Adventure Travel Conditioning

As an athlete most of my life, I have come to appreciate the benefits of going into any physical event in some sort of shape. When I started hiking (at the age of 32), I thought I was in pretty good shape. Being a competitive power-lifter for 12 years had given me the (false) sense of I was in peak condition.

Then we took our first hike...

That was the year we did the first 2 miles of the Kalalau trail hike on Kauai. Getting to the beach was a breeze..it was the trip back that wasn't so much fun. Dehydration and lactic acid were the culprits. Simply put - conditioning is the key...but not just running or walking miles on end. Targeted conditioning (something I had no clue about at the time), is what I needed.

So, after much reading and trial and error, here's what works for us. It's a combination of weight training, conditioning and core stengthening exercises. Not all of us have time to train like a professional athlete so the following is what produces the best results in the relatively limited workout time we have. Everyone should customize a workout to their needs and body type and by all means consult your doctor before trying any of this stuff if you haven't worked out in a while:

Monday

Weights:

Bench or Incline press - 4 sets of 8 (moderate wight)
Flyes (cable or dumbbell) - 4 sets of 10-12 repetitions
Tricep pushdowns - 5 sets of 8-10 reps (moderate weight)

Core Exercise:

Push-ups balanced on two medicine balls - 3 sets to maximum
Abdominal crunches (3 sets of 20, if your fit enough, hold a medicine ball on your chest)
Leg Raises - hang from the nearest pull-up bar and raise your legs out in front of you (3 sets x 20 repetitions)

Aerobic Exercise:

Stair stepper - 45 minutes, gradually increasing difficulty every 5 minutes (ie. start at level 3 increase 1 level every 5 minutes until complete)

Slow jog on treadmill for 15 minutes (incline: 1-3)

**This is a long one but if you include some light stretching, this workout should take no more than 2 hours


Tuesday

Aerobic Exercise:

- outside run, 4-5 miles at conversational pace (mixed terrain, ie. pavement and grass, hills and flat areas)

Wednesday

Weight Training:

Pull-ups - 3 sets of 10 repetitions (or as many as you can do)
T-bar rows - 4 sets of 8 (moderate weight)
Pulley rows - 4 sets of 10

Leg Squats (be careful with these!) - 3 sets of 10 repetitions, gradually increase weight by 10 pounds each week
Leg extensions - 3 sets x 10 repetitions
Leg curls - 3 sets x 10 repetitions

Core Exercise:

Bosu ball - start with 3 sets of 8 to 10 squats on the ball, work up to 3 sets of 50. For more of a challenge, work up to these rep numbers with a backpack on!


Thursday

Rest day (walk dogs)

Friday

Abdominal work
Light run (2-3 miles conversational pace)

Saturday

HIKE!! Living in to Mid-Atlantic region really doesn't afford us the luxury of any high peaks but, with the AT a few hours away, you can get in a serious day hike or a good overnight hike. We'll also head to NY and Pennsylvania for some steeper, higher trips. Some days we'll find the steepest 2 mile stretch and do 5 or 6 intervals up and down. Other days we'll just go out and back for a total of 10-15 miles.

Sunday

Hike (10-15 miles)

or

Run intervals at the local track. Jog 1 mile. We like doing 110 yd. sprints; work your way up to about 20 of them with minimal rest between intervals (10-20 seconds) and you will gradually bring your stamina up. Time your interval and try to beat your average time. Try longer intervals to mix it up (200 or 400 yard runs are great too).

End off with a 1 mile cool down.

or

Rest day if your feeling beat up.

Gear Review: Katadyn Pocket Water Filter

We always like to research (sometimes ad nauseum) the gear we buy, so this piece of equipment was no exception. Truthfully this was the first water filter we were going to buy so we wanted to do it right - get something that would survive being dropped on a rock or trampled by a pack horse. So, we settled on the Katadyn Pocket Water Filter.

First off - weighing in at a hefty 20 ounces (presumable not built for the "go lite" crowd), height of 10" and retailing at around $200 we're not sure why it is called a "pocket" water filter. However what this filter gives up in portability, it makes up for in durability. Made of heavy duty aluminum, this was the filter we were looking for.

