Brian,

I jog but most times I fast walk over twelve miles six days a week weather permitting. So far this year, not counting jogging or snowshoeing, I have walked over 785 miles. Now that the weather is nicer and I have switched from boots to shoes, I travel at between 4 and 4.3 miles per hour. With boots I average 3.8 miles an hour. The coarse I take varies 200 feet in elevation a number of times. I track my travels with a Carmin Forerunner 301 GPS with pulse monitor and then download the results to my computer. Since I travel in the Columbia River Gorge along the river, the weather can change drastically especially the wind and temperature. The prevailing westerly winds off the Pacific Ocean are very strong but fairly warm but if the winds change from either the north or south, they bring freezing temperatures from either Mount Hood or Mount Adams both of which are around 12,000 feet in elevation.

Most times I carry a Maxpedition Proteus Versipack with one or two canteens of water. The Proteus is full of my normal EDC gear, Casio Exilim Camera, quality wool socks, gloves, a couple of Lucks Sesame Snaps, and during the winter, ear muffs or light baklava. In cold weather, I wear the appropriate weight but as light a coat as possible. During warmer weather depending on whether I am carrying one or two canteens, I keep the compressed coat either in a separate belt pouch or under the top straps of the Proteus. The most important thing I try to do is keep the pack from bouncing and prevent my swinging arms from banging into the canteens. I also carry two six foot leases for my two German Shepherds. They are the reason I don’t jog to often since they have tripped me up once in a while. Usually one does point guard and the bigger one protects my back but if a squirrel should happen to chance ahead of us, I have been taken down like a bowling pin. The leases are normally stored attached to the handle of the Proteus. The Maxpedition Bully Dog bounces to much and has to be cinched to tight to keep from sliding off. I keep trying to use it but I have not found a way to make it comfortable for my use. You might check into Amphipod Runlite Waist Race Hydration System available at REI.

Even though I see osprey, eagles, cranes, geese, ducks, kit and swift foxes, mule deer, an occasional beaver, and beautiful scenery, traveling the same route every day gets boring, so I also carry and listen to a Delphi XM2GO MyFi. Jazz is my pleasure and by the time I get back I am ready for a light breakfast and the start of the day. I usually start my walks at 4:45 AM in the summer before it gets to hot. Last week it got to 97 degrees F.