View Full Version : Backpacking Myths
mochilero
03-26-2006, 13:29
I am working on a new page for my site called "Backpacking Myths and Half-Truths." It will cover things like the idea that coffee dehydrates you (it doesn't), and that alcohol can only cause harm when you're cold (actually, it can prevent frosbite - without causing hypothermia if you will soon be somewhere warm), and that hi-tech socks are best (I stopped getting blisters the day I switched to thin nylon dress socks).
What I need is some suggestions for other myths and half-truths. Thanks in advance to anyone who wants to contribute.
orangebug
03-26-2006, 13:42
All that squirts is Giardia.
Water treatment prevents gastrointestinal disturbances.
Cameling prevents dehydration.
Uphills are the hardest part of hiking.
Kerosene
03-26-2006, 14:09
Elevation change has a bigger impact on speed than the condition of the trail bed. [I've found that a rough trail slows me down considerably more than a 700'/mile climb on a smooth trail bed does.]
Your knees and feet won't feel the extra weight you're carrying as long as the pack rides well on your shoulders and hips.
You can capture the skunk investigating your shelter in a big plastic bag without having him spray you.
You'll see a bulls-eye rash before you feel any symptoms of Lyme Disease.
You don't need maps...or a first aid kit.
It's easy to hitch rides to and from trail towns.
You will really feel, look, and smell sexy after a 15-mile day. :sun
"It's easy to hitch rides to and from trail towns."
Well, it's extremely easy when you are as good looking as I am!
Cookerhiker
03-26-2006, 16:49
Good idea conceptually but caution: what may be a "myth" for one hiker is a perfect truism for another. You'll receive a lot of personal preferences and choices disguised as "myths and half-truths.":o
icemanat95
03-26-2006, 17:00
Thick socks will keep your feet warm in the cold....a half truth. You need insulation, but if the bulk of the socks compresses the available airspace in your boots, your feet will get colder than they would have with a lighter pair of socks. My feet got substantially warmer skiing when I gave up thick socks and went to a liner sock...I also got a better connection to my boots and skis.
As far as hiking socks go, it all depends upon your foot wear and feet and hiking style, and how much your feet sweat and...
Shenandoah National Park is level, there are no rocks, you don't have to carry food because you can eat at buffets every day in the restaurants/lodges, and you can "easily" do 30-mile days thru the Park.
rambunny
03-26-2006, 18:35
Pennslvania is sooooooo scary!!!!!! Mt. Albert shake and tremble!!!!Loved yours Kerosene:D
bulldog49
03-26-2006, 19:11
Hammock hanging is better than tenting. :banana
<TABLE id=HB_Mail_Container height="100%" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0 UNSELECTABLE="on"><TBODY><TR height="100%" width="100%" UNSELECTABLE="on"><TD id=HB_Focus_Element vAlign=top width="100%" background="" height=250 UNSELECTABLE="off">Pond Mountain is a killer!
People hike from the 1st Fontana rd. crossing heading north to the Fontana Hilton!
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River Runner
03-27-2006, 01:56
Hammock hanging is better than tenting. :banana
It's a myth that bulldog knows what he's talking about. :rolleyes:
Virginia is easy
virgina is easy 20,25,30 miles per day no problem:cool: neo
...the girl Virginia was easy. She played hard to get with me.
Big, big myth..."You're too tired after hiking all day to care about having sex.":rolleyes:
mrmike48/4000
03-27-2006, 08:10
the shelter is right around the corner, 20 min later it is still rite around the corner:confused: ....we are almost to the top, another false summit errrrrrr!!!!!!:eek: power bars taste great.....:D nitewalker
carolinahiker
03-27-2006, 09:11
Bears wont steal your food.
Synthetic sleeping bags are better than down for many backpackers because they retain their insulation capabilities when wet.
icemanat95
03-27-2006, 09:20
Cotton kills is a half truth
It's not a good idea in the cold weather, but in the heat of the Summer dipping your t-shirt into a stream and slapping it on is a nice thing.
