2010-09-09

I'm writing a summary of my cross-country cycle trip. Look for it soon. Also I am working on a summary of my 3rd A.T. Thru-hike. After I finish those, I have devoted my schedule to developing a few innovative Ray-Way Products. Look for them this fall.

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2010-09-08

I have opened the GuestBook. Check out the interesting comments. Thanks to one and all.

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2010-07-14

Introducing another new product: NEW Quilt Stowbag Kit designed to fit inside a larger Ray-Way Backpack - as seen in my 2010-A.T. Gear video.

I designed this new stowbag to fit horizontally into my backpack, and I carried it during my A.T. 2010 thru-hike. The kit is intended for Ray-Way Backpacks with a volume of 2,600, 2,800 or 3,000 cubes. Made of silicone nylon. Has no extension collar, but comes with a plastic-bag liner to keep the quilt dry.

Please see our Order Form.

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2010-07-08

NOW FOR SALE! (See our Order Form)

Ray's 2010 A.T Gear Video $14.95

Spend an evening with Ray in the Maine woods, watching him explain the use of the gear that he carried on his 2010 Thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail.

For the person who wants to learn something about using Ray-Way gear, we think this video is an absolute gold mine of information.

Run-time: 93 min.

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New Ray-Way Video coming soon!

I have finished making my video, and am about to list it on our Order Form.

This video has a run time of 93 minutes, and comes in two parts: Day-1 and Day-2. Both parts are essentially the same; they are simply different takes, filmed on different days. Day-1 has a run time of 43 minutes, and Day-2: 50 minutes. They were filmed in different areas, so I could not edit between them. But I liked them both, so included both in this video.

Jenny and I filmed the first take the day after I completed my thru-hike. From Abol Bridge, we hiked in to the Hurd Brook Lean-to, and did our filming there. Then the next day we drove out into the country north of Millinocket, and filmed our second take.

What's the video about?

With Jenny holding the camera, I demonstrate how I make camp after a day of hiking, and then how I break camp the following morning.

Note: this video is real. There is nothing Hollywood about it. So if a person is looking for entertainment, please give this program a miss. The video has no music, and no polished acting. But it does have plenty of holes, so if the viewer is the type of person that looks for faults, then he or she will find much to complain about. So please don't waste your money.

Because we filmed the video so soon after my thru-hike, I had not adjusted to life back in the city, so the viewer gets the real - solo thru-hiking - me. And if you have ever met a thru-hiker in the wilds, you know that he or she is pretty tuned-in to the natural environment, and pretty tuned-out to the city style of behavior - ie: talking fast and non-stop. So don't expect a "talking head" in this video. I am merely demonstrating my gear and showing how I use it - and describing what I am doing verbally.

Of course, it doesn't take me 43 minutes to make and break camp. Nowhere near that long. I was simply taking my time for the sake of the demonstration. And for the first time in three months, I had to figure out how to explain the things that I normally just do automatically without thinking about them.

What does this video cover?

* A bit of site selection

* Preening of a stealth-site.

* Pitching the tarp.

* Hanging the Spitfire under the tarp.

* Crawling in to the Spitfire (How I put it on like a garment.)

* Making a comfortable bed, with pulling out the quilt and foam-pad.

* How I make sure that I know where everything is in the dark.

* Packing my backpack the following morning, inside the Spitfire.

* Taking down the Spitfire and stowing.

* Taking down the tarp and stowing.

* Ready to hike.

The Video starts out with the following notes:

"This gear I'm showing is intended for high-daily-mileage thru-hiking the A.T. in early season."

"Have Fun!"

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2010-06-30

We have finished designing our sleeping-pad kit, and have listed it on our Order Form.

Thanks to everyone for your interest in this project.

And as a reminder, I don't sell anything that I don't use myself. And this kit is no exception.

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2010-06-25

While pitching my tarp one evening I found two sticks close at hand. Neither one was quite strong enough, so I used them both together.

A cold wind was slanting rain, but I slept very comfortably thanks to my BatWing.

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2010-06-21

Jenny and I are waiting for materials for our sleeping-pad kits, and hope any interested customers will have been shopping in the department stores for our recommend foam pad, along with a bit of duck tape, and so forth.

