Guestbook

Ray & Jenny's Guestbook

FAQs

To see a picture in full size, click on it's thumbnail.

[1] 2 3

87)	Ray

AZ
2010-2-2 08:26 PM

The Guestbook is temporarily closed for comments or questions. No further posts will appear until I return from my NFT. During Feb I am concentrating on my own projects - designing, sewing, and so forth, and of course training.

Two exceptions:

You may use the “Add your comments here” link to send Jenny any concerns about an order already placed. Jenny will read your input, even though your post will not appear in public.

And you may use the link to send us feedback about Ray-Way gear that you have sewn. That too will not appear, until I finish my NFT.

I am no longer reading input, but will catch up when I return this summer.

Meanwhile, keep an eye on our "News" page for any updates from me or Jenny.

86)	Robert K.

Atlanta GA
2010-1-31 11:01 PM

You are my heroes. After reading both "beyond backpacking" and "trail life" i feel like i've shed shackles and chains. Would love to meet you someday. Happy trails.

Ray 2010-2-2 08:30 PM
Robert: Thank you very much. That was very nice of you. Maybe somewhere along the trails.

85)	Brian W.

Bremerton,WA
2010-1-31 12:25 AM

I'm all set to go kayak the Willamette River in segments this Summer, and the Bowron Lake circuit up in BC. I plan on doing the Mackenzie River next year (Summer), and have two paddling questions.

I love your paddling journals on here and read them for inspiration/motivation from time to time, but I wonder why a tent was used instead of a tarp? Every book I can find on the subject states the same thing, but I believe that to be the "normal" camping mentality. High winds, weathered in, weight, and space all seem to favor a tarp for Summer usage with bugs being the exception. If a tent is better, what kind should be sought out (3 season, etc)?

Also, I wonder if you had any advice on maximizing daily paddling mileage? No book I can find goes into this at all other than to suggest paddling technique variations. Thank you for your time, and have a great NFT.

Ray 2010-1-31 01:13 AM
Bowron Lake Canoe Circuit is on our list for doing someday. For the Mackenzie I would use a Canoe because of the large holding space and easy loading. We used a 21-foot kayak but it had a huge carrying capacity. I would tend to recommend the Yukon over the Mackenzie; it’s much prettier and still a beginner’s route. And it’s twice as long.

As an aside, your writing tends to wander into passive voice. Do you know what that is? Well … you asked for tips. And I wish someone had pointed this out to me early on.

For the Bowron, which is well below the sub-Arctic, I might take a tarp with a Spitfire. For which tent to use on the Mackenzie or Yukon, sorry but I don’t make brand-name recommendations. But yes, a tarp and Spitfire might work very well. If you ever paddle a big lake and river route in the sub-Arctic, take a bombproof tent. Think STRONG wind. No, I mean STRONG!

Maximizing daily paddling mileage; same as maximizing daily hiking mileage: Training. But, don’t worry about paddling high speeds. On the Yukon we often paddled 100 mile days, at least for the first half. But that was simply a matter of staying in the boat and letting the current pull us along as we paddled only moderately. On these river trips, how many hours you remain in your boat each day = how many miles you do each day. Same with paddling a canoe or kayak on big lakes. Same with hiking big miles: I hike slowly but remain on the trail for longer each day. So remember my rule: Slower and longer is faster. And training allows the "longer" part.

Paddling a kayak: We use un-feathered paddles to minimize stress injury. And here again, slower and longer is faster.

84)	Steven D.

Tucson
2010-1-30 11:10 PM

Greetings Mr Jardine. Did I possibly see you at Catalina State Park the other day? (Do you drive a late model Jeep?) Best of success with your training and NFT, and Thanks for the impromptu trail work. Our trails certainly can use all the help they can get.

Ray 2010-1-31 12:36 AM
Steven: Quite possibly, but I don’t have a Jeep. I meet hundreds below the pools. But it is always in the evenings, on my way back down. During the day, I am high on the mountain, where there aren't many people, as described above, at least this time of year. I'm usually the first to arrive in the mornings, and I start in the dark.

If you see me again, be sure to say hi.

PS: thanks for the kudos on the trail work. For everyone: I love working on trails, and do as much as possible. Its good exercise, and I have a deep feeling that I am paying the trails back for all they give me. Or maybe that I am helping other hikers enjoy the trails a little bit more. Certainly, I enjoy those trails that I have worked on.

