[pct-l] ALPACA WOOL SOCKS
Will Hiltz
will.hiltz at gmail.com
Mon Mar 28 12:21:54 CDT 2011
I found my alpaca wool socks to be very durable... in fact the only holes in
them after 2,000+ miles were due to my foolish decision to use one of the
socks as a potholder. Highly recommend! Mine were Dahlgren brand.
Easy
>
> Message: 18
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:03:40 -0400
> From: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] ALPACA MERINO WOOL SOCKS?
> To: Gerry Zamora <gerry0625 at gmail.com>
> Cc: "Pct-L at backcountry.net" <Pct-L at backcountry.net>
> Message-ID: <7FAC03F9-B4F6-4940-A226-B5CEF264F59A at yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> My wife uses alpaca in crocheting ... Wonderfully soft and warm; no idea
> how durable it would be.
>
> ... Personally I'd rather a better feeling sock that gets replaced every
> 300 miles than to go the "no holes guaranteed" nylon socks that, in my
> experience does not cushion as well
>
> Sent from my iPod
>
> On 2011-03-28, at 3:44 AM, Gerry Zamora <gerry0625 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > lol sorry here ya go
> >
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190514039379&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_500wt_1156
> >
> > On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 12:35 AM, Kevin Renfrow <kevinrenfrow at gmail.com
> >wrote:
> >
> >> Was there supposed to be a link?
> >>
> >> -Kevin
> >>
> >> On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 12:28 AM, Gerry Zamora <gerry0625 at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>> i found these Alpaca Merino wool socks just ordered 2 pair $15 free
> >>> shipping. just wondering if anyone has used an Alpaca/Wool sock? they
> >> are 45%
> >>> ALPACA YARN /45% MERINO WOOL YARN /10% NYLON
> >>> thanks
> >>> Gerry0625
> >>>
> >>> --
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> >
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> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 19
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:51:36 -0400
> From: "giniajim" <jplynch at crosslink.net>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] ALPACA MERINO WOOL SOCKS?
> To: <Pct-L at backcountry.net>
> Message-ID: <E79A255DA96A456A96D994FDDD0E8777 at HomePC>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> Note that these are Extra Large, fitting shoe size 13-15.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Paul Robison
> To: Gerry Zamora
> Cc: Pct-L at backcountry.net
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 8:03 AM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] ALPACA MERINO WOOL SOCKS?
>
>
> My wife uses alpaca in crocheting ... Wonderfully soft and warm; no idea
> how durable it would be.
>
> ... Personally I'd rather a better feeling sock that gets replaced every
> 300 miles than to go the "no holes guaranteed" nylon socks that, in my
> experience does not cushion as well
>
> Sent from my iPod
>
> On 2011-03-28, at 3:44 AM, Gerry Zamora <gerry0625 at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > lol sorry here ya go
> >
> http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=190514039379&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_500wt_1156
> >
> > On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 12:35 AM, Kevin Renfrow <kevinrenfrow at gmail.com
> >wrote:
> >
> >> Was there supposed to be a link?
> >>
> >> -Kevin
> >>
> >> On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 12:28 AM, Gerry Zamora <gerry0625 at gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >>> i found these Alpaca Merino wool socks just ordered 2 pair $15 free
> >>> shipping. just wondering if anyone has used an Alpaca/Wool sock?
> they
> >> are 45%
> >>> ALPACA YARN /45% MERINO WOOL YARN /10% NYLON
> >>> thanks
> >>> Gerry0625
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 20
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:30:09 -0400
> From: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> Subject: [pct-l] Officially unemployed...
> To: Pct-L at backcountry.net
> Message-ID: <0D2D2686- <0D2D2686-4438-4409-92D0-37901CD611DB at yahoo.com>
> 4438-4409-92D0-37901CD611DB at yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Feels kind of weird... Really brought home how near it all is !!
>
> Anyone else already off work?
>
> Sent from my iPod
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 21
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:29:53 +0000
> From: athruhiker2006 at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Officially unemployed...
> To: "Paul Robison" <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>, Pct-L at backcountry.net
> Message-ID:
>
> <785846729-1301318995-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-411618122- at bda2613.bisx.prod.on.blackberry
> >
>
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> I have 3 days left. WoooHooo and Congrats to You!! S'do
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> Sender: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:30:09
> To: <Pct-L at backcountry.net>
> Subject: [pct-l] Officially unemployed...
>
> Feels kind of weird... Really brought home how near it all is !!
>
> Anyone else already off work?
>
> Sent from my iPod
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
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>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 22
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:39:24 -0700
> From: "James F. Miller" <jamesfmiller at hotmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Officially unemployed...
> To: <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>, pct-l <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Message-ID: <BAY147-w2C3CC61194AF5227B71DDCABA0 at phx.gbl>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
>
> I'm off work, retired last July!
>
> Jim
>
> of JimandDona
>
> > From: paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com
> > Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:30:09 -0400
> > To: Pct-L at backcountry.net
> > Subject: [pct-l] Officially unemployed...
> >
> > Feels kind of weird... Really brought home how near it all is !!
> >
> > Anyone else already off work?
> >
> > Sent from my iPod
> > _______________________________________________
> > Pct-L mailing list
> > Pct-L at backcountry.net
> > To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> > http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> >
> > List Archives:
> > http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 23
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 14:39:55 +0000
> From: mikepinkus at hotmail.com
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Officially unemployed...
> To: athruhiker2006 at yahoo.com, "Paul Robison"
> <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>, Pct-L at backcountry.net
> Message-ID:
>
> <532684648-1301323194-cardhu_decombobulator_blackberry.rim.net-332148822- at bda243.bisx.prod.on.blackberry
> >
>
> Content-Type: text/plain
>
> I am. I am also just about moved out of my apartment and putting stuff into
> storage. Getting close now.
>
> Cheers,
> Mike
> ------Original Message------
> From: athruhiker2006 at yahoo.com
> Sender: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net
> To: Paul Robison
> To: Pct-L at backcountry.net
> ReplyTo: athruhiker2006 at yahoo.com
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Officially unemployed...
> Sent: Mar 28, 2011 06:29
>
> I have 3 days left. WoooHooo and Congrats to You!! S'do
> Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> Sender: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:30:09
> To: <Pct-L at backcountry.net>
> Subject: [pct-l] Officially unemployed...