Our first shot at using the Katadyn was on the shores of beautiful Lake Ontario. While the scenery was perfect the water was a bit murky so we figured what better place to break it in. We pumped greenish-brown water in and got clear, clean water out. Good start but who was going to take the first swig? We flipped a coin and Sunny came out on the short end...I drank and lived to tell ("tasted" like good, clean tap water). Note to self - when pumping murky water, use the pad to clean the ceramic filter each day. Whatever makes the water green (ie. algae) also clogs to tiny little pores in the ceramic.

So, off to Peru we go..surprisingly enough (or maybe not so much) we used our water filter more in the hotel than out on the trail. We were scared off drinking straight tap water by all the health warnings against nasty things like hepatitis...with bottled water in the fridge running $7 a bottle we decided to pump our own. On the trail, we plunged our filter into the cold streams of the Andes that all appeared beautifully pristine until you realized the valley floor was COVERED in llama, shall we say, droppings. So pump we did..

Manufacturer specs say with a clean filter you can pump 1 liter per minute which we found to be fairly accurate. You can pump as furiously as you like thanks to a solid, all aluminum handle that won't snap off like "lesser" filters. The technology behind the scenes is 0.2 micron ceramic depth filter, fine enough to filter out just about anything you can throw at it (however Lepro is still questionable and is purported to be able to make it through even .1 micron). I like this quote from the manufacturer but not sure how to confirm the stated fact that the "silver impregnated ceramic element is effective against bacteria and protozoa".

We liked the lifetime guarantee and the 13,000 liter capacity on the filter; ensuring you won't be running out to buy a new cartridge after every trip. The kit comes with a carry case, sterile and non-sterile tubing and a cleaning pad for the ceramic. All in all...if you are looking for an indestructible, reliable, high capacity filter....this will do it for you.

Pros:

• Katadyne - a leading name in water filtration
• Construction / durability
• High capacity

Cons:

• Cost
• Weight (about 20 ounces)
• Murky water can easily clog the ceramic filter (typical of any ceramic filter)

Kalalau Packing List

We love finding packing lists customized for a specific trip. We especially like seeing how the packing list worked out on the trip! One guide group told us to "bring a book!" because we would only be on the trail 4-5 hours per day. Much to our surprise, hike time was more like 8-9 hours /day at altitudes of 10,000 to 15,000 feet. Those added 2-3 pounds would have been better spent on an oxygen tank.....

Since our travels entail sticking to some kind of budget, we try to find good quality, relatively light gear for a decent price. It's easy to buy expensive/light gear..the challenge is finding cheap(er)/light gear.

Below is the first cut of our Kalalau packing list. This list will evolve so check back for updates. I'll be reviewing some of the gear we took on this trip in upcoming posts. But for now:

	Trail Weight - ounces (Sunny)	Trail Weight - ounces (Phoebe)
Water	64	64
Backpacks (Gregory Palisades and Deva60)	105	86
waterproof outer shell	16	16
hat (sun cover and skull cap)	5	5
fleece - 1	10	10
socks - 2 pair (high quality wool blend)	16	16
rain pants - 1	12	12
pants (zip offs) - 1 pair	40	40
shorts or bathing suit - 2 pair	20	20
underwear	20	20
t-shirts - 2	20	20
UV blocking shirt	5	5
water shoes or sandals	16	16
batteries (1 AA = 23 grams/.81 ounces)	10
Stove and fuel	15
fuel	12
headlamp	8	8
multi-use tool	8
books	16	16
Food and snacks (4 days - 272 ounces)	136	136
Fleece blanket	16	16
Sleeping Pad	20	20
First Aid Kit	32	0
Money Pouch	2	2
Camera	32	10
Trekking poles	16	16
Tent	72
Untensils	1	1
Cooking gear		20
Camp Towel - 2	5	5
water filtration (Filter AND tablets)	20	0
2 nalgene bottles w/ water	24	24
Camelback bladder
Toiletries	80
Sleeping Pads	20	20
Pack Weight (lbs.)	54.31	43.00

Safety Gear: What's In Your Backpack?

