Simplifatico

Footwear for Long Distance Wilderness Hiking

First, some definitions. By "long distance" I mean without resupply, and by "wilderness" I mean in the absence of established paths (trails and roads). So, for situations where you're looking at long mileage days (20+ miles), long cumulative distances (300+ miles), and off trail travel, the topic of feet are eventually going to take center stage.

The most common questions I get about my upcoming attempt at walking 600 unsupported miles in the Arctic are related to footwear and foot care.

So, here's the snapshot, with some rationale.

Shoes. I've been round and round on this one, and have narrowed it down to two models. First is a trusty companion, the Montrail Vitesse, which I've worn for years and have the confidence in its ability to last the distance without hauling a spare pair with me. A close second is the Inov-8 O'330, but I don't have enough testing with it yet. Stay tuned. 26 oz/pr.

Orthotics. Carbon fiber custom orthotics will be incorporated into a cork/epoxy base and glued to a closed cell foam footbed, with the edges sealed in thinned SeamGrip. I'll provide the orthotics from molds by another doctor, but John Zombro in Bozeman will package them up. 3 oz/pr.

Socks. Smartwool Adrenaline Medium Crews are pretty trusty socks. Two pair are durable enough and there is enough cushioning to resist wear and tear over that kind of distance. I'd really like to walk this whole thing in a single pair of Darn Tough Socks. Their claims certainly support it (dangerous, I know), and my limited experience with them is good, but the notion is pretty absurd. Which means I could give it a go. At any rate, I will bring at least a second dry pair for sleeping (PossumDown?), and perhaps a third pair for a mid-day change on the 40-50 mile days. 2-3 oz/pr.

Foot Care. Hydropel (2 oz) is the cornerstone. I'm slathering my feet in it for several weeks every day prior to the trek and maximizing air to my feet (I wear sandals and mesh shoes a lot) for skin adaptation. On the trek, my feet will get a dab in the morning and a dab midday on the long days. Feet and socks will get a wash in Dr. Bronners (0.2 oz) every 100 miles to remove the residual funk caused by dirt, Hydropel, and sweat oils. A Nail File will be used to keep calluses and nail edges thinned down (0.1 oz).

Blister Treatment & First Aid. The usual suspects: Leukotape, Duct Tape, Tincture of Benzoin, Spenco Blister Pads, EtOH Wipes, Swiss Army Classic Knife Scissors. Blisters are rare for me as long as Foot Care is done, but they do happen, especially when letting it all hang out on a 50 mile day through the mountains with a pack. I'll add a tiny tube of Lotrimin, primarily for preventative fungal control. 4 oz for the kit.

Shoe Repair. SeamGrip with a rapid curing agent (1 oz), a cobbler's needle (0.05 oz), and some Spectra Thread (0.05 oz). SeamGrip is primarily for reinforcing seams, which will occur at about mile 300-400, and glueing back on separating soles, which will occur every 200-300 miles. I expect the first real shoe maintenance not to occur until mile 400, as I'll be prepping my shoes before hand by reinforcing toebox seams with Spectra Thread, impregnating all seams with thinned SeamGrip, coating all seams with a thin coating of unthinned SeamGrip (did you get that?), and coating the outside of glued sole seams with a thin layer of SeamGrip.

Two Seas Two Feet: America's Greatest Long Distance Route?

Last night we hosted an event at the Emerson Theater in Bozeman, a homecoming of sorts for Andrew Skurka, who worked for Backpacking Light last fall on our staff and is now one of our Ambassadors of Ultralight (cf. Jerry Maguire re: quan).

(See related article in the Billings Gazette)

In my introduction, I wanted to highlight two important things to our audience. The first, and more practical thing, is that lightweight gear and style can provide the freedom for pretty normal people to do some pretty amazing things.

The second, and vastly more important thing, was to introduce to our community one of the most incredible hiking routes ever completed: the complete, continuous, and mostly-wilderness traverse of North America across the Quebec and the northern US states.

What's remarkable about this route is that it interconnects our long distance trails in a way that highlights the fact that, yes, we actually do have a trail system and not just three N to S long distance trails.

Even more remarkable is the fact that you don't have the luxury of "following the seasons", "conforming to a thru-hiking community", or partake in an experience (a hike of the PCT, AT, or even the CDT) that is becoming increasingly homogenized thanks to "national scenic trail associations", "official trail guides", and predictability.

Kudos to Andy for being a pioneer, but the lasting treasure here is America's most magnificent long distance walk among our trail systems that truly demands long distance hiking skills in all seasons, and not just the determination of putting one foot in front of the other and waltzing your way north with the summer flower blooms.*

So, if you haven't caught a Two Seas Two Feet tour stop yet, do it: Andy will inspire you with an amazing story.

