It’s that time of the year again. The muggs are back. Just taking a walk around the neighborhood, even at 11:00 p.m., I come in wiht an icky sticky feeling over my body and have to shower.
How do AT hikers put up with this. It’s one thing if you can stop by a shelter with a stream you can wash off in, but if not. You lie there all night feeling like a piece of gum?
Climb OnRocks
:rolleyes Now that is a strange way of putting it. Usually I manage to have a wet wipe bath at the end of the day. A lot of hikers will bring in a little water to theri tents and do a mini wash down. But when it is really realy hot and you can’t get a proper shower and it is still muggy at 10 at night… you lie their feeling like a piece of gum! – What is even better is trying to hitch a ride into a town to get a shower when your clothes have huge white salt rings, not an attractive thing on a girl. Sue/HH:girl
Hammock Hanger
How about the guy working in the woods with the chain saw all day, with a hardhat, long pants, chaps and not being able to hike away from the bug swarms, for 12 hours days yet. How about that for fun. He’s the guy with the answers.
But with the little info I got from you Climb on Rocks, try running around the neighborhood with a 90 pound pack, yea running, wear a heart watch if your that afraid. Then take your shower. Do that every day for a month and keep doubling yourselfs or more till your ready for your Backpacking vacation. Or you can lay around on the couch in the air conditioning all summer long. Feels good don’t it? And watch How Clint Eastwood trained for the Eiger Sanction on TV, in the movie DVD of the same name. That movie has alot of the answers you are looking for without the hiking and others that can’t see LDH for what it is. Train!
Earl Shaffer told me, Hollywood wanted to make a movie of his hike and he wouldn’t have no part of it. Said to me, nothing Hollywood about LDH the A-T, then explained why. I seem to be the only one that understood at the time to what he was saying, but that’s the way it is, understand?
I’m one of those guys you can tell I’m laughing at you, if you think you can fool me with just some golite labels or the like. See the movie and you’ll see what I mean if you don’t see with my eyes what is so funny out there. I’m not talking no day hikers either.
Gum, I don’t feel or see gum. I see nothing. My eyes are blinded by sweat. But I have also found out the closer I get to a hardbody the less I feel like your sayin. So that’s about how it goes down on the A-T to, they are in shape by the time summer comes or they quit. Also runners have been making clothing for years to help keep you feeling cooler. I find it to be best thing you could do right now to hike in, even if its out of fashion for town to towner today.
I would drive over to CAMPMOR today but I got a appointment at 11. But on the CAMPMOR wall on the right of the door. They got the best running shirts and split side singlets I ever saw for hiking, the stuff I’m talking about for keeping the coolest. and they don’t advertise running gear, yet they took the whole wall up. Could be the changing of trail fashion again, that we will have to see. But I don’t care either way, cept if you all buy every set on me, When I go over now I told the network.
That’s what I do anyway, hope something here helps you to get on the trail this summer. I know were not all the same. One or two of you can’t always do it. But the rest, you know you can better yourselfs and get out of the air conditioning, but you have to change, really change.
I didn’t forget to say drink 2 gallons minimum of water today, and not just water today. Drink your Salt sense and sugars to or else. Don’t let your pee get dark or your dehydrated for the next couple hours, depending on you.
Keep my pee happy and clear and nothing bothers me, even the blindness. I also hike without a shirt or soak it down and hike in it cool for about a hour till the next creek crossing, and always rinse your bandanna out but not in the spring and put in back on.
So this is for the LDH’s. So don’t quit. Itill pass.
Gregory Forester
Greg
Must be a computer overload and it wouldn’t space em out. Your right, I am the poster boy for just say no. Come take my picture preaching the above on Mt, Lafayette this weekend and we can sell the posters. But the rest of you, say no and stay home this weekend for nameless sake.
Gregory Forester
Greg
This is when cornstarch shines. Bring a small shaker bottle with you (like what you can get baby powder in) and refill it from your bump box each maildrop. If you have used a baby wipe or washed off in the stream, then sprinkle yourself (and your hair) with the cornstarch. It will not only deodorize (slightly), but it picks up all the moisture and really helps dry things out. This makes sleeping better, but also helps reduce thigh chafe the next day, b/c the two surfaces slip across each other better to. The cornstarch also helps make your hair less greasy.
Michael Sanwald
I too hate this feeling. I can handle good honest dirt; but that greasy icky feeling of sweat, oil is a bummer. When I’m out camping, I carry indiv. foil wrapped alcohol pads (that’s rubbing alcohol!!) I “wipe down” with 2-4 of them on my extremities (avoid "vital areas or pay the consequences…yee-ouch) & they cool me down & clean me up. They are light weight &cheap; can get them sent to you along the trial. Can get them in any drug store in Diabetic supply area
RBG
Dear Climb On Rocks:
To deal with dirt, grime, sweat, and so forth:
Wash your hair and head, no matter what.
Keep your teeth well brushed, using toothpaste (and floss!). A fresh mouth makes all the difference.
Sleep outside your bag, and where breezes pass, even if that means away from a shelter or breaking your routine or habitual behaviour.
Take sponge baths and don’t be shy about it.
As Satchel Paige advised: “Think cool thoughts.”
If you can’t do them all, 1,2 and 5, combined, will work wonders.
Sincerely–Conan.
Doing the above will allow you to withstand
Conan
Dear Climb On Rocks:
To deal with dirt, grime, sweat, and so forth:
Wash your hair and head, no matter what.
Keep your teeth well brushed, using toothpaste (and floss!). A fresh mouth makes all the difference.
Sleep outside your bag, and where breezes pass, even if that means away from a shelter or breaking your routine or habitual behaviour.
Take sponge baths and don’t be shy about it.
As Satchel Paige advised: “Think cool thoughts.”
If you can’t do them all, 1,2 and 5, combined, will work wonders.
Sincerely–Conan.
Conan
