[pct-l] Lost time, poor planning - is UL so great?

[Ron Moak]

>>My question is:  Why wait until the journey starts to figure out what you 
like or what works for you?  Adjustments during the adventure = wasted trail

time. Hiking up and down lateral trails on the eastern escarpment of the 
Sierra to spend time in towns figuring out my food needs instead of staying 
on-trail sounds counter-productive to the intent of hiking a National Scenic

Trail, Mexico To Canada, especially when I could have figured it out before 
by taking a few long-ish summer and winter hikes. That's Planning and 
Preparation.

I'm sorry, I still don't get it.... <<

With all due respect Ned have you actually done a thru-hike? And why this
apparent distain of UL hiking? 

I'll grant that proper planning is great and can add to the success of a
hike. However, flexibility is even more important. Our minds and bodies both
undergo physiological and physical changes on a long hike. Even successful
past thru-hikes aren't a guarantee that the next one will go smoothly. 

It's not unusual for foods that tasted great at home or even on previous
hikes will become unpalatable under current circumstances. The ability to be
flexible and adapt to changing conditions is critical to the success of a
thru-hike.

Ultralight hiking does emphasize carrying a minimum of weight. But it does
not dictate how far you need to cover each day, how fast you need to hike or
how many town stops you should take. What UL does is to provide a structure
so you can  evaluate your needs and make decisions that will reduce stress
and help facilitate a successful hike. 

Before bashing it, you might do well to try and understand it's principles a
little better. I'm sure it could teach you a thing or two that would enhance
your hike no matter how much gear you chose to take.

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Fallingwater