[at-l] tuckerizing

[dfaddleton@mindspring.com (David)]

Hike your own hike!
I liked this post!
Thank you!

----- Original Message -----
From: "Jim and/or Ginny Owen" <spiriteagle99@hotmail.com>
To: <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Saturday, February 03, 2001 4:16 AM
Subject: [at-l] tuckerizing


> A word for those who are about to hike the trail -
>
> It should be obvious by now that if two people tuckerize your pack, there
> will be three or more opinions about what you should carry.  The key to
> successful tuckerization is that you should take it with a large grain of
> salt. Lightening your pack is good (starting with the weight of the pack
> itself) - to a point. But when you start the trail you'll be accustomed to
> some definite 'comfort level'.  If you start the trail with gear that
allows
> a 'comfort level' too far below what you 'need', it'll make the trail a
lot
> harder than it has to be.  Not to worry - as you spend more time on the
> Trail, your 'comfort level' will decrease and your pack will become even
> lighter.  Take all the good advice, realize that it's given with the best
of
> intentions and make your own decisions about what to carry - or not carry.
> If you've read the original "Tuckerization" story you know that Marty
still
> carried one of the things that she 'needed' to be comfortable.  Anyone
> remember what it was that she sneaked back in her pack?
>
> The real point of 'tuckerization' is to get those things out of your pack
> that are really not necessary or sometimes ridiculous (hair dryers for
> example) so that your pack has what you 'need' vs what you 'want', but
> doesn't weigh 110#.  There is a large difference. The pack weight problem
on
> the AT is generally that hikers start with too much weight - but there's
> another side to that coin.  There are those who sometimes listen to the
> ultraliters and decide that they can also go ultralite.  And then they
find
> out that they don't have the experience or 'comfort level' to match their
> pack weight - and they don't enjoy the hike.
>
> Remember - you're the one who has to live with the results of the
> 'tuckerization'.  And bottom line, it really doesn't matter whether your
> pack is a little heavy, or your rain gear isn't the best.  It isn't what's
> on your back, but what's in your head and in your heart that will get you
to
> Katahdin.  Yes, I'm all for getting your pack weight down, but do what is
> comfortable for you, not what is comfortable for someone else.  We all
have
> our comfort levels.  As you hike, you will figure out what yours is, and
> adjust your gear accordingly.
>
> My experience before my first hike was limited.  I had no one to talk to
> about gear, so I more or less made up my gear list out of old camping
books
> and magazines, using my desert experience as a base.  Accordingly, I had a
> huge pack (remember Chris, that huge red monster), mountaineering boots,
two
> pairs of jeans, all cotton t-shirts and no tent. I hurt - frequently -
> because of the weight of my load and the fact that none of it fit my body.
> Even so, I made it to Katahdin - twice!  After four long hikes, I still
> carry more gear than the ultralights would consider reasonable - I like
> clean underwear and a pair of dry shorts to change into at night and
enough
> socks that I don't get blisters from the filth.  I like to read a book in
> the evening and take photos as we hike, I use a water filter because I
have
> an aesthetic dislike for cowdung in my drinking water (but no objection if
> it's in my cooking water - go figure) and carry a whisperlight because it
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