The Entrance into Peru!

Well, the last few days have been eventful! It started out flying from Burlington to Chicago where I had an 11 hour layover. I, for the most part, just slept in the airport until I was able to check in with Copa airlines. Check in and the security checkpoint went smoothly and I was able to get another nap before departing. 

The flight into Panama was long (5 hours). I didn't sleep well on the plane but did get a little nap. They served us complimentary breakfast before landing in Panama City where we had a 1 hour layover. The layover, however, didn't seem long. I wasn't at the gate long before we started to board. 

The next flight was smooth as well and I did manage to sleep. We only flew for 3 hours, but that nap helped. I also had my own row. They did serve us a dinner of chicken sandwiches and salad. 

We landed in Lima, Peru and went through customs quickly. For a small airport, it was busy. I decided to exchange some currency for Peruvian Soles. I didn't realise how good the exchange rate is. $140 comes out to 407 Soles. I claimed my baggage then took a taxi to a small hotel called the Caribe. I wasn't originally planning on getting a hotel, just sleep in the airport. But I'm glad I did because I felt quite refreshed the next day. 

I took a taxi back to the airport where I checked in and rechecked my baggage. We flew from Lima to Cusco (my final destination). It was a short 1 hour flight that seemed to fly by (no pun intended). I had my own row on this flight as well. As they served us complimentary drinks and snacks, I tried their soda called Inca Kola, which tastes a lot like a fruity bubble gum. Cusco has a small airport, so after landing, it was easy to claim baggage. I repacked my carry-on (a drawstring bag), and programmed the address into my Garmin Etrex 20. Cusco isn't very big, so I figured I could walk anywhere (even though I was bombarded by taxi drivers). It was a nice walk through the busier part of town. I can say, Peru is different than what I expected. The culture is something you just have to see to understand it. 

My GPS took me right to my destination: Peru Treks. I figured I would check in and pay my remaining balance with the group I'll be backpacking with. Unfortunately, the office was closed (it's Sunday and almost everything is closed). Fortunately though, it was on my way to Plaza de Armas: the main square. 

It didn't take long to get to the plaza. I figured it would be busy, but not this busy!  It's obviously one of the hot attractions in Cusco. There's 2 cathedrals on the square along with restaurants, travel agencies, currency exchanges, and travelling salesmen. All throughout the plaza are locals walking around trying to sell things, mostly artwork. There are also police EVERYWHERE. This just supports that Peru isn't really as dangerous as some people think. It also didn't take long to figure out that it's good to know at least a little Spanish. That has really made this trip easier. 

I walked around and explored the plaza, along with the town around the plaza. There is quite a bit to see and there's an abundance in travel agencies trying to sell me trips. There's also an abundance of locals dressed in traditional Peru dress, which is kind of cool.  

My hostel checkin wasn't until 1 pm and I arrived at 6 am, so there was plenty of time to kill. While at the plaza, I had some more currency exchanged. I tried to rest on the benches periodically because of the high altitude. Cusco is at 10,000 feet and the air is obviously thinner. I didn't seem to have much of an issue with it though. When I stopped to rest, I could feel it. It's not necessarily harder to breath, but I find myself breathing faster and occasionally taking a deep sigh. I also found that it's quite hot here. Around 8 am, the temperature was in the low 70s and by noon, it was almost 80. With little cloud cover, I got sunburned on my first day. 

Around 9, I went to a restaurant that was serving breakfast and had an awesome egg dish. They also make their own juice using fresh fruit. I also decided to try the traditional drink Chicha Morada (purple corn, pineapple, cinnamon, and cumin). It was a lot better than I though it would be. 

Later in the morning, (probably more like noon), there was a small parade through the square. Locals dressed in traditional Incan dress, playing music and dancing. It was really neat. 

When 1 came around, I headed to the hostel: Intro Hostel, with the help of my Garmin. They quickly got me checked in and showed me to the room and gave me the choice of top or bottom bunk. I was glad I could get a bottom bunk. 

