Walking across England from the North Sea to the Irish Sea along Hadrian's Wall

[melensdad]

Last couple of walks have been totally uneventful, just a hair over 4 miles, average time is right at a pace of 20 min per mile. The closest thing to excitement in these walks is that today we ran upon a wayward horse that was then captured and put into a fenced area by someone who lived where the horse had come to visit??? Hopefully the owner will come by and claim his horse. In the mean time there is a stray horse on State Line Rd at roughly 151st street (Illinois side of the state line).


EQUIPMENT UPDATE:

SHOES ~ My Keen walking shoes are great for walking on the asphalt roadway but I find that I get an uncomfortable amount of heel shock when walking on grass. That seems very strange to me as grass should offer more cushioning. I cannot understand how a softer surface can transmit more shock to my heel but I've tried it several times along the road and the results are always the sae.

The lovely Mrs_Bob's wine purple Keen boots seem to be treating her well and giving her the needed ankle support that she requires.



CAMELBAK "Podium Chill" Water Bottles These bottles have been coming with us on the walks and I can NOT give them a great recommendation. Oh they pretty much work as advertised, they offer a layer of insulation, they do keep your water a little cooler. But no significantly so that it makes it worth the extra cost. Even tossing a couple ice cubes in the bottle doesn't really do much good, 60 minutes later the ice is melted and the water is tepid. The biggest benefit that I see with the "Chill" model Podium bottle is that the bottle doesn't 'sweat' in humid weather. But I'd simply say that the insulation on a walk is of marginal help and not worth the added $2.00.

But I will say that the CamelBak Podium valve system is a good system and is worth the money. The top of the bottle has a shut off that allows you to completely seal the bottle. But even if you leave the top in the 'open' condition the bottle does NOT leak. The system uses a silicon mouth piece that has a valve that opens and allows waterflow when you squeeze the bottle. But without pressure on the sides of the bottle the valve stays sealed enough that it will not drip or leak. This makes for simple one handed drinking, no need to pull open a valve, remove a cap, etc. Just leave the lock in the OPEN positiion and then put the bottle to your mouth and squeeze whenever you need a drink. So save a couple of $ and buy the standard CamelBak "Podium" bottle if you like this valve system.

 

[melensdad]

GEAR UPDATE: KOPPEN Convertible Hiking Pants

GEAR UPDATE: KOPPEN Convertible Hiking Pants

For casual wear in the summer, and for travel, I wear "convertible" lightweight hiking pants on a pretty regular basis. If you don't know, "convertible" pants have zip off legs that let you turn them into shorts by zipping off the legs.

The pants are also gusseted for plenty of room and free movement. They also have a fitted knee for free flex/movement. The one downside to these pants is that they come with a narrow 1" wide web belt and if you want to wear them with a gun belt you'll need to find a very narrow gun belt.

Like many of the newer high tech fabrics these pants claim to wick away perspiration to help keep you cooler.

This year has been a really bad year for TICKS around my property and I picked up a pair of these to try out. Liked them so much I went back and bought another pair this evening. The pants are made by KOPPEN, sold by DICK'S SPORTING GOODS and have a natural bug repellent incorporated into the fabric. While wearing these pants this summer I never got a tick on my, but I had several ticks climb on me while wearing other pants this year. Not sure if that is coincidence or if these pants actually work to repel insects. The tag claims the pants repel ticks, flys, gnats, etc etc

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Regardless of if the bug repellent is effective (they claim its good for 70 washings) the pants are very nice, very lightweight, quick drying casual pants. Good enough that I bought this second pair for my Hadrians Wall walk. The pants are a very tight nylon weave, its not waterproof, but it dries out quickly in the sun. I have not snagged the material so I'd consider it reasonably durable, despite its VERY LIGHT weight.

KOPPEN makes some nice shells, base layer shirts, rain pants and rain jackets. I've not tried any of their other items but I'm impressed enough with this brand that I may be trying some of their other products.

 

[melensdad]

Testing a Rain Jacket ... FAILURE!

GEAR UPDATE: RAIN JACKET FAILURE:

Looks like I'm due for a new rain jacket.

