[pct-l] PA RUCKSTERS....Paper or Plastic??????

[kahley7@ptd.net (kahley7)]

redundancy alert...... please forgive the multilisting

I've been waiting for weeks for an apropos time to bring this up,
but the issue of logging is still on the stove on some of the
lists so I guess I'll just go ahead anyway.  I don't see a problem here
but if there is, I'm hoping that any controversy will be over and done with
pre RUCK.  Last time the question came up, there were some objections.

I've really strong views on this that I follow in my personal life
but it's not up to me.  Just relaying some comments I've received.
paraphrased......
.
.

'Last year we did hundreds of dishes....for an hour after every meal,
we were doing dishes.    People missed out on other things because
they were doing kitchen clean up.  Why don't we use some paper
plates?'

'There are not enough soup bowls or coffee cups at the hostel.'
   me...    (witness woodelf's pic on the Ruck page eating from a pyrex cup 
<lol>).

'There were not enough coffee cups at the mansion, especially when someone
drinks half a cup and then wanders off to do something else without
washing the cup and returning it for someone else to use. '
      me...  (easy enough to do at a RUCK..so many wonderful distractions<g>
      but still a problem.)
.
.

I thought about tossing this decision out to the lists for discussion so we
could come up with an     'OFFICIAL RUCK POLICY ON PAPER PLATES'
but the idea of a Ruck having an __'official'__ anything is BIZZARE.
So I made an EXECUTIVE DECISION <grin>, as follows.

It's up to you...
personal choice/personal responsibility, just like everyday.

We will have regular and paper plates available.  Your choice.
If you use regular, wash it, dry it and return it to the pile.

We will have reusable, washable, multi-use-before-they-are-disposable
soup bowls to supplement the limited hostel supply.
Wash them and return them to the pile .
If they seem up to it, they will be saved, and reused at the next Ruck.

We have a limited number of disposable coffee cups in case of emergencies
but hopefully folks will wash and return to the pile so these won't be needed
and can be saved for the next Ruck.

We have purchased 20 additional dish towels to supplement the lack.
These will be left for the hostel.

We are hikers and as such all love the woods but it's obvious we aren't
of identical minds beyond that.  Just because someone is willing to use
a paper plate doesn't mean they don't care.  Personally, I subscribe to no
newspapers or magazines but those that come with membership to hiking
organizations.  I buy used books and have happily rescued lots of wooden
furniture from the curb. (like the nifty lawyer's chair that I sit on as I 
type)
Even the some of the doors in my house were found by cruising neighborhoods
during 'free pick up/clean up' campaigns.  (Try it..it's 
fun!!!  Reduce/Reuse/Recycle)

In everyday life, maybe I'm more extreme than many, but even I can see the
logic for paper plates at the Ruck.  I'm not about to spend the whole Ruck
doing dishes or demand that others do so cause I'm a bit of an eco-nut.
Of course, you can always bring your own plate, soup bowl and coffee cup
to eliminate the shortage and wash them yourselves.  Your choice.

BTW..anyone remember if we ran out of silverware last year?  I always travel
with my own spoon .  Maybe I'll expand on that.....my hat has many loops<grin>.

OK...comments? suggestions?
For more info on the PA Ruck please visit....
http://friends.backcountry.net/ruck/PARUCK/'01/1/1.html

While I have your attention can I enlist you in an effort to save the 
eastern forests?

I walked into a friend's house and heard the electric clothes dryer going 
(vented to the outside)
Across the room was the woodstove.  In the corner, a humidifier.  What's 
wrong with this picture?

SAVE THE EASTERN FORESTS>>>>INSTALL A CLOTHESLINE IN YOUR HOME