As amateur trekkers, we like to balance adventure with a good dose of safety. This means being ready for everything from a splinter to broken bones. We carry the usual first aid kit loaded with the typical array of splints, moleskin and antibiotic ointments. But what do you do if you break a leg, hypothermia is setting in and you are 2 days walk to the nearest road? Here's are an interesting product we found that can give you an edge when you are out of options.

PLB (Personal Locator Beacon)

The ultimate in safety gear - these beacons will provide authorities with your location down to a few feet. ACR Electronics (www.acrelectronics.com) looks to be the leading provider of these devices.

A little background: PLB's are part of the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) SARSAT (Search And Rescue Satellite-aided Tracking) system. When activated, a PLB results in a 406MHz signal being transmitted. The distress signal is received by the SARSAT system which uses NOAA satellites to detect and locate the source of the signal.

Initially, the satellites detect the signal and relay it to a network of ground stations and then to the U.S. Mission Control Center (USMCC) in Suitland, Maryland. The actual location of the transmitting PLB is then determined using Doppler technology from the satellites. This process can take up 45 minutes depending on the location of the receiving satellite in relation to the origin of the signal.

Each PLB is assigned a serial number used to track the device back to the registered owner. Higher end models allow for GPS postion identification, which can dramatically decrease the time it takes to identify the location of the signal as well as narrows the search area from an area of many square miles to within a few feet of origin (makes you want to spend the couple of extra bucks, right?).

The USMCC provides the location information to the local Search and Rescue authorities. In addition to the 406MHz transmitted signal used by the SARSAT satellites, the PLB devices also transmit a 121.5MHz homing signal that is used by Search and Rescue teams to locate the person in distress once they get closer to the immediate location of the unit.

Now the down side - price!! These units can cost anywhere from $250 for a "used" model to over $650 for a souped up version. The good news is that you can lease PLBs for about $60-$70 per week from specialized companies such as PLB Rentals LLC (www.plbrentals.com).

We'll be carrying one of these on our Kalalau hike but we're hoping we won't have enough experience using one to be able to write a review on it. PLB Rentals LLC has a few good success stories on their site; particularly one about it's first land based deployment of the device..great stuff.

Kalalau: The Plan

So were starting to plan for our first assault on the 11 mile Kalalau Trail (Kauai, Hawaii). In natural Hawaiian style, this hike is shaping up to be a "we'll get there if we get there" kind of trip. We've read a host of travel sites, blogs and trip reports that give you the scoop on what to expect. Sierra Club rates this thing a 9 and it seems like there is no good way to break up the trip over the 4 days we are planning to be on the hike. Your choices are hike 2 miles to Hanakapiai (too short) or stop in Hanakoa (closed campsite)...or....hoof it 11 miles to the end. Obstacles range from exposed cliff faces, raging streams, lepro bacteria and mosquitoes.

On a positive note, we've found that planning is everything. Every hike..whether it was 4 days in the Andes or 1 day on a stretch of the Appalachian Trail, having a solid plan made it safe and enjoyable. I always like reading people's packing lists so please do share if you've done this trip. We'll post ours once we figure it out..

Check out my favorite all around book on Kauai:

The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook (Kauai Revealed) at http://www.wizardpub.com/kauai/kauai.html


SHOPPING

....went shopping this weekend at REI..they are running their 20% off sale for members until May 13 and got a Gregory Palisades pack for myself and the Gregory Deva for Phoebe.

www.rei.com

The Trailhead

Our maiden post! We love adventure travel (although we're new to it..5 years and counting) and have had our fair share of experiences with trips, guides and equipment. Alot of "wish I had known that" type of things along the way..maybe you have some of those too?

In the end we are intending this not to be so much a technical, by the book "how to" site. What is lacking on alot of travel sites and in many of the books out there is personal insight. Getting the "inside scoop" on places we've been has been the key to getting the most of of your time there. Getting off the beaten path (safely!!) is the way to go home satisfied that you EXPERIENCED your time in another land. Sometimes the experience was not at all what we planned (see our soon to be completed post on Peru!) but satisfying nonetheless. We are not journalists, writers or even experienced "bloggers". We're two people who like sharing our travel experiences with others.

Being an active part of the adventure instead of a spectator, for us, is the ultimate vacation...