[at-l] Boy Scouts and Bears

[Tim.Hewitt@fairchildsemi.com (Tim Hewitt)]

SaraSW@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 7/3/01 9:23:44 AM, pmags@yahoo.com writes:
>
> >I think many of the general population think "How hard
> >is it to camp"?   They have this idea that the way to
> >camp is to cook on an open fire with a cast iron
> >skillet, wash dishes in the creek, etc. Their idea of
> >camping goes back to 20, 30 or more years ago.
>
> That wouldn't be traditionalism, would it? ;-)
> Vcat . . . who probably will be sorry she ever brought it up

It's what I think of every time I think of traditionalism too :).

Too often we pick and choose the pieces of truth that most conveniently fit
our arguments.

I don't believe anyone would really suggest we go back to the way that the
Trail was hiked in the 60's. Few would openly abandon the gear and
modernizations that assist us in our trek today for the canvas bag that
served as a backpack, the Army boots on our feet and campfires to cook our
canned food over.

The early accounts of the trail talked much of the road walks and the small
communities that were a part of the trail experience. I read with great
interest accounts of food caches used by the intrepid early thru hiker.
These were often large glass jars filled with food that were buried
alongside the trail near a road crossing. How many of these jars never made
it back out of the woods. Imagine if you were practice that form of food
drop today...

Traditionalism is overrated, however that's part of it's mystique. Only the
adaptable survive - and that includes our wild, semi-wild and civilized
places.

-Paddler