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

[melensdad]

So why would they probably not make it to England?

First off we will be there during a time when it stays light to roughly 10pm.

Secondly we are walking along a path that is NOT on the roadway.

So I really don't expect to be walking in the dark or in areas where either the headlamp or warning strobe will be anything other than dead weight in the backpack.

But like I said, I will reserve that final decision for when we actually get the walking itinerary finalized. Here, where I walk/hike now, they are indispensable. Last evening I went out before dark but by the time I got back it was pitch black outside. There are no streetlights within a couple miles of where I live and the roads are just 2 lane roads. So I need these devices here. Doubt I will need them there.

 

[melensdad]

IN DEPTH REVIEW: Hiking Socks

Here are my 4 top choices of hiking socks in a pictoral review.

In each photo below, the sock on the LEFT is right-side out and the sock on the RIGHT is an inside-out sock from the same pair so you can get a better look at the construction of each style.

I'd point out that socks are probably the most important piece of gear, other than your hiking shoe/boot. They are critical in wicking away moisture (sweat) and critical in preventing blisters. If you get blisters then you are probably using the wrong sock. Hiking socks in particular, are designed to hug your feet and designed not to shift around under load, especially if you are carrying the excess weight of a heavy backpack for very long distances. Realize that backpackers will walk 10 to 20 miles per day with roughly 30 to 35 pounds of gear, while many who 'camp with a pack' may only walk a handful of miles with similar, or heavier loads. Hiking socks are also designed to wick moisture away from your skin and to provide some padding to your feet to protect them from your boots rubbing blisters into your skin. They typically are tight fitting, and very fitted over the arch area of your foot as well as above your heel and ankle to prevent shifting.

You will notice the Cabela's sock, while very good, has the least bottom padding. You will not notice that DARN TOUGH claims to have twice the thread count of most weaves and that leads to a very dense sock, one they claim is far more durable. I can tell you the bottom of the foot loops (piles) are more tightly woven than other brands, and one of the reasons I recently trashed a different pair of Cabela's (NOT of the IN-GENIUS design) was because the bottom loops (piles) were so loose they not only offered virtually no padding, but they essentially acted to allow my feet to move around, or slip, on the loosely woven piles.


#1 TIE: DARN TOUGH Micro Crew Coolmax Hiking Sock
Suitable for hiking shoes and hiking boots. Slightly shorter than a standard Crew sock. These are lightly padded, made with synthetic blend yarns and are designed for wicking away moisture and for keeping your foot a bit cooler (minimal insulation value) but still providing some level of cushioning. The DARN TOUGH Coolmax blend is 38% Coolmax® Polyester, 31% Nylon, 26% Acrylic, 2% Lycra® Spandex.

#1 TIE: DARN TOUGH Merino Wool 1/4 Sock
Suitable for hiking shoes. These are built similarly to the sock above, but uses Marino Wool instead of the synthetic Coolmax blend. This has somewhat less padding (looping) than the sock above but is still very comfortable for light hiking.

#3: CABELA'S IN-GENIUS Lightweight Hiking Sock
Suitable for hiking shoes and boots. This is a traditional crew length. The Cabela's sock offers an added layer of front of shin padding if you wear a mid-hight boot. This sock uses a 2 layer system that is made of Inner layer: 70% olefin, 30% X-Static silver nylon. Outer layer: 62% stretch nylon, 35% merino wool, 3% Lycra® spandex. Its form fitting but offers only very light padding at the heel and the toe, and then only a small area is padded. I should point out they also make a Mid-Weight and a Heavyweight version of this same sock if you want more padding.

#4: DARN TOUGH Merino Wool Micro Crew
Suitable for hiking shoes and boots. Construction looks very similar to the DARN TOUGH Coolmax Micro Crew. Padding on the bottom of the foot is somewhat more substantial than the Coolmax version, perhaps its because its wool rather than synthetic. Its actually identical to the short cuff wool sock from DARN TOUGH. For summer use I find it slightly too warm for my taste, but that is very subjective.

