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BirdShooter
02-16-2012, 10:38
Has it ever been debated on who are the most influential backpackers of all time (Top 5 )? With the creation of the A.T. Museum, I know there was discussion about the most influential Appalachian Trail backpackers of all time (ie. Earl Shaffer), but what about in general?

I'd argue that Earl Shaffer makes that cut for pioneering the first "official" thru-hike, but what about someone like "Flyin' Brian" Robinson who became the first backpacker to conquer hiking's Triple Crown in a calendar year? He definitely took thru-hiking to an entirely new level? Curious to get your thoughts on this....

BirdShooter (http://n2backpacking.com/blog/about-us/)
GA-ME 1994

WalkinHome
02-16-2012, 10:48
I'll give you four - Avery, Shaffer, Espy, and Irwin.

max patch
02-16-2012, 10:58
If you are looking for "influential" then I'll go with Shaffer (obvious) and Ed Garvey (his book exposed many to the AT).

And while Robinson, Espy, and Irwin all deserve their place in history, I don't see how they were "influential" in changing other hikers behavior.

Just a Hiker
02-16-2012, 10:58
I feel as though there are alot of men and women who have been influential to long distance hiking, and there are alot of men and women who are dedicated to maintaining the trail. However, I feel that light weight gear and information has been the biggest influence the past decade.

HiKen2011
02-16-2012, 11:00
Lone Wolf for sure, thousands of AT miles and thousands more WB post's! :cool:

max patch
02-16-2012, 11:04
This thread should have been started in the "straight forward" section as its just a matter of time before Minnesota Smith gets mentioned.

Tabasco
02-16-2012, 11:04
LMFAO, I was JUST typing his name.

max patch
02-16-2012, 11:10
Wingfoot needs to be included in the discussion of top 5 "most influential" as he created the first appalachian trail internet forum that had any appreciable membership, the existence of that website spawned this one. His "anniversary hike" (is that what it was called?) created interest as newspapers would meet him in town and then write about the trail. Updates were given on the radio in Atlanta.

And how about Bryson? How many millions of people heard about the trail because of his book?

Remember, the category is "most influential" not "strongest hiker".

sbhikes
02-16-2012, 11:24
What about Grandma Gatewood. I never heard of any of those other guys until I came to Whiteblaze but I knew about her. And don't forget Collin Fletcher for influential all-round backpacker.

Alligator
02-16-2012, 11:26
Has it ever been debated on who are the most influential backpackers of all time (Top 5 )? With the creation of the A.T. Museum, I know there was discussion about the most influential Appalachian Trail backpackers of all time (ie. Earl Shaffer), but what about in general?

I'd argue that Earl Shaffer makes that cut for pioneering the first "official" thru-hike, but what about someone like "Flyin' Brian" Robinson who became the first backpacker to conquer hiking's Triple Crown in a calendar year? He definitely took thru-hiking to an entirely new level? Curious to get your thoughts on this....

BirdShooter (http://n2backpacking.com/blog/about-us/)
GA-ME 1994The AT is certainly a significant factor for many hikers, but this question goes beyond the AT.

John Muir.

Rain Man
02-16-2012, 11:28
Horace Kephart would be one.

Rain:sunMan

.

Lyle
02-16-2012, 12:05
Collin Fletcher - Hands Down.

Lone Wolf
02-16-2012, 12:06
Wingfoot needs to be included in the discussion of top 5 "most influential" as he created the first appalachian trail internet forum that had any appreciable membership, the existence of that website spawned this one. His "anniversary hike" (is that what it was called?) created interest as newspapers would meet him in town and then write about the trail. Updates were given on the radio in Atlanta.

And how about Bryson? How many millions of people heard about the trail because of his book?

Remember, the category is "most influential" not "strongest hiker".
i agree. can't think of any others

Lyle
02-16-2012, 12:10
I would round out the top five with:

Harvey Manning
Bill Kemsley
Earl Schafer
Grandma Gatewood

Honorable mention - Jim Kern

bamboo bob
02-16-2012, 12:14
Major Rogers of Rogers Rangers, James Fenimore Cooper, Colin Fletcher, Bill Bryson ( I thought if Katz could do it then I could do it ) , Wingfoot, These are people who actually influenced me. Schaffer, Garvey, and others I read about later

grayfox
02-16-2012, 12:26
The internet has made even the least of us here on this forum very 'influential'.

I have to say that I was influenced most by Fletcher. Also, G. W. Sears(Nessmuk) and Kepheart. John Muir gets my vote for first ultralighter that I knew of. Then, there was Lewis and Clark, my vote for provision planning influences. And, Moses, for sheer willingness to stay out on the trail for a long time.