>
> Feels kind of weird... Really brought home how near it all is !!
>
> Anyone else already off work?
>
> Sent from my iPod
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
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>
> Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 24
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 07:40:27 -0700
> From: Kevin <hikelite at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Officially unemployed...
> To: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> Cc: "Pct-L at backcountry.net" <Pct-L at backcountry.net>
> Message-ID: <26D26D24-01ED-463D-9F7C-7C410035A654 at gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>
> Today is my last Monday :)
>
> Misspellings and typos brought to you by iPhone.
>
> On Mar 28, 2011, at 6:30 AM, Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Feels kind of weird... Really brought home how near it all is !!
> >
> > Anyone else already off work?
> >
> > Sent from my iPod
> > _______________________________________________
> > Pct-L mailing list
> > Pct-L at backcountry.net
> > To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> > http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> >
> > List Archives:
> > http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 25
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:23:34 -0700
> From: Hillary Schwirtlich <hillary.schwirtlich at gmail.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
> To: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> Cc: "pct-l at backcountry.net" <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Message-ID:
> <AANLkTimCGbJaaC04ZzpqKX-MXBG5CWAN-CMMkBXm_t-6 at mail.gmail.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
>
> On money:
>
> I've had this problem on this list before. It's hard sometimes to think
> about other people's money situation, I guess. But I have saved enough
> money
> over the last year and a half to hike the trail with the amount of gear I
> feel I need, replace the stuff that gets broken, to have a reasonable
> amount
> of zero days, to feed myself and eat relatively well in town, and to donate
> to trail angels when they help me out. I'm not going to be eating at 5 star
> restaurants or staying in a hotel every time I'm in town, but I'm not
> trying
> to hike the trail for $1,000 either. I am young, however, and have not had
> enough years/experience to get an extremely well paying job, and having
> been
> an volunteer for the last two years, I haven't really had much of a paying
> job at all. So I don't have enough money to buy top of the line gear in
> everything, and I certainly don't have enough money to spend $200 (which
> was
> exactly the cost of my ULA backpack, which I am going to use every day) on
> new devices that people haven't needed for hundreds of years.
>
> As for "being in for a hard through hike," like I said, I've been a
> "professional" volunteer for the last two years - I'm used to getting a lot
> out of my money.
>
> I agree with Diane (I'm sorry, I don't know your trail name). One of the
> reasons I'm on the trail to get away from gadgets and as much as I can from
> the "buy buy buy!" mentality we're mostly surrounded with. Like she said,
> keep the helicopter if it gives me some peace and quiet. Dying in the woods
> wouldn't be too terrible of a way to go, in my opinion.
>
> So I know only a few people on the list are going to read this, but I want
> to respectfully suggest that it would be nice if we heard a little less
> "money isn't an issue! if you really wanted to do this hike, you'd spend
> $___ on this new ___." I understand if someone else wants to spend their
> money that way. But I'm not going to and I'm not going to feel bad about it
> either.
>
> On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 1:34 PM, Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Hillary,
> > The spot is 100$. And sub. Is 99$
> >
> > A traditional PLB is about 500$... So I thought spot was amazingly cheap
> > for what it does.
> >
> > I certainly wouldn't say they are 'really expensive'. If 100$ is a
> stretch
> > for you; youre in for a hard thru hike. That's less than the cost of
> one
> > zero.
> >
> > Just talked to two couples I hiked with last year and both spent over
> > 16,000 ... That sufficiently scared me... I'm even considering skipping
> > Warner springs.
> >
> > Sent from my iPod
> >
> > On 2011-03-27, at 3:36 PM, Hillary Schwirtlich <
> > hillary.schwirtlich at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I think this comes back to the central question of heavy trucking vs
> > light
> > > vs ultralight hiking: how do you mitigate risk? It's a question that
> > doesn't
> > > just have to do with weight though. If you are concerned about being
> > > prepared for everything, you're going to bring more options for bailing
> > > yourself out of sticky situations.
> > >
> > > I don't have a SPOT and I don't plan on getting one. That's because
> > they're
> > > really expensive and they aren't something I think is 100% necessary
> for
> > my
> > > style of hiking. Partly because I'm almost never alone, I rarely stray
> > off
> > > trail, and I always have a map. In other words, I'm usually as prepared
> > as I
> > > think I can be, I have enough experience to know how to deal with most
> > > common backcountry situations (i.e. cold, wet weather, etc), and I'm
> not
> > > like the guy was in 127 Hours - I see the need for human companionship
> > and
> > > letting someone know where I'm going.
> > >
> > > What happened to your friend's uncle was definitely unexpected and very
> > sad.
> > > But that was also a very rare case. Maybe it's foolhardy of me to say
> > that I
> > > doubt I will be having a heart attack soon (I'm 23, female, have always
> > been
> > > active and eaten well, and have no family history of heart problems).
> But
> > I
> > > feel that the risk of that or something else like it happening to me,
> > where
> > > I don't have someone who can go hike for help, is small enough not to
> > > warrant needing a SPOT. Just like the likelihood of me developing an
> > > allergic reaction to a bee sting on the trail when I've never had an
> > > allergic reaction to one before is possible, but unlikely, and so I'm
> not
> > > going to go get a prescription for an EpiPen just in case.
> > >
> > > That being said, I don't think you're over prepared if you do decide to
> > get
> > > a SPOT device or something like it. I can see that having that extra
> > safety
> > > would make someone feel much more comfortable, especially if they spent
> a
> > > lot of time alone. But I certainly don't think that you're a terrible
> > person
> > > for not having one. If everyone who every went hiking absolutely needed
> a
> > > signaling device, 1. people wouldn't have gone hiking until the last
> > however
> > > many years since those signaling devices were invented, and 2. only
> > people
> > > who could afford the device would experience outdoor sports. And I'm
> all
> > for
> > > as many people as possible exploring and appreciating the natural
> world.
