3 ms·

A few random reactions: > You would think sleeping by the beach is relaxing, but really that is far from the case. I didn’t sleep that well as the ocean was th

A few random reactions: > You would think sleeping by the beach is relaxing, but really that is far from the case. I didn’t sleep that well as the ocean was thundering in the middle of the night. I agree sleeping on the beach is nowhere near as pleasant as it sounds. I remember one night I set up camp near the shore, and kept waking up throughout the night to the sound of lapping waves in a panic that the tide was rising and would inundate my tent... except on this occasion I was camped next to a lake! > You would be surprised but there are so many debates in the hiking community. This debate is to bring hiking poles or not. I definitely recommend using hiking poles. They are lightweight and easy to stow when not in use (many backpacking packs will have dedicated loops/straps for them). They have saved me from falling on numerous occasions when I have lost my footing on a slippery trail, and they also help to redistribute weight off of your legs which helps tremendously with fatigue on long hikes with heavy packs. I avoided hiking poles for many years because I thought they looked dorky, but eventually gave them a try when I was suffering from knee pain on descents - and have used them on just about every hike since. For me they making hiking so much more enjoyable. > For the thru-hike there were two options, south to north or north to south. We opted to go south to north as it starts off super difficult, then slowly gets easier. I can't comment on this trail specifically as I have never done it, but it might make more sense to start with the easy part and end with the difficult part. Reason being your pack will be lighter by the end of the trip, and also after a couple days I tend to settle into a rythm whereas the start of a trip can be a bit of a shock. On other trails where I have the choice I tend to prefer ascending on the steeper route and descending on the gentler route.

Loic 3y ago
We do "family" hiking (3 kids, 9 to 15) with up to 110km through the mountains with maximum 20 km and about 1000m up and 1000m down on a "hard" day. I fully agree with you: - start slow to get the body to find itself (and keep 2 days at the end of the hike to book a nice hotel with a pool for the kids). - hiking poles are a must. It also saves the hike if you have ankle/knee pain as you can put the weight on your arms to release the pressure from the bad leg. Our kids prefer walking without.
- swader999 3y ago
  For sore knees and ankles, do a backwards walking, then a sled pulled backwards with weight for a few weeks, 10 minutes a day 3x/week. Doesn't need to be expensive, can drag anything to get the effect. See kneesovertoesguy for more.
pl90087 3y ago
> > You would be surprised but there are so many debates in the hiking community. This debate is to bring hiking poles or not. > I definitely recommend using hiking poles. This "hiking community" is just the people getting into those debates online. The vast majority of the actual hiking community just enjoys their trips in silence without getting into online arguments. Source: In my circles of about 40-50 hiking enthusiasts, only about 2-3 engage in online debates. Everybody else enjoys their trips and learns from own experiences and the occasional chat with friends. Debating for weeks whether hiking poles are a must (I never use any, but it's a matter of preference) or whether to break off your toothbrush to save extra weight (IMO ridiculous) are mostly a waste of time.
- Loic 3y ago
  People breaking the toothbrush are stupid, you should perforate it to keep the size and save weight! /s
  - Thlom 3y ago
    You can buy those brushes. The shaft is perforated like a honeycomb pattern for structural strength.
- nickd2001 3y ago
  I only know one person who openly declared breaking off his toothbrush to save weight. As well as using aluminium crampons and all manner of tricks. This was 'cos he was 60 at the time and his knees weren't as good as they'd been. I'm extremely grateful to him for sharing his expertise leading a climb, taking a number of us up Mt Baker, WA. So, you know, sometimes, quote from Hamlet, "there's method in his madness". ;) Or to quote Tesco's (true but disingenuous) slogan, "Every little helps" ;)
- dkarl 3y ago
  Debate is a strong term. Most of the online discussion is the same chill banter as you experience IRL. A forum like /r/ultralight might seem a bit odd when you first read it, like any other online forum dedicated to a niche subculture, but it's all in good fun, and people are self-aware and are able to poke fun at themselves for being such nerds and "weight weenies." My weight goals are nowhere near "ultralight" (yes, there's a definition) but the ultralight community is a great source of ideas and information, even for beginners.

Loic 3y ago

We do "family" hiking (3 kids, 9 to 15) with up to 110km through the mountains with maximum 20 km and about 1000m up and 1000m down on a "hard" day. I fully agree with you: - start slow to get the body to find itself (and keep 2 days at the end of the hike to book a nice hotel with a pool for the kids). - hiking poles are a must. It also saves the hike if you have ankle/knee pain as you can put the weight on your arms to release the pressure from the bad leg. Our kids prefer walking without.

swader999 3y ago
For sore knees and ankles, do a backwards walking, then a sled pulled backwards with weight for a few weeks, 10 minutes a day 3x/week. Doesn't need to be expensive, can drag anything to get the effect. See kneesovertoesguy for more.

pl90087 3y ago

> > You would be surprised but there are so many debates in the hiking community. This debate is to bring hiking poles or not. > I definitely recommend using hiking poles. This "hiking community" is just the people getting into those debates online. The vast majority of the actual hiking community just enjoys their trips in silence without getting into online arguments. Source: In my circles of about 40-50 hiking enthusiasts, only about 2-3 engage in online debates. Everybody else enjoys their trips and learns from own experiences and the occasional chat with friends. Debating for weeks whether hiking poles are a must (I never use any, but it's a matter of preference) or whether to break off your toothbrush to save extra weight (IMO ridiculous) are mostly a waste of time.

Loic 3y ago
People breaking the toothbrush are stupid, you should perforate it to keep the size and save weight! /s
- Thlom 3y ago
  You can buy those brushes. The shaft is perforated like a honeycomb pattern for structural strength.
nickd2001 3y ago
I only know one person who openly declared breaking off his toothbrush to save weight. As well as using aluminium crampons and all manner of tricks. This was 'cos he was 60 at the time and his knees weren't as good as they'd been. I'm extremely grateful to him for sharing his expertise leading a climb, taking a number of us up Mt Baker, WA. So, you know, sometimes, quote from Hamlet, "there's method in his madness". ;) Or to quote Tesco's (true but disingenuous) slogan, "Every little helps" ;)
dkarl 3y ago
Debate is a strong term. Most of the online discussion is the same chill banter as you experience IRL. A forum like /r/ultralight might seem a bit odd when you first read it, like any other online forum dedicated to a niche subculture, but it's all in good fun, and people are self-aware and are able to poke fun at themselves for being such nerds and "weight weenies." My weight goals are nowhere near "ultralight" (yes, there's a definition) but the ultralight community is a great source of ideas and information, even for beginners.