First off, I decided that my rainproof fishing jacket, with nice gore-tex is too heavy to carry and too large to compress.

So that had me digging around and I found an old lightweight jacket with a "rain proof" tag. I will not mention the brand because its at least a half dozen years old ... probably much older ... but I figured I'd try it anyway. Took a Tupperware bin and slipped it under the fabric. Poured a bit of water on the fabric. Walked away. Came back a little while later and the water had started leaking through slowly. So that jacket is a no go.

Off to search for a packable rainPROOF jacket. I'll settle for rain resistant pants, but I want a rainproof jacket.


---------


As for the walking, we are regularly doing 4 mile trips on the hilly land around the property, mostly walking on the roadway. Looking forward to the fall when the crops come in and we can walk along the river behind us and some of the tractor paths. We do take a couple days off (never in a row). We did map out two different 5 mile routes with the little Garmin GPS and will be pushing up to that point. Biggest problem is finding the time! Fall fencing season at the high schools is starting up soon and both my wife and I coach at one school, plus I also volunteer at another school, and I work at the fencing club too. So its going to be hard to fit in 4 or 5 miles walks.

 

[Dirty Steve]

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts,...lightweight rainproof.....look at the stuff from Marmot, Mountain Hardwear and the REI Brand. The REI Brand is not that expensive and works well.

Dirty Steve

 

[melensdad]

As I mentioned in one of my earlier posts,...lightweight rainproof.....look at the stuff from Marmot, Mountain Hardwear and the REI Brand. The REI Brand is not that expensive and works well.

Dirty Steve

I'm hoping to get up to the REI, Coldfire and Mission Bay stores in Chicago this weekend to look for a couple rainproof packable jackets. Despite being in Chicago, there are actually a few good hiking/outdoor stores up there. If not then I know that the local Dick's store sells North Face (not my favorite), Columbia, Koppen and a couple other brands.

 

[melensdad]

LINK to my thread about the Hiking Poles that I am testing out, and will probably take on the hike across England (Includes lots of Photos) => https://www.indianagunowners.com/fo...e-trekking-poles-when-they-hike-backpack.html

I've only got a short time using these polls, I plan to write a more exhaustive review of the poles after a couple more weeks of use.

 

[melensdad]

Had my second dog attack while walking yesterday. Unlike the first time, when a large aggressive German Shepard Dog approached my wife and I, this time I was walking alone and saw a guy on his porch, a large Boxer and a small old fat Pug. The guy and I shout greetings to each other as his home is well off the roadway. Then I start to hear him commanding "Ollie" to stay and I figure he is commanding the big Boxer. Next thing I know, the little Pug is out in the roadway, waddling his fatness up to me, he plops on the ground, goes belly up and waits for a belly rub. Meanwhile I'm keeping my eye on the boxer, who has followed the Pug but stopped at the edge of the yard to watch. Dog's owner comes out, we chat a bit, he picks up the lump of Pug and carries it back home.

If you are going to get "attacked" by a dog, this is the right way for it to happen!

MINI GEAR UPDATE: CamelBak Podium "big chill" bottles:
In other news, we are still using the CamelBak insulated Podium "big chill" bottles. We no longer bother to put a few ice cubes into them, they melt by the end of the walk anyway. Probably would hold them if we 1/2 filled the bottle with ice but what is the point? I'd rate it as a good idea but one that really doesn't work for us. If you want cold for an hour, this will do it. If you want cold for 2, 3 or 4 hours, forget it.

MINI GEAR UPDATE: Cabela's Mid-weight Hiking socks:
Hate these socks. Complained out them in a prior post where they bunch up a bit underfoot, the padded foot also tends to slide around as the piles are too loosely woven. Got my first blister today. I blame these socks. Should be noted that I have a pair of Cabela's lite hiking socks with their In-Genius design, that pair I really like, its nothing like their mid-weight sock.

Been pushing out to 5 miles with the walks.

HIKING POLE Revelations:
And I have made a discovery with the trekking poles. Other than they actually work to keep you upright, keep your airway open and lungs functioning better, other than having more energy at the end of every walk, therefore being able to walk farther, other than all that, they do take pressure off your legs.

