Why people carry so much "stuff"

[btfire]

I hike relatively light by some standards and I have hiked relatively heavy in the past. I learned to lighten my pack long before I researched anything and it was done simply by learning as I went. I have seen heavy packs on many and only once thought about questioning their gear choices since it is their burden to carry. The one time I did question gear was last summer north of Newfound Gap when I passed a hiker on my way to Icewater Springs. I passed him less than a mile from the shelter and beat him there by almost two hours. He had a pack that must have weighed 10 lbs. on its own before the probably 80+ lbs. inside. Strapped to this pack he had a typical school backpack that carried his food since he had no room for it inside his main pack. When he got to the shelter in the rain, wearing only cotton clothing, he was miserably soaked and cold. There were three other hikers in the shelter that night who were all fairly light. I wanted to speak up, but I kept my mouth shut until he asked us about our gear. He was going to keep his hike (slated from Newfound Gap to Roan Mountain) going and just get to a store from Davenport Gap and change his outlook on hiking. He learned on his own and four lighter hikers did not give him grief over his gear choices but helped him a lot once he started asking questions. Some of his contents: three changes of clothes, 10 rolls of TP, food for at least 20 days (resupply never even crossed his mind), a military E-tool, a plastic salad bowl for washing, a complete Coleman mess kit, and too many more things to mention. His attitude was surprisingly great on hiking with his little education and miserable situation and he was happy that we did not make fun of him. I have no idea if he made it to Davenport Gap since I left early the next morning and went there that day and on to home.

We who have hiked for a long time often laugh at what we see carried by others. In this day and age of instant information from the interwebs we forget that not everyone reads the different sites that we frequent. Therefore, not everyone even thinks about going lighter since they take what they think they need. Some will be miserable and never hike again while others (me included) will evaluate their choices and lighten their loads with each and every hike. My first overnight hike I carried probably 50 lbs. with food and water. On my first long-distance hike I carried about 30 lbs. with food and water. By my third long-distance hike I had a base-weight of 12 lbs. When cold weather is certain I probably have about 15 lbs. now and during warm or hot weather I come in just under 10 lbs. (my cold-weather sleeping bag is nowhere near light and is 3 lbs. 10 oz. in addition to needing a compression sack and separate compression straps to fit into my pack). Going light is a personal choice and a state of mind. Many will do it on their own without ever consulting others while others will seek out information and analyze the sources of that information to determine whether it is a valid source. We will see these people on trails across the country in various states of "light" and by commenting on their loads we can either make them resistant or we can enlighten them. As with anything we do in life, hiking is personal. What works for me may never work for you and vice-versa.

[TyTy]

BTW it's not just Dick's Sporting Goods, salespeople at REI won't hesitate to walk up to someone through the store and set them up with 15 to 20 lbs of big 4 and 5 to 10 pounds of other gear. Those folks go home with 20 to 30lbs before adding extra clothes, cosmetics, food, water. You can get up to 50lbs this way pretty quick.

One of the biggest mistakes you can make and I have seen it happen in REI is people walk in, go over to the backpacks (they are going 'backpacking') and buy a nice, big, comfy 7lb aluminum internal frame pack then walk around the store filling it up. Kind of the backwards way to do it.

[TyTy]

One last thing...

I think the first thing you should buy when going backpacking is a digital scale. The second thing you should do is go to REI, put 30 to 40lbs of gear in a 7lb backpack, put it on and walk around the store. Then put it all back, go home and research how to do it with at least a 20 lb base weight. Anybody can be comfortable at 20 lbs for a low price tag.

[Feral Bill]

One last thing...

I think the first thing you should buy when going backpacking is a digital scale. The second thing you should do is go to REI, put 30 to 40lbs of gear in a 7lb backpack, put it on and walk around the store. Then put it all back, go home and research how to do it with at least a 20 lb base weight. Anybody can be comfortable at 20 lbs for a low price tag.

I'd further suggest going up and down the stores stairs, if it has any, with that pack load. Also, you can get perfectly decent light gear at REI, you just need to know what you want, or get lucky with the sales staff.

[moytoy]

I like what a former member here, Sgt Rock, says about pack weight, "the heavier my pack the more I like to camp, the lighter my pack the more I like to hike."

Sgt rock will surely smile when he reads that he is a former member.

[Theosus]

If these people are having fun why does it matter to anyone else what they are carrying?

Could some of it be the same exclusionist one-upmanship attitudes that exist in a lot of life? Some people think they are "better than you" because they have a nicer car, a prettier girlfriend, a greener lawn, a bigger house, a nicer TV, or a lighter pack. "My pack weighs 2 pounds less than yours, you must be an idiot".

I tend to hope that's not it, because those types of people are best unexpectedly punched in the mouth and left to whimper in the corner (or if you dont want to risk a fight or arrest, give them a "lazy cake", unwrapped, in a ziplock bag). I hope its more of the voice of experience, letting heavyweighters know that there are some things that can be left behind, some ways to make life easier when walking a hundred miles, and some ways to make hiking more enjoyable for yourself.
Im a heavyweighter. I dont want to spend $3000 going ultralight, but Im not thru-hiking either. My stuff isn't the latest and greatest, and never will be. I might even have some (oh the horror!) wal-mart or Coleman stuff in my pack. But when we pass on the trail, I'll smile and nod, whatever my pack weighs.

[Brady]

so i should leave scrabble and my rifle at home?

[JAK]

Depends on how serious you are at scrabble.

