[pct-l] To flare or not to flare

[David Thibault]

I carry a knife - just a real small one.  I know a couple of people (gram
shavers) that just carry a razor blade.  But even if I had a guardian angle
surrounding me on the trail and was guaranteed not to get in any survival
situation I'd still carry that small knife as I use it to prepare meals
(opening packaging, slicing onions, garlic, veges) and for minor equipment
repairs.


On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 12:39 PM, Eric <johner27 at evergreen.edu> wrote:

> So you don't carry a knife at all?  I just took a wilderness survival
> course last weekend and a knife was the #1 thing that contributed to
> survival.  Of course, it can be done without, just a lot harder. I'm
> definitely carrying a knife of some sort myself.
>
> As far as the road flare goes, maybe excess, maybe not?  Anyone know the
> chances of it accidentally igniting? I would think they are pretty slim...?
>
> Regards,
> Eric
>
>  On Fri, Feb 11, 2011 at 9:58 AM, David Thibault <dthibaul07 at gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> After reading this I went through my gear list to look for my "survival
>> kit"
>> I found only one item that I would consider an item I carry for survival.
>>  That is a whistle. All the other things like a knife, meds, bandages,
>> etc.
>> are more for comfort than survival.  I guess you could consider a
>> tent/tarp
>> as part of your survival kit but to me its just what is needed to do the
>> trail.  The things like the bandages (bandaids) and meds (anti diarrheal,
>> IB,  and antibiotics)  I carry are not going to save my life out there,
>> they
>> are just going to make me more comfortable until I get to town.
>>
>> I believe that what people are trying to express is most thru hikers learn
>> pretty quickly to carry only what is required and then some of  what is
>> desirable (nice to have).  Super ultra-lighters generally don't carry a
>> lot
>> of the 'nice to have' stuff.  The advice you are getting is an attempt to
>> make the trail easier for you.  But, this is really something everyone has
>> to learn for themselves.  What works for one person will not work for
>> another.  One trait I've picked up, and I have noticed it in a lot of long
>> distance hikers, is that I can't pick up an object without subconsciously
>> weighing it. Never did that before I started long distance hiking.
>>
>> One more thing,  while most people are strong proponents of HYOH and the
>> idea of "carry whatever you want" there maybe exceptions.  For example, if
>> you are carrying something that endangers others or the trail .  The
>> concerns expressed with the road flair was just this. If that flair
>> accidentally ignited in southern CA it could be tragic.  Trust me on this,
>> if you get through the trail in CA you will gain an great appreciation for
>> the amount of damage that has happened to the trail due to forest fires.
>>  I
>> was saddened so many times to be walking through so much devastation.  I'm
>> still saddened by just the memory of some of those huge dead burned trees
>> that had to be hundreds/maybe a thousand years old.
>>
>> Enjoy your hike.
>> Day-Late
>>
>>
>> >
>> > Some of us do carry little in the way of a survival kit and rely on
>> > experience and planning to mitigate the few true dangers that exist on
>> the
>> > trail; but this by no means is the answer for everyone. Back in '06 I
>> > carried a knife, multi-tool, patch kits, many types of tapes and
>> bandages,
>> > three forms of back-up fire starter, a dozen types of pills and on and
>> on.
>> > Through time and experience I've trimmed this down to some tape,
>> > antiseptic,
>> > needle and dental floss, backup lighter, pocket knife and a few meds..
>> But
>> > I'm comfortable with that, most wouldn't be.
>> >
>> > Jackass
>> >
>> >
>> >
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>
>
>
> --
> Because we don't think about future generations, they will never forget
> us.  ~Henrik Tikkanen
>
> “The things you own end up owning you.”* -*Tyler Durden, *Fight Club*
>
> "The three most harmful addictions are heroin, carbohydrates, and a monthly
> salary."—David Hieatt
>
>