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Dispatch → Bulletin → News
The Western Post - October 2024
Hello and welcome to yet another new column from yours truly! Some would say "Hey Fujai, don't you think you should do a follow up from the last new column you made before starting another new one?" And to them I say: "Yes I probably should!"
So let's talk about backpacking!
It's one of my favorite outdoor activities, and I've been doing it regularly for about fifteen years now. I'm a big fan of walking around and I'm a big fan of camping, so it's a great marriage of the two. Over time, I've had a lot of folks remark to me that they really want to get into backpacking but don't know how, or they tried to get into backpacking, and it just did not go well. A lot of times, those instances of it not going well could've been helped by small changes, so I'm here to spread a little bit of my backpacking knowledge, as if there aren't umpteen thousand more reputable and complete backpacking blogs out there already. Without further ado, here's some...
Frequently Asked Questions
Question: I tried backpacking and had an awful time, what did I do wrong?
Answer: Well, there's usually a few specific reasons, but some common ones are:
You went farther than you could handle for too many days in a row
You packed heavier than you could handle
You didn't pack enough water
You didn't pack good enough rain gear
You didn't pack a map
You just got unlucky with weather, wildlife, or other circumstances :(
Q: Okay, so how far should I go?
A: It depends! Personally, I prefer to take a slower and more relaxed pace, so I tend toward only 5-7 miles a day on average on most of my trips. Sometimes it could be as low as four if I want to take my time, and rarely as high as nine or ten, but I'd only go that far if there was somewhere I really wanted to get to and I couldn't break it up into multiple days. Anything over ten miles is a no-go for me anymore. Even when I was younger in Scouts and we had more folks to spread equipment and food out amongst, hiking over ten miles a day was grueling. I remember two or three 12 mile days in a row when I went to Philmont as a Scout and that was hell.
On my last trip in the Bighorns, we came across several people who preferred a wildly different style. One person had already walked 27 miles the day before and nearly as much the day we met. They were having a great time, but said their feet were killing them. Another person hiked to the top of a 13,000 ft (4,000 m) mountain, bouldering up half of it, then down a nearly sheer face through several more valleys after we met, all in a single day and bewilderingly, without a map.
Those kinds of folks tend to spend a lot of money on ultralight equipment and only eat cold meals so they don't need to bring cooking gear. That doesn't sound fun to me, so I don't do it. I like my tea and oatmeal in the morning and nice hearty meal at night.
All that's to say, I'd go fewer miles each day than you think. It can be nice to go slower, take your time setting up and breaking camp, making meals, and it lets you put in some extra time to explore and relax. After all, it's vacation.
However, what's more important is that you train up to the distance you want to go. If you're not used to hiking longer distances with weight, I highly recommend going on some longer day hikes with a backpack full of water jugs or rocks, preferably with a decent amount of ups and downs. You wouldn't run a marathon without training, so you shouldn't backpack without training either!
Q: How heavy should my pack be?
A: For a 3-4 day trip with two people and temperate weather, my pack is usually around 35-40 pounds. I have some lightweight gear, but not a lot of fancy stuff. My most recent trip was five nights in the Bighorns, and my pack was a monstrous 55 pounds. I still have no idea why it weighed so darn much.
Q: What should I pack?
A: Ah, the age-old question. Admittedly, I pack mostly on vibes and memory, so I don't actually have a complete packing list. Here's my amateur thoughts on the most important things to bring:
Backpack - duh
Tent - Don't skimp on your tent. I had a Eureka that lasted many many years, and currently use a Big Agnes that I expect to last equally long.
Ground cloth - Do NOT forget a ground cloth or tarp for your tent! You WILL regret it! At the least, you can either just get a tarp from the hardware store or cut a big piece of plastic to the size you need.
Hiking boots - I strongly recommend higher topped hiking boots rather than hiking shoes of any kind. Many a time I've been extremely grateful for the ankle support when on rocky mountain slopes and muddy trails. I had a pair of Merrills that held up for years and years, and when they gave up the ghost, switched to a pair of Oboz. My dad has a pair of Danners right now and he likes them pretty well, he says they're extremely comfortable.