Oh, and don't assume that both poles should be the same length. My left pole is set about 3/4" (2cm) shorter than my right pole. Seems to work out great that way. For me. For the lovely Mrs_Bob, she likes the poles the same length and likes them a bit longer than recommended (maybe an extra inch).

Overall I really like using the walking poles. The Mrs is still adapting. For her the jury is still out.

Went out early today and logged in another 4 miles. It was just starting to warm up when we departed the house at 8am, damn warm when we got back at 1:18 minutes later. If time permits we'll do it again this evening. I was wearing one of those cool fabric shirts that is supposed to wick away moisture and evaporate it. Probably works better if they are tight on your body, I had sweat running down my back.

 

[melensdad]

Gear Update ~ the first total rejection after testing:

Cabela's Mid-Weight Hiking Socks have just been relegated to the trash can. I will not use them for casual wear. I will not use them in the field. I will not hike in them. I'm done with them. They are trash. I complain about them every time I use them, sometimes you wonder if its the shoes, but I have issues EVERY time I wear these socks.



Gear Update ~ New Rain Jackets

I had hoped to get up to Chicago today and visit REI and a couple other outdoor stores but that was not to be. Best I could do was a trip to the strip mall and Dicks Sporting Goods. Melen came to help choose. Dicks has Columbia, North Face, Koppen and a few other brands from which too choose. I chose a Koppen rain jacket for me. Melen chose a very similar ladies version of the same brand for the lovely Mrs_Bob, who is off running other errands. Nice thing about the Koppen brand is that it was ON SALE :biggrin:

I've got some of their convertible hiking pants and am really happy with those, hopefully these jackets will be just as good. For $49 I think they should serve me well. Seams are tape sealed so water can't leak through the stitching. There is a toggle lock elastic cord at the waist so you can snug up the waist. There is another toggle lock and elastic cord to tighten the hood. The sleeves have adjustable velcro closures at the wrists and the elbows are articulated to allow for free movement. The full liner is an open mesh which should provide some ventilation. Pockets zip open/closed. On the downside, no internal pocket. Weight is right at about 1 pound.

Mine:

Mrs_Bob's:

The tag. You'll notice that the smaller tag says "PACKABLE" but I think that is a lie. Or, maybe an ancient Japanese Origami master can figure out how to fold this thing up. Apparently it is supposed to fold into its own LEFT pocket, the instructions were specific, LEFT not RIGHT. Not sure it will ever fit into its own pocket, but I did manage to pack mine into a fairly modest size ZipLock style bag.

 

[melensdad]

We have been down in Winston-Salem NC dropping our daughter off at college but that has not stopped us from walking. Sticking with our early morning (before sunrise) walking routine, we have been using some new headlamps. These are the SNOW PEAK "SNOW MINER" headlamps and they are pretty dorky looking, but are extremely well designed and serve a dual purpose.

This is the only headlamp that I found that was BOTH a headlamp and a tent/camp lantern.

There is a large 1.5" diameter silicone globe on the front of the headlamp, push the dome in to collapse it and you get a focused spotlight that easily throws a beam well out in front of you (claims 40 meters).

But squeeze the dome and restore it to its dome shape and the spot light turns into a soft glowing area light that will light your tent. A couple of these will light a small campsite. The light in this mode is easily bright enough to read a book by, and is diffused enough so that you don't go spot blind. It eliminates the need for a compact flashlight in the pack as it serves multi duties. One of the 2 adjustment clips on the headband includes an integrated hanging hook, so you can hang if from a rope, branch, etc.

It also has HIGH - LOW - STROBE capabilities. The single silicone encased button contols all functions. Push once for HIGH and again for OFF; push quickly TWICE for low and again for OFF. Push quickly 3 times and the warning strobe starts with a claimed 200 hour flash time. While on HI (80 lumens) and claims to burn for 55 hours with 3 (included) alkaline AAA batteries. Also, if you have it in HIGH mode you can push & hold the button and it will slowly DIM the bulb allowinly you to control the brightness, release at the desired brightness and it stays at that setting until you turn it off.

