High Sierra Topix

Believe it or not a bad case of diarrhea be very dangerous in the backcountry

Oh I do know that. Last year on day 19 of my trip I got a mild case of diarrhea and it took every bit of energy I had. I was nearly ready to collapse on the trail from being so weak but managed to push on. My TP ran out though and that was no fun! That was why I spent 2 days in Mammoth so I could fully recover.

All the suggestions are good but even if I could get some antibiotics I think I might be allergic to penicillin.

The kit does come with two butterfly closures.

Carrying an ice axe is not going to do much good unless you can actually use it. There are many techniques that are not intuitive. Although learning from an experienced person is best, reading about how to use an ice axe is better than nothing. I think "Mountaineering, Freedom of the Hills" has a very good chapter on snow travel and ice axe use. You may be able to find this in a library. I bet you can find some good information on the internet too. And once you have read stuff, go out and practice. Understand that techniques of stopping yourself with an iceaxe are based on using an ice axe climbing - NOT carrying a full pack. It is VERY difficult to ice-axe arrest with a fully loaded pack on your back. I find trekking poles actaully better for keeping me from falling in the first place. Do not become over-confident just because you have an ice axe in hand. Same with crampons. They actually make stopping yourself more difficult once you fall, even though they are good at keeping you from falling.

Rope- be sure your rope or cord has the strength required for the task. I find parachute cord fine for lowering my pack, but it is not strong enough for me to lower myself on. "clothesline" is not good. You can go to a climbing store and get any length cut of nylon cording- anywhere from parachute cord diameter to 9 mm.

Towel- I would trade the towel for two bandanas that could also double for bandages.

First aid- Take first aid gear appropriate to your training. I really take very little first aid gear- ace bandage, roll of tape, needle (to extract slivers), benydrell (or similar for any odd-ball allergic reaction), advil or tylonol (more as needed if you get a fever than as a pain reliever), some pills that stop you up if you get diareha, 2 multi-purpose bandanas, nail clippers (when out a long time, it is very important to keep nails trimmed and avoid hangnails- this small anoyance can become a serious problem, as fully functioning feet and hands are very important) . You need not carry tons of pills - just a few and they weigh so little. I just wash wounds with water. My experience is that I do not get infections easily in the outdoors. I sterilize the needle befor using by holding it under a flame. Often I have to get slivers or ticks out and the needle is great. I do not use tweezers- I have good fingernails. I also take one sheet of moleskin - rarely use it but it has more than once allowed me to continue walking many more miles. First aid gear is very useful to prevent small stuff from becoming serious problems so it really aids you in your travels. Hand and feet hygiene is very important- although not "first aid" gear, think about taking a small tin of pure lanoline to keep your hands from drying out and cracking. Lately, I have become a fan of wearing light garden gloves while hiking. But if you have done trail maintenance, you know all about gloves and protecting hands.

Compass - I have not carried a compass in 15 years and never missed it. You need excellent map reading ability and a good sense of direction. Really keep track of your location. Stop and figure things out before you get so far off you are lost.

5-toe waders- a bit heavy. I use crocks most the time and simply wade in my hiking shoes if the crossing is really tough. I find that in a really swift crossing I want a laced-on shoe. My hiking shoes usually dry quite quickly anyway so do not be afraid of getting shoes wet if it is needed to stay safe during crossings.

You have CHOSEN to trade comfort and safety gear (more warm clothing) for your "hobby" gear - camera gear and journal -trip recording stuff. I make no judgement of that. It is your trip. You will be coming out now and then to resupply. Your gear list is not set in stone. Nothing wrong with adding or deleting something half-way through your trip. Take enough cash (or credit card) so that you can buy gear if needed. Also, gear does wear out. Be aware that shoes can fall apart - duct tape and super-glue is great for temporary fixes.

The rope I bring for a clothesline is certainly strong enough to lower my pack on. I did get it from a climbing store and it was the smallest they had but it's larger then parachute cord. Since I have only ever used it for a clothesline I should replace it with something smaller to be lighter.

I'm not sure how great two bandannas would be to dry your whole body after a shower. I have to use it at the resorts also.

First aid- Take first aid gear appropriate to your training.

My knowledge of first aid is fairly rudimentary. As mentioned I never go to any doctors or take any medications so my knowledge of them is basic. I have been certified in basic first aid and CPR but anyone who has taken that knows it doesn't amount for much.

I do bring nail clippers.

My experience is that I do not get infections easily in the outdoors.

That's not surprising since the Sierra is so clean.

Dry hands is generally not a problem I have. I do tend to wear gloves as I hike for mosquito and sun protection but near the end of my hike last year I didn't wear them as much. You get a good tan and no longer burn and no winged demons to bite you.

As for feet I tend to try and let them cool off when I take breaks by taking off my boots and I wash daily. I tend to keep up on personal hygiene a bit more then I see from most hikers while on the trail. That's why I take 3 socks and shirts so I can change them daily and then do laundry every other day. Most guys I run across don't even bother wearing deodorant while in the back country but I still do!

