[pct-l] Backpack Packing strategies...

[Jeffrey Olson]

I get what Ernie is saying.  I started hiking in the 1960s when our 
family took a four day trip into the Eagle Cap Wildrness - 1960.  In 
1992 my girlfriend and I started north of Lassen with 72 and 58 pound 
packs where we planned for 10 miles per day.  In 2005 I started at 
Manning with a 15 pound base weight.  I was in fair shape and four weeks 
into the trip was doing 20 miles by 3PM after starting with 8-10mpd out 
of Manning.

I can see how comfort and feeling safe would dictate carrying more 
weight.  I moved in a different direction.  I learned to trust my 
ability to make good choices in dicey situations and hence have lowered 
my base weight.  What I've found, at 58 years old, is that I can hike 
both starting from being in poorer shape and not hurt myself - have a 
part break down, and actually get into shape within four or five weeks.

A friend, in his 30s then, and his girlfriend, in her late 20s, hiked 
part of the JMT trying to average 14 miles a day.  Both were wearing 5lb 
leather boots, carrying four to six pound packs, and all the gear that 
would protect them from adverse conditions found  on the JMT in 
August...  (LOL).

Dave just flat out reached his physical limits and they had to bail out 
over an eastern pass.  He is a marathoner and he was in better shape 
than most of us ever achieve.  Nothing had prepared him for carrying 50 
pounds and wearing heavy boots for two weeks.  A week - yes.  This 
worked for him.  Two weeks didn't.

I honor different strokes for different folks, and HYOH philosophies.  
I'm sure Ernie's definition of "preparedness" would substantially differ 
from mine.  And neither of us is wrong.

I'm looking forward to hiking from Big Sandy to Green Lakes in the Winds 
over 15 days with Dave this September.  WE've been up there a couple 
times and always gazed longingly at basins and cirques only a couple 
hours from the Fremont and Highline trails.  This time we'll hike 10 
miles a day and explore.  His base weight is down to 20 pounds.  Mine is 
13.  He's eight years younger...

Good thread...

Jeffrey Olson
Martin, SD


On 5/14/2011 7:48 PM, Ernie Castillo wrote:
> Excellent commentary Steel-Eye.
> My hiking buddy Jaime saw 2 opposing theories in 1980: backpackers and campers. He called himself a camper. This explained the amount of gear we carried and, by today's standards, our moderate average miles per day. It also explained our March start.
>
> I try to share the "heavy trucker" perspective because it's what we did 31 years ago. Along with wearing 5-pound leather boots with Vibram soles, we also carried Jansport backpacks, Jansport tents, lots of food, multiple water bottles, multiple fuel canisters, and sub-zero sleeping bags. My philosophy: I am carrying everything I need to survive in the wilderness. We didn't have water caches or Trail Angels in 1980. Heck, there were huge chunks of the PCT that was nothing more than a dotted line on a map: "TBD" meant To Be Developed (Later). We walked roads when we had to, we pitched tents in blizzards, and we struggled to keep our pac weight to the rule of thumb of the day: one third our body weight.
>
> I commented on the "Backpack Packing strategies" thread because looking back, it seemed to explain why strapping a tent, poles, foam pad, sleeping bag, and a hunting knife to the top of my aluminum frame might have been a challenge to stand up with but didn't seem all that bad once I got truckin'. (Note: I walked on the side of the highway road toward Burney Falls with an entire food drop, unopened box and all, strapped to the top of my pack.)
>
> It worked for me back then, just as a 8-10 pound pack works for you today. To you, weight matters. To me, comfort and preparedness matters. Heck, I don't think I had a food dropped that weight 8 pounds.
>
> The phrase didn't exist 3 decades ago, but I really like the "Hike Your Own Hike" philosophy.
>
> Ernie Castillo
> PCT Class of 1980
>
>
>
>
>> Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 08:44:40 -0700
>> From: steeleye at wildblue.net
>> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Backpack Packing strategies...
>>
>> Good morning, ,
>>
>> I would like to congratulate the researchers at University of Michigan,
>> Department of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, for
>> creating a strong case in support of the long-elusive perpetual motion
>> machine.
> .
> .
> . 		 	   		
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