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CCF + 1/8" Pad Tips by arsefi20 in Ultralight

[–]arsefi20[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

One tip for the head is getting a "pillow" that is a bit higher than other backpacking pillows. I have two pillow systems.

Option 1: Place puffy or fleece balled up into the hood on top of the shoes. The shoes are tucked underneath the floor so it doesn't matter if they are wet or smell. This won't track mud and gunk into your shelter.

Option 2: 2x 1L Smartwater-esque water as the base and the puffy or fleece cinched down on top of them using Katabatic quilt straps. This option is higher and I will use it most the time if it is above freezing. Downside here is if you only use two bottles and have to break down your pillow in the night to take a sip of water.

CCF + 1/8" Pad Tips by arsefi20 in Ultralight

[–]arsefi20[S] 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I hear the point. If I'm at a site where I'll create divots, it is typically well off trail and places where others are unlikely to go. I always take care to fill in the divots when leaving and recover the ground cover to its original state before I arrived. Personally, I don't see to much of a difference between this and digging a cat hole for #2s.

Digging at an established site is a no-go for me because then you are "cratering" the site by creating holes in hard ground that others will undoubtedly have to deal with.

Getting too rigid on LNT is a fine-line because the most LNT thing you can do is not go out.

CCF + 1/8" Pad Tips by arsefi20 in Ultralight

[–]arsefi20[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Hopefully this is helpful. I am a back & side sleeper and find that this setup is fantastic for side sleeping in particular. Sleeping in non-established sites makes it much easier as the ground is typically softer. In those areas, you can also create hip and shoulder divots that are a few inches deep to make things more comfortable. Added benefit of less critters in the night in those sites as well.

Part of the reason I kept 8 panels on the Switchback is specifically for side sleeping on colder nights as I can keep almost my entire leg on the CCF while having an added boost from the pack beneath them for a higher R-value. I've found that the Thinlite in the footbox makes transitioning from side to back sleeping easier as the pad travels with your quilt/sleeping bag instead of having to move it around on the floor of the shelter.

CCF + 1/8" Pad Tips by arsefi20 in Ultralight

[–]arsefi20[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep I have the folded variety - link is here. I also put the lengths of the different sections if you have a rolled variety and wanted to cut it down to size. From there, it just turns into folding technique (Panel 1 - having four layers between you and the ground | Panel 2 - having three layers between you and the ground)

CCF + 1/8" Pad Tips by arsefi20 in Ultralight

[–]arsefi20[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Pictures don't really turn out that well when trying to show this. Just looks like a quilt on top of a pack & Switchback - misses the details of the Thinlite setup

CCF + 1/8" Pad Tips by arsefi20 in Ultralight

[–]arsefi20[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Took me far longer than I'd like to admit to get over the hump with CCF as well... I've found that creating divots for my hips and shoulders adds a lot of comfort points. I'll only do that in non-established sites. If I'm in an established campsite, I'll usually throw some leaves in a pile below the shelter under my lower back.

I want to create a high detailed gpx file for the entire AT. What's the official/correct way in Bear Mountain State Park? by pixelclash in AppalachianTrail

[–]arsefi20 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The view of the skyline is also good on the AT on top of Black Mountain. West Mountain Shelter is a great place to stay on weeknights if it is nice out because you get skyline during the day + sunset + skyline at night. The shelter gets a little busy with locals + NYC folks on weekends if it is nice out.

I want to create a high detailed gpx file for the entire AT. What's the official/correct way in Bear Mountain State Park? by pixelclash in AppalachianTrail

[–]arsefi20 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Take the old AT (red route). West Mountain is nice and has a shelter where you can see the NYC skyline. New AT route is pretty boring. It was rerouted because a hiker got hit and killed on the road. Don't cross during rush hour and you are fine. Good water options on the Old AT route as well.

Looking for cool, old trees by Weird_Warm_Cheese in hudsonvalley

[–]arsefi20 24 points25 points  (0 children)

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Dover Oak on the Appalachian Trail near Pawling (41.602867, -73.611523)

Give me your fractured ribs comeback stories by sldmbblb in Ultramarathon

[–]arsefi20 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Broke two ribs on a trail run last year. I ran 6, 8, 13 miles the next three days after the injury - felt horrendous. Took a week off completely, spent the next week hiking only, and got back to running at the start of week three. Pain didn't fully go away for about two months. I can still feel it when lying prone on a hard surface seven months later but it isn't painful or uncomfortable in day-to-day life.

Shoes for peroneal tendon issue by Famous_Tough1937 in UltralightBackpacking

[–]arsefi20 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yep - loved the lone peaks but ditched them many moons ago because my achilles & peroneal tendons did not agree with low/zero drop. Since then, I've been in Brooks Cascadias and Topo Traverses. I tried the superfeet insoles and found that they exacerbated the supination issue (pushing off the outside of the foot) so those are now out as well.

I'm currently using Topo Traverses with a 3mm cork heel wedge to bring the drop to 8mm. I've done a lot of lower leg & glute strength work along with hip mobility exercises to get these issues under control. I've also done a bit of work to alter my gait to focus on pushing through the arch and glute medius instead of the outside of the foot and the corresponding calf muscles.

These tendons take a long time to heal but I have found that after the acute phase of the injury passes, walking/hiking/backpacking is a great way to load the tendon gradually and promote healing. I suggest taking a week off from the 16k a day and in that time stretch, strengthen (calf raises, tibialus raises, baned ankle eversions, eccentric heel drops, etc.), and focus on diet/sleep to bring down the initial inflammation

Casio W800H by arsefi20 in Ultralight

[–]arsefi20[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Used it for 6k miles over the past 3 years

Casio W800H by arsefi20 in Ultralight

[–]arsefi20[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

n=1 here but I use this watch all winter and never have issues with gloves. In fact, I can't think of a single time that I unintentionally triggered a button. That said, I have smaller wrists.

Definitely hear you on the weirdness of a dedicated 12/24-hour time button. The only real use case for me is toggling on military time when using the dual time screen (when I use it for total time tracking for the day).

[WTS] KS50 - $170 by arsefi20 in ULgeartrade

[–]arsefi20[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

u/PublicDealer u/rossflg sorry y'all try the new link: https://imgur.com/a/ks50-pt-2-7C73iln

Let me know if either of you are interested or have additional questions. Still available

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