Trip 1: Training
Sunday 2-5-06
My training began Feb 5th upon returning home with a new pack in tow. I didn't do much but I made a conscious decision to walk up to my apartment instead of taking the elevator. 7 floors later having my fully loaded tool and computer pack plus a new frame pack I was a little winded. However, I have vowed, I will never again take the elevator. It is time for me to start pushing myself and getting back to the body I had once upon a time. Hopefully with a little encouragement from my friends and my new found will power I will get there one step at a time. When getting ready for bed I thought to myself, well Hell 'D' you're not paying for the heat in this joint. Why not see if your sleeping bag still holds up to the winter cold. You can always close the windows and such to warm it back up. Important trial before going outside where you have no choice. So I flung open all the windows in my apartment and let the cold flood in. The temperature slowly dropped and started to snuggle into my bag as best I could. The verdict? My bag will still hold up to sub freezing temperatures. Even after 10 years of being my main blanket and such. The only downside, man it was fricking cold when I got up to take a shower and go to work.
Monday 2-6
I worked a full show day and returned home sometime around the 11:00 pm hour. I decided to take and inventory of my current gear and pack up would I could. After some searching I have decidedly less gear than I used to. I am missing several items that are not really that important on local trips so not to worry. After assembling I could help but have an itch to test it out. So I gathered what few layers of clothes I had at the time, my hat (Titleleist Golf Hat), and my borrowed pack. I added several 1 litre bottles of water to simulate food and new gear weight. I am lucky enough to live about three blocks from the Lake Shore Running and Bike Path in Chicago so I decided that was a very worthy place to test my pack and layers. I hiked approx. 1.5 miles and sat to take a quick water break. I found that my boots were rubbing awkwardly and starting a blister and I needed to find another layer for my legs. I also found that 7 floors is a LONG way to go with a full pack. Boy am I out of shape.
Tuesday 2-7
Jake and I ventured to REI on our dinner break which is about 20 mins from work. I bought a camp stove, fuel, a stainless bowl, and camp utensils. Upon returning to work I had to fire up the stove. I mean, if you had a new toy, wouldn't you play with it at the first chance. Jake and I re-heated a cold McDonald's Apple Pie. Upon returning home I gathered my pack two cans of soup and my new gear and made the same hike as the night previous. I wanted to test the stove can fuel consumption and test the new pants I got from the Army Surplus store. Stove worked like a charm. At the half way point I had some nice hot soup in about 5 mins and also boiled a bowl of water for washing stuff. Conclusion: I am still out of shape but the new layers and stove work like a dream. Returned home and racked out almost immediately.
Weds and Thurs.: Rest sore muscles and spend some time with my lady. Thursday night I spent packing and re-packing trying to make things most efficient. I also made a list of several last minute items I needed to gather on dinner break Friday night. The set plan is to leave directly after the Show Friday night come hell or High water. When I finally found things were in order sleep was very welcome.
Week 1 training: Complete
My training began Feb 5th upon returning home with a new pack in tow. I didn't do much but I made a conscious decision to walk up to my apartment instead of taking the elevator. 7 floors later having my fully loaded tool and computer pack plus a new frame pack I was a little winded. However, I have vowed, I will never again take the elevator. It is time for me to start pushing myself and getting back to the body I had once upon a time. Hopefully with a little encouragement from my friends and my new found will power I will get there one step at a time. When getting ready for bed I thought to myself, well Hell 'D' you're not paying for the heat in this joint. Why not see if your sleeping bag still holds up to the winter cold. You can always close the windows and such to warm it back up. Important trial before going outside where you have no choice. So I flung open all the windows in my apartment and let the cold flood in. The temperature slowly dropped and started to snuggle into my bag as best I could. The verdict? My bag will still hold up to sub freezing temperatures. Even after 10 years of being my main blanket and such. The only downside, man it was fricking cold when I got up to take a shower and go to work.
Monday 2-6
I worked a full show day and returned home sometime around the 11:00 pm hour. I decided to take and inventory of my current gear and pack up would I could. After some searching I have decidedly less gear than I used to. I am missing several items that are not really that important on local trips so not to worry. After assembling I could help but have an itch to test it out. So I gathered what few layers of clothes I had at the time, my hat (Titleleist Golf Hat), and my borrowed pack. I added several 1 litre bottles of water to simulate food and new gear weight. I am lucky enough to live about three blocks from the Lake Shore Running and Bike Path in Chicago so I decided that was a very worthy place to test my pack and layers. I hiked approx. 1.5 miles and sat to take a quick water break. I found that my boots were rubbing awkwardly and starting a blister and I needed to find another layer for my legs. I also found that 7 floors is a LONG way to go with a full pack. Boy am I out of shape.
Tuesday 2-7
Jake and I ventured to REI on our dinner break which is about 20 mins from work. I bought a camp stove, fuel, a stainless bowl, and camp utensils. Upon returning to work I had to fire up the stove. I mean, if you had a new toy, wouldn't you play with it at the first chance. Jake and I re-heated a cold McDonald's Apple Pie. Upon returning home I gathered my pack two cans of soup and my new gear and made the same hike as the night previous. I wanted to test the stove can fuel consumption and test the new pants I got from the Army Surplus store. Stove worked like a charm. At the half way point I had some nice hot soup in about 5 mins and also boiled a bowl of water for washing stuff. Conclusion: I am still out of shape but the new layers and stove work like a dream. Returned home and racked out almost immediately.
Weds and Thurs.: Rest sore muscles and spend some time with my lady. Thursday night I spent packing and re-packing trying to make things most efficient. I also made a list of several last minute items I needed to gather on dinner break Friday night. The set plan is to leave directly after the Show Friday night come hell or High water. When I finally found things were in order sleep was very welcome.
Week 1 training: Complete
posted by Dustin L. Derry at 5:54 PM
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