Why people carry so much "stuff"

[Papa D]

I just finished a couple of days on the trail - Amicalola to Neels and passed a bunch of hikers - - some termed themselves "thru-hikers" (which is cool). What I simply don't understand is that with all the information available why people continue to hike wearing big heavy boots, heavy army pants, cotton shirts, and carry absurd things like pillows and lap-tops, and buck knives on their belts, and guns (yep - saw one) - - hanging haphazardly off the back of their packs swinging to and fro. Lumpy at Neels told me that they ship 9000 pounds of gear "home" for folks each season. So why, with all the information available are people so darn bent on making their hikes essentially miserable? At least back in the day (before the internet) hikers had to be personally mentored to catch up with the learning curve - - now, I just don't get it. I saw a lot of wet miserable people.

[Sarcasm the elf]

Some lessons just need to be learned through experience.

[Papa D]

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.

[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. ;-)

[Rasty]

Many people refuse to listen to any advise or evaluate what they are packing to see if they actually used or need it. Pain is the ultimate teacher.

[moongoddess]

Why research what you already know? Those folks didn't know they had anything to learn about backpacking, so they had no reason to do any online research. Or if they did know they needed a bit of education, they thought they could trust their local outfitter's advice (not knowing that the nice fellow at Dick's Sporting Goods who sold them their 7 lb pack and 5 lb sleeping bag has never hiked further than from his living room recliner to his refrigerator).

And even if someone DOES do online research before they buy, there are going to be some things they have to figure out on their own. No amount of online research can tell you if you're a warm or cold sleeper, or how much arch support your feet need, or whether a particular model of pack actually fits you well. So some amount of gear swapping's going to be inevitable.

[rocketsocks]

Could be,in some strange way of thinking there looking for absolution,a punishment if you will,a pilgrimage.Or People just buy gear,and dam-it there gonna use it if kills them.I fall into the latter.

[Papa D]

My feeling is that they are mostly afraid and fear (of whatever variety) breeds gross over-packing

[rocketsocks]

My feeling is that they are mostly afraid and fear (of whatever variety) breeds gross over-packing

True,but I don't think most people even consider the fact that they can and do have a choice of what to carry...it just doesn't occur to most,they have brought what seems reasonable.

[BlackJack1]

My feeling is that they are mostly afraid and fear (of whatever variety) breeds gross over-packing

Well I have been on the trail severly under weight and paid a high price with froze bitten fingers, hard cold raw noodles, and wet clothes because I had no stove and only 1 pair of clothes which I was wearing. Even experienced hikers buy gear and mail stuff home at or after Neel's Gap.

[MJW155]

Number 1 reason is ignorance. I had always wanted to hike the AT but didn't make my decision until about 3 months ago. Until then, I had been in Boy Scouts for 7 years, been backpacking on 2-3 week trips 6 or 7 times, and have gone on weekend trips at least 100 times. Carrying a lot of weight was always a given. I'm 6'4" and weigh 275 lbs. Carrying 40 or 50 lbs. was never a problem.

When I decided to do this, I knew I had to do research. But it wasn't about the weight. It was about getting supplies on the trail, maps, etc. Along the way, I learned that in order to increase my odds of making it to Maine, I had to go lighter. I switched out my sleeping bag and tent for a down bag and tarp tent. Right there, I saved over 5 lbs. My base weight w/o food is 18.5 lbs. Three months ago it probably would have been 40 lbs.

When you go camping and backpacking 5 or 6x a year, it doesn't really cross your mind that you need to go lighter. It's ingrained in your head that you will carry weight. I'm sure if you ask the random person how much weight a thru-hiker carries, you'll hear them say 50 or 60 lbs. if not more.

My question isn't why people carry so much stuff. It's why don't they educate themselves before doing a hike like this? I mean even if you are just looking up where the trail starts and ends, you can't really miss out on learning something basic as carrying less weight. So when people show up on a hike like this w/ that much weight, I want to ask why they didn't do research. Because had they done so, they wouldn't be carrying so much weight.