The integrated hinge allows you to angle the headlamp down and it has several (5) secure click stops so you can adjust it to project the beam exactly where you want it.

There is no RED LIGHT/GREEN LIGHT functionality so this is probably NOT a good headlamp for setting traps, hunting, etc. It is, however, an extremely good light for backpacking. Retail is $55. Got them for $42 vial mail order from Moosejaw.com

At 3.6 ounces on my scale (with batteries installed) its not the very lightest unit, but its plenty lightweight. I can see why this won the BACKPAKER Magazine Award for best headlamp. Again, great backpacking/camping headlamp, probably not a great hunting/trapping headlamp.

SINGLE BUTTON control is on the top and encased in silicone.

Here you can see the hinge that allows you to point the beam downward (5 down click positions). Also if you look at the strap you can see the integrated hanging hook that is part of strap adjustment.

Here the front globe of soft silicone is extended into the dome shape position to cast an area light pattern for illuminating your tent or campsite. This is especially useful when combined with dimming function and is plenty bright enough to read under. Simply use the integrated hook built into the headband and hang it to illuminate the area.

With the dome collapsed, the lens focuses the beam and projects a spot light out about 125 feet in front of you. The silicone dome also illuminates and provides a modest amount of residual light for up close vision and gently illuminates a modest area, but the majority of the light is well focused out in front of you.

 

[melensdad]

GEAR UPDATE: NATHAN Amber Warning Strobe

WARNING STROBE:
NATHAN clip-on amber strobe for walking along roads past dark. Hopefull we won't need it at all, but its in the pack. If we are still walking at dusk then it will be clipped to the back of the pack, just in case. These are inexpensive safety devices, NATHAN makes safety gear for road workers, road runners/joggers, etc. The LED lights are incredibly bright and are programable with either a flashing pattern or can be left ON. If it is unneeded not too much of a burden, size is about 3/4" thick, 2.5" tall, and 3/4" wide (easily fits in the palm of your hand). StrobeLight | Nathan Sports

This little thing is AWESOME.

When walking (jogging/bike riding) at night this thing is SHOCKINGLY BRIGHT. In strobe mode you don't want to be walking behind it because its flashing will make you crazy, the last person in the line needs to be wearing this.

One of the best pieces of safety gear I've ever bought for use along the roadside!

 

[Noble Sniper]

Really enjoying this thread

 

[The Bubba Effect]

Really enjoying this thread

Me too! Neat gear here.


I especially like the headlamp. The dome is clever.

 

[melensdad]

Really enjoying this thread

Me too! Neat gear here.


I especially like the headlamp. . .

Thanks. I didn't know if a lot of people would be interested in this type of thread.

As for the headlamp, its made by SNOW PEAK. I've got some other items from SNOW PEAK and the stuff they make is very well designed. Lightweight. And typically multi-purpose in very innovative.

One of the newest pieces of gear that I've just started using a couple weeks ago is a pair of specialized 'trekking' poles. These things are awesome. Basically they are glorified ski poles but there are differences. They are used to take stress off your knees, shift some of your load and make it easier to hike with a pack. Without a pack they increase your cardio conditioning, but still provide the other benefits too.

I have a thread about my poles, my wife has nearly identical poles. But there is something I just added to my right pole. Its a camera mount. It took about 60 seconds to install in the top of the pole handle using the kit supplied by the manufacturer.

Basically the kit includes a new top piece to the grip, which has a threaded brass insert to accept a camera mount, the mount itself, and an integrated silicone rubber cap to seal dirt out of the threads. This effectively turns the pole into a mono-pod for taking photos. Plant the carbide tip of the pole into the ground and you can use the camera's timer to take photos of yourself, your hiking party, etc.

Top of grip with the camera mount installed.

Top of grip without the camera mount, but with the silicone plug inserted.

I wish I had taken these down to North Carolina with me. We are down for my daughter's freshman orientation at college, lots of walking around campus, could have gotten some use of these poles.

 

[Hoosier8]

Neat thread and a very neat idea. I would expect for you to find out that about 1/2 of what you take you will not need. Only time will tell.