5-toe waders- a bit heavy. I use crocks most the time and simply wade in my hiking shoes if the crossing is really tough. I find that in a really swift crossing I want a laced-on shoe. My hiking shoes usually dry quite quickly anyway so do not be afraid of getting shoes wet if it is needed to stay safe during crossings

Yeah they are a bit heavy and I did think of going with something lighter like crocks but they are far more functional then crocks would be. My boots are full grain leather and goretex so it's unlikely they will dry very fast especially if the crossing I get them wet on is late in the day.

You have CHOSEN to trade comfort and safety gear (more warm clothing) for your "hobby" gear - camera gear and journal -trip recording stuff. I make no judgement of that. It is your trip. You will be coming out now and then to resupply. Your gear list is not set in stone. Nothing wrong with adding or deleting something half-way through your trip. Take enough cash (or credit card) so that you can buy gear if needed. Also, gear does wear out. Be aware that shoes can fall apart - duct tape and super-glue is great for temporary fixes.

It's not so much trading it as I judge what I have to be sufficient. Last year being out from July 10th to September 18th I used my down jacket for warmth a total of 0 times. Even at Lake South America when it was 15F and the wind was blowing 40MPH I only had on my rain shell and it was warm enough. My legs don't tend to ever feel cold. Also if things did get very cold I would have 3 shirts I could layer up on.

Your right though that as time goes on I will send stuff home I don't need. Buying gear will be a possibility the whole way since I plan to have at least 1500 dollars while on the trail. If I last until October and decide I need some thermals there are a couple locations I could probably pick up some.

The shoes is what I worry about wearing out the most. I bought the vioz GT boots because I think their design is likely to last longer because they don't have stitching all over them. The last two years I used Merrell boots and both times within a week on the trail holes were forming where stitching failed.

Yes, Merrells are really comfortable shoes, and I love my Merrells, but they do wear out FAST! Unfortunately you really do not know how your boots will wear until you just go out and use them. Less stitching is better. Soles can be problems - I have seen them just laminate off the shoe. Very few long lasting boots are made nowadays. In an emergency you could walk out in your 5-toe waders.

As for bandanas for towels- I always wash my undershirt when I take a dip, so I also use the undershirt to dry off with (in addition to the bandanas), then wash the undershirt. I do not get entirely dry but the wind quickly finishes the job. Just a suggestion.

With a trip as long as you are taking, you may get some good information from the PCT web sites. These folks have a good idea of how long shoes last, etc. And they really have all the resupply points in the Sierra figured out.

http://www.trailforums.com/peakindex.cfm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I am not sure this is the best long-distance forum, but it is worth a try.

Rogue writes "Buying gear will be a possibility the whole way since I plan to have at
least 1500 dollars while on the trail."
Rogue, not something you should really publicize.

Lol get mugged on the trail. No worse then when I would tell people my camera cost 5000 dollars last year.

Rogue wrote "Lol get mugged on the trail." Glad to see I can humor you, but on the
real tip, why did you buy your 5D if your not going to take on such a great trip?
Yeah, yeah it weights more, so, are really going to be happy with the quality of the
files of the point and shot compared to your large frame camera?
With a trip like that you can put together a great coffee table book on SEKI with those
files from your 5D, not to mention some quality 24x36 prints, with good technique.
If you spent that much money on it than you must have a passion for it, and will be
disappointed that you did not decide to take it.
Just take the 24-105 with it, and your set.

Yeah I don't like the idea of not taking it after I did the last two years but my trip is going to be hard enough as it is without 7 more pounds of camera gear. The Canon G12 hopefully wont dissapoint. With better wide angle I have got more into using Microsoft ICE all the time to get the shot I want.

I only have the 24-70MM with the 5D2 though.

I'm sure if I did take it I would be the only person to ever have done the Sierra High Route with one.

The 24-70 is a great lens for indoor, low light sports photography, wedding photography
and photojournalism, but a bit heavy for backpacking.
It is 2.1 lbs, compared to the 1.5 lbs of the 24-105, that also has IS.
Why not just pick up a used one on e-bay or FredMiranda.com.
I take my 1DS Mark 3, 17-40, 24-105, 100-400, multi-row pano gear, and accessories
all over the Sierra, and know I would regret not taking it, the IQ of a smaller point
and shoot would simply not compare.
I would probably be happy with the 24-105 and my pano gear for a long trip like this.
Now, if your plan is to just share your photo's with family, post on the web, and smaller
prints up to 8x10, than never mind, but with 10 mega pixels your not working with a lot
and the smaller sensor doesn't help either.

Buying another lens would cost too much right now and I have already invested in the G12 so I might as well go with it. I've never really had much intention with my photos because I don't have anyone to show them to. I just throw them on FlickR and have never made prints before. My goal for Sierra photography has always been to capture all these locations in the best quality I can so all those that cannot get out there can enjoy the beauty and also to document the Sierra. If your like me and are wondering what an area looks like when your looking for trip ideas you will see a lake or so on the topo and search for it online. More often then not either you cannot find much on it or the photos you do find are of very poor quality. I love to document these locations in good quality for others research purposes. Every day people find my photos on FlickR by searching Google for different things in the Sierra.

I wouldn't mind making some posters some time but one print shop I talked to said it's about 60 dollars each so I haven't done any yet.