View Full Version : most ridiculous thing ever carried on a thru?
Hey hey, so, i've been reading up on journals, forums yada yada for a thru hike next year. and i was woundering, what are some of the most ridiculous things you've seen or heard that's been carried? there seems to be sort of an amusement (if sometimes only for a short time) with carrying things that dont belong in the backcountry. like for instance, I've heard/seen of somone carrying a tuba, a paddle, a chrome plastic spinner hubcap, and various stuffed animals. even a cutout of Camron Diaz.. but your going to have to argue with me on how that doesnt belong in the backcountry :D
any others?
mike!
P.S. if this has been talked about before, as im sure it has, just ignore this ;)
freefall
11-18-2006, 03:22
I heard that someone in 2005 carried a punchbowl.
MedicineMan
11-18-2006, 03:53
we stock dehydrated alcohol 98% in 1ml and 5ml amps in the hospital...sorry buts is already been invented-over 50 years ago.
freefall
11-18-2006, 04:36
we stock dehydrated alcohol 98% in 1ml and 5ml amps in the hospital...sorry buts is already been invented-over 50 years ago.
Yeah- but is it drinkable?
MedicineMan
11-18-2006, 05:53
and ethanol is what's in beer/wine/liquor but in that concentration (100%) it is a scherosing agent (used for esophageal verices)....diluted it can be used orally and is used this way for ethylene glycol poisonings (anti-freeze) ingestions (but Everclear is much cheaper and we use it IV after filtering with a .2 micron filter to sterilize)....but you wouldn't like the $$$, its close to $31 per ml or $29,171 per quart.....
so yes you can drink it :)
I carried a stuffed bear from Damascus to Katahdin. It had something to do with my trail name. I'm holding the bear in my summit photo (http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/9/1/almanac_profile_lone_star_little_bear-med.jpg).
In 2000 somebody carried a lifesize cardboard cutout of Brittney Spears. He'd take it out and sleep with it each night.
Then there's tubaman.
max patch
11-18-2006, 11:12
plastic yard pink flamingos
Just Jeff
11-18-2006, 11:30
MM - you put Everclear in a IV? You're my hero.
Someone carried a cat one year.
I saw a picture of someone on this site that had a bicycle strapped to his pack. Now that's crazy.
Footslogger
11-18-2006, 11:47
Y'all know of those pink and yellow marshmallow chics ...correct ??
Well, in 2003 there was a great group that started together at Springer. Among that group were 2 lady hikers named T-Bird and Nemo. Leading up to Easter weekend all they kept talking about was trying to find those "chics". I fell behind coming into Irwin (kidney stones kicked in) and they hiked on. I was re-supplying in Irwin and found a couple packages of the "chicks".
Long story short, I bought and stuffed them in my pack with the intention of catching up to the ladies and giving them their chicks. The days turned into weeks and my food supply ran dangerously thin ...which led me to dig in and start eating the chicks myself. However, as the supply dwindled I decided to hold onto the last 2 chicks, no matter what, and give them to the ladies WHENEVER I saw them again. I hiked into Damascus and made my way out to the hiker ghetto. From a distance I heard someone calling my name. It was T-Bird and Nemo and the first thing I did was drop my pack, dig out the remaining 2 chicks and make my little presentation.
Those 2 marshmallow chicks were had seen better days ...but according to T-Bird and Nemo it was the thought that counted !!
True story ....
'Slogger
The lady Brits and I were sitting at a table in the Tap Room, located in the basement of the Big Meadows Lodge, in Shenandoah Park. We were knocking back some suds and listening to the night’s culturally significant entertainment (spelled ‘funky Appalachian Mountain music’). An Irish couple we’d met earlier came in. We invited them to join us.
This tuned out to be one of those impromptu gatherings where almost everyone enjoys one another’s company. They were interested in our stories from the AT. We were interested in their stories from the ‘high society’ wedding they’d recently attended in Virginia. As the waitress delivered another round, the Irishman asked us to describe some of the most unusual things we’d seen hikers carry on the trail.
