Well...I certainly didn't plan on this! I'm over a week behind schedule, and I haven't biked since Rochester. I ended up staying much longer at L'Abri than I first planned. Anyone who has stayed there can certainly understand, as it wasn't to uncommon to hear about people who prolong their stay by months. It can be difficult to pry away from such a nice environment.
I came to Minneapolis to go to Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic. I've never been to any sort of political rally before and I wasn't disappointed. It will be nice to be able to vote for someone this November who represents me!
The weather is starting to change. This worries me, as I'm not prepared for the cold. I'll be heading out along Adventure Cycling's North Lakes route to Escanaba, Wi. 400 miles for this leg of the trip!
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How cold is it getting? It's been mid-40s and low-70s/high-to-high-60s here since Sunday, and it looks like that'll be the case for the next week or so, at least.
It's possible that the weather we're experiencing is a side-effect of the massive storms we're having down in the Gulf this year - though, hurricanes tend to occur during years with cold winters/early falls, too. (Increased hurricane activity is supposedly a sign of cooling climate.) So, it might get warmer in a week or so, but it also might get colder still. :-/ Who fucking knows...
At least you're out of the windy part of the continent, at least. That'll at least make the cold more bearable, I think.
Consider getting come of the chemical warmers; you can get 2 for $1 at the checkout at most sporting goods stores, so you should be able to find a larger pack for less per pack. They warm up pretty well and add a lot of warmth to a sleeping bag.
Also, fleece ski mask + hoodie = warm head and face at night. IMO, that's the most difficult and important part to keep warm while in a sleeping bag. Some hunting/sporting ski masks have a 'wind breaker' layer in the face, which is nice in high winds.
You'll want to have two, if you plan to wear one at night and one at day - same heat retention problems occur with moist head-wear as with moist socks.
Don't stuff your face down into your sleeping bag! That'll lead to moisture = cold you'll have a hard time getting rid of.
If you don't think your sleeping bag will be sufficient, stop by a milsurp store and pick up some of the military issue long thermal underwear. They're not knit like long johns - they look fleeced on the inside - and they're easily 2-3 times better than longjohns. I got a top + pants for $35 several winters ago and while they're worn, they're still warmer than new long johns by a bit. (They're also not cotton, so they don't get stinky as easily.)
Otherwise, I'd think wind and staying hydrated would be your biggest concerns: you just won't expend as much energy during the day to stay cool, and will instead expend it staying warm (if it gets really cold); you'll also have to watch water intake to assure you don't get dehydrated, as it'll be easier to do so and not notice.
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