Primavera Expert Web Site + *Mt.Tamalpais Hiking

When first starting out we all tend to overdue the gear purchases, which is only natural, since we're eventually going to have a closet full of hiking gear, especially if you don't do some reasearch and get it right the first or second time you try to buy something.

So let's priortize the purchasing in order of importance, than I'll make specifc recommendations:

1. Boots and socks.
2. Sun hat, sunglasses.
3. Hiking poles.
4. Day pack, water botte,  small thermos bottle.
5. Wrist altimeter.
6. Digital camera.
7. Audubon Field Guide to California
8. Tamalpais Trails: by Barry Spitz, (any edition, try amazon.com)
9. It's interesting how many trail maps* are available for Mt.Tam.
10. Foam pad and small fleece blanket, TP.
11. Band-aid, aspirins small first-aid kit.
12. Tupperware container for lunch, plastic fork.
13. Swiss Army knife.
14. If you have a cell phone, have it with you and fully charged. Even if you don't need it, you may come upon an emergency and you won't be helpless in the situation, if it is needed.

*The later editions of the Olmsted, A Rambler's Guide to the Trails of Mt.Tamalpais is in my opinion the best all-around trail map, but not perfect. This map is not being further updated, the last edition being the 10th. These are hard to find.  

If you get lost and are using the latter two recommendations, it's probably your fault. (But getting lost is exciting!)                                                                  

Buying boots, things to consider:

Before considering fit, you must decide what level of support you are going to need: this is based on the terrain you will be hiking, the weight of your backpack, and how much you weigh. The more, each of the above will weigh, increases the need for a secure platform ie: support you will need from your boots.

Boots are divided into three categories: light hikers, hikers and backpacking. If you weigh under roughly 140 lbs., try light hikers on Mt. Tam, but even on rocky, steep terrain they might not be adequate. Anyone over 140 lbs. needs a full 4" to 6" high, regular hiking boot.

Hiking on Mt.Tam in tennis shoes, running shoes (Even worse than tennis shoes for hiking. These offer no lateral support. If you like sprained ankles, wear these!) Sandals, ridicules for hiking.

If you're going to go hiking, you need hiking boots, period, no ifs, ands or buts. There's nothing like the feel of those jagged rocks along the Mt.Tam trails, underfoot, when wearing tennis shoes, !~ouch, opps, ouch~!

I would be very leary of any hiking boot priced under $60.00, unless you are buying during a special sale.

 If you are hard to fit you should buy boots from REI. You'll be able to return them.

Never buy boots that are even a little bit too small, you won't be able to make any adjustments: aside from removing the foot pads, the boots came with.

If you have to buy boots that are a bit too large, you can make the final adjustment by selecting the thickness of sock, that will make the boots feel just right.

I think any boot can be made to fit a little better by selecting the sock thickness that feels best with that particular boot.

REI has a huge selection of hiking socks. I like the modern wool hiking socks, like Smartwool, or even better the REI brand is excellent, or Tuff'Enough from New England, are excellent too.

Buying a Day Pack and Things to Consider

First of all let me say this. Every couple or few years or so, Sierra Club offers a free daypack to those joining. These are remarkablely nice packs with the Sierra Club logo embossed on them. And it's a win-win, you are joining a good cause and you get a good quality gift, you can readily use.

I've noticed the longer someone has been hiking the more they seem to carry with them. If you're going to be like that, you are going to need a larger (2000 cubic inches to 4500 cubic inches). The free Sierra Club bag is going to be about 1900 ci. Daybacks for sale at REI will run 1000 ci to 3900 ci.

It's nice to have a bag with some outside compartments so you don't have to go thru the rig-a-ma-roll of taking off your pack to get a lollipop. Inside compartments are good for the small dayback bags and the small items school kids always have. Hiking doesn't require that many small items. If you have a bunch you are better off putting them in a tupperware container, so as to have them in one place and easily accessable. You're not going to school or the office, a golf pencil will do for important scribbling. See what I mean. You want to be super organized, with minimum size gadgets, simply stored and easily accessible.  Tupperware is the secret, you put your lunch and snacks in one. Your band-aids, swiss army knike, maps, TP, etc. in another. There you have it, a daypack with two tupperware containers, your thermos, foam pad etc. in it.  Lollipops and anything you want to have readily at hand in the outside compartments, like your camera. But keep the camera in your pocket so you can snap that to die for moment that always happens somewhere along a Mt.Tamalpais trail.

Now let's consider the sturctural mechanics involved with making a loaded daypack, comfortable to carry.

It's like the conderations above for boots: except instead of you wearing the boots, the daypack is wearing you.

Well maybe not exactly but try and imagine this daypack wants to cling to you at all costs, like a koala bear  and mum.

You don't want your pack shaking around. It will want to do that when you are on rocky and/or steep terrain: or if you want to run after something. So the firmer the framing and straping of the pack, the better it will cling to you and not shake around when you least want it to.

The simplist criteria for a daypack is it must have both an adjustable inter-locking, waist belt and adjustable front inter-locking chest strap. These straps will secure the pack to you to some extant. The rest is the job of the shoulder straps and pack frame. Here you come to the dividing line. Most daypacks do not have a frame. You may find one you may not. You're alternative is to purchase a smaller backpack similar to what is called a weekend pack. These packs come in sizes, make sure it is not too big or too small for your build.