Well, there’s lots of 'stuff.' We started off by tattle telling on ourselves. I mean, I personally sent three boxes home from the Hiker Hostel, before I even hit the trail. “Three?” they asked incredulously… “Yeah, three big ones. Plus I sent another one back when I got back there after hiking the AT for only two days!” While everyone enjoyed the fact that the only thing I obviously didn’t have when I stated my hike was a second backpack to carry all that extra, important junk, I noticed the Irish lady was looking at her partner rather intently. Hmmm... I signaled the waitress.
The Brits had equally amusing personal examples, including a green, amphibian-type “hitchhiker” who, although “hiked his own hike” on several occasions, always managed to find his way back to them. And who, interestingly, had some very unusual and significant “Kodak” moments in them, thar hills. (What IS the name of that particular rock outcropping near the summit of the Priest, ladies?)
Anyway, the waitress continued to do her job. We continued to tell our stories. The Irish lady’s eyes continued to bore into her partner. He noticed, but (probably thanks to the beer) he dismissed her “Don’t you DARE!” stare, without the slightest inclination of fear. Finally, we “coaxed” it out of him… Turns out, the Irish couple had day-hiked on the Appalachian Trail. Now it was our turn. “What have YOU seen?”
The Irishman told us he’d taken some sandwiches… some water… some candy…
I’m not sure, if the smoke I saw at that moment came from a nearby person who “lit up,” (the bar is smoke free) or from the Irish lady’s ears. She was fuming. I recall thinking that the Irishman was about to be the recipient of an excruciatingly painful and serious injury to his lower proximity.
“Well what did she take?” we asked, realizing all of his inquiries were definitely a set up. The Irish lady’s demeanor changed. She couldn’t stop him. She was chagrined... He took a hold of his glass, stood, and proposed a toast. “Here’s to my partner,” says he, “who hiked on the American Appalachian Trail today, carrying all of her essential equipment, including her HAIR DRYER!”
We about died right then... I suspect he about died a little later.
Sorry, Mike! It aren’t a “Thru,” but the story is true!
See ya!
Kerosene
11-18-2006, 14:57
I ran into one thru-hiker carrying what appeared to be some form of play sword with a plastic handle wrapped in cloth. I didn't stop him to ask why.
More interestingly, I ran across a young woman in New York State toting a honking big yellow toy Tonka dumptruck. She had picked it up at a flea market near Delaware Water Gap and would end up toting it 100+ miles to the point where she was getting off the trail to visit her young cousin who loved Tonka trucks. Talk about dedication.
i carried a majic 8 ball for several hundred miles, to decide if i was gonna stay in town or hike
RSWillis
11-18-2006, 16:55
I carried a hubcap for about 600 miles on my SOBO thru this year, at one point I also picked up a big plastic battleaxe. One thing I must note though is that it is extremely difficult to hitchike with a battleaxe slung over your shoulder. I also met the nuclear nighthawk near mt Washington, that you gotta see to believe.
Jester2000
11-18-2006, 17:18
At various times (not all at once) carried:
Large novelty quarter
Photo of the Jefferson Memorial
Key from the hotel in Franklin (took to Maine)
Kite
Four square ball (actual, not inflatable)
Pennsylvania license plate (trailer)
Wind-up flipping dog
Ugly Bunny
Large supersoaker (Irwin - Damascus)
Whoopie cushion
Disco ball (small)
That's what I remember. If I check my journal I'll probably find more stuff. Which proves (at least) three things. If you have a big pack, you'll fill it somehow. Also, going to yard sales while in town is probably not the best idea. And finally, it's only "useless" gear if you don't use it.
Jack Tarlin
11-18-2006, 17:27
As a favor to Jester, I carried this really hideous stuffed rabbit from the NOC in Wesser, North Carolina all the way to Vermont.
I'm sure there was a good reason for this at the time, but I'll be damned if I remember what it was.
Perhaps Jester will be kind enough to send along a photograph.
Jester2000
11-18-2006, 18:00
As a favor to Jester, I carried this really hideous stuffed rabbit from the NOC in Wesser, North Carolina all the way to Vermont.
I'm sure there was a good reason for this at the time, but I'll be damned if I remember what it was.
Perhaps Jester will be kind enough to send along a photograph.
