tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823898594499538913.post3624861313850114355..comments2024-03-14T22:58:26.321-07:00Comments on End Of Ordinary: The Big Loop around The Three Sistershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04249655831923837855noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823898594499538913.post-1734633536168140492012-01-02T04:27:30.372-08:002012-01-02T04:27:30.372-08:00Wow, this post makes me want to have a kid and liv...Wow, this post makes me want to have a kid and live out the family life. It's amazing how fast kids can learn and be interested in new things.<br /><br />My folks raised me to camp and hike, and after many years we find there are relatively few of us that continue to enjoy it forever. It must be great fun to head out for days and have this type of family life. Its really rare if you think about it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823898594499538913.post-26067523616953618952011-11-04T14:03:17.589-07:002011-11-04T14:03:17.589-07:00Hey Mel,
Around 4 The Barracuda was pulling somewh...Hey Mel,<br />Around 4 The Barracuda was pulling somewhere between 6 and 8 miles. You're all right on track. There seem to be these weird leaps in mileage. Once you get to about 10, increasing to 14 really isn't all that hard. Fifteen seems difficult, but once you can sustain that everything to about 20 is cake. Twenty is a beast, but then up to 25 really just fall away. I don't quite understand it, but it has held true for our son and a few other people we have talked with. <br /><br />Mainly, just don't underestimate your kiddos. We never planned on doing a 25. Hell, Jules and I were discussing routes for St. Helens and we thought asking for 17 miles was way too much and he pulled a 20. If you are worried about it, don't tell Anders how far you are hiking and see how it goes. He might surprise himself, too.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04249655831923837855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823898594499538913.post-62195234727022030852011-11-04T12:03:07.148-07:002011-11-04T12:03:07.148-07:00Wow, that boy can log some serious miles. I was so...Wow, that boy can log some serious miles. I was so proud of my 4-year-old for getting up to 6 miles. I know he can go farther, but I didn't want to push it. Maybe it is time to push it a bit...Melhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17177478757331772420noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823898594499538913.post-309828013627634552011-10-17T06:45:01.358-07:002011-10-17T06:45:01.358-07:00Thanks! I think we have to learn to rely more upon...Thanks! I think we have to learn to rely more upon dehydrated/freeze dried food stuffs to keep the weight down. I was just re-reading your posts on dehydrating potatoes, salsa, and making tasty oatmeal to bring with. Glad I have this blog full of your knowledge and experiences to read.Mr. H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04576034751522467377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823898594499538913.post-70390993771735277132011-10-15T15:27:29.225-07:002011-10-15T15:27:29.225-07:00Hey Mr. H (and Mrs. H)~ The amount of weight we ca...Hey Mr. H (and Mrs. H)~ The amount of weight we carry varies a bit with how much food and water we need to carry and how many people/dogs are going. So the answer isn't incredibly simple, but I'll try to be a specific as possible.<br /><br />Right now, The Barracuda and I are training for the PCT so Jules isn't allowed to carry very much other than his clothes and personal items. He also carries a lot of the water when we have to hike in places where there isn't much. Water weighs 8 lbs per gallon so it can add up fast. His pack weighs about 10-15 lbs. In this last hike, Optimus didn't have to use his backpack so Jules was carrying Opie's food. That put him at about 30 lbs.<br /><br />The Barracuda is only allowed to carry 14 lbs maximum. That is a little less than a quarter of his body weight. Sports therapists have been very specific that he can't carry more than that without starting to do joint damage. Usually he weighs in at about 8-10 lbs (including water) and we weigh his pack very carefully. <br /><br />I am currently carrying most everything so that I can build up my weight limits. My backpack weighs somewhere around 25-30 lbs when we start out. That includes water and food, however. So it starts dropping in weight by the first day or so. I try to keep it somewhere around 20-25 lbs. If it is a long section without water, I'm at about 35 lbs, but we drink the water so it starts falling. With my body weight at about 110-115 lbs, I can't carry much more than about 35 lbs and still pull mileage. As we start to eat down food/drink down water, I will sometimes shift the various contents of The Barracuda and my packs if a difficult section is coming up so that he has less weight in stuff and more weight in water and I have more stuff. <br /><br />All those weights include the weight of the backpack, too. I have a kitchen scale that I get all neurotic with so we can start shaving pounds and upgrading our gear slowly. By the time The Barracuda and I leave in May, we are going to be able to shave a good 5-10 lbs off the combined weight. We want to try and get him down to 5-8 lbs and me at somewhere around 15-20 without food and water.<br /><br />When Jules joins us for the PCT, we are going to be in Northern California/Oregon border. This means we are in prime sections for pounding out serious mileage (30 or more miles a day). The goal is to then have Jules carry at least 5 days worth of food and take The Barracuda down to 5 lbs so that he can walk the extra miles. At that point our packs will weigh approximately Jules and I 20-25 lbs and The Barracuda 5 lbs.<br /><br />The dogs normally carry their own food and drink water as we go. They each carry 1 quart of emergency water and Optmius carries a Nalgene bottle of rehydrating high calorie glop to pour over their dog food so they can minimize their weight but still get enough calories. Guadie's pack weighs about 10 lbs and Optimius can carry up to 50 lbs. He is normally around 35.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04249655831923837855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2823898594499538913.post-78278470943016364542011-10-14T06:02:05.749-07:002011-10-14T06:02:05.749-07:00What an amazing hike, I'm glad that Jules was ...What an amazing hike, I'm glad that Jules was finally able to do this hike and how much better that he go to do it with the whole family. My wife is curious as to how much weight you all carry for a trip like this? And wow, Optmius Prime is a big one.:)Mr. H.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04576034751522467377noreply@blogger.com