What do you think about when ...?

[YoungMoose]

what do you think about those people who empty out there packs on the trail when they first start thru hiking and just leave all the gear on the side of the trail for someone else to pick up their trash. Do you not mind and take for free gear or do you no like it when they do that?

[TrippinBTM]

I found a really sweet knit hat, once, in a shelter in Maine. And tent stakes another time, which a hiking partner needed. And a fleece jacket (hanging randomly in the woods), which another hiking partner needed. So, it can have its good side.

But in general, it really pisses me off. I blame a lot of it on Bill Bryson, who made it seem comic and good to dump gear along the trail. People have probably come to think of it as "how things are done" on the AT.

Maybe the maintainence clubs can start putting notices up in some of the shelters, and at the start of the trail at Amicalola Falls Park. The ridgerunners can make a point to tell people not to do it too, especially the guy on Springer Mountain, who checks in hikers. You'd like to think common sense would be enough for people to know that littering the trail with junk isn't good, but sadly, it's not.

[Lone Wolf]

what do you think about those people who empty out there packs on the trail when they first start thru hiking and just leave all the gear on the side of the trail for someone else to pick up their trash. Do you not mind and take for free gear or do you no like it when they do that?

don't bother me none. i grab the chow. everything else will be picked up by some do-gooder who will complain about on here

[slowandlow]

Do you not mind and take for free gear or do you no like it when they do that?

Its usually crappy heavy gear that I wouldn't want for free even. I consider it the equivalent of dumping your garbage along the trail.

[Nicksaari]

yeah eventually all the stuff makes it out. ive dumped a bunch of stuff off the side of the trail. it was feces and trailmagic. everyone seems to like the trailmagic more than the poop. haha

[dmax]

This was happenning way befor Brysons' book ever came out. A person could probably outfit themselves for a thru at the first three shelters around Springer.
I prefer people only throw out their expensive stuff and carry the rest to Neels.:D

[Chaco Taco]

Stuff usually ends up at the shelters and people go thru it. The whole dumping on the trail doesnt happen as much as you would think. Like I said, people usually leave unwanteds at shelters. Found a good MSR filter last year