2010. “I like being outdoors, I wanted the challenge, I wanted adventure, I hated the rat race,” says Moss.

Moss hiked alone and proclaims that “it’s nice to be able to stop whenever you want and hike at any pace.” She stopped shaving her legs and wearing a bra. “Basically, I became half-feral. And it was great,” she exclaims. 


She went on to say that many women do shave on the trail but If you don't want guys to see you as an attractive female, leave the razor at home. For the female hiking solo something as unsubtle  as hairy legs can keep men at bay. When I interviewed Morning Glory, she said that she shaved her head halfway through the trail mostly because it was long and golden was hard to manage and drew a lot of attention from the guys (many months in the back woods with a ratio of 5 guys to 1 girl can make any girl on the trail a victim of "pink blazing").With a shaved head, people tended to leave her alone. So I guess the take-home message is the more hairless I make myself the fewer men will come knocking on my shelter door. 

“I reeked. Most hikers do. Even when you wash your clothes, once you put the smelly pack on and start sweating again, you stink almost instantly.” It's interesting to note here that I have interviewed 5 thru-hikers thus far, and all of them admitted to reeking on the trail but two, Leap and Bob. Before we become skeptical I'd also like to note that both Leap and Bob were hiking through snow. Therefore, I think it makes sense that you stink a lot less when you hike in the cold weather because you are sweating less, there are less microorganisms hanging in the air that can attach themselves to your body. However, I will be hiking during the hottest months so I'm sure I will be one stinky girl! 

Moss informed me about the “pee rag” which is “a scrap of cloth (usually a section of bandanna) that you hang from the bottom of your pack with a safety pin and use to wipe after you pee.”  She explained that “not everyone uses them but I swear by it" because it eliminates the need for TP, it's reusable, and easy to clean (just rinse in the stream, after all pee is sterile) and "drip drying sucks.” I will definitely bring one!

“I am a certified pro at pooping,” says Moss, “…not just in the woods, but anywhere. The key is to have no shame. The other key is to be willing to wipe your ass with almost anything. My favorite move is to lift up a big rock, go, and then drop the rock back down on the whole mess.”

Morning Glory said that the best way to readjust was to have the next adventure already planned, otherwise you feel lost. After their thru hikes, Leap was peddling cross country, Fox went back to Dunkin Doughnuts ice coffees and shaven females, while Moss keeps herself focused on her upcoming trip to Haiti to volunteer for a few months. 

“You'll be surprised by how little you actually need, if you let yourself get comfortable with the idea of accepting slight discomfort in your life on a regular basis,” says Moss. I'm excited to live a life of necessity at least for a few months. 

How to Drop a Dookie in the Woods

My rock climbing friend suggested that I read the book, “How to Shit in the Woods; an Environmentally Sound Approach to a Lost Art,” by Kathleen Meyer.

The book starts off with stories of people getting into embarrassing situations after clipping a biscuit. One guy follows the outdoor pooping process to a tee. He finds a private location with a nice view far away from his camping site, however, forgets to dig a hole. So, after he releases his colon cannon ball it rolls down the hill, picking up speed leaving plumes of trail litter as it bounces off of rocks. His nugget finally hits the ground a few inches away from one of his hiking buddy’s foot 600 yards down the hill from his perfectly selected defecation spot.

Another guy takes a break from hunting, removes his poncho and flunks a dunk by a log. However, after completing his “do”-ty cannot seem to find his scat. He puts his poncho back on and pulls on his hood at which point he feels his dumpette slide down his head.

This is how you should poop in the woods:

Below Tree line

1. Find a spot well off the trail or campsite above the water line
2. Pick good soil with lots of humus
3. Dig a 6-8” hole
4. Do your business
5. *Wipe with vegetation or TP (TP needs to be packed out because it takes too long to biodegrade that goes for biodegradable TP, it’s a gimmick. You're not supposed to burn TP to prevent forest fires)
6. Stir your lumpette with a stick (this reduces the amount of time it takes to biodegrade)
7. Cover

* TP alternatives: smooth rock, leaves (watch out for the poisonous ones), water that you carry (never wash in streams)

Above Tree line

1. Find a spot well off the trail
2. Find a sun-baked rock
3. Poop on the rock
4. Take a second rock and “smear” your beans on the rock
5. Your chocolate cake will bake in the sun and flake off with the wind

During the winter months you are supposed to pack out your caca, otherwise the trail will look like the chocolate-brick road. And come spring the snow will melt but your  pellets won’t and the goal here is to “leave no trace.”

