Month: February 2008

Hiking poles

How to carry your hiking poles.I carried hiking poles for 6000 miles. I rarely used them. I carried them across my back with my hands hanging over them like it was my aluminum/titanium cross to bear. It just seemed liked a lot of extra work to swing poles around.

I carried them because my tent was the Nomad Light and it required hiking poles. When I got my Lunar Solo, I ordered the carbon fiber pole with it so that I could leave the hiking poles at home.

What freedom to not have to carry poles. My arms are free to swing by my side. They can reach back and grab my water bottle. I can eat snacks on the go. I can get out my navigational data. I can mess with my MP3/radio. The minute I started hiking without poles, I knew it was an improvement.

Wearing my jacket backwards

I wore my jacket backwards a lot last summer–Ray Jardine style. In the mornings, I’m cold and then after 10 minutes of hiking I’m ready to take my jacket off. By wearing my jacket backwards, I could slip it off without stopping. I then would just hold it in my hands or loop it through my hip belt and carry it that way. If it got cold again I could slip it back on with out having to stop.

It’s a good idea Ray Jardine had, because your front stays warm and your back doesn’t get all sweaty.

Who makes it

An odd thing about long distance hiking is that you could line everyone up at the start of the trail and you wouldn’t be able to pick out who was going to make it with any more accuracy than if you guessed.

The young super fit hiker that you thought for sure would make it, drops out and the old fat guy makes it.

Here’s what I think: Everyone comes to the trail with a handicap. It’s how easily you except yours and work around it that makes the difference.

My life–the update.

My failing solar batteries haven’t limited my computer use by as much as I would have wanted; there has been sun most days.  I may have to instigate rules to limit my computer use.

I’m thinking of going to town soon–maybe in a few days.    I’m out of my favorite foods: oatmeal, brown rice, garlic,  canned pineapple and apples.   Lots of beans left, though.  I don’t know why I buy beans.   Seems like a good food to have in ones cabin but I rarely eat them.

All I think about, is being back on the trail.   The trail is a long way off but I can’t seem to commit to this winter.

There is a mountain lion hanging around.  I have only seen it’s prints but my neighbor said that he saw it.   When he saw me on the road, he said, “You better get you some pepper spray.”

Good hiking umbrella

img_2582.jpgFor the last 3200 miles, I have been carrying a liteflex swing trekking umbrella. 3200 miles is 2700 more miles than any other umbrella I have carried has lasted. It has some holes at the top of it and the silver is wearing off but structurally is still good. The silver coating is to reflect the sun back. It weighs 7.8 ounces (220 grams) and has no logos on it.

I don’t carry poles and I don’t mind holding it in my hand but if you do mind, “Switchback” has this idea for an umbrella holder.

Related post: Hiking in the rain

In contact.

It has been sunny here lately. So, not a big adjustment to my computer use, but it’s suppose to snow for the next week. I like having failing batteries in my solar system. I like being constrained by the sun. It puts me in contact.

When I first moved here, I tried to get a well, but the well guy said I would have to build a better road up to my cabin. I didn’t want to spend my summer messing around with road building and well guys so I  left it for another year. However, I found I really liked carrying my water from the spring. It put me in contact with my needs. I put some empty 1 gallon jugs in my back pack when I head out for my walk and get some.

Now, if I want electricity I have to wait for the sun to shine. When I first set up my system, I tried to get this Human Powered Generator but it was right after a hurricane and they were all sold out. If I get some new batteries I may get it yet. Because it puts me in contact with the energy that I’m using. However, if the 2 watt laptop works out I could power it with a much smaller and more portable crank generator.

It’s what makes life good. If I want heat–I build a fire, If I want water– I go get it. If I want to use the computer–I can wait for the sun.

Giving up my attachment to the computer

I didn’t call the solar guy about my malfunctioning solar system. The charger is dead. The batteries aren’t taking or holding a full charge.

My laptop battery has been blinking with a code that means “replace soon�; it only holds ½ the charge it used to.

I just can’t make myself buy new stuff. The winter is about over and I don’t know if I’ll be here next winter so I’m not going to throw a bunch of money at the system. I’m not even sure I want a system.

My son is setting up everything on my two-watt OLPC laptop, and will send it back to me for my birthday.

When the sun shines, I can use my laptop. If there is something, I want to do and the sun isn’t shining, I can run the laptop off the generator. Just no more days spent aimlessly wandering on the computer; do what I want on it and get off.

I feel relief, like I’m getting my life back. Once again, I have time.

Prosperity sucking computer

This morning when I was charging up my storage batteries my battery charger started to smell and  smoke and flashed and….quit.  I have been told, by a reliable source,  that once the magic smoke escapes, it’s all over for electronics.

I don’t know if maybe my problem all along has been with the charger and not the batteries.   The solar guy opens up his business for a few hours today, I’ll call him and see what he thinks.

Stupid computer–Again, this computer sucks prosperity from me.    Electronics are right up there with animals and big old gas guzzling vehicles as one of the top prosperity suckers.