[pct-l] A Backpack Gong Show at ADZPCTKOP?

[rubberchuckie at yahoo.com (Chuckie V)]

>>>>Donna Saufley wrote:

"In 1997...hikers spoke about "Pack Gong Night" at Idyllwild. It basically consisted of hikers sitting around in a circle, displaying the contents of their packs, and having to justify their useless and redundant items to the collective group, and getting the thumbs up or down on keeping the item..."
 
To an extent this happened again in '02 but not in such an organized fashion. 
 
Strider, et al....this could be a highly entertaining event at the kick-off! A prospective thru-hiker can (if he or she chooses) show their gear in front of an "expert" panel consisting of an odd number of (odd) people. A majority ruling of 'yay' or 'nay' tells the hiker the jury's finding. Of course, the judge (the prospective hiker) has the final say on the matter and can choose to sentence themselves to a more burdensome hike if they see fit (do I sound impartial?). Besides, sending stuff home from there can't be easy anyway. 
 
Heck, the panel can include as many people as possible to get everyone involved, though the "expert" part might then have to be disregarded. 
 
Had I had access to such expertise I'd probably have saved thousands on chiropractic bills these past couple of years.
 
-Chuckie