[at-l] Trail Food, How do you carry 7 days

[spiriteagle99 at hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Sloetoe wrote:
>--- Jim and/or Ginny Owen <spiriteagle99@hotmail.com> wrote:
> > Weary wrote:
> > >Hmmm. The overwhelming consensus in this list and others, as
> > well as personal observations, experience, common sense, trail
>journals, books by thru hikers ... all tell me that towns eat
>money.
>### A good point on why you would *want* to carry 6-10-21 day's
>worth of food at a shot. Period.

ROTFLMAO - Toey - you need to hike the PCT.  In/out within hours minimizes 
the money drain.  Even on the AT - I was in/out of Kent, CT in 3 hours.  
Last guy I know who carried 21 days food on the AT  started south from 
Katahdin a lot of years ago.  Pack weight was 100# - and it took him 20 days 
to get to Monson.  How long do you want to spend on the Trail?  <VBG>

By the way - he hiked the PCT a few years ago with a base pack weight of 9#. 
  Some of us learn, some don't.

> > >Light weight for most requires an early start -- because
> > skimping on clothing means more days in town, both early and
>late, and inevitably more town expenses, as hikers face storms
>with inadequate gear, and usually more total hike expenses.
>### AH! The perverse logic -- I think we'd all [ALL] agree that
>light weight *requires* a more temperate start date (i.e., May).

Uh - Toey?  Might I remind you of your own words?

>### I just finished preliminary trip planning for my Christmas
>hike (Yes, I'm "planning." No, disingenuous statements of
>surprise are not needed or helpful.) My base will be ~18-20 lbs
>(I'm a cold weenie). I will start with 3 days food from Fontana->Wesser   
>(35? miles) [big meal]
>5 days food from Wesser->Neels Gap (70? miles) [buy+ @ Neels?]
>3 days food from Neels ->Springer  (35? miles) [slow down]

Christmas hike?  Later start?  You'll be meeting the first '04 thruhikers 
--- <VBG>

18-20# doesn't equate to a "heavier pack," does it?  That equates to what 
I'd use for a thruhike on the CDT - which (in my experience) is a lot colder 
trail than the AT.

>That the historic trend has been leave earlier and earlier
>(March and into February) to avoid "the crowd", and now with
>lighter packs (and underequipped for the conditions), means we
>observe more and more Fair Weather Throughhikers who stay in
>town until the conditions match the packs. This results in the
>delays that have extended throughhikes from 3-4 months to 5-7
>months to 6-8 months. A 4 month throughhike starting in March
>finishes in July, but we don't see the crush at Katahdin for
>another 10 weeks.

30 years ago most of the thruhikes were 4-5 months.  But there were a lot 
fewer services, a lot fewer shelters and hostels, and NO social scene.  Your 
scenario is the same as Weary's.  Justify it please - with names, examples, 
etc?  Otherwise I'll continue to consider it - and call it - ridiculous.

No - the extended 6-8 month hikes are largely due to the social scene and 
somewhat due to the perception that the hike is "supposed to" take 6 months. 
  Mine took 6 months - partly because I planned it that way - partly because 
I got off-trail several times for family functions - and partly because I 
slowed down and didn't want it to end.  Had diddly-squat to do with 
"fair-weather" hiking.

Not that it doesn't "ever" happen - there was one young lad who went to 
town, took up residence there and wrote his trail journal from the motel he 
was staying in - in Georgia.  But I don't think any of us would consider him 
a "thruhiker."

> > >A later start, [OR] heavier gear, [AND/OR] more food carried
>between towns stops, means fewer town stops, and a less
>expensive hike.
>### Good point.

Only if you use the modifiers, Toey - and they weren't in the original 
quote.  And even then, not necessarily.  For many, the heavier the pack, the 
longer on the Trail, the longer the town stops tend to be, even if there are 
fewer of them.  Then there's another consideration - the heavier the pack, 
the more spent on gear while they're on the trail - to replace the heavy 
crap with lighter stuff.  I run into that all the time ----- you should read 
some of the other forums - an example (to paraphrase) ---- "I didn't finish 
the AT last year, but I'll go back next year.  But this time I'll take 
lightweight gear."

Hell, man - if your winter pack is 18-20#, you've already gone for the 
lightweight gear, so you've blown all three of those conditions in your own 
Christmas hike.  What are you arguing about anyway? <VBG>


> > Fact is that the least expensive hike (and fewer town stops)
> > would be done with minimum (ultralight) gear at 30+ miles per
> > day with a town stop every 2-4 days.
>### ...With a start date of June 1, which few will do.

Why June 1?  You could start April 1, avoid the 75% probability of snow in 
the Smokies and finish in June.  Not my kind of hike, but it's just as 
doable as a June 1 start.  Then again, you could do a "Flyin' Brian", start 
Jan 1 and be on Katahdin when it opened.  Tell me again how "lightweight" 
requires a later start?

> > That won't happen with your "heavier pack."
>### It wouldn't _need_ to happen. It'd be pretty stupid -- we'd
>ALL agree.

Yup.... Done the 30 mile days --- but not with the "heavy' pack.  Won't be 
in a hurry to do them again regardless of pack weight.

> > >I did meet a lot of great people who quit because they ran
> > out of money; ...found even April ... too cold; eating
>inadequate amounts of food.
>### That's why we have the at-l, and all the varied and valuable
>experience on it. We can sympathize with those who're learning;
>educate those who wish it, and share glory with those who've
>learned.

Yup - but what good is at-l if we don't teach things that work - or if they 
don't listen?

> > >In my case, I go into the woods and mountains because I like
> > to experience woods and mountains and because I enjoy the
>sense of wildness that gradually emerges and grows stronger
>after many days in the outdoors. ### Wish I'd written this myself; pretty 
>much defines a
>throughhike.

Again - if you want "wildness" go hike the PCT, Toey - or maybe better the 
CDT.  The wildness that Weary takes "many days" to experience on the AT will 
grab you by the throat the first day on the CDT.  If you're unlucky, it 
might even eat you.

Walk softly, my friend -
Jim

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