Backpack - Also, y'know, don't skimp on this. You can find them at garage sales, thrift stores, and your friendly local outdoor shop. I've had the most experience with Kelty and Osprey brands and I've really liked both. I've been using my Kelty backpack for over a decade and I don't think anything has ever broken on it. If you're not sure on size, your local outdoor shop can help you decide based on what kind of trekking you plan to do. Backpack sizes are measured in volume, usually liters or cubic inches. My Kelty is 90 liters and I usually have more than enough room to pack everything in—frankly, probably too much room.
Sleeping pad - You can do anything from a long strip of quarter inch foam to a 4-inch tall sleeping pad, it all depends on preference and price. I currently have a 2-inch Thermarest pad that I like pretty well.
Sleeping bag - IMO you can skimp on this. Caveats being: If you're going to be backpacking in cold weather, make absolutely sure you have a good sleeping bag and good cold weather gear. Cheap backpacking sleeping bags will be heavier and bulkier than fancier ones. I alternate between a fancy 30º polyester down bag and a super worn polyester bag that's probably older than I am. Frankly I like the latter better (granted I'm very sensitive to temperature while I sleep and am much more willing to have a thin sleeping bag and put on layers if I happen to get cold in the night. Your mileage may vary). Strongly recommend getting a backpacking pillow—mine was $30 and I love it more than life itself. You can also just pack some clothes for a pillow, it's just preference.
Flashlight - I strongly recommend against skimping on a flashlight. I have a good handheld Maglite for car camping and a good Princeton Tech headlamp for backpacking. ALWAYS bring extra batteries, even if you just changed them before you leave.
Map - If you don't have a good paper map, you are asking for trouble. Download a topo map from wherever you prefer (usually the government will have them available wherever you are). I just put it in a gallon-size ziploc bag to keep it dry on the trail.
Safety equipment - This will change wherever you go, but you should generally always have at least a whistle, a knife/multitool, a lighter, and some fire starting equipment. If you're in bear territory, bear spray is a MUST.
Water bottles - Some people bring big giant disposable plastic water bottles and that's fine if it works for you, but I'm not one of them. I go through a lot of water, so I always bring at least two liter/quart sized Nalgene bottles plus a water bladder or two, especially if I know there'll be dry camps on the trip. Nalgenes are heavier than disposable water bottles, but they're next to indestructible and decently priced.
Water purification equipment - At an absolute minimum you need to have some emergency water purification tablets. If you don't, you are asking for trouble. I swear by MSR's pump filters that you can screw onto a Nalgene, but the last several years I've really been liking the Platypus 2-bag gravity filter for it's incredible ease. Some folks like the tiny Sawyer squeeze filters, but I'm not a big fan of those.
Medical kit - At the least: Band-aids, antibiotic ointment, moleskin, gauze, painkillers, benadryl, sunscreen. I'll have to have a good look through mine and put together a more complete list at another time.
Trowel, toilet paper, and sanitizing wipes - You will need to poop. Be prepared. Know how to dig a cathole. Do not be those people who just sh*t anywhere and leave toilet paper to blow around and pollute a place. I've seen poop someone left out at 10,000 ft and it's not any prettier than it is at sea level. I recommend packing sanitizing wipes rather than hand sanitizer so you can actually wipe your hands.
Toiletries - Toothbrush, meds, menstrual supplies, whatever else you need. Most soaps marketed as biodegradable aren't as biodegradable as one would hope—you can be stinky for a few days.
Clothes - This could fill an entire column on its own, so we can talk about those later. Pack more socks than you think you'll need. Invest in nice wool hiking socks. If you're prone to blisters or hot spots, try getting liner socks to wear under your hiking socks, as they'll help reduce friction.
Raingear - Always pack a good raincoat and rainpants. Even if there's no rain in the forecast. Even if you're backpacking in the desert. ALWAYS.
Cooking gear and food - Another huge topic that we can talk about later. Don't be like me and forget a cup for your tea/coffee. It sucks.Miscellaneous items
Duct tape - I wrap a couple feet of duct tape around my water bottle for storage. Lasts a while, wastes zero space, and you'll be really glad to have it when you need it. If you have a blister or hot spot and don't have moleskin, slap some duct tape over it.