> > >
> > > I guess it's also a question of HYOH. :)
> > >
> > > On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 12:00 PM, Edward Anderson <
> > mendoridered at yahoo.com>wrote:
> > >
> > >> Jim,
> > >> I always advise people to "expect the unexpected"- and try to be
> > prepared
> > >> for
> > >> it. Trees can fall unexpectedly, for no obvious reason - even on a
> nice
> > day
> > >> with
> > >> little or no breeze. Boulders can come down, starting slides, as snow
> > and
> > >> ice melt from high above the trail. Anyone who has spent a lot of
> time,
> > >> hiking,
> > >> climbing, and riding, in the back country, as I have, has experienced
> > the
> > >> unexpected. You don't have to be taking foolish risks to have the
> > >> unexpected happen. While I lived in Mendocino an uncle of a close
> friend
> > >> tragically died while hiking in the Yola Bolies alone. He was a
> healthy
> > >> and fit
> > >> guy and knew the area well. He died of a Cardiac Arrest. he had no way
> > >> of summoning help. This happened about 15 years ago. If he had along a
> > way
> > >> of
> > >> summoning help he might have survived. Now that the technology has
> > become
> > >> available I hold that it is foolish not to take advantage of it. It
> > might
> > >> be the
> > >> life of someone else that you save.
> > >>
> > >> MendoRider
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> ________________________________
> > >> From: "enyapjr at comcast.net" <enyapjr at comcast.net>
> > >> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> > >> Sent: Sun, March 27, 2011 11:12:17 AM
> > >> Subject: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
> > >>
> > >>> ...only a fool would not bring one, or some other reliable rescue
> > >> signaling
> > >>> device.
> > >>
> > >> Sorry, MendoRider, but I definitely have to disagree with that
> > statement!
> > >> With a moderate amount of experience, sufficient or adequate gear for
> > the
> > >> conditions
> > >> expected or possible, and the common sense to know when to hunker down
> > or
> > >> bail
> > >> out or
> > >>
> > >> not try something too 'extreme' - one wouldn't have any need for
> > >> "rescue"...
> > >> Not having a SPOT or PLB does not necessarily mean that one is stupid
> or
> > a
> > >> fool!
> > >>
> > >>> The successful TV program "I Shouldn't be Alive" would not exist if
> all
> > >> of
> > >>> those
> > >>>
> > >>> people had had a way of calling for rescue.
> > >>
> > >> And how did many of those people get into such 'situations' that they
> > >> needed
> > >> 'rescue'?
> > >> Sometimes it's the opposite - one goes ahead and does something one
> > >> normally
> > >> wouldn't
> > >> because they do have a rescue device with them... Plus ask some SAR
> > folks
> > >> what
> > >> they
> > >> honestly think of these rescue devices - too many times that 'rescue'
> > >> button is
> > >> pushed
> > >> without THINKING over the situation first - or developing skills
> needed
> > >> ahead of
> > >> time...
> > >> The most important piece of 'gear' one carries? - the gray matter in
> > one's
> > >> skull
> > >> - it's
> > >> seems amazing that so many people nowadays don't use it (but makes for
> > >> "successful TV"
> > >> programs, however)...
> > >>
> > >> There's also another 'popular' TV program - "A 1,000 Ways to Die"; and
> > >> let's not
> > >> forget
> > >> about the annual "Darwin Awards", either... I doubt a rescue device
> > would
> > >> have
> > >> helped
> > >> the majority of those people...
> > >>
> > >> What was my 'rescue device' carried many years ago (before
> > 'electronics') &
> > >> never once
> > >>
> > >> used as such - the mirror in my small sighting compass...
> > >> All that said - I'll probably carry a SPOT - but as a COMMUNICATION
> > device,
> > >> NOT
> > >> as a
> > >>
> > >> 'rescue' device... It will be for the family & friends 'peace of
> mind',
> > >> and for
> > >> me in
> > >> the sense of 'sharing' my trek with them daily...
> > >> YMMV, HYOH, ad infinitum etceteras......
> > >>
> > >> Happy trails!!!
> > >> Jim (PITA)
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Pct-L mailing list
> > >> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> > >> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> > >> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> > >>
> > >> List Archives:
> > >> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Pct-L mailing list
> > >> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> > >> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> > >> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> > >>
> > >> List Archives:
> > >> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> > >>
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Pct-L mailing list
> > > Pct-L at backcountry.net
> > > To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> > > http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> > >
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> >
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 26
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 11:39:56 -0400
> From: "giniajim" <jplynch at crosslink.net>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
> To: "Hillary Schwirtlich" <hillary.schwirtlich at gmail.com>, "Paul
> Robison" <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Message-ID: <9486DA664F4B4F71815AFAF8EDC9E8BE at HomePC>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"
>
> You don't need top of the line gear, you just need gear that you're
> comfortable with. The gear that the first hikers hiked with was pretty
> primitive, but they managed just fine. I hiked for years with a rucksack.
> When I saw my first pack board (at Philmont, 1956), I thought I'd died and
> gone to heaven. I didn't get an external frame pack (a pretty heavy affair)
> until well into my middle age.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Hillary Schwirtlich
> To: Paul Robison
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 11:23 AM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
>
>
> On money:
>
> I've had this problem on this list before. It's hard sometimes to think
> about other people's money situation, I guess. But I have saved enough
> money
> over the last year and a half to hike the trail with the amount of gear I
> feel I need, replace the stuff that gets broken, to have a reasonable
> amount
> of zero days, to feed myself and eat relatively well in town, and to
> donate
> to trail angels when they help me out. I'm not going to be eating at 5
> star
> restaurants or staying in a hotel every time I'm in town, but I'm not
> trying
> to hike the trail for $1,000 either. I am young, however, and have not had
> enough years/experience to get an extremely well paying job, and having
> been
> an volunteer for the last two years, I haven't really had much of a paying
> job at all. So I don't have enough money to buy top of the line gear in
> everything, and I certainly don't have enough money to spend $200 (which
> was
> exactly the cost of my ULA backpack, which I am going to use every day) on
> new devices that people haven't needed for hundreds of years.
>
> As for "being in for a hard through hike," like I said, I've been a
> "professional" volunteer for the last two years - I'm used to getting a
> lot
> out of my money.
