[at-l] Watches on the Trail?

[daveh at psknet.com (David Hicks)]

Interesting.

Since I retired I seldom wear a watch, except when hiking, fishing, or 
hunting.

I don't wear one when doing trail work in a group.  Let someone else be the 
timekeeper.  When working alone, the sun is close enough a time piece to get 
back to camp, or the trailhead before dark.

However, when hunting, there can be some legal ramifications as to what time 
it is.

I can't explain fishing, except I usually have a plan for the day, which is 
based on how they are biting where I am; and, if not all that well, on the 
time of day as to where I might go and will I have time to get there and back 
to the ramp before dark.  I will do night fishing.  However, it needs to be a 
body of water I know quite well.

Now as for hiking, I keep a close eye on my MPH and use my watch as a key 
navigation device -- it is a check on my compass and map interpretations.  "It 
"X" o'clock and by now I should have topped the ridge/ should have crossed the 
"Y"/ should have seen the "Z" .   Let's see the next water should be "X" 
miles, or "Y" minutes/hours away.  Hey, I well ahead of schedule and there is 
a side trail to an overview just a few minutes ahead.

As always, YMMV and one of the big divides amongst us is between "compass and 
map" (and in my case watch) hikers and the "forget the compass and map" 
hikers.

To be sure the AT can be hiked w/o.  However, not all my hiking is on the AT. 
However, never the less even on the AT I like my maps, compass, and watch.

Chainsaw

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Rafe Bustin" <rafeb@speakeasy.net>
To: <at-l@backcountry.net>
Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2005 5:21 PM
Subject: [at-l] Watches on the Trail?



>>
  I can't think of any hard reasons
to have a watch in the backcountry.
<<