The hostel is unique with a villa, open design. The center is open and there's a boardwalk that stretches around the perimeter to get to the rooms. I was surprised to see that the self service kitchen is in the open area. They also have their own travel agency which I might use in the next couple days (you know, white water rafting, bungee jumping, etc.) Not sure, though what all I'll do for the next couple days. I decided to rest for a bit at the hostel since I'd been walking all morning with a 21 lbs backpack. I hung out here for a bit and took a nap. 

After my nap, I decided to find dinner. I had my heart set on trying cuy (roasted Guinea pig). I walked around and compared prices to find the cheapest. That's one of the things about Peru: if you see some thing you like, keep walking and you will probably see it cheaper. I found a nice restaurant and ordered my meal and It was good (tastes like squirrel), though the skin has a weird texture. I probably won't eat it much because it's pretty pricey. I also tried coca tea, which tastes like a mix of chamomile and grean tea. 

After dinner I headed back to the hostel where I got a shower in. The restrooms/shower houses are a little different. The downstairs one is co-ed and the upstairs one is men only. Different from what I'm used to. Now, I'm able to sit back and enjoy the fire that the staff just started. I originally had planned to take it easy today to get used to the altitude. I ended up doing a lot more walking than anticipated, putting in 6 miles. Tomorrow should be a more eventful day with plans to see sacsayhuaman and a miniature of the famous statue in Rio Dejinero!

Surviving Hypothermia

It seems like just yesterday since I wrote my post on transitioning to fall gear. Now, it is the first day of winter. Just like going into fall, winter has some transitioning. From gear, to food, to camping techniques. I have posted quite a bit on winter camping, but it has been a while since I last posted on surviving. I try to keep a habbit of posting on one winter emergency per year and today, I encountered a hypothermia case.

Of any other winter emergency, I believe hypothermia can be the deadliest. Hypothermia is also known as low body temperature. It is when your body temperature starts to drop and as it drops, your body will go through different stages. This can be caused, not only in winter, but on a cool summer night as well. For the most part, hypothermia can be avoided, but on certain occasions, it cannot and if you encounter such a situation, it's important to know how survive it.

First of all, let's look at the cause. Hypothermia is caused by exposure to cold over a long (or short) period of time. In a campig situation, it can be caused by having a sleeping bag rated to high, not wearing the right clothing, not eating enough, or the worst: getting wet.

Being wet when it's cold is the fastest way to develop hypothermia. As your body temperature begins to drop, you will go into progressive stages of hypothermia. It starts out by feeling cold and shivering. I'm sure we have all experienced this at some time. You begin to shiver and feel your whole body getting cold, but more so of the extremities. As time passes, your extremities will become colder. As your body temp drops, your body will cut off circulation to your extremities to keep that warm blood in your core to help you survive.

As it progresses, you will stop shivering. This is when it becomes dangerous and tissue damage can occur. The skin will become cold and turn to a blue or white color. In ths stage, the person will also become lethargic and confused. The mental status will drop as the body temperature drops and in late stages, the person will become unconcerned about their condition. They will eventually lose consciousness and appear dead.

If this happens to you, or someone you're with, the most important thing is to get dry. Even in the middle of winter, you are better off naked than in 10 layers of wet clothes. Strip down all wet clothes and if you have a towel or dry clothes, be sure to get dry and put on any spare clothing. It is important to have soething over your head. Most of your body heat escapes from your head. If the sleeping bag is dry, bundle up inside. When you are warmed up, quickly build a fire. You may not be able to if you are going into hypothermia because of the shivering. However, you want to get warm before you become confused, especially if you're by yourself so if that's your only option, get stripped down, then build a fire.

If you have a fire, hang your clothes near it to dry them out. If you carry a space blanket/casualty blanket, that is a good option. If you have one, wrap yourself in it and open it slightly towards the fire, allowing the heat to reflect onto your body. When you start to feel warm, close the blanket up until you are fully warmed up.

If none of the above are available, you still needs to find a way to warm up. If you are with someone, shared body heat is the best method. Huddle together and if you have one, share a blanket or sleeping bag. If you have a hiking partner that is going into hypothermia, be sure to share your body heat with him. This will work better than most methods.