* Cool your jets before submitting comments. I'm not hammering an experience on the AT, PCT, or CDT. They all have the potential to provide some sort of positive experience for any hiker. I'm just saying this: the Sea-to-Sea route is quite different.

Transcript from Ryan Jordan's Introduction of Andy Skurka's Emerson Theater Event

"Good evening and thank you all for coming tonight.

My name is Ryan Jordan and I'm the publisher of Backpacking Light Magazine and and the BackpackingLight.com website.

Backpacking Light Magazine was founded in 2001 under the premise that lighter gear, combined with smarter backcountry techniques and skills, could make the wilderness experience more accessible to people who were either unable to, or otherwise fearful of, carrying a heavy backpack.

In the past five years, new gear and education has become available such that the days of carrying 40, 50, or 60 pound backpacks on a weeklong backpacking trek into Yellowstone or the Beartooths are all but obsolete.

More realistic is the probability of carrying 25 pounds - or less - without sacrificing your comfort or safety.

Backpacking has now become a more enjoyable activity for families, senior citizens, Scouts, and even individuals with disabilities.

Last weekend I returned from Lander Wyoming as part of a partnership between BackpackingLight.com and the National Outdoor Leadership School to train NOLS instructors in the techniques and skills required for ultralight backpacking.

NOLS, who is famous for expedition backpacking courses that require their students to carry 60 to 80 pound backpacks into the wilderness, is offering their first ever lightweight backpacking course this summer.

Long distance hikers continue to push the limits of what is possible in the backcountry by using lightweight gear and techniques.

In 2001, Brian Robinson became the first person to hike the Triple Crown in a Calendar year - which included the 2,600-mile Pacific Crest Trail, the 2,500-mile Continental Divide Trail, and the 2,100-mile Appalachian Trail - a total of more than 7,000 miles.

He carried between 13 and 20 pounds of backpacking gear.

In 2004, Scott Williamson began a hike of the Pacific Crest Trail with a pack that weighed less than nine pounds, hiking north from the California-Mexico border to the border between Washington and Canada.

Then, he turned around, and walked back to Mexico.

More than 5,200 miles.

Also in 2004, Demetri Coupounas, founder of the lightweight gear company GoLite, after completing unsupported hikes of Vermont's 272-mile Long Trail and California's 211-mile John Muir Trail, both without resupply, also completed the first unsupported trek of the Colorado Trail.

The distance: 468 miles.

75,000 feet of elevation gain.

He carried all of his food and gear for the entire distance and completed the trek without resupply.
The weight of his backpacking gear, not including food, about 12 pounds.

His only regret: that he carried too much.

Last year, Brian Frankle become the first person to hike the Hayduke Trail, an 800-mile journey through the desert wilderness of northern Arizona and southern Utah (a detailed report of the Hayduke will appear in Issue 4 of Backpacking Light Magazine).

His pack weight was less than 13 pounds.

This June, I will join Roman Dial, Isaac Wilson, and Jason Geck to attempt a 624-mile traverse of the Brooks Range in Alaska.

No roads, no trails, no resupply, no air support.

Between the four of us, we'll pack less than 30 pounds of gear - combined.

And a lot of food!

There is no way any of these long distance hikes that I've mentioned could be accomplished with a traditional load of backpacking gear.

Heavy packs require you to go slower, cover less distance per day, increase your rate of resupply.

Heavy packs make you less mobile, put more physical strain and stress on your body, and leave you exhausted at the end of a long day with little room for errors in judgment when it comes to dealing with inclement weather, injuries, or the occasional angry grizzly bear.

However, perhaps no one has proved that ultralight backpacking style can be applied in all sorts of conditions and weather as well as Andy Skurka.

On August 6, 2004, Andy Skurka left Cape Gaspe in Quebec, and started hiking west.

Nearly 7,800 miles later, he arrived at Cape Alava on the Washington Coast, to have completed the longest continuous backcountry wilderness trek in America.

His pack weight: less than 8 pounds, although he chickened out while hiking through Michigan in the Winter and carried a ton of extra warm clothes and whatnot for the minus twenty degree temperatures and was burdened with an entire 17 pounds of gear.

Andy spent last fall in Bozeman as a member of the BackpackingLight.com staff. During that time, I began to understand what quirks characterized long distance hikers long after they leave the trail.

He ate Balance Bars for lunch.

And breakfast.

And dinner.

He wore his backpack while working at the computer.

I would ask him if he wanted a ride somwhere. His reply: "no thanks, I'll walk."

Whether it was 2.5 miles back to his house.

Or 90 miles to West Yellowstone.

All fun aside, I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know Andy.