I'm not sure, but it was one of these. . .
http://gallery.backcountry.net/chomp-traildays03/ads
http://gallery.backcountry.net/chomp-traildays03/adl
http://gallery.backcountry.net/chomp0traildays03/acc
Jester2000
11-18-2006, 18:03
Third one's wrong -- should be:
http://gallery.backcountry.net/chomp-traildays03/acc
freefall
11-18-2006, 20:54
This year there was a "special" monkey that was being passed around heading up the trail. Monk had it in Damascus, then when he decided to stay for a while, he passed it to Knight Rider. Collectively, we decided the monkey should STAY on the trail. The concept- have it make it all the way to Maine then pass it off to a SOBO to make sure it got to GA and repeat.
Anyone know the where-a-bouts of said monkey?
gtothero
11-18-2006, 21:19
What about the guy that carried the tuba? See http://www.uvm.edu/~dtepper/tubabike2002/from_AT_hike/
first post...
OK I was convinced the tuba thing was a joke...
holy S**T
Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-18-2006, 22:26
I'm trying to decide if the most ridiculous thing was MS's pack or the coconut monkey from 2006
hopefulhiker
11-19-2006, 15:31
In 2005 there was a guy who rode his bike from somewhere north and took it apart and carried the full size bike on his back from Springer north.. I saw him in Hot Springs, think his name was Bike Man.. Im not sure how far he made it....
Hopeful, his name was CycleHiker. Last time I saw him was near Salisbury, CT on the 15th of July 05 although he had finally shipped his bike home, somehere in NY I think. The bike was light, weighed only 23 lbs (FEH)
fiddlehead
11-20-2006, 08:57
How about a skateboard? "Earth surfer" and his family were thru-hiking in 97? and he was carrying a skateboard. He said it was great for getting into towns and on the Blue ridge parkway in the Shenendoahs. I saw some guys this weekend down at Eckville who were carrying some rediculously big packs.
Those are the ugliest bunnies I've ever seen. But the third one looks a lot better in the picture than when I met him in person. Those moths in Jack's backpack sure took their toll.
I carried a hello kitty doll from georgia to maine, and it's still attached to my backpack (3 years now). There is a secret meaning but the secret is cvered in duct tape,
I think I'm going to get a ferret and keep him on a leash...ferret's make me laugh.
i have a small easter egg wearing a suit and top hat making a really weird face, it was part of some lost and found easter candy my mom sent me, his face was so funny, i attached him to a zipper and he's been there ever since.
Skidsteer
11-20-2006, 19:23
I think I'm going to get a ferret and keep him on a leash...ferret's make me laugh.
Be sure to keep the little hellions away from any soft or rubbery plastics(like platypus bite valves or condoms).
Long story.....
:D
Frolicking Dinosaurs
11-20-2006, 23:12
Be sure to keep the little hellions away from any soft or rubbery plastics(like platypus bite valves or condoms).
Long story.....
:DWhy Skids? (http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/lowcarbscoop/Skids.jpg)
Skidsteer
11-20-2006, 23:18
Why Skids? (http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b47/lowcarbscoop/Skids.jpg)
Oh crap....:rolleyes:
So much for staying under your radar.....My wife is gonna laugh her Platypus off! :D
Be sure to keep the little hellions away from any soft or rubbery plastics(like platypus bite valves or condoms).
Long story.....
:D
That is very useful information... I'll keep that in mind and alter my pack arrangement accordingly. ;)
Lone Wolf
11-21-2006, 21:37
most dumbest thing ever carried? pebbles from springer intending on going to maine. MOST never make it. they are discarded out of thier element. leave the pebs alone. take only high tech ***n digital camera images to to show you're corporate buds back in your real world.:rolleyes:
Jim Adams
11-21-2006, 22:20
yeah, I had a cat. So how many mice did that tuba eat???
Jack Tarlin
11-21-2006, 22:32
You think THAT'S crazy.
Well I carried food for SOMEONE ELSE'S cat!
I'd pull into a shelter or campsite, and a few cans of 9-Lives would tumble outta my pack. Anyone that saw this that didn't knew I was packing treats for a hiking kitty gave me some pretty funny looks as it was clear that they had grave concerns over my dietary leanings.
A velveteen moose with orange antlers lived in the back pocket of my pack in 03 and 04. And still goes wherever the pack goes. He is the chocolate moose.
