Equipage

More Foundations. 
Hiking poles are a necessity.  They reduce the load some. For me giving additional balance as I work my way along the trail. It seems that as bipedal creature on the trail you evolve  into a quadrupedal creature. As we went up, but especially down Katahdin I relied on my poles extensively. Our poles also have springs in them to help reduce the impact on our arms. Tarren read somewhere that the tips will wear down and  have to be replaced. We will see as I evolve into a quadrupled animal will I grow a tail to help sway away the infinite masses of mosquitos. 

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