People did not start filtering water from streams and waterways until fifteen years ago due to the uprising of the disease Giardia—a parasitic disease which can survive in streams for several months. The parasite can pass between animals and humans from the feces of one animal to the digestive tract on another animal (one who ingests the waste orally). Some people may be carriers of the disease and not know it.  

Meyer urges, “the best line of defense for protecting our wild lands, our wild friends and ourselves is to…dig an environmentally sound hole and burry that shit (21).”

Fun Fact- In the middle 1800’s plumber, Thomas Jon Crapper invented the “water waste preventer…the siphonic cistern…with uphill flow and automatic shut off.” Hence the words: crap, crapper and jon.

For poop synonyms check out: http://www.heptune.com/poopword.html

Southbound-Thru-Hiker, Bob

“It’s only new for about three weeks…after that it’s just a routine,” says Southbound-thru-hiker Bob who completed the trail January 1^st 1982. The footpath “captured his imagination at the age of 12” when he and his family camped in Harpers Ferry, Pennsylvania right near the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. His mother explained what the AT was and he planned to set out after high school, which is exactly what he did.

Bob hiked with three of his friends and they literally licked their dishes clean as they did not bring any soap. Of course they had toothbrushes and paste and dipped into the occasional stream to rinse off trail grit but other than that would wait till they got to town for a good hose down. Although he could not smell his own stench, he could smell the clean day hikers and could only imagine what they were smelling as they passed!  

When I asked Bob if he ever wanted to give up he said he never dreamed of it. He was the only one to finish out of his three friends. One guy got hepatitis (most likely from the licking of the pots), another couldn’t handle the pressure of taking a year off of college and the third was emotionally drained by his lamenting girlfriend back at home. The thing all of these guys had in common was what Bob referred to as “distraction.” The AT conservancy provides a list of thru-hikers that are whiling to discuss their experience on the trail and Bob found that the ones who made it were in a transition period or experiencing a “gap year,” right after graduating and before getting a job or starting a family. “That’s me!” I exclaimed, as I will be graduated with no strings attached when I make leave June 1^st from Maine. One of the guys he went to high school with, turned 25 got a DUI and his license revoked. Though he lost his wheels he did not loose his most primitive form of transportation and decided to walk the 2000miles of AT. How about that for turning a seemingly bad thing into a positive experience!

“What is the hardest thing about hiking the AT?” I asked. Committing to 5 months, explained Bob. You’re going to become fit and develop the skills you need for the trail as you go but mentally “you need to find what it is to get you to go on everyday.” This has been a common thought among all of the thru-hikers I have interviewed thus far that hiking the AT is more of a mental than a physical challenge.

After completing the trail settling in was hard for Bob. For three weeks he slept on the floor with the windows wide open in the midst of February. It was hard for him to adjust to the traffic, the staleness of the indoors and the din of everyday life. He had to get used to wearing something different every day. “You become attached to all of your stuff. Learning to let go is a little difficult when it’s all you have had for five months.” It has been 30 years since Bob stepped off the trail and he still has his stove, sleeping bag and pack which he brings with him during backpacking trips when he conducts his outdoor survival courses. 

Contacts vs. Glasses

I have been going back and forth in terms of whether to bring contacts or glasses on my trip. Fox wore two-week throwaway contacts. His hands were always dirty and every night he would remove the lenses and place them in their respectable holders along with a layer of dirt making each lens look like a bubble in a stagnant puddle. However, he did not get an eye infection until he got off the trail. Very interesting…

Morning Glory, wears glasses but did not wear them on the trail, which is probably why her vision got worse, she laments. She said on the trail she felt like she could see better and did not need glasses.

EYE on the other hand wear both contacts and glasses and have decided to list the pros and cons of each and weigh out the benefits.