Cookerhiker
03-27-2006, 09:20
<TABLE class=tborder cellSpacing=1 cellPadding=6 width="100%" align=center border=0><TBODY><TR title="Post 187953" vAlign=top><TD class=alt1 align=middle width=125>bulldog49</TD><TD class=alt2>Hammock hanging is better than tenting.</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
It's a myth that bulldog knows what he's talking about. :rolleyes:
An example of what I was referring to.
So here's my "myth": Alcohol stoves are better
It is illegal/prohibitted to pitch a tent right next to the AT everywhere in the White Mountain National Forest.
Stong and fit athletes prove to be the "best" long distance hikers. Skinny smokers prove to be the 'WORST".
There is always room for one more in the shelter when its raining.
RockyTrail
03-27-2006, 11:55
lightning never strikes the same place twice
max patch
03-27-2006, 12:02
The approach trail is tough.
"Come up here to sit. I've found a soft rock." was my mother's repeated claim 70 years ago as she nudged her six kids steadily towards the summits of the Whites. Half of us are still searching for that soft rock.
Weary
brancher
03-27-2006, 12:05
Gortext-lined boots are waterproof.
Streamweaver
03-27-2006, 13:00
The Coffee one is another half truth . Coffee can dehydrate you if you drink to much. Caffiene(sp) is a mild diuretic and can cause you to pass alot of fluids,some folks more than others. A few cups aint gonna hurt though.Same with tea.
terrapin05
03-27-2006, 13:06
The carnage and burns all over shelters are not alcohol stoves,big lightweight myth...
TwoForty
03-27-2006, 14:15
Waterproof/breathable is really breathable.
Gortext-lined boots are waterproof.
:D they are to,they hold water very well:cool: neo
Gortext-lined boots are waterproof.
:D thats why they hold water so well:cool: neo
Gortext-lined boots are waterproof.
ANY boots are waterproof.
SGTdirtman
03-27-2006, 16:52
my personal favorite
"it weighs nothing"
AbeHikes
03-27-2006, 16:54
You can capture the skunk investigating your shelter in a big plastic bag without having him spray you.
Thanks for that imagery. My co-workers are still wondering what I'm laughing at.
i won't get wet if i have my rain jacket and pants.
a section hike is for pussies.
whiteblazing is better than blue blazing (or pink, or yellow, or brown, or aqua...)
i'm gonna get sick if i don't filter my water
"you'll never make it with that _____" (fill in the blank)
for the west coasters..."there are no mountains in the east above alpine"
whiteblazing is better than blue blazing (or pink, or yellow, or brown, or aqua...)
Perhaps one should say this is a half-myth . . .:)
The more posts you have on Whiteblaze, the more you must know.
Waterproof/breathable is really breathable.
Waterproof/breathable is really both.
The more posts you have on Whiteblaze, the more you must know.
and the more you are loved. ...the more you are respected. ...the closer you are to God.
saimyoji
03-27-2006, 21:39
Dogs, cellphones and smokers make the trail a really great experience. Preferably when all three are combined.
Pennsylvania is all Rocks. Only part true, the first 26 miles of the AT in Pennsylvania is a sweet hike, through lots of farm country. Also, you don't get out of those so-called Pennsylvania "rocks" until your well into New Jersey.
...hiking at night is fun.
The more posts you have on Whiteblaze, the more you must know.
It appears that you know a lot!:D
Tha Wookie
03-28-2006, 00:11
...cell phones make you safe
...food burns in a campfire
...the most expensive gear is best
....boots keep your feet dry
...thru-hiking is a good weight loss program
...thru-hikers have special privliges over other hikers
...I know how to spell privledge
Mountain Man
03-28-2006, 00:44
"It's all down hill from here" ;)
...hiking at night is fun.
That's not a myth. :-)
I've done many night hikes (and runs, skis and snowshoes) over the years.
Something magical about walking by the light of the full moon. The peaks seem to glow with silver, the stars twinkle. You see the shilloutes of creatures off in the distance.
A night time ski back in February was simply magical. We skiied up the trail to a mountain lake. The ice reflected back the light of the moon, the ground was so bright did not even need a headlamp. Some hot spiced rum, good friends and the beauty of nature made for a perfect evening.
