"I'll say good job when you get this done, but in the end, you're probably the only person who will really understand what you went through or give a darn. Make yourself happy. Don't take shortcuts if you can't live with them, but that ought to be the only concern."

+1 Couldn't have said it better.

Not to get too colorful, but chafing becomes a bit of a problem after 15 miles or so. I'm sure people must have strategies for this other than just dealing with it. Any suggestions?

Bodyglide... mmmm

better than sex

An indelicate subject perhaps but a fact of life. Several steps to take:

-Slim down. I almost always chafe around my (urrhmm) booty after 30 or so miles. When I'm especially lean this is less of a problem.

-Patagonia lightweight capilene boxer briefs. One of the best inventions ever. These wick sweat and prevent chaffing (for me!) much better than the mesh liner found in many running type shorts. I cut the liner out of all mine years ago.

-Short shorts! Ventilation and cool (ie less sweaty) legs and what not are a very good thing. On big hikes I wear shorts until it gets pretty darn cold.

-Bodyglide is your friend. REI sells it in little, personal sized sticks just like a deodorant stick. Easy to carry, easy to apply, effective. Use it early and often. For ultra races and big days, I apply a generous coat to the relevant areas before I even get on the trail. Petroleum Jelly and Desitin also work, but not as well and are rather messy to use.

Edited by DaveC on 02/09/2010 20:23:07 MST.

"Bodyglide... mmmm

better than sex"

Huh? ;}

Something ye old geezers don't get.

Nate, I wanted to mention this a few days ago when I first read this thread, but I got sidetracked.

You mentioned that your toes hurt a little after 10 miles or so, from jamming in the front of your shoes? I would say for sure you need to go up a half size in your shoes. When I trained for my first marathon, I thought that my shoes fit perfectly until I started hitting the teens for mileage, at which point I discovered the joy of the black toenail. fit definitely needs to be your first priority, and you need to break the shoes in somewhat before the big event. There are ways to lace your shoes that help keep your heel locked back as well

chafing? definitely Bodyglide, I put in anywhere that I chafe. Be sure to wear the same shirt and shorts/underwear for training that plan on wearing when you do your hike, you often find spots that chafe after long miles that you didn't know about previously.

Food, just a word of advice, if you use gels, you might want to stay away from caffeinated ones, they always send me looking for a bathroom.

River crossing: well, anyone who pooh-poohs your effort because you didn't risk getting decapitated by a boat's prop needs to grow up. That being said, how about bringing a seylor trail boat (much cheaper than an alpacka) and paddling across the river? you could ditch it on the other side (have a friend pick it up later)and as a bonus, you get to look ridiculous, running through the woods with a couple of paddle blades sticking out of your pack.

best of luck!

My 18th wedding anniversary is coming up, What have I been missing!?

I've used Under Armour boxer-briefs in the past with some success, but apparently they're not cutting it anymore. I'll check out the Patagonias. Any other suggestions? Seems like a lot of people use merino.

I'll be picking up one of those bodyglide sticks today.

And Josh, I'll definitely be going up a half size with my next pair of shoes. This other pair is just about to wear out, so I'm trying to get it through the last of the winter season and then I'll pick up the new ones.

I've been looking around but still haven't decided on a model yet. I figure that being a bigger guy, I need some cushioning for the longer miles I'll be doing, but light weight is pretty important as well. I'm thinking maybe the La Sportiva Wildcats. I'll probably start a thread on this in the next week or two; there's no beating the information that people on this forum have.

Edited by Knaight on 02/10/2010 06:11:41 MST.

I switched last year to EMS TechWick boxer-briefs, after a very extensive search to replace my tattered underarmor! I think they turned out to be the cheapest tech fabric undies I could find and I have to say, the quality and durability is excellent, and I have not had any issues with chaffing or lost elasticity. I think they're a better fit (for me, anyway) than the underarmors. Unfortunately, they were only available in black or silver, so my normal neon green or orange color choices were a little restricted. Ah, well, we have to make compromises in the spirit of ultralight, I suppose. ;-)

On recommendation from this site, I bought the Under Armour briefs and have been testing them just doing some walking, they seem to completely protect my thighs in the area where I used to get chaffing and are very comfortable. My wife thinks their sexy too, so that's a bonus!

I used UA drawers cause they dri quickly and figured that'd be most important in that area. But MAN they can get to smellin. Around town and on the avg day I wear smartwools and over the years I have worn holes ion the crotch of a few pair. Baseball size holes... So I'm gonna wear them hiking- I think its the best of both (or all three) Comfort, no smell, AND ventilation.

My wife calls me 'the eccentric hiker' cause I have pants rolled up, fly unzipped, visor on with a bandanna covering the top of my head. (yellow bandanna at that)

Am I the only person in the world that feels like underarmor slaps their decal on any generic chinese product and triples the price? Price is not always the best indicator of quality either.

Do you live near the AT, Mt. Greylock, perhaps? Fill up your pack with fifty pounds of water (or less!) run up hill on trail. Dump out the weight at the top. Do that for several consecutive days. That's what Dave at Mt. Rogers Outfitters in Damascus, VA did to prepare for high altitude hikes in the Andes. It worked.

For gear and other tips visit:

http://www.andrewskurka.com/

I think Andrew hiked 190 miles of the HSR in 7 days or so, and that is mostly no trails.

Edited by rambler on 02/10/2010 12:11:55 MST.

I actually am fortunate enough to live at the base of a small mountain, a few hundred feet from a hiking trail that links with the long distance trail I plan to hike. The mountain has a state park on it with 20 miles of interlocking trails, so between that and the Metacomet-Monadnock trails, the hiking possibilities feel nearly endless.

I've been doing nearly daily runs and hikes up there; have accumulated somewhere between 35 and 40 miles so far this month. Pretty happy with that total since it's what I usually do on a monthly basis and I've managed to do it all in ten days. I was doing this with a pack until my dog chewed off the alligator clip on my hipbelt. I have a new one on the way from Golite, but am just hiking with a Camelbak in the meantime.

Although I've been doing these hikes and runs with 15-20 lbs instead of 50, it definitely makes a difference. Running those hills with a 20 lbs pack is pretty intense.

"Something ye old geezers don't get."

Huh??

"Fill up your pack with fifty pounds of water (or less!) run up hill on trail. Dump out the weight at the top. Do that for several consecutive days."

Run uphill with 50#??? Several consecutive days???

I am skeptical, to put it mildly.

That IS NOT good for your body.

Anyone who can run up a real mountain carrying 50 lbs is a freaking animal. I couldn't begin to do that even before I gave up running.

Hiking up a mountain carrying a bunch of water, then dumping it and descending, that is good stuff. My favorite form of training, actually. Just did it this evening (with an esbit powered green tea break at the summit), in fact. I also carried 20 lbs of climbing gear round trip, you need weight to train the "down" muscles too, but that demands a more conservative buildup.

"Hiking up a mountain carrying a bunch of water, then dumping it and descending, that is good stuff. My favorite form of training, actually."

+1