Contacts

Pros

1. Ideal for exercise
2. Provide perfect peripheral vision
3. Stay suctioned to the eye
4. Comfortable
5. Don't obstruct view
6. No glare
7. Don't fog up
8. Don't collect rain droplets 

Cons

1. Require the added weight of contact solution and contact holders
2. Reduces the amount of O2 that can penetrate the eye
3. There is a risk that they will fall out when swimming
4. If you get something in your eye (e.g. a black fly of knat) you need to first remove them
5. At night you need to take them out; In the morning you need to put them in (Both of which require hands to first be washed)
6. If you drop them they are difficult to find
7. If you need to get up in the middle of the night to “heed nature’s calling” you must first wash your hands then put them in, only to again wash your hands and take them out before drifting back off to sleep.
8. You are touching your eyes at least twice a day which enhances the chance of infection
9. Require dexterity and possibly a mirror
10. Require lots of maintenance 
11. Expensive 

Glasses

Pros

1. You do not need to take anything other than a holder which your pot can double as
2. Allows O2 to fully penetrate the eye
3. Before swimming you simply take them off as opposed to taking contacts out
4. If you get something in your eye you can leave your glasses on
5. It is much easier to take your glasses off then take contacts out
6. If you drop them they are easy to find
7. Which makes going to the bathroom in the middle of the night much quicker and easier
8. You don’t have to touch your eye
9. Maintenance is much easier than that of contacts
10. Less expensive 

Cons

1. Need to be careful not to break them
2. Need to keep them in a case (Fox kept them in his 9000ml titanium pot)
3. Not ideal for exercise (slip)
4. Not as comfortable
5. Do not provide perfect peripheral vision
6. Fog up
7. Collect rain droplets 
8. Obstruct view
9. Produce glare 

I think it makes more sense to wear glasses on the trail, not only will it reduce the amount of weight in my pack, it will also keep my eyes enriched with oxygen and free of infection. Plus putting glasses on or taking them off is way easier than putting contacts in or taking them out because I do not have to have clean hands,  a flashlight, a mirror or dexterity.

Please offer some of your insight, thanks! 

How to Pee in the Woods

“To whizz, men just find a tree…with backs turned but in full view…men piss for anyone present sometimes without a break in conversation. Women on the other hand search for a place to hide…where with panties dropped and sweet asses bared, we must assume the position of a flustered duck trying to watch itself pass an egg (Meyer, 86.)”

When I first met with, Michael J. Fox he asked if I was going to wear a hiking skirt, and I thought it to be a bit counterintuitive to be wearing a skirt on the trail, impractical even. I did not give it another thought until I read, “How to Shit in the Woods; an environmentally sound approach to a lost art” by Kathleen Meyer, suggested to me by one of my rock climbing friends. I learned that the reason men traditionally wear pants and women skirts has a biological significance, the fly provides a portal through which the male can water the shrubs and the skirt allows the female to empty her bladder incognito. Anatomically the skirt makes a lot of sense.

Zanika Sportswear provides clothing for women with “overlapping pull-apart layers in the front and front-to-back zippers (Meyer).” “All Zanika designs feature the exclusive "female fly" that enables women to heed nature's call without removing clothing (http://www.womenshooters.com/wfn/ladies1.html).”

“As a rule, men pee with dignity…it's…time women peed with a similar sense of pride.” ~Kathleen Meyer

Complete Kitchen Set!!!!

I finally have a complete and efficient, easy-to-assemble kitchen set. It consists of my Super Cat homemade stove, 900ml titanium pot from REI, heat reflector and windscreen, foldable titanium spork, 91% Isopropyl Alcohol, and Coghlan’s waterproof matches.

Kitchen setup complete with: titanium pot, SuperCat, heat reflector and windscreen 

Tonight I christened my stove and cooked rice and Veggie Knor, dinner for me my nephew and mom. It took 1 minute for my stove to heat up, took 4 minutes for 2 cups of water to boil, and it burned for 9 minutes. I was thoroughly pleased.