Jim Adams
11-21-2006, 22:44
that is priceless Jack!
Jack Tarlin
11-21-2006, 22:51
Hey, don't laugh! The "Tender Nibbles With Chicken and Liver" ain't as bad as you might think!! :eek:
Probably most of the contents of MS's pack could be considered ridiculous. Forget the 6 rolls of toilet paper or 6 liters of water, when I heard he had a giant size can of bear spray I nearly fell over!
Jack Tarlin
11-21-2006, 23:17
Make fun all you want Sly, but he finished.
90% of the people whose packs were small and perfect were back at home long ago.
Maybe Smitty wasn't so ridiculous after all. :-?
I didn't say he was ridiculous, I said the contents of his pack were.
LostInSpace
11-21-2006, 23:49
People spending a fortune as gram weenies only to replace the weight with crapola??? :rolleyes: Well, perhaps none of the posters here fit that category.
Jester2000
11-23-2006, 03:13
Nah, we're not gram weenies. We're "Go-Heavies."
SGT Rock
11-23-2006, 03:54
Probably most of the contents of MS's pack could be considered ridiculous. Forget the 6 rolls of toilet paper or 6 liters of water, when I heard he had a giant size can of bear spray I nearly fell over!
You could use the logic: If he never was attacked by a bear, then the spray must have worked :rolleyes:
I use the same logic for my camera: as long as I carry a camera to get a picture of a bear - I never see one. So a camera must also be bear protection ;)
At least I can use a camera to take pictures of other things. Spraying other hikers with bear spray would not be prudent. :eek:
... Spraying other hikers with bear spray would not be prudent. :eek:
might improve their smell however :D
anyone ever use bear spray as a replacement for hot sauce?
Spraying other hikers with bear spray would not be prudent. :eek:
Hiking through griz country one of the guys in our group carried his bear spray attached to to his hiking stick for quick access. I was always behind since I was the slowest with an injured foot. One time I came upon the others sitting on the side of the trail, all rubbing their eyes. Apparently Pappy accidently triggered the spray and caught them in the fog. They were all convinced it worked, but not as intended.
Hey hey, so, i've been reading up on journals, forums yada yada for a thru hike next year. and i was woundering, what are some of the most ridiculous things you've seen or heard that's been carried? ..............................;)
a full-size bicycle!
check it out: http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=7293&catid=member&imageuser=656
Good luck with your hike!:D
Jim Adams
11-23-2006, 13:07
if the spray is cayanne it can be used for spicing up your food however most spray also contains a small amount of mace. these are usually called capsium.
used a whole container of cayanne spray on a canoe trip in the Northwest Territories when we forgot the spices.
An infant? (according to some...)
Jim Adams
11-24-2006, 17:04
bfitz--very good cross over!
The more ridiculous and impractical the contents of someone's pack, the more I usually like the person.
Paul Bunyan
11-24-2006, 23:13
I have (and will carry in '07 thru) carried a 9.5" Sheath Knife. Kind of a hunting knife. Weight- 10.5 ounces.
Just Jeff
11-24-2006, 23:20
A good sheath knife is one of the things I was always taught was an essential. Both at home and in the military. So I always carried it. Then I realized that I hardly ever used it. That's and easy 10 oz out of my pack.
I still take it on some trips - I've used it for splitting firewood, making base-camp furniture, etc - but for normal hiking it's dead weight.
SGT Rock
11-25-2006, 00:44
Yes, I have gotten a lot of use out of a small sheath knife. I would reccomend you stay under 3.5" You will probably still have people tell you it isn't needed, but it will do some real work. Ever try to carve a spoon with a 10" kife - funny to watch.
Snakebite
04-01-2007, 20:52
Why, I do believe there is a Northbounder carrying a french horn this year. I saw it my self. Pretty nice setup if you ask me.
Brrrb Oregon
04-02-2007, 20:06
Why, I do believe there is a Northbounder carrying a french horn this year. I saw it my self. Pretty nice setup if you ask me.
I hope to high heaven that he's a good musician. Otherwise, someone might use their bear spray on him.
