Equipment Crew- Part III

[KBKB]

Hi. I hike in the Phoenix area all the time and I would say the most important thing you need to worry about isn't snakes or scorpions, but the heat. It's still very hot this time of year and people who aren't accustomed to the heat can become dehydrated or ill very quickly. Be careful.

This is a very important point. Bring more water than you think you'll need with you on every hike and make sure you drink it, even if you don't feel thirsty yet.

If you don't have one yet, a good investment is a hydration backpack such as those made by CamelBak. Get one with a three liter reservoir. There have been a few times when I've carried two reservoirs on really long hikes. On one particular occasion, I drank it all and I still had a mile or so to go.

[DamonB82]

I drink about 2 gallons a day as it is, so I have no problem drinking lots of water. I'm sure the hikes will be only slightly harder than the hiking I do up and down the strip (including stairs) every year when I go to Vegas......except I'll be sober in Az ;p

[ProtienandIron]

On the water issue, always have a few big bottles in the car. Before you set off on the hike, drink as much as your stomach can take. There is nothing worse then getting 5 mins into your hike and having to instantly drink a litre of your carried water on when you should have prehydrated. The other bottles stay in your car for after the hike just in case you've ran out like what KBsaid. Its happened to me before, and it was scary enough in the mild UK climate.

A couple of items I always take on a day hike are;

Camelbak (essential)
Titanium or ali bottle (brings extra water or energy drink, but once drunk can be used to collect water in emergency and boil it)
Lighter (always have a means to light a fire easily) and a sealed hexamine style tablet.
Puritabs
Penknife (always useful)
Small headtorch (in case you get held up/lost and night closes in)
Poncho (can be used as improvised shelter, waterproof jacket, picnic blanket etc)
Food (snacks- nuts are high calorie and nutritious, and sweets are great when you are on a hard uphill slog).

[SkinnySquats]

Time to squat, kids.

[dumb.bell]

I had really planned on hitting the weights hard this week, but things haven't went as I'd hoped. First, I realized that I have so much crap in the gym that I couldn't even get my bench out of the rack for squats. I also don't have enough room to do deadlifts. I guess I'll have to do both of these lifts at the commercial gym I joined. To make things worse, I've had two chipped teeth, both of which will require crowns and a blocked saliva gland which caused half my face to swell up. I kind of resemble Marlon Brando from the Godfather, on one side.

[dumb.bell]

Is anyone located near Athens Georgia?

[yankeemarko1]

This is a very important point. Bring more water than you think you'll need with you on every hike and make sure you drink it, even if you don't feel thirsty yet.

If you don't have one yet, a good investment is a hydration backpack such as those made by CamelBak. Get one with a three liter reservoir. There have been a few times when I've carried two reservoirs on really long hikes. On one particular occasion, I drank it all and I still had a mile or so to go.

Agreed. I carry a 3 liter Camelbak and usually have a couple bottles of water in the storage area of the pack just in case. In April, I hiked out to Weaver's Needle in the Superstitions with a couple friends and one of them ran out of water. Those extra bottles probably saved him that day.

[KBKB]

A couple of items I always take on a day hike are;

Camelbak (essential)
Titanium or ali bottle (brings extra water or energy drink, but once drunk can be used to collect water in emergency and boil it)
Lighter (always have a means to light a fire easily) and a sealed hexamine style tablet.
Puritabs
Penknife (always useful)
Small headtorch (in case you get held up/lost and night closes in)
Poncho (can be used as improvised shelter, waterproof jacket, picnic blanket etc)
Food (snacks- nuts are high calorie and nutritious, and sweets are great when you are on a hard uphill slog).

I should really go through my packs to see what I have in them. I could probably get rid of some stuff.

I have most of the stuff on the list above. I don't always carry an extra bottle of water; it depends on the hike. I also don't carry water purification tablets. Water is really scarce here; if you run out, it's doubtful you'll find any.

A few things I do carry that's not on the above list:

- First Aid Kit.
- Sunscreen.
- Hat.

In AZ, a hat is really important. This is the one I wear:



It has a really wide brim and a neck cape to keep the sun off the face and neck. The cape can be stuffed into a pocket in the back of the brim when it's not needed. This hat comes saturated with a kind of insect repellent which is supposed to survive a certain number of washings. It seems to work because I'm usually less bothered with insects around my head and face than are some of my hiking companions.

Below is a photo of me from earlier this year; the neck cape does a very good job of keeping the sun off my neck.

The camera bag that I'm carrying is a Think Tank Digital Holster coupled with the Think Tank Digital Holster Harness. This combination allows me to scramble around on rocks without damaging the camera or having the camera bag getting in the way by swinging out in front of me.

