Top Things We Learned This Summer

Doing over 300 km this summer (and heading out to do another 42  km this weekend) has given us a lot of time to figure out what we are doing right, what we are doing wrong, and what we are doing ugly. Here are the top  things Roslyn and I learned this summer, so that hopefully you can learn it a bit more easily.

1 - Weight Management Matters

Roslyn and I started the summer thinking we would be okay with 35 to 40 lb packs so we could take some extras along and "enjoy" the hike more. All this really did was cut down our daily distances, increase fatigue, increase soreness, and make us grumpy. We then didn't even use most of the extras because we found it wasn't necessary.

If you're looking for things to cut out to save some weight, try losing extra clothes, extra rope, extra snacks, extra seating, pillows, and extra water. We have cut down from 40ish lbs to 29-30 lbs any find we are much happier at the end of the day since we still have energy at the camp site.

2 - Water Management is Key

In order to help with the above weight management, we learned to check out the trail maps and plan out our water stops, or at least make sure there were plenty of options. This did two things. One it helped us reduce weight as we went from carrying 3 liters of water each to carrying 1.75 liters of water each. Two is put our minds at ease because we knew how much we could drink and how much distance we needed to cover until we could get more water. No more guess work.

3 - Sleeping Pads are Necessary

We found this out on a cold May long weekend when we forgot our sleeping pads. The ground leeches the heat out of your body, and its impossible to sleep well when cold.Using a sleeping pad (and remembering it) is more comfortable and warmer, so you get a better rest and recover better.

4 - Self Awareness

Know how your body functions. Know what motions will make it sore and how to avoid them. Make sure you know what to do to ease joint soreness if you are prone to it without damaging the other joints in your body by over compensating.

Also make sure you are aware of your mental state. Being frustrated, grumpy, or upset makes it much harder to enjoy the trail. It also makes you much more prone to giving up, making bad decisions, and taking extra breaks. All of these things make completing and enjoying your trip more difficult, not to mention more dangerous. Even if you can't over come them, make sure you realize you are frustrated or grumpy and then work to mitigate it.

Those are the top 4 things Roslyn and I learned about this summer. There aren't really any easy steps to learn about them other than practice, so make sure you get out there and do your best!