Back to the topic. Several years ago I came across a young male hiker about 19 years old in the Smokies. He had a long story. The short story he started out with a 10 pound bag of rice. He had about 5 pounds left when I met him. He was getting tired of eating rice.
Shoe Leather Express
04-09-2007, 04:11
... however most spray also contains a small amount of mace. these are usually called capsium.
You're wrong. And you spelled it wrong. Oleoresin capsicum (pepper spray) is an inflammatory agent, whereas mace is an irritant. A capsicum is a chillie pepper. Oleoresin is the extracted oil compound of the peppers (capsicums).
Just FYI.
Rhino-lfl
04-10-2007, 11:52
Bear spray is much stronger then any spray ment to be used against a human. If you spray plain old mace or pepper spray at a bear, it'll just kill you. Bear spray, if you consistantly fog around their nose from 15' or so, can save your bacon.
And almost all sprays have chemical additives that you don't want to be eating, though you probably won't get sick from them right away unless it's a big dose.
saimyoji
04-10-2007, 12:34
Many hikers seem to be carrying chips these days....Most commonly seen worn on the shoulder....:rolleyes:
Shoe Leather Express
04-10-2007, 12:59
Bear spray is much stronger then any spray ment to be used against a human. If you spray plain old mace or pepper spray at a bear, it'll just kill you. Bear spray, if you consistantly fog around their nose from 15' or so, can save your bacon.
And almost all sprays have chemical additives that you don't want to be eating, though you probably won't get sick from them right away unless it's a big dose.
Where do you people get this stuff? Do you just make it up or is it some sort of trail lore?
Bear spray - 10% oleoresin capsicum - (buy it here) (http://www.udap.com/product.htm)
Self defense spray - 10% oleoresin capsicum - ((buy it here) (http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=SD085)
Same stuff, different can. We use stronger stuff than this at work and haven't killed anyone with it. OC is a non-lethal force technique.
superman
04-10-2007, 14:22
In 99 I hiked the southern part of the Long Trail with an AT hiker named Banjo Man. He was a retired guy from Rhode Island. He carried a full size professional banjo. He was also very patient, helpful and informative.
flyfisher
04-11-2007, 09:28
The first couple years I hiked section hikes, I carried about 30 pounds of blubber that I did not need to be pushing up all those hills.
I have seen a number of thruhikers begin the hike with entirely outrageous amounts of body fat, but most of them stop carrying it after a while.
max patch
04-11-2007, 13:11
Someone mailed me a can of root beer at Hot Springs. For some reason I still had it when I got to Erwin. I'm no ounce weenie but that was pretty stupid.
A group of us was at a shelter in the Smokies discussing this last year. As is normal, people wandered in as the evening progressed. We had discussed earlier wondering if some goof would bring one of those portable AC units that go around the neck. We had some grins. As everyone began to seek their sacks, we heard a noise. One couple had brought a 6 inch air mattress with its own power inflator! They said they might be hiking but they were going to be comfortable. Geez!
superman
04-11-2007, 15:01
OK, but there is stuff that shouldn't be carried and there is outrageous stuff. I'm not sure how that difference is defined. Some stuff that obviously shouldn't be carried can be used on the hike. I knew a woman who carried a 5lb block of cheese and a huge summer sausage. She had two sets of town clothes. Her pack was like a block of cement. Her feet were like hamburger and she didn't finish. Outrageous would be the two guys who carried a portable generator and a TV so they could watch sports at night. I never met them but I heard about them. On the other hand if you’re into cutting off the handle on your tooth brush you probably wouldn't justify the guitars that some people carried. A memorable night for me was when a hiker, in pitch dark, played a beautifully song flawlessly.
terrapin_too
04-11-2007, 15:58
On my last section hike, up on the Kitatinny ridge, I ran into a seriously overweight couple, carrying seriously heavy packs. Obvious newbie weekenders. Anyway, when I ran into them they were taking a break and were cooling off with these little plastic battery-powered fans. Gomers.
Dances with Mice
04-11-2007, 18:31
On my last section hike, up on the Kitatinny ridge, I ran into a seriously overweight couple, carrying seriously heavy packs. Obvious newbie weekenders. Anyway, when I ran into them they were taking a break and were cooling off with these little plastic battery-powered fans. Gomers.Yeah, but....