>
> I agree with Diane (I'm sorry, I don't know your trail name). One of the
> reasons I'm on the trail to get away from gadgets and as much as I can
> from
> the "buy buy buy!" mentality we're mostly surrounded with. Like she said,
> keep the helicopter if it gives me some peace and quiet. Dying in the
> woods
> wouldn't be too terrible of a way to go, in my opinion.
>
> So I know only a few people on the list are going to read this, but I want
> to respectfully suggest that it would be nice if we heard a little less
> "money isn't an issue! if you really wanted to do this hike, you'd spend
> $___ on this new ___." I understand if someone else wants to spend their
> money that way. But I'm not going to and I'm not going to feel bad about
> it
> either.
>
> On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 1:34 PM, Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com
> >wrote:
>
> > Hillary,
> > The spot is 100$. And sub. Is 99$
> >
> > A traditional PLB is about 500$... So I thought spot was amazingly cheap
> > for what it does.
> >
> > I certainly wouldn't say they are 'really expensive'. If 100$ is a
> stretch
> > for you; youre in for a hard thru hike. That's less than the cost of
> one
> > zero.
> >
> > Just talked to two couples I hiked with last year and both spent over
> > 16,000 ... That sufficiently scared me... I'm even considering skipping
> > Warner springs.
> >
> > Sent from my iPod
> >
> > On 2011-03-27, at 3:36 PM, Hillary Schwirtlich <
> > hillary.schwirtlich at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I think this comes back to the central question of heavy trucking vs
> > light
> > > vs ultralight hiking: how do you mitigate risk? It's a question that
> > doesn't
> > > just have to do with weight though. If you are concerned about being
> > > prepared for everything, you're going to bring more options for
> bailing
> > > yourself out of sticky situations.
> > >
> > > I don't have a SPOT and I don't plan on getting one. That's because
> > they're
> > > really expensive and they aren't something I think is 100% necessary
> for
> > my
> > > style of hiking. Partly because I'm almost never alone, I rarely stray
> > off
> > > trail, and I always have a map. In other words, I'm usually as
> prepared
> > as I
> > > think I can be, I have enough experience to know how to deal with most
> > > common backcountry situations (i.e. cold, wet weather, etc), and I'm
> not
> > > like the guy was in 127 Hours - I see the need for human companionship
> > and
> > > letting someone know where I'm going.
> > >
> > > What happened to your friend's uncle was definitely unexpected and
> very
> > sad.
> > > But that was also a very rare case. Maybe it's foolhardy of me to say
> > that I
> > > doubt I will be having a heart attack soon (I'm 23, female, have
> always
> > been
> > > active and eaten well, and have no family history of heart problems).
> But
> > I
> > > feel that the risk of that or something else like it happening to me,
> > where
> > > I don't have someone who can go hike for help, is small enough not to
> > > warrant needing a SPOT. Just like the likelihood of me developing an
> > > allergic reaction to a bee sting on the trail when I've never had an
> > > allergic reaction to one before is possible, but unlikely, and so I'm
> not
> > > going to go get a prescription for an EpiPen just in case.
> > >
> > > That being said, I don't think you're over prepared if you do decide
> to
> > get
> > > a SPOT device or something like it. I can see that having that extra
> > safety
> > > would make someone feel much more comfortable, especially if they
> spent a
> > > lot of time alone. But I certainly don't think that you're a terrible
> > person
> > > for not having one. If everyone who every went hiking absolutely
> needed a
> > > signaling device, 1. people wouldn't have gone hiking until the last
> > however
> > > many years since those signaling devices were invented, and 2. only
> > people
> > > who could afford the device would experience outdoor sports. And I'm
> all
> > for
> > > as many people as possible exploring and appreciating the natural
> world.
> > >
> > > I guess it's also a question of HYOH. :)
> > >
> > > On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 12:00 PM, Edward Anderson <
> > mendoridered at yahoo.com>wrote:
> > >
> > >> Jim,
> > >> I always advise people to "expect the unexpected"- and try to be
> > prepared
> > >> for
> > >> it. Trees can fall unexpectedly, for no obvious reason - even on a
> nice
> > day
> > >> with
> > >> little or no breeze. Boulders can come down, starting slides, as snow
> > and
> > >> ice melt from high above the trail. Anyone who has spent a lot of
> time,
> > >> hiking,
> > >> climbing, and riding, in the back country, as I have, has experienced
> > the
> > >> unexpected. You don't have to be taking foolish risks to have the
> > >> unexpected happen. While I lived in Mendocino an uncle of a close
> friend
> > >> tragically died while hiking in the Yola Bolies alone. He was a
> healthy
> > >> and fit
> > >> guy and knew the area well. He died of a Cardiac Arrest. he had no
> way
> > >> of summoning help. This happened about 15 years ago. If he had along
> a
> > way
> > >> of
> > >> summoning help he might have survived. Now that the technology has
> > become
> > >> available I hold that it is foolish not to take advantage of it. It
> > might
> > >> be the
> > >> life of someone else that you save.
> > >>
> > >> MendoRider
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> ________________________________
> > >> From: "enyapjr at comcast.net" <enyapjr at comcast.net>
> > >> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> > >> Sent: Sun, March 27, 2011 11:12:17 AM
> > >> Subject: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
> > >>
> > >>> ...only a fool would not bring one, or some other reliable rescue
> > >> signaling
> > >>> device.
> > >>
> > >> Sorry, MendoRider, but I definitely have to disagree with that
> > statement!
> > >> With a moderate amount of experience, sufficient or adequate gear for
> > the
> > >> conditions
> > >> expected or possible, and the common sense to know when to hunker
> down
> > or
> > >> bail
> > >> out or
> > >>
> > >> not try something too 'extreme' - one wouldn't have any need for
> > >> "rescue"...
> > >> Not having a SPOT or PLB does not necessarily mean that one is stupid
> or
> > a
> > >> fool!
> > >>
> > >>> The successful TV program "I Shouldn't be Alive" would not exist if
> all
> > >> of
> > >>> those
> > >>>
> > >>> people had had a way of calling for rescue.
> > >>
> > >> And how did many of those people get into such 'situations' that they
> > >> needed
> > >> 'rescue'?
