Re: [at-l] Thruhiking - Learning about it

[Owen <jrowen@ibm.net>]

DaRedhead@aol.com wrote:
> 
 I mean, in the long run, did what brand or size of anything make a REAL
 difference in finishing your hike? Or stopping before the end?  Did
anyone  leave the Trail because of their gear??  I guess what I'm asking
is - with the  exception of simply carrying too much or too heavy - did
any of the other  stuff make a difference?


In my case - definitely not.  When I started backpacking, I didn't have
anybody to ask about gear.  I made some stupid assumptions - like, for a
long trip you need the biggest pack you can find.  My first thruhike, my
pack was way too big and chafed constantly, my boots gave me blisters
for 2 months and again at the end for the last month when the leather
inside began to rot.  I carried way too many clothes (2 pairs of jeans
starting out). The filter was a pain to use and my camera broke.  The
only gear I really liked was the stove, which I had never used before
starting the Trail.  Result:  I loved the AT so much I went back and did
it again.  

It can happen that a pack or boots give such pain that a thruhike would
end - but that can usually be avoided by trying them out for on
backpacking weekends or week long trips before you go on your thruhike. 
And most of the time if the gear is wrong it can be replaced along the
way. The Hanson's store at Neels Gap fixes a lot of mistakes.  (Funny
thing, K-Mart tents don't work really well in heavy rains, as one friend
found out the hard way. Fortunately Neels Gap was only a day or two
away.)  There are stores in Damascus and elsewhere that get a lot of
thruhiker business, as people learn along the way what works and what
doesn't. You're right, generally speaking, it isn't the gear that gets
you there.  Though it can be fun to pretend it does.  We want to believe
that if we can make the right choices, it will guarantee our success. 
Doesn't work that way.  

Ginny

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