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Ricky&Jack
05-25-2014, 22:40
Other than items such as a dog, and a cellphone, what are some of the most obsolete/useless/inappropriate items you have seen "far down the trail?"

I know that MANY people ditch excess gear once they get to Neels gap, but what about stuff they held onto in the long run?

have you seen anyone make it to Pennsylvania carrying a guitar?
have you made it to new england and ran into somebody who carried a hatchet?
Have you ever seen anyone who made it to Maine with a second unused backup tent?
etc.

I'm looking for things you may have seen someone have with them where you thought "there was absolutely no reason to still have that?"

Mags
05-25-2014, 23:23
A guy hiked the whole way with a tuba.

http://www.journalnow.com/relishnow/outdoors/article_6e1787ab-e3fa-581c-9aa4-fd7043992aba.html

Ricky&Jack
05-25-2014, 23:29
well that just won the thread.

ChinMusic
05-25-2014, 23:49
You will see more guitars than you would have guessed. I was shocked.

IMO, the most useless gear that I see on the AT are solar chargers. Almost every person that had one were charging it up in town by plugging it in. They got VERY little juice from the sun.

Ricky&Jack
05-25-2014, 23:54
I was thinking of buying a $20 6oz tripod that you can wrap around a tree, so that I can take pics/videos of me in it. But I wasnt sure if that was too obsolete. its only about the size of a hand. But I was guessing that people actually carry full size tripods

Ricky&Jack
05-26-2014, 00:14
You will see more guitars than you would have guessed. I was shocked.

what does a a guitar usually weight anyway? 5lbs?

ChinMusic
05-26-2014, 00:17
what does a a guitar usually weight anyway? 5lbs?

No idea. I know that if I had carried one on the back of my pack, I would have destroyed at least a dozen of em from falls.

Feral Bill
05-26-2014, 00:32
I was thinking of buying a $20 6oz tripod that you can wrap around a tree, so that I can take pics/videos of me in it. But I wasnt sure if that was too obsolete. its only about the size of a hand. But I was guessing that people actually carry full size tripods Photo gear adds up fast. If photography is a minor part of your trip, the minipod works well. A full sized tripod is 2-3 lbs, and worth it, even essential for serious shooting. I doubt I'd take one on a really long hike.

Blue Mountain Edward
05-26-2014, 01:25
This is a list of stuff I seen dropped on the AT. Large vice grip pliers, hatchet, mini fishing rod and reel, landing net, curling iron. I wanted to keep the hatchet but was packing heavy and slow already did not want another pound or two. I picked up the landing net and carried it 200 miles and gave it to a fisherman on the C and O Canal. Ratbucket found a travel guitar in a shelter in Pa, that was just what he wanted and he kept it.Saw someone carrying a laptop computer in Pa once and was amazed that the man would carry it that far.

slbirdnerd
05-26-2014, 10:41
I was thinking of buying a $20 6oz tripod that you can wrap around a tree, so that I can take pics/videos of me in it. But I wasnt sure if that was too obsolete. its only about the size of a hand. But I was guessing that people actually carry full size tripods

Get a StickPic, screws into the bottom of your camera and slides on the end of your trekking pole. (Doesn't work with phone, only camera.)

ChinMusic
05-26-2014, 12:08
Get a StickPic, screws into the bottom of your camera and slides on the end of your trekking pole. (Doesn't work with phone, only camera.)

StickPic does work with a phone if you get the AnyCase: http://www.amazon.com/ANYCASE-Universal-iPhone-Tripod-Adapter/dp/B009NX2EU4

That was my set on my thru

rafe
05-26-2014, 13:15
Saw a couple of weekend warriors out near Highpoint State Park HQ, each waving a hand-held battery-operated fan in front of their face.

DeadAhead (1990) made it at least to Damascus with about 20 or 30 cassettes of GD concerts and of course the Sony Walkman to play them. Actually I know he made it to Katahdin but I forgot to ask if he still had the cassettes with him. Connecticut Yankee wore his fully-loaded merit badge sash and Smoky Bear hat well into TN/NC, along with a proper (not miniature) camera tripod.

Damn Yankee
05-26-2014, 15:37
2 burner Coleman stove, 5lbs. of potatoes, a dz. eggs, 1lb. of bacon and a case of beer at Mt. Washington and once the case of beer was gone, he hiked back down, drove to the state liquor store and bought another case. I couldn't believe it when he started pulling all this stuff out but, he and his buddy ate well the next morning.

Old Hillwalker
05-26-2014, 16:01
2 burner Coleman stove, 5lbs. of potatoes, a dz. eggs, 1lb. of bacon and a case of beer at Mt. Washington and once the case of beer was gone, he hiked back down, drove to the state liquor store and bought another case. I couldn't believe it when he started pulling all this stuff out but, he and his buddy ate well the next morning.

Was this the Mt Washington Pittsburg, PA or the one in Massachusetts, or maybe the one in Oregon? The reason I asked is that there is no need to buy beer in a State Liquor Store in NH. It's everywhere. Sounds fishy to me.

rocketsocks
05-26-2014, 16:17
What's the most obsolete/useless/inappropriate item you saw on the A.T?
Solar Panels!

bamboo bob
05-26-2014, 16:24
A guy hiked the whole way with a tuba.

http://www.journalnow.com/relishnow/outdoors/article_6e1787ab-e3fa-581c-9aa4-fd7043992aba.html

I met him in Vt. My wife and I were doing trail Magic on Kelly-Stand road. He was SOBO. When he saw the cooler he played a ten minute tuba concert for us.

bamboo bob
05-26-2014, 16:31
On my first NOBO. AT Gooch Gap, the old shelter that you had to climb up to a woman there had a black iron skillet and a guy had an battery operated TV. Never saw them again. Then another trip in the hostel (befoer Pirate) someone left a machete! Also a flare gun! No flares so we figured he shot them off for a rescue. Also on a SOBO, I met a guy at the first shelter, Hunt?. The guy had a walkman CD player and about twenty CD's. He was a nice guy. I met him later and he had dumped all sorts of stuff and became a Hamock Hanger!

