I have continued my weekly walking of around 30-35 miles, I try to get out 4 times a week but sometimes thats not possible so 3 longer walks of around 11-12 miles instead of 4 7-10 mile hikes, I have changed a few things, Firstly underwear, Nothing worse than feeling wet so i have bought some Exofficio pants and i have to say that they are brilliant, Before my old cotton Hanes boxers would be soaking and stay that way making it uncomfortable and cold, The new pants wick the sweat away instantly and are super comfortable, I guess that they should be at $26 a pair, By far the most expensive underwear that i have ever bought but they are so comfortable and stay in shape even if you sleep in them that i will be buying more, I can not rate these highly enough,
Hydration is also very very important, At the moment i have been using camelback water bottles which being insulated work fine at keeping the water cool, But i have to stop and take my backpack off to get to them, Its not a problem at the moment as i walk 45-60 minutes between stops before stopping for a drink and a rest, However the temperatures here are starting to rise and spring is in the air, Its normally over 90 degrees in the summer so drink stops will be very regular and i dont want to stop every 5-10 minutes so i have been looking at a hydration pack for my Osprey backpack, Having one of these means that i can take a sip as i go, They are not expensive so i will soon get one and see how it goes, The downside is that you have to clean them out regularly otherwise you can get bacteria in them and thats not nice, If you do not drink enough water you will start to get cramps and even tendinitis so keep drinking even if you don't think that you need it, Even when walking in exxtreme cold conditions you need to keep hydrated,
I have been reading various hiking websites and many advise to put some lubricant on your feet then a liner sock with a smartwool sock on top, I already have the socks so just needed the lubricant, Vaseline will do but i went for the silicon variety called sportslick which will seal your feet and stop blisters caused by friction, I have not had blister problems and don't want them, Its a little bit messy getting it on but soap and water will remove it, I still get a warm under foot on my left foot but its never gotten any worse and a couple of minutes rest and i am ready to go for another hour, I have started to tie my left boot very tight at the foot and its certainly helped, I think my feet may be a tad narrow for the boot but over all i am very happy with my North face boots,
It looks like its going to be a wet week here in NC so the treadmill will be getting some use
Dave
