Relief

What you need is a figure 9 carabiner. Its adjustable and even a simple knot will secure this carabiner. http://www.botachtactical.com/nicafi9.html

Some say its does not need to be refrigerated at all and will last indefinitely (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-summer-sausage.htm). Some say its will last six weeks (http://www.hoptechno.com/booksausage.htm) in the pantry. This site also indicates the bacterium E. coli can survive the drying process. I highly doubt your particular sausage would have E. coli but hiking up the other side of the canyon would not be fun with food poisoning. I say strap on your sausage filled pantry and give it a try.

I am also a runner and it does come up often in running circles. When training it’s not uncommon to build up to several 15 and 20 mile runs gearing for one race. Some do more than one race a year so you can imagine injuries are common with that much repetitive behavior. Shoes, or boots in your case, seem to be key. Even new runners go to running shops for their shoes and select shoes, with help, ideal for their feet. I always select from the stability line. Once you have a brand and style you can spend 4.5 hours running in without injury, it’s important to replace them when the cushioning compresses enough to become ineffective. Runners end up spending about $130 every year or so on shoes. I would take a break and let some of the inflammation subside if you are having pain. While resting, retire those army boots and find a quality pair of light, comfortable, hiking boots that provide stability, and the right amount of cushioning. Merrell’s are popular but don’t get anything too expensive because you may want to replace them sooner than later. The surfaces you hike on can also slow your recovery. Stay away from hard surfaces even when not hiking. Minimize your boldering, evening walks on cement sidewalks, window shopping at the indoor malls . Even standing on hard surfaces can cause inflammation. They make an ITB strap that can help with your recovery, and once you have little to no pain they say you should keep up with the stretching. Several runners I know also use a roller, which they say helps to keep ITB from returning.

I taught canoeing classes for the American Red Cross and one of the days was dedicated to knots. The concept was that driving your canoe to the river safely is as important as knowing how to canoe. The knot we used most was the Trucker's Knot Shiraz-mataz mentioned. This video shows you how. http://www.expertvillage.com/video/14327_knot-trucker.htm Its easy to learn, fast to tie, always holds, and you can get it untied relatively easily. If you still don’t want to use knots you could consider visiting a climbing store. They may have something such as a carabineer you could use.