First BPing Trip-AT?

“Glad you were able to find the trail. I was up near there today a few miles south on State Gamelands 91. I hiked 8 miles on some old railroad grades. The ticks seem to be pretty bad this year. I picked 8 of them off my pants legs. I won't wear shorts anymore because of them. Maybe it's from all the rain we had lately.”

“We sprayed bug spray on our feet and legs, and checked when we got home. We didn't see any, but the trail definitely looked like tick heaven. I agree about pants, which is why I like fall hiking better, or early morn or late afternoon. How long does it take you to hike 10 miles or 15 miles? Training seems to chew up so much time.”

“I hike a lot on the North Eastern AT. You can camp where you like, just be cool about it. I was on the AT in MD this past weekend and we had a great time, the bugs are out, but not too bad at elevation.”

“Yeah, I've stealth camped along sections of the AT where camping wasn't allowed and never got caught. I was once awaked just after dawn by a ranger for having a fire where it wasn't allowed but didn't get a ticket - we thought it might have been because of our evident low impact otherwise.

Just hang all your food - include toothpaste, deoderant, gum, anything with an odor.

I woke up one night with a skunk munching my tentmate's Turkish Taffy. Bear's aren't the greatest threat! I've never laid so still in my life!”

“I'm going to try spraying DEET on my lower legs and see if it makes any difference. Years ago, I never used to see any ticks. In the last few years they're really pretty bad, especially up near the Poconos. Maybe it's all the swampy terrain up there. I walked around a beaver dam yesterday and there was 3 crawling on my sock when I got back out on the railroad grade.

I usually hike about 2.5 or 3 miles per hour. Last fall, I did a backpacking trip with Buddur and another hiker from the web on the Old Loggers Path and we started hiking around 9:30 and got in camp around 3:30 or 4 if I remember right. We covered around 10 miles per day and gained about 1700 feet in elevation.

If you don't have much time to train just make the most of what you have. Shorter walks are good and try to do maybe one longer walk per week, if you can. Many times I only have the time or energy to hike for an hour or hour and a half. I have a couple trails in a patch woods behind my house that I use. I keep a loaded pack handy and just go out the door and cover 2.5 to 4 miles. There's a hill back there that gains 200 feet so, on days I feel up to it I do intervals on it. I hike up as fast as I feel comfortable and then recover on the way down and do 3 sets and then hike on the flats to recover before I head home. This builds excellent strength for backpacking and I guarantee you'll feel the difference when you head out on a trip.”

“RichB, I can get in several short strenuous hikes a day with a loaded pack. Finding a few hours of free time is tough though until the cute monsters go back to school. Thanks for the suggestions.

And Violin, I am still laughing over your skunk. I haven't seen turkish taffy since I was 12.

Tarpy and Violin, thanks for the tips on going camo on the AT. I've been reading a lot of books, and it seems safer when alone on the AT to camp as far from other people and as unseen as possible. The non-hikers that trash cars at trailheads apparently are trouble at some trails near trailheads or side trails near towns.

Why are so few tents green or beige? I have admired yellow and blue tents, navy and white tents and yellow and white tents. Not many green. I have a small Timberline tent (17 yrs old) that we washed in the machine (stop gagging). Now of course, I know better, but before I just did what I was told. The coating on the floor is peeling. Can I recoat it or should I see if I can sew a new floor on? It is lighter than my two larger tents. Might be better for backpacking alone. Or just for an extra girl scout tent. I should call Eureka and see what they say.”

“I've researched this extensively since I have a TNF VE-24 that has a leaking fly. There are a few recoating products out there, but the results seem to be mixed on how well they work. Stephenson warmlite sells a recoating product that sounds like the best one to me that is not water based. It comes in 2 forms concentrated and a thin it yourself version. 8 oz. is $11. Thinned it's $45.
A new floor is probably too expensive and it would be cheaper to buy a new tent. Eureka's website states that there are no products that can restore the poly coating on nylon. I haven't done anything with my tent yet, probably because I have other tents that I like better and I haven't used it 6 years.”

“My parents went to high school with the Stephensons. We visited their house once about 25 years ago and each room was a sewing room, with bolts of nylon everywhere. All the kids had quotas to sew each week. Recently I looked at the sleeping bags in the gear guide and was shocked at the prices. I guess they have come a long way.

I guess I'll save the recoating idea for another time. First I would need to figure out how to get all the old peeling stuff off.”

“I've put it off too because I don't get the chance to use the tent anymore. I used to use my VE 24 a lot when I had people to hike with years ago, but now my friends that used to go with quit hiking so I use a lighter tent for myself.
If the washing machine took the coating off. Maybe put it in there again to get the rest off.”