I headed back to Red Mountain Trail #1330 to do some solo trail maintenance, managing to clear about 10 downed trees (including one leaner) and brushing most of the first fifth or so of the trail. I didn’t quite make it to the first creek crossing but when the trail is as overgrown as it is I wasn’t expecting to even get that far. It poured rain on and off for the whole five hours with temps in the low forties which gave me a great opportunity to test out my gear in the rain. Also due to the rain I didn’t even bring my camera so no pics, so let’s just jump into the good stuff:
Gear
After last weekend’s visit I was noticeably uncomfortable due to the amount of perspiration that was building up (pooling, even) on my chest. Loose hiking shirts are great but if it isn’t touching your skin it isn’t wicking. After poking around a bit online I landed on the Stoic Merino Blend Alpine Performance Tank Top. I like tank tops because I run pretty hot while hiking and I need as much armpit ventilation as I can get. The Stoic performed perfectly, not only did it eliminate the sweat problem but I forgot that I was even wearing it. Later when I took off my soaked hiking shirt I noticed that the upper chest and lower sides of the tank top were actually dry, which was amazing. I also noticed some redness around the edges of the straps so I’m wondering if skin irritation might become an issue on multiday trips. Time will tell.
I brought along a hatchet because I thought it would be helpful chopping up logs. It never got used. Between the hand saw for logs and larger limbs or the loppers for anything under two inches I had everything covered. When the time came to pound in the kerf wedges I just borrowed a nearby rock.
Speaking of the kerf wedges, those things are really only useful for big, big logs. Otherwise your best bet is to properly angle your cuts around the load point with some undercutting to prevent binding near the end. I’m sort of making up the terms here as I go so I’ve just ordered a book on logging (and bucking, which is the term for cutting up logs/downed trees).
My Kuhl Kontra Air pants got completely soaked and yet despite being thinner than my Stretch Zions and also mostly made of cotton I never once got cold. Interesting. Same thing with my Wrangler Riata mostly-cotton shirt. I’m currently doing a second round of testing for drying times for various pieces of gear (cotton and synthetic) and I’m hoping to have the results posted up this weekend.
The combination of insulated Showa 491 gloves and orange nitrile gloves as a vapor barrier meant that my hands were also never cold.
My toes did get cold, apparently the vents on the tops of my XA Pro 3Ds are remarkably effective. To compensate I wrapped each foot in a large dog bag but they weren’t large enough, the bags got “sucked” down into my shoes and eventually were just balled up around my toes. I was hoping that I could make dog bags a multi-use item where they were both vapor barriers and part of my bathroom kit but I’m going to do some more experimentation before calling it quits and going back to bread bags.
I was pretty rushed for packing (the trip was a last-minute decision) and I was also a bit lazy since I figured it was just a day trip with no mileage expectations. As a result I got sloppy and put my snacks in the bottom of my Levity’s main compartment (which was basically empty) so I ended not eating anything at all. Lesson learned.
Chalk up another use for a foam sit pad: padding under your knees while sawing. Very comfortable!
The Sierra Designs Elite Cagoule has got to be the greatest rain jacket of all time. I’ve never been more comfortable while busting my ass for hours in the rain. This thing is a monster of breathability.
I made a note to double-check whether my Levity had drains in the side pockets or not since at one point I saw water beginning to build up inside one of them. There are drains (a metal grommet at the bottom of each one) so I’m assuming something I had stuffed into the pocket was blocking it.
In my rush to get going I forgot my Crocs (always nice to have something airy to put your feet into) as well as my baseball cap and sunglasses. Whoops. Need to add these to a pre-trip checklist. Actually, I’ve been thinking about writing an article on car preparation and equipment since almost everyone needs to drive to trail and back but nobody ever seems to talk about it.
Similarly, I forgot to take my credit cards out of my pocket and put them inside a dry bag. They got a just a bit damp so no big deal but again, sloppy.
My phone got drenched through my pants. I’m going to be carrying it in its own zipper bag from now on. Probably the most important take-away from the trip.
Finally, Crystal Light Peach Mango With Caffeine packets are my new favorite water additive. Not only is the flavor amazing (and it breaks up the dullness of drinking plain ol’ water all the time) but the packets make it easy to bring just the right amount and the caffeine keeps your energy levels up during the day.