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You won't know exactly what you're dealing with until you receive a through evaluation, in my an MRI was necessary to pinpoint the causes of my knee problems.
Many of the suggestions you've received help with some types of problems but not necessarily with others, for instance my knee pain is...
Here a link to the AK version: https://www.isdin.com/en/product/eryfotona/ak-nmsc-spf-100-fluid-eng
Its ingredients don't list silicone dioxide or titanium dioxide (verify for yourself), which is what the mineral type of sunscreens use, so it's most likely the chemical type. That can be okay...
Skin that is healing is more susceptible to sun damage and so deserves extra protection. It seems the most absolute protection would be to cover the affected area with an opaque bandage, if its location permits. Shading from some combination of hat, sun umbrella, and a quality sunscreen...
Hot water could free up hardened skin oils and dust, etc. Otherwise try a lubricant, any of: , soap, glycerin, rubber preservative, silicone spray. If it's a metal zipper and corroded, the vinegar suggestion might work, but once freed follow it with a thorough water rinse and a protective...
My experience with "breathable" waterproof jackets is they are waterproof only for awhile, days to months, don't breath enough to justify the claim, and remain sweatboxes long after the waterproofing is no longer is reliable. Over the years I've been fooled by a number of them (what's wrong...
First, my sympathies. You and your physician must review your condition prior to making a decision.
That being said, after suffering an acute injury to my lower spine at the beginning of a once in a lifetime trip I discovered crutches relieved pressure on nerves allowing me to walk quite well...
I experienced this on a backpacking trip when using cloth medical adhesive tape on my soles. I now use either thin mole foam or athletic tape, which is like cloth adhesive tape but much less sticky - peel them off carefully and have had no further problems.
Athletic tape also is good...
If anything feels wrong about a shoe initially it is likely to become much worse on the trail. Another area to inspect is immediately over the toe joints - some shoes have a seam there which I haven't noticed initially but soon wears a groove into the tops of my toes.
I need a large toe box...
Rain chaps (individual sleeves for each leg, tied to one's belt loops) used in conjunction with a raincoat with decent overlap. These keep the water off, ventilate better than pants and have less weight and bulk. We made ours from SilNylon, very light weight, but you might be able to purchase...
I've found the North Face Ultra 110 (there might be a newer model) to have good grip and sufficient protection and support for hilly trails with regular or only moderately irregular surfaces.
When hiking on more irregular surfaces, off trail, or when carrying more weight I use hiking boots for...
Anything waterproof should work.
We're happy with our (Stephenson) "Warmlite" brand ponchos made of Siliconized nylon, very light weight and with zippers on each side that extend from generous arm holes down to to the hem. They also can be sized to cover a pack, and have a system for gathering...
Gor-tex doesn't last long in shoes/boots, but it always will make you hotter (your feet, that is).
If your feet are wide front and back, consider Keen's offerings. If wide in front/ narrow in back I've had good experiences with Northface Ultra 110 which grip well and are durable, this might...
My experience with a number of pairs of shoes and boots is Gortex reduces ventilation and lasts only a short while as waterproofing (a day to a few weeks of hiking).
Try to get in a reasonable amount of cycling prior to your trip, both for conditioning and to identify potential problems and their solutions. Some (not all) bike shops have experienced fitters who can help you work through problems that arise. Bike seat comfort can be an issue, especially...
We're very happy with our "Warmlite" (Stephensons Warmlite) ponchos. They cover our backpacks and length is adjustable for when not wearing a pack. Material is Silicone infused ripstop nylon. When we ordered ours one could specify custom lengths and colors, even having each panel (including...
I don't believe there's any one, absolute solution for keeping feet dry. I prefer to wear wool socks over thin breathable liners and in wet conditions carry a sufficient quantity of wool socks that I can change to a dry pair multiple times throughout the day. If there are no drying facilities...
- Fit depends entirely on one's own feet. Mine are wide and deep in the toe while narrow in the heel which rules out Keen (wide both in toe and heel). The North Face Ultra 110 trail running shoes work well for me, when home I rotate between 3 pair at a time and wear them everywhere, in town...
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