> > >> Sometimes it's the opposite - one goes ahead and does something one
> > >> normally
> > >> wouldn't
> > >> because they do have a rescue device with them... Plus ask some SAR
> > folks
> > >> what
> > >> they
> > >> honestly think of these rescue devices - too many times that 'rescue'
> > >> button is
> > >> pushed
> > >> without THINKING over the situation first - or developing skills
> needed
> > >> ahead of
> > >> time...
> > >> The most important piece of 'gear' one carries? - the gray matter in
> > one's
> > >> skull
> > >> - it's
> > >> seems amazing that so many people nowadays don't use it (but makes
> for
> > >> "successful TV"
> > >> programs, however)...
> > >>
> > >> There's also another 'popular' TV program - "A 1,000 Ways to Die";
> and
> > >> let's not
> > >> forget
> > >> about the annual "Darwin Awards", either... I doubt a rescue device
> > would
> > >> have
> > >> helped
> > >> the majority of those people...
> > >>
> > >> What was my 'rescue device' carried many years ago (before
> > 'electronics') &
> > >> never once
> > >>
> > >> used as such - the mirror in my small sighting compass...
> > >> All that said - I'll probably carry a SPOT - but as a COMMUNICATION
> > device,
> > >> NOT
> > >> as a
> > >>
> > >> 'rescue' device... It will be for the family & friends 'peace of
> mind',
> > >> and for
> > >> me in
> > >> the sense of 'sharing' my trek with them daily...
> > >> YMMV, HYOH, ad infinitum etceteras......
> > >>
> > >> Happy trails!!!
> > >> Jim (PITA)
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Pct-L mailing list
> > >> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> > >> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> > >> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> > >>
> > >> List Archives:
> > >> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> _______________________________________________
> > >> Pct-L mailing list
> > >> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> > >> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> > >> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> > >>
> > >> List Archives:
> > >> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> > >>
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Pct-L mailing list
> > > Pct-L at backcountry.net
> > > To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> > > http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> > >
> > > List Archives:
> > > http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> >
> _______________________________________________
> Pct-L mailing list
> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
>
> List Archives:
> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 27
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 08:44:40 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
> To: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net, Hillery Schwirtlich
> <hillery.schwirtlich at gmail.com>
> Message-ID: <635617.21846.qm at web111610.mail.gq1.yahoo.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1
>
> Paul,
> Re: "I met a thru rider who said he aimed to do 100 miles a day!!"
>
> I'm sure that that inexperienced fool didn't get far. Where did you meet
> him?
> Had he even started? Having ridden most of the PCT, I can only recall a few
> places where you could possibly?ride that far in one day (without a pack).
> And
> ,if you tried it you would most likely be putting your horse at serious
> risk.
> That attitude is a recipe for trouble. There are many?obstacles on the PCT
> that
> are easy to get past for?hikers (if you ask them later they usually don't
> even
> remember them).?But they?will delay an equestrian. I came upon?hundreds of
> down
> trees. I had to cut at least three dozen. One,?15" in diameter,?took me
> well
> over an hour with my 14" saw. I made my wedges out of wood.?In Washington,
> in
> the 15 miles north of Cascade Locks alone, I had to cut nine trees?to get
> through. (I didn't?take the shortcut?through Stevenson as most hikers
> do)?Sometimes, if there was no obvious and easy way?to get past trees or
> boulders,?I had to discover, and often clear,?a detour. Some detours took
> an
> hour or more. One, south of Fobes Saddle, took a day and a half. That was
> because there were many, many, down trees - far to many to cut. No way,
> anyone
> could average 100 miles a day.
>
> As for riding 100 miles in a day, I have done that many times on Arabian
> horses.
> My sport, beginning 27 years ago (a year after I discovered horses)?is
> endurance
> racing. Most of my 46,000?+ miles ridden?have been?related to endurance.?I
> have
> ridden well?over 100 ?50 and 100 mile races and have won 30. In that sport
> there
> is strict veterinary control to protect the horses.?Your horse is checked
> before, during, and after a race. Performance-enhancing drugs are not
> allowed.
> In a 100 mile race there are typically six vet checks during the
> race.?Horses
> are pulled if they become lame or if there?are metabolic problems. After a
> race,
> at the post ride check, horses will be pulled (no completion) if they are
> not
> considered by the vets "fit to continue". This is true even if your horse
> was
> first to finish. A very highly coveted award in the?endurance sport is
> "Best
> Condition". The BC award goes to the horse, finishing in the top 10, that
> is
> judged (very critically)?by the veterinary staff?to be?in the best
> condition.
> Taking good care of your horse is of paramount importance. I am proud to
> have
> won 19?BC awards for?several different horses. I continued the same
> approach
> while on the PCT. Primo was never injured?nor suffered any kind of
> metabolic
> problem. I only averaged 17 miles per day. The longest day was 30 miles -
> and
> that was too far. Anyone trying to average?much farther than?30 miles, (the
> horse carrying a pack)?would definitely?have problems in that the horse
> would
> not have enough time to graze, would sweat a lot, and might not get enough
> water. He would lose weight and become dehydrated.
>
> If you are interested in reading what I wrote for the Long Riders Guild on
> the
> subject of advice to equestrians who would want to ride on the PCT go
> to:???
> thelongridersguild.com/advice/pct
>
> MendoRider
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> To: Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com>
> Cc: Hillery Schwirtlich <hillery.schwirtlich at gmail.com>; "
> pct-l at backcountry.net"
> <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Sun, March 27, 2011 2:40:26 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
>
>
> I?met a thru rider who said he aimed to do 100 miles a day!! ?He even had
> tw=
> o horses to he could rest one (that his brother drove to him).
>
> I know nothing of riding... But I also love a good zero on level ground by
> a=
> nice creek.
>
> Sent from my iPod
>
> On 2011-03-27, at 5:02 PM, Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com> wrote:
>
>
> Paul,
> >Riding the trail is a lot different from hiking it. I usually took my 0
> days
> >near the trail - since I lived on the trail between those places where I
> had
> >driven ahead and parked my rig. (Couldn't hitch into town?with my horse
> even if
> >I wanted?to.)?My 0 days were places where?Primo had plenty of graze and
> good
> >water. I could just relax and take a shower. I brought a solar-heated
> shower -
> >which also provided the convenience of gravity-fed running water from a
> faucet
> >right in camp.
