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[at-l] tidbits

Amidst all this gear talk I'd like to mention some of the little things
I found helpful.

Gold Bond powder is super for chaffing

Vaseline---wonderful for chapped lips, "monkey butt", rubbing toes, even
for use when working on equipment.

"Aquaphor" is a super product for chapped, cracked, chafed, or dry skin.
I pretty much works wonders over night. I got a sample from my
dermotologist. Great stuff. If you have problems in that area try it.

Large safety pins (the old fashioned diaper kind) are great for quick
repairs or for fastening wet clothes to your pack so they will dry as
you hike.

Duct tape (an obvious must) wrap it around your water bottles. Great for
quick repairs and for covering blisters. For extra padding on a blister,
cover it with moleskin then wrap area well with duct tape----should last
for days. I had a problem with friction on my heels, esp when my feet
were wet. I lined the heel of my boots with duct tape and voila, no more
friction or hot spots.

Needle and thread---very handy----I carried the sewing kit that comes
free in most hotels---very light. I ended up sewing for other hikers!

Baby wipes----I know they are heavy but I was thankful many times over
that I had them. We humans can experience some messy things when it
comes to our bodies.

For the women---always carry tampons-----even if you are super regular,
you will cease to be and surprises are uncomfortable. (the baby wipes
come in real handy here!!!!)

Also for the women hikers. If you are going to wear underpants might I
suggest Duofold CoolMax (Campmor has them). They offer a terrific fit,
hold their shape, dry quickly, and are super easy to clean. I've tried
the EMS brand also and ended up tossing them out.

Camp soap etc.----never used it on the trail after the first day. It
takes a lot of water to rinse out the soap residue. Nothing worse than
having soapy tasting meals. I didn't meet too many hikers who used soap
on the trail. It's heavy too. (Never got sick from not using soap and my
meals tasted much better)

Camp shoes----wouldn't be without them.  In the early months of hiking
you will experience wet boots, sore feet and wet, muddy camps. Think
about stopping for the night. You put on dry socks, you wriggle your toes
 around----feels good----then what do you do if you have no camp shoes---
-walk in the cold wet or mud or snow, put on your wet boots???? There are
 light sandals out there other than Tevas (and less costly).

If you are using mail drops you might include in them things that will
make your town stay more comfortable. Sample size mouthwash, dental
floss, shampoo, powder, skin cream
are some things I liked. Also include some favorite town clothes-----they
really make you feel good. These items could be repacked and sent
forward to your next town stop.

One personal extravagant item I carried was a book. I always made sure
there was one included in my mail drops too after I learned that the
trail towns from GA to southern VA offer nothing in the way of reading
material. 

A comment on water filters for those of you who don't mind slow
filtering systems because "you have all the time in the world..." Take a
practice run tomorrow at dusk---you don't even need a filter to do this-
--- find a close by brook, crouch yourself down low to the water, (no
gloves on mind you) and practice your pumping motion for about ten minutes
---think about the filter tubing that isn't staying just where you
want it, think about holding that water bottle between your feet or knees
----stay low mind you because the filtering tubes are not very long and
if you move too much, things pop loose. Think about filtering your water
during the rain or worse an impending electrical storm.  Not all water
sources offer optimum "seating" for the hiker, in fact most don't. Just
>from our experience, the Pur Hiker worked perfectly and we were finished
in far less time than most other hikers. Never had a problem, never had a
clog, never had anything go wrong and we were filtering water for two
people (occasionally for other hikers too who had broken filters or whose
filters pumped too slowly).

Nexmo
Kathy Kushman



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