LAST MINUTE N0TES

I leave next week. April Fools is a fitting date for this fool's folly.

I will post my backpack inventory here before I depart; it includes everything in my backpack and on my body--my "Carry and Weary" weight. I also plan to publish a similar list when I finish. The comparison should be interesting.

Hikers are intoxicated by hi-tech products; much like the boating world I come from. Some products are transferable and I brought some things from the boat; in fact, much of my clothing came from there, but over the last couple of years, I purchased other equipment more attuned to hiking and backpacking. Because of the long lead-time, I was able to take advantage of discounted pricing and the savings was significant. Nevertheless, as my departure date inched closer, I found myself haunting the outfitter catalogs and retail stores; not buying anything, just looking for that one thing I was sure I forgot.

Whether on land or water, you need a compass and it helps to have a reference point. On water, we call them charts; on land, they are maps, although I noticed Maptech has adopted the term "chart" for all of its products and I will stick with that. Charts come in two flavors, paper and electronic. The Global Positioning System revolutionized navigation; now you can carry digitized charts on a display unit the size of a cell phone that will track your progress all over the globe. I have a GPS, but why anyone would need that hi-tech horsepower to hike a well-marked path like the Appalachian Trail is beyond me. However, there is no arguing the need for a compass; or charts, which show side trails, roads and other navigational aids. (Weather and fatigue can play havoc with your sense of direction.)

I toyed with the idea of carrying electronic charts, but I don't have a GPS or other display unit capable of storing the enormous data files required to cover the entire Appalachian Trail, and purchasing, manipulating and protecting multiple memory cards is an expensive hassle I don't want to deal with. Besides, I don't like reading charts on a small screen.

Instead, I am taking paper charts, over 40 in total. As a group, they are too bulky and heavy to carry all at once and I will divide them into manageable segments, carrying only the charts for the section I am hiking and mailing the others ahead. I resisted mail drops until the last minute, because I didn't want to be constrained by a schedule, but I could not think of a reasonable alternative for handling charts, so…here I am.

I found a Suunto Vector watch at a fire-sale price and I couldn't resist. It displays more information than I would ever want to know; time, date, compass bearing, altitude, barometric pressure, temperature and some other stuff I can't think of now (the manual is 60 pages). I'm wearing the watch for two reasons: the big display and the easy-to-read compass bearing; it is very handy for that. Maybe I'll learn to use the other stuff before the hike ends.

Food is a big deal. 2,100 miles requires huge amounts of calories and thru-hikers must steadily stoke the furnace. There is a constant trade-off between a nutritious diet and the extra weight of packing large quantities of food. For example, I'm starting with nine pounds of grub which should last about six days. Some hikers purchase ingredients in bulk, parcel them into individual packages, and get a friend or family-member to mail drop the food ahead of them. Others, like me, wing it, and depend on stores located near the trail to replenish their food inventory, but that system comes with its own set of problems. First, you have to get to the store, which involves more hiking (or hitchhiking) and of course, that means time off the trail. In addition buying as you go may be more expensive than using mail drops, although there doesn't seem to be a clear-cut answer to that; too many variables with both systems. I will write more about food after I've been on the trail for a while.

Water is a big deal too, but in a different way. We had a snowy winter with plenty of precipitation, and there should be ample water along the way, but to be safe you must treat it before you drink it. There are three options for that: treat the water with iodine or chemicals, wait 30 minutes, hold your nose, and drink. (Depending on the brew, the taste and odor can be offensive.) Alternatively, carry a filter and/or purifier which when used with a pump, squeezes the guts out of the little bacteria devils. Lastly, boil it, a sure-fire solution, but one that requires fuel. I have a good water filter, and I'm carrying chemical tablets for backup.

Pooping in the woods is a natural thing to do, just watch out for poison ivy and other unfriendly plants; and bury your waste. Baby wipes are a Godsend. I use them for everything, not only wiping my butt, but for cleaning other parts of my body. I have used a few privies on the AT and I've read about the deplorable conditions in others No thanks; I will go where the bears go.

I moved my departure point again, farther north to the Delaware Water Gap. I decided that since I was walking south, I should leave from as far north as reasonable considering the weather this time of year, and I picked Delaware Water Gap, PA, because I have the charts for Pennsylvania and Maryland (I will buy the others when I get to Harpers Ferry). The more I thought about leaving from the Delaware Water Gap, the more appealing it became; Delaware Water Gap is 270 miles from Harpers Ferry, and it will be a nice shakedown hike for me. By the time I walk into Harpers Ferry, I will have learned some things about my gear and myself. There I can pick up more charts from the Appalachian Trail Conference and send the used ones home. And there is a well-stocked outfitter in Harpers Ferry, a good place to make adjustments. So, my third and final plan is baked.