> >
> >
> >This summer, if all goes well and the snow melts enough, I am riding the
> >Sierra?SOBO from Sierra City.
> >I have planned seven resupply locations near the trail and will camp at
> most
> >after retreiving my caches.
> >
> >MendoRider?
> >
> >
> >
> >
> ________________________________
> From: Paul Robison <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>
> >To: Hillary Schwirtlich <hillary.schwirtlich at gmail.com>
> >Cc: Edward Anderson <mendoridered at yahoo.com>; "pct-l at backcountry.net"
> ><pct-l at backcountry.net>; "enyapjr at comcast.net" <enyapjr at comcast.net>
> >Sent: Sun, March 27, 2011 1:34:05 PM
> >Subject: Re: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
> >
> >Hillary,
> >The spot is 100$. And sub. Is 99$
> >
> >A traditional PLB is about 500$... So I thought spot was amazingly cheap
> for
> >what it does.
> >
> >I certainly wouldn't say they are 'really expensive'. If 100$ is a stretch
> for
> >you;? youre in for a hard thru hike.? That's less than the cost of one
> zero.
> >
> >Just talked to two couples I hiked with last year and both spent over
> 16,000 ...
> >That sufficiently scared me... I'm even considering skipping Warner
> springs.
> >
> >Sent from my iPod
> >
> >On 2011-03-27, at 3:36 PM, Hillary Schwirtlich <
> hillary.schwirtlich at gmail.com>
> >wrote:
> >
> >> I think this comes back to the central question of heavy trucking vs
> light
> >> vs ultralight hiking: how do you mitigate risk? It's a question that
> doesn't
> >> just have to do with weight though. If you are concerned about being
> >> prepared for everything, you're going to bring more options for bailing
> >> yourself out of sticky situations.
> >>
> >> I don't have a SPOT and I don't plan on getting one. That's because
> they're
> >> really expensive and they aren't something I think is 100% necessary for
> my
> >> style of hiking. Partly because I'm almost never alone, I rarely stray
> off
> >> trail, and I always have a map. In other words, I'm usually as prepared
> as I
> >> think I can be, I have enough experience to know how to deal with most
> >> common backcountry situations (i.e. cold, wet weather, etc), and I'm not
> >> like the guy was in 127 Hours - I see the need for human companionship
> and
> >> letting someone know where I'm going.
> >>
> >> What happened to your friend's uncle was definitely unexpected and very
> sad.
> >> But that was also a very rare case. Maybe it's foolhardy of me to say
> that I
> >> doubt I will be having a heart attack soon (I'm 23, female, have always
> been
> >> active and eaten well, and have no family history of heart problems).
> But I
> >> feel that the risk of that or something else like it happening to me,
> where
> >> I don't have someone who can go hike for help, is small enough not to
> >> warrant needing a SPOT. Just like the likelihood of me developing an
> >> allergic reaction to a bee sting on the trail when I've never had an
> >> allergic reaction to one before is possible, but unlikely, and so I'm
> not
> >> going to go get a prescription for an EpiPen just in case.
> >>
> >> That being said, I don't think you're over prepared if you do decide to
> get
> >> a SPOT device or something like it. I can see that having that extra
> safety
> >> would make someone feel much more comfortable, especially if they spent
> a
> >> lot of time alone. But I certainly don't think that you're a terrible
> person
> >> for not having one. If everyone who every went hiking absolutely needed
> a
> >> signaling device, 1. people wouldn't have gone hiking until the last
> however
> >> many years since those signaling devices were invented, and 2. only
> people
> >> who could afford the device would experience outdoor sports. And I'm all
> for
> >> as many people as possible exploring and appreciating the natural world.
> >>
> >> I guess it's also a question of HYOH. :)
> >>
> >> On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 12:00 PM, Edward Anderson
> >><mendoridered at yahoo.com>wrote:
> >>
> >>> Jim,
> >>> I always advise people to "expect the unexpected"- and try to be
> prepared
> >>> for
> >>> it. Trees can fall unexpectedly, for no obvious reason - even on a nice
> day
> >>> with
> >>> little or no breeze. Boulders can come down, starting slides, as snow
> and
> >>> ice melt from high above the trail. Anyone who has spent a lot of time,
> >>> hiking,
> >>> climbing, and riding, in the back country, as I have, has experienced
> the
> >>> unexpected. You don't have to be taking foolish risks to have the
> >>> unexpected happen. While I lived in Mendocino an uncle of a close
> friend
> >>> tragically died while hiking in the Yola Bolies alone.? He was a
> healthy
> >>> and fit
> >>> guy and knew the area well. He died of a Cardiac Arrest. he had no way
> >>> of summoning help. This happened about 15 years ago. If he had along a
> way
> >>> of
> >>> summoning help he might have survived. Now that the technology has
> become
> >>> available I hold that it is foolish not to take advantage of it. It
> might
> >>> be the
> >>> life of someone else that you save.
> >>>
> >>> MendoRider
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> ________________________________
> >>> From: "enyapjr at comcast.net" <enyapjr at comcast.net>
> >>> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> >>> Sent: Sun, March 27, 2011 11:12:17 AM
> >>> Subject: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
> >>>
> >>>> ...only a fool would not bring one, or some other reliable rescue
> >>> signaling
> >>>> device.
> >>>
> >>> Sorry, MendoRider, but I definitely have to disagree with that
> statement!
> >>> With a moderate amount of experience, sufficient or adequate gear for
> the
> >>> conditions
> >>> expected or possible, and the common sense to know when to hunker down
> or
> >>> bail
> >>> out or
> >>>
> >>> not try something too 'extreme' - one wouldn't have any need for
> >>> "rescue"...
> >>> Not having a SPOT or PLB does not necessarily mean that one is stupid
> or a
> >>> fool!
> >>>
> >>>> The successful TV program "I Shouldn't be Alive" would not exist if
> all
> >>> of
> >>>> those
> >>>>
> >>>> people had had a way of calling for rescue.
> >>>
> >>> And how did many of those people get into such 'situations' that they
> >>> needed
> >>> 'rescue'?