[Maren]

People are lazy when it comes to research. It's soooo hard to read reviews and ask questions. I think lots of people assume that in order to get by outside it's necessary to take miniature versions of everything in their homes. I mean, if you need it at home it must be extra important in the wilds.

[Papa D]

I guess - - but if I go do something new - - sailing for example (something I've never really done) - - I'm going to get some information on sailing - - like what to carry and what to wear on a sailboat - - I'm not just going to show up looking like Gilligan with a giant life preserver or simply make it up - - I think that Moon-Goddess may be on to something in the Dicks Sporting Goods - - it's a shame that people fall into that sort of trap.

[moongoddess]

"I think lots of people assume that in order to get by outside it's necessary to take miniature versions of everything in their homes. I mean, if you need it at home it must be extra important in the wilds."

Yes. Also, people don't stop to think that maybe their daily habits in "civilization" need to be changed for a long hike in the woods. They wear a fresh outfit every day at home, so they pack several days' worth of spare clothes so they can always have a clean outfit on the trail. They take a shower every day at home, so they pack a large solar shower for the trail. They have a nice big fluffy pillow on their bed at home, so they bring a nice, big fluffy pillow out with them on their hike. Doesn't take too much of that sort of thing to bloat a pack up to monstrous proportions.

[Whack-a-mole]

Hey don't knock the mouse traps. I'd get more sleep if we knocked their numbers down a little at places like Gooch Mtn Shelter. The mice there are so bold they don't even care that you are there when they start going through your stuff!!

[fiddlehead]

Hey don't knock the mouse traps. I'd get more sleep if we knocked their numbers down a little at places like Gooch Mtn Shelter. The mice there are so bold they don't even care that you are there when they start going through your stuff!!

Wholehardedly agree!

As to the other stuff: Hey different strokes for different folks.
Why is your way the best?
As hot as I hear it is down south right now, I see nothing wrong with carrying a cotton shirt either.

The gun scares me bit but, even the buck knife is taught in boy scouts I believe.
To each his own.

[Leanthree]

I see a few reasons. Not good reasons, but reasons:
-There are plenty of group settings which teach backpacking in a more old fashioned way for either cost reasons or because its what they always have done so for ease and liability reasons they keep doing it that way.
-Large groups use heavier equipment (e.g. whisperlite, larger pots, more robust first-aid kit, hatchet) because they make more sense for 10+ people. So that is what many get used to.
Church groups or similar that are just getting people together in the woods may have older gear because they are on tight budgets so people are used to 4 person old fashioned A-frame Eureka tents.
-Bulky Ridge rests are popular with boyscouts because they are no fuss and cheap.
-Synthetic bags are better for beginners who may not know how to keep them dry or are scared off from down from the wet police
Maybe their only hiking experience was dayhiking where in most cases you checked the weather, grabbed what you have at home (cotton, heavy boots that are better for shoveling a driveway of snow) went on a 7 mile hike in the woods and were perfectly fine.
-On the hygene front, there are many people who can't get past the idea of not showering. Once they do it once it isnt a big deal, but telling someone who has showered every or every-other day of their life that they won't shower for a week will start hoarding wipes.
-I imagine the guy with the gun or the large knife takes them everywhere always. Kind of similar to taking a shower every day, hard to give up. I would say the same of the coffee drinkers out there but this would start a war.
-Just because you can google something doesnt mean you google the right thing. If you google backpacking gear, plenty of useless crap comes up. "thru-hiker gear" would be more relevant.

[fiddlehead]

Whistles, sunglasses, sunscreen, water filters, profile maps,..................now that's the goofy ****.

[Rain Man]

Whistles, ....

I just discovered last evening that my head lamp has a built-in whistle on the strap! Never knew that, though I did know my pack sternum strap does.

RainMan

.

[Watson]

Whistles, sunglasses, sunscreen, water filters, profile maps,..................now that's the goofy ****.

You say stuff like that and then come across someone like me who has had eye surgery and is sensitive to light. So I wear sunglasses. Everyone has their own reasons for the stuff they carry. Hike your own hikie.