[at-l] gear

[DaRedhead@aol.com (DaRedhead@aol.com)]

In a message dated 8/31/01 7:05:48 AM US Eastern Standard Time, 
kahley7@ptd.net writes:


> Come over to the liteside Red Skywalker....leave the darkside .LOL!!!
> 
Hey - I'm working on it ;-)  Everything IN my pack is getting lighter.  But I 
ain't giving up my pack :)  You are right of course.  Lighter *is* better, in 
most cases.  But all of the "lighter" packs I've tried make me feel like I'm 
carrying a pack of bowling balls on my back.  Even Jeff, in Damascus, told 
Mom when she bought her MtnSmith that it wouldn't be comfortable with over 25 
lbs in it.  (She of course said "I'll never carry more than that, so that's 
okay" <g>)  And newbies should definitely know that light is the way to go, 
and you're right, they won't hear that in all the gear shops (although in the 
best ones they will - Mt Rogers Outfitters is a prime example of real hikers 
running the show and knowing what hikers need - and why I drive the extra 
hour instead of shopping at the outfitters closer by).  So I agree with you, 
mostly.  I just don't think, if you find a great pack that happens to weigh 
more than is considered "light weight", that you should reject it out of 
hand.  Mine is heavy, but I don't even FEEL it because it fits so great.  I'd 
rather wear a 5 lb pack that lets me hike happy than a 2 lb pack that feels 
like a sack of potatos on my back and doesn't feel good.  Of course if you 
can find a lighter pack that feels great, go for it.  :-)

The Redhead



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