[at-l] re:Hiking the Appalachian Trail

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

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

Went looking for one of those at one time - decided it was too expensive and 
I'd just keep on using fire.  But that was waaay back.

>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.

Heavy, too.

> > 2. Water filters didn't even exist.
>
>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.

What they didn't tell you about halazone was the side effects.  And the 
taste.  Iodine tabs are an improvement.

> > 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.

Ponchos, generally - but they usually leaked like a seive.


> > 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?

You got it - if you couldn't use pine boughs, then it was a really good idea 
to use something else.  Especially in winter with snow on the ground.

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

Again - military surplus - especially after the Korean War.

>
> > 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.

Yup - WC's summary was really good.

>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.

Congratulations.  I'm glad "hikers" are getting them rather than 
"collectors".  We got ours from one of the authors - brand new still wrapped 
in cellophone.  And he wouldn't sell it to us until he was satisfied that we 
were actually hikers.  He was really pleased to find out that we were 
thruhikers.

Walk softly,
Jim




http://www.spiriteaglehome.com/