Jack Tarlin
02-16-2012, 12:26
The most influential foot traveler I can think of off the top of my head is Jesus Christ.

Lone Wolf
02-16-2012, 12:28
Ray Jardine?

Lyle
02-16-2012, 12:39
Looking over the "nominations", my position would be that we need to define what we mean by backpacking. Is it foot travel, when few other options were available - Jesus Christ, Lewis & Clark, etc? Or are we talking about carrying the items you need for your stay in the "wilderness" on your back - military could be considered here. Or finally, are we limiting it to what is generally considered recreational backpacking, heading out to hike and camp for the fun of it - this is what I defined it as, and most have so far.

Feral Bill
02-16-2012, 12:45
Collin Fletcher - Hands Down.
Absolutely number one

Tuckahoe
02-16-2012, 12:58
Honestly i had never heard of Earl Schafer or any of the others who pioneered hiking the AT or backpacking in general until I found this forum.

If I were to think of the most influential it would have to be all those scoutmasters and youth group leaders that introduce young people to backpacking. For me that would be the leaders of Troop 67 of Little Creek Amphib Base in Norfolk and Troop 55 of Oak Grove Methodist Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Cookerhiker
02-16-2012, 13:17
By the time I got to this thread, 4 of my 5 have been named: Colin Fletcher, Earl Shaffer, Ed Garvey, Grandma Gatewood. My 5th would be Nimblewill Nomad. Of these, the most personally influential to me was Garvey.

Re. Jesus, in that vein what about St. Paul? He's the one who spread the message, not just by boat. He hoofed it a lot.

Don H
02-16-2012, 13:30
If i were to the of the most influential it would have to be all those scoutmasters and youth group leaders that introduce young people to backpacking.

Agreed, the most influential person for me was my Dad and my Scoutmaster. They both took me on the AT for the first time. Of course there might not be a trail if it wasn't for some of the famous people mentioned. I would argue however that the trail wouldn't exist today without the dads, scoutmasters and others who take young people outdoors.

fredmugs
02-16-2012, 14:37
My ex-wife. I started hiking to get away from that b!tch. After my first AT section I filed for a divorce. Thanks Appalachian Trail!

Ohio Grown
02-16-2012, 14:51
Ray Jardine?


Came here to post him. Didn't he pretty much pioneer ultra-light backpacking?

skinewmexico
02-16-2012, 15:21
Came here to post him. Didn't he pretty much pioneer ultra-light backpacking?

No, that was Grandma Gatewood. No, John Muir.

I'd never heard of any of the AT guys until I started reading this forum, but I know Colin Fletcher's book was my bible as a young kid in the 70s.

fiddlehead
02-16-2012, 16:03
Influential for me: (top five)
Eric Ryback (heard about him, got his book, wanted to follow in his footsteps)
Warren Doyle (heard about his record and then met him early in my hiking days)
Ray Jardine (learned a lot from his book)
Earl Schaeffer (how many can hike the trail without socks and use a newspaper for a sleeping pad?)
Ward Leonard

Also: (Ok, I like to read)
Ed Garvey
Grandma Gatewood
Henry David Thoreau
Cindy Ross
Edward Abbey

Tinker
02-16-2012, 16:20
Influential to me, at least - Lynne Whelden, who produced the movie "Five Million Steps". Maybe I should say the the movie was influential - I still regard it to be the best movie about the AT for nature lovers actually "seeking fellowship with the wilderness" as Benton MacKaye said.

vamelungeon
02-16-2012, 16:57
Colin Fletcher as most influential all around hiker.

Drybones
02-16-2012, 18:51
The "man" did make a substatial influence didn't he...did for me anyway.

Monkeywrench
02-16-2012, 18:56
Colin Fletcher, Ed Garvey, Eric Ryback...

Monkeywrench
02-16-2012, 18:58
Can't believe I forgot John Muir!

Monkeywrench
02-16-2012, 19:00
Edward Abbey

Interesting choice. I'm a huge fan of Ed Abbey (thus my trail name) but I don't think I've ever thought of him as a backpacker. A backcountry traveler, sure, but not so much on foot.

Juice
02-16-2012, 19:28
Rory Stewart?

rocketsocks
02-16-2012, 19:56
Colin Fletcher has my vote and respect as a writer,I would have enjoyed meeting him.

CrumbSnatcher
02-16-2012, 20:13
wingfoot helped me get hiking on the appalachian trail
and bob peoples taught me,its fun to work on the trail :-)

max patch
02-16-2012, 20:13
Mr Ryback certainly influenced many of todays yellow blazers.