Damn Yankee
05-26-2014, 17:50
It was the Mt. Washington in NH many years ago and I assumed that is where he went. I don't think at the time you could get beer everywhere but, I could be mistaken.

Lone Wolf
05-26-2014, 17:52
water filters. leki poles

TNjed
05-26-2014, 18:05
My buddy used to carry a shower around with him in case he met girls on the trail. I'm serious y'all

Onica Hanby
05-26-2014, 18:07
My husband is NOBO this year and saw a girl hiking with her pet duck. Apparently the duck is bonded with her. I don't know if they are still on the trail...

jimmyjam
05-26-2014, 18:18
machetes, hatchets, those big bear grylis type survival knives

TNjed
05-26-2014, 18:23
That duck ain't gonna make it.

TNjed
05-26-2014, 18:23
He'll hike his own hike though.

Pottsalot
05-26-2014, 18:39
Saw a guy near Maine carrying what looked like similar to a shark spear gun. Looked heavy duty. I never had the chance to ask him what he was using it for.

Onica Hanby
05-26-2014, 18:57
He'll hike his own hike though.


Right into someone's frying pan...

bighammer
05-26-2014, 19:38
what does a a guitar usually weight anyway? 5lbs?

It's not the guitar that's so bad, it's the amplifier and power source. :D

Odd Man Out
05-26-2014, 20:15
I was thinking of buying a $20 6oz tripod that you can wrap around a tree, so that I can take pics/videos of me in it. But I wasnt sure if that was too obsolete. its only about the size of a hand. But I was guessing that people actually carry full size tripods

I got a gorilla pod. Haven't decided if I will take it on my section hike. I'm hardly a serious photographer. But it's only 1.6 oz

http://joby.com/gorillapod/original#features_specs

Feral Bill
05-26-2014, 20:19
I got a gorilla pod. Haven't decided if I will take it on my section hike. I'm hardly a serious photographer. But it's only 1.6 oz

http://joby.com/gorillapod/original#features_specs That would be 16 Oz. I like mine.

ScottTrip
05-26-2014, 20:43
We found a Stun Gun in the hiker box at Neels Gap...

Ricky&Jack
05-26-2014, 20:46
I got a gorilla pod. Haven't decided if I will take it on my section hike. I'm hardly a serious photographer. But it's only 1.6 oz

http://joby.com/gorillapod/original#features_specs

thanks. im still in the research phase, but this is the one I found so far on Amazon. I believe it is about 4.2 ounces..... I thought it may be good for wrapping around larger trees, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ANCPNM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ANCPNM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER)

Wise Old Owl
05-26-2014, 20:48
You will see more guitars than you would have guessed. I was shocked.

IMO, the most useless gear that I see on the AT are solar chargers. Almost every person that had one were charging it up in town by plugging it in. They got VERY little juice from the sun.


You are just begging to get me to bite.. not today.


machetes, hatchets, those big bear grylls type survival knives I concur...

stillatit
05-27-2014, 06:13
Ex-wife...

squeezebox
05-27-2014, 06:21
A Martin backpacker guitar weighs a kilo.fragile? yea kinda sorta.
But my squeezebox with cardboard bellows and at 3 kilos wouldn't last long on the trail
notes of appreciation will be accepted.

bighammer
05-27-2014, 07:31
That would be 16 Oz. I like mine.

The link info states 45.3g which is 1.6 oz, not 16 oz.

LN33
05-27-2014, 07:49
We met a couple of vets this last week at Unicoi Gap. They were both carrying their military issue packs loaded down to about 60 lbs. One was carrying a large spear.

Berserker
05-27-2014, 08:52
I got a gorilla pod. Haven't decided if I will take it on my section hike. I'm hardly a serious photographer. But it's only 1.6 oz

http://joby.com/gorillapod/original#features_specs
Been using one of these for a few years, and it works great with a point and shoot camera. 46 gr (1.6 oz) on my scale.

RED-DOG
05-27-2014, 11:23
The most useless items i have seen any one carry on the AT is, Kindle's or anything electronic, Firearms, AT Maps, Watch, Fishing Poles, Fold up saw, Hatchet, Matchete, two tents, Frying Pan, Dutch Oven.

Ricky&Jack
05-27-2014, 11:26
heh heh. Duch oven.

RED-DOG
05-27-2014, 11:33
heh heh. Duch oven.
Seriously a Husband and wife was carring it and they would literally cook in it every night, don't know how far they made it didn't see them again after Hiawasee GA, but yeah on all three of my thru's i seen people carry the most stupidest items.

Ricky&Jack
05-27-2014, 11:39
but yeah on all three of my thru's i seen people carry the most stupidest items.

yeah, thats why i created this thread. i could only imagine the most useless items.

Before i found this site, i assumed people needed machetes, and stuff like that. But It took me about an hour of research to realize theres no real need machetes, fishing poles, guns, etc.

I have to imagine that the people with those items had pretty much no research before their hike.

Hell, You dont even really need a compass or a map.

Mags
05-27-2014, 11:59
It really depends on the trip. For many people, backpacking is just the way to get to some prime fishing sites.

May be a bit difficult while thru-hiking, but a weekend (or a week even) of hitting prime fishing areas in a quiet backcountry area would not be the worse thing in the world. :)

ChinMusic
05-27-2014, 12:00
Once I got some miles under me I realized that I could carry a few luxury items. A few extra pounds on my back was not a big deal. I did not feel that way in GA.

rafe
05-27-2014, 12:03
Hell, You dont even really need a compass or a map.

A map is useful. I always have the appropriate map for the section I'm hiking -- even if it's a really old map. (I've been known to carry 20 year old maps.) Useful for checking out alternate routes, blue-blaze trails into town, etc.

