[at-l] Arguably the Most Important Gear

[hiker at tempestdream.com (Hoplite)]

After a point, we can only argue personal preference when discussing the 
merits and flaws of any given piece of gear.  So I figured I'd throw the 
grandpappy gear question of all with regards specifically to long 
distance/ thru hiking.

How do you get your most important piece of gear, your heart / mind, 
ready for and through a long distance hike?  I've got the gear, mostly.  
I'm conditioning my body.  I'm saving the money, making the plans, 
conferring with the experts (including several of you, dear list 
readers).  But where does my head need to be?  What are the 
psychological hardships that blindside people and get them off the trail 
prematurely?  Most of the thruhikers I've talked with mentioned that 
there was a specific low point to their trips, when they had just about 
had it.  This low point seems to me to claim a lot of would be 
thruhikers, when another mountain view just doesn't do it anymore (for a 
little while at least), when it seems the rain will never let up.  Yet 
they kept going and enjoyed, in many cases, months more hiking.  That's 
the kind of hiker I want to be.

So how do you get past the metaphysical humps, so to speak, while you're 
walking over the physical ones? 

This is by nature an extremely personal question and the answers will be 
really subjective.  That's great!  Please lets not shoot holes in each 
other verbally over responses to this one.  Any takers?

Warm regards,
HopLite

PS-- I've got a tree identification key all worked up and am finishing 
two wildflower ones.  They're at work; I aint.  =)