*My great adventure* - "I think it's a good idea...

That looks EPIC. i wish you all the best and enjoy every second of it that is a once in a lifetime thing to do for 6 months :)
 
Suggestion re gadgets..

You talk of mp3 players, gps trackers, phones, battery chargers etc..

Would ONE smartphone not do all this?

Also there is absolutely no way the batteries needs mains 240v for charging, that's just the package you get the charger in. It WILL be rectified down to just above whatever voltage the batteries are. It will say this on the charger (Input 240v - Output 1.4v @0.3 amps or something like that)
Use a solar charger to charge a power pack and then charge your other devices in order of importance from this when necessary.

http://www.trekitt.co.uk/powermonkey-explorer-grey.ir?cName=all-brands-powertraveller&src=froogle
 
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ticklemebougy said:
Not my sorta thing but looks great :)

best of luck to you both and i hope you don't get too many blisters :D:p
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Hopefully no blisters! As long as we look after our feet we should hopefully be ok. We will be using 2 pairs of socks; 1 for the daytime that will get wet and sweaty, and 1 pair that is only used for sleeping in that are kept dry all the time. That way I avoid thinks like trench foot. I will also be using things like Hydropel and Anti Monkey Butt powder to avoid chafing and hot spots. Then if hot spots do occur, plenty of Magnesium Oxide tape will be used to tape the feet up.

The more likely injuries will be stress injuries to knees and legs.

TheOtherOption said:
Wish you all the best! Sounds like something I would love to do - just not sure who I'd go with!

Flying out to San Diego on Friday 13th (according to your itinerary) sounds good ;)
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Hehe, yeah maybe not the best date to fly. My last day at work also happens to be another Friday 13th! :eek:

Fuzz said:
Suggestion re gadgets..

You talk of mp3 players, gps trackers, phones, battery chargers etc..

Would ONE smartphone not do all this?

Also there is absolutely no way the batteries needs mains 240v for charging, that's just the package you get the charger in. It WILL be rectified down to just above whatever voltage the batteries are. It will say this on the charger (Input 240v - Output 1.4v @0.3 amps or something like that)
Use a solar charger to charge a power pack and then charge your other devices in order of importance from this when necessary.

http://www.trekitt.co.uk/powermonkey-explorer-grey.ir?cName=all-brands-powertraveller&src=froogle
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We are taking a smartphone, which is what is providing the gps tracking and updating of our blog. As for MP3 players, both me and my wife will be wanting music independently, so we need 2 players, ie our Sansa Clip+ which weight hardly anything. The batteries also last a lot longer than the smartphone would (and I want to conserve the phone batteries for blog updating).

As for cameras, we are both photographers, so a decent camera is our one luxury. I couldn't settle for using a camera phone. We both have Olympus Micro Four thirds cameras which are smallish but provide great quality, and will do video as well.

I wish I could take my full DSLR setup, but that weighs far too much!

I know the camera battery chargers don't actually use 240V, but there is no easy way that I know of to supply the charger (PS-BCS1) with the 8.4V DC that it requires without potentially damaging the batteries. If you have any suggestions, I am all ears!
 
I haven't really read the whole thread, but 5 pairs of shoes... you won't be carrying them all, always will you?
 
Messiah Khan said:
I know the camera battery chargers don't actually use 240V, but there is no easy way that I know of to supply the charger (PS-BCS1) with the 8.4V DC that it requires without potentially damaging the batteries. If you have any suggestions, I am all ears!
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After I posted this, I started wondering if it was actually possible to charge the camera batteries directly via DC rather than having to go from mains. Looks like I might have a solution;

You can buy 3rd party BLS-1 chargers that also take 12V DC in, in the form of a car charger. Simply, hook this up to a '6.5W Folding Solar charger MMP4' that outputs 12V at 433mA, which if my calculations are correct, would charge 1 camera battery in about 2.5 hours in the sun. Solar panel weighs 200g, and the charger maybe 100g. That might be a weight I can put up with! The solar charger also comes with a USB adapter, or the camera charger also includes a USB out.

Any reasons why this idea wouldn't work? If I could then in turn use a camera battery to charge my phone or mp3 player via usb, all my power problems would be solved. It would mean I could spend the daytime charging up all the camera batteries. Then at night time some of the batteries could be used to charge the rest of the kit. :)

Jono said:
I haven't really read the whole thread, but 5 pairs of shoes... you won't be carrying them all, always will you?
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Nope. We will be using a 'bounce box' to post various bits of kit, like spare shoes forward to resupply towns. :)
 
As a slight update to this thread, we now have our PCTA permits! :D This is the paperwork that allows us to pass through all the various national parks and wilderness areas. We are now waiting to hear back about our Canada entry form, then all the paperwork is complete!