Odd Man Out
05-27-2014, 12:08
thanks. im still in the research phase, but this is the one I found so far on Amazon. I believe it is about 4.2 ounces..... I thought it may be good for wrapping around larger trees, etc.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ANCPNM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER
(http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000ANCPNM/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER)

The gorilla pod is designed to do this. The legs are flexible and can be twisted to any shape. Each little ball on the leg is surrounded by a bit of rubber to make it grippy so you can wrap it around a tree branch. Or you can extend the legs straight and use it like a conventional tripod. Of course it's only about 6" tall, but for less than 2 oz, not bad. They have larger ones designed to hold larger cameras. The original one I have is good for a P&S camera. For an SLR, you might need the bigger one. Check their web site. Also, the piece that screws into the camera is removable, so you can leave that on your camera all the time (it's really tiny). Then when you want to use the camera on a tripod, it just slides in place and locks with a click. You push a button to release. You don't need to screw it into place each time.

Ricky&Jack
05-27-2014, 12:11
The gorilla pod is designed to do this. The legs are flexible and can be twisted to any shape. Each little ball on the leg is surrounded by a bit of rubber to make it grippy so you can wrap it around a tree branch. Or you can extend the legs straight and use it like a conventional tripod. Of course it's only about 6" tall, but for less than 2 oz, not bad. They have larger ones designed to hold larger cameras. The original one I have is good for a P&S camera. For an SLR, you might need the bigger one. Check their web site. Also, the piece that screws into the camera is removable, so you can leave that on your camera all the time (it's really tiny). Then when you want to use the camera on a tripod, it just slides in place and locks with a click. You push a button to release. You don't need to screw it into place each time.


You sold me on the Gorilla.

Kerosene
05-27-2014, 12:44
Saw one twenty-something woman carrying a big Tonka dumptruck in your hands. She had bought it at a flea market in Jersey and was lugging it to Connecticut for her 3-year old nephew. Talk about dedicated!

A guy on his Dartmouth(?) freshmen orientation trip pulled out a full-size axe, iron skillet, 4-cup plastic measuring cup, steel ladle, and a 5-lb bag of pancake mix. His pack had to weigh 80 pounds and he wasn't any heavier than 160. As they hadn't gone as far as planned their first day out, he ended up having to do a 17-miler to get to his car and back to school; I heard them passing by Winturri Shelter at 7 pm and it probably took them another 3 hours or more. Ah, to be young again.

Passed a NOBO long-distance backpacker carrying a full-on machete, and another with what he said was his light saber.

Ktaadn
05-27-2014, 13:34
My buddy used to carry a shower around with him in case he met girls on the trail. I'm serious y'all

Was the shower for him or the girl?

Ricky&Jack
05-27-2014, 16:43
how about this? its only $1,400

http://www.amazon.com/Wenger-16999-Swiss-Knife-Giant/dp/B001DZTJRQ/ref=sr_1_1?tag=ohmy0c-20

Damn Yankee
05-27-2014, 23:50
It only weighs 7+lbs. why not?

gsingjane
05-28-2014, 07:49
This is not for long-distance hikes, but things I have experienced people bringing along on trips I have guided include: pajamas, robe and slippers, beach towel, hair dryer, and at least one hard-back edition of a Harry Potter book. I have no problem with people bringing whatever but it's when they need to off-load it onto me or my co-leader, that's when I DO have a problem!
Jane

FarmerChef
05-28-2014, 10:38
I have come across a hiker carrying an accordion in his backpack in case he had time to learn it. :eek:

I also saw a guy carrying a 5-gallon bucket in his hands while he hiked. Said it had something like 40 uses (don't recall). First one I thought of was camp chair. Second thing I thought of was..."Boy, that's going to be fun in the Whites..." Looked for him at TD to see if he was there and still carried the bucket.

Came across a hiker a couple years ago who shall remain nameless ;) He rolled into the shelter at 9:30 with two giant walking sticks (clear up to his shoulders) and a nice and bright headlamp he shined into my face while he woke me up to ask me if I'd seen some people he was looking for. Before he leaves he asks me if I need anything. I swear I almost asked for some of the GIANT coil of thick rope he had draped around his neck. I could have tied all 5 of us in for covering a glacier and still had enough left over to hitch up the mule and horses.

FarmerChef
05-28-2014, 10:44
My husband is NOBO this year and saw a girl hiking with her pet duck. Apparently the duck is bonded with her. I don't know if they are still on the trail...

Oh man this made me laugh out loud. Not sure what she did when she hit the Smokies. If I was a bear I'd be thinking Peking Duck for dinner tonight! And it would take just one uncontrolled dog to make short work of it. Me, I would have got a nice cheery fire going, two forked sticks and a straight one...:D

88BlueGT
05-28-2014, 11:11
You will see more guitars than you would have guessed. I was shocked.

IMO, the most useless gear that I see on the AT are solar chargers. Almost every person that had one were charging it up in town by plugging it in. They got VERY little juice from the sun.

Solar chargers are far from worthless if you actually use it. It's not all that much about being able to charge from the sun but being able to have battery on storage is where they become handy. I personally wouldn't take it backpacking but I have one at my house that I randomly use. It will charge my iPhone 3x's before losing life. If your someone who is using GPS on your phone to track hikes, writting blogs/journal entries, using your phone as your camera, calling home, etc. etc. etc. I would say if you find one that is light enough; it would be worth the weight.

RED-DOG
05-28-2014, 12:57
Back in the 70's and 80's it was a tradition to carry a bowling ball then in the 90's it became a rock know it's some kind of stuffed animal, I am okay with the stuffed animal but a bowling ball and rock I thought that was pretty stupid

rocketsocks
05-28-2014, 13:00
Back in the 70's and 80's it was a tradition to carry a bowling ball then in the 90's it became a rock know it's some kind of stuffed animal, I am okay with the stuffed animal but a bowling ball and rock I thought that was pretty stupid
Well, i'd like to see that bear when you throw a stuffed animal at him...I'm bringing the bowling ball.:D

colorado_rob
05-28-2014, 13:02
machetes, hatchets, those big bear grylis type survival knivesYep. Ridiculous. Saw a ton (literally) of these on the AT so far. The mind boggles!

rocketsocks
05-28-2014, 13:08
machetes, hatchets, those big bear grylis type survival knives


Yep. Ridiculous. Saw a ton (literally) of these on the AT so far. The mind boggles!