> >>> Sometimes it's the opposite - one goes ahead and does something one
> >>> normally
> >>> wouldn't
> >>> because they do have a rescue device with them...? Plus ask some SAR
> folks
> >>> what
> >>> they
> >>> honestly think of these rescue devices - too many times that 'rescue'
> >>> button is
> >>> pushed
> >>> without THINKING over the situation first - or developing skills needed
> >>> ahead of
> >>> time...
> >>> The most important piece of 'gear' one carries? - the gray matter in
> one's
> >>> skull
> >>> - it's
> >>> seems amazing that so many people nowadays don't use it (but makes for
> >>> "successful TV"
> >>> programs, however)...
> >>>
> >>> There's also another 'popular' TV program - "A 1,000 Ways to Die"; and
> >>> let's not
> >>> forget
> >>> about the annual "Darwin Awards", either...? I doubt a rescue device
> would
> >>> have
> >>> helped
> >>> the majority of those people...
> >>>
> >>> What was my 'rescue device' carried many years ago (before
> 'electronics') &
> >>> never once
> >>>
> >>> used as such - the mirror in my small sighting compass...
> >>> All that said - I'll probably carry a SPOT - but as a COMMUNICATION
> device,
> >>> NOT
> >>> as a
> >>>
> >>> 'rescue' device...? It will be for the family & friends 'peace of
> mind',
> >>> and for
> >>> me in
> >>> the sense of 'sharing' my trek with them daily...
> >>> YMMV, HYOH, ad infinitum etceteras......
> >>>
> >>> Happy trails!!!
> >>> Jim (PITA)
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> Pct-L mailing list
> >>> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> >>> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> >>> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> >>>
> >>> List Archives:
> >>> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> _______________________________________________
> >>> Pct-L mailing list
> >>> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> >>> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> >>> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> >>>
> >>> List Archives:
> >>> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> >>>
> >> _______________________________________________
> >> Pct-L mailing list
> >> Pct-L at backcountry.net
> >> To unsubcribe, or change options visit:
> >> http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l
> >>
> >> List Archives:
> >> http://mailman.backcountry.net/pipermail/pct-l/
> >
> >
>
>
>
>
> ------------------------------
>
> Message: 28
> Date: Mon, 28 Mar 2011 09:04:58 -0700
> From: <dnielsen at djmurphycompany.com>
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
> To: "'Hillary Schwirtlich'" <hillary.schwirtlich at gmail.com>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Message-ID: <5809E723443E40EDBC5BB74FC3F70C67 at DB2>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
>
>
> Nicely said. And I bet you make it all the way to Canada if you choose to.
>
> Ps. We were backpacking 35 years ago in Levis and 60lb packs. Cell phones,
> spots, and personal computers did not exist. Not much cash, believe me. We
> did have a map and compass and cooked over fire or a later a Svea. We had
> a
> great time.
>
> Collin Fletcher hiked all over the place including the 1st documented
> through hike of the Grand Canyon (read Man Who Walked Through Time). He
> did
> not have any of this stuff, he did have a bunch of stuff though so I am not
> sure if he would carry it today or not, maybe. So completely ironic that
> he
> was hit by a car later in life which ultimately lead to his demise.
>
> I also totally understand and can relate to and respect Mendo's comments.
> I am sure I was given 9 lives and have used up about 8 1/2 so I am more
> cautious now. Youth will get you a long way.
>
> Dave
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net [mailto:pct-l-bounces at backcountry.net]
> On Behalf Of Hillary Schwirtlich
> Sent: Monday, March 28, 2011 8:24 AM
> To: Paul Robison
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
>
> On money:
>
> I've had this problem on this list before. It's hard sometimes to think
> about other people's money situation, I guess. But I have saved enough
> money
> over the last year and a half to hike the trail with the amount of gear I
> feel I need, replace the stuff that gets broken, to have a reasonable
> amount
> of zero days, to feed myself and eat relatively well in town, and to donate
> to trail angels when they help me out. I'm not going to be eating at 5 star
> restaurants or staying in a hotel every time I'm in town, but I'm not
> trying
> to hike the trail for $1,000 either. I am young, however, and have not had
> enough years/experience to get an extremely well paying job, and having
> been
> an volunteer for the last two years, I haven't really had much of a paying
> job at all. So I don't have enough money to buy top of the line gear in
> everything, and I certainly don't have enough money to spend $200 (which
> was
> exactly the cost of my ULA backpack, which I am going to use every day) on
> new devices that people haven't needed for hundreds of years.
>
> As for "being in for a hard through hike," like I said, I've been a
> "professional" volunteer for the last two years - I'm used to getting a lot
> out of my money.
>
> I agree with Diane (I'm sorry, I don't know your trail name). One of the
> reasons I'm on the trail to get away from gadgets and as much as I can from
> the "buy buy buy!" mentality we're mostly surrounded with. Like she said,
> keep the helicopter if it gives me some peace and quiet. Dying in the woods
> wouldn't be too terrible of a way to go, in my opinion.
>
> So I know only a few people on the list are going to read this, but I want
> to respectfully suggest that it would be nice if we heard a little less
> "money isn't an issue! if you really wanted to do this hike, you'd spend
> $___ on this new ___." I understand if someone else wants to spend their
> money that way. But I'm not going to and I'm not going to feel bad about it
> either.
>
> On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 1:34 PM, Paul Robison
> <paulrobisonhome at yahoo.com>wrote:
>
> > Hillary,
> > The spot is 100$. And sub. Is 99$
> >
> > A traditional PLB is about 500$... So I thought spot was amazingly cheap
> > for what it does.
> >
> > I certainly wouldn't say they are 'really expensive'. If 100$ is a
> stretch
> > for you; youre in for a hard thru hike. That's less than the cost of
> one
> > zero.
> >
> > Just talked to two couples I hiked with last year and both spent over
> > 16,000 ... That sufficiently scared me... I'm even considering skipping
> > Warner springs.
> >
> > Sent from my iPod
> >
> > On 2011-03-27, at 3:36 PM, Hillary Schwirtlich <
> > hillary.schwirtlich at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> > > I think this comes back to the central question of heavy trucking vs
> > light
> > > vs ultralight hiking: how do you mitigate risk? It's a question that
> > doesn't
> > > just have to do with weight though. If you are concerned about being
> > > prepared for everything, you're going to bring more options for bailing
> > > yourself out of sticky situations.