Once you have the pad, the kits will be pretty easy to put together. I can make one in 10 or 15 minutes. But once again, this idea is not open source. So after ordering and building a kit, please don't pirate the idea by telling your friends and posting any details to the web. Showing Jenny and me respect for our ideas will encourage us to share more ideas. How simple is that?

On another subject, I have been working on my Ray-Way Gear Setup and Breakdown video. So I'd like to make a few comments about that.

First of all, don't expect anything fancy. My trail name has been "Plain ol' Ray" and I'm making a Plain ol' Video. There is absolutely nothing fancy about it. No fancy editing - no fancy sound system - and no fancy presentation. I'm just showing what I do, with a bit of verbal explaining along way. I just completed my 2010 AT thru-hike the day before the shoot, and the only thing that changed was I did my laundry the night before and took a shower. So in the video I'm wearing the same clothing that I wore for 3 months, and demonstrating the same gear.

I think that the person who expects a fancy presentation will be disappointed. So please don't waste your money.

On the other hand, for the person who wants to learn something about using Ray-Way gear, I think this video is an absolute gold mine of information.

We filmed two takes, and I'm showing both of them, one after the other, and with very little editing.

I suggest you watch the video twice. The first time through you might miss a lot, because my voice is sometimes soft. Especially at the start. But after a while I hope the viewer will get used to my plain ol' soft voice. :)

Also, I show two camps and both of them are pretty average. In the second one there was some wind and a bit of light rain, but not nearly enough to use the BatWing, although I show how I carry the BatWing in my tarp stowbag. Both camps feature a two-tree pitch, because for a hundred nights I had that arrangement about 95% of the time. I do show my new knot to secure the ridgeline to a tree. You may be surprised and slightly disappointed at how simple this knot is to tie. As in: "Why didn't I think of that!"

In the video I'm using a Ray-Way backpack with a volume of 2,800 cubes. For the record, I used this for the first and last third of my hike, and a 2,600 cubes pack for the middle third. I also show my Ray-Way foam-pad arrangement, and detail how I use it.

In my book "Trail Life" I describe in great detail how to tie the Butterfly knot, to secure a tarp line to a stake. In the video I don't repeat the instruction, but I do show how quick and easy it is to tie this knot, and demonstrate how useful it is.

I'm certain there will be those who say that the video is poor quality and not worth the money. For after all, it looks like it was shot with a plain ol' still camera with a video option. Yes, it was. And I carried that camera for over two thousand miles, twice.

But I also hope that a select few people will enjoy the video, not only for it's gold mine of info, but also a chance to spend an evening with me in the Maine woods, far from the reaches of civilization.

Ahh, I can almost smell the pizza.

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2010-06-19

We are about to introduce our new Ray-Way Sleeping Pad Kit

Our Kit will allow you to construct a collapsible foam pad that fits snugly into your Ray-Way Backpack.

Caution: The blade included in the kit is sharp. Please use extreme caution when handling the blade and assembling it into the foam knife. Once you have the foam knife assembled, please store it in a safe place, as you would any other razor-sharp knife.

For this early-season hike, I wanted a substantial foam pad that I could sleep with on cold ground. It had to be somewhat thick, yet it had to fit easily into my ray-way backpack.

I researched all the options available commercially, but without finding anything suitable for my purposes. So I bought a cheap foam pad from wal-mart, and simply rolled it up and shoved it into my pack vertically. This worked in a pinch, but was difficult to get out in the evening and more difficult to put back in to my pack in the morning. It had to fit into my pack internally because I didn't want anything sticking out and caching on brush or blow-downs.

So I hit on the idea of making this cheap foam pad collapsible.

This idea worked so well that I carried and used this arrangement for 100 days continuously on my Appalachian Trail thru-hike of 2010. It worked well every night, without a single problem.

Of course I took very good care of it, and it held together nicely for the duration of my thru-hike.

Not included in the kit, you will need to buy a foam pad. The one that I recommend is made by Ozark Trails. It is readily available in most towns, in the camping section of department stores such as wal-mart, or in the larger sporting goods stores. It is the closed-cell Adult Size Camping Pad, 1/2 inch thick, 20 inches wide and 72 inches long.

While at the store, you might also need a bit of super glue, about 4 feet of duct tape, a sharpie type marking pen, and a 24 inch wide straight edge.

