packed up... one last test

Pictured from top to bottom, left to right: cuben fiber poncho/tent/bivy (polycyro footprint and extra cording on top); ziploc with data pages, sil-nylon wallet/camera/phone pouch; mesh backpack (w/ two 24 fl. oz. water bottles and assortment of containers for water treatment, salt tablets, foot care, hygiene, gear repair etc.), cuben fiber food bag, “heiny pot” (w/ 5 days of fuel tablets and kitchen kit); synthetic insulated poncho/blanket (w/ cuben fiber stuff sack, wool shirt, arm warmers, balaclava, socks, wind shirt and pants)

Gear weight (including fuel tablets): 5 pounds. Food weight (11,000+ calories/ 3 days): 5 pounds. Water weight (~48 fl. oz. water): 3 pounds. Total starting pack weight for MST: 13 pounds.

When I first started preparing for the MST this past winter, I thought I had it made. After all, I still had the 2009 BMT fastpack gear to tap into. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized how differences between these two journeys would require special tweaking of the equipment. Before I knew it, I’d spent another spring in the sweatshop logging a ridiculous number of hours tinkering with all this stuff. Now the time is nearly here to roll with what I’ve got…

Come Saturday we joined a small crew for Adam’s May Mountain Marathon AKA Assault on Mt. Pisgah. This would be my last real opportunity to test how everything felt prior to June 1st. We had a beautiful day to play in Pisgah. The full pack weight rode well at a ludicrous 5 mph pace for this round. All systems go with only a few days left…

The Ropers provided great aid at the summit parking area and back at the North Mills start/finish. It was great to hang out and visit with everyone. Many thanks to the Hills for their hospitality and the Ropers for their support.