An other memorable trip was an off-trail hike in Rocky Mountain National park. It was early fall and the air was crisp. Could hear elks bugling. We knew that our hike (20+ miles, mainly off trail) would have us get back late. Did not matter. Twilight came and we paused to look at the alpenglow on the divide. Night came. We paused again. My good friend Nahum (an astrophysicist at CU) gave an impromptu star talk for half an hour. The sky was black, the stars bright. Getting back to the car was not something we were quite ready to do.
Then there was last summer where a few us hiked Longs Peak (14300') at night. The moon, though full, was obscured by clouds. Almost haunting and eerie. We made it to the summit in time to see the sunrise over the high plains. My friends and I had the summit to ourselves.
I could go on. I've had many wonderful night "hike" (should say outdoors) experiences. Life is good!
"One person's opinion is fact".
That applies to stoves, poles, dogs, cell phone, cats and crossing lava fields....
sdoownek
03-28-2006, 14:32
"One person's opinion is fact".
That applies to stoves, poles, dogs, cell phone, cats and crossing lava fields....
.....and hiking at night.
wilderness bob
03-28-2006, 14:37
Virginia is flat
Hiking at night is awesome, or it can be anyway. That is no myth. I especially like it in the summer. Some of my favorite memories are hiking up to swimming holes in the NY/NJ Highlands for some skinny dipping on hot summer nights when the moon is full.
.....and hiking at night.
Did I say it was fun for everyone? No silly! Just said that night hiking can be fun, enjoyable and inspiring. Read more carefully.
But say it is NOT fun sounds rather dogmatic. :)
sdoownek
03-28-2006, 14:46
Did I say it was fun for everyone? No silly! Read more carefully.
But say it is NOT fun sounds rather dogmatic. :)
I think you missed the humor in my response.....
Nevermind, to explain it at this point would make me seem like a f'ing dork.
Agree with Mags. Night hiking is great. I do it all the time after work up in SNP. Start off in daylight, and complete a circuit as it turns to dusk and then night. Sometimes as late as midnight. Actually, doing a circuit that allows me to do the return via Skyline Drive is the best--you see more of the night sky, and there are more views east and west to the valleys.
JoeHiker
03-28-2006, 16:10
I am working on a new page for my site called "Backpacking Myths and Half-Truths." It will cover things like the idea that coffee dehydrates you (it doesn't), and that alcohol can only cause harm when you're cold (actually, it can prevent frosbite - without causing hypothermia if you will soon be somewhere warm),.
You can list this as your first myth. Alcohol in no way prevents frostbite. Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate, which increases heat loss from the skin
Just Jeff
03-28-2006, 16:59
Which prevents frostbite since more warm blood is going to those extremities, while possibly contributing to hypothermia...but if you're going to be in a warm place soon (like a sleeping bag), the benefits of staving off frostbite with alcohol may outweigh the slight overall heat loss.
bulldog49
03-28-2006, 17:10
You can list this as your first myth. Alcohol in no way prevents frostbite. Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate, which increases heat loss from the skin
I thought alcohol constricts blood vessels, which would prevent warming blood from reaching the extremities.
Lighter is automatically better.
I thought alcohol constricts blood vessels, which would prevent warming blood from reaching the extremities.
Nope dilates them, hence the classic sometimes red-faced flushed look of a drunk.
Just Jeff
03-28-2006, 19:32
Until they've been drunk too long, then the classic green-faced look...that's bad for frostbite. :p
JoeHiker
03-29-2006, 14:29
Which prevents frostbite since more warm blood is going to those extremities, while possibly contributing to hypothermia...but if you're going to be in a warm place soon (like a sleeping bag), the benefits of staving off frostbite with alcohol may outweigh the slight overall heat loss.
You are infinitessimally taking more heat away from your core and losing it in your extremities. The fact that it has to go through those extremities is not going to help you in the slightest. It is certainly not going to make one bit of difference to your frostbite or lack thereof.
Drinking alcohol does not "stave off" anything except sobriety. Using it as some sort of stop gap measure for frostbite is as useful as carrying a rabbits foot. The idea that this is a valid use of alcohol is a myth and should be listed as such.
