Re: [pct-l]Purism

["David B. Stockton" <davstock@tiac.net>]

<snip>
 The terms purist or supported or slack packing are words that should not 
be used
in a group of hikers. These terms are meant to accredit or discredit a
persons hike. T...
<snip>

This is exactly what I am trying to say.  I'm saying that "purist" is 
impossible, so no one is a Purist. I'm saying that everyone walks a 
"supported" hike, because that is the only thing that is possible.  If I 
carry everything but my toenail clippers, and hire the Post Office to carry 
them for me from place to place, I am just as much a "slackpacker" as the 
guys with a support van.  Otherwise, you have to give the guy who hikes the 
trail with the most weight and the fewest resupplies some sort of prize, 
which seems stupid to me.

I'm just hoping to have enough stamina, health, luck, pain tolerance, fun, 
and Snickers Bars to walk from one end to the other.  The Post Office is 
going to help, you can bet on it, and if I can convince a relative to bring 
me a resupply package in the Sierras, I'll welcome that too.  I'm going to 
carry as little as I can get away with, and thank you to many of you, 
including M. Ray Jardine, for helping make that less than it was in '94.

If one wants to set up monitored "events", with strict definitions for what 
is allowable for different hike "categories", then compete within those 
categories, that's probably a reasonable way to compete.  I won't be 
competing with any of you, regardless of race, creed, sex, stove fuel, 
backpack weight, or support configuration.  I'll be glad just to complete 
the thing.  I like hiking and hope that I will like hiking the PCT.

Montedodge is right in that these terms are often used to try to say that 
one's hike is "better" than another's.  This is meaningless because is no 
agreed-upon standard that is monitored and enforced, such as in an 
Eco-Challenge or other race, nor is there some set of participants that, by 
entering the event, agree to be judged by that standard.  If there were, I 
wouldn't be in it.

I like what I saw in one of Blisterfree's emails:  Hike Your Own Hike.

Off for a few days to move back to Connecticut...

-- Dave

David B. Stockton
davstock@tiac.net


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