Almost all info about blisters talks about friction as the cause, but remember it can also be pressure.  So you do not want to add pressure by adding another layer.  Use a 'donut' from molefoam or some such thing to relieve the pressure.  The exception to that is something I used  called Spenco Second Skin which was made out of cool jell and is put directly on an open wound=blister.  Can't find that now but something equivalent may work.   Several months before a trip scrub those sensitive areas to toughen up the skin.   ... View more

I am always shocked when people talk about how they love a single walled tent because of light weight but they have to fool with "rain" inside the the tent from condensation every morning.  First priority IMO is a dry tent.  32 years backpacking with a double walled tent and never wet inside.  If it weighs ....whatever extra....it is worth it.  Be aware of taking light things but more important than that is COMFORT.  6-8 miles is perfect to be really present and stop and look at things instead of a passing glance with more mileage.  I'm a woman who did a lot of solo before electronics and never had or known of any bad things happening to anyone.  Good luck. ... View more

The 'donut' is the way to go....learned that from NOLS years ago.  The one thing I find missing in most discussions about blisters is the fact that pressure can cause a blister.  Most remedies deal with the cause being friction but a blister is an open wound and the point is to not ADD pressure but to relieve it.  Adding another layer increases pressure.  The exception to that is a product called Second Skin that may not be available anymore.  It is a cool gel that breathes and can be put directly on a wound/blister.  Maybe a current product is like that.  It needs to be held on with thin tape and changed every day, but it works great.  Also as a prevention of blisters, for several months before a trip, after each shower scrub your feet with a rough brush to toughen up the skin.  Especially pay attention to areas you know will easily blister.  I ran around the farm growing up barefooted with no pain and very tough skin.  Backpacking for over 30 years taught me that too. ... View more

Yes, yes.  There is an assumption that light will automatically be comfortable.....not necessarily.  Before changing all my gear at 60 years old to take advantage of newer lighter stuff, I tried a popular light pack and it did not transfer the weight to the hips, the  most comfortable way to carry any weight.  Being a 'cold' person I could not compromise my safety and risk hypothermia, thus heavier down bag (rated at 5 degrees) stayed with me.   Perhaps go out the first time expecting the pack to be heavy but not be turned off by backpacking just for that reason.  Then with some experience you will learn what to spend money on and how to change out your equipment with the philosophy of comfort and safety over lightweight.   Concentrate on the big 3 but may I suggest, still get a double walled tent so the basic need of a DRY inside of a tent is covered. Those women must have sensed you were not a person who would leave a person for dead and go on with their trip. ... View more

My point is that it is easy to say "carry a gun" but a person has to really think it through of how far you, as a real person, are willing to go.  In an actual situation the consequences of killing another human being or leaving someone to die is not something to be taken lightly.....think it through if you would be able to live with yourself.   (Not you specifically, just general concern.) And of course I would never blame the victim!!  And very likely a gun would not have prevented a lot of those, easy for a gun to be turned on a person.  Maybe I've just been lucky but there has always been an element of something feeling comfortable or not.  I want to encourage women to pay attention to that within themselves.  Everything on these pages are suggestions so I have no intention of filling my brain with more fear or stress.  This is meant as encouragement to women to get out there.  Preparation, knowledge, common sense, talking to campsite neighbors to feel safer, knowing yourself, how you carry yourself, take your earbuds out to listen to the quiet etc. etc.  All my opinion of course, however I have never talked to anyone that encountered a dangerous situation backpacking.  The hundreds of thousands of stories like mine are not likely to be on Youtube....too boring to read but glorious to have lived it. ... View more

Think about the reality of carrying a gun.....it has to be outside your pack already loaded and you are willing to either actually shoot a person dead or deal with rescuing a wounded person in the wilderness.   Seriously???  Get bear spray if you are worried about a bear and carry that spray in town where you are more likely to be assaulted than on a trail.  (32 years backpacking, most of it solo, female with never any trouble).  Preparation, then common sense of where to camp and know you have a 6th sense about who to hang out with or who to avoid.  Trust you instincts. ... View more

That's why I mentioned it, but a bit more detail.  Get a USGS   7 1/2 minute map.  Check with the rangers in that area to see how new the paper maps are.  Some can be 40 years old but still very valid.  The main reason for that size is that a mile is equal to a standard toothpick.  It has enough detail to evaluate a good campsite (by water etc) and shows land forms to get an idea of a logical path.  In 32 years backpacking I always used those even with other maps available.  No 3inch by 4inch electronic map for me :-).  Laying out a large paper map, highlighting something special like a waterfall then folding it to the current place, put it in your pocket and you can easily pull it out as you walk and check it against what you are seeing in the real world.  That is a very satisfying feeling.  No close cell tower can eliminate the electronic version. If you happen to travel needing 2 or 3 maps, make a copy of the smaller area ones and tape it to your main one.  No need to carry all 3 maps unless you just want to see that new area in detail.  You can also spray them with a waterproofing spray.  Not sure of what is currently available for that.  Find an old hiker and pick his/her brain about the area you plan to hike in.  They would say stuff like "Take all you need but no more".   ... View more

Specific to the Ozarks, the trails can be very confusing because there are old dirt roads cris-crossing that can veer off without you realizing you got off trail.  Take detailed maps and be very watchful of directions.  Follow along with the paper map often.  Walking for an hour then checking a map will leave you potentially lost.  Because there are no distinctive high mountains, they all seem to be about the same elevation it is easy to get 'turned around'.  Following a river is a great idea.  The main reason to take a compass is to orient the map.  Learn the basics of a topo map.  Having north on the map really turned toward north in the real world is all you really need to get started. The second thing is to treat your clothes, shoes, socks and tent opening with a spray Permethrin to discourage ticks.  Check yourself for them often to avoid Lyme disease.  That area is really beautiful and it will serve your purpose well.  Research then relax and breath in the wonder.  You have started with a first step, pat yourself on the back. ... View more

And of course you have heard of Wild by Cheryl Strayed.  It is an absolutely powerful and deep MEMIOR that has the setting of the PCT.  Do not mistake it for a 'how to' or even a 'how not to' backpack the PCT.   It has great writing that will transport you to the outer world of wilderness and the inner world of our thoughts and feeling about our experience along life's wild paths.  It really needs to be included on this list for most people  (except for one friend who said he read all but the emotional parts...=...wasted on him.) ... View more

Posting this again because I think it is the most important thing about backpacking: --In another post I wrote this for a beginner backpacker.  It might be useful here as well: Understand that clothes and sleeping bags are NOT WARM.  A thermometer in them would record ambient temp.  The key to keeping warm is regulating the source of heat=your own body.  There are 5 ways a body looses heat: evaporation, conduction, convection, radiation, and respiration.  Clothes will control several of those but the actual heat comes only from food and drink and conserving what heat your body can generate.  I think this is the most important thing to know about beginner backpacking.    ... View more

That dependence was exactly what I was talking about. ... View more