[at-l] Older Hikers-Extended Trips

[pvpvpv at earthlink.net (Pat Villeneuve)]

The best advice I think I can give to hikers is lighten up and get yourself on sticks (hiking poles). I started the AT with a pack that was a third of my body weight, and it was simply too much for me. Sans Souci got me on sticks, but it was still an incredible struggle. Over the next two years I eliminated lots of stuff, made a few purchases, and got my pack weight down to under one fifth of my body weight. That included the big stuff--pack, bag, pad, and tent--that weigh in at 9#. I know there are people who go lighter, but those are the choices I have made, and I am comfortable with them. 

Give Me Chocolate


-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Hikes <bobsectionhikes@hotmail.com>
Sent: Feb 5, 2004 8:17 AM
To: DTimm65344@aol.com, HikingGrandpa@aol.com, at-l@backcountry.net
Cc: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net
Subject: Re: [at-l] Older Hikers-Extended Trips


YOUR FRIEND (78 YEARS OLD) SOUNDS LIKE ONE OF THE GUYS WHO HELPED ME OFF MT. 
MADISON IN JUNE OF 2002....MAYBE EVEN YOU!...HAVE BEEN LOOKING TO THANK ALL 
THE GUYS WHO HELPED ME.

I GUESS I DON'T QUALIFY AS AN OLDER HIKER ONLY BEING 61...BUT I CARRY +OR- 
50 POUNDS AND AM LOOKING TO GO LIGHTER...I WAS TOO EMBARASSED TO HAVE MY BAG 
TUCKERIZED AFTER I SAW LOGAN'S PACK....MAYBE BY NEXT YEAR IT WILL BE 
LIGHTER.

JB

>From: DTimm65344@aol.com
>To: HikingGrandpa@aol.com, at-l@backcountry.net
>Subject: Re: [at-l] Older Hikers-Extended Trips
>Date: Thu, 5 Feb 2004 00:17:45 EST
>
>In a message dated 2/4/2004 8:10:55 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>HikingGrandpa@aol.com writes:
>I was wondering if there are any other older hikers out there on the list 
>who
>are still taking extended backpacking trips. And I was also wondering what
>kind of weight you are carrying and for what periods of time between
>resupply. I
>define weight carried as the weight of the pack and everything in it
>including water and food and anything else that is dangling off of the 
>pack.
>Ozzie -
>
>My neighbor down the street is working on his fourth hike of the AT (he and 
>I
>finished off the Whites last summer and I am helping him map about 150 
>miles
>in ME this year).  He is GPS mapping it for the ATC.  He is also 78.  I am 
>46
>and we hike about the same speed.  We do two to three day stretches of 40
>miles or so with his wife doing resupply/shuttle - he carries about 35 
>pounds (the
>GPS unit and some of his gear) and I carry about 50 pounds (some of his 
>gear
>and all of mine).  You'll do fine.
>
>Black&blue
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