RE: Pack in this fall?
 

Firsttimer: Although, all of the suggestions are probably healthy for everyday use, I usually start the altitude regieme 48 hours before I leave home and start the water increase the day I am going up to altitude. Don' t know if starting them much earlier helps any.

Glad you are excited. Anticipation is part of the fun. I have only 10 days to go till I leave! Early rifle buck hunt in Colorado. We will be backpacking in to basecamp about 4 miles and hunting at 12,000 plus feet! Should be a great adventure.

Good hunting

RE: Pack in this fall?
 

You' ll give up on them air matresses first time one ends up flat in the middle of the night an' you suffer thru a sleepless night on the cold, hard ground. Happend to me in ' 82. One night was enough. Them pool mattresses are history in my book. 4" thick foam is the most comfortable. Bulky, but you can top load it. I got a thermorest now. But I also used the 1" closed cell stuff.

RE: Pack in this fall?
 

A couple of years ago I had one of the one man mattress' s, it was made for sleepin on not one of them pool things. I' m not a real big guy, I' m about 6' 2" 210lbs., but I rolled over in the middle of a very cold night and I hear POP!!! The thing blew a huge hole out the side and I was on the ground in less than a second. I got up in the cold to monkey around with it and the hole was too big for the patch and I spent not 1 night but 3 on the cold hard ground. That translated into sore muscles in the morning and not good rest. Made for a real tough hunt. I like the self inflating pads, you have to try pretty hard to put a hole in one of those things. They' re not real thick though (mines 2 inches) so a thick foam pad may be better for some of you old timers. ;)

RE: Pack in this fall?
 

I regards to every one about the nylons,I don' t wear them to look pretty.;)
If you are not in condition to ride long miles they are life savers.I wrangled for a few years on those Fancy cattle drives and wagon trains(for forigners).If you put 10-15 miles on them they could' nt hardly walk.So put nylon' s on and it cuts down the friction of your jeans rubbin you raw.You can wear long john' s or anything else for that matter.Nylons just don' t bulk up on you.

It' s only a problem when you get home and you don' t wana take' em off.:D:D