> > >
> > > I don't have a SPOT and I don't plan on getting one. That's because
> > they're
> > > really expensive and they aren't something I think is 100% necessary
> for
> > my
> > > style of hiking. Partly because I'm almost never alone, I rarely stray
> > off
> > > trail, and I always have a map. In other words, I'm usually as prepared
> > as I
> > > think I can be, I have enough experience to know how to deal with most
> > > common backcountry situations (i.e. cold, wet weather, etc), and I'm
> not
> > > like the guy was in 127 Hours - I see the need for human companionship
> > and
> > > letting someone know where I'm going.
> > >
> > > What happened to your friend's uncle was definitely unexpected and very
> > sad.
> > > But that was also a very rare case. Maybe it's foolhardy of me to say
> > that I
> > > doubt I will be having a heart attack soon (I'm 23, female, have always
> > been
> > > active and eaten well, and have no family history of heart problems).
> But
> > I
> > > feel that the risk of that or something else like it happening to me,
> > where
> > > I don't have someone who can go hike for help, is small enough not to
> > > warrant needing a SPOT. Just like the likelihood of me developing an
> > > allergic reaction to a bee sting on the trail when I've never had an
> > > allergic reaction to one before is possible, but unlikely, and so I'm
> not
> > > going to go get a prescription for an EpiPen just in case.
> > >
> > > That being said, I don't think you're over prepared if you do decide to
> > get
> > > a SPOT device or something like it. I can see that having that extra
> > safety
> > > would make someone feel much more comfortable, especially if they spent
> a
> > > lot of time alone. But I certainly don't think that you're a terrible
> > person
> > > for not having one. If everyone who every went hiking absolutely needed
> a
> > > signaling device, 1. people wouldn't have gone hiking until the last
> > however
> > > many years since those signaling devices were invented, and 2. only
> > people
> > > who could afford the device would experience outdoor sports. And I'm
> all
> > for
> > > as many people as possible exploring and appreciating the natural
> world.
> > >
> > > I guess it's also a question of HYOH. :)
> > >
> > > On Sun, Mar 27, 2011 at 12:00 PM, Edward Anderson <
> > mendoridered at yahoo.com>wrote:
> > >
> > >> Jim,
> > >> I always advise people to "expect the unexpected"- and try to be
> > prepared
> > >> for
> > >> it. Trees can fall unexpectedly, for no obvious reason - even on a
> nice
> > day
> > >> with
> > >> little or no breeze. Boulders can come down, starting slides, as snow
> > and
> > >> ice melt from high above the trail. Anyone who has spent a lot of
> time,
> > >> hiking,
> > >> climbing, and riding, in the back country, as I have, has experienced
> > the
> > >> unexpected. You don't have to be taking foolish risks to have the
> > >> unexpected happen. While I lived in Mendocino an uncle of a close
> friend
> > >> tragically died while hiking in the Yola Bolies alone. He was a
> healthy
> > >> and fit
> > >> guy and knew the area well. He died of a Cardiac Arrest. he had no way
> > >> of summoning help. This happened about 15 years ago. If he had along a
> > way
> > >> of
> > >> summoning help he might have survived. Now that the technology has
> > become
> > >> available I hold that it is foolish not to take advantage of it. It
> > might
> > >> be the
> > >> life of someone else that you save.
> > >>
> > >> MendoRider
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> ________________________________
> > >> From: "enyapjr at comcast.net" <enyapjr at comcast.net>
> > >> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> > >> Sent: Sun, March 27, 2011 11:12:17 AM
> > >> Subject: [pct-l] SPOT messenger vs McMurdo PLB
> > >>
> > >>> ...only a fool would not bring one, or some other reliable rescue
> > >> signaling
> > >>> device.
> > >>
> > >> Sorry, MendoRider, but I definitely have to disagree with that
> > statement!
> > >> With a moderate amount of experience, sufficient or adequate gear for
> > the
> > >> conditions
> > >> expected or possible, and the common sense to know when to hunker down
> > or
> > >> bail
> > >> out or
> > >>
> > >> not try something too 'extreme' - one wouldn't have any need for
> > >> "rescue"...
> > >> Not having a SPOT or PLB does not necessarily mean that one is stupid
> or
> > a
> > >> fool!
> > >>
> > >>> The successful TV program "I Shouldn't be Alive" would not exist if
> all
> > >> of
> > >>> those
> > >>>
> > >>> people had had a way of calling for rescue.
> > >>
> > >> And how did many of those people get into such 'situations' that they
> > >> needed
> > >> 'rescue'?
> > >> Sometimes it's the opposite - one goes ahead and does something one
> > >> normally
> > >> wouldn't
> > >> because they do have a rescue device with them... Plus ask some SAR
> > folks
> > >> what
> > >> they
> > >> honestly think of these rescue devices - too many times that 'rescue'
> > >> button is
> > >> pushed
> > >> without THINKING over the situation first - or developing skills
> needed
> > >> ahead of
> > >> time...
> > >> The most important piece of 'gear' one carries? - the gray matter in
> > one's
> > >> skull
> > >> - it's
> > >> seems amazing that so many people nowadays don't use it (but makes for
> > >> "successful TV"
> > >> programs, however)...
> > >>
> > >> There's also another 'popular' TV program - "A 1,000 Ways to Die"; and
> > >> let's not
> > >> forget
> > >> about the annual "Darwin Awards", either... I doubt a rescue device
> > would
> > >> have
> > >> helped
> > >> the majority of those people...
> > >>
> > >> What was my 'rescue device' carried many years ago (before
> > 'electronics') &
> > >> never once
> > >>
> > >> used as such - the mirror in my small sighting compass...
> > >> All that said - I'll probably carry a SPOT - but as a COMMUNICATION
> > device,
> > >> NOT
> > >> as a
> > >>
> > >> 'rescue' device... It will be for the family & friends 'peace of
> mind',
> > >> and for
> > >> me in
> > >> the sense of 'sharing' my trek with them daily...
> > >> YMMV, HYOH, ad infinitum etceteras......
> > >>
> > >> Happy trails!!!
> > >> Jim (PITA)
> > >> _______________________________________________
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> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
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