In the early 80's I brought a machete on the trail, to this days my mind is still boggled by that act....guess I thought I'd have to chop through a jungle, or slay a unwieldy boogeyman.:o


had one of these too27159

ChinMusic
05-28-2014, 13:35
Solar chargers are far from worthless if you actually use it.....

I personally wouldn't take it backpacking but I have one at my house that I randomly use.
uh............................

flemdawg1
05-28-2014, 14:41
In the early 80's I brought a machete on the trail, to this days my mind is still boggled by that act....guess I thought I'd have to chop through a jungle, or slay a unwieldy boogeyman.:o


had one of these too27159

Did you wear a hockey mask too?

Sarcasm the elf
05-28-2014, 14:50
Most useless thing people bring on the trail with them?

Their egos

rocketsocks
05-28-2014, 14:53
Most useless thing people bring on the trail with them?

Their egos
I don't know, what else are you gonna do for 9 hrs. in a rain storm. I kinda like legos, better than blocks, lighter too.

Sarcasm the elf
05-28-2014, 14:56
I don't know, what else are you gonna do for 9 hrs. in a rain storm..

Can't answer that, my response would be violate the site TOS. :eek:

rocketsocks
05-28-2014, 15:02
Not hard to do these days, hehe

...It's cool, I just use my twisted imagination...ooh your bad!

Rolls Kanardly
05-28-2014, 15:41
AT Maps: Are you a SOBO, nope, crap I am hiking the wrong way.
Watch: It is light out start hiking. It is dark out stop hiking. Rolls

squeezebox
05-28-2014, 23:53
Farmer Chef
Carrying an accordion is even crazier than carrying a tuba.
the bellows are made of cardboard and tape.
reeds can rust.
The worst instrument to take out in wet weather
If lucky it might last a week.
notice my trail name squeezebox..

lemon b
05-29-2014, 01:33
My Kelty Super Tioga Backpack. Guess partly an ego error. Just didn't trust internal packs for rideability, denial of age etc.
But after thousands and thousands of miles I finally noticed that almost ever other serious backpacker had switched to internal. So I went to an Outfitter in Amherst, Ma. with the fully loaded Tioga. Walked out with Altmos 65. Shed something like 8 pounds. My knees are still thanking me. Plus I take fewer balance falls.

Hikemor
05-29-2014, 08:18
My Kelty Super Tioga Backpack. Guess partly an ego error. Just didn't trust internal packs for rideability, denial of age etc.
But after thousands and thousands of miles I finally noticed that almost ever other serious backpacker had switched to internal. So I went to an Outfitter in Amherst, Ma. with the fully loaded Tioga. Walked out with Altmos 65. Shed something like 8 pounds. My knees are still thanking me. Plus I take fewer balance falls.

Won't argue that lighter is generally better but that's exagerating it a bit. The listed weight of a Atmos 65 is 3 lb, 9 oz. The listed weight of a Kelty Trekker 65 (simlar to the the Super Tioga, which is no longer manufactured) is 4 lb, 14 oz. (For reference, I have a Super Tioga that I estimate at 5 lbs.) The Atmos is then 1 lb, 5 oz lighter. You may have eliminated another 6 lbs of gear to get 8 lbs lighter overall but there is no way the weight difference can be attributed to the pack itself.

Most useless thing I carried (for a short while): can of Sterno. I was worried about the availability of white gas. Gas stove has since been replaced with alcohol.

searust
05-29-2014, 08:19
I also saw a guy carrying a 5-gallon bucket in his hands while he hiked. Said it had something like 40 uses (don't recall). First one I thought of was camp chair. Second thing I thought of was..."Boy, that's going to be fun in the Whites..." Looked for him at TD to see if he was there and still carried the bucket.


I am going to think long and hard about this one.... I have actually been looking for a camp stool. How much does one o those buckets weigh and will it fir in my pack?

lemon b
05-29-2014, 08:45
Hikemor I had one of the older Super Tioga's had metal rods on the inside. (Still have it). If I get a chance I'll step on a scale wearing each. I know the eight pounds was the difference, do not remember any other change of equipment that day.

On the seeing on someone else. Last year that rubber chicken Bomber (pyroman9) on whiteblaze hauled outside his pack has to take the cake as useless.

Rain Man
05-29-2014, 09:44
"What's the most obsolete/useless/inapropriate (sic) item you saw on the A.T?"

Weapons.


.

Sarcasm the elf
05-29-2014, 10:29
"What's the most obsolete/useless/inapropriate (sic) item you saw on the A.T?"

Weapons.


.

Speak for yourself, on my last section hike I slayed six orcs and a worg using my +4 Battle axe.

flemdawg1
05-29-2014, 10:31
You brought your Mother in law?

Mags
05-29-2014, 11:09
Speak for yourself, on my last section hike I slayed six orcs and a worg using my +4 Battle axe.

http://thebrotherhoodofevilgeeks.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/nerds-3.jpg

QiWiz
05-29-2014, 12:11
Saw a hiker in Georgia with a tomahawk. I heard he used it once to cut a steak up into cookable chunks on a tent-peg skewer over a fire. Guess what his trail name was. Never saw him again farther up the trail, so don't know if he kept going with it.

Ricky&Jack
05-29-2014, 12:29
when I did the approach trail 2 weeks ago with my dog, my mom told me (yeah, i know. Im 30yrs old) that I need to take my tazer.

So I charged it all night.

I forgot to take it with me. But luckily it was charging where she couldnt see it and realize that I forgot to take it.

So glad I didnt take it. didnt need the weight since I was already over-packed with 37lbs for a 1 night trip.

Sarcasm the elf
05-29-2014, 12:40
http://thebrotherhoodofevilgeeks.files.wordpress.com/2014/05/nerds-3.jpg

Takes one to know one. :cool:

Mags
05-29-2014, 12:56
Takes one to know one. :cool:

The boonie hat is dorky. Nerdy would be a guy who knows that 42 is answer..but we do not know the question! ;)

Sarcasm the elf
05-29-2014, 13:04
The boonie hat is dorky. Nerdy would be a guy who knows that 42 is answer..but we do not know the question! ;)

The question is "What's 6 times 9?" It was revealed in the third or fourth book of the increasingly inaccurately named trilogy.

