[pct-l] The peanut butter & tortilla diet

Sat Feb 21 00:15:43 CST 2009

Hi, Don!

We're all novices just feeling our way up the trail!  I'm putting my reply out to the L so that someone might remember the vein that talked about eating nothing but peanut butter and tortillas. I believe it was actually done.

Anybody recall this topic?

Mtnned
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: whcrs4543 at aol.com 
  To: ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com 
  Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 9:44 PM
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] Foot stretch or not?

  Hi Monte, 

  I'm a total novice compared to all you guys! I'm learning so much just following the chatter.

  Have you actually talked to someone who ate nothing but peanut butter on trail ? Sounds possible....for short periods, anyway.

  You going to the big KO in 8 weeks?

  Don

  -----Original Message-----
  From: ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com
  To: montypct <montypct at gmail.com>; Ikem Freeman <ikem.freeman at gmail.com>; pct-l at backcountry.net
  Sent: Fri, 20 Feb 2009 9:40 pm
  Subject: Re: [pct-l] Foot stretch or not?

Monte,

I routinely carry about 65 pounds over a two week stretch. I walk fast and 
relaxed and pound down the trail (gear down for the uphills!). My feet have 
never spread. Is it genetic? As you guessed, I use the heaviest leather 
stompers I can find. Mine have lasted me 25 years and are still going 
great-replace the Vibram soles once in a while....

I have tried trail runners. I used to use them every day about town and on 
trail. Then one day I totally twisted my ankle to where it was black and 
blue because my ankles were no longer supported and I never went back.

One of the most important activities an aspiring hiker can do to prepare for 
their thru hike is to personally test for themselves all the advise and 
current notions offered in hiking circles. As others have said, what works 
for one may not work for you. You need to find out by trial and error what 
works for you, whether it be no stove, only eating peanut butter, trail 
runners, a tarp, or going off the trail to town for resupplies every 3 to 6 
days. You've got to know why you're out there, your motivations and 
aspirations, or you may not be out there for long.

The trail can be a trial where everyone comes out the other end a little 
differently than they went in!

Mtnned
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "montypct" <montypct at gmail.com>
To: <ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com>; "Ikem Freeman" 
<ikem.freeman at gmail.com>; <pct-l at backcountry.net>
Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 9:09 PM
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Trail Running Shoes