As for equipment, our living room is now resembling something between an outdoor shop and Everest basecamp;

iejb6u.jpg


That is just some of the kit. We now also have a new rucksacks in the form of a F-Stop Satori EXP and Osprey Ariel. The custom made ones were great in terms of the features and build quality, but the weight transfer just wasn't right unfortunately. The new rucksacks will give us more confidence when handling heavy weights.

We have also treated ourselves to some luxuries. Firstly, I have decided to take a solar charger. I managed to find a 6.5W, fold-able solar panel that is the right size to fit on the front of the rucksack. This then delivers 12V DC to a camera battery charger that takes 12V DC in, while also supplying USB power out. According to my calculations, under full sun 1 camera battery can be charged in 2.5-3 hours. Hopefully this means that all our power needs are covered.

Our other luxury are down socks with silnylon overcovers. This means that we will have toasty feet at night, but lso be able to wear them around camp without them getting wet. I love down! :)
 
I'm jealous of the F-stop! Did you get it imported from the US or find a UK supplier? I'm also intrigued as to why you went with a camera bag (admittedly designed for walking) rather than a second Osprey for weight saving (you only have a limited amount of camera kit don't you?


The great thing about drop boxing is that if you decide something (say solar panel) is too much of a luxury you can post it on.

EDIT: Have you used the F-stop in anger yet? What's it like compared to the Osprey (I have the Atmos 35 which I use for multi day trips), I've been tempted by an F-stop for years but as I've never been able to try before I bought never taken the plunge.
 
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King4aDay said:
Link to the socks please? :p
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https://goosefeetgear.com/products/1-down-socks
https://goosefeetgear.com/products/2-waterproof-over-booties

Yeah, baby! :D Think I have just been stung with import duties on them now though!

Amp34 said:
I'm jealous of the F-stop! Did you get it imported from the US or find a UK supplier? I'm also intrigued as to why you went with a camera bag (admittedly designed for walking) rather than a second Osprey for weight saving (you only have a limited amount of camera kit don't you?


The great thing about drop boxing is that if you decide something (say solar panel) is too much of a luxury you can post it on.

EDIT: Have you used the F-stop in anger yet? What's it like compared to the Osprey (I have the Atmos 35 which I use for multi day trips), I've been tempted by an F-stop for years but as I've never been able to try before I bought never taken the plunge.
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F-Stop now have an EU warehouse, so it comes from Holland I think.

I went with the F-Stop as I already have an F-Stop Loka (in Black), and I love it! It is one of the best thought out and made rucksacks I have ever owned, never mind it being a camera bag. I also know that I find it comfy etc, so I thought I would just go for it's bigger brother, the Satori EXP (in 'Grey Mist').

It is about the right size, although I may be pushing it for size a little bit on some of the longer resupply sections, but Sarah may have to take some fo the bulky stuff, while I take the heavier food etc. It isn't actually that heavy at all considering the size and features. It comes in at 1.8Kg, which is actually lighter than a lot of Osprey/Deuter/Lowe Alpine sacks etc. It also has the back panel access, making everything easy to get to. And finally it has the really nice gatekeeper strap system for attaching sleeping mats and tent.

Seriously, if you are considering a F-Stop bag, then just get one! You won't be disappointed. I would never go back to a Lowepro camera again. They are expensive, but as I say they are also the best bags I have ever used. :)
 
Is it possible to take a bike along the same paths you will be using ? Would appeal a lot more to me. Surely all the benefits of walking but with the benefits of being able to freewheel/take a seat

Edit- just seen your earlier reply for the above

A shame :( Maybe il have to take a donkey :D
 
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Messiah Khan said:
As a slight update to this thread, we now have our PCTA permits! :D This is the paperwork that allows us to pass through all the various national parks and wilderness areas. We are now waiting to hear back about our Canada entry form, then all the paperwork is complete!

As for equipment, our living room is now resembling something between an outdoor shop and Everest basecamp;

iejb6u.jpg


That is just some of the kit. We now also have a new rucksacks in the form of a F-Stop Satori EXP and Osprey Ariel. The custom made ones were great in terms of the features and build quality, but the weight transfer just wasn't right unfortunately. The new rucksacks will give us more confidence when handling heavy weights.

