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I am getting excited about my upcoming (June 29th to July 7th) Isle Royale hiking trip. It will be my 17th overall trip and the first of two planned Isle Royale trips in 2022 (canoeing in August). Last night, I practiced setting up my Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape. It is both my rain gear and shelter. Weighs about 10.5 ounces. If you see me on the Island, feel free to say "Hi". I will be the old, fat, hiker with a mostly white beard.
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A NOTE ABOUT EYEGLASSES: It has been my personal experience (and confirmed by the experiences of some other people) -- that things like bifocals, trifocals, progressive lenses ("multi-focal lenses"), and/or prisms in your eyeglass lenses can POTENTIALLY slow down your hiking pace in a place like Isle Royale. So, it might be helpful to be prepared for this possibility when planning how long it will take to to travel from Point A to Point B on the Island.
Hiking (or portaging) the trails at Isle Royale is different than walking across a smooth and level room or parking lot. Many people (especially those with bifocals, trifocals, etc) discover that they find themselves looking down fairly frequently at the trail and somewhat carefully selecting their next step on the uneven terrain and trails of the Island. This type of careful walking tends to slow you down. You might not even notice this slower pace over the short term--but over the course of an entire day it definitely adds up and can be rather significant when planning travel times. I recommend trekking poles for all Isle Royale hikers--but I especially recommend them for persons with bifocals, trifocals, progressive lenses ("multi-focal lenses"), and/or prisms in their eyeglass lenses. Trekking poles definitely help you keep your balance on the uneven trails --and on things like narrow boardwalks. A FOLLOW-UP POST to my earlier post regarding average and record temperatures on Isle Royale.
BEING PREPARED for all types of weather, doesn't necessarily mean that you have to pack lots of different clothes--in order to deal with all of the possible weather conditions. You can still PACK FAIRLY LIGHT WEIGHT and be prepared for nearly all weather conditions. The key is having an overall LAYERED SYSTEM --in which all of the various clothing items can be used TOGETHER to help you be prepared for all conditions. VERSATILITY is the key. EXAMPLES: I pack long ("convertible") pants--where the lower part of the legs are attached by zippers (which allow me to remove the lower leg portion and convert them to shorts). If I wear one pair of these--and pack another pair--I have either TWO pairs of long pants or TWO pairs of shorts--or a combination of the two. I don't pack 4-5 pairs of pants/shorts. I might pack a long sleeve base-layer top, a light micro-fleece top, and/or a semi-light puffy jacket. None of those things--alone--would prepare me for 30 degree temps. HOWEVER, if I wore all of them at the same time (and maybe threw a rain suit jacket or poncho over the top them in the nastiest of windy and misty conditions) I am ready for some pretty low temps and/or nasty conditions. (Especially if I add a "wool beanie" and a light pair of gloves). I don't need to pack a light jacket AND a parka and seven other complete changes of clothing--designed for different temperatures and conditions. I just need to be able to use 2-4 things TOGETHER to achieve the desire effect. You don't necessarily have to bring a 15 or 20 degree sleeping bag (or quilt) when the average low tenp might be 45 degrees-- but you can bring a roomy enough 40 degree sleeping bag in which you can also perhaps wear your puffy jacket inside your sleeping bag and/or along with some other layers. Then, if the low temp hits 28 degrees--you will probably do O.K. The key is having items that you can use IN COMBINATION with each other to be prepared for all weather conditions. Am I the only one who is not a fan of "moleskin" for dealing with hotspots and blisters on the feet? Personally, I would have to pretty much be out of all other options before I used moleskin. In fact, I no longer even carry moleskin with me. I prefer using things like those special "blister" bandaids, sometimes I might use gauze, and I especially like using Leukotape. (Before I discovered Leukotape--I used duct tape -- but I now much prefer Leukotape).
On certain days--and on certain Isle Royale trails--there are two types of people: 1) Those who ADMIT that their footwear was NOT fully waterproof and their feet and legs got soaked. 2) Those who lie and say that their gear kept their feet and legs dry. (Face it, in stuff like you see in these photos, you ARE going to get both you and your footwear soaked and maybe very muddy--NO MATTER WHAT FOOTWEAR THAT YOU ARE USING AND NO MATTER HOW "WATERPROOF" IT IS.) MY PERSONAL OPINION REGARDING FOOTWEAR CHOICES AND ISLE ROYALE:
To a certain extent, whether (or not) one's feet develop blisters, bruises, toenail issues, or leg injuries (on Isle Royale) is often more of a matter of "luck", the weather, and the trail conditions during your particular trip (and the number of miles hiked) than it is a matter of choosing "the right" footwear. Your FOOT CARE practices also play a MAJOR factor. (Of course, this all presumes that your specific shoe/boot/sandal is generally "appropriate" for hiking, properly fitted, has a wide enough toe box, etc). Thus, IN MY OPINION, the specific brand name and footwear style (boot or trail runner or sandal) are probably "minor" considerations and just a matter of personal preference. There is probably no "right" or "wrong" footwear choice. ILLUSTRATION: I have sometimes done 2- 4 trips to Isle Royale using the same footwear. On one trip, I might have foot problems. On another trip--I might have ZERO foot problems. Same hiker. Same footwear. Same type of socks. All trips taking place on Isle Royale. What accounts for the difference? I really think that the weather and the trail conditions during my different trips have been two of the biggest factors in whether I developed foot problems on that trip. 1) On some trips, the weather has been wetter than others--and the humidity has been higher. 2) On some trips, the trails have been rougher and wetter than the trails during another trip. 3) On some trips, I have hiked 5-8 miles per day (and I have even had days where I hiked few or no miles). On other trips, I have averaged 10-15 miles per day-- for many days in a row. Hiking 5-8 miles (per day) on drier and "smoother" trails is easier on the feet than hiking 10-15 miles (per day) on wet and rugged trails. That is often going to be true--no matter what brand or style of footwear that one chooses. It isn't the footwear choice--it is the environment where you are using the footwear. I have been to Isle Royale on many occasions when your footwear and feet were going to get soaked--no matter WHAT you wore and no matter how waterproof it was advertised to be. I have been to Isle Royale when the wet conditions (and high humidity) made it very unlikely that ANY footwear was going to get fully dry for a few days in a row. Wet feet and/or high mileage will increase your chances of experiencing foot problems (no matter what brand or style of footwear you select). If you twist or turn your ankle (or leg) severely enough--your ankle (or leg) will get injured --- whether you are wearing sandals, trail runners, low boots, or high boots. It boils down to simple physics (and bone strength) more than footwear choice. You can only place so many pounds of force on bones, tendons, ligaments etc. So, at the end of the day, luck (regarding weather conditions and not twisting your foot) ---and having good foot care practices-- will often make a far bigger difference in the condition of your feet (and legs) than what brand or style of footwear you choose. Of course, that is just my opinion. Your Mileage May Vary (YMMV). |
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Jon Prain ("The Isle Royale Guy") has made 18 trips to Isle Royale. He shares his insights and opinions in this blog. Archives
March 2024
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