I think many or most hikers have no idea of the work required to maintain a trail to high standards. Usually people just default to the trail maintenance crew. Nothing wrong with that, until congress cuts the spending - which is what is happening.

If you read the news and put two and two together, you might agree that our trails are now in trouble. Especially in the National Parks. But the problem is, our nation’s trail systems are holding our wild places together. Without the trails, our wild places would be attacked by forces including the logging industry, the land development and real estate industries, mining and ranching interests, and so forth. They all want that land, and without our trails, what’s the purpose of keeping them away from it. Hey! Land development is good for the economy. It creates jobs. It creates wealth (for a chosen few).

Without our trails, our wild places would be in trouble. And that would be a disaster.

So, as the congressional funding for trail maintenance slowly evaporates, it’s up to us - we hikers - to get out there and maintain our trails. And the more we do that, the more our trails would mean to us. And by doing that, we would be sending a much more powerful message that we want our wild places protected.

83)	Jack Y.

Winters CA
2010-1-30 11:50 AM

I have a question regarding batting -- I sleep warm & my traveling companion sleeps cold. Do you have any comments on her idea to put the Xtra layer on "her" side of the quilt, leaving me to be a little cooler, as I like. thanks for your response.

Ray 2010-1-31 09:30 PM
Jack: that sounds like a good idea. Another idea is for your wife to wear more clothes at night, since she may need them anyway, during the day.

82)	Kai F.

Vermont
2010-1-29 12:49 PM

[...]

Ray 2010-1-31 08:19 PM
Kai: You are doing some good thinking, but it sounds like you are looking for an expert to validate your thinking, or maybe just to air it. Someone of your caliber does not need to do that. You can get a whole lot more accomplished by trusting yourself. So go ahead and take it to the next level.

81)	Ben R.

Eugene, OR
2010-1-28 01:38 PM

After reading about and seeing all the pictures of your training, I can't wait to hear all about your NFT!! Thanks for sharing your training.

Ray 2010-1-28 02:56 PM
Ben: This years NFT will be nothing special (not that I am taking anything for granted). I train like a banshee for all my trips, and always have. It started with 50 one-day ascents and descents of Pikes Peak in the late 1950s, and I have been an endorphin junky every since.

Well, maybe not everyone training for their NFTs works out 10 hours a day, three times a week, for months. I do this because I like to have fun. And I know that if I were not in top shape, I would not have nearly as much. People have asked me “How come you have such an easy time when other hikers are struggling?" Go figure. The best part of this is that even my training is fun, all 10 or 11 hours of it. With each time, there is always something new around the next bend: a new plant, a new view, a new sound or smell, and once in a while a new animal (I saw a cougar the other day) - or a friendly person hiking the other way. I am having a ball on this mountain, and I can’t wait for the next time.

Here is a tip for every adventurer interested in maximizing his or her fun. If you are not having fun with your training, maybe you are doing something wrong. Figure out what it is.

Maybe your mindset is all wrong (for you). The fastest runners in a race are not out to have fun; they are out to beat the competition. I saw so much of this on the AT last year. To each his or her own. But I’m out to have fun and don’t care if someone is hiking faster. Hiking faster does not impress me - at all. What impresses me is someone who has a pleasant attitude and nice things to say. I met a great many of these people as well, and each one made my day.

So if you are not having fun with your training, maybe you are competing against yourself. Get out of your own head and start noticing the things around you. Like the abandoned backpack I found; I bet hundreds of hikers walked past without noticing it. Even the cities are full of natural wonders, if the person will take notice.

Ben R. 2010-2-2 04:02 PM
Ray,
Thanks for the response. I run trail ultramarathons and the last one I ran was a little bit of a disappointment (only because I had preconceived goals). Earlier this year, I read a book about the way Kenyans train thinking it was a very detailed book. It turned out to be uch better than detailed plans and schedules. It was full of inspirational anecdotes about the Kenyan runners and their life stories. One of their main ideas that struck me, and you just reinforced, was the idea of fun training. I have resolved this year to make every run fun, even if it's hard. It's better to enjoy being outside than to be disappointed in "missing" a training goal. I'm almost positive that you enjoy your training just about as much as your trips... Thanks again for the inspiration and tips.

80)	Mike D.

Tampa fl
2010-1-27 03:20 PM

Hey Ray, I just finished making my quilt, and stowbag. I am about to start my Storage bag but had a question about the size. I made a 1 person quilt, alpine upgrade and extra long. Should I make the small or large bag for that? I am loving Trail life as well. Thanks a lot for making all of your experience available to us.