They were out there. They coulda been at a movie, on a cruise, in a bowling alley, they coulda been on their couch. But they weren't.
They were out there.
terrapin_too
04-11-2007, 18:49
Yeah, but....
They were out there. They coulda been at a movie, on a cruise, in a bowling alley, they coulda been on their couch. But they weren't.
They were out there.
Oh, I agree, for sure. I was tempted to chat with them a bit about the weight of their gear... but thought better of it. Lotta folks don't take kindly to advice from strangers, no matter how well-intentioned.
Dances with Mice
04-11-2007, 19:01
Oh, I agree, for sure. I was tempted to chat with them a bit about the weight of their gear... but thought better of it. Lotta folks don't take kindly to advice from strangers, no matter how well-intentioned.I have another hobby where the beginners are easy to tell from those more experienced. I've learned it's important not to intimidate or belittle the beginners. We all have the same interest or we wouldn't all be in the same place.
So stop and chat with them about the weather, the trail,how far they've hiked, how they're doing so far. Chances are they'll bring up the gear issue themselves and be more than willing to listen to a kind word or two.
terrapin_too
04-11-2007, 21:49
So stop and chat with them about the weather, the trail,how far they've hiked, how they're doing so far. Chances are they'll bring up the gear issue themselves and be more than willing to listen to a kind word or two.
Somehow I really wasn't much interested in chatting with them. Partly because I was trying to make miles, partly because they were such gomers. They looked tired and beat and not very happy. We exchanged simple pleasantries and I moved on. I admit I was biased -- if they hadn't been such gomers I'd have engaged them more.
Appalachian Tater
04-11-2007, 22:32
Bear spray is much stronger then any spray ment to be used against a human. If you spray plain old mace or pepper spray at a bear, it'll just kill you. Bear spray, if you consistantly fog around their nose from 15' or so, can save your bacon.
And almost all sprays have chemical additives that you don't want to be eating, though you probably won't get sick from them right away unless it's a big dose.
Seems to me that if you have time enough to get to the bear spray and use it, you have time enough to get out of the bear's way.
If you don't have enough time to get out of the bear's way, you don't have enough time to get to the spray and use it.
Either way, it's useless.
Furthermore, I don't see why you'd want to deliberately do anything to aggravate a bear unless it was actually chomping on you, and even then, bear spray would be a little iffy. It would probably get all over you as well. If anything could be worse than having a bear chomping on you, it would be having a really pissed-off bear chomping on you while you're blinded with pepper spray.
I have been told my second night's dinner is ridiculous. One older couple even laughed out loud when I threw the foil-wrapped potatoes on the fire, followed by a NY strip steak at the appropriate time. The chortling really became heavy when I started into the steak and potatoes with my cup of cabernet - this time it was me doing the laughing as I watched them slurp their cup-o-soup!
RockStar
04-11-2007, 23:41
I have been told my second night's dinner is ridiculous. One older couple even laughed out loud when I threw the foil-wrapped potatoes on the fire, followed by a NY strip steak at the appropriate time. The chortling really became heavy when I started into the steak and potatoes with my cup of cabernet - this time it was me doing the laughing as I watched them slurp their cup-o-soup!
Now THATS what Im talkin bout! :banana
I ran into a couple guys last year - one was El Diablo Rouge - who picked up BB guns in Mass. Not all that crazy, and lots o evening fun.
pokeyhontas98
04-15-2007, 00:02
I had this craving that started in Maine but no one north of the Mason Dixon Line knew what the heck I was talking about. It was Pickled Bologna, the kind that looks like a big hunk of sausage sitting in a jar of pickle juice. I craved it for months and months, but the funny thing was I hadn't had it since I was a kid. I finally got to Virginia and carried it back to camp, it was the best thing I ate the whole trip. I haven't had it since.
flyingturtle
04-18-2007, 00:19
When I was out in 2005, there was a group of boys who called themselves "Team Vanity". In order to keep themselves from getting competitive about pack weight, they all had to carry one totally useless item. One carried a giant wasabi knife, one carried some kind of wooden cutting board w/ a tiki head attached, one carried a lead bust of Miles Standish, one even carried an unabridged version of Moby Dick, which he was NOT allowed to read (it had to be TOTALLY useless). The last one carried a prostetic...ahem...piece of male anatomy. I'll leave it at that!
