Strange things people carry in their packs

**Different Socks** · 08-31-2009, 00:04

So there I was, hiking in Glacier this weekend. First stop in an 18.8 mile hike(in 6.5 hours over 4 mtn passes) was breakfast at No-Name Lake. I'm enjoying my oatmeal/yogurt breakfast and a dude walks up with a suitcase(?). Nope! It was a double burner propane stove in a metal green case, complete with one of those 10 inch tall propane tanks.

Me: "Wow, you carried that all the way up here?!"
Him: In a foreign accent, "Yep, all 5 miles."
Me: "Isn't that a bit overkill".
Him: "Naw, you should have seen my pack, it weighed 80 pounds!!".
Me: "Well I'm not one to judge. To each his own. Everybody hikes their own hike".
Him: He lifts up his arm, pulls back the sleeve, and there, on the entire length of his forearm is a tattoo that says, "Don't ever judge me".
Both of us laughed. Then his buddy walks up with a 10 inch wide, 2 inch deep bowl/plate of huckleberries, offers me some and all I can say is YUM!!

Later that day, I am at the 2nd lake(Oldman), having my lunch break. I am almost 7 miles from the nearest road. After about 5 min, another dude walks by with a fully inflated, round fishing tube attached to his back.
I asked him if he carried it in to the campground and inflated it here or if he carried it inflated the whole way. He indeed carried it fully inflated all 6.8 miles from the Pray Lake trailhead!!

Now I've heard of some crazy stuff people have carried into the back country, and even read about it. But up to that day I'd never really met anyone that actually did it!

Right near the end of the hike, I passed two dudes going up to the lake and the 2nd one was carrying a massive external frame that had all sorts of creature comforts hanging from it: Classic orange trowel, camp chair, huge frying pan, assorted other gear. Really me really wonder what the hell was inside the huge pack.

So what's are some of the strange, off beat things you've seen people carry into the back country? Don't know if strange things on the AT count: 1) Shelters too close to some roads, 2)Since there are shelters, not carrying a tent is a possibility thereby allowing a hiker so carry more of other things.

**Survivor Dave** · 08-31-2009, 02:24

There's carrying a little extra food, then there's insanity. I saw somone carrying 18 pounds of food to get from Springer to Neel Gap. When I was at Woody Gap doing Magic, she gave us the extra food and we put it in the hiker box at the Hiker Hostel.
She was Thru-Hiking......

**elmotoots** · 08-31-2009, 03:39

One year we were doing the at thru Smokeys north to south. When we got to Mt Collins there was a huge duffle bag full of food. This bag was like half the size of a military duffle. About 2 hours later a guy walked into the campsite carrying a large external pack stuffed to the gills with cookware, cookstove, and who knows what else.
He had walked up the trail from Sugarlands visitor center. He would carry the food up the trail aways and then go back and get his pack.
I think the Rangers took him off the trail a couple off days later, anyway they were at Silers bald looking for him.

**Hikes in Rain** · 08-31-2009, 06:25

Full sized tool kit, complete with wrenches and lineman's pliers, used in an attempt to repair a broken can opener. (I used the opener on my SAK after the attempts failed.) Big ol' full sized battery lantern. Small acetylene torch, with "small" bottles of gas and oxygen. Used to light a fire to cook the stuff from the cans.

All this, and more, came from one pack!

**sixhusbands** · 08-31-2009, 08:27

Last year I met some guys that had carried a half keg of Coors into a shelter that was 9 miles from the nearset parking lot. Unfortunately when I got there the party was over and all that was left was the empties! What would a full one half keg weigh?

**Funkmeister** · 08-31-2009, 09:07

I once saw some guy carrying scuba stuff to Black Mountain Pond in NH. About a four mile trek in to the shelter (which is now long gone).

Oh, wait, that was me. FYI: there's not much to see in the pond.

A half keg of beer is about 15 gallons, depending on manufacturer. A quarter keg, which is what you may have seen is about 7.5 gallons. Beer is about 8 pounds a gallon, empty keg about 15 or 25 pounds respectively.