Ray 2010-1-27 09:52 PM
Mike: Alpine extra long? I would make the large Storage bag.

79)	John G.

Atlanta, GA
2010-1-27 11:12 AM

I purchased your tarp kit a few months ago. [..] At this time you are not showing my color as one of your fabric color choices for silnylon. I wonder if you might have just one or two yards available that I might purchase? Thank you.

Ray 2010-1-27 10:07 PM
John: I would forget your idea (closing off one end of the tarp) because it does not work well. Think ventilation for a warm and dry night’s sleep. For stormy weather, use a Batwing.

I'll be glad to look at our color inventory tomorrow. But if you want to try a Batwing, it does not have to match your tarp. Use it only in stormy weather, and in those conditions no one will be out looking around.

John G. 2010-1-29 10:34 AM
Ray, thank you for the reply and I look forward to hearing about the Jade color silnylon availability. As this tarp will be primarily used for fall and winter camping, the ventilation is less important than the storm worthiness. Also, I have been practicing my flat felled seam and am using your thread. I am having trouble with my wifes elna machine locking up with the heavier thread. It doesn't have that problem using a much lighter thread. I can clearly see and feel the superiority of your thread and it is what I want to use. We have checked for lint and have found none in the machine. Do you have any ideas what could be causing this?

Thank you again,

Ray 2010-1-29 11:48 AM
We have Silicone nylon in Jade listed on our Order Form under "Shelter material by the foot."

The Elna is a very good machine, and it sounds like you have the tension too tight on both the top and bottom threads for ray-way thread. Our thread is thicker, so you have to loosen the tensions a bit. Start by loosing the bobbin adjusting screw, and then adjust the top tension to achieve a balanced stitch.

youtube.com/watch?v=TaH9yB7XUBk

youtube.com/watch?v=OD3on88gFag&feature=related

78)	William G.

Philadelphia PA
2010-1-26 03:59 PM

Gan you give me an idea the weight of a 2 person Alpine quilt? Thank you!

Ray 2010-1-27 10:21 PM
"An idea" will be found on page 9 of our Quilt Kit pages.

77)	Joerg W.

Germany
2010-1-24 04:51 AM

Dear Ray, dear Jenny,
I read Trail Life with great joy and just completed a 1P Quilt according to your step by step instructions. It was great fun sewing it and it works nicely. I spent a night out on the balcony at -7°C wearing fleece sweater, trouser and fleece booties and it was just fine. That is much more than I expected. Thank you so much for the design and the helpful instructions.

Thanks again and all the best to you from Germany.

76)	"Screamin Steven" I.

Reagan, TN 38368
2010-1-22 04:47 AM

Mr Ray:

Just happened to read here that you were on the AT in 2009. I started a flip-flop SOBO on July 29, just after some very wet weather in Maine.

How did I miss ya with that distinctive uber-light gear?

Now I do remember an incident, when plugging up a hill, about to collapse, just wanting to sit down on an elevated flat spot, when I met someone coming down the hill who wanted to talk... Hmm... I was really rude there, asking this guy to just move from his spot so I could sit down, mostly ignoring what he wanted to say. That must have been you! Was it?

Oh well. Well, I can't make up for being my rude self, but will send you one of my distinctive cold-weather alcohol stoves, of you'd like.

Ray 2010-1-22 09:16 AM
Steven: I don't blame you for wanting to sit down, when someone is standing in the only good resting place, especially where there aren’t that many good ones, which is often the case. But it wasn’t me. If you were headed south in Maine, we must have met, but I don’t recognize you from your photo. But then people tend to look different when on the trail. I met about a hundred south-bounders, and some of them wanted to talk but some did not - most often because they were probably tired of talking to so many north-bounders. Nevertheless, I feel a certain kinship with each and every AT hiker, and consider them all friends.

75)	Noah T.

atlanta, ga
2010-1-21 05:12 PM

Ray- a mere 40 pgs into your Trail Life book and I realize that your philosophy is so much broader than just having light weight equipment. You cover the power of positivity and a good attitude and how envisioning success can lead to just that. I am planning about a year in advance for my first long distance hike on the AT and look forward to applying some of your methods in the trips leading up to my thru. Thanks for everything and I can't wait to get through the rest of the book and start experimenting with these newfound techniques. (Hopefully I can gain access to a sewing machine soon also so I can try out the quilt kit)

74)	Craig T.