I've learned a lot about backpacking from Andy, but more important, I've found a great deal of inspiration from his accomplishments.

How he managed to walk through the plains and mud of Eastern Montana without creating fictitious companions for himself is still beyond my comprehension, but the global nature of his Sea-To-Sea hike is impressive nonetheless.

So, without further delay, please join me in welcoming the first person to have completed the 7,800 mile Sea-to-Sea Route, Andy Skurka."

NOLS & Ultralight: Part II

NOLS is conducting their first ever series of Light and Fast Backpacking Courses this summer:

http://www.nols.edu/courses/locations/rockymtn/lightandfastbackpacking.shtml

We had the chance to meet the instructors and discuss gear and curriculum strategies for this course in Lander over the weekend. I went into the experience somewhat cautious, wondering what kind of obstacles within the NOLS institution we would be facing in an effort to bring lightweight philosophy into the NOLS architecture.

PHOTO: Issuing lightweight gear to NOLS instructors prior to a hiking trek in Wyoming's Granite Range. Check it out: guys are looking at the gear, girls trying the clothes. Classic.

However, I left Lander very pleasantly surprised and hopeful. NOLS is very serious about not only bringing dedicated lightweight courses into their curriculum, like the one above, but also infecting the entire NOLS course program with lightweight philosophy. Many will ask the question, "will we still see 70 pound packs on NOLS courses in five years?" It's too early to tell, but I do believe that the days of 70 pound packs at NOLS are numbered.

PHOTO: Ryan Jordan's 3.0-ounce solo tarp, 3.0-ounce bivy sack, and 17.7-oz down quilt.

NOLS faces many challenges. I believe the least of them is an ideology of "more is better" that has been in their curriculum since day 1.

More practical challenges await them: it will take more time and practice for their instructors to become skilled in the use of ultralight gear in inclement conditions; the ultralight gear they select for their courses must withstand tremendous abuse, simply by the nature of their institutional setting; and NOLS is a nonprofit organization with a tight budget. They not only need gear that works, they need gear that is affordable.

What struck me most about our experience over the weekend was that NOLS is eager to change. They were not only receptive to our instruction, but they were thirsty for more - lots more. We are excited to be working with them.

PHOTO: NOLS instructor Mike Clelland! enjoying the freedom of an ultralight pack climbing off trail to the crest of a granite ridge.

One blog reader who commented on the last post expressed disappointment in my gear list, claiming that it was inappropriate for NOLS because it consisted mostly of prototypes. That's exactly why I took the gear. It's important for organizations like NOLS to see what is possible with a light pack and light gear, in spite of the fact that this gear may be wholly inappropriate for their purpose.

Such fringe ultralight demonstrations generate excitement, enthusiasm, and prove that amazing things can be accomplished with a kit that is far and away substandard to the kit they will need for an institutional setting. Bottom line: when we finished our camping experience and the NOLS instructors we were training watched us camp and hike with our "ultralight" gear, their response to the prospect of infecting NOLS culture with "lightweight" gear was simple: "Oh heck ya, we can do this!!"

PHOTO: NOLS instructors tried a variety of ultralight gear this weekend, including packs, shelters, and clothing from GoLite, and cooking systems from Vargo Outdoors and BackpackingLight.com.

Further, we are trying to impart a desire for absolute excellence and competence in the NOLS instructor base. The NOLS instructor that is competent at teaching lightweight backpacking will be the NOLS instructor that completely understands the limitations of ultralight gear. The best NOLS instructors will be the ones that are able to confidently impart a lightweight curriculum to their students because they will have taken ultralight gear to the edge, and experienced its failure themselves. To that end, my kit was an entirely appropriate one to show a NOLS instructor, in spite of the fact that it is an entirely inappropriate kit for a NOLS student.

Lightweight backpacking will bring a lot to NOLS, as it might bring to any outdoor educator: an increase in simplicity that deepens wilderness engagement; a shift of emphasis away from reliance on gear to reliance on self, team, and skills; and the freedom that unleashes student potential to include incredible physical accomplishments beyond just carrying a heavy pack (i.e., high mileages, peak enchainments, more opportunities for structured activities), and incredible learning opportunities arising from more sensitive neuron pathways that give rise to more intense learning under less physical and mental stress.

PHOTO: Debriefing at NOLS Rocky Mountain, planning the gear list requirements for NOLS Light and Fast Backpacking course this summer.

I am deeply impressed and humbled by NOLS' desire for real institutional change, and am confident in their ability to execute what may become one of the finest lightweight backpacking curriculums available anywhere.

For some of their comments on the weekend, from a demonstration given to the NOLS staff at their headquarters office, view their blog here:

http://nols.blogs.com/nols_news/2006/03/its_all_a_virtu.html