 

[melensdad]

Neat thread and a very neat idea. I would expect for you to find out that about 1/2 of what you take you will not need. Only time will tell.

That is why I am testing this stuff in advance. I don't want to carry more than I need to carry.

Of course with things like first aid and rain gear, I could carry those and never need them, or I could need them daily. Those things can't be anticipated. Honestly I doubt I'll take the Snow Peak headlamps or the Nathan safety strobe. But the alarm clock is set for 4:00am to wake us up tomorrow and that means we will be out walking before sunrise. The headlamps and strobe are for use now.

 

[Hoosier8]

That is why I am testing this stuff in advance. I don't want to carry more than I need to carry.

Of course with things like first aid and rain gear, I could carry those and never need them, or I could need them daily. Those things can't be anticipated. Honestly I doubt I'll take the Snow Peak headlamps or the Nathan safety strobe. But the alarm clock is set for 4:00am to wake us up tomorrow and that means we will be out walking before sunrise. The headlamps and strobe are for use now.

I think you said you will be staying at the B&B's? You will thoroughly enjoy that experience. It is one of the best things about visiting the British Isles.

 

[melensdad]

I think you said you will be staying at the B&B's? You will thoroughly enjoy that experience. It is one of the best things about visiting the British Isles.

In our past trips to the UK we've usually rented houses (or Flats when staying in London), but we did spend almost a week in York and stayed at a B&B. I first thought it was weird to stay in a B&B but came to enjoy the experience. We've traveled England, Scotland & Wales extensively and really enjoy interacting with locals when we travel. Eating at local pubs, shopping at local markets, etc.

One of the nice things about backpacking through much of Europe and the UK is that you can often do so without taking a tent. In many places you need to pack a sleeping bag, but you get to set up your bag in some sort of already made structure. So for people who don't like the concept of sleeping on the ground (age/arthritis/comfort0 under a tent/tarp, then backpacking Europe/UK is a good place to look.

I plan to walk the 497 mile "Camino" from SW France to NW Spain in a couple years. Its a Catholic devotional thing. Its also called "The Way of St. James" and is a very popular walk, even with non-Catholics, although many people just walk the last portion of the journey. (anyone want to join me, in 2015?)
LINKY => http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Way_of_St._James

The Hadrian's Wall walk across northern England is apparently 90% rural, 10% city/town/village. Some of the rural is very remote and rugged. Its a test to your boots and legs more than anything else. Oh, and it rains! That is something that we must deal with. We will be walking rain or shine. Temps during June are supposed to be in the upper 40's (F) in the early morning, warming up to the high 50's (F) with the occasional day breaking over the 60 (F) degree mark. So the temps are ideal for walking, but I'm not thrilled with the idea of 50 degrees and WET, which is why I'm actually hoping to try out my rain gear this summer and fall, hopefully several times.

 

[melensdad]

Belt Pack Camera Pouch

Got a small pouch to carry my camera on the belt strap of my backpack.

This is not specifically designed for carrying a camera, its simply designed to be an extra pouch, and an ultra-lightweight one at that. Made by GOSSAMER GEAR, the pouch weighs in at a feathery light weight of 0.9 (9/10ths) of one ounce. Its 4" by 6" and about 2" deep. Made of rip stop nylon with both sewn & welded seams so its durable. Made in America. It is not padded, but I may put a thin piece of closed cell foam across the inside of the front to protect my camera from bumps? Figure that will add another 1 ounce. . . if I need it.

On the scale, showing the front side:

The back has 2 straps for sliding onto your backpack belt. It also has a velcro tab that locks it onto your belt so it doesn't move once you set it in place (very nice feature!).

Top view, plenty of space for a modest size camera, with standard lens attached. Mine fit with room to spare. Not visible in the photo but there is a key hook inside the pouch too!

Not 1 but 2 zipper pull tabs, so you can use it as a center open, right open or left open pouch (another nice feature, allows you to position it most anywhere and still be easy to open!).

