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Re: [at-l] Pack Weight on the AT

>> 6.  At no time have I ever found myself  uncomfortably cold, much
>> less in danger of hypothermia.
> 6. REPLY:  The person in danger of hypothermia, is the last person
> to think they are.

I don't understand your reply. Are you saying that I'm wrong, and that I
HAVE been in danger of hypothermia even though I've never even felt
uncomfortably cold?

>> 7. >  Many others, including Warren Doyle (a 9 time AT thru-hiker),
>> go even lighter in clothing than I do.
> 7. REPLY: A lot of this hikes have been supported. Someone meets him
> at road crossing with food, clothing, .........

Yes, that's true. Of course, I was referring to his unsupported hikes.
Also, to correct myself: Warren Doyle is a 10 time AT thru-hiker. Sorry,
Warren!

>> 9. >  Many of these fears are really irrational, if confronted
>>  logically. Frankly, the AT is one of the safest possible trails in the
>>  world to hike on. You're never far from civilization and never alone
for
>>  very long during thru-hiking season.
> 9. REPLY: No trail is 100% safe. Hikers have been injured, some have
> died on the AT. You can go for days, ?during the thru-hiking season? on
> the AT without meeting anyone. Chance of this is slim. If someone is
> sick or injured on the trail they need to be able to keep themselves
> warm until help arrives. He could be the next day before someone comes
by.


I completely agree with you. You'll notice that I did not say that the AT
was 100% safe. Life itself is unsafe. People die in their own bathrooms
every day. Heck, I even carry first aid kits and basic winter survival gear
in both my cars!

I also agree completely with you that everyone needs to carry ENOUGH gear
to assure that they'll be able to stay warm and protected from the weather
in the possibility that an emergency might occur. The key fact that I've
been trying to present is that the definition of "enough" can vary for each
invidual based on their own level of knowledge, experience, and fears.
That's certainly true for me! I used to carry way more stuff than I NEEDED,
primarily because I was afraid that something "bad" might happen to me on
the trail if I wasn't carrying it all. My gear selection wasn't rational,
but really fear-based. Frankly, I don't think I'm the only hiker in the
world who has had this problem.

> How if someone is hiking outside the normal thru-hiking season.


If I understand the above correctly, my reply is: Then they might need to
take some extra precautions. When I've hiked in real wilderness areas, I've
thought a lot harder about safety issues than when I've hiked the AT during
the summer.

>> 10.  >  You're not hiking in the Yukon, or even the Sierras! It
>> usually takes an extreme amount of carelessness to put
>> yourself in any kind of serious danger on the AT.
>> 10.  REPLY: It does not take an extreme amount of carelessness to
>> get in serious danger. All it takes is one misstep. I know it happen
>> to me. I tripped on a tree root, fell and hit a rock, putting a hole
>> my leg. I was with two other hikers, and between the three of us we
>> came up with enough bandages to bandage to wound. It was deep enough
>> to see the bone. This was on Bemis Mountain. We then hiked on down to
>> Maine 17 and got a ride into Rangeley, ME. Spent the rest of the day
>> at the Doctors office. Resupplied the next day, back
>> on the trail. No, the pack was not 50 lbs.


Did you feel that you were in serious danger if you'd been hiking alone?
Did you feel that you might have died or suffered permanent injury? I'm
confused because you seem to be saying that you walked out under your own
power and were back on the trail the next day.

>> 11.  >  The one sure thing is that the lighter the weight you're
>> carrying, the more likely you are to enjoy your thru-hike.
> 11.  REPLY:  The only thing sure about this statement is, that it
> is true for the writer. As a Three time thru-hiker. (one thru-hike
> and a Yo-Yo hike). I have ENJOYED all of them.

I think it's great that you've been able to hike the AT so many times and
enjoy it so much. I'm actually envious of you!

Am I to understand from your message that you've actually tried lightweight
hiking and found that you enjoyed it less?

>> 13. REPLY: The bottom line to all of this is:
>>   A. A backpacker should not carry more then a third of his or her
>> body weight. If they want to carry more, they will have to work up
>> slowly to the weight they want to carry.

In my opinion (please notice I said "opinion"), a backpacker should not
carry more than a fourth of his or her body weight to start. That's what
I've always told novices and that's what I was told when I first started
backpacking way back in the mid-60's. It's also my experience that most
people can usually get away with carrying a lot less than that. I typically
carry no more than one sixth my body weight on a long-distance hike. By the
way, I'm 6' 2" and weigh 200 lbs.

>>   C. Someone needs to stop telling other. That they will not enjoy
>> there hike, because they are carrying more weight then he is.

I agree. As I've said before, I've met AT hikers carrying packs weighing
nearly 100 lbs who were hiking their own hike and really enjoying it. I'm
just trying to say that you don't HAVE to carry a heavy pack to enjoy a
thru-hike and that you are more LIKELY to enjoy, and complete it, if you
carry a light pack. I'm frankly incredulous that anyone could disagree with
that statement! Hey, call me crazy, but that's what I really believe!!!


+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+
Michael Connick

E-mail: Michael_Connick@clmt.com
Michael's Ultralight Backpacking Page:
    http://www.monmouth.com/~mconnick/
+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+


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