[BloodType3R]

Time to take unnecessary risks, kids.

Seriously, dude?
At least use the bumpers so you can ditch.

[SkinnySquats]

Seriously, dude?
At least use the bumpers so you can ditch.

Haha I squat 3 times a week, I know what I can handle. I always throw on the spotters the last set.

p.s., I've only failed a squat one time, and that was for a PR attempt. I set the bar down on the spotters.

[BloodType3R]

Haha I squat 3 times a week, I know what I can handle. I always throw on the spotters the last set.

p.s., I've only failed a squat one time, and that was for a PR attempt. I set the bar down on the spotters.

I know my limits too and can't remember the last time I failed a squat but I still do all of my back squats inside the power rack, with the safeties set accordingly, and all of my front squats with bumpers and room to bail.

Here are a few scenarios to think about...
Tripping on a loose shoe lace, a bee stings you mid set, a tree falls or car crashes in front of your house and startles you, tendons or ligaments snap out of nowhere, etc
You might as well use the spotters for every single rep. You can't predict chaos, you can only hope to minimize it's effects.

[dumb.bell]

I know what I can handle. I always throw on the spotters the last set.

p.s., I've only failed a squat one time, and that was for a PR attempt. I set the bar down on the spotters.

I know my limits too and can't remember the last time I failed a squat. . .

If your not failing, your not pushing yourselves hard enough - LOL!!!!

[BloodType3R]

If your not failing, your not pushing yourselves hard enough - LOL!!!!

Spot my curls, brah?

[SkinnySquats]

I know my limits too and can't remember the last time I failed a squat but I still do all of my back squats inside the power rack, with the safeties set accordingly, and all of my front squats with bumpers and room to bail.

Here are a few scenarios to think about...
Tripping on a loose shoe lace, a bee stings you mid set, a tree falls or car crashes in front of your house and startles you, tendons or ligaments snap out of nowhere, etc
You might as well use the spotters for every single rep. You can't predict chaos, you can only hope to minimize it's effects.

You are absolutely right. I am usually very safety conscious & want to be lifting for a long time. I'll make sure to use the spotters for all squats. Who knows, maybe the additional peace of mind will allow me to add to the bar and push past my current work sets.

[BloodType3R]

You are absolutely right. I am usually very safety conscious & want to be lifting for a long time. I'll make sure to use the spotters for all squats. Who knows, maybe the additional peace of mind will allow me to add to the bar and push past my current work sets.

Now buckle your damned seat belt!




and eat your vegetables too.

[AttyGuy]

And stay off my lawn!

[BloodType3R]

And stay off my lawn!

Don't you have an empty chair to talk to?

[AttyGuy]

Don't you have an empty chair to talk to?

Do you feel lucky, punk?

[SkinnySquats]

Now buckle your damned seat belt!




and eat your vegetables too.

Yes dad, I just ate a giant dosing of protein and veggies from whole foods buffet!

If I ever get stung by a bee while I'm squatting, I am SO calling you..

[twodog]

And stay off my lawn!

Do you feel lucky, punk?

Lol. Don't keep instigating him Atty, you might cause him to get in an accident while he's driving his turbo-powered rollerskate, and texting you with one hand while the other is holding his double soy latte/ Amp energy drink.

[AttyGuy]

Lol. Don't keep instigating him Atty, you might cause him to get in an accident while he's driving his turbo-powered rollerskate, and texting you with one hand while the other is holding his double soy latte/ Amp energy drink.

Lol, and he could soil his unitard. . . .

[BloodType3R]

Yes dad, I just ate a giant dosing of protein and veggies from whole foods buffet!

If I ever get stung by a bee while I'm squatting, I am SO calling you..

It has actually happened to me.. well, while overhead pressing, which nearly resulted in a vintage spilt-sleeve creating a contemporary split-forehead.




and for the geriatric patients ITT:

[Stasher1]

Is anyone located near Athens Georgia?

Sorry, I missed this one. I'm about 40 min. from there. What do you need?

[dumb.bell]

I apologize for not having started a log yet, but my week got messed up by several things (mentioned in an earlier post). For those of you who are interested, I did a max effort bench today. It went as follows:

Bar x 20 reps
135 x 10 reps
135 x 10 reps
225 x 4 reps
275 x 1 reps (Starting after 275lb, I take anywhere from 5 to 7 minute breaks between attempts.)
315 x 1 rep
340 x 1 rep (I did 335lb on Saturday) (If I had barely gotten 340 I would have quit. However, it went up easier than 335 did on Saturday, so I pushed on. At this point I could have went for 345 or 350. Since I'd already improved from the last session, I went to 350 hoping for the best, but knowing I would likely fail. I chose 350 because I would rather fail on 350 than 345. During the next workout, I will likely be trying for 345, and I don't want to be thinking about how I failed on it my last lift.)