When you bring the pad home, you may want to unwrap it, roll it out, and place some weights on it, in order to coax it to lay more flat. Then leave it like that for a few days to get the pad to relax a bit, before you begin your work on your kit.

Please note: The kit will not work with any other type of foam pad.

And again, treat your Foam Pad Kit with care, and it should serve you well for many years.

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2010-06-17

Jenny and I are in Bar Harbor, Maine, celebrating the completion of my AT thru-hike. We're having fun being tourists: seeing the sights on rental bicycles and on foot.

My thru-hike lasted about 3 months and 1 week, and was a completely different experience than last year because of the early season. It often seemed like a different trail, so the overall hike was not a repeat performance, by any means. But again, I enjoyed it very much. And once again, I learned SO much. It seemed like every day, lessons seemed to come at me from every direction.

And once again, I am returning home with a wealth of new or improved ideas for Ray-Way gear.

Last year I contracted Lyme disease on the trail, so for this hike I developed protective clothing. This clothing proved so successful that it surpassed all my expectations. And I'm returning home with hopes of developing shell-clothing kits so that others might enjoy the same benefits.

You can see a picture of me in my shell pants on my front page, as I'm sitting atop the sign on Mt. Katahdin.

To start with, these shell kits will be tick-proof. Well, I'm not making any guarantees or claims, but I can't imagine a tick getting through this new fabric. I hiked for almost three months (* see note) wearing these shells and had no problem with ticks. That's why I wore them, because I consider these shells a tremendous safety feature in light of the growing problem with tick-borne diseases. After all, who should know of the dangers better than me? Had I been wearing these garments last year, I could have saved two months of laying flat on my back, after the 2009 hike, and a bunch of money on medical bills.

(* Note: I started wearing these shells at the end of the second week of my 2010 hike.)

Granted, you can buy shell garments commercially that would probably work against ticks. But my shells will be much more comfortable to wear while hiking and making camp.

These shells are much more comfortable for a number of reasons:

They will be custom tailored to the individual. It will be like paying for an expensive tailor to fit your garments. No more going into a store and buying cheaply mass-produced clothing designed for the "average" person. You are unique and your shells will fit you perfectly.

Next, these shells are very lightweight. They dry extremely fast, and they are really breathable so they allow the sweat to evaporate - fast. You can wear them in the rain, and when the rain stops the shells will be dry in 10 minutes. You can wear them to bed wet, and in the moring you will find them dry.

But that's not all.

The new shells are mosquito-proof. Again, I'm not making any guarantees, but I wore these garments pretty much all through the daylight hours, and often hiked in clouds of mosquitoes and black flies and did not get any bites through my new material. So after three months of use I gained a tremendous confidence in my shells.

On another topic, this year I was an AT front-runner, meaning I was far ahead of the crowd of north-bound thru-hikers. This was because I started somewhat early (March 4) and because I was among the first to punch through the Smokeys, which at that time still held a lot of snow. I was among the first to get through the Smokeys because I waited until the snow had consolidated before going through. Lots of hikers tried to slog through too early and the vast majority of them failed. But when the conditions were just right, I got through in only three days. Then I started putting down high mileage days, and didn't take a Zero Day for the next two months.

But being a frontrunner had certain disadvantages. There were a few (3 or 4) hikers ahead of me, whom I never met because they stayed ahead of me. so the last time I actually met a thru-hiker was in mid-Virginia, and I didn't see another one for the remainder of the trip. So my hike was a solo experience to say the least. Last year I enjoyed the company of other thru-hikers, but this year I actually had to phone a couple of them to touch bases every now and then (Thank you Zipper and Rabbit). And of course I talked with Jenny almost every day (Thank you, Jenny, for being my distant yet constant companion this summer). I never experienced loneliness because there was always so much to do and admire along the way. But I did learn the value of the thru-hiking community, how they bolster each other and enrich the hiking experience.

As a frontrunner, I found nearly all the shelters empty. As usual I preferred to sleep in my Spitfire because it is much more comfortable. But I did stay in two shelters. This applied to the hostels also; I was the only guest in most of the ones I stayed in. In fact, I was often the first thru-hiker they had seen so far this year.