 

[melensdad]

Personal best: 5 miles in 1 hour 24 min

Yesterday I went out after the heavy rains stopped, did a 5 mile road hike in my best time. 1 hour 24 minutes as tracked by my Garmin Oregon GPS. Normally when my wife and I hike on roads we easily maintain a pace of 3 miles per hour, our typical road hike is 4 miles and it typically takes us 1 hour 18 minutes to finish our normal 4 mile course. And while Indiana is generally flat, I live on a ridge over a river in the area of the county that has more hills than any other I know of, so the terrain here is atypical of much of the county.

Road hiking and trail hiking are two different animals. While I can easily pace 3+ miles an hour on the road, I don't expect to hit 2.25 mph on the trail when we get to England. First, the trail is going to have a lot of uneven surfaces, roads are generally smooth. Second, grass is much slower to walk in than asphalt to walk upon and much of our trek will be in fields. Third, we are hiking as a group, 4 of us (so far) and we can only hike as fast as the slowest member.

Our plan is to hike 11 miles per day, roughly 2 mph in open terrain. Stopping to visit each of the Roman forts, towers, archeological digs, etc that we come across. So the trek should be far LESS strenuous than the practice hikes that we are doing now.


=========================


GEAR UPDATE: Leki Hiking Poles

Been using these things for a couple weeks and really loving them! Oh, for sure they have a huge drawback, they make you look like a total DORK when you are walking on the side of the road. Not much funnier than seeing some guy in a Boonie hat, shorts and hiking boots planting 'ski poles' into the asphalt while he walks. But I havt to say, the darn things do help you out with your hikes.

My wife and I are each using LEKI brand trekking poles. With retail prices approaching $160 for the more expensive set (hers), and not much less for the cheaper set (mine), these are the 2 most expensive pieces of hiking gear that we will have on the trip. Shopping around you can, as I did, find discounts of about $25 below retail. But still, these are the single most expensive items that I've spend money on in preparation for the trip. Even my new hydration backpack cost significantly less (HINT: buy last year's model and you'll get packs at 1/2 price).

But the TREKKING poles ACTUALLY WORK. Just like 4 wheel drive cars have more traction and are more stable on bad roads than 2wd cars, so is a human with Trekking poles more stable. They claim also that poles help your breathe better, they shift the burden of hiking off your knees and distribute it through your arms too. They increase your workout when training and increase your stamina when hiking with a pack. I'll admit that I was very skeptical, but also I was curious enough to take the plunge and give poles an honest try. So I studied the various poles.

TARGET stores sells NIKE walking poles for under $50 and WAL-MART sells some no-name brand for about $35 per set. Both brands look like cheap Chinese toys compared to the sets that we are using. First off, the shaft locks on both of the big-box-store brands look like they would collapse under your weight. The shaft locks on the LEKI brand are well designed, sturdy and tested around the world to hold up against your falling body weight. They are also accredited by a testing facility. If the shaft lock fails your pole is worthless! Second, the grips are canted forward 8-degrees on the LEKI poles, which mimics your hand grip, but the grips on the bargain poles, and many lesser poles, are straight vertical handgrips. Third, our poles have a shock absorbing system built into them which does not exist on the rigid cheaper poles, so each pole plant on asphalt, cement, or even packed dirt will send a jolt through your wrist and up your arm.

My poles are part of the LEKI lightweight series of trekking poles and are the CORKLITE ANTI-SHOCK poles while the lovely Mrs_Bob is using a pair of their CRESSIDA ANTI-SHOCK trekking poles with full cork grips and anti-shock shafts designed specifically for women.

IF a lot of your hiking is on Asphalt then buy a set of Anti-Shock poles. If most of what you do is on trails then save the money and buy a quality set that doesn't use an anti-shock system.

There are several other good poles out there. Two other brands that fall in the premium category of poles would be Komperdell and Black Diamond. Honestly I didn't get a chance to handle any of the Komperdell poles prior to my purchase, but their reviews by Backpacker magazine, and on forums put them in the top quality grouping. Black Diamond is another premium brand. I opted for the Leki brand over Black Diamond because I like the anti-shock system better on the Leki than the B.D. but clearly others prefer the B.D. Leki puts the anti-shock shock absorber at the joint between the bottom and mid section of the shaft. The Leki system weighs about an ounce and it is progressive and simple. Works just like a tiny automotive shock absorber. The Black Diamond system uses what appears to be silicone rubber under, and below, the grip and their system also is simple, progressive and it works, but I simply preferred the Leki system better. R.E.I. also markets their own brand of poles and many of those get excellent reviews from hikers and its another brand to consider.