When you are sitting waiting to warm up (such as near a fire), you are better off sitting on your backpack or chair and stay off the ground. The ground will cause you to lose more heat, so try to stay off the ground.

These are the basics on recognizing, treating, and preventing hypothermia. Remember that hypothermia does not just occur in winter but can happen all year round. Be prepared for it and dress to prevent it.

Transitioning Gear From Summer to Fall

A couple days ago, we went into the first day of fall. I personally love camping in the fall. The scenery is a better sight, the climate feels more relaxing, and of course, colder nights creep up on us. It seems that when we transition from summer into fall, temperature seems to start dropping rapidly. Not an uncomfortable low, but enjoyable with a long sleeve shirt and hot chocolate. Winter camping used to be my favorite season, but now I'm leaning more towards fall.


With the drop in temperature, some things do need to be considered in regards to gear. Our gear changes for each season and a few considerations are to be taken when dealing with fall. Let's first look at the obvious gear change for this season: warmth. This is a little easier to determine for autumn months than winter months.


The big change in clothing is primarily long pants and shirt. I personally wear thin-to-medium long pants and that is adequate for me. Some people need heavier pants and some people get along fine with shorts. If you will be backpacking in the fall, I recommend getting a durable set of convertible pants. Many fall days can be warm, so it's nice to have shorts, but the nights can get cold. With convertible pants, you can zip on the pant legs when the temperature drops.


As far as shirts, I will often wear short sleeves while hiking, but have a thin, long sleeved shirt handy. When you hike, you will warm up, but if you stop for a break and it's cool outside, it is nice to have that extra layer. I will generally bring a thin, long sleeved shirt along with a fleece sweatshirt.


Several posts back, I went into choosing sleeping bags. This can vary quite a bit in the fall based on various factors. I recommend having a sleeping bag rated around thirty degrees colder than you plan to be sleeping in. If the forecasted temperature is to be 60 degrees, you may want a 30-40 degree bag. Remember that most sleeping bags are rated for survivability and not comfort. Some bags have an EN rating which is a European rating. With the EN rating, the upper limit, comfort level, lower level, and extreme ratings are labeled. Right now, I have a 32 degree bag and the next down is a five degree, so I have to use discretion. My 32 degree bag is down fill so it's light and my 5 degree bag is synthetic so it's bulky and heavy. If I have any doubts, I usually go with the colder rating bag. Over the past month, I have experimented with bag ratings and shelters and have found that the type of shelter you use may change what sleeping bag you need. When I sleep in a tent or just in the open, I found that it's a good idea to stick to the 30 degree rule (having a sleeping bag rated 30 degrees below the outside temperature).


When you sleep in a hammock, there are a few factors to think about. If you use a GOOD under quilt, you could stick with the 30 degree rule and should be okay. Though, you may want to consider having a bag rated slightly lower. I've found that your butt will start to chill during the night. When in a hammock, your butt will compress the sleeping bag more than normal, so naturally, it won't loft as well. A good way to compensate for that are to use a good under quilt. When the temperature drop to low 50's, an under quilt may or may not cut it, depending on what sleeping bag you have (assuming you are using the 30 degree rule). Sometimes, the under quilt will keep you warm all except for your butt. That can be fixed by placing a space blanket between the under quilt and hammock under your buttock. You can also just use a thin tarp. A lot of the times, the coldness is caused by convection or wind. If you use a material that prevents the wind from getting to you, the problem can oftentimes be fixed.


Another problem I find is my feet getting cold. I have this issue more than my butt getting cold. I will oftentimes wrap my feet in jacket or coat and that mostly fixes the problem. It would be a good idea to get a pair of thick Marino wool socks that you only wear for sleep. That can almost always fix the cold feet problem (in the autumn months of course).


I recently started bivy camping within the last year. What I have found is that bivy bags will trap heat. In the winter, this is a great plus, but it can be easy to over-insulate in the fall. So far this fall, the coldest it has been was 52 degrees and I used my 32 degree bag. I did find myself unzipping the bag quite a bit. When using a bivy bag, try to have a sleeping bag rated close to 20 degrees lower than the outside temperature. When you add an insulated sleeping pad, it can change that up, but not significantly enough to make much of a difference. If you use a bug bivy, you should probably stick to the 30 degree rule. (Stay tuned for a future post on bivy camping).