(Was there ever any doubt that i would know that?)

flemdawg1
05-29-2014, 13:15
6*9=54

42/6=7

Old_Man
05-29-2014, 13:48
On my first Appalachian trip, I was so afraid of bears that I strapped a bike horn to my hip-belt to scare them away. Never had to use it. http://whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=59706&c=516

theinfamousj
05-29-2014, 14:49
6*9=54

That's the joke. No, really. That is the joke.

Sent from my SGH-I777 using Tapatalk

redzombie
05-29-2014, 18:25
Ex-wife...

Nice! Can't stop laughing.

jimmyjam
05-29-2014, 20:47
wet toilet paper.

Drybones
05-29-2014, 21:57
A rock sack for tossing a bear bag line over a limb, made a mighty nice one with a fancy bag and coffee can lid 16" up the line so critters couldn't climb down the line, used it the first night, got up next morning to find bag on ground with all items sampled by a mouse, never hung again.

Papa D
05-30-2014, 00:58
I've seen people actually carry cell phones on the trail. They walk around and look for service - they call their wives and husbands and friends. They even claim them as a necessity in case of an emergency. I can tell you that when I through hiked, I had no such thing - I had a "phone card" for pay phones. A pay phone or borrowed phone is all I need now - - I'd suggest skipping the cell altogether.

jeffmeh
05-30-2014, 07:54
Oh man this made me laugh out loud. Not sure what she did when she hit the Smokies. If I was a bear I'd be thinking Peking Duck for dinner tonight! And it would take just one uncontrolled dog to make short work of it. Me, I would have got a nice cheery fire going, two forked sticks and a straight one...:D

My brother's family used to have a pair of ducks. It used to piss off his crunchy ex-wife when I referred to them as "Peking" and "L'Orange." :)

handlebar
05-30-2014, 07:57
Had to read the whole thread to see whether this one was posted already. Last fall I saw a sobo near Front Royal carrying in each hand two or three pieces of rebar duct-taped together as trekking poles. They must have each weighed 20 lbs. He said he didn't want to lose upper body mass.

jeffmeh
05-30-2014, 08:03
A couple of my younger tribesmen found a Styrofoam head (some type of retail display thing) early on and carried it the rest of the way.

Dropout (2012) found a small kiddie pool and strapped it to his pack, and still had it on Baxter Peak.

And yes, of course, 42.

Coffee
05-30-2014, 08:07
I've seen people actually carry cell phones on the trail. They walk around and look for service - they call their wives and husbands and friends. They even claim them as a necessity in case of an emergency. I can tell you that when I through hiked, I had no such thing - I had a "phone card" for pay phones. A pay phone or borrowed phone is all I need now - - I'd suggest skipping the cell altogether.
I also have a phone card and would prefer to leave my cell behind... However the number of pay phones has decreased to such an extent that a cell phone is nearly required for anyone who needs to occasionally get a call out. Many of the places one would expect to find pay phones have pulled them out.

rafe
05-30-2014, 08:12
I've seen people actually carry cell phones on the trail ... they call their wives and husbands and friends.

For some of us, that ability to call loved ones makes the difference between hiking long distance -- or not.

Mags
05-30-2014, 08:18
Pay phones are pretty much a relic. You can find them in large metro areas still reasonably frequently (usually in a grocery store), but increasingly less and less.

For example, none are listed for Damascus, VA
http://www.payphone-directory.org/payva.html

(Does not mean there is none, but that it is not reported. Still...)

MDSection12
05-30-2014, 08:18
For some of us, that ability to call loved ones makes the difference between hiking long distance -- or not.
+1

Until the day I can talk my wife into more than an overnight comes, I'm stuck with my cell phone. She doesn't mind if I don't check in every day, she knows I can handle myself and there's no need to worry, but I must admit that I sleep much better when I can get a call out before laying down.

My last hike was solo and I camped down in a hollow with no service. I didn't think it'd bother me, having done it many times before, but it did. Luckily, there was a huge rocky outcropping nearby and I got service from the top. She was quite flattered that I had literally rock scrambled up to find service and call her. :)

squeezebox
05-30-2014, 09:16
For a few seconds, I considered carrying a blow up party doll,
Just to be ignorant, real ignorant !!

vic_doom69
05-30-2014, 12:19
2010 woods hole shelter saw a woman with her pet bird. :/

Rolls Kanardly
05-30-2014, 13:39
A pay phone or borrowed phone is all I need now - - I'd suggest skipping the cell altogether.

So who carries the borrowed phone? Rolls

ChinMusic
05-30-2014, 14:07
So who carries the borrowed phone? Rolls

This. He better be bleeding..........

rocketsocks
05-30-2014, 20:28
For a few seconds, I considered carrying a blow up party doll,
Just to be ignorant, real ignorant !!
nothin ignant about a full body pillow.:D

ChinMusic
05-30-2014, 20:41
nothin ignant about a full body pillow.:D

It's just a ruze to get into the HOV lane on the trail.

rocketsocks
05-30-2014, 21:19
It's just a ruze to get into the HOV lane on the trail.deflated traffic keep right.

Sarcasm the elf
05-30-2014, 22:01
It's just a ruze to get into the HOV lane on the trail.

Do both uphill and downhill hikers need to yield to HOV hikers?

squeezebox
05-31-2014, 00:06
Sorry please explain HOV lane .

Ricky&Jack
05-31-2014, 00:10
HOV lane is "high occupancy vehicle"..... its the same thing as a car pool lane. (2 or more people in a vehicle to be allowed to use the special faster lane)

ChinMusic
05-31-2014, 00:12
http://mynorthwest.com/11/656890/Driver-busted-for-using-inflatable-doll-in-HOV-lane

Ricky&Jack
05-31-2014, 01:17
http://mynorthwest.com/11/656890/Driver-busted-for-using-inflatable-doll-in-HOV-lane

i like that. he says "I wasnt trying to fool anyone"....... but then why was he in the HOV with the doll?