Mounted on my pack:

Its outrageously priced at $15 but worth every penny anyway! A camera fanny pack weighs in at over a pound, this weighs under an ounce so I could carry 15 more of these and still have less weight than a camera fanny pack. Its amazing well thought out with the 2 way zipper, internal key hook, velcro lock, seam sealed seams that I have to wonder how many designs with trial & error went into perfecting something so simple.

Anyway, just another piece of kit for the trip.

If I have to carry it, I want it to be the lightest it can possibly be. Why carry a 1 or 2 pound camera bag when I can slip the camera into a pouch that weighs less than an ounce?

 

[melensdad]

I'm really coming to appreciate 2 items that will probably never make it to England, but are a tremendous aid to me now when I walk along the roads by our home. Until we get closer to the travel date, and until the actual walking itinerary is set, I won't know for sure if these items are coming with us. But I seriously doubt we will be walking at night when these are needed. Further, the sun stays up longer in the far northern latitudes of northern England, especially at that time of the year when the days are longest.

But for now, the 2 totally indispensable walking aids that get a lot of use are the Snow Peak "snow miner" headlamp and the Nathan amber warning strobe.

EQUIPMENT UPDATES

SNOW PEAK "Snow Miner" headlamp: Excellent!
I used to have an inexpensive Eddie Bauer headlamp but the Snow Peak headlamp is much nicer in several respects. First the elastic headband is wider than my old one, and much more comfortable. Second, the point of aim of the beam is adjustable because of the hinge. Third, because of the goofy silicone bubble/dome design, it actually throws BOTH a directed beam out at a distance AND a wide angle diffused pattern right down to your feet. No other light that I have tried illuminates both the distance and the footpath in front of you so well.

I admit that I do not have a huge basis of comparison with headlamps, and I also will state that this is a great hiking/walking/backpacking/camping headlamp but if I was to use a headlamp for walking a trap line or hunting then I'd want one that red/green LEDs in addition to a white LED. So this may not be a good choice for a hunter/trapper, but its an excellent choice for backpacking & camping.

One note of caution, when walking along the woods at night you may find the headlamp attracting its share of bugs. I've learned, even if my glasses fog up from perspiration, to keep my glasses on because it keeps bugs from flying into my eyes by accident. Had a bug do exactly that. Was hell trying to wipe that thing out of my eye on the side of the roadway. But that will happen with ANY brand of headlamp.


NATHAN STROBE: 2 thumbs up
The other item I love is the Amber Strobe Light from Nathan. This is nothing short of a 1/2 ounce of nearly blinding light that lets cars know you are there LONG before they could ever see you at night. Much of my walking is on 2 lane rural roads with cars often passing by at 50+ mph. I'd feel a lot less safe without that little strobe connected to my belt pack flashing away.


DARN TOUGH Micro Crew Coolmax Hiking Socks: Best Available?!?

LINK => http://darntough.com/hike-trek-1467.html​

I've got 3 different pairs of DARN TOUGH hiking socks, and the Micro Crew sock make with their Coolmax fabric blend (no wool) is the best of the best. These are genuine American made in the state of Vermont by American workers socks and are expensive but worth every penny. There are a lot of brands that I have not tried so I can't say these are the best hiking socks in the world, but I can say that they are so good that I have stopped looking at other styles from DARN TOUGH and completely eliminated other brands

I've got their 1/4 Crew Wool hiking sock and that would be my 2nd favorite. Its Merino wool cushion sock and its also a very good sock, my favorite of the wool socks. I also have their Micro Crew Cushion sock, again a hiking style sock, it has a nifty Apalachian Trail logo on it, but it is my least favorite of all the socks, the cushioning is a bit too thick for me. Its not bad, but its just got a bit too much and its a pretty warm sock too.

The best sock that I've tried that is NOT from the DARN TOUGH company is the CABELA'S LIGHT HIKING SOCK with their In-GENIUS design. Its nearly as comfortable as the Coolmax Micro Crew from DARN TOUGH. On the other than, I threw a pair of CABELA'S cushioned hiking socks in the trash about a week ago, it was a full cushion design was just uncomfortable on long walks/hikes.

 

[actaeon277]

So why would they probably not make it to England?