JoeHiker
03-29-2006, 14:52
My last post sounds more dismissive than I intended. I just think it's absurd (and possibly even dangerous) to think that downing some JD is going to buy you even a few minutes off the time it takes you to get frostbite.
Myth # 32:
I swear, it's just monkeybutt.
Bears are ferocious meat eating monsters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!:rolleyes: :-?
Vortex GA-ME 95:sun
Just Jeff
03-29-2006, 15:41
My last post sounds more dismissive than I intended. I just think it's absurd (and possibly even dangerous) to think that downing some JD is going to buy you even a few minutes off the time it takes you to get frostbite.
Well, I haven't seen any studies of it. I know that when I take a shot or two in ~freezing temps, my hands and feet feel warmer for the short time I'm sitting around camp until I get into my bag, where hypothermia isn't a problem.
And maybe that's all in my head - my little alcoholic placebo. But it still works for me! (Though I don't do it often.)
Those rescue dogs carry brandy around their necks in the cartoons, don't they?
Those rescue dogs carry brandy around their necks in the cartoons, don't they?
That's a myth. Having never seen a rescue dog on the AT, let alone one carrying brandy at cocktail hour, I have had to resort to carrying my own!
A) Black bears can't run down hill
B) Getting between a black bear and her cubs is about as dangerous a situation as you will ever find in the backcountry
A) Most of the people listed by the ATC as having hiked the entire AT really have.
B) More than 1/2 of the people listed by the ATC as having hiked the entire AT really have.
Rickboudrie isn't a cynic.
River Runner
03-30-2006, 02:21
Lighter is automatically better.
:-? Better is automatically heavier.
:-? Better is automatically heavier.
Yup.
@#$%^&
Cookerhiker
03-30-2006, 11:23
Those rescue dogs carry brandy around their necks in the cartoons, don't they?
Well I liked the Far Side cartoon some time back with the St. Bernard carrying the roll of TP to the beleagured hiker in the privy.:rolleyes:
it can't rain forever.........can it?
BlackCloud
03-30-2006, 14:05
Bear bags are to keep your food safe from bears.:rolleyes:
sierraDoug
03-30-2006, 17:40
All serious backpackers use trekking poles.
Jack and LW are always right. :D
Well, I haven't seen any studies of it. I know that when I take a shot or two in ~freezing temps, my hands and feet feel warmer for the short time I'm sitting around camp until I get into my bag, where hypothermia isn't a problem.
And maybe that's all in my head - my little alcoholic placebo. But it still works for me! (Though I don't do it often.)
Winter use of Alcohol is very bad..yes..er..um:
http://www.pmags.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=12948
:D
Skidsteer
03-30-2006, 20:21
Winter use of Alcohol is very bad..yes..er..um:
http://www.pmags.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=12948:D
:eek: You carried the box wine in the box? Scandalous! You really aren't a gram weenie.:)
You know the bag the wine comes in makes a decent pillow?:D
:eek: You carried the box wine in the box? Scandalous! You really aren't a gram weenie.:)
You know the bag the wine comes in makes a decent pillow?:D
I go to extremes. For three-season backpacking, I watch the grams.
Hut trips? Well...you gotta go all out for hut trips.
Besides boxed wine has more alcohol per ounce than bottled wine. See, I'm still being weight efficient! :)
that you can get your pack down to twenty pounds
If you don't get your pack down to 20lbs. and hike in tennis shoes, your doing it wrong.
Geezzz...I step away for a bit and return to find night hiking has become fun...
Overheard a thru-hiker tell a friend, " Some nights I was so tired I didn't even know it had been dark." Followed by, "It was the best thing I've ever done for myself."
Not a myth.
Forestescapes
03-31-2006, 09:14
Myth No.1
Everyone knows alcohol stoves are better!
Myth No.2
Huts users will have replenished the wood supply for you.
Myth No.3
Boots are better then runners in all situations
Myth No.4
Buying the dearest gear you can afford is always the best choice
Myth No.5
Now you're home from that multi-day walk, you can go to bed without a hot shower!
dc
The Claim: You Lose Most of Your Body Heat Through Your Head
By ANAHAD O'CONNOR
Published: October 26, 2004 New York Tmes
THE FACTS: Put on a hat, parents tell their children before sending them outside on bitter winter days. While that might be sound advice, the popular belief behind it — that most of the body's heat escapes through the head — is misguided.