Rope - I always bring plenty of paracord with. Nylon stuff is the easiest to get a hold of, usually, and it's very easy to fuse the ends to prevent fraying. I'd recommend at least 20 ft, though I usually bring a homemade dining fly with paracord guylines so I always have some extra there.
Extra bags - Always, always bring a few extra ziploc/shopping/garbage bags. When your clothes are all wet from a sudden rainstorm and it's too humid for them to dry, you'll be really happy you had a shopping bag to shove them in to keep them separate from all your other clothes.
Waterproof stuffsacks - I pack my clothes and sleeping bag in stuffsacks, ideally waterproof, to save on space. I wouldn't pack either of them in something other than a stuffsack. If you don't have waterproof ones and are expecting rain, you can just put the stuffsack in a garbage back inside your pack and that'll work pretty well.
We're gonna call it there. I'm sure I missed some extremely important things in that packing list, but y'know? That's alright. Give me a shout if I forgot something super duper really important that makes me look like a fool.
Similarly, if you have any backpacking questions, or questions on camping, canoeing, or outdoor stuff in general, drop me a telegram any time!
Welcome once more to Photos of the World, a column of the Western Post dedicated to showcasing photos from different real life countries! After a great anniversary edition, we continue our travel around the world with more photos to share. The photos are all mine this edition, though I welcome contributions from readers that want to share their own pictures as well or have a suggestion to make—just let me know by telegram or Discord message.
These two photos are from a former edition of CityGuessr, both taken in the Chagdud Gonpa Khadro Ling Temple, located in the southern Brazilian city of Três Coroas. This temple was founded in 1995 by the Tibetan master Chagdud Tulku Rinpoche and is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Latin America. Even if one doesn't practice the religion, the temple is very much still worth visiting due to the beautiful architecture. Furthermore, the natural beauty coupled with the traditional art has made the temple a tourist spot in the highlands of Rio Grande do Sul state. The first photo depicts a room containing several prayer wheels with mantras, whereas several stupas are seen in the second photo, two common features of Tibetan Buddhism.
We then move on to the second part of the article, crossing the border between Brazil and Uruguay and arriving into the latter country's capital Montevideo. The first photo shows a seaside view alongside dozens of boats, a different part of the city's coast far away, and a line of vegetation in the horizon separating the blue sea and sky. As for the second photo, it was taken in Montevideo's old town, a historic neighborhood once founded as a walled city during colonial times and now serving as an office district and seat of many tourist attractions. The Solís Theatre, the focus of the picture, is the most important and renowned theater of both the capital and the country. Named after the explorer Juan Díaz de Solís, the first European explorer to land in modern day Uruguay, it opened in 1856 and more recently underwent a reconstruction project from 1998 to 2004. The first Uruguayan national opera premiered in this theatre in 1878, and to this day it continues to hold important events, as seen by the various posters for different theatre and music presentations.
That's it for this edition of the Photos of the World column, I hope everyone is appreciating this series of articles, with the pictures and descriptions of various places in the world that it brings. Do you, the reader, have some favorite photos you've taken of an interesting place and want to share them? If you're interested in sharing some of your photos with us and a little bit of information, here are the instructions—upload the pictures to an image hosting site like Imgur, and send their links together with a description for each to Giovanniland through telegram or Discord.
Welcome to the 13th edition of CityGuessr, including the results from the previous month's challenge and the final leaderboard of the first season! That's right, twelve challenges have now happened and we'll get to know the Grand Champion as well as start the new season. Here were the guesses for the last challenge:
Vorhollah – Charlotte Amalie, US Virgin Islands – 7,972.95 km away – 3 points
Arkengia – Toronto, Canada – 10,801.28 km away – 2 points
Nas Crustium – Kavala, Greece – 13,912.33 km away – 1 point
The location for the previous puzzle is Punta Arenas, a city in the far south of Chile! The two photos show a church and street in the city center respectively. You can see the first season's final leaderboard with all the points earned since the first challenge, and also the challenge coin designed by Fujai, though no one got it this time.
Con Nihawitan – 18 points – First CityGuessr Grand Champion!
