[at-l] Please critique my gear list - thoughts on Sloetoe's thoughts

[Jim Bullard]

On 1/8/07, Sloetoe <sloetoe at yahoo.com> wrote:
> VERY BRIEFLY, BUT....
> --- Victoria R <rose_undine at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Sock Liners (2 pairs)
### Blister machines. Lose 'em.

Me: I think the sock liner thing must be one of those YMMV areas. I
always hike with sock liners, never have blisters with them, used to
have blisters without them.

> Skirt
### You mean like what kyackers wear? Talk to leitshue.

Me: What's wrong with a skirt? Some guys wear kilts (ruff/tuff guy
skirts) to hike. I even know of a ranger who does. Think freedom of
movement.

> Tylenol
### Naproxin Sodium has been reported better by (I think) every
hiker/runner I know.

Me: Absolutely a YMMV item. Last (and the only) time I took naproxin
sodium it ripped up my inards so bad I was almost a year getting over
it. Any NSAID can be tough on your digestive tract. Tylenol
(acetaminophen) is not an NSAID and thus is a better choice for some
folks. My NSAID of choice is ibuprophen.

> Tick Off
> Bug Spray
### Dirt Magnet. I needed this only one day on my
hike: deerflies in NY just short of the Connnecticut
border. I'd leave it home on a S->N AT throughhike.
(That said, 100% DEET was underpowered against the
primeaval hoards of blackflies and skeeters (no
offense) in the northern New England June.)

> Sun Screen
### WORST Dirt Magnet -- it's even a skin-skum
factory. The sun down south can roast you in early
Spring, but I'd go without, cover up, and await the
natural tan to come. And once the leaves are on the
trees, it's useless anyway.

Me: I never bother with either bug stuff or sun screen. I ignore the
bugs as best I can but I may have to rethink the sun screen after my
doctor told me that the rash on my temple that won't go away is "sun
damage". It's not skin cancer (at least not yet) but I know several
people including a brother who have had bouts of skin cancer from not
using sun screen. If you decide to skip the sun screen, be sure to
cover up.

-- 
Jim Bullard
http://jims-ramblings.blogspot.com/