The weather this year was much different than last year's nearly constant rain, it seemed. The trail was mostly mud-free this year, even in Vermont - can you believe it? But I experienced a wide variation in rapidly changing temperatures. Sometimes it was so cold I could see my breath and other times the weather was hot, sweaty and buggy. And I never knew what was coming next, so I had to carry a heavier load of clothing and a two-layer quilt for those sometimes frigid nights. My baseline pack weighed about 9 pounds. Incidentally, I used a quilt with regular insulation, not Alpine insulation, and made up for the difference with warmer clothes worn underneath the quilt when needed.

And talk about blow-downs - they were everywhere, from Georgia to the 100-mile wilderness in Maine. Some sections had been cleared, (Thank you trail volunteers) but about one-third of the trail had not. On one mountain in Virginia I estimated about 800 of them. Hiking in a storm that day made for a few challenges.

All this aside, I hiked with early spring from Virginia onwards. It seemed like I was hiking with the blooming trilliums. I saw them everywhere from Virginia to Maine.

This was my third A.T. thru-hike, and during the previous two I white-blazed throughout, never straying from the official route. But with this one I sometimes hiked where I wanted, as opposed to where the trail wanted me to go. This is called Blue-Blazing, and I saw some very nice county that I had not seen before. But do I recommend this? No, I think everyone should hike his or her own hike, and make their own decisions. For after all, the A.T. has no hiking rules. How does one spell "hiking"? F-R-E-E-D-O-M. At least for me this year.

For this hike I developed a new foam pad arrangement and plan to make that our next new Ray-Way product. Look for it in the next couple of weeks. This foam pad fits easily into a Ray-Way backpack, and it is custom-sized to fit whatever volume of backpack you have made. So when ordering, you will have to state what size (Volume) of Ray-Way backpack that your foam pad is intended for.

As another new product, Jenny and I have been making a video of me describing my gear and showing how I used it on my 2010 A.T. thru-hike. We have filmed two takes here in Maine, and would like to add this video to our product line in a few weeks. The video shows how I made camp - pitching my tarp, hanging my Spitfire, and how I arranged my gear for quick easy breaking camp the following morning. Then the video shows how I break camp, taking down the Spitfire and tarp, and packing everything in my backpack for the day's hiking. This video will come highly recommended if a person wants to see me using my gear in action. For the Ray-Way enthusiast, I think it will be really instructional.

Also, I plan to start work on the new version of my Tarp Book.

With the 2010 AT thru-hike completed, I now have some time to work on some of these projects. But of course most of them will have to wait until I complete my NFT, which I would like to begin in another month. :) So stay tuned for this.

But in a nutshell, in the next month I hope to add to our product line the foam pad and video, and - oh yes - re-designed stowbag kits for the quilt, to accommodate the larger backpacks. And I would also like to get started on the new Tarp Book.

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2010-06-12

On Friday June 11, I flew into Bangor, Maine, rented a car, then drove north and west to Baxter State Park. There I met Ray. The next morning, just after sun-up we set off on the last leg of his AT thru-hike: climbing Mt. Katahdin.

As I hiked along behind Ray, I noticed something about his gait and his movements that I had not paid much notice to before, on our previous long hikes together. Even though the trail was rough, with roots and rocks to step over or around, Ray seemed to just flow along the trail with no effort at all. He gait was so smooth and steady - and a bit slow, I thought. I was ready to race up the trail and get to the summit. Ray, however, after 3 months of thru-hiking, knew - his body knew - that the slow, steady, smooth pace was the most efficient for this type of terrain, and for going the distance, day after day. It was a beautiful thing for me to watch. He looked incredibly strong and fit and so at home and at peace on the trail.

The day was overcast but not threatening, with just a slight breeze above treeline. It was a perfect day for summiting.

The 3,800- (approximately) foot climb took us 3 hours and 10 minutes. Along the way I admired the beautiful plants and trees, creeklets and waterfalls. Coming from the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, this was like being in a tropical jungle. Ray re-introduced me to his trailside companions: striped maple, trillium, the birches and the conifers, blueberry bushes and Labrador tea. We listened to the songs of the thrushes and robins; Ray cautioned me not to step on a small toad scrambling up the side of the weather- and hiking boot-eroded trail.

Above tree line, we scrambled over jumbled rocks and boulders to reach the high plateau and Katahdin springs. From there the summit was visible, and we quickened our pace to reach that famous signpost and take the pictures. It was a glorious, exciting, and emotional moment for both of us. Ray climbed on top of the sign and gave a shout of joy. I felt so lucky to be able to share this moment with him.