The amount of heat released by any part of the body depends largely on its surface area, and on a cold day you would lose more heat through an exposed leg or arm than a bare head.
Dr. Daniel I. Sessler, an anesthesiologist and expert on hypothermia at the University of Louisville medical school, said the popular myth stemmed from military experiments conducted five decades ago. In those studies, he said, researchers dressed subjects in Arctic survival suits and exposed them to frigid conditions. But the suits only covered the subjects from the neck down, he said, so naturally most of their body heat escaped through their heads.
That isn't a fair comparison, Dr. Sessler said. If you did the same experiment with someone wearing a swimsuit, only about 10 percent of the heat loss would come from the head.
The body responds to cold temperatures in at least two ways. One is the constriction of blood vessels in the arms and legs, reducing blood flow to the extremities. This protects the brain and vital organs in the trunk but leaves the fingers and toes susceptible to frostbite, in effect sacrificing them. Another response to cold is shivering, which generates heat.
The face, head and upper chest are up to five times as sensitive to changes in temperature as other areas, Dr. Sessler said. This creates the illusion that covering up those areas traps in more heat, but clothing another part of the body does just as much to reduce overall heat loss.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The body does not lose most of its heat through the head
icemanat95
03-31-2006, 10:03
One size fits all.
One style suits every hiker.
aufgahoban
03-31-2006, 10:32
Myth: You can't have fun unless your gear is light weight, top of the line and better than everyone elses.
On my first backpacking trip (a couple of decades ago) we carried heavy old external frame packs, canvas tents, metal pots, my brothers huge boy scout sleeping bag strapped to the top, canteens and I even managed a supply of pepsi's. And OMG we wore cotton! Can you imagine? We were 4 teenaged girls traipsing through the White Mountain Wilderness for 6 days. Good thing we didn't know our packs weighed 60 lbs each or we surely would have had no fun at all and I certainly never would have given the sport another try!
:sun
Happy hiking = never hanging out with people who have lighter stuff than you do. :banana
KirkMcquest
03-31-2006, 12:34
The four big myths that 'they' don't want you to know;
WB myth #1: Mcquest and Longshanks are the same person
WB myth #2: Mcquest and Longshanks are gay, weak, or otherwise unmanly
WB myth #3: Mcquest and Longshanks are 'trolls'
WB myth #4: You have to have hiked the entire AT several times to understand it or have a valid opinion regarding a thru-hike;)
Just Jeff
03-31-2006, 13:48
Kirk, myths are supposed to have some element of untruth to them. :p
Cookerhiker
03-31-2006, 15:14
Myth: You can't have fun unless your gear is light weight, top of the line and better than everyone elses.
On my first backpacking trip (a couple of decades ago) we carried heavy old external frame packs, canvas tents, metal pots, my brothers huge boy scout sleeping bag strapped to the top, canteens and I even managed a supply of pepsi's. And OMG we wore cotton! Can you imagine? We were 4 teenaged girls traipsing through the White Mountain Wilderness for 6 days. Good thing we didn't know our packs weighed 60 lbs each or we surely would have had no fun at all and I certainly never would have given the sport another try!
:sun
Happy hiking = never hanging out with people who have lighter stuff than you do. :banana
Love it! Amen!
love the name... that's funny...
ok... so that didn't work... let's try it again...
"Aufgahoban"
love the name.. that's funny...
sierraDoug
04-01-2006, 14:15
The Claim: You Lose Most of Your Body Heat Through Your Head
The face, head and upper chest are up to five times as sensitive to changes in temperature as other areas, Dr. Sessler said. This creates the illusion that covering up those areas traps in more heat, but clothing another part of the body does just as much to reduce overall heat loss.
THE BOTTOM LINE: The body does not lose most of its heat through the head
So we might not die from not wearing a hat in the cold, but we might get very uncomfortable. Sounds like an excellent reason for a good hat to me.
But more importantly, what a retro-cool avatar! I just sold my old Svea 123 last month in spite of having some sentimental attachment to it. Closet space overrules sentiment in my little apartment.