Questions Questions Questions....

So, as I start planning my Appalachian Trail trip, people are beginning to ask questions about the trail and hiking.  It is funny to me that the same questions seem to always be asked, and a typical dialogue goes something like this.

Person: "So, tell me more about this hiking thing.  So if I understand correctly, The trail starts in Georgia and ends in Maine."

Me:  "That is correct."

Person: "...and people hike it for weeks or months at a time?"

Me: "Yup, there are the day and weekend hikers as well as long distance hikers that will hike a long section of the trail, generaly anywhere from a week to several months, to someone who is hiking the whole 2000 plus miles over approximately 6 months.  This person is called a thru hiker."

Person: " So you are going to do one of these long hikes?"

Me: "Yup, probably many."

Person: "Why?"

Me: " Why not?"

Person: "So do you stay in hotels every night or are you camping every night?"

Me: " If you would like to sponsor me and pick me up every night and provide a hotel, I would greatly appreciate it.  Actually long distance hikers on the trail generally camp  and/or stay in shelters most of the way.  However, most hikers do get into a town every once in a while and generally will split the cost of hotel rooms with 2 or 3 people or stay in a hiker hostel overnight to conserve money.  This allows them to repair equipment, eat "real food", rest and heal their bodies, and resupply with fresh food adn supplies for the trail.  These are called zero days if they spend the whole day in town, and do not hike.  More often than not, the hiker will come into a town, grab a shower at a hostel, resupply, eat copius amounts of "real food" and head back onto the trail to get more miles in."

Person: " So you are carrying a backpack?"

Me: " I do carry a backpack..how else would I carry all my cool hiking stuff.  In grocery bags?  That would suck!"

Person: "So how much does your backpack weigh?"

Me:  "It depends on the time of the year and what gear and amount of food and water I need to be carrying at the time.  My goal is less than 10 pounds of base weight (backpack and gear less food and water).  Water will average 4.4 lbs and a full food bag will probably be about 10 pounds after resupply.  So lets say it will be an average of  less than 25 pounds at the heavy end during the summer months.  Actually the correct answer is always, too much!"

Person: "Wow, that sounds kindof light.  I always hear of people complaining how heavy their pack feels and how much it slows them down."

Me: "Many people do not really consider pack weight at the beginning of a long hike, especially if they are doing this for the first time.  In fact, most people at the beginning of their first long hike are looking for somewhere they can mail extra extra equipment home shortly after they begin.  I am still striving to lighten my pack, but the best way to do it is to bring only the essential items you need to be successful in your hike.  The less weight you carry, the less wear and tear on your shoulders, back, legs and feet and the better the chance of making it to Maine."

Person: "So what do you carry in your pack?"

Me: "I carry a high performance lightweight sleeping bag, extremely light shelter, stakes and ground cloth, hiking stove, fuel, water, a change of clothing, cold weather gear if needed, raingear or rain jacket, hygine bag, first aid kit, headlamp, cellphone or ipod, hiking journal, AT map and guide, a book, food and a few other necessities.  All if my gear is designed to be extremely lightweight to cut down weight. I bring what I need to complete the hike comfortably and safely.  I leave the rest at home."

Person:  "So I hear hikers go to some crazy lengths to cut weight from their pack.  Do they really cut down their toothbrushes to save a half ounce?"

Me: "Of course they do, every half ounce is important.  I consider everything I purchase, how useful is the item, what does it weigh, are there lighter alternatives that may be a better choice? When you have to carry everything on your back, weight is a factor that we all think about.  Heck, to save weight on seam sealing my camping tarp, I used a 10 ga. hypodermic needle and syringe to only seal the threads in the seams and not coat any more of the nylon than I had too.  This may sound extreme, I am not a hyperlight backpacker, but if I can save half an ounce seam sealing, I can bank that weight for something else I need or want to carry."

Person: "So what do you do when you have to use the bathroom?"

Me:  " Does a bear $%^%$ in the woods?"

Person: "I suppose they do......"

Me: "Well hikers do also....duh."

.......more of this conversation in a  later post.

Tomorrow I am off to Pearisburg VA to hit the AT for the weekend.  It is a gear shakedown hike and I am not looking to do big miles.  In fact, tomorrow I am going to do light miles and then tomorrow night I am stayig at a great Hiker Hostel and not tarping on the trail till Saturday night.  This plan seems to be a good one as it looks like thunderstorms tomorrow.  So, I will have a dry place to sleep, hot food in my belly, hopefully good conversation from fellow hikers and ready to hit the trail again Saturday mornig full of vim and vigor.

So until next time,  Keep the compass rose pointing north..