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2010-06-11

Our shipping department is temporarily closed until Friday, June 18, as I travel to Maine to join Ray for his celebratory climb of Katahdin at the completion of his A.T. thru-hike.

After Katahdin we plan to spend a few days relaxing on the Maine coast. So watch for an update from Ray in a few days.

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2010-06-08

Last minute schedule change!

Our shipping department's vacation has changed. We will now be closed from Friday June 11 through Thursday, June 17. We will resume shipping on Friday, June 18.

The cut-off time for orders on Thursday, June 10 will be 1:00 pm Arizona Time. Orders received after that time will ship after June 17. As usual, we will ship each order in the same sequence in which it came in.

We apologize for any inconvenience this change my cause.

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2010-06-04

Plan ahead!

Our shipping department will be closed for 8 days, starting June 12. We will keep the Order Form open, but please remember that if you place an order between June 12 and June 20, it will not ship until after the 20th. We will ship each order in the same sequence in which it came in.

Thank you, and we sincerely appreciate your business!

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2010-06-01

Ray is now in Maine. Keep on hiking, Ray!

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2010-05-21

Welcome to New Hampshire Ray! Two more states to go.

Ray has asked me to re-open his Guestbook. If you want to send comments, please feel free. However, Ray will not be able to reply, at least for several more weeks, until the completion of his AT thru-hike.

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2010-05-14

Day 72 and still truckin'. Ray is now in Vermont.

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2010-05-07

Ray has reached Connecticut!

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2010-05-03

Ray has just completed his second month on his northbound AT thru-hike. He is presently in New York, and reports that all is going well.

Meanwhile, back at Ray-Way Products, I am busy filling orders and sending gear to Ray when he calls in a request.

Please note that I will be taking a brief vacation this coming weekend, and will not be shipping orders on Friday May 7 or Saturday May 8. I will resume shipping on Monday May 10. Thank you for your patience, and I hope everyone enjoys the Mother's Day weekend.

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2010-04-24

Ray called this evening, and reports that he is enjoying the AT through Pennsylvania.

He also asked me to convey his congratulations to our 9-month-old Golden Retriever "Camper" who was the first dog to finish at the Ahwatukee Foothills YMCA 5K run today. Thanks to Camper's fast pace, I finished first in my age category.

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2010-04-20

Ray is thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail again this year, and has reached Harper's Ferry, over 1,000 miles from the start. He is doing really great, and enjoying the hiking, the trail, and the people he's meeting along the way.

He started on March 4 on Springer Mountain, in 14 inches of snow. The shuttle driver had to put chains on to get him to the start. The Smokeys were a bottleneck for the early starters this year. Ray hiked on 2 feet of snow in the southwestern Smokeys, and 5 feet of snow beyond Newfound Gap. Nevertheless, he hiked through the Smokeys in 3 days. Before that the hiking was a bit slow at the start while waiting for the right conditions. After that he picked up the pace, and is now doing 25 to 30 miles a day.

Ray reports that this hike is indeed a solo experience because he's one of the front-runners, so he's meeting very few northbound thru-hikers. Most shelters have been empty at night throughout northern Virginia, although that will soon change as the pack of northbounders begin to pass through. On the other hand he is starting to meet a few southbound section hikers and of course the occasional day hiker.

Ray says the wildflowers are starting to come out and for the past few days have been really spectacular. The green tunnel is beginning to form as the leaves are forming on the trees overhead, so sunburn is no longer a major consideration.

If you see Ray, be sure to say hi. I know he enjoys meeting other hikers.

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2010-04-09

Ray is over one month into his journey and reports that he is doing very well, enjoying the trip, and having a good time!

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2010-03-17

Now available! Silver-Gray Silicone Nylon for the Ray-Way Tarp Kit, Net-Tent Kit, Spitfires, and Batwing. Thanks for your patience while we were out of stock in this color.

Please note that we will be temporarily closing the Order Form starting Friday afternoon, March 26. We will be back from our Spring holiday on Tuesday April 6 and will reopen the Order Form on that day.

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2010-03-13

Silver-Gray Silicone Nylon coming soon!

We will have the popular Silver-Gray color in the Silicone Nylon back in stock by Friday, March 19, 2010.

