Woods Walker
The Wood is cut, The Bacon is cooked, Now it’s tim
So you want to cover a good deal of ground but there are two problems.
1. It's dark.
2. There is no road.
No problem. Night trail running/fast hiking 101! Actually 101 implies I am relaying absolute facts. No, these are impressions of what works best for me. Maybe this info might be of benefit to you. Or maybe not? When it comes to night woods running safety is always my primary concern. Unless there is some dire emergency preventing me I tell responsible family and friends the plans in detail, never deviating unless the same people are informed. Why? Well it's night so if ya fall then break something including your phone that might just be it till who knows when. For example a storm was moving in with ice, rain and snow. It was expected to hit around 1 hour after my ETA. Laying face down in the mud for who knows how long wouldn't be fun. So with a float plan my actual amount of exposure would be limited as help is coming.
I like to leave around dust. I think it was around 6ish or so. No later than 6:30 for sure.
Light weight pack and hiking poles.
Been field testing the Osprey Rev 24 I recently purchased.
Running at a moderate pace.
This area was trashed by Sandy. The trees were simply too close together making them vulnerable to a hurricane. One of the many reasons to find shelter during storms.
At this point little ice pellets were falling so getting ready to put on a hat and gloves. Hats, gloves and socks offer great bang for their diminutive pack weight and bulk IMHO. Wore synthetic clothing given the potential weather.
When running I hold the hiking poles farther down towards the middle to balance them. If employed I slide them up to the handle. Having the ability to gain an extra two legs (the hiking poles) at a moments notice can really come in handy...... pun intended. All kidding aside over harsher ground it's unlikely anything with just two legs, all things being reasonably equal would have any hope of keeping up with someone using poles.
So what's in the pack.
1. Tops/Turley PSK. I like to roll my own PSKs but this is a notable exception.
2. Headlamp and flashlight.
3. Water. I didn't bother with the hydration pouch inside the pack. One bottle was enough.
4. BHK Large Scandi SS Tiger Knapp.
5. TP and extra firesteel. I think there might actually be 3 total firesteels in my pack. I forget that the knife has one when tossing the kit together Then again these things are UL so an extra won't hunt anything.
6. Waterproof electronics dry bag.
I left the silnylon ponchoback at home guessing it was too cold for rain. Next time I will pack it anyways when there is a potential for a storm. The little ice pellets near the end of the trail run/fast hike weren't an issue but the snow did pick up later then turned wet. If for some reason I had to stay out there longer a poncho would be helpful. Next time it goes with me as is often the case.
DIY Firesteel Kydex holder with an old school LMF.
I like to pack both a headlamp and flashlight using the same battery configuratiuon in this case 1XCR123.
Running. Actually I had to stop to take the photos. Slowed me down too much.
Lots of water all over the place.
I like to slow down when going through mud and water. Will employ the poles to help mitigate slips, trips and falls.
Not going to run through muddy leaves unless looking to break my neck. I take it slow when necessary.
Brooks and streams have rocks that are often covered in moss and under cut by the current. An undercut rock and shift from body weight so I slow down for this.
Same goes for a jumble of rocks. I might hop on the tops or step between but overall am going to slow down. Very similar response to going up or down very steep sections. I have the physical ability to run/scamper up steep ground with a pack however this (for me) seems to reduce my overall speed compared to fast hiking the steepest section then running the better ground. I am extremely hesitant to go too fast down steep hills, infact almost always slow down to the same pace as going up. Too much shock on the knees.
Pack unloaded at the van.
So let's see how we did. I ran night ran/fast hiked 10.2 miles yesterday and did 7.8 tonight. I don't always take this device, rather only when wishing to check on my distance and speed.
The photos and unloading my pack's contents slowed me down. Also the night slows me down as well. A person really needs to look at each foot step far more when off a road, paved or dirt. A root, rock wet patch can easily result is a slip, trip or fall if not vigilant. Headlamps and flashlights will never replace the sun. That's basically it. Don't go too fast if you're unsure of the footing. Gosh so simple it might not have been worthy of a thread. LOL!
