[at-l] re:Hiking the Appalachian Trail

[pmags at yahoo.com (Paul Magnanti)]

> 1. Stoves were unknown - so we didn't have to carry
> fuel either.

That is one thing I am glad *IS* different. Can you
imagine the impact if everyone who backpacked 
today made a campfire? 

Young as I am, we never used stoves as well back in
the day. Back in boyscouts (~20 yrs ago), we all
had campfires. 25 or so 10-13 yr old with fire. Egads!
:)

The pack list did mention a SVEA 123. IIRC, campstoves
started becoming popular in the the 1960s. I find it
interesting that the first "modern" camp stove
(invented by Coleman for GIs in WW2) is still used
today in a nearly unaltered form. Kinda cool. 

Heck, the first backpacking boom in the 1950s was with
all the WW2/Korean War surplus... Suspect more than a
few boy scouts used the "high tech" stoves there Dads'
 had from the war. Rare, I imagine though.

Cool site..with PCT-L's own Mad monte:
http://stovecollector.tripod.com/
  
> 2. Water filters didn't even exist.

Don't get me started on marketing! :)

Halazone tabs were the "in thing" from what I
understand. Again, WW2 off-shoot (Pacific fighting,
where they were used quite a bit..along with a god
awful lemon powder from stories I've read!)..and I
suspect rarely used by backpackers. 


> 3. Tents were only rarely carried.  I never carried
> one nor did anyone I > knew.

>From what I can tell, tarps (or ponchos) were mainly
used.

Again, any tents appeared to be WW2 surplus (like what

Earl first used on the AT. He ditched it later because
of  all the shelters).

> 4. Sleeping pads were as rare as hens teeth. I never
> carried one.
> 

Even discounting the frowning of the use of pine
boughs in shelters, what started the trend to sleeping
pads? 

I know they started becoming used more in the late
1960s (which is what was the second REALLY big boom in
backpacking). 

Shootoff from the military? Trickle down from
mountaineering where insulation is really key?

> OTOH - food was heavier, tastier, harder to prepare,
> and more nutritious and 
> filling.
> 

I once saw a 1920's LT guidebook. The food suggested
was
XXX amount of eggs, 5 lbs of flours, so many pounds of
sugar,etc.
for two backpackers.

Heavy!  But sounds of so yummy...

> Also - the average thruhike was much shorter than
> today (3 to 4 months) 
> while the Trail was only slightly shorter.  And the
> average daily mileage 
> was higher.  Warren Doyle did his first thruhike in
> 1973 - if memory serves, 
> in 72 or 73 days.
> 

Towns. More town stops. More people staying in towns.

The trail in the late 1960's was almost exactly 2000
miles.

It is about 2200 miles now. Still, at the 20 MPD pace
done in 1968, that is only 10 more days of hiking.


I suspect, though, a 2.5 month pace was fast then as
well!

> have to pay for them - and 
> whatever time you spend reading them.
> 


>
> Have fun with them,

As a history buff, I find the AT of the past very
interesting.

I am so pleased to have this part of the AT history in
my collection.

Good stuff.



************************************************************
The true harvest of my life is intangible.... a little stardust caught, a portion of the rainbow I have clutched
--Thoreau
http://www.magnanti.com