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2010-03-03

We are well stocked on materials and kits for everything listed on our Order Form. We have loads of materials; and the insulation is factory-fresh.

Orders received by our cut-off time of 2:00pm AZ time, Monday to Friday, will ship the same day. Or by 10:00 am Saturday.

Otherwise, orders received after cut-off time will ship the following working day.

We can't ship Saturday afternoon, all day Sunday, or national holidays because the Post Office is not open during those times.

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2010-02-12

I've been racking up the training miles as usual. Also in the past two weeks I've logged 45 hours of trail work. I combine hiking with trail work because they are both good and enjoyable exercise.

I followed these tracks for about two miles a few days ago. The cat was coming down the trail, about three hours before I came up. I see him every now and then, but never up close.

I've been staring at the photo "danger on the trail" and I can see it! Ahhh!!!! - James G

Hey guys. I've long thought about writing and finally merely decided to say "thanks". Simply - thanks. Thanks for always being there, for your forward thinking, for your inspiration, for proving it can be done, for being bulletproof to the non-believers, for never quitting, for doing it right, for doing it first, for doing it best. With great appreciation, respect, and sincerity - simply - thanks. - J.G.G., Central Virginia

2010-02-01

Today's training hike was 12 hours, including 2.5 hours of trail work, cutting back the brush, mostly. My high point today: Sunny slab, after much tromping though the snow. Up there, the snow has a hard, ice-like crust. So hiking through it is a real workout. Also, high on the mountain the wind was cold. Nonetheless, I drank seven liters of water throughout the day, but returned home severely dehydrated. Another reminder for me that while high mileage hiking, a person must drink a lot more water than what his or her mind thinks the body needs.

Yesterday, Sunday, a large group (or maybe a small army) of weekenders started from the top and hiked down, following the same trail as the one I use. I think that's cheating - no really I'm joking - I don't care. It would not suit me because my workout depends mostly on the hike up. But what caught my eye was the amount of trash they left, all down the mountain. It didn't bother me, but neither did I pick any of it up. One or two items I will pick up, but more than that and I would feel like someone's mother. :) But I will say that the trail was perfectly clean before yesterday, and that I have picked up the odd bit of trash where needed. But this today was a bit too much.

I won't attempt to delve into the mind of a hiker who litters. But I will say something important that I think all hikers should know. Maybe most do.

Orange peels are not biodegradable. The acids they contain taste awful to the kind of bacteria that would decompose them. Meaning that the orange peels will not rot, so will just sit there for some years - unless someone picks them up. To the squirrels, they might as well be tin cans. Have you ever seen orange peels at trail rest stops? Most of us have. They are somewhat common. And most hikers consider them an eyesore when left lying.

I'm sure that in a few days I will feel like carrying a couple of trash bags up there.

And two full rolls of tp? Squirrels would not eat them either. Neither would they eat left-behind sunglasses. This is starting to get funny. Imagine a squirrel wearing sunglasses and holding two rolls of tp on outstretched arms while sitting on a pile of orange peels, exclaiming "Look at what I found!"

Also on the funny side of things, picture me tripping on a log and taking a well-executed flying face-plant in the snow. That was funny! And to explain: an ordinary face-plant is when a hiker trips while going uphill. In this position the ground is not so far away. But a genuine flying face-plant is when the person trips while going down-slope. The body's forward momentum tends to launch him or her into the air. Now, the main difference between an ordinary face-plant and a flying one, is the amount of adrenalin imparted. Tripping while going down-hill is a rush!

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2010-01-30

Congratulations Jenny! Second place women's in the CatFoot Winter Trail series, race #2. Meanwhile, I'm still slogging away with my training: 10.5 hours today with 3 hours of trail work.

I've got most of the honey locust cleared away, a thankless job if ever there was one. Note: if you ever visit Arizona for a bit of hiking, make sure NOT to go screaming down the mountain and into the honey locust. You will come screaming back out, bleeding. It's vicious. And it likes to grow on the trail.

Speaking of interesting animals, mentioned below, I saw two javelinas today. Neat! azgfd.gov/w_c/urban_javelina.shtml

Starting in two days I'm planning to go into "Ray Time," for a month of concentrating on my NFT, the planning and preparing, and yes, training. During the month I will be out of touch, and won't read the Guestbook. Jenny will be monitoring the Guestbook for any concerns about orders already placed. Tomorrow, the 31st, I will be glad to answer any questions about Ray-Way gear, or whatever. After that I will be concentrating on my own projects - designing, sewing, and so forth.

