Summary: Show Notes: Episode 111<br> Today on the First 40 Miles, hiking and backpacking go together like Lewis and Clark, but is it ok have a day in the wilderness where you don’t hike at all? Absolutely! We’ll give you a few ideas for what else you can do. For today’s SUMMIT Gear Review, a pack that is incredibly adaptable. Next, our Backpack Hack of the Week is a soul-filling pot of beans that can only be made on a zero day.<br> Opening<br> <br> * “Zero Day”<br> * The concept of a zero day was new to Heather, even after her first few backpacking trips.<br> * A zero day is a day in which you don’t move camp.<br> * Nero Day: Nearly a zero day.<br> <br> Top 5 Types of Activities for your Zero Day<br> Active Recreation<br> <br> * Swimming, exploring, hiking without your big pack, peak bagging, etc.<br> * Getting to know the lay of the land, creating that cognitive map<br> <br> Passive Recreation<br> <br> * Rest, wandering, soaking, hammocking, recovery, elevating feet, soaking your feet in a creek, rock skipping<br> <br> Housekeeping<br> <br> * This is probably more likely to happen on longer trips—not weekenders<br> * Laundry, repair, knife sharpening, injury management, cleaning out pack, re-sorting gear<br> <br> Personal Enrichment<br> <br> * Journaling, painting, goal setting, reading, podcasts, writing, sketching, talking, mind puzzles, sudoku<br> <br> Campside projects<br> <br> * Long cooking projects, pioneering, birdwatching, fire tending, whittling<br> <br> SUMMIT Gear Review: <a href="http://gregorypacks.com/backpacking/zulu-55/6258ZUL55.html">Gregory ZULU 55 Pack</a><br> Structure<br> <br> * Designers went to work, they had two things in mind suspension comfort and adaptability (cinch straps, loops everywhere, ways to tighten of loosen outside pouch, toggles)<br> * Compared to other Gregory packs, this one really is much more streamlined and compact. It’s not as wide as a Gregory packs have been in the past—but definitely just as fully featured.<br> * Body: 210-denier nylon; lining: 200-denier embossed polyester<br> * Suspended Mesh Back Panel that can be expanded—and it even has a little drainage hole for if you decide to stash your rain gear there<br> * Enhanced lumbar foam layering increases load-bearing comfort<br> * Ventilated mesh back panel for superior ventilation<br> <br> Utility<br> <br> * Compartments: Massive brain (Top lid), not really removable, 2 water bottle holders, hang toggles inside that hold the hydration sleeve/daypack, large mesh pouch—and behind it there is a zippered pouch to hold the removable rain cover.<br> * Comes with a waterproof pack cover<br> * Removable water bladder sleeve which doubles as a summit pack<br> * The Gregory ZULU 55 has 3 access points: through the top (where it’s cinched closed and covered with a lid or “brain”, through the bottom—which is typically where people store their sleeping bag, and then through a u-shaped zippered opening behind the stash pocket on the back—this is typically where people stash rain gear)<br> * The zippered stash area is interesting—and it’s expandable and has a latch so that gear is more secure.<br> * All over there are toggles, loops, cinch straps—so if you can’t fit all your gear inside—there are ample places to strap it to the outside.<br> * The torso length is fixed, not adjustable<br> <br> Mass<br> <br> * Pack (without rain cover and hydration sleeve) weighs 3 lbs. 11 ounces<br> * Rain cover weighs 4.5 ounces<br> * Hydration sleeve/removable day pack weighs 4.5 ounces<br> * All total, the pack weighs 4 lbs. 4 ounces<br> * Right on target for advertised weight–impressive<br> <br> Maintenance<br> <br> * Wash when needed in a bathtub tub with unscented detergent<br> * We had good luck reviving an old Gregory Deva last year. We used a clean toilet plunger<br> * Dry completely in the garage or outside in the shad...
