I have learned a some lessons from my trip so far.
1. The daily 5 mile walks I had done in preparation for this trip, did not seem to help. I now think the only way to condition for backpacking is to just do it. I wonder how many hikes I need to do to become an expert hiker? My legs are still sore today so I plan to start again next week continuing from where I left off. This may be delayed due to the next lesson learned.
2. My sleeping bag is the wrong size for me. The mummy bag seemed to work just like it was supposed to. Once it was zipped up, I could not move. It was so tight that I could see it move when I breathed. I guess this works for someone who can sleep on their back, but I sleep on my side and there was just no roll around room. The 20 inch air core pad was a little bit too small for me. I will be able to return both of these to REI in exchange for a larger bag and pad. I should really do this before I begin again.
3. My tent was fantastic. I had plenty of room so I did not feel closed in. My choice to go with a 2-man tent was just right. I had plenty of head room when I was sitting up and room to store other stuff besides me in the tent. I am wanting to know how it will perform in the rain, but the dew was so heavy that the rain fly was dripping wet on the outside. The footprint was totally wet on the ground side, but there was no moisture in the tent. I discovered that the rainfly has a vent that I had failed to open.
4. My choice of stove was great. Two cups of water was boiling in under 2 minutes. Water never boils that quick on the stove at home. One cup boiled so quick that I was drinking coffee within a minute. I am wondering how many days I can operate on one canister of fuel. I do carry an extra one until I know the answer to that question.
5. I had carried enough food to feed an army for a couple of days. I need to pack a lot less since there was really no time to stop and dig out food. This will be a good way to drop a few pounds both in food weight and my weight.
6. Do not forget extra batteries. I had been using my headlight for all kinds of things at home and it was due for new batteries anyway. I had the batteries but failed to change them before the trip. I will not make this mistake again. I guess that old saying "Experience is the best teacher" is correct.
7. I need to find a way to keep up with the distance I traveled. Around town I was using the app Map my Walk, but in areas where there was no cell service it was useless. Also I had set my iPhone to airplane mode to preserve the battery life. I could still use it for pictures if I needed to. I will check on a gps watch that does not depend on a cell tower to work.
8. I had packed extra clothing that was totally unneeded. I could shave off a couple of pack pounds by going without both the rain jacket and an extra cotton jacket I carried. Even though I hiked in 40 degree weather I was not cold in my teeshirt and shorts. I had also carried a long sleeve shirt and long pants, but decided that I did not need to change into them.
9. Finally, I realize that I am not as young as I use to be when I hiked 40 years ago. It will be okay to go slow and not try to set records for speed. I can push my body, but I need to be aware of my limitations. Everything about backpacking has changed over the years. I still have my old canvas pack that I had when I was a boy scout. Later I used it when I was a scoutmaster for a boy scout troop in the 70's. The health issues that I have, arthritis in my back and the numbness in my thigh that I had experienced walking around town, gave me no problems over the two days. I am ready to continue my journey as soon as I can swap my sleeping bag.
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