Sly
02-16-2012, 20:24
Mr Ryback certainly influenced many of todays yellow blazers.

I saw he speak and give a slideshow of his PCT hike and although he wasn't directly asked, it didn't appear he skipped any miles.

Anyway, my personal list would be Wingfoot, Earl, Colin, some guy named ATCDTPCT on aol.com and at a later date Jardine.

Sly
02-16-2012, 20:26
Rory Stewart?

The Places in Between, great book.

Marta
02-17-2012, 06:47
Collin Fletcher - Hands Down.

He gets my vote, too.

lemon b
02-17-2012, 08:04
Difficult question. Here's a few that come to my mind.
a 1978 thru hiker I knew as BigFoot.
James P. Taylor, Kay Wood, Gene Espy, And Harry "The Indian" Thomas , and Baltimore Jack.

double d
02-17-2012, 10:51
I'll give you four - Avery, Shaffer, Espy, and Irwin.

Yes, couldn't agree more with the above list and I'll add Wingfoot, he started the first online webpage dedicated to the AT and thru-hiked the AT seven times I believe. He also published a yearly thru-hikers handbook as well that was well made and informative.

Ktaadn
02-17-2012, 13:15
My list is below.

1. John Muir
2. Theodore Roosevelt
3. Ansel Adams
4. Doesn't matter
5. Doesn't matter

Their contributions to preserving wilderness and bringing it to the masses are immeasurable. Almost anyone else mentioned above is completely unknown to the general public and I would bet that most thru hikers couldn't name any "famous" AT hikers.

Lone Wolf
02-17-2012, 13:20
My list is below.

1. John Muir
2. Theodore Roosevelt
3. Ansel Adams


they weren't backpackers

Ktaadn
02-17-2012, 13:40
they weren't backpackers

Are you really going to try to convince me that these 3 men never had a pack on their back in their entire lives?

hikerboy57
02-17-2012, 13:49
My list is below.

1. John Muir
2. Theodore Roosevelt
3. Ansel Adams
4. Doesn't matter
5. Doesn't matter

Their contributions to preserving wilderness and bringing it to the masses are immeasurable. Almost anyone else mentioned above is completely unknown to the general public and I would bet that most thru hikers couldn't name any "famous" AT hikers.
add bob marshall

Lone Wolf
02-17-2012, 13:51
Are you really going to try to convince me that these 3 men never had a pack on their back in their entire lives?

they weren't known as long distance backpackers. teddy was fat as hell. couldn't see him doin' much walkin'

CrumbSnatcher
02-17-2012, 13:55
i am a legend in my own mind!
everyone else calls me "WHO"

Ktaadn
02-17-2012, 14:18
they weren't known as long distance backpackers. teddy was fat as hell. couldn't see him doin' much walkin'

The title of this thread makes no mention of "long distance".

"Muir's three-night camping trip with President Theodore Roosevelt in 1903 could be considered the most significant camping trip in conservation history."

http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/people/historical/muir/

I suppose it could be debated as to how much "backpacking" was actually going on, it is known that the two were completely alone and they certainly didn't take a helicopter to get there.

Astro
02-17-2012, 16:33
Most influential to me:
Earl Shaffer
Warren Doyle
Jennifer Pharr Davis
David "AWOL" Miller
Bill Bryson

TJ aka Teej
02-17-2012, 22:40
Myron Avery, Earl Shaffer, Ed Garvey (first popular AT book), Darrell Maret (wrote the Philosopher's Guide) and Kathy Bilton (first AT web page, long before the ATC or Wingfoot.)

Deadeye
02-17-2012, 22:46
#1: Dad
everyone else is irrelevant

Kookork
02-18-2012, 06:28
I have not been around long enough to know most of these great influential backpackers and what they have done so my answer is very personal .I like Andrew Skurka and he is the one who I consider the most influential to me. John Muir is the one that I knew way before start hiking in North America.

stranger
02-18-2012, 07:22
I think top 5 is kinda difficult to narrow down, for me this is my Appalachian Trail list:
1. Earl Shaffer - the first guy, showed us we could thru-hike
2. Warren Doyle - most thru-hikes, and has done alot for the trail, founder of ALDHA
3. Dan Bruce - 7 thru-hikes, 6 in a row, The Thru-Hikers Handbook, Trailplace, Center for AT Studies, did more for thru-hikers than anyone else I know of
4. Ward Leonard - unsupported record, 3 thru's in one year, 10 thru-hikes in all, most natural hiker I've ever heard of
5. Ray Jardine - his hiking style and books did alot for AT hiking as we know it today, combined with the next person
6. Lynn Wheldon - How to hike the AT video, and taking Jardine