Honestly I thought I'd try one set of Black Diamond and one of LEKI, but then I figured that if I needed a repair part that the commonality of parts of owning all the same brand was the wisest choice. Glad I made that choice.

So, if you are a hiker, and you use a backpack and you don't have a set of Trekking Poles, do yourself a huge favor and buy a set. You will not regret the purchase.

 

[melensdad]

OH, one more update. I was chatting with fellow INGO member, and history buff, Bill B on Friday. I'm hoping that both he and his wife will be joining us on this trip! He may even be able to get college credit for writing about the journey.



EDIT: Morning hike, 5 miles, 1 hour 37 min... 3mph.

 

[Noble Sniper]

Having spent a few years working in power houses and oil refineries during their construction I would spend 10-12 hours a day on my feet standing and walking on concrete and steel grate and beams......... while the padding of a sock like number four is rather odd to get used to your feed will thank you after being on them for days with a sock like that

 

[melensdad]

Having spent a few years working in power houses and oil refineries during their construction I would spend 10-12 hours a day on my feet standing and walking on concrete and steel grate and beams......... while the padding of a sock like number four is rather odd to get used to your feed will thank you after being on them for days with a sock like that

AGREED.

By the way, both of the socks that I ranked as #1, in addition to the sock ranked as #4 have the SAME padding on the bottom of the sock. My favorite is the SYNTHETIC sock, followed closely by the WOOL footie sock. I ranked both as #1. The #4 sock is actually identical to the #1 footie sock, its just got a taller cuff. As I'm doing a summer hike, I prefer the cooler synthetic and the cooler low footie wool sock. The taller wool sock ONLY dropped down to #4 in my rankings because it is a bit warmer to wear.

FWIW, I just purchased 2 more pairs of DARN TOUGH hiking socks, of a slightly different design, just to compare them to these. I also bought a pair of "POINT 6" brand socks to try out, they seem to have a design that is very similar to the DARN TOUGH in design/construction to give them a try. POINT 6 is also an American made sock.

 

[melensdad]

Went out for a 5 mile hike and things went bad about a mile and a half into the walk.

Started out so well. It seemed cool enough, almost no traffic, went out with my normal Keen hikers, a pair of Darn Tough wool socks, some casual khaki cotton, cotton t-shirt, cotton boxers (not briefs). Normally I will NOT wear a cotton shirt. I've pretty much switched over to "performance" clothing and away from cotton, especially for shirts and undershorts. But I figured it was cool enough that sweat accumulating wouldn't be too bad.

Turned out that sweat was not my only problem.

Like I said, about the 1.5 mile mark something big and black flew onto my leg and bit me. Honestly I didn't see much of it, I was screaming and jumping around and scaring all the birds out of the corn fields that surrounded me. I'm thinking it was a Horsefly? Felt like electrical shocks radiating around my leg from the bite.

I picked up my pace to get away from the area to avoid a second bite, but the pain continued for another full mile of walking. I was already walking at a pace of 4 miles per hour but picked it up to about 4.25 mph. So now I'm walking at a very fast pace and starting to work up a serious sweat, and I've got a throbbing leg. And because I'm wearing cotton, and because the sun is starting to set, the sweat is soaking my clothing and the sun is NOT drying it. So now I'm very uncomfortable, and my leg is still hurting from the bug bite.

But I'm walking at good pace. Managed to make 5 miles in 1 hour 21 minutes.

I've been testing an "Ex Officio" sweat band. Its a $10 sweat band, which is outrageously priced. But the fabric is coated in Xylitol. Somehow, and I don't understand the chemical process, your sweat is soaked up by the material, it interacts with the Xylitol, and as it evaporates it also feels much cooler. They have shirts made of the same material, but honestly the price scared me away. That is why I figured I'd try the sweat band, at $10 I didn't think I was risking too much.

