Re: [pct-l] Stove choices

[reynolds@ilan.com]

Brick & Karen,

My style is the "gold standard"??  NOPE,  just my style. I am not
disparaging either of yours or anyones style. My comments, however, are
based on observations of 99 hopefuls that I have met and followed this
year.

My contention is that "many" section hikers and thruhikers would be better
served if they walked two (2) hours less and ate more interesting food.
Most thruhikers don't run ultras like Brick. My observations this year is
that many thruhikers were not in good enough shape to walk as long [as many
hours] as the few in good shape.  I agree that most thruhikers won't use
any of my ideas, prefering instead to emulate the approach of successsful
thruhikers, most of which walked very long days. They would be better
served [IMHO] if they started earlier and emulated fat, old me for a
thousand miles.  I  am reacting to what I saw other thruhikers [not either
of you or Sly] do on the trail this year. Far too many were not in the
physical shape necessary to maintain the pace recommended by Jardine.

Brick,
On a solo hike I would carry one (1) pot weighing 8 ounces, one (1) stove
weighing 3 ounces, one (1) BakePacker weighing 2.5 ounces and assorted
plastic utensels, baggies weighing about an ounce. Total kitchen weight is
less than a pound. I would carry 1 pound of food per day, 18 pounds of food
in a bear canister, the first day would not be stored in the canister, 1
pound of fuel and 2 pounds 3 ounces for the canister. Total weight,
kitchen, food, fuel and bear canister equals 23 pounds for 19 days.  Brick,
if your comaprable weight is half this, than this, congratulations. [My
total pack would start at 40 pounds.]

You are selling yourself short to think you would only walk double what I
walk in 14 hours. My guess is that you would make 30 plus miles per day
even  thru the Sierra. I would limit myself to six (6) hours of walking per
day the first week [8 miles per day] and 8 hours thereafter [12 miles per
day.]. In 21 days I would have walked 200 miles. You would be 700 miles up
the trail and 500 miles ahead of me, in the same time. The next 21 days I
would step it up a bit to 10 hours per day [15 miles] and arrive in Kennedy
Meadows more than a month behind you -- but still healthy!

I suspect that you are in a state of "ultrahealth", a condition where you
simply shake off injurys that would overwhelm the average person. My son
worked all summer to get in this condition for cross country season. As a
result he is fit and fast. However other, possibly more talented runners,
did not get in as good a shape. They are trying to run with those who are
and are getting hurt early and often. I submit that many are doing the same
trying to walk with you and Ray etc.




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