Another aspect I look at that isn't quite so critical is food options. For a weekend trip or impromptu trip, it's easy to just grab some Ramen noodles or Mountainhouse freeze dried meals. However, in the fall, it is nice to have a well cooked meal. If the temperature is going to drop, the extra calories will keep you warm. But aside from that, on a cool, fall night, it's enjoyable to have a well cooked meal, sitting back around the fire. I also like to have hot chocolate or hot tea for the evening (bear in mind that tea will make you leave your sleeping bag for the latrine). My camping buddy takes a travel mug along that will keep the hot chocolate warm for a good part of the night. He likes to keep it near his sleeping bag so he can sip on it during the night when it gets chilly.


There really isn't a whole lot that goes into transitioning gear from summer temperatures to fall temperatures, but the changes are significant. If you are looking at getting into backpacking or hiking, I recommend starting in the fall because that is, in my opinion, the most enjoyable season to hike. Now get out there and adventure on!

Minimalist 101

When I first got into backpacking, I had a tendency to take anything and everything that I could fit into my pack. You know the old Boyscout motto "always be prepared". But as time has gone by and within the past year or so, I have been lightening my load more and more. As I assessed my pack, I realized that I didn't use more than half of the stuff I brought. So I decided to become a minimalist. Now, minimalist is different from ultralight. Ultralight hikers keep their pack less than 10 pounds (excluding the water and food). A minimalist as well doesn't take a whole lot, but does not keep the weight under a certain limit (though they certainly can). A minimalist essentially only takes what is absolutely necessary. I think minimalist hiking is a good way to go (or at least try). For some people, this may not be a preferred method. Such as when I do the Appalachian Trail next year, I may pack a few things just for comfort. 

As I worked on my updated packing list for my last overnight trip, I separated gear into 3 categories: essential, good to have, and not essential. I am going to give you my packing list under each category for my last trip, but bear in mind that this is for a bicycle trip. 

Essential 

Sleeping bag (appropriate rating)

Shelter (in this case, a bivy)

Food

Cooking kit

Stove

Water container

Paracord

Flashlight

Multi-tool

Warm clothing

Rain jacket (if rain is suspected)

Compass and map (if in wilderness or don't know the area)

Water filter/purifier (if multi-day or stream is your primary source of water)

If you were to do an ultralight hike/ride, this may be all you bring. It may not seem like much, but in all reality, it's all that you absolutely need. In fact, if you know that you won't have adverse weather, you could leave the shelter behind. We all know that comfort is nice to have and we like to have some luxuries, even when backpacking. That's why I have a "good to have" category. 

Good to Have

Bug spray 

Sunscreen (if needed)

Shelter tarp and stakes

Ground cloth

Camp chair

Sleeping pad

Weather radio

Spare flashlight

Duct tape

Bandana 

Extra paracord 

Ipod/MP3 player/radio

Small lantern

First aid kit

Charger for electronics

Pillow

Saw

Shovel

Towel

Soap

Hand sanitizer 

Extra socks

Camp shoes

Trekking poles

Spices for cooking 

Some of these things can arguably be moved to the essential list. However, some of these things can be substituted. If you have a hammock and waterproof bags, you don't really need a chair or ground cloth. A pillow is nice, but I just put my extra clothes and lose stuff sacks into a single stuff sack and use that. In a hammock, a pillow really isn't needed anyways. If you are in a state/national park, it is required to "burry your poo" or to carry it out. The "leave no trace" policy would imply the need for a sack or two to carry your "stuff" out or a shovel to burry it. I have a ziplock bag with a couple 1 gallon bags, sandwich bags, a garbage bag, and some paper towels. This is always handy but not essential. Trekking poles may be essential if used for your shelter. To some people, music is essential and therefore, an iPod may be essential. 