First meal

Below is a breakdown of what I have spent on kitchen components:

Handheld hole punch-1.99

Fancy Feast Can-0.65

91% Alcohol- 1.75

Matches- 4.99

Titanium pot- 54.50

Heat reflector and windscreen-15

Titanium spork-10.50

My 900ml Titanium pot was 54$ and the titanium Spork (a gift from a thoughtful friend J) was 10.50$. They will never rust are nonstick and will last forever so definitely worth the investment. My 16 ounce bottle of 91% Alcohol cost under 1.75$ at Walmart. If you use one ounce, once a day for super for 6 months (180 meals = 180 ounces) that would require 11.25 bottles of alcohol, meaning you spend less than 20$ for fuel your entire trip! Coghlan’s Waterproof matches come in a package of 4 for 4.99$. With 45 matches/box you could light your stove once a day for 180 days for 4.99$. Therefore your 6 month long trip can be fueled for just under 25$. Making the Super Cat only cost me 65cents for the can and I needed to buy a handheld punch for 1.99$. I have made three different stoves and this kitty beats all of them. I highly recommend it for it’s quick assembly, light weight (.15oz.), and efficiency (heats whole bottom of stove as opposed to one spot). The heat shield and windscreen reduced the time it took the stove to heat up to a boil by two minutes and reduced the time it took 2 cups of water to boil by 1.5 minutes, so also definitely worth the investment (although I could have probably made one myself).

Whether or not you are a backpacker, I highly suggest that you try making your own kitchen setup. It tastes so much better when you not only made your food but also your stove! 

A Thru-Hiker's Sentiments on Ultralight Hiking

Leap, on Grayson Highlands

Below is an email I received from thru-hiker, Andy, A.K.A Leap, after posting “10 tips to getting your pack under 15 lbs”: 

Hi Jill, 

I just perused your blog and here are my thoughts on Ultralight hiking…the overall intent of hiking, at least to me, is to enjoy being in the outdoors. Ultralight hiking strives to make your time spent more enjoyable because you aren't lugging around a ton of stuff so the walking part is easier - the drawback is that you must make sacrifices in other areas of comfort, such as time spent in camp and in inclement conditions. The key is to strike a balance and maximize your overall comfort throughout the trip. You could probably hike the whole AT with only a tinfoil emergency bivy sack and a jar of peanut butter. Your bag would be super light but the journey would probably suck.

Lastly, be careful picking out a sleeping bag – I think the xx degree rating usually refers to the temperature at which the sleeping bag will keep you alive - not necessarily the temperature at which you can comfortably sleep through.  

Happy Hiking!

-Andy

I know for sure that I am bringing my Super Cat homemade alcohol stove which is not suggested for the Ultralight hiker. Also, my mom is convinced that you can't get through 6 months with one pair of skivvies. However, Mike, A.K.A. Michael J Fox, is proof of this.   

It Took 5 Minutes to Reach My Boiling Point

Today my 900ml Titanium pot from REI came in a nice little box delivered to my front door by the mail man. I grabbed my Super Cat homemade stove (the post called “The Super Cat” explains how to make the homemade stove), matches and alcohol. It took 1 ounce of alcohol 5 minutes to boil 2 cups of water! And it burned for 15 minutes! I was thrilled because it has been a long process recording the amount of time it takes different amounts of water in various pots to boil. None came close to 5 minutes, more like 15 to18 minutes.

The trick with the Super cat is you need to let the stove warm up before you place the pot on top, otherwise, the flames will not shoot out the sides. You know your food is ready to cook when you place your pot on the stove and flames shoot out the portals immediately after. If this does not happen let the stove heat up a bit longer. I found that 3 minutes was enough time to do the trick. No longer The Mediocre Kitty, I can now officially address my stove as The Super Cat. 

10 tips to getting your pack under 15 lbs

I am reading Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods” for a second time through and at work it acts as a conversation piece (while the customers pick out their fruit I read). Inquisitive folks ask “What are you reading?” Bryson fans exclaim “Oh, awesome book!” one elderly woman reminisced “Whenever I want to feel good I bring out his book” One guy jokingly asked “so when are you going to hike the AT?” and was surprised to learn of my endeavor. A few people have suggested contacts. One woman said that she would include me in her prayers.

Today a “frequent fruiter” came in to the stand and handed me “The Ultralight Handbook: 30 Tips and Gear to Make Switching easy” from the editors of Backpacking Magazine. We had discussed my perspective trek the week before and when he came across the handbook he thought of me. I thanked him. “Not everybody hikes the AT” he said. It was the nicest compliment and I felt good that I was making my plans for June public.

So of course I dove right into the handbook and it offered “a 10-step plan for getting your base pack weight under 15 pounds.”

