[pct-l] socks

[CHUCK CHELIN]

Good morning, all,

I haven’t used toe-socks but I do hear many serious hikers say they really
like them.  As a result, I did try on a pair and I was immediately disturbed
by the confining feeling of the extra thickness between my toes.  I have
average-width feet but I’ve found over the years that I must have extra wide
shoes – 4E – to avoid pain on a long hike.  If I were to add 8 additional
layers of fabric to the width of each foot I don’t expect I could ever find
shoes sufficiently wide to suit me.  I encourage anyone to really try a pair
before stocking up on a trip’s-worth of them based solely upon favorable
recommendations.



The weight of the NeoAir seems to be down where it needs to be to attract
ultra-lite hikers.  The NeoAir is only a few ounces heaver than my
knee-length foam pads.  My concerns are they are quite expensive, and being
light I question the durability.  I’m a bit tough on my pad:  I spread it on
unprepared ground for a nap, and I don’t closely examine the proposed
sleeping area for thorns, sharp rocks, small cones, or even tree needles.  I
kneel on the pad when I’m fussing around packing and unpacking my gear, and
sometimes I just pull the pad out to use as a seating cushion.  I don’t
think I could/would do that if I knew $140 was at risk.



I have no trouble sleeping on a 3/8” pad after a hiking day.  At home before
a hike I spend a week or so sleeping with the pad on a hard floor just to
get my old bones to adapt to a different surface.  It works for me.



Steel-Eye

Hiking the Pct since before it was the PCT – 1965

http://www.trailjournals.com/steel-eye

http://www.trailjournals.com/SteelEye09


On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 7:35 AM, <5418610024 at vzw.blackberry.net> wrote:

> I ditto toe socks. I wear them alone and this summer wore crew socks and
> dirty girl gaiters. It was the first year I did not get heat rash on my legs
> and ankles. I only had two blisters and it was in the same place on both
> feet. Outside big toe. Took care of both and they  healed quickly.  Hint:
>  do not buy bamboo socks unless you want socks that take forever to dry. I
> carried three pair so that I could change them out at lunch and then had a
> dry pair for in the morning.
>
> Ditto on the neo air. Most comfortable sleep I've ever had in a tent.
>
> Cook your spaghetti (break it up into pieces) at home and dehydrate at
> home. Package everything at home separately. Then on the trail you can
> decide which pasta you want, how much sauce and which meat. I start
> rehydrating everything at lunch and by dinner all I have to do is heat
> water, dump in dinner, and eat. Saves on fuel.
>
> Lost and Found
>
>
> ------Original Message------
> From: Sherry Smith
> Sender: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net
> To: Pct-l
> Subject: [pct-l] socks
> Sent: Aug 30, 2010 04:29
>
> 1. I read recently about preferred socks.  I think there was one that was
> alpaca
> and wool.  Could anyone out there give me an idea of good quality socks and
> where to get them?
> 2. My husband has decided to go backpacking with me.  Yeah!  Which sort of
> inflatable pad would someone recommend.
> 3. Has anyone tried dehydrating spaghetti?  How did that turn out?
>
> Thanks, Sherry
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
>
>
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
>