Not Essential

Extra stuff sacks

Space blanket

Fully stocked survival kit (depending on location) 

Extra garbage bags

Candles

Backup stove and fuel

Cooking utensil set

Stake hammer

Hatchet

Fishing kit (unless fish will be your primary source of food)

Shower bag

Dry bag/box for everything

Extra poncho

Spare shoe laces

These are common things that are often added to a gear list that really don't need brought. But again, if I'm on a long trip, I may bring the shower bag. For someone who requires comfort and luxuries, these may be "essentials". I know that some of these may be controversial such as the survival kit, backup stove, and spare poncho. But to be honest, I've never used these. You should be prepared for worst thing that you may encounter but not to the extreme. You probably don't need a snake bike kit in the winter and I doubt you will encounter a flood in the mountains. 

This is my list for my trips as a minimalist. Obviously, some gear gets added depending on the climate (coat, snowshoes, shemagh, etc.) or type of trip (life jacket for kayak, repair kit for bike). Use this list to build your own list of what you need. For someone just starting out, it can be overbearing to obtain all of the gear that most people recommend. But if you use this as a guide, it should be easier. 

What you see in the first picture is all I brought on my overnight bike trip and it was sufficient for me. Here are a few pictures of our last trip. Try out this list and I would love to see your photos. 

RAGBRAI 2015

Another Year of RAGBRAI down! This year was more of a challenge than I originally thought. This year was a total of almost 500 miles, excluding the two loops. There was a lot more climb this year than last year, which was somewhat expected.

We packed the truck on Friday evening and it headed off to Sioux City. We hopped on the Trailways bus and departed around 6:30 on Saturday, stopping at the Iowa Machine Shed for breakfast. Arriving in Sioux City, we found the park in which we were to camp that night. All of our gear was already unloaded from the truck so we could start setting up camp. I decided to go with my new shelter setup which I was rather impressed with. I left it in porch mode for the night which allowed for a nice breeze to sweep through. The weather was fairly hot when we set up camp, so the porch mode worked well for shade. After setting up camp, we went to the expo where we acquired a few free things. Near the expo was a Hard Rock casino, so we decided to eat at the restaurant there, which was quite good. Huey Lewis and the News played this night, but I decided to turn in early to be well rested for the ride. The night stayed pretty warm, so the fan got some use.

The first day Was from Sioux City to Storm Lake, a total of 76.5 miles. We rode through Leeds, Kingsley, Washta, Quimby, and Hanover, ending in Storm Lake. It was almost 4,000 feet of climb this day, however, was a gradual climb which made it not so bad. We did have a couple good hills. I only had 150 miles in before RAGBRAI so it took a while to "find my legs". I have to say that this was probably the hardest day. The first day was somewhat hot, with occasional cloud cover. Breakfast and Lunch we got from local vendors. This year, we decided to try to support local organisations and churches, so ate mostly at these places. We did make an exception: Beekman's homemade ice cream. When we arrived at Storm Lake, we found our camp. We set up camp on a grassy stretch between the downtown sidewalk and the lake. Since we were on the lake, setting up camp was a challenge because of the wind. We were under some trees so we had plenty of shade. For dinner, we went to a local place for pasta. As we talked about showers, we figured that we would save money by taking a bath in the lake. Next to our camp was a small sand bank and a dip in the lake felt good after a hot day. Three of us jumped in with our clothes on to wash them as well and had a nice bath and cool-down. We used the extra paracord from my ridgeline I put up under my tarp to make a clothesline. For the rest of the week, we made a clothesline using my ridgeline. During the night, we had a some rain so I closed in the tarp. I was quite impressed with how well it held up to the wind and rain. In fact, the whole ground under my tarp was dry.

