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[pct-l] My money dump at REI



First off, thanks for the people who were very helpful. A lot of those
ideas are solid, and there's some common sense stuff like the pain in
the butt factor with non collapseable poles, or paying more attention
to mosquito season, and when and where I'll be in it. For those who
are ever so positive that there is only one way to get things done, if
I had not encountered people like you in so many other aspects of
life, I might believe you.

To clarify a few things:

- I live in San Diego, and regularly hike through the backcountry. In
fact just yesterday I spent the day a little east of Campo in the
desert with my friends (even walked across the PCT!), hiking around
shooting clays. The three places my experience is in is New England
(Presidential and White Mountains), San Diego backcountry, and the
lower Sierras (Kennedy Meadows, Monarch Meadows, etc).

- My spices weigh less than one ounce, and will last months. It spices
up mac and cheese, as well as fish or any other food. I love my spice
collection; it helps to keep me civilized.

- In regards to snowshoes and crampons, I certainly will not have them
in Campo. They're going to be sitting in my apartment, waiting to get
mailed out somewhere if I need them. If that never happens, even
better. For my fleece pants, and pretty much any other "seasonal"
gear, they will stay home, heading out in a mail drop if I ever need
them. My tent has a fitted "footprint", which I think will be fine as
a tarp. If I end up using the tarp more than the tent, I'll mail the
tent home. No big deal.

- I've worn my boots for years, around the house, on the trails, to
work, and to school. I have one model that I prefer, and I think
they'll be fine. I bought a new pair to break in a bit, so that when
my current ones are on their death bed, I can have my new ones (that
are a little worn by then) sent out. Yes, I have running shoes. Nice
ones. But I don't like to wear them backpacking. I know there are some
that think hiking in hiking boots is like spitting on a bible, but it
just seems kinda silly to me.

- In regards to my fishing stuff, I'm doing this trail to walk along,
have fun, and take it all in. If I wanted to blaze through just to say
I did it, I could, but that's not my intention. If I end up stuck in
the snow, making 5 painful miles a day in the Cascades because I
"wasted" time fishing for a couple of days in the Sierras, so be it. I
have plenty of equipment and resources for terrible weather and ice
climbing, and will deal with the results. Also, my "fishing kit"
consists of a couple of hooks, 30' of line, two split shot sinkers,
and two stainless steel eyelets that I screw into a piece of wood that
I find. Or, I can get creative and mount them to my walking stick. All
in all I'd be amazed if it weighs more than two ounces.

I'm leaving for an adventure in late May, and don't have to be back
until January. Maybe I get back earlier, but how much will depend upon
the schedule that myself and my companion would like to keep.

If there is something that I'm lugging around that doesn't seem to
make much sense, out it will go. I have no desire to give something a
lift for 2600 miles that isn't absolutely essential to me having a
good time.

But when I read the journals of the people who tear through some of
the most beautiful country in the world, and the only thing they write
is how they made over 35 miles that day then passed out from
exhaustion, it just makes me a little sad. There are stretches I'll
have no problems racing through, but if I have the option of trout for
lunch or more gorp, I'm gonna take out the fishing line. That's just
the way I like to backpack.

I'm sure a lot of my prospectives will change, and I will learn a lot,
as things go by. I'll have no problem eating any of my words and
admitting that certain ideas work better than others, but I'm doing
this trip to enjoy it, not to finish it. That part will happen all by
itself if I keep my head on my shoulders and my feet on the ground
moving forward. Unless I'm fishing of course. :-)

Eric



On Mon, 20 Sep 2004 18:06:57 -0500, Joseph Niemiec
<whitethunder10@hotmail.com> wrote:
> Ok ok, so it is possible to do it with 30.  But you guys have to remember
> that we didn't walk 20 miles, barefoot through the snow, to school when we
> were little!
> 
> If I could add one more thing..hmmmm you are going to feel other hikers
> packs.  And when you do, you'll realize how much of an easier time they are
> having.  You'll have fun no matter what, but 10lbs difference in pack weight
> is huge and 20lbs is so easily doable.  Now if you want to talk about
> getting down to 10lbs, that is a gaint leap, one that will probably only be
> done if you have the experience behind you.  But for now just go 20lbs.  You
> 'll thank me.
> 
> However what matters most is just doing it.  (chances are better with a
> lighter pack though- I read that somewhere)
> 
> Mouse
> &gt;From: Bighummel@aol.com
> &gt;To: pct-l@mailman.backcountry.net
> &gt;Subject: Re: [pct-l] My money dump at REI
> &gt;Date: Mon, 20 Sep 2004 18:51:38 EDT
> &gt;
> &gt;30 lb. base weights were standard fare on the PCT up until the 1990's or
> so.
> &gt;Literally hundreds of successful thru-hikes on the proto PCT were made
> before
> &gt;the popularity of ultra-light weight and 30 mile-per-day strategies.  No
> one
> &gt;in 1977 carried less than this as a base weight to my knowledge and yes,
> it
> &gt;was a great weather year to hike, and about 20 to 25% of those who began
> &gt;intending to thru-hike succeeded.   You can still do this.  Being 26 and
> strong will
> &gt;help but is not necessary.
> &gt;
> &gt;Most, if not all successful thru-hikers will tell you that what your
> base
> &gt;weight is, what kind of gear you carry, what your hiking strategy is,
> means
> &gt;nothing towards successfully thru-hiking.  What is in your heart and in
> your brain
> &gt;is what gets you to Canada.
> &gt;
> &gt;A 20 year old girl got off of a cruise liner in San Diego in late March
> of
> &gt;1977.  She was a bit crazy and adventurous and had heard about this
> trail that
> &gt;stretched from Mexico to Canada.  She decided to give it a try, stopped
> in at a
> &gt;sporting goods store and bought a large external frame pack, a cotton
> &gt;sleeping bag and some food and hitch-hiked out to the trail head,
> knowing almost
> &gt;nothing about what she was about to commit to.  She didn't have the
> guide books or
> &gt;maps or even a tent.  She didn't have rain gear and it started raining
> on her
> &gt;first day out.  She got lost almost immediately and fortunately ran into
> two
> &gt;guys from Portland who did have a clue.  They set her straight on what
> she
> &gt;needed and so she hitch-hiked back into San Diego and got better
> equipment, the
> &gt;guidebooks and a tent and lighter food and then hitch-hiked back out.
> She
> &gt;leaned pretty hard on those of us who had planned for a year or more and
> had our
> &gt;gear strategy well thought out, but then she showed, after months on the
> trail
> &gt;and enduring some very difficult weather, snow, mosquitos and frequently
> &gt;getting lost, that she had that one thing that is required; she
> desperately wanted
> &gt;to succeed at this and she had the mental toughness to keep on going.
> She
> &gt;ended up being one of those twenty or so and she then hiked the proto
> CDT the
> &gt;next year.  She biked around the world and now is raising three
> daughters and
> &gt;lives in San Diego.
> &gt;
> &gt;It doesn't matter what your base weight is.  It doesn't matter what kind
> of
> &gt;gear you have.  It doesn't matter whether your shelter will shed snow or
> not
> &gt;(all of this is very fun to discuss though!).
> &gt;
> &gt;HYOH,
> &gt;
> &gt;Greg
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