Hey all,
I have a whole mess of questions that I can't seem to find a consistent answer on. I suspect because the answer is "it's up to you" but I figured it's better to ask. I am planning a SOBO for 2018 (mid June departure) with my sister. I have a lot of gear already and I plan on doing several substantial shakedowns before I go. Here are a few questions I have for people who have gone SOBO:
I have read so many conflicting things about sleeping bags. I have a 10 degree bag that I plan on using for the colder half of the trek, but some surveys seem to indicate that most soboers carry a single 20 degree bag the whole way. Is that accurate? If I get a new bag, what temperature will be comfortable from June-September, before I should probably switch to my 10 degree?
What kind of training did you do? How in shape were you, and how far did you get?
What did you bring to keep yourself entertained? I want to bring a pair of binoculars, since I enjoy birding. I'm not sure that will be enough to keep me occupied though...
How much food did you bring for the 100 mile wilderness/how long did you take to complete it? I have heard mixed reports of 8-12 days, but that's an 8 pound food difference, so I was hoping for more solid numbers.
How bad of an idea is it to wear contacts on the trail? I have monthlies that I sleep in (the marvels of modernity!), so it's not like I'll be hauling a crate of dailies.
Now here's the big question that has been gnawing at me for the last few days. What did you eat? I HATE those hiker meals. I've been hiking before and I've never been able to stomach those things that you add boiling water to, not to mention the price. My sister and I, ideally, plan on restocking at grocery stores. I wanted to bring things like dried beans, rice, peanut butter, some spices, etc. Anything but instant garbage. I know the cooking times are long for this stuff, among other things, so I'm open to suggestions. Is it feasible to make it to Springer this way?
I appreciate any input you guys can give me. I'm not committed to anything in particular yet, except that I AM going and it has to be SOBO 2018, so I am open to any suggestions.