Misc - Appalachian Trail

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#21

Whoo – eeeee People are getting in-tents!!! (He He)

I’m just a novice with a reader’s account and get vicarious pleasure out of others journals and posts – glad there is no objective criteria for “Expert”. Maybe one could be set up, it could be like an apprenticeship deal – Journeyman backpacker. Like a “baiter” on a sport fishing boat, and you could work your way all the way up to Master!!!

It would be pretty boring if people’s real life experiences were left out of this forum and applaud those who regularly contribute, takes some guts to put yourself out there.

See Yaaaa!!!

Raz

#22

how many thru-hikes makes you an “EXPERT” & where do you walk down the aisle to pick up your diploma in outdoorology? or become a Hikinologist?

hehehehehehe!:wink:

Jaybird

#23

I’ll have you know I attended "Bark"ly and attained a BSc in Hikingology!! My thesis was named “The eudymonic metaphysics of putting one foot in front of the other”

I thank you.

Ross

Ross

#24

I’m amazed how the more miles I walk, the more I learn, the more I realize that I don’t know a thing. I really like the Einstein saying in Maintain’s post for the following reason: There are many many lesson’s out there, and the quieter we can make our minds and lessen distractions to focus on those lessons, the more knowledge is available to us.

Hiking is a complete activity. I shiver when someone calls it a “sport”. There is so much Physically, emotionally, intuitively, and spiritually. I think it’s important to “debrief” those lessons (which sometimes highlight our differences), and to describe the fruits of experience to others willing to take their own steps.

These threads are pebbles on the beach to me. But to actually feel the wind, the crush of the waves, and to smell the salt in the air -that’s what it’s all about, regardless of differences in advise or viewpoint. Take us how you wish, but follow the shore on it own terms.

From St. Criox, U.S.V.I.-

Tha Wookie

#25

I am an expert…on what works for me. Sometimes I share that info and it might help another avoid some of my fantastic past mistakes. Or it could turn into a mistake for them. That’s the beauty of this hiking thing what works for everybody is different, and yet we all can become our own experts! :smiley:

yo-yo

#26

I have been tempted to post something similar to Roger’s post, particularly in response to the responses to the “Dead Hiker in NH” thread and the “Animal Defenses” thread.

One monday-morning armchair quarterback posted, in no uncertain terms, that, if you are caught in a bad weather situation, you should stay put and wait for help. This was said in response to the hiker who was caught in a freak, record setting cold snap that brought temps in his area of 40 below, with wind chill of 100 below.

If the hiker who dies was suitably prepared for his area/time of year with a zero degree bad, but suprised by the cold snap like everyone else, I am not sure crawling into that zero degree bag and waiting in minus 40 to minus 100 degree temp readings would be the smart thing to do.

The way his response was written, it sure sounded like a cold-weather survival instructor speaking from the text book, but in actuality, it was a person who is not stable enough to hold a job, got lost and disoriented on the appraoch trail with an 84 pound pack, and had a nervous break down not far into the hike. I think Roger is correct in raising a red flag of caution on advice given.

Buffy

#27

Buffy. You can go ahead and speak my name; its not taboo. And I’ve never denied the fact that I have mental illness. Hiking is a great joy to me; but it is also very stressful. Yes; I did have medication problems; and I left and returned to the trail 3 times trying to correct them my 1st thru-hike attempt. I’m still trying to find medications that work for me.

And I was never actually lost on the approach trail. As daniel boone once said. “ive never been lost before. But i’ve been a mite bit bewiledered for a few days”

I’ve been to many wilderness survival retreats; forums; and trainings. I’ve even taught at a few. In most cases; when things get severe; the best thing to do is find a place to hunker down; and try to bear things out. Would it have worked in this particular case u are refering to? I dont know; I dont think nobody knows. We are talking everest like conditions. Certainly more than anyone would have ever expected. Would I have died if it had been me out there? probably yes. I was just repeating what I had learned; nothing more; nothing less. That man had tremendous courage and he should be respected and remembered for that.

Big Boy

#28

Roger, I think you are making the same error I find myself making sometimes, that is, confusing this forum with a backpacking forum. This is a forum for thru-hiking which is a lot different than recreational backpacking. The information is usually right-on for thru-hiking but is not always what you would teach the Boy Scouts. Thru-hikers need to make bigger compromises (take bigger risks) in their gear and in their methods in order to increase the odds of completing 2000+ miles of hiking. If you’re going to have to break some rules or learn about some short cuts that work, these are the people you want giving you advise.

Fred

#29

Ok ,you want it you got it. Yes, I am an expert hiker. I know all there is to know about the subject. I know how to fall down. I know how not to fall down. I know how to boil coffee and eat oatmeal straight from the bag. I know what its like to lay up in the woods all nite alone and hear nothing, but always wondering “what that was” I duct taped blisters with duct tape.And if you ever pass McAfees knob, it is very safe to stand right on the very,very edge. I did and here I am. Yes I am an expert, a legend in my own mind. And in my humble opinion its better to stay put in a freeze than to walk about in a freeze. Use common sense and drink a lot. You’ll be fine!

Virginain

#30

There is a big possibility that people don’t discuss this veritable “danger zone” of health risks because there is a little-to-none occurence of problems that come from staying in the shelters. Sure, I still don’t know how I caught strep throat, and if one person has the flu, then everyone will eventually get the flu, but aside from that…

People here speak from personal experience. They give advice according to what they’ve experienced, which is what people are asking. We may sound a little confident in our opinions, but can you blame us? Most people here have hiked at least a few hundred miles on the AT, if not MUCH more than that.

Let’s think about this though. On a clear, or at least non-rainy day, people will hang their clothes on a line outside of the shelter. On a rainy day, it’s usually confined to a covered area in or near the shelter. When you tent, where are your wet clothes when it’s raining outside? It’s just my experience that an open shelter gets more ventilation than a tent.

Also…people releiving themselves in a bottle. I’ve been in lots of crowded shelters, with different mixes of people, and I’ve never experienced that (I’m normally the person that wakes up every time someone moves, so I’m astonished that I’ve missed it). There were one or two people who jokingly referred to it, during freezing weather, but really. Anywhere you put your tent, I will guarantee there’s been some defication and urination on the spot. No, you are not directly sleeping on it, but that tent eventually has to go back into your bag. So…

Now, let’s hit the tick and mouse subject. Of course, there will be mice in the shelter. We’re in their natural habitat. Yes, you will avoid the mice, and the hauntavirus (which, I’ve only heard of affecting 2 people on the trail in all of my researching the AT, but there could be more), but I’ve never experienced ticks being a problem in the shelters. I found ticks 3 different times, and all were after walking through grassy fields and thick underbrush, during the day.

My point is that it is hard to keep the environment around you sanitary when you are hiking in the woods for months, even in a tent (especially after a few weeks of rain…even if you try to dry it out every day, you will still likely get mildew on/in it somewhere). That’s probably why most of us focus on what we can actually control, such as water filtration, personal hygeine, washing your clothes, etc.

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