1. Question Everything- It suggests that I "start from scratch and select only the gear that’s absolutely critical for the conditions (i’ll) face. If in doubt leave it out.”

2. Weigh It All- I am supposed to only select the items that have multiple uses and get rid of any duplicates. Andy McCarron started off his hike without a sleeping pad but learned that your sleeping bag compresses under your weight and looses its isolative property, thus a sleeping pad is a must. It also can be used as a splint and bum pad. An extra pair of socks can double as mittens, an emergency space blanket can triple as a ground cloth, sleeping bag and shelter and a bandanna can serve as a tourniquet, rag and towel. 

3. Rethink Shelter- Since there are shelters about every 8 miles on the AT I may want to skip bringing a tent. I am looking into tent alternatives such as tarps and ponchos that can double as rain gear.

4. Change Your Bedding- For an ultralight hike I am supposed to choose a sleeping bag that is rated for not the coolest but the average temperature I will encounter. When it is cold I should dress in extra clothes and begin hiking at dawn (the coldest part of the day).

5. Layer Down- Below is a list of what my ultralight wardrobe should consist of:
1. Rain shell
2. Midweight long sleeve top
3. Synthetic T
4. Lightweight pants
5. Lightweight shorts
6. Down jacket
7. 2 pairs of socks
8. One pair of undies
9. Warm hat
10. Baseball cap
11. And maybe gloves and rain pants

6. Improve Your Diet- I am supposed to leave my stove at home and enjoy “peanut butter, tortillas, cheese, jerky, dried fruits, nuts, sesame sticks and peanut M&Ms” because according to the handbook “remote trails are within a day’s hike of a road and hunger would take weeks to kill (me).”

7. Ditch the Map- Since I am thru-hiking I will only need to carry the map for the section of trail in between trail towns and I should find the lightest version available.

8. Downsize Your Pack- the handbook suggests that I get a 6ounce to 2 lb 3,000 cubic inch pack which equates to about 49 liters. Mine is a 2 lb 15 ounce 47L Osprey! I’m on my “weigh” to hiking ultralight!

9. Take Less Medicine- My first aid kit should consist of:
1. Antibiotic ointment
2. Duct tape
3. Gauze pads
4. Bandages
5. Blister treatment

         everything else is frou-frou.

10. Empty Your Bottles- Every liter of water weighs 2lb 2 ounces so I should only carry what I need to get to the next water source.

A funny side note: my good friend says he wants to hike “everything I hike” on the AT which means all of it. I asked him what he was doing to prepare for the trail and he said “reading your blog.” 

The Super Cat

So I tried crafting a new alcohol stove today—The Super Cat— named because the guy who designed it constructed it out of a Fancy Feast can. It is a two-in-one stove and stand. The directions are as follows:

You’ll need a 3ounce Fancy Feast can, tape measure, marker, and ¼” handheld hole punch

1. Remove label from 3 ounce fancy feast cat and remove the glue (nail polish remover works really well).

2. Using a ¼” handheld hole punch, punch one hole so that the top of the hole is ¼” from the top of the can.

3. Punch a hole ½” from the center of the first hole and continue punching holes all around the can (15 holes total).

4. 1/8” below these holes, punch another row of holes, spaced in between the 1^st row of holes.

5. Fill stove with one ounce of alcohol and light with a match through one of the holes. 

 

Before the pot is placed on the stove the flames shoot out the center, but once the pot is placed over the top the flames are forced through the side holes. The How To web page insisted that the stove (with 1 ounce of alcohol) could bring two cups of water to a rolling boil in 4.5 minutes, however it took mine 15 minutes to boil one cup of water; my stove is not the Super Cat but the Mediocre Kitty. 

I decided to give homemade alcohol stoves a rest and try making fire the Bow and Drill way. You need a bow, shoe string, spindle, bearing block, and hearth board as well as a knife, tinder nest and ember pan. 

From left to right: Bow, spindle, hearth board, bearing block, ember pan (leaf) and tinder nest (dryer lint)

I followed the directions from the following website:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC_54ICw-ao. 

I was able to get smoke however, I was not able to make fire. I think my hearth board was too thick so the embers were cooling off before hitting the pan. I have not given up on this.