We have also treated ourselves to some luxuries. Firstly, I have decided to take a solar charger. I managed to find a 6.5W, fold-able solar panel that is the right size to fit on the front of the rucksack. This then delivers 12V DC to a camera battery charger that takes 12V DC in, while also supplying USB power out. According to my calculations, under full sun 1 camera battery can be charged in 2.5-3 hours. Hopefully this means that all our power needs are covered.

Our other luxury are down socks with silnylon overcovers. This means that we will have toasty feet at night, but lso be able to wear them around camp without them getting wet. I love down! :)
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Looking good. Must be fun with all the planning.


Be sure to try out your ice axes in a good mix of conditions before you go. I had a look at a few Camp ALU ice axes and tried a few form friends, but decided against them and use a black diamond Raven pro ultra which has a full steal head. The problem with Alu axes and crampons is that there is a very fine line between conditions that require the use of the ax/crampons where Alu is sufficient, and where Alu becomes insufficient and you need real steel. This is a very narrow window, and you need to be somewhat of an expert to know when using Aluminium is safe and viable, you also need to have lots more experience when using Alu gear to know its weaknesses.

Most guides I have spoken to in the alps tell clients to avoid aluminum gear because of these issues. Their view is that it is better to have 2 choices: decided everything is safe enough without any ice gear, or go for a full steel set, and potentially adding snow anchors, 30m rope and ice screws for protection. I tend to follow the same rules, either either decide before hand that not ice gear is needed and if conditions turns out worse than expected I change the route/plan, or I take my steel gear.



I also don't see any crampons in the photo. For me if I wanted to go light and didn't want to take both crampons and ice axe I would favor the crampons. The axe doesn't stop you falling typically, just tries to stop you plummeting to your death. Crampons actually prevent you from falling in the first place. I then tend to rely on ski poles for self-arrest if crampons did fail. I just hate walking on steep icy terrain with only a an axe in hand. in fact, I wont do it without crampons after seeing a friend go for a long slide unable to get his axe into the hardpack.

However, a lot of the benefits for crampons ma not exist on the PCT. When i'm in the mountains I often have to cross glaciers, where an ice axe is useless and crampons in valuable. Even if you fall into a crevasse, the standard ice-axes are useless to try to help with your extraction, they wont bite in blue ice and are simply designed for self-arrest on steep snow fields.
Good crampons will allow you to help climb out of a cevasse (providing you are roped up and being simultaneously pulled out. Furthermore, I often end up doing mixed snow-ice-rock climbing to reach summkits, nothing highly technical but 3rd and 4th class scrambling in winter conditions. Here crampons are invaluable in climbing.


what you may be interested in is a BD Whippet.
http://www.backcountry.com/black-diamond-whippet-self-arrest-ski-pole
basically a ski pole with a small light ice-axe like head. This combined with good crampons will see me cover most non-technical alpine terrain.
 
beachBOYken said:
Good luck on your adventure ,hope you have a great time.

Just noticed it looks like you have 8 pairs of walking boots , do you need that many?:eek:
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It's actually 12 pairs! :D That's 6 pairs each, and yup, we will probably get through at least 4-5 of those. Trail running shoes are much lighter and better for your feet, but they do also wear out much easier than a heavy boot.

D.P. said:
*snip*
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Thanks for that lengthy post, but don't worry the safety gear is well considered. The times we will need either crampons or iceaxes on the PCT will be minimal (especially if the snow level stays super low this year as it is so far). There are just a couple of tricky passes where an iceaxe isn't essential, but does give that extra level of insurance. This is why I want with the alu Camp Corsa Nanotec, as it will spend 99% of the time on the rucksack.

As for crampons, if you look at the top left of the photo, there are 2 boxes of microspikes. Full crampons are overkill for what we need (And wouldn't fit our shoes) but the microspikes may come in handy for the said passes, as well as snowfield crossing in the mornings/evenings when the snow is harder.

If the snow stays as low as it is at the moment though, we might not need the iceaxe or crampons at all. It will mean much easier and faster passage through the Sierras, and hopefully lower river levels, but at the expense of drinking water levels in the drier stretches.

As long as we prepare for every eventuality, we should be ok.

freebooter said:
Wow, that is a lot of kit:eek: Perhaps you need to take some inspiration from Grandma Gatewood :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandma_Gatewood

Sounds like a fantastic trip. Hope you post updates as you go.
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Hehe. Yeah, we could go a bit more minimalist, but it is tricky to strike the right balance between going ultra light weight and minimalist, and being comfortable and safe. As we will pass through so many different environments and weather conditions we need clothing and equipment to cater for them all.

Updates will be available via my website;

www.afowler.co.uk/adventures/

:)
 
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