[Philmont]: RE: Gear weight, boots, etc.

Regarding the bruising of the toes, etc. Dr. Bob nailed that from the
analysis department. I would add a recommendation for a piece of
equipment available from Camp-Mor, etc., called "Superfeet". Remove the
soft (probably) insole in your boot, trace the shape on the Superfeet
insole, cut it to fit and put it in. These are much better insoles then
most boots have. They are more rigid and less soft. The principle
being that your foot has plenty of natural gel padding (called fat) to
absorb the pounding, which works best when pressed into the right form
or shape. The Superfeet do feel a bit odd when you first put them in
because they mush your foot slightly differently then most shoe insoles
do.

Most of the guys in our crew wore them last summer and we recommend them
highly for avoiding foot problems. I'd say put Superfeet in and do the
other things Dr. Bob recommends and you'll be GTG.

I will also opine on gear weight:

Guys, what the pack weighs is a function of many things, not the least
of which are experience, #1 and access to capital, #2. Face it, some of
the stuff we discuss with a tone of incredulity that "others don't have
one of these" is pretty damn expensive. Someone who is not a frequent
BP-er just doesn't have a lot of the stuff others of us do. Some of us
who are frequent BP-ers have 3 kids in braces, one going to college and
a wife who believes in Dave Ramsey and will not tolerate debt. Buying
gear for me is like guerilla warfare: Stay out of the open and strike at
night. Others of us are just the way we are and are willing to carry
38-40 pounds before crew gear, etc.

It's like golf. Some people can buy a better game. Nothing wrong with
that. Others have to just get by with what they can afford or are
willing to pay.

Dave Parmly
Knoxville, TN

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Received on Fri Jun 3 07:47:59 2005