Oak Hill, VA
2010-1-16 01:25 AM

Ray, just completed my pack!!! It has been one of the more rewarding projects I have completed in recent memory. I plan on taking it on my AT Thru-hike this year. Thanks for offering such great DIY kits.

Ray 2010-1-16 08:31 PM
Craig: It's a beaut! Looks like your dog is all lit up about it, too

73)	John N.

Portland OR
2010-1-15 08:02 PM

Hi Ray : I have a several year old tarp and inner bug tent kit as well as a Ray Way tarp book that I just bought from a 3rd party. I've read your comments about revising the book. Are you changing the basic size of the tarp or otherwise rethinking the inner tent or Spitfire because I can hold off sewing if your modifications alter those components. I am a mosquito magnet so that aspect means much to me. Thanks, John

Ray 2010-1-15 09:36 PM
John: We are not changing the sizes of the tarp and net-tent. But for those mosquito magnets we would definitely suggest the Spitfire. It is much more bug proof.

72)	Thomas V.

northern minnesota
2010-1-15 03:19 AM

Ray-going on hard Quetico trip in spring-looking for sleeping system. Temps can be darn right cold-rain and snow possible. I was thinking of your 1P quilt with the extra insulation. What do you think?

Ray 2010-1-15 06:18 AM
If you have plenty of room in your canoe, the X-layer might be a good idea. Get yourself a large stowbag made of PVC; the type that rafters use. Keep your three-layer quilt in that, and buckle it to a thwart. And lacking a W/B drysuit, don't go out in any kind of wind. That early in the season, the water is Arctic cold. You don't want to capsize in that.

71)	Noah "honey-do!" O.

Newark, DE
2010-1-14 08:11 PM

Hey buddy! Don't know if you remember, but we met and hiked for a day in SNP. I was on your site and purchased a knife kit, and saw your summit photo. I finshed Oct. 5th on a cold, windy, rainy day and have never seen a more beautiful mountain. Congrats to you and the AT class of '09!

Ray 2010-1-14 08:12 PM
honey-do!: Indeed I do! And by the way, I was seeing Jewelweed all the way to Katahdin. It was amazing that it ranges that far north.

Here's a tip for AT hikers from honey-do!: Learn to recognize Jewelweed in the early season while still flowerless. It looks a lot like Nettle. But once you get to know it, it actually looks quite different.

And a tip from me: Jewelweed is a good remedy for poison ivy, and I saw both from GA to ME. If you break a stem of Jewelweed off a few inches above the ground, the plant will re-grow. So don't pull it out. Crush a few inches of the harvested stem between your fingers, and apply the juice to your rash. Save the rest of the stem for further applications. I don’t use the leaves because the stem is much more juicy. Opinions vary, but I think this plant works for all kinds of skin aliments.

Best to you and Lydia.

Photo by R.J. See my write-up on Pg 4.

70)	Chris W.

Gainesville, GA
2010-1-14 01:39 PM

[...]

Ray 2010-1-14 02:40 PM
Chris: Sorry but I can't help you with ideas for your boat. I’m swamped this time of year.

69)	Ray

AZ
2010-1-14 08:25 AM

On the subject of photography, I know there must be several pros out there, so here is my question: My compact camera takes stunning photos, some of the time, and has many features that I love. For example, it has a 500-shot battery and takes all you want video between recharges. I can hike for a month between recharges while taking hundreds of photos. It also has a huge ccd for low light, which is often the case in the green tunnel. Plus, it is lightweight. But, alas, it has no manual focus. The auto focus works well most of the time, but some times it has problems. I've tried dozens of different tricks to get it to snap into focus, but none of them work all that well. Sometimes I can freeze the focus on another object with better definition at the same range. But other times there is no object with better definition to use. And sometimes even this doesn’t work because of the light-value differences. So if anyone has any tips, please post them here.

68)	Cyndi K.

Apopka, FL
2010-1-10 07:19 PM

Ray, when is your tarp book going to be available again. I am very interested in purchasing a copy. Thanks, ckay

Ray 2010-1-10 09:08 PM
I'm planning to get to work on it soon as I return from my NFT. So the book won't be available for a while yet.

Home	RayJardine.com Copyright © 2009	4,885,770 visitors
PLEASE DO NOT COPY these photos and pages in full or in part, to other websites. Thank you!