DeskJocky

I've had nothing but good things to say about my Leki poles. I've read some less then positive reviews about locks, but they appear to be easily serviceable. Pull them apart, give'em a good cleaning and re-lube. Speaking of which, I really need to get more use out of those poles. Still not enough snow for snow shoeing yet. Too cold for back packing for me.

Having beached hiked on Assateague island three times I can speak for experience. I've hiked with a full pack that started out weighing around 30 pounds. I would not hike in anything but mid-height boots. Why? They are high enough to keep out most sand and yet provide good good arch and ankle support. When walking on sand, arch support is the most important thing. When walking on the beach it is the easiest to find sand that is packed from the surf. You don't want the wet and hard sand or the really soft sand. If you sink a lot in the sand it will suck a lot of energy out of you. I have read where people equate walking 3 miles on dirt being equal to 1 mile in the sand. Take your time and go slow and enjoy your self. Talk lots of water and wear sunblock. You will get burned very easily.

Disney... If you are not happy about how you or others are being treated feel free to list your caches elsewhere. I know people who feel that way and have.

I may dust of the ole Garmin and go caching. I will be in the Inner Harbor area starting this weekend and I will be there for two weeks straight. I'm staying out at the BWI Airport district, so it is only a short light rail, car trip away.

I agree... Maybe someone spiked his Starbuck's when he wasn't looking. Either that or he has finally cracked.

If you want long hikes on the beach with no one around I highly suggest back country hiking AND camping down at Assateague Island. http://www.assateagueisland.com/ The VA side is foot traffic only. I hiked the VA to MD border twice and highly recommend it. I've only run into people on the first mile or so. After that you will probably not see anyone until you cross over into MD. The one time I did it during the week and ran into the NPS people and they just asked me if I was doing well and went about their business. No caches, but who needs an excuse for a very long walk on the beach.

People could brag how many hours a day they watch it... How about some hidden camera footage showing people playing dodge the muggle. Or driving into Wal-Mart and lifting the lamp skirt...

Nah, I'm just happy that the folks in New Jersey let us read and post in here...

So what was their complaint? Did you forget a courtesy wave or some other equally road offense that makes people go thru all this effort to remind you of your infraction?

Whoa, at almost 31 lbs I doubt I could take that backpacking. Maybe Brian would when he's out doing all his highly appreciated trail maintenance. You could set up some major trail magic in one of those... You maybe able to get a discount on those by contacting LL Bean and let them know they are for scouting.

The tents you have, are they still good? Do the seems just need sealed really good with some seam sealer? If they still are, you may be able to make your own rain flies. You can buy some sil-nylon that will work really well. It is also pretty cheap. If it works, it also gives a chance to use those sewing skills. Edit: Dolp! I see you tossed them out...

If you have to use a lot of force you have a problem. You probably have a kink in one of your hoses. Or your filter/pre-filter is clogged. Or, your pump needs a little lube. Anytime I had to put extra force into pumping it was due to a kink in the line.

I purchased a pair of Tubbs a few years ago, I believe they were 30" Mountaineer. I got them one sale for $100. They have the strap bindings which can be a pain. Over all I like them. I have used them a half dozen times. I plan on going out this weekend since we have had a few storms dump a decent amount of snow in the area. As with everything, borrow what you can before buying. Do any outfitters rent them in your area?

How should I proceed? Contact owner directly or make an SBA log? I don't want to pee anyone off, but the penalty for offense in the area is Arrest. Slap an SBA on it... I would also would refrain from using the word that rhymes with hiss and starts with a p. Keystone probably will remind you of that.

IBTL - Not so old school...