1. It's dark.
2. There is no road.
No problem. Night trail running/fast hiking 101! Actually 101 implies I am relaying absolute facts. No, these are impressions of what works best for me. Maybe this info might be of benefit to you. Or maybe not? When it comes to night woods running safety is always my primary concern. Unless there is some dire emergency preventing me I tell responsible family and friends the plans in detail, never deviating unless the same people are informed. Why? Well it's night so if ya fall then break something including your phone that might just be it till who knows when. For example a storm was moving in with ice, rain and snow. It was expected to hit around 1 hour after my ETA. Laying face down in the mud for who knows how long wouldn't be fun. So with a float plan my actual amount of exposure would be limited as help is coming.
I like to leave around dust. I think it was around 6ish or so. No later than 6:30 for sure.
Light weight pack and hiking poles.
Been field testing the Osprey Rev 24 I recently purchased.
Running at a moderate pace.
This area was trashed by Sandy. The trees were simply too close together making them vulnerable to a hurricane. One of the many reasons to find shelter during storms.
At this point little ice pellets were falling so getting ready to put on a hat and gloves. Hats, gloves and socks offer great bang for their diminutive pack weight and bulk IMHO. Wore synthetic clothing given the potential weather.
When running I hold the hiking poles farther down towards the middle to balance them. If employed I slide them up to the handle. Having the ability to gain an extra two legs (the hiking poles) at a moments notice can really come in handy...... pun intended. All kidding aside over harsher ground it's unlikely anything with just two legs, all things being reasonably equal would have any hope of keeping up with someone using poles.
So what's in the pack.
1. Tops/Turley PSK. I like to roll my own PSKs but this is a notable exception.
2. Headlamp and flashlight.
3. Water. I didn't bother with the hydration pouch inside the pack. One bottle was enough.
4. BHK Large Scandi SS Tiger Knapp.
5. TP and extra firesteel. I think there might actually be 3 total firesteels in my pack. I forget that the knife has one when tossing the kit together Then again these things are UL so an extra won't hunt anything.
6. Waterproof electronics dry bag.
I left the silnylon ponchoback at home guessing it was too cold for rain. Next time I will pack it anyways when there is a potential for a storm. The little ice pellets near the end of the trail run/fast hike weren't an issue but the snow did pick up later then turned wet. If for some reason I had to stay out there longer a poncho would be helpful. Next time it goes with me as is often the case.
DIY Firesteel Kydex holder with an old school LMF.
I like to pack both a headlamp and flashlight using the same battery configuratiuon in this case 1XCR123.
Running. Actually I had to stop to take the photos. Slowed me down too much.
Lots of water all over the place.
I like to slow down when going through mud and water. Will employ the poles to help mitigate slips, trips and falls.
Not going to run through muddy leaves unless looking to break my neck. I take it slow when necessary.
Brooks and streams have rocks that are often covered in moss and under cut by the current. An undercut rock and shift from body weight so I slow down for this.
Same goes for a jumble of rocks. I might hop on the tops or step between but overall am going to slow down. Very similar response to going up or down very steep sections. I have the physical ability to run/scamper up steep ground with a pack however this (for me) seems to reduce my overall speed compared to fast hiking the steepest section then running the better ground. I am extremely hesitant to go too fast down steep hills, infact almost always slow down to the same pace as going up. Too much shock on the knees.
Pack unloaded at the van.
So let's see how we did. I ran night ran/fast hiked 10.2 miles yesterday and did 7.8 tonight. I don't always take this device, rather only when wishing to check on my distance and speed.
The photos and unloading my pack's contents slowed me down. Also the night slows me down as well. A person really needs to look at each foot step far more when off a road, paved or dirt. A root, rock wet patch can easily result is a slip, trip or fall if not vigilant. Headlamps and flashlights will never replace the sun. That's basically it. Don't go too fast if you're unsure of the footing. Gosh so simple it might not have been worthy of a thread. LOL!
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