>> So is it the advise that leads to the purchase of runners too big which
>> allows the feet to spread both ways?
>
> Hi Ned
>
> To keep it simple?
> I'm pretty sure it's the weight of the body over a long hiking day that 
> spreads the feet out.
>
> That would be some heavy advise otherwise if it could change the shape of 
> feet..
>
> I take it you aren't going to give trail runners a try.  :)
> A lot of us have tried both.
>
> monty
>
>
> Lightweight Backpacking
> The fun goes up when the weight goes down
> -Warner Springs Monty
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <ned at pacificcrestcustombuilders.com>
> To: "Ikem Freeman" <ikem.freeman at gmail.com>; <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 8:52 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Trail Running Shoes
>
>
>> Sofar,
>>
>> Now there's another concept that doesn't fit with my experiences along 
>> the
>> Crest and Divide and 45 years of carrying a heavy pack,
>> my feet haven't changed a half-size in all those years! But, then, I 
>> chose
>> not to hike in 'runners.
>>
>>
>> Mtnned
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "Ikem Freeman" <ikem.freeman at gmail.com>
>> To: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
>> Sent: Friday, February 20, 2009 8:28 PM
>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Trail Running Shoes
>>
>>
>>> Great re-cap, Brian.
>>>
>>> One more very important point ... plan on the size of your foot to get
>>> wider
>>> and longer as you go.
>>>
>>> Before I started my 08 hike, I wore size 10.5 USA. My first pair of
>>> Montrails were size 11.5, and my second were size 13 ( I got them at the
>>> 1,000 mile mark, near Bridgeport, CA.) and they fit really good.
>>> O. Ikem Sofar
>>> On Fri, Feb 20, 2009 at 8:20 PM, Brian Lewis <brianle8 at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> As a side note, all of this stuff gets talked about again and again,
>>>> here, and on various forums, such as http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum,
>>>> or http://www.backcountryforum.com/ or
>>>> http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/  ...
>>>> As another side note, the only way to decide what's right for you is
>>>> to try out most likely solutions; I don't propose what works for me
>>>> personally as the one, true and universal solution, and suggest that
>>>> you be skeptical of anyone that does.
>>>>
>>>> The issue of goretex shoes is one that like so many things is a matter
>>>> of personal preference (and opinion ...).  The anti-goretex camp says
>>>> that they take longer to dry out, and in stream crossings, wet snow,
>>>> or continuous rain, they *will* get wet.   I'm in this camp, and per
>>>> previous, use goretex socks if I want the benefits of goretex.   I had
>>>> a pair of goretex shoes once that fairly quickly developed holes,
>>>> which IMO made them a bit like having a screen door on a submarine ...
>>>> water gets in, but has a harder time getting back out.    Of course
>>>> not everyone agrees with this viewpoint.
>>>>
>>>> Ken Powers already gave IMO a great response to the long list 'o
>>>> things-that-are-to-feared about trail runners.  My take:
>>>>
>>>> Slip and Falls - no
>>>>
>>>> Frostbite - not even close. Trail runners worked better in snow than I
>>>> had expected, you get used to it
>>>>
>>>> too many rocks in the shoes - depends on the shoe (or boot), and
>>>> whether you use gaiters, and whether your shoes develop holes ...
>>>> bottom line, not a big issue for me, and my shoes develop holes faster
>>>> than most.
>>>>
>>>> Plantar Fasciitis - I did have a mild case of this before starting on
>>>> the trail, but got custom orthodics.  Yes, a shoe with a firmer sole
>>>> might help here (?), but didn't turn out to be a problem for me.
>>>>
>>>> Achilles Tendonitis - no
>>>>
>>>> ripped or torn uppers- somewhat, but so what?  I used the infamous
>>>> Golite shoes, and they developed holes along the way, but I still got
>>>> 500+ miles per pair.
>>>>
>>>> sole separations/delaminations - Never had this, but I don't try to
>>>> get thousands of miles on a single pair (as some people do try to)
>>>>
>>>> Sprained/Strained Ankles/Tendons - no.  Some people feel that boots
>>>> are important to support the ankle, some (Jardine) feel that boots
>>>> enable a person to keep hiking despite weak ankles. Dunno, I guess my
>>>> ankles are fairly strong, never an issue for me.  As Ken said, keep
>>>> your base weight within reason, plus you will indeed really strengthen
>>>> all the associated muscles, etc over time.
>>>>
>>>> jammed toes from soft uppers - no.  Note that thru-hikers tend to get
>>>> shoes one or more sizes too big; with so much leeway, it's not likely
>>>> a problem, unless you're fearing something falling on top of the toe
>>>> area (?).  I never had a problem with that either.
>>>>
>>>> numerous blisters from too roomy a shoe - No.  Like many people (boots
>>>> or shoes), I had some blisters early on, and as someone else pointed
>>>> out, your feet toughen up as you walk.  At some point it feels like
>>>> you have hooves rather than feet, nothing seems to bother them.
>>>> I'm of the opinion that non-waterproof shoes, ones that breathe very
>>>> well (quick to get wet, but quick also to dry out) are ideal, less
>>>> prone to blisters than boots that create a closed-in moist
>>>> environment.  Of course, sandal advocates likely look at my shoes in
>>>> the same way that I look at boots!  :-)
>>>>
>>>> Bottom line is --- try it.   Find some local snow if you can, bring
>>>> spare socks, find some reasonably challenging terrain. Decide for
>>>> yourself if the lower weight and/or better ventilation make shoes the
>>>> right approach for you.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Brian Lewis / Gadget '08
>>>> http://postholer.com/brianle
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
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