If he used the doll in a regular lane, then I could believe him.

Sarcasm the elf
05-31-2014, 07:50
i like that. he says "I wasnt trying to fool anyone"....... but then why was he in the HOV with the doll?

If he used the doll in a regular lane, then I could believe him.

How about this one?

http://gizmodo.com/5069422/the-muppets-animal-caught-speeding-driving-police-crazy

Chain Saw
05-31-2014, 18:26
A true old fashioned folding lawn chair and one of those humongous bulk cans of peanut butter. Like the 10lb one. Both carried by the same guy


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stillatit
05-31-2014, 18:50
Papa D said:


I've seen people actually carry cell phones on the trail. They walk around and look for service - they call their wives and husbands and friends. They even claim them as a necessity in case of an emergency. I can tell you that when I through hiked, I had no such thing - I had a "phone card" for pay phones. A pay phone or borrowed phone is all I need now - - I'd suggest skipping the cell altogether.

I used to feel that way too. But over the years I've changed my view. Last year in NY where the AT crossed a road some miles away from any town, I found a cooler just inside the woods with water & goodies inside placed there by trail angels (a thru-hiker couple) who lived nearby. The note inside invited thrus to call them. They would drive out to pick the hikers up & spend the night at their place, get to do their laundry, get fed in the morning, and get a ride back to the trail. How would a fortunate thru cash in on this kindness without having a cell?

Pay phones are gradually becoming a thing of the past. Many of the companies who used to own them are just letting them deteriorate. Maintenance costs far outweigh what little money they produce from the few people who still seek them out.

I had no problems getting a cell signal anywhere on the trail from E PA to NH last spring when I did large section. The only time I had trouble getting signal was when I was in a town, Unionville, NY. I don't remember any pay phones there either. Though I didn't use my phone much, it was nice to arrange some shuttle rides.

The times, they are a-changing...

JumpMaster Blaster
08-25-2014, 22:49
I've seen people actually carry cell phones on the trail. They walk around and look for service - they call their wives and husbands and friends. They even claim them as a necessity in case of an emergency. I can tell you that when I through hiked, I had no such thing - I had a "phone card" for pay phones. A pay phone or borrowed phone is all I need now - - I'd suggest skipping the cell altogether.
Are there even still pay phones around anywhere? No. Don't borrow a phone, be self sufficient, right?

Times have changed.

RockDoc
08-25-2014, 23:53
On my first long AT hike in 1974 I carried a muzzleloading .44 cal pistol from HF all the way to the Maine border, then chucked it into a lake. Never shot it.

rocketsocks
08-26-2014, 01:22
On my first long AT hike in 1974 I carried a muzzleloading .44 cal pistol from HF all the way to the Maine border, then chucked it into a lake. Never shot it.
Prolly wouldn't have fired when ya needed it anyway. Heck of a thumper though. :D

runt13
08-26-2014, 07:14
A canoe! Yup! No BS!

In1980 the family did our yearly hike to sunfish pond in NJ, and here comes 4 guys with a canoe They were not actually hiking the AT, but were on it and did the miles to get to sunfish pond from RT 80. I have seen strange things carried into the deep woods but nothing is ever going to top that.

RUNT ''13''

jimtabor
08-26-2014, 07:25
Taking care of a shelter along the trail you find all kinda stuff left behind , tents, tarps , can food , rope , small bb&q grills and the list goes on , some are thru hikers and some are weekend campers

Ktaadn
08-26-2014, 10:02
A canoe! Yup! No BS!

In1980 the family did our yearly hike to sunfish pond in NJ, and here comes 4 guys with a canoe They were not actually hiking the AT, but were on it and did the miles to get to sunfish pond from RT 80. I have seen strange things carried into the deep woods but nothing is ever going to top that.

RUNT ''13''

They call that a "portage". It's not that uncommon to carry a boat over land to get to a body of water. Look up Lewis and Clark sometime. Great things have been accomplished with a portage or two.

runt13
08-26-2014, 10:08
LMAO! one heck of a portage!

bus
08-26-2014, 11:05
firewood, strapped to their pack, in the pouring rain...

Some say maps, but, I kind of like seeing whats down the trail etc., studying the elevation, figuring out what the peaks in the distance are... Then again I am kind of a map freak anyway. Always loved geography etc. Are they needed? probably not. But, I'll still walk with them.

Dogtra
08-26-2014, 14:36
A folding chair.

It was tiny but I could never wrap my mind around someone carrying something like that, opposed to just sitting wherever you stopped.

Gambit McCrae
08-26-2014, 15:27
Played a trick on a buddy in college, hiked the southern part of GSMNP. His gear list for a mid August hike:
A REI aluminum external frame pack size:Kids
A millitary arctic weather sleeping bag
A aluminum 70's folding chair
A Gsi expresso coffee maker
A um..Long, hollow glass bubbling device that purifies smoke...:-?
I believe thats about it lol

Old Hiker
08-26-2014, 15:43
Probably 2 things:

My 4 pound, 8 ounce pack I like
My Timberland waterproof, Gortex boots.

Traveler
08-26-2014, 15:44
I've seen people actually carry cell phones on the trail. They walk around and look for service - they call their wives and husbands and friends. They even claim them as a necessity in case of an emergency. I can tell you that when I through hiked, I had no such thing - I had a "phone card" for pay phones. A pay phone or borrowed phone is all I need now - - I'd suggest skipping the cell altogether.

As stated here, where there used to be pay phones, there is now air. Many to most all of them have disappeared due to the proliferation of cell phones, which conversely means cell coverage in areas that didn't have much coverage until fairly recently. Beyond contact with home, Smart Phones can provide a lot of things when you can get signal. I used mine a few weeks ago to figure out the line of thunderstorms that was passing and if I could finish the climb or should stay down low and avoid lightning. They can be a fairly effective tool today in the great out-of-doors, no different than using other new technologies like hammocks and back packs, unless you are a purist with a bindle stick and a song in your heart.

atraildreamer
08-26-2014, 16:24
6*9=54

42/6=7

...and they waited 3 million years for a wrong answer!

