Re: [at-l] Rookie's Gear List (I'm wearing armor...fire away)

["David F. Addleton" <dfaddleton@mindspring.com>]

Welcome to our campfire!
I like teachers who hike ... one of them got my daughter into hiking and she, in turn, returned to me to this mahvelous past-time 2 years ago, asking me to take her to Cumberland Island's backcountry for a 2 or 3 day hike as a gift for her 14th birthday ... Next she asked me help chaperone her class on a traverse of Cheoah Bald, southbound into Wesser ... I agreed to meet them from the otherside for my first effort with my new backpack, a K2 external ... tho't I'd die the first afternoon hiking out of Wesser, but I found this gorgeous campsite with a view westward down the gorge that looked something like a Chinese painting ...
Next day I summited and waited in the rain for the class to show up ... they never did, so I after an hour or two I went back down to Sassafrass Gap escape the elements. They arrived about two hours later at the top and subsequently learned ... (using these little motorola/radio shack walkies we'd taken along to keep track of all the kids)  I met them the next morning and brought up the rear, ultimately walking off the mountain with two backpacks since this one kid, walking in tennis shoes had blisters for feet ... he never complained, but boy was he slow and in obvious pain ... but there was no way I was going to carry him!!

All of which is to say if you take any 6th graders out on the AT, give me a buzz ... would love to help out with kids!

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********

On 8/8/00 at 5:44 PM dmyers wrote:

>Alright, even though I'm very happy with my gear I'm going to list it
>anyways for the throngs to use like skeet.  I doubt I'll make major changes
>without very strong persuasion (or a sixpack)  If this helps - we're
>planning on a 3 week jaunt from Springer to Davenport Gap next summer.
>
>Just the basics:
>Pack:  Gregory Shasta (LOVE the pack, fits like a glove even though it's a
>bit heavy)
>Tent:  Walrus ArchRival (I also have a SD ClipFlashlight which doesnt fit me
>as well)
>Stove:  Esbit
>Boots:  Sundowners
>Purifier:  PUR Voyager
>Bag:  El Cheapo fleece for summer
>Light:  trying to wean myself off my headlamp to just my photon
>Poles: 2 leki
>Other:  2 coolmax shirts, shorts, 2pr sock (forget the brand...please
>forgive me this one indiscretion), some pot I'm looking to replace, and
>other asst'd stuff I can't give up.
>
>Hmm, being my first official post (and shedding the lurker status) I guess I
>better tell ya who I am.
>Name:  Dan Myers
>Age:  27
>Occupation:  6th grade teacher (an aside:  by the end of the year parents
>are calling me asking where to by backpacking gear because I'm convinced all
>the kids this is something they need to do!!)
>Location:  Indy, IN
>
>Well, I've rambled quite long enough.
>
>-dan (no trailname as of yet)
>--
>"Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?"
>"That depends a good deal on where you want to get to," said the Cat.
>"I don't care much where--" said Alice.
>"Then it doesn't matter which way you go," said the Cat. 
>
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