ExOfficio claims:

Icefil® treated fabric. Xylitol, a compound also found in the birch tree and mint gum, is woven into fibers and cools skin up to five degrees upon contact with moisture, which is efficiently wicked away to the fabric surface. ​

I'll give a full write up in the future about my impressions of various performance shirts, etc. But one thing I have done is pretty much sworn off of COTTON clothing for most hiking. No cotton undershorts, no cotton shirts, and while I prefer nylon hiking shorts I will wear cotton for casual hikes.

 

[Noble Sniper]

Cant say it will work everytime but get you a small pinch of dirt into the palm of your hand and spit into it and apply to the bite....... most times takes the ouch out of it until you can get somewhere to put a OTS med on it

 

[melensdad]

Never tried rubbing dirt into it.

This morning I went out and its a little swollen and red and itchy.

On the downside, it appears that my wife has slight sprain.

 

[Noble Sniper]

 

[melensdad]

EQUIPMENT UPDATE:

Point 6 brand hiking socks (low)

Here is another premium hiking sock, from another American Company (Boulder, Colorado) that caters to hikers, campers, hunters, runners, bike riders and other athletes with specific types of socks for specific uses.

Most hiking socks are pretty tight fitting over the top of the foot to prevent the sock from shifting and padded at the bottom of the foot for some additional padding and shock absorption. The Point 6 sock is no different, but it does it with a slight twist. They also have elastic under the arch of your foot. They seem to fit looser than the DARN TOUGH socks. I've only worn them one time, so far so good. But as they are brand new I'd really prefer to hold my real judgement on if this is another winner until after I've got 20 or 30 miles in them, instead of just a single 5 mile hike.

But, I will say, they look promising. I'm just not convinced they will not shift around on my feet under more trial and with a load on my back. The DARN TOUGH is still my favorite, but I'm going to give these a shot and report back later.

 

[jpr]

I'm with you on the Darn Tough socks. I have about 6 pairs and they are all I wear.

 

[melensdad]

I'm with you on the Darn Tough socks. I have about 6 pairs and they are all I wear.

For hiking they are awesome.

I don't own their other styles, but I've got a good friend that has a son who just graduated from Ranger School and he said the Rangers only use DARN TOUGH. I can't prove that, but I'll take him on his word.



========


EQUIPMENT UPDATE:


MICRO-FIBER HAND TOWEL Super absorbent, ultra-light weight, quick drying

I posted this in another thread, figured it belongs here too because this is one of the items that will go with me to the UK.

Here is the towel I carry, within reach, when hiking. Its made by SEA AND SUMMIT but there are quite a few brands out there that offer similar towels. This is the X-Small size, its about 1' by 2' and this is the thickest model they make, its their TEK towel. They make 3 different weights (thicknesses) of towels. The thinner they are the quicker they dry, but also they less they absorb. A large towel will dry you after a shower, even if you get the thinnest style.

This little towel is used to wipe the sweat from my head, eyes, neck while hiking and I rinse and dry it overnight. It wrings out easily and dries quickly. I like that all their towels have a loop attached at one of the corners and allow you to hook them to a caribiner or belt and will dry while you are walking if allowed to hang off your waist.

For travel or packing, they do come with their own mesh mini-compression sack, which is a nice feature.

I'm not saying the SEA AND SUMMIT brand is the best brand out there, its the one I own. There are lots of similar towels on the market and I can't imagine there is much difference between the brands. There is, however, a difference between the weights of the materials and how much they absorb. So depending on your needs/desires, pick the material weight that will suit you best.

 

[melensdad]

EQUIPMENT UPDATE: POINT 6 light hiking sock ~ meh ~


Well I am officially LESS impressed with this sock after another outing.

Oh its a pretty good sock. It would probably rank #4 in my listing of my top 4 favorites. But its NOT as good as any of the DARN TOUGH socks and it is NOT as good as the CABELA'S IN-GENIUS light hiker either.

The reason is that it fits too loose in the toe box and allows the ball of your foot to slip a little inside your shoe. I have the same complaint about the heel cup, but to a slightly lesser degree. Bear in mind I'm testing these socks with just about 3 pounds of gear in a waist pack and am complaining. Toss on a 25# backpack and I'd probably be screaming about these socks. If they can't remain snug and firm during light weight 5 mile treks while wearing a little fanny pack then there is no way that they will be on my feet when I do a 10 or 15 mile day wearing a 25# pack, camera gear, water bladder, etc.

