Wanna know a secret?  Try a little tape.  Duct tape is cheap and it can be wrapped around a trekking pole or water bottle so it is always on hand.  As we were talking about yesterdays heat sweat and friction are all enemies when it comes to keeping your feet happy.  Duct tape is a great way to soothe hot spots and get yourself moving down the trail again.  When your making a duct tape patch for a hot spot make sure you cut the tape into a round or oval shape.  If you slap a square piece on the "corners" will snag your sock and pull the patch off.  If you have a little tincture of benzoin (a kind of liquid adhesive in some first aid kits) apply it first and smooth on the patch.  Make sure you get all of the wrinkles and bubbles out from under the tape and there you go!  The smooth outer on the duct tape eliminates friction and its a sure fire dirt cheap fix for your hot spots.
  Happy trails and see you tomorrow,
Under Western Skies

There is an old saying amongst cowboys..."no hoof, no horse".  The same applies to people and feet.  No foot, no hiker.  Learning how to walk is an art form in itself but finding the right boots and socks takes a little trial and error but usually isn't too difficult.  The most important thing when taking care of your feet is if something hurts, stop.  Take the time to sit down, pull off your boot and sock and look at whats causing your pain.  Usually its whats called a "hotspot".  This is caused by two things, heat and friction.  For a demonstration rub your hands together pressing them tightly and moving them quickly.  Uncomfortable?  You betcha!  Add a little sweat and a few miles and presto...a blister thats going to make your day an unpleasant one.
  There are a few things you can do to keep the agony of defeat from defeating your feet.

• Clean dry socks go miles to helping out.  When your socks are dirty or crusted with sweaty funk your skin on your feet gets beaten a little harder by that friction and lack of air circulation.  Clean socks breathe better.  Sweat is the enemy!

• Liner socks are a lightweight synthetic sock that goes right next to the skin and help to wick sweat away.  Again keeping your feet dry and happy.

• Take your boots off at lunch time.  Wiggle your toes, rinse them off, pick out the toe jam, remember you have to hobble through the wilderness on these two things at the ends of your legs.  take good care of them and they will carry you far!

More foot tips tomorrow, see you soon Under Western Skies.

Keeping warm 101
  There are all different kinds of sleepers out there.  Some folks toss and turn every night, some sleep the sleep of the dead as soon as they lay down.  Some sleep hot and some cold.  I know people that could be in a zero degree bag on a cool summer night and still be cold!  Sound silly?  Its not as uncommon as you would think.
  First of all, always take sleeping bag ratings with a grain of salt.  The process in which they rate bags is complex and not always very accurate.  If you sleep cold, and you know it, buy a warmer bag....its that simple.  Manufacturers are all different so you may have to test drive a few in your back yard to figure out a good rating for you.  If its a good cold winter night outside pitch your tent...or cowboy camp in your new bag and see if it matches its rating for you.  Its a good idea to build a relationship with your local outdoor store and tell them what you are planning on doing.  they often will give you advice from what they have heard from other customers.
  So now you have your bag and your out in the wilderness enjoying a mountain evening and its a really cold one!  What can you do to stay warm?  Here are some tips:

• Go into your sleeping bag warm.  See that hill?  Go run up it before bed and then jump in your bag.  A sleeping bag is an insulator.  That means if you go in warm you stay warm, if you go in cold you stay cold.

• Next put on some clean dry clothes.  Lightweight fleece is nice and takes up little space in your pack.  It can also double as an emergency layer when you need it.

• Keep a pair of sacred socks.  This is a pair of socks that NEVER leave your sleeping bag.  When you are in your bag they are on your feet.  Theres nothing like a pair of clean dry socks after a long cold wet day.

• Stuff extra clothing in your bag with you.  All of the little nooks and crannies in your bag that are empty space, require your body to heat...that takes energy and its easy to get cold this way.  Stuff all of the nooks and crannies with extra layers.

• WEAR A HAT!  and gloves if its really chilly.  Remember your Granny telling you to put on your hat and gloves when you go out in the winter time?  She was smart...most of your heat is lost out of your head so cover your dome.