One would think I would have it all sorted out by now, since I've been adventuring for so many decades. But in fact I tend to reinvent myself each time, and that opens up a whole new world of possibility, and also a whole new world of work. Hence the month's focus.

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2010-01-27

Today's training: 10h 20m, including 4 hours trail work cleaning up the mess left by the recent storm. I have the trail to the high ridge in hikeable condition again. Normally I would take a chainsaw up there, but this trail lies smack in the middle of a Bighorn Sheep preserve. So I have quietly cleared the way around the big windfalls.

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2010-01-26

Yesterday's training: 10 hours on Mt. Lemmon, tromping though the snow (much postholing) and tying to figure out how to get through the blow-downs (about 100 on this trail). All in all, an enjoyable workout.

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2010-01-23

Due to severe flash flooding in the region, the access road to my favorite trail is closed. So I have been training on Pich'cho. This was my view this morning.

The end of this month I plan to go into hibernation mode, web wise, and spent the month of Feb preparing for my NFT. During that time I will not be available to answer questions or comments. Of course the same will hold true during my summer's NFT. Meanwhile, Jenny will be watching the GuestBook to answer any concerns with Ray-Way Orders.

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2010-01-20

We have designed a hip belt kit for our packpack kit. See our order form.

Important Note: if you order the hip belt option, your backpack kit will be shaped differently. We have two designs of backpack kit; one shaped for accommodating a hip belt, a one shaped for carrying without a hip belt.

Our hip belt is padded but very light-weight. It has a side-release buckle, and you can adjust the webbing in the usual style.

Furthermore, we have designed the hip belt to fit a specific individual. On our order form, in the backpack section, we have asked for your hip measurement. Our computer programming customizes your hip belt to fit you.

To take your hip measurement, wrap a tape measure around your body, just above the widest part of your hips. In other words, where you tend to wear your hip belt. If you don't have a tape measure, use a string, then measure the distance on the string.

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2010-01-19

Today's training "hike" 11.5 hours.

I began today's hike in the dark, as usual. But it was raining, and the first half of the hike was blustery cold. I could have used another jacket. But then mid-day I climbed above the clouds, and I enjoyed a marvelous two hours of sunny warmth. I reached my highpoint at 1:30, about 1/4 mile past my previous best. Not much farther, but I knew that if I did not turn back by 1:30, I would be hiking in the dark. And this would be not such good thing on the lower part of this trail. I'm not jogging down this trail, as I did during last winter's training, but I do hike down rather fast. I have to, because of the short daylight hours of winter. Then on the way down the sky blackened again, and the wind piped up. So the weather turned cold once again.

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2010-01-17

We are now selling our BackPack Kit in a range of shoulder size options and pack volumes. Please see our order form.

The new range of volumes are: 2,200, 2,400, 2,600, 2,800, and 3,000 cubic inches. Please note that these are the baseline volumes, and do not include the volumes of the pockets or extension collar. These figures are just the internal cubes of the pack body's alone.

Our classic kit came in sizes S to 2XL. Our new kit adds one size on each end of the scale, from XS (say for 10-14 year olds) to 3XL for burly folks.

And of course our new kits have the same color options.

1) The kit now comes with a sternum strap. You can use the sternum strap or leave it off; it's up to you.

2) We are working on a hip belt. Should be ready in a few days. Will come included with the basic kit. But you can leave it off, if desired.

3) Personally, I use neither.

4) This new kit took us hundreds of hours to develop, but we are not raising the price.

5) The 3,000 cubes is giant. Beware!

6) We even made one 3,200 but that was so ridiculously giant that we are not offering it.

7) The new R-W Backpack looks about like the classic one. I doubt whether the casual observer could tell the difference. At least the 2,200 one. Of course the larger ones look larger.

8) The new sternum strap is not compatible with the classic backpack. The new shoulder straps are designed differently. However, one could surely make it work.

9) The new hip belt will be compatible with the classic backpack. You can add just that to your classic pack, if you want.

10) Our classic Ray-Way backpack is what I carried on my 2009 AT hike.