350 FAILURE (I moved it a couple of inches off my chest, but once I could tell it wasn't going, I didn't fight it.)

275 x 6 reps
280 x 6 reps
285 x 6 reps
290 x 5 reps

During the next workout I'll start with 290 and shoot for six reps. If I get six without a struggle, I will move up 5lbs as before. If I get 6 or struggle with the 6th one, I will remain at the same weight. If on any set I fail to get 4 reps, I will drop the weight by 5 or 10lbs depending on how I'm feeling. As time progresses and progress stagnates, I will only increase the amounts by 2.5lbs after completing 6 reps.

Progression will obviously slow in a week or so, but I can generally keep progressing as long as I am gaining weight. Once weight gain stops, progression stops.

[dumb.bell]

Sorry, I missed this one. I'm about 40 min. from there. What do you need?

PMed you

[fishpat86]

On the water issue, always have a few big bottles in the car. Before you set off on the hike, drink as much as your stomach can take. There is nothing worse then getting 5 mins into your hike and having to instantly drink a litre of your carried water on when you should have prehydrated. The other bottles stay in your car for after the hike just in case you've ran out like what KBsaid. Its happened to me before, and it was scary enough in the mild UK climate.

A couple of items I always take on a day hike are;

Camelbak (essential)
Titanium or ali bottle (brings extra water or energy drink, but once drunk can be used to collect water in emergency and boil it)
Lighter (always have a means to light a fire easily) and a sealed hexamine style tablet.
Puritabs
Penknife (always useful)
Small headtorch (in case you get held up/lost and night closes in)
Poncho (can be used as improvised shelter, waterproof jacket, picnic blanket etc)
Food (snacks- nuts are high calorie and nutritious, and sweets are great when you are on a hard uphill slog).

Meh, I climbed Mount Snowdon on a litre of water and 6 chocolate hob nobs.

[aclockworkoi]

I apologize for not having started a log yet, but my week got messed up by several things (mentioned in an earlier post). For those of you who are interested, I did a max effort bench today. It went as follows:

Bar x 20 reps
135 x 10 reps
135 x 10 reps
225 x 4 reps
275 x 1 reps (Starting after 275lb, I take anywhere from 5 to 7 minute breaks between attempts.)
315 x 1 rep
340 x 1 rep (I did 335lb on Saturday) (If I had barely gotten 340 I would have quit. However, it went up easier than 335 did on Saturday, so I pushed on. At this point I could have went for 345 or 350. Since I'd already improved from the last session, I went to 350 hoping for the best, but knowing I would likely fail. I chose 350 because I would rather fail on 350 than 345. During the next workout, I will likely be trying for 345, and I don't want to be thinking about how I failed on it my last lift.)

350 FAILURE (I moved it a couple of inches off my chest, but once I could tell it wasn't going, I didn't fight it.)

275 x 6 reps
280 x 6 reps
285 x 6 reps
290 x 5 reps

During the next workout I'll start with 290 and shoot for six reps. If I get six without a struggle, I will move up 5lbs as before. If I get 6 or struggle with the 6th one, I will remain at the same weight. If on any set I fail to get 4 reps, I will drop the weight by 5 or 10lbs depending on how I'm feeling. As time progresses and progress stagnates, I will only increase the amounts by 2.5lbs after completing 6 reps.

Progression will obviously slow in a week or so, but I can generally keep progressing as long as I am gaining weight. Once weight gain stops, progression stops.

New thread, select, copy, paste. Awesome work man - someday I'll get there.

[AttyGuy]

and for the geriatric patients ITT:

[aclockworkoi]

It has actually happened to me.. well, while overhead pressing, which nearly resulted in a vintage spilt-sleeve creating a contemporary split-forehead.




and for the geriatric patients ITT:

I think one of the companies under my corporate overlords makes the hardware for these.

[KBKB]

I'm starting to learn a little bit about flash photography. I took this photo in my backyard earlier tonight. Unlike some of my photos, I didn't do much post processing on this one.

The large plant is an ocotillo. There are some prickly pear down at the bottom, in front. The clouds really were that blue. We had a brief, but heavy storm come through perhaps an hour earlier.

I set up one flash on a gorillapod at the right and placed another flash on the wall on the left. I don't much like using the gorillapod as a tripod, but I am liking it for use as a light stand. I like it so much for this purpose that I'm thinking about getting a second one. I had to dial back the flash exposure compensation to around -2.3EV in order to not light up the ocotillo overly much. There are probably some things that I could have done better - as I said at the outset, I'm just starting to learn about flash photography.