Hiking Shenanigans

[genxrex]

I need some help adjudicating a a terrible abuse of ultalight ethic.

A few months ago while hiking with some friends my. buddy and I decided to CO-OP on some of our gear such as water purification, stoves, tools and such to reduce our pack weights over a 20 mile rugged hike. On the second day I happened to notice he had packed in chocolate raisins while I had brought white yogurt raisins of the same brand. I thought it would be a funny little HAHA to dump my raisins into his bag as to reduce my pack weight even if just by few grams. We had been having miles long discussions about pack weight and how I had made many efforts & $$$ to get down to lightweight pack. Well the last day at lunch he discovered the xtra raisins and claimed treason against the CO-OP and prommised retribution. We all had a good laugh and finished out the hike.

Well this past weekend we decided on a one night hike to Rice Creek and headed out. Getting out of the truck I thought my pack was alittle heavy but figured it must be the addition of a small softside cooler with a few cold ones for later. Well we hike, and I sweat but I keep my eye on the prize and we arrive at the Rice Creek Hilton after awhile. I begin to break my pack down and much to my suprise, I find a 12" Cast Iron Skillet smuggeld into my pack. My buddy, bust out in laughter and tells me I had left that pan in his boat a few weekends before on a Matanzas River camp and he had simply wanted to return it. He then brought the rasins up and said we were now even. The worst part was that he did bring anyting to cook in the pan, not even some eggs?

I am considering filling his external frame pack tubes with soft lead fishing shot. I will weigh the pan and subtract out the weight of one packcage of yogurt rasins and use that as the adjusted rate of return weight of lead shot.

Did I mention he used his son to do the stashing as he distracted me? How he distracted me is not appropriate topic matter for this forum.

I do not think we are even. But I ask you the hiking comunity what you think?

Do you have any better suggestions?

Or should I just accept it and move on?

[Two Speed]

About the only rule I have on that sort of thing is to make sure no one gets hurt. Other than that go for it, just remember your partner does seem to be the devious type, so it prolly ain't gonna end there.

[Frick Frack]

Sounds like you have started a tradition! Keep it friendly and don't let it get out of hand.

I laugh at ULer's and their fascination/obsession with weight and think its funny you carried a iron skillet and didn't know it. You could put about anything in my pack and i wouldn't realize it either. I applaud you

[BR360]

Take the high road, dude.
Escalate from here and it will never end...unless you want years of pranks.

[Ox97GaMe]

well.. I would say that you had it coming. If you didnt check your pack before heading into the woods, then it is your fault. This is compounded by the fact that you mention you had noticed that it might be heavier than you anticipated. (Red flag)

I heard a similar story once...

Two hikers made a strenuous climb to the mountain summit on a hot day. At the summit, one hiker turns to the other and asks if he would enjoy a cold beer. The second hiker states... You must be crazy to carry two beers up this mountain. The first hiker goes over to the second hikers pack and promptly removes the two beers he had stashed there before the hike.

I have also heard of hikers hiding rocks in packs when they see them unattended at shelters or along the trail. (getting water or privy breaks) It is all in jest.

[Gray Blazer]

Capital punishment is legal in FL.

[BumpJumper]

Hum.....I dont like messin with someone else's stuff. Joking or not. It may lead to a ......um....contest??:D

[JAK]

Well, if you are serious about UL, and it sounds like you are, the only serious way to dish our retribution is measured in gram-miles and gram-net elevation gain. You will have to decide for yourself if you are beaten, or if you should get even, or if you need to shock him once and for all into total submission.

[genxrex]

Shock would not be so good as it would likely lead to another round of lb assault on my poor UL'er back. I need this to be leveling action and nothing more. As far as elevation gain goes, Florida is pretty flat even on its hilliest of days so no need to examine those silly altitude numbers.

If I were to give it my best flat land estimate it would be as follows:
2oz for a partial bag of yogurt dipped raisins for 15 miles = 0.26785 grams per mile carried.
3lb or 1344 grams for 4 miles = 672 grams per mile

So according to those calculations using my original formula of 48oz (pan) - 2oz (raisins) = 46oz or 1288grams , Jay Blaze owes me a readjusted rate of return weight of 128.8grams for ten miles.

But that hardly seems worth it?

[Tipi Walter]

A real backpacker would've eyeballed the thing, had a hearty chuckle, and cached it under a nearby tree under some dirt and leaves, "for the next time he's out there." Just another item to keep in reserve.

[warraghiyagey]

Soak an old sock or some piece of cloth in milk. . . wring it out a little and hide it somewhere in his pack where he won't notice it for a few days. . . it'll find him. . .:sun

[Jan LiteShoe]

Ha ha. I routinely try to get someone to slip a rock with my website Sharpie-ed on it into Stumpknockers pack.
It's become a tradition.
:)

I just know he'd miss the occasional unnecessary weight. ;-)

[Vibe]

I heard a similar story once...

Two hikers made a strenuous climb to the mountain summit on a hot day. At the summit, one hiker turns to the other and asks if he would enjoy a cold beer. The second hiker states... You must be crazy to carry two beers up this mountain. The first hiker goes over to the second hikers pack and promptly removes the two beers he had stashed there before the hike.

Eiger Sanction - Clint Eastwood
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8N-NRjchKc
7:24 into the video.