11) The new 2,200 backpack (our new smallest) is a bit larger that our classic (about +50 cubes).

12) Our classic Ray-Way backpack weighed 9.5 ounces. Our new 2,200 weighs just a fraction more.

Now for a bit of philosophy behind our new kit:

Our 2,200-cube Ray-Way Backpack is genuinely ultra-light. It will carry a heavy load in a pinch. But it is designed to carry light-weight gear and a minimum of it. Even so, 2,200 cubic inches is not what some would call a "minimalist" backpack. Far from it.

2,200 cubic inches is fairly good size, especially as we are not factoring in the volume of the three large pockets and the full-length extension collar.

Our classic Ray-Way backpack was the perfect size for me on my 2009-AT thru-hike, and I rarely used the extension collar - only when coming out of a store with a load of food. On Jenny's and my first AT thru-hike, we made backpacks of the same general size, weight and design; same with our third PCT thru-hike, and our IUA Hike & Bike trip.

But note that we were carrying a 2P two-layer alpine quilt with the Split-Zip. So each of us was carrying only half of a quilt.

Now, someone hiking solo, not on the AT in summer, but in more cold climes like the PCT, CDT, and so forth, might want a little larger backpack - one which is still ultra-lightweight.

Enter our new kits. They will have plenty of extra room, say for a 1P quilt of two layers of alpine insulation. Or more room, still, for an insulated jacket. Or whatever.

But here is the big caution. And we mean BIG.

Our larger backpack is not meant to carry the profusion of gear found in the usual backpacking store. If the person wants to carry all that, he or she should buy and carry the usual heavy-duty backpack found in the backpacking stores.

Our Ray-Way Backpack is not designed to give top-notch performance with an over-load of klutzy gear.

So please don't mix the two.

Carry either Ray-Way type gear in a Ray-Way backpack, OR heavy-duty gear in a heavy-duty backpack.

And even with the new Ray-Way backpack, we would caution a person not to buy the max size with the misconception that larger is better.

Larger is NOT better. Instead, larger is more klutzy.

So chose the correct size depending on what you need to carry. Make your backpack fit your gear, rather than the other way around.

My philosophy is that the gear should enable the most enjoyment from one's outing. And to me, because I tend to do a great deal of hiking, that means that for the most comfort on the trail, I carry the least amount of gear. But note that I am NOT a minimalist. I like to be comfortable, and never sacrifice comfort or safety. But I have eliminated the superfluous. To learn more, read "Trail Life."

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2010-01-16

Ray arrived back home well after dark last night, after eleven hours of training. He was obviously tired, but also full of la joie de vivre. I know the feeling; after a full day spent outside, hiking along a quiet, peaceful, and rigorous trail, you just feel great. And tired. A good kind of tired.

Mt. Lemmon is a pretty daunting mountain. When standing on the desert floor at it's base, you cannot see the summit. It is massive. So today I was amazed to see him going about his work with hardly any fatigue. Wow. He's ready to go back up again tomorrow, after only one rest day. "You're not tired? You're not sore?"

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2010-01-15

Today's training workout: 11 hours 15 min. Comments: I need more daylight :)

As usual, I began the hike in the dark. Also as usual, the air was frigid, as it flowed off the mountain in a katabatic wind. But within 20 minutes I warmed up metabolically, and soon was taking off my hat and buff. I wore gloves throughout the day because of the cold and wind, and also to protect my hands when working on the trail. I like to spend maybe 20 minutes, total, each time maintaining the trail - moving rocks (sometimes heavy) and sticks, and breaking offending dead branches of blowdowns as much as possible. I like to improve whatever trail I'm hiking on, to make it better for next time.

I have been training on this trail for two years now, and have come to know it well. It's my choice because it's the toughest trail around here, and also the most beautiful in my opinion. It passes through several life zones, and you can see saguaros at the bottom and firs at the top. And also because it's imminently hikable in winter. And that's when I do my training.

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2010-01-13

Today's training was 9.5 hours, up the same route and 3/4 mile farther. So pretty up there. I have been training in my old AT shoes, sent back from the trail. They are worn out. But today I wore new ones - Wow! what an improvement.

The picture is not meant to be photo-beautiful. But it does show what 9.5 hr hike looks like, from today's highpoint. The desert floor, from where I started, is a long ways down.