Re: [at-l] Beware of people packing PC's

["KC" <wareagle@ioa.com>]

Excellent post! I agree 100%,,,btw,,,my watch does  include a compass,
thermometer, altimeter and it tells time!
KC
*My job in life is to comfort the disturbed
 and disturbed the comfortable.*

> I have to say I've been reading the posts over the last few days with a
> mixture of interest and dismay. It almost seems as if this list is
beginning
> to take on a little flavor of that other one we like to criticize so much.
>
> The one where the expert with thousands of trail miles drops in and bless
us
> with his appearance. All the while informing us that because he done so
many
> miles of trail he has a better sense of the true trail experience than us
> mere mortals. As such he should be allowed to speak for us.
>
> Whenever someone supposes to speak for me, my guard has a natural tendency
> to rise.
>
> Despite the well meaning banter on the place of technology on the trail,
I'm
> here to say the discussion has absolutely nothing to do with technology at
> all. In fact technology is merely a smoke screen for deeper more
fundamental
> issues. Yet, as usual, we seem to like to dance on the surface of issues.
> Thoroughly convinced that we've had an epiphany (A sudden manifestation of
> the essence or meaning of something.).
>
> Before moving on to the real subject at hand, I'll site a couple of
examples
> of why technology is not the issue here.
>
> First - Consider a person traveling through the wilds of interior Alaska
> packing a PC and hundreds of miles away from the nearest person. Would
> anyone here give a rat's ass as to what he was carrying. No! We would be
> concerned if he was lighting fires, cutting down tress or all other forms
of
> mischief. But do you honestly care if he's packing a PC.
>
> Second - There's far more technology in my wrist watch and camera than in
> the largest mainframe computer of 50 years ago. And my watch doesn't even
> include a compass, thermometer, altimeter and whatever else they toss in
> these days. In another 10 years my everyday workstation will be reduced
down
> to the size of a watch and with come with its own audio interface. Yet I
> haven't heard word one about frisking people and confiscating their
watches
> or cameras.
>
> The real issue here is one of "Political Correctness" not "Personal
> Computers". It's about what happens when two or more people collide in the
> wilderness and one doesn't like what the other is doing. You could just as
> easily substitute computers with snores (which I do to excess) and the
> discussion would be the same. We wouldn't touch that issue because it
deals
> directly with people.
>
> The fact that these issues continue to arise shouldn't really come as a
> surprise to anyone. The trail is becoming more populated each year. Will
it
> eventually taper off? I don't know and wouldn't put money on it.
>
> The really funny thing about this issue, is that the US is literally
blessed
> with thousands of miles of trails that rarely ever see visitors. In fact
> many of them are in danger of disappearing while the AT gets overused.
>
> If you choose to hike the AT that's fine. Just remember that there are of
> hundreds of others out there hiking too. Whither or not they share your
> reason for being there is irrelevant. They belong just as much as any of
us.
>
> On the other hand if the crowded trails are not your thing, you are
invited
> to take the road less traveled.
>
> Ron "Fallingwater" Moak
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> PCT 2000 Journey - http://www.fallingwater.com/pct2000
>
>
> * From the AT-L |  Need help? http://www.backcountry.net/faq.html  *
>

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