FFTorched
04-18-2007, 17:06
Some friends and I a few years back were going to do a 25 mile section hike during our springbreak. I lost it when I found my buddy was planning on carrying a fireman's axe to cut firewood. After about twenty or so minutes of arguing with him I talked him down. I think he went out and bought one of those lightweight Gerber axes. The funny thing was he knew another friend and I were planning on carrying our hatchets. I honestly don't think we used any of them during the trip anyways.
Skidsteer
04-18-2007, 20:47
When I was out in 2005, there was a group of boys who called themselves "Team Vanity". In order to keep themselves from getting competitive about pack weight, they all had to carry one totally useless item. One carried a giant wasabi knife, one carried some kind of wooden cutting board w/ a tiki head attached, one carried a lead bust of Miles Standish, one even carried an unabridged version of Moby Dick, which he was NOT allowed to read (it had to be TOTALLY useless). The last one carried a prostetic...ahem...piece of male anatomy. I'll leave it at that!
I can envision a hiker using all these items....
At the same time.
fredmugs
05-03-2007, 09:57
I've read Moby Dick and it was a totally useless experience. Of course on the trail it would be a great sleep inducing tool.
doggiebag
11-16-2007, 13:13
Everyone's entitled to a little silliness. "Contact" (SOBO) carried a trumpet.:eek:
http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/files/1/1/8/9/9/8-28-07.jpg
"What would you do for a Klondike Bar?"
Uncle Silly
11-16-2007, 16:32
When I was out in 2005, there was a group of boys who called themselves "Team Vanity". In order to keep themselves from getting competitive about pack weight, they all had to carry one totally useless item. One carried a giant wasabi knife, one carried some kind of wooden cutting board w/ a tiki head attached, one carried a lead bust of Miles Standish, one even carried an unabridged version of Moby Dick, which he was NOT allowed to read (it had to be TOTALLY useless). The last one carried a prostetic...ahem...piece of male anatomy. I'll leave it at that!
What's a wasabi knife??
So who were these useless-gear toters?
Footslogger
11-16-2007, 16:37
I carried 2 of the marshmallow chicks in a ziplock bag for several hundred miles. It all started when 2 hikers (T-Bird and Nemo) from 2003 told me that the marshmallow chicks were their favorite thing at Easter time. I happened to see some on a shelf in a convenient store during a re-supply stop and bought them. I ate all but 2 of them myself and decided to carry those until I caught up with those 2 hikers. Turned out that they had gotten to Damascus a few days ahead of me. As I walked into the hiker ghetto area I heard one of them call my name. I dropped my pack and gave each of them their partially mangled marshmallow chick. It made their day ...and I was very glad to get them out of my pack.
'Slogger
I hope someone else can verify this... what about the guy going up the approach trail with a hand truck and about a 100lb pack attached to it ! :-?
Doughnut
11-16-2007, 18:07
I met contact last weekend in NC, He still had his trumpet, covered by a blaze orange cap!!
doggiebag
11-16-2007, 18:37
I hope someone else can verify this... what about the guy going up the approach trail with a hand truck and about a 100lb pack attached to it ! :-?
I never saw the hand truck. But others I met verified that the individual was hauling food for at least several other folks that committed and backed out at the last minute. By the time I met the guy that was hauling the hand truck - he already abandoned it and most of the food that was strapped on to the cart. He was outfitted with some old school gear. But for the most part looked like any other hiker at that pointl. I guess he was still hoping that his friends would show up. Kinda sad really. I ended up giving him my map for the first section of GA so he could find water... I was zeroing at the Hiker Hostel and could get replacement maps in their hiker box. I could verify that it did happen - and the hand truck was abandoned on the first day of his trek.
I hiked with a guy this summer, don't remember his trail name, but he was doing some field work for Backpacker Magazine I believe, something involving a GPS. Anyhow, he was carrying an inflatable Dirk Diggler, the travelling gnome. We had too much fun with that thing...
doggiebag
11-16-2007, 18:42
I met contact last weekend in NC, He still had his trumpet, covered by a blaze orange cap!!