[quilteresq]

You don't go to a basketball game and see real players wearing Chuck Taylors or to a football game and see leather helmets. People showing up to other activities are more or less "with-it" - it seems that new backpackers just make a bunch of garbage up -- "hmmm, think I carry this item - - a giant box of wet-wipes, a female urinal, "a couple" of books, a huge 100' hank of rope, an EMTs 5-pound first aid kit, a rifle, ammo, army style steel canteens, a mousetrap, full strength climbing carabiners, board games, - - I mean I saw people suffering through carrying goofy stuff. I don't advocate super ultra light for new folks -certainly not GO-FREEZE style - - just sort of a normal sane rig - - I saw too few.

Hey! Papa D! I'm assuming you don't have girl parts here! Please don't criticize women for carrying female urinals. They can make a hike a LOT easier! It adds up to a lot of squats without it. ;-)

[Half Note]

Depends on how serious you are at scrabble.

Nicely played sir.

[MuddyWaters]

You are surprised that the average newbie who sets foot on the AT represents the average american? Yes, it is sad.
T

[rjjones]

I'll be honest,i want all that stuff when i go hiking.I'd bring a microwave and a tv.I just dont want to carry it all!Hey,get out of your tent,Seinfelds on .

[miloandotis]

Boy was I glad to read some of these responses. I was begining to think everyone at WB were all I am a god UL and if you don't do like me you suck-types (from birth to boot...who took advise from everyone before them without question and never had to learn by their own trial and error before buying the right equipment... and only the right equipment at the perfect weight)

And my son and I take our travel size Scrabble everywhere!

[Heald]

It's difficult to separate yourself from worldly possessions. One of the rewarding aspects of the AT is that to walk it is in many respects to transform one's self.
It turns a man who once was humping 70lbs of shiny crap over Blood Mountain, into a man who is spry, picking thru a garbage can at some mountain gap road crossing.
I rolled thru GA sobo in early spring many times after being out all winter. Fresh nobo's would eye us like you would a panhandler on the street. Often I said to them "take a good look buddy, because pretty soon it'll be like looking in the mirror".

[Wise Old Owl]

well they didn't come to WB first.

[Tuckahoe]

There is always going to be those that are clueless because of a lack of experience, and most of these folks learn along the way. Folks that get into hobbies want to learn so that they can improve and enjoy their experiences. There will also be those that just cant be helped and you let them go on their way.

That being said, when I read threads like this one and the posts within, what I come away with is not so much concern for the less experienced, but that there are a lot of whiney a**ed people who are more worried about what someone else is doing rather than worrying about themselves. Or someone blathering about how someone doesnt hike like I do, so they are wrong or that person isnt light weight enough.

Me personally? I like wearing good sturdy boots. I wear boots in my daily life, Im wearing a pair right now. I dont wear sneakers or low cut shoes. So why would I wear something different? And yeah I love to wear a pair of cotton cargo pants when hiking in the summer... yep I dont do it right. And oh my god!!! I have an external frame pack.

As I am getting older, I am less concerned about being as hardcore as I was in my younger days. I really like to get good comfortable sleep, so yes I have a pillow. Yeah I could use my clothes bag, but then again I am trying to carry less clothes. And to those that have issues with Scouts using Ridgerests... Really?


Some folks should really worry less about others, and enjoy their own hikes.

[vamelungeon]

There is always going to be those that are clueless because of a lack of experience, and most of these folks learn along the way. Folks that get into hobbies want to learn so that they can improve and enjoy their experiences. There will also be those that just cant be helped and you let them go on their way.

That being said, when I read threads like this one and the posts within, what I come away with is not so much concern for the less experienced, but that there are a lot of whiney a**ed people who are more worried about what someone else is doing rather than worrying about themselves. Or someone blathering about how someone doesnt hike like I do, so they are wrong or that person isnt light weight enough.

Me personally? I like wearing good sturdy boots. I wear boots in my daily life, Im wearing a pair right now. I dont wear sneakers or low cut shoes. So why would I wear something different? And yeah I love to wear a pair of cotton cargo pants when hiking in the summer... yep I dont do it right. And oh my god!!! I have an external frame pack.

As I am getting older, I am less concerned about being as hardcore as I was in my younger days. I really like to get good comfortable sleep, so yes I have a pillow. Yeah I could use my clothes bag, but then again I am trying to carry less clothes. And to those that have issues with Scouts using Ridgerests... Really?


Some folks should really worry less about others, and enjoy their own hikes.

I lack your ability of expression but you said what I would like to have said.
I carry a Ridgerest too. LOL

[JAK]

Some folks should really worry less about others, and enjoy their own hikes.

Amen to that. No sense losing sleep that some salesperson someplace is selling a 7 pound pack to someone already 70 pounds overweight, and God knows what to go in it. Hey, the salesperson has a family, and there are far more important things to lose sleep about in this world, like stoves and hammocks and hiking sticks, and some dog someplace having way too much fun hiking some part of the AT without a leash. If we really want people to lighten up, we gotta lighten up.

[JAK]

Hate to say it but it isn't just hiking gear that people waste alot of time and money and natural resources on, unneccessarily. If we fought WWII this was the German/Japanese would have been shaking hands on the Mississippi. Not sure what makes us think we can beat China this way. But again, its not really the hiking gear, its all the other stuff. Hiking gear is as good a place as any to learn the lesson though.

Not sure what would happen if we all started being more sensible. Not gonna happen I suppose.

[Malto]

I have been doing long trail runs up on the AT in GA and I have spent many hours wondering how in this information age there is so little apparent knowledge of how to make a comfortable load. I came to the conclusion it is because all the trail journals list the gear that hikers WILL take and few go back and talk about what they ended up finishing with. So future hiker make the same mistakes that past hikers have learned.

But I don't want folks to stop carrying their Towers of Power. It would reduce the entertainment I get from watching them look completely miserable as they trudge up the hills.