Mags
08-26-2014, 17:48
A folding chair.

It was tiny but I could never wrap my mind around someone carrying something like that, opposed to just sitting wherever you stopped.


Looks like these chairs are still made.
http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Creek-Chair-Green-Black/dp/B000296Y36/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409089659&sr=8-2&keywords=crazy+creek+original+chair

More than a few have been brought on backpacking trips by many people. :)

theinfamousj
08-26-2014, 18:37
Looks like these chairs are still made.
http://www.amazon.com/Crazy-Creek-Chair-Green-Black/dp/B000296Y36/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1409089659&sr=8-2&keywords=crazy+creek+original+chair

More than a few have been brought on backpacking trips by many people. :)
I have one of those! But it doubles as my sleeping pad. Or perhaps I should say that my sleeping pad doubles as a Crazy Creek esque chair.

Dogtra
08-26-2014, 19:24
I have one of those! But it doubles as my sleeping pad. Or perhaps I should say that my sleeping pad doubles as a Crazy Creek esque chair.

I love multi-purpose items like that. :D

But the chair that I saw was just a chair and served no additional purpose.

ChefATLTCT
08-26-2014, 20:02
anybody who hiked in 2000 might remember that I carried a Tripod stool all the way to Maine. Many nights folks wanted to sit on it around the fire, I would say "sure if you want to carry it all day tomorrow," surprisingly no one took me up on my offer

NC Blaster
08-27-2014, 12:32
I saw a guy this summer that had a large fishing reel that had an alarm on it when the line was pulled. He said he was going to string it around his campsite and use it as a bear alarm. The thing must have weighed 5 pounds. He was also carrying a PUR water filter. Yeah, the kind that you have in a pitcher at home. This guy had too much stuff to list but those things stuck out the most to me.

LittleRock
08-27-2014, 16:40
Ran into a couple of weekenders last year who carried TWO huge packs of chicken legs, a cold case of beer, and a bow saw up to Big Bald Shelter from Sam's Gap. Couldn't complain though, I got a nice fire, a beer, and a chicken leg out of it.

Personal worst item was a Coleman propane stove. The fuel bottle weighed 3 lbs, and the stove itself was another 2 lbs. Stopped at a shelter and a couple of thru-hikers laughed at me, then showed me the MSR Pocket Rocket, which I use today.

jonrocmtn
08-27-2014, 20:40
Several years ago my wife and I were Trail Maintainers on the south end with the Nantahala Hiking Club. One day we were out working our section, Winding Stair Gap - Siler Bald, when we noticed a strange site coming up the trail. Looked like the hiker had a set of antlers strapped on top of his pack. As he got closer, we realized it was a pair of bicycle handlebars with the rest of the bicycle also strapped to the back of his pack. I kid you not. Trail name - biker hiker. Story was, he rode the bicycle from his home in Indiana to the trail head at Amicalola Falls and was carrying it with him for his ride home from Katahdin.

Ktaadn
08-28-2014, 08:47
Several years ago my wife and I were Trail Maintainers on the south end with the Nantahala Hiking Club. One day we were out working our section, Winding Stair Gap - Siler Bald, when we noticed a strange site coming up the trail. Looked like the hiker had a set of antlers strapped on top of his pack. As he got closer, we realized it was a pair of bicycle handlebars with the rest of the bicycle also strapped to the back of his pack. I kid you not. Trail name - biker hiker. Story was, he rode the bicycle from his home in Indiana to the trail head at Amicalola Falls and was carrying it with him for his ride home from Katahdin.

Did you let him know that he could ship the bike to Maine or did you just let him keep walkin'?

1234
08-28-2014, 17:40
compass, already mentioned but does anyone really use one? the trail seldom really goes the way you think and the sun still rises in the east.

Bear bell, see em sold everywhere, I even carry one, I cannot hear it but it sure gives everyone something to talk about.

Good thread, I think I will carry a bowling ball to a shelter this weekend just to see if anyone every mentions seeing it there. What is an extra 10# I will only have 2 days of food.

The solar gizmos are getting better, and they may be the thing in the near future.

rain coat? sweat box, none of them vent sweat.
rain pants, same reason.

Mags
08-28-2014, 18:24
compass, already mentioned but does anyone really use one? the trail seldom really goes the way you think and the sun still rises in the east.



When I hiked back East, including the AT, I used to like pulling out my compass and identifying landmarks.

Nearly 20 yrs later (!), those initial compass practice sessions have helped me develop backcountry skills for going beyond following white rectangles.

As for rain gear, again, try going early or late season in New England esp above treeline. Could be useful. And, yes, it was on the AT. :)

squeezebox
08-29-2014, 00:44
compass !
Left Turn mentioned she stepped off the trail for some reason, and then got turned around and got lost for 20 minutes, could have turned real bad, she did have a whistle. But with a compass, check your bearing before stepping off, then return 180 degrees, little chance of getting lost.
2.8 oz of insurance

CrumbSnatcher
08-29-2014, 22:21
i met Tuba Man on top of Mt. Washington when we crossed path's, he was a south bounder, he was in the middle of giving a concert to the many tourist up on top of the mountain, it was a site to see for sure! he was happy thats for sure, he would stuff the tuba in his pack and then stuff items down in the tuba. to him his tuba was not an obsolete/useless/inappropriate item, it was the perfect piece of gear. my useless piece of gear was my Kelty Super Tioga external frame pack, to me this was and still is the perfect pack for hiking on the Appalachian trail, it carried my dogs gear and mine for many miles and many years, i have 4 more in the closet and hope to use them before my dirt nap :-)

Drybones
08-29-2014, 22:45
Mountain Hardware hiking pants...worse pc of doo doo I've ever spent $75 on.

Josh D
08-31-2014, 10:27
I saw ankle weights in a hiker box at Kinkora. Because a 40lb pack just isn't enough! I also heard of I guy that hiked with 10 lbs dumbs because he was a boxer and liked to practice punching with them, but I never actually saw this.

atmilkman
08-31-2014, 22:42
Ran into a couple of weekenders last year who carried TWO huge packs of chicken legs, a cold case of beer, and a bow saw up to Big Bald Shelter from Sam's Gap. Couldn't complain though, I got a nice fire, a beer, and a chicken leg out of it.