**yaduck9** · 08-31-2009, 10:10

I was hiking one time in the Superstitions ( AZ ) and at a trail intersection saw three guys, one was wearing some sort of snowmobile outfit with a coleman full size cooler in tow. Didn't ask any questons, the moment was too surreal already.

**mister krabs** · 08-31-2009, 10:58

Originally Posted by sixhusbands

Last year I met some guys that had carried a half keg of Coors into a shelter that was 9 miles from the nearset parking lot. Unfortunately when I got there the party was over and all that was left was the empties! What would a full one half keg weigh?

125lbs

**Elder** · 08-31-2009, 11:03

Many years ago on the approach trail from Amicalola..
a boyscout, frame pack, very square look..

He had six bricks in the bottom to hold his grill...

**Pootz** · 08-31-2009, 11:20

On the john Mure trail I saw a guy carriying a 2 person kayak over Bioshop Pass 11,980 feet. 6 miles up hill and then 6 miles down hill. His buddy was carring the giant pack with there gear. The goal is the Middle Fork of the Kings river.

Here is a trip report with pictures I found. Not they same people but the same trip. Scroll down to the second report.

http://southmainkayakteam.wordpress.com/stories/

**Jonnycat** · 08-31-2009, 13:02

Several decades ago I backpacked six miles in to a lake with my girlfriend at the time. We had our backpacks on, with a two-man sevylor raft, and we used one of the oars to carry between the both of us a big icechest full of things like milk and steak and eggs. And a 10# block of ice, of course.

I still laugh when I think about that. Oddly, I eat better now on the trail than I ever could have hoped to then, and at a very small fraction of the weight.

**Feral** · 08-31-2009, 13:12

I carried my ice axe from campo to crater lake. Just for the hell of it. Great as a tent stake and poop hole digging tool. One utralight hiker got very upset when he came power hiking by and loudly exclaimed "an ice axe in the dessert?" as he sped off. We got a good laugh that day.

**Feral** · 08-31-2009, 13:19

I met a couple on the AT in 03 named Waloppy John and his wife Squaw that had a full sized axe, car camping sized old school canvas tent, gallon of coleman fuel (which he carried in his hand as he walked) cans of Dinty More beef stew, full sized board games and multiple cartons of cigs. We joined them around the fire and at one point John stood up and stumbled as he stepped forward and then said, "oh thats my fractured foot it pops out once in a while" the crazy thing is we saw them at traildays with the same gear looking happy and healthy and later heard they had walked every mile to Damascus and were still on trail.

**Blissful** · 08-31-2009, 13:33

My hubby met a guy in '07 onthe trail carrying a duffel bag in both arms (and he had a pack on his back to boot). When hubby asked what he was carrying, he said, "Why my food of course."

**Blissful** · 08-31-2009, 13:34

Originally Posted by Feral

I. We joined them around the fire and at one point John stood up and stumbled as he stepped forward and then said, "oh thats my fractured foot it pops out once in a while"

Eww that's awful.

**Different Socks** · 08-31-2009, 19:27

Originally Posted by Feral

I carried my ice axe from campo to crater lake. Just for the hell of it. Great as a tent stake and poop hole digging tool. One utralight hiker got very upset when he came power hiking by and loudly exclaimed "an ice axe in the dessert?" as he sped off. We got a good laugh that day.

Gotta admit, I carried my ice axe all the way from Campo to Ahsland. Don't know why I never sent it home....... I never even used it!
Still got it though.

**dloome** · 08-31-2009, 19:29

On the JMT a couple years ago, I was taking a break at the top of a pass, forget which one. (Maybe Mather?) Anyway, on some switchbacks below, I see a guy slowly making his way up.

As he nears the top, I can make out a HUGE external frame pack... He finally gains the saddle, throws down his pack, immediately unstraps a metal folding chair from it, sets it up, and collapses into it with a deeply satisfied sigh.

"ahhh..."

Awesome.

**Feral** · 08-31-2009, 19:59

and by dessert I mean desert although both are delicious.

**beakerman** · 08-31-2009, 20:06

I carry one of those small three legged hunters stools and a "customized" entrenchment tool.

**saimyoji** · 08-31-2009, 21:09

i once heard of a guy carrying the carcass of a woodchuck....

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