• Finally,  if you can afford the fuel or have fire to heat water go to bed with a hot water bottle.  make sure the lid is on tight and try putting it between you ankles for cold feet, or knees for cold legs or wrists for cold hands.

Enjoy your weekend and stay tuned for more tips.

See you Under Western Skies! 
 

So what kinds of things do guides carry?
  Yesterday we began sorting through ideas for sleeping bags.  We talked about the benefits of down sleeping bags; lightweight, durable, warm, compressible.  Today we will talk about the benefits of synthetic bags.  Synthetic bags have been around since world war II when the army began experimenting with nylon.  They are very durable, usually pretty cheap and can be found almost everywhere.  Got a local sporting goods store?  Most likely they have a whole shelf of synthetic fill bags.  The most popular names for synthetic fills are Primaloft, Hollofil, Quallofil and Excelloft.  These are only a few names there are literally hundreds of different types.  I have had the best luck with Primaloft and Excelloft for warmth and durability.
  Ok now the good stuff!  Why synthetic?  Synthetic bags are great because even if they are soaking wet you can ring them out and still be warm!  That's a huge benefit for traveling in really wet climates.  Its also great for kids who bring the bag outside the tent in the dewy grass or  let their feet poke out under the tarp and get rained on.  They are indestructible and will give years of performance.  Now the "not so good stuff".
   Synthetic bags tend to be really heavy.  A standard weight for a 0 degree bag is around 6 pounds where a down bag is 4-5 pounds for a 0 degree bag. Synthetic bags are also not very compressible and are a bit like packing a bowling ball once you have put them in the compression sacks. That bieng said they are ideal for car camping and kids programs.  Even though they are not quite as refined as the down bags they definatley have their place in the outdoor adventure realm!
   So there you have it ups and downs of synthetic and feathers.  Tomorrow we will share some tips for sleeping warmer in your bag at night.  sleeping warmer=sleeping better=happy camper.
Until then have fun and see you soon Under Western Skies.

So what kinds of things does a guide carry in their pack?
  Well what about sleeping bags?  Should I buy a synthetic or a down sleeping bag?  There are plenty of reasons to choose either.  It usually comes down to these few things.  The location your headed to, weight, bulk, and price.  I have gotten away with using a down sleeping bag in every climate there is, from brutal cold to extremely wet maritime environments like Prince William Sound in Alaska.  the nice thing about Down is that it is very light and compressible, lasts much longer than synthetic fill and for the warmth to weight is far superior in performance.  If you are headed someplace cold and dry like, the Rockies or Sierras it is the only choice! 
  The downside of down is that it will get damp over a long period of time in wet climates.  When down gets wet it is pretty much useless.  My approach is that if your not sleeping in it its in a waterproof stuff sack even inside your tent!  Take advantage of sunny afternoons in camp to air out your bag.  Dark colors help to absorb sunlight and "cook all of that moisture out".  With good care and occasional washing your down bag will go a long way to keeping you warm and happy in the backcountry.

 Happy trails and stay tuned for the next installment where we will talk about synthetic bags.

See you Under Western Skies!

What does a guide carry in their pack?
   Thats a good question!  I have spent many years walking around in the backcountry and I will share a few tips with you that have shown through in trial and error.

There is no such thing as "waterproof"!  You either get wet from the outside or you get wet from the inside via sweat and condensation.  There are a slew of brands out there that cost an arm and a leg but really the most important things to look for are the zippers pockets and weight of the garment.  All Gore-tex works the same and E-vent works slightly better.  Marmot pre-cip is decent for the price and even REI has its own brand of waterproof breathable jackets and pants.  If your looking for a jacket consider a pullover style.  there really arent any zippers to break and it will still work even if they do.  With rain pants look for 3/4 zip calf high or full zip.  These make it so much easier to get them on and off just make sure you keep the zippers clean and apply something like Ziptech or a wax crayon to the teeth on the zipper.  Do this occasionally for all of your gear and it will provide years of service.

Look for tomorrows posting about proper layering.

Until Then
    See you Under Western Skies!
Andy

We just posted the itinerary for the Escalante River Explorer!  Its limited to two departures and 5 people each so give us a call or email for more details.
the itinerary is here:
ERE1

You can check out the video here:

Happy trails!