I ran into him in NY sometime in August. He's a real cool guy. Easy to get along with ... though we still had no need for blaze orange back then.
Flush2wice
11-17-2007, 00:33
In 1991, I met 2 guys just north of Springer that had a huge coil of rope. They were going to turn west after Katahdin and when they reached the headwaters of the Mississippi they were going to use the rope to fashion a log raft and float to the gulf. True story.
Furthermore, I don't see why you'd want to deliberately do anything to aggravate a bear unless it was actually chomping on you, and even then, bear spray would be a little iffy. It would probably get all over you as well. If anything could be worse than having a bear chomping on you, it would be having a really pissed-off bear chomping on you while you're blinded with pepper spray.
Awww man just imagine some huge canines have ripped through your arm, head, chest, whathaveyou.. and then you put PEPPER SPRAY on it! Sounds like it could tickle just a little. :mad:
Dirty Harry
11-26-2007, 02:22
I carried a farly large samuri sword for about 500 miles, I had it sticking out of my pack, ready and prepared for anything. Actually I picked it up in Gatlinberg when we got stuck in that dreadfull town for 4 days because of a snow storm that closed the pass.
Dakota Dan
11-27-2007, 01:42
A cast iron skillet back in 1976 for way too many miles.
Also, started with a Sterno stove which got trashed before NC.
Critterman
11-27-2007, 11:00
I ran into a SOBO in Grayson highlands Oct 30 named Sugarblade. He had a 3 1/2 metal sword he had been carrying since New York.
I carried a hubcap for about 600 miles on my SOBO thru this year, at one point I also picked up a big plastic battleaxe. One thing I must note though is that it is extremely difficult to hitchike with a battleaxe slung over your shoulder. I also met the nuclear nighthawk near mt Washington, that you gotta see to believe.
I actually have a photo with you in it that I took in an old farm field in Tennessee. As you walked past me I thought, "what the hell does that guy have strapped to his pack?" Was it a VW hubcap?
I actually have a photo with you in it that I took in an old farm field in Tennessee. As you walked past me I thought, "what the hell does that guy have strapped to his pack?" Was it a VW hubcap?
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=20177&original=1&c=530
That you RSWillis?
Dakota Dan
11-28-2007, 00:22
Looks too big to a VW cap, even in its flattened state. I do dig the dress socks.:cool:
Flush2wice
11-28-2007, 00:28
Looks like a satellite dish with a pair of $100 hiking pole antennae.
Most ridiculous thing ever carried on a thru:
Pretense
p.s. But still worth doing, as I might lose it somewhere along the way.
dessertrat
11-28-2007, 10:03
Has anyone said "$1500" yet?
Has anyone said "$1500" yet?
$1500 would be nice for pocket change.:D
$1500 would be nice for pocket change.:D
You wouldn't need to resupply as often as for food. Wait, don't they have ATM's in resupply towns? :D
hal0ofwint3r
03-04-2010, 11:47
this is what i carry:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=39762&catid=member&imageuser=26428
Ahh...I carried the papers from Springer. About a pound.
Destination: Waynesboro, Virginia
Starting Location: Three Ridges Campsite
Today's Miles: 23.00
Trip Miles: 849.90
June 24 - Waynesboro, Virginia ... in Central Virginia
Milepoint 841.0, 76 days since start of hike, averaging 11.1 miles per day
Many people are complaining in the shelter registers about the design of this section of trail - how there are needless ups and downs. That's probably due to that nasty climb up Three Ridges. After a very tough and arduous hike to the top of a mountain, you THEN see the actual mountain up ahead. Wow is that tough on the psyche. Hey, just like taxes.
Speaking of which, I believe I'm the only thru-hiker on the Trail carrying around Roth IRA paperwork in my backpack. Yeah, the IRS disallowed my conversion to a Roth IRA. The revised paperwork is now completed and I'm ready to send it back to the IRS but my address keeps changing.
By the way, I'd like to mark on the lower left corner of the envelope the words, "Hold For AT Taxpayer" but there's probably a couple of Federal laws I'd be breaking.
Correct me if I'm wrong but leading the simple life doesn't involve humor and the IRS, right?
Datto