At $15 to $20 a pair the POINT 6 socks cost too damn much to throw in the trash so I will continue to wear them from time to time. But honestly my sincere hope is that the lovely Mrs_Bob's magic washing machine shrinks the toe box area of these socks about 15% but leaves arch and the cuff in tact, then shrinks the heel cup about 5%. Somehow I doubt that will happen.

FWIW, my shoe size is a 10.5 D. I purchased a Men's Large POINT 6 sock which, according to their 'sizing chart' is the right sock for people with a shoe size range from 9 to 11.5 and the sock package was correctly labeled as a LARGE. The fit feels good in the length so there is no complaint there.

When you buy technical hiking socks you buy them to keep them from shifting around on your feet under heavy loads on uneven terrain. Becaause of that they design the socks with multiple areas of different intensities of elasticity. Your toes can't be crushed, but the toe box area can't slip around, the arch area is typically snugged up pretty tight, the heel is often divided into up to 3 different areas of woven material to keep its shape and to keep it from shifting. The key with hiking socks are they need to perform several different things very well. Prevent blisters by acting as a barrier between your foot and the boot. Wick moisture away from your foot, and wool is great at that, but so are some of the CoolMax and DryMax synthetic blend materials used by many companies. The sock should provide some cushion, but hikers will eternally argue over how much, which is why the companies offer different levels of cushioning. And to do these jobs, the sock can't bunch up, shift, etc.

I'm not saying that the POINT 6 sock bunches, but I am feeling like my foot is shifting inside the sock at the toe box and I don't feel too secure in the heel cup either, although my main complaint is the looseness in the toe area. At this point I think I should have saved my money and bought more DARN TOUGH or even CABELA'S IN-GENIUS socks, but I will give these as honest a test as my feet can tolerate.

[strike]EQUIPMENT UPDATE:

Point 6 brand hiking socks (low)

Here is another premium hiking sock[/strike]

 

[melensdad]

The lovely Mrs_Bob rejoined me again on our 5 mile walk this morning, she's been off for a few days from walking and nursing a pulled muscle? Consequently we started at a slower pace today but still worked up a good sweat.

After our 5 miles we plotted out a 6 mile and a 6.5 mile course and plan to start pushing out a bit farther on days when we have the time to walk that far. Probably the weekends, maybe Tuesday & Thursday? Beginning this week we both start coaching Fencing at the local high school on Mon-Wed-Fri so that will cut down on our walking time.

We have both been testing a headband with Xylitol in the fabric. The claim is that it makes your skin 5-degrees cooler. I will admit it works, but I'm not ready for a full review, not convinced I will carry it to England, but it might end up in my fencing kit to keep the sweat out of my eyes when I'm wearing the steel mask and beating high school kids with a metal rod!


==================


GEAR REVIEW: Ex Officio Travel/Hiking Underwear

Officially Ex Officio calls this their "Give-N-Go" line and its available in Boxer, Boxer Brief and Brief. They also have shirts. Me, I'm a boxer guy so that is what I got. I'd also point out that Duluth Trading and a few other companies make similar products.

First let me mention that when it comes to hiking cotton fabrics are your enemy. Cotton holds moisture against your skin, it dries slowly, and with undergarments when soaked with sweat can lead to chafing, rash, and general unpleasantness that we don't need to describe in any greater detail.

So it should be obvious to you by now that these are NOT made of cotton. They claim to be an odor resistant and moisture wicking fabric made of 94 percent nylon, 6 percent Lycra. The fabric is extremely breathable and air dries quickly. It has a terry elastic back and an overlapping no-button fly (fwiw, Duluth Trading uses 1 button on their fly). Ex Officio brand is treated with Aegis Microbe Shield to prevent and control odor-causing bacteria, have a gusset panel in the crotch and weigh only 3 ounces. I'm a big fan of the gusset panel as it prevents the 'thong effect' of having a seam ride up between your cheeks, it also prevents the legs from binding around your nether regions. Oh, and the feel of the material, lets just say that your privates will not complain about the smooth silky feel. Now the downside, the prices are, depending on brand, north of $25 per pair. Diligent shopping will find them for about $15 each.

