[pct-l] To flare or not to flare

[Gerry Zamora]

Fyi Eric I don't plan on carrying one I don't see the need if u take the
time to read this whole thread u will see I am simply making the point that
stupid people start fires not flares if I hand one to a forrest ranger I bet
he will not light the forrest on fire yet that same flare in the hands of an
idiot will start a fire.  I agree I don't see a need for road flares but to
think that carrying one will lead to a fire is ignorance.  Once again I
stand by my statment.  Besides lightning strikes fires don't start
themselves.  Hike your own hike.
Gerry0625
On Feb 11, 2011 12:19 PM, "David Thibault" <dthibaul07 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 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
>>
>>
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