Corbeil – 16 points
Nas Crustium – 14 points
Fotisdia – 10 points
Peourouin – 7 points
Lionsroar and Tinhampton – 5 points each
Vorhollah and Pedandria – 4 points each
Aberketia, Bhang Bhang Duc, Foressul, Halsoni, Lzecov islands, New caman, Ritelssaeney – 3 points each
Now let's get onto this month's challenge, here are the rules originally written by Tam Dao and adapted since then!
CityGuessr, as the name suggests, will ask you to guess which city of the world the photos are showing, both photos always referring to the same city. We will keep the scope of the game to cities only, as we don't have the luxury of moving around to check for clues. We will also provide a single clue of the continent where the city is located.
Use the submission link here in order to send your guess! Remember that you only have one guess that can't be changed later, and that it's expressly forbidden to use outside resources to figure it out, otherwise it wouldn't be a guess.
Furthermore, to add a bit of competition to the game, we will rank all guesses based on how close they are to the correct answer. The top 3 answers will be given points: 3 points for 1st, 2 points for 2nd, and 1 point for 3rd. Note that the leaderboard will now be reset as we begin the second season.
In this edition we go to North America!
I wish you all good luck in solving this edition's challenge, and have fun! And if you wish to submit photos to be considered for a future puzzle, submit them through telegram to The West Pacific Master Dispatch.
Welcome to the Card Club's update about the month of September!
The major cards-related happening in TWP this month was the Unthemed Card Contest announced by fellow Card Club leader Laudesia, the first time we didn't choose a theme and instead let the participants pick their own. We had a new record of 10 collections, and I'm very happy with that! Here's the full list:
My Personal Favorite Cards by Unclear
Peace serenity, like the water in a pool, untouched by the wind by Vylixan
School, University, Education by Il Sonno della Ragione Genera Mostri
The winner was Vylixan, who has been working on their collection "Peace serenity, like the water in a pool, untouched by the wind" for over four years, carefully adding cards that give a feeling of calm. Il Sonno della Ragione Genera Mostri continues their string of good results and came in second, choosing an education theme because September is the month when school starts again in Italy after vacations. Third place PR Lightspeed Rescue (Dr Hooves) submitted a collection called "No Umbrella" which contrasts with their collection of cards that do have umbrellas, and last but not least the fourth place Con Nihawitan went for a nature theme.
The respective Season 3 legendary card awards for the top four were: Giovanniland, Laudesia, Erynia and Draconia, and Outer Sparta! Furthermore, the other six participants each got a copy of the ultra rare Season 2 Bhang Bhang Duc card, as a thank you for setting a new record together with us in the Card Club. The updated all-time leaderboard for card contests is shown below:
Rank | Nation | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Number of Participations |
#1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 10 | ||
#2 | 4* | 4 | ||||
#3 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
#4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | |||
#5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 22 | |
#6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 9 | ||
#7 | 2* | 2 | 1 | 5 | ||
#8 | 2 | 1 | 3 | |||
#9 | 1 | 3 | 4 | |||
#10 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 6 | ||
#11 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | |
#33 | 2 | |||||
#34 | 1 | |||||
1 | ||||||
1 | ||||||
1 |
* Aluminum Oxynitride and Mediobogdum had no opposition in two and one events respectively.
This October, the Card Club is hosting once more the Halloween Card Contest! Examples of cards that can be collected for this contest are nations referencing spooky Halloween things and zombies in their motto, flag, or name, with bonus points for Z-Day references; remember as well that collections should have 100 cards or less. Once you've assembled your collection, share the link on the appropriate place depending on whether you're a TWPer or not, and after entries close at 23:59 EST of 31st October, Laud and I will announce the results! The winner and runner-up will receive a legendary card each, and other people might win prizes too if we get good turnout and quality submissions.
The West Pacific Card Club is brought to you by The West Pacific Cultural Trust.
The Western Post Staff - Delegate: Fujai - Editor-in-Chief: Giovanniland - Staff: Bran Astor, Inner Ryxtylopia, Overthinkers, Sekiya, Teralyon, The Holy Principality of Saint Mark, and YOU
All your chocolate belongs to Darkesia
The Western Post is brought to you by The West Pacific Cultural Trust, The West Pacific News Group, and readers like you. Thank you.
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