Slackpacking? - Appalachian Trail

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#21

I’m sorry but “freedom packing” sounds so PC I will never be able to see the phrase without sneering. Sounds too much like Freedom fries.

I myself tried a little slackpacking and didn’t really see too much advantage. I was only a little slower with my backpack and as the Ferryman says, you are giving up a little independence when you start relying on others to cart you and your stuff around.

And if you happen to get lost…

That said, it all comes down to personal preference and experience. HYOY.

JJ

#22

I haven’t read every post, so I’m sorry if I’m being redundant, but…

I believe there are those who slackpack (with a daypack) to bang out big miles, and those who simply enjoy a day of hiking without so much weight. At times, that might be because of injury, or even to help prevent one that may be coming on. So not all of those who do some slackpacking are simply interested in getting miles “out of the way.” In fact, I hiked by far my longest days with my full pack. And, with one exception, my half-dozen or so slackpacks were in the same northerly direction of my thru-hike. (I did walk the southbound once and didn’t like it. Just felt weird, even though I had a good day on the trail.) For me, personally, the slackpacking I did in no way took away from my overall experience and the feeling of accomplishment. I mean, hey, there were people out there who did not want to slackpack and didn’t, but some of those same folks walked a dirt road for several miles in Pennsylvania, rather than on the very rocky A.T. As JJ said, it’s personal preference. As my trail-friend Hacker always said, “It’s all good.”

ramkitten

#23

Now that i think about it, I’m not so sure I would do much–if any-- slackpacking if I were to hike the AT again. Not that I’m against it or would PLAN not to do any…but I can remember a couple of times where it would’ve been nice to have my other equipment to bed down for the night. NOT having the equipment forced me to move on further than I wanted to that day.

Leki-Less

#24

Lone Wolf,

I can maybe get behind your statement that “real hikers carry their packs,” but real hikers fording the Kennebec? I know it can and has been done, but IMHO it’s not smart–too dangerous for most and not cool to recommend it. Besides, according to ATC the “official” route across the river is in a (no-charge) canoe that they pay Steve to provide and guide. Rumor has it that there is a white blaze painted on the bottom of the canoe just to emphasize the point. Maybe Steve can verify.

I regret that the year I did Maine was the one year that Steve wasn’t providing the canoe ferry. Actually, the day we got there a woman was running the canoe. She got us across admirably (in the rain, of course–it was Maine in 2003), but I’ve heard so much about Steve that he has to qualify as a trail legend. Was looking forward to meeting him.

See ya at Trail Days, Wolf, even if ya don’t want to be a trail legend yer ownself.

Skyline

#25

I am a pack rat Boy Scout, and as such I like to be overprepared. But, I’m the first guy others go to when they need something, and I usually sleep well at night because I am so prepared. People thought I was nuts to bring 2 sleeping bags to an ice climbers festival, but when the temps reached -20°F, I was still asleep and not shivering. Even on a day Hike it’s not unusual for my pack to weigh 30 pounds in the winter, but I have all the gear to somewhat comfortably spend a night in the woods if I have to.

Personally I have no problem with people slack packing, but I do tend to get irritated from those people I have to rescue because they were so ill prepared.

Lawn Sale

#26

Slackpacking is just a fancy term for a dayhike.

In all my dayhiking here in Colorado never felt unprepared for an emergency. Wonder why people are unprepared for an AT dayhike?

As a side note…why is this dayhiking on the AT such a big issue? I mean, we are just hiking, people.

We are not doing brain surgery…

Wr are not debating foriegn policy…

We are not making a decision on what school jr. should go to…

It is just the simple pleasure of walking in the woods.

Why make it so complicated?

I don’t dayhike as a rule of thumb on my long hikes (did it 2 or three times on the AT, none of the other trails), but really…who cares if a person walks from GA-ME that way?

Take a hike, enjoy. It really is that simple. :slight_smile:

Mags

#27

Seriously people. “Real hikers” go on extended walks for pleasure or exercise. Period. I can’t believe that I used to think along these lines also, all this crap about…oh, it’s cheating if you do it this way or that way. Actually hiking the AT is what opened my eyes to the fact that IT DOESN’T MATTER how you do it. Want to carry your pack the whole way? Fine. Want to hit every white blaze? Great. Want to kneel facing east and pray five times a day? Whatever works FOR YOU.

 You dayhike instead of long distant hike.  Or maybe you walk level trails around lakes instead of climbing the highest mountains above treeline.  Or perhaps you blue-blaze, slackpack, stay in hotels, carry high-tech gadgets, or do anything WHATEVER ELSE you feel like doing while taking these extended pleasure walks.  None of the above make you LESS of a hiker; they simply make you a different hiker than the person walking next to you.

Leki-Less

#28

I will have to do whatever sections I can manage this year without a pack due to having been hit head-on by a drunk driver last August (broken hip and femur with muscle injuries). I am back out hiking with a cane in each hand, but I can’t carry any weight. The other dinosaur has been carrying my water and extra clothing.

Do any of you slackpackers have any tips for me? Does anyone pair up and ‘cross hike’ to slackpack the AT? (Cross hiking - two groups hike the same section of trail in opposite directions and then drive the car at their terminus to a preselected meeting point. They exchange key when they meet on the trail)

Frolicking Dinosaurs