That isn't an easy question. It is what will work for you. I have a few sleeping bags. It all depends on what temperature he will be sleeping in. I have a off-brand 40 degree bag that isn't bad. I have a 20 degree Kelty bag that I like and I also have a 35 degree Western Mountaineering bag that I love. It all depends on how cold you sleep, if there is a chance your bag may get wet, your budget and a few other things that I can't easily think of. If there is a chance your bag will get wet, I wouldn't get a down bag; it will take longer to dry. Will it get very dirty and stinky? Look at the cleaning requirements. Can you sleep in a smaller bag? If so, get a mummy bag. You will save on weight. Full zipper of half zipper? Fulls are nice, but usually are heavier and cost more money and can be a pain sometimes. Do you want a hood for your head? I love that feature when it is cold. Only the top of my face is exposed. You can always get a colder bag (higher temperature rating) and augment that with more clothes when you sleep. Tents are the same way. Again, no easy recommendations. Free standing or a tent that requires staking. You planning on storing gear in your tent? If so get a bigger tent. If you plan on storing it outside, get a vestibule. Three seasons or four? Probably three. Do you need room to set up in your tent? I used a EMS Starlight for years. I just upgraded to a MSR Hubba-Hubba but I haven't had a bag night in it yet. I like to so far. I fit in it just fine, I can quickly set it up. I also is a free standing which enables me more options for placement.

Doesn't Penn State host a bunch of GIS information. After the holidays you could try giving them a ring. It may take a few tries and phone calls but you should be able to get the information.

I can feel your pain. I'm not the "average" hiker size wise. I'm 6'3" and 230. The straps on my Gregory Z pack work great for me. I can not figure out why every strap is about 6" longer than it needs to be. I joke that when I become a gram weenie that I am going to shorten them. I have a Camelback Cloud Walker(?) that I use as a day pack. It works pretty good and has taken *a lot* of abuse over the years and is in perfect condition with the exception of the dirt that is ground into it.

Packs are the same as any other commodity - watch the sales and clearance. Some great buys are out there if you're a little patient. There is some gear that you can cut corners on, others you cannot. A good pack will enable you to have a great trip; a bad pack will enable you to have a very bad trip. You would hate to blow the bottom or side out of your pack in the middle of the woods. I would highly recommend investing money in a good pair of shoes/boots/trail runners and not make your own. When buying a pack make sure you can fit all of your stuff in it. More importantly, make sure the pack fits you correctly. That is where a good outfitter can help.

I considered Hennessy Hammocks after reading a bunch about them. I have reservations about them being a colder sleep as opposed to a tent. To make of for this people use heavier sleeping bags or a hammock quilt. Also, being a bigger person 6'3" 220 I also need a bigger hammock. Start adding the ounces and it really isn't worth it for me to try a hammock out. I used a EMS Starlight tent for many years and loved it. Yes, it was a pain to stake all the time, but it work great and held up on very windy nights and in heavy rains. I recently bought a Hubba-Hubba so I could have a free standing tent. The weight is pretty darn good and I know people who have them and love them. I like room in my tent so I don't mind carrying extra weight of a 2 person tent.

I figure a good night's sleep is worth the extra coupla pounds over the Thermarest IV. If I can wake up without a backache, I can look forward to the whole day without a gripe. If I wake up with a backache, then I'm already fighting an uphill battle before I put on the backpack. I never used any type of sleeping bad until two years ago. Then I purchased a Thermarest Prolite 3 3/4 length. It is the best 13oz I carry. I sleep great with it, never had a problem. Some people may ask what I do about me feet hanging over the pad. I put my pack under then. I also wouldn't trade my Western Mountaineering sleeping bag for anything.

Yes, I do snowshoe. I only wish I did it more often. Because of the areas I snowshoe in tend to have some underbrush that get caught in my shoes I only go out with a good 8" or so of covering. I like to hike all year around. Real life ends to keep me from doing it. While I do wear gaiters I hate post holing above 4" or so of snow. To me it sucks too much energy out of me. Recommendations? Do it! Start small and see how much you can safely do in a time period. While I have hike 19 miles in one day with a full back, snowshoeing 5 miles with a full back pretty much kills me.

THAT would be beyond funny. I agree, that would be very, very funny. Heck, call them memorial caches and put them out there. Would it be like kicking the sand in the face of QM, sure. But, that would be the same attitude that the frog handed out bannishments to QM. (At least that is what I was told) If someone is up to the long hikes in the 'Cong there is nothing that would stop someone from doing exactly what you suggested.

We do not speak his name!! We refer to him as "He who must not be appenged" or at the very least "You know who". He has 40 caches available Right here on Navicache Including the anxiously awaited Burning Micro III I think they refer to him as "He who should not be named"

Yes, you could place a cache here, but why?