Day two started out a little cool. We had some dew on the tents which made it a pain to roll up my tarp. We rode through Newell, Fonda, Manson, and Clare before arriving at our overnight town Fort Dodge. This day's ride was 68.7 miles with 1300 feet of climb. This was a somewhat easy day. Monday was also the gravel loop day through Pomeroy. This year was the first where they had an extra loop of gravel road. Needless to say, with my road bike, I was not about to do this loop. Camp was at a school and it was probably one of the hotter days when we set up camp. The shade certainly felt good. Since it was Monday night, we had a our group get-together. This is where our club sits in a circle, passes around snacks, and introduces each other. We showered and ate at the school that night. We used my ridgline and strung it to the top of my buddy's tent to make a clothesline. I had to use my fan this night as well because the heat didn't really let up. In fact, I didn't even get my sleeping bag out.

Day three was to Eldora. Eldora was the only overnight town this year that I had never been to before. We had a long day of 72.9 miles through Duncombe, Webster City, Boondock, Williams, Alden, and Buckeyes. There was also the Karras loop through Radcliffe. I was satisfied with having rode it last year so I skipped it this year. I'm glad I did because this day felt long enough. We had a little bit a hang up finding our campsite which was in an industrial park area near a ball diamond. This day was hot as well setting up. As soon as I got in, I sat in the back of the truck and enjoyed a couple cans of Root Beer (which became a habit after the long rides). I found that most evenings, the wind came from the perfect direction that I could set up my tarp against the sun for optimum shade and the breeze would blow right into the porch or one of the ends. We spent a lot of time under the porch this night.

The fourth day was the shortest with 58.4 miles through Steamboat Rock, Cleves, Ackley, Austinville, Aplington, Parksburg, New Hartford, and ending in Cedar Falls. Some of the cities were quite small, especially Cleves. We rode through it without even realizing. We actually rode through some towns with only a quick stop to rest our legs. We napped each day to this point in the trip, but spent a little longer time napping on this day. Some of the towns were themed such as a barnyard theme and pirate theme. Along the way, we stopped at a church to refill our water and they had a Frozen theme where we got free cookies and bananas. We seemed to gotten a lot of free bananas, snacks, water, and popsicles. Camp was at a UNI campground. 

Our 70.9 ride to Hiawatha on day five was probably the easiest. Along the way, we went through Hudson, LePorte City, Mount Auburn, Vinton, Shellsburg, and Pallo. We had a tailwind most of the ride which made it easier. However, coming into Hiawatha was quite hilly. We were ready to be in. Our camp was in the main campground (an old trailer park). After dinner at Dairy Queen, I got my badly needed shoulder massage. Our campsite happened to have some good trees so I slept in a hammock that night. 

The ride to Coralville was 65.6 miles and seemed not too bad of ride. It actually seemed to be one of the easiest rides. We rode through Whittier, Springville, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Sutliff Cider, Solon, over the Coralville Dam, and into Coralville. Mount Vernon was, I thought, the coolest town we rode through. It just had a cool atmosphere with lots of entertainment and things to do. We even saw bagpipers. Actually, there was quite a few bagpipers on this trip. I also stopped in Solon as well for a short break. After eating lunch, it started to rain so I decided to go in one of the churches for pie and a nap until the storm was over. After the storm, we still had a headwind, but I continued on. It wasn't too bad of a ride until we reached the Coralville Dam. That was the hilliest part of day and quite a few people ended up walking the hills. As I came into Coralville, I easily found our camp which was near an athletic facility where we took showers. Cheap Trick was playing this night but I decided to head to bed early instead to be well rested for the next day. It was supposed to rain overnight so I camped in my bivy under the truck.

The last day seemed to have the worst hills as we rode into Davenport. The last ride was 68.5 miles through Iowa City, West Liberty, Atalissa, Moscow, Wilton, Durant, and Walcott. We had planned to reach the truck by 2:30, so we tried to rush to get there, though, we did make some stops. We made a last stop at Beekman's and in Wilton. We took a nap almost every day but tried not to take one on the last day. It wasn't too hard to find the truck where we cooled down before loading our bikes and baggage.

It was a fun trip and I continue to learn as I go. My biggest focus on this trip was my shelter and ways to set it up. I would say it was a success. I pretty well mastered the shelter system of which I will do a tutorial on. This was also my first RAGBRAI on an upright bike and learned the differences between upright and recumbent on long rides (i.e. needing Butt Glide). I hope to ride next year with the goal of self-containing.