[pct-l] singing the ultralight blues

[treerings at gmail.com]

Does somebody need a hug?


On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 7:39 PM, <dnielsen at djmurphycompany.com> wrote:

>
>
> Does this mean that I can bring my change of underware that I had in the
> gear list before. God I hope so.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of Tow, Doug
> Sent: Tuesday, February 22, 2011 6:05 PM
> To: PCT L
> Subject: [pct-l] singing the ultralight blues
>
> Some gentle humor about my betters:
>
> Though not having personally met the dedicated ultralighters on this
> forum, I have formed a pretty good picture.  They are experienced,
> strong, skilled, fit, nutritionally correct, walk tons and tons, and
> possess startling good looks.  Am I right so far?
>
> They have the new NASA titanium 3 mil-walled 750 ml cup (58 grams,
> $117.95), and use it as a bowl, cooking vessel, bathtub, pillow, hat,
> latrine, signalling mirror, chair, varmint trap, and map case.
>
> Now, let's assess them further.  Possessing legs of iron, they
> nevertheless consider it a threat to personal happiness, welfare and
> odds of success if their pack weight is over, say, 9.3376 pounds.
> Despite hiking 2,600 of the world's most beautiful miles, they can't
> stop thinking (sorry, I can't spell obbsesing) about how to take another
> pound off next year.  How, by going lighter, they can go from 32 to 33
> miles per day, cutting their total trip by...less than 20 hours hiking
> time.
>
> "I go light so that I won't have to think about my pack."  You are
> kidding, right?  If I said that there's a new Photon that's 2 grams
> lighter than last year's model, you're already on the web looking for
> it, aren't you?
>
> I'm 56, a big fellow, 6' 5" and over 200 pounds.  My pack base weight is
> 20 pounds.  I know the pack is there, but that's it, even when I am
> chock full of water and food.  If I carried a two-pound pack, I would
> still weigh more than you fully loaded.  I have tried lightweight shoes,
> and I put my boots back on in relief-filled gratitude, swinging out the
> miles.  My back is fine, my feet are fine, and my knees are fine.  Yours
> might be too if you were carrying a few more pounds.
>
> We few, we happy few, we band of brothers.....
>
> Doug
>
>
>
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