But you should buy them because they actually are great for hiking. They are far better than sweat soaked cotton because absorb very little and dry very quickly. They won't rub you the wrong way, and they pack light and small.

Worth the price? Well worth it. Buy them for your hiking, but I'll bet you sneak them on during the work week too. They are the best thing since sliced bread. Better than shave cream. Better even than hot fudge on your ice cream, and not fattening.

 

[Sylvain]

I never heard of hiking undies before.

 

[melensdad]

I never heard of hiking undies before.

Try them. Trust me. Your twig and berries will be eternally greatful.

But they are just the natural extension of "performance" and "technical" clothing that the manufacturers have been introducing over the past several years. You can go in any golf shop and get fancy golf shirts that wick away moisture.

Same material is used for basketball jerseys, running shorts and tops, soccer uniforms, etc etc. The hiking world has been using rip-stop nylon for decades.

These newest materials are just the next progression.

For hikers they are a great introduction, we tend to be in our sweat filled clothes for 8 to 10 to 12 hours at a time and anything we can do to wick away and evaporate the moisture the better off we are! These clothes are wonderfully lightweight too, which, when you are carrying your luggage in a pack on your back, is also nice because any weight reduction is appreciated.

In 1981 I wore blue jeans and flannel while hiking on the Appalachian Trail, what a miserable experience that was. I've sworn off all COTTON clothing for hiking, when cold and wet it can quite literally cost you your life. It loses ALL its insulating ability when wet, so its the last material that should be considered in the winter. In the summer it soaks up moisture and holds it against your skin while drying very slowly, even in the sun.

 

[littletommy]

I am actually trying to quit chewing tobacco right now, but even if I didn't chew/dip, it would be a good idea to keep a can of copenhagen or similar in the pack.....it works great to rub on bites and stings, used it many times over the years for just that type of thing.

Great thread, by the way!

 

[melensdad]

GEAR UPDATE: Another style of DARN TOUGH hiking socks

EXCELLENT SOCKS​

I'm not sure if this is a newer or an older design but I'm leaning toward an older design since its a sock I can't find on the current DARN TOUGH website. This sock is simply a different verison of the wool DARN TOUGH ankle length hiking sock, different in that it has a "crew" height cuff for wear with low and mid-height hiking boots.

Like the other DARN TOUGH socks these fit and feel awesome underfoot while out on the trail (or in my case during testing phase, out along the local roadways). I picked up 2 pairs of these at the beginning of the week from an on-line retailer, have already put them to a test, and they function as expected. These socks go up to the top of my list of performance socks along with the other DARN TOUGH brand socks.

This thread it turning into an unpaid commercial advertisement for DARN TOUGH, and for that I am going to apologize.

It surprised me that 1 brand of socks could so dominate the thread, and relegate ALL of my old hiking socks to the trash bin, while simultaneously trashing the competition of new technical socks. I do need to point out that for a synthetic sock, the CABELA'S IN-GENIUS sock is also an EXCELLENT sock, well worthy of wear and consideration for those wanting a synthetic. I am, at this point, undecided on if I will buy more of the IN-GENIUS socks, or if I will pick up a few more pairs of the COOLMAX hiking sock from DARN TOUGH. Both are excellent. The biggest advantage of the Cabela's sock, for me, is they are available locally, its a short drive to pick them up and I get to drool at the gun counter while buying the socks.

I am actually trying to quit chewing tobacco right now, but even if I didn't chew/dip, it would be a good idea to keep a can of copenhagen or similar in the pack.....it works great to rub on bites and stings, used it many times over the years for just that type of thing.

Great thread, by the way!

I've never tried tobacco to ease the pain from a bug sting. I normally carry Sting Eeze or a similar product with me in a real pack, but on my short hikes out my front door and on my local roads (within 5 miles of my doorstep), I don't carry a first aid kit.

FWIW, I have used tobacco to kill bugs by making a nicotine tea and spraying the bugs. But I use REDMAN instead of Cope!

 

[mdmayo]

If the Missus is still shirking at the idea of a larger pack look into the Mountainsmith Daypack with the Strapettes. Its an amazingly versatile lumbar pack that allows for the addition of shoulder straps with a chest harness and thumb-loops...I do not know how I ever survived without mine.
Mountainsmith