Personal worst item was a Coleman propane stove. The fuel bottle weighed 3 lbs, and the stove itself was another 2 lbs. Stopped at a shelter and a couple of thru-hikers laughed at me, then showed me the MSR Pocket Rocket, which I use today.
Back in the early 70's when I first started hiking on the AT I was so tired of cold food that I started carrying a 2 burner Coleman white gas stove like a suitcase. Everywhere. My first hot meal on the AT was beanie-weanies. I packed a big can of pork and beans, a pack of hot dogs, a loaf of bread, and 2 sticks of butter. I was in heaven. I carried Dinty Moore beef stew, canned chili, Campbells soup, you name it, I carried it. Later on I switched to one screw on burner and a single propane bottle carried in the pack. It was my first step in going "ultra" light.

saltysack
08-31-2014, 22:53
Toilet paper....trail is full of leaves.....:)


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squeezebox
09-01-2014, 03:29
No wonder people complain of hiker stink.

rocketsocks
09-01-2014, 06:12
Obsolete...snakebite kit.
inapropriate...machete
Useless...8 track tapes

Dogwood
09-01-2014, 15:41
Coming out of Hot Springs late in the day on a friday I passed a limping moving at a snail's pace AT section hiker(he said he was planning on being out for about five nights) hauling a massive 90 + lb pack with a pink Betty Crocker Easy Bake Oven(???), two different quart bottles of alcohol, one Jack Daniels the other Schanpps(I know because he offered a swig of either), a long handled axe, iron skillet, and packages of bloody steaks that had all been strapped to the outside of his backpack. Two hours after I had stopped at a shelter for the night a few miles up the trail he rolled in complaining about his back, hips, and legs hurting him. He was actually an amicable fellow but refused to admit to a correlation between his bodily ills and all the stuff he was hauling.

DirtyFeet
09-18-2014, 05:10
Not thru hikers, but about 8-10 years ago I saw some backpackers roll into a shelter with 70L packs. Took out a Coleman two-burner stove & 2 pots + 10" fry pan for two people. He used a big 10" piezo lighter/stick to start the stove ("faulty auto-ignition"). Went down to the river for water and came back with a 2+ gallon collapsible water tank full. He cooked up some mean sausages and peppers and mashed potatoes. They set out a plastic table cloth to eat on, took the propane bottle off the stove and screwed it into a huge Coleman lantern that lit up whole neighborhood. They took out a hatchet and cut up some logs to make a fire. She made herself busy setting up the tent (had to sleep at least 4) and inflating the double sized air mattress (battery pump). They were very nice but loud as all get out during all their preparations, and asked if we would want a little music and took out a little battery FM radio. Luckily there wasn't anything good playing and they turned it off. They said they were spending a week hiking the park. It was the end of their day 2 and she was jokingly saying the camping part is fun, the hiking part is too much work. I suggested they try lighter gear next time. They were amazed with my stove, I think it was a pocket rocket at the time. I think they got outfitted at Walmart without realizing they had car camping gear.

illabelle
09-18-2014, 09:40
Not thru hikers, but about 8-10 years ago I saw some backpackers roll into a shelter with 70L packs. Took out a Coleman two-burner stove & 2 pots + 10" fry pan for two people. He used a big 10" piezo lighter/stick to start the stove ("faulty auto-ignition"). Went down to the river for water and came back with a 2+ gallon collapsible water tank full. He cooked up some mean sausages and peppers and mashed potatoes. They set out a plastic table cloth to eat on, took the propane bottle off the stove and screwed it into a huge Coleman lantern that lit up whole neighborhood. They took out a hatchet and cut up some logs to make a fire. She made herself busy setting up the tent (had to sleep at least 4) and inflating the double sized air mattress (battery pump). They were very nice but loud as all get out during all their preparations, and asked if we would want a little music and took out a little battery FM radio. Luckily there wasn't anything good playing and they turned it off. They said they were spending a week hiking the park. It was the end of their day 2 and she was jokingly saying the camping part is fun, the hiking part is too much work. I suggested they try lighter gear next time. They were amazed with my stove, I think it was a pocket rocket at the time. I think they got outfitted at Walmart without realizing they had car camping gear.

That's pretty funny!
Now imagine the opposite:
Couple of serious backpackers show up at the church/company/family picnic, unload a tiny little stove, boil some water from their Nalgene, and pour it into some zip-locks to "cook". Meanwhile everyone else is hauling coolers, ice chests, chairs, canopies, etc from their vehicles. About the time the tablecloths get spread, the backpackers are sitting on a couple of rocks finishing their meal, and gathering a gawking crowd. LOL

LittleRock
09-19-2014, 09:43
Not thru hikers, but about 8-10 years ago I saw some backpackers roll into a shelter with 70L packs...

Sheesh, that's more gear than I usually bring car camping!

Ender
09-19-2014, 13:15
What's the most obsolete/useless/inappropriate item I saw on the A.T? Easy... my hiking buddy Filthy. It's also why I like hiking with him.

rocketsocks
09-19-2014, 14:31
What's the most obsolete/useless/inappropriate item I saw on the A.T? Easy... my hiking buddy Filthy. It's also why I like hiking with him.
Now that's funny...I gots a bud like that...bless his little pea pickin' heart.

rocketsocks
09-19-2014, 14:33
Now that's funny...I gots a bud like that...bless his little pea pickin' heart.
...useless as tits on a bull he is, but we like him. :)

Grits
09-19-2014, 23:31
A guy hiked the whole way with a tuba.

http://www.journalnow.com/relishnow/outdoors/article_6e1787ab-e3fa-581c-9aa4-fd7043992aba.html

This is the guy that hiked SOBO with the barefoot sisters.

gollwoods
09-21-2014, 14:36
di see a bowling ball in a shelter i think it was no business knob shelter, only reason i could ever think of is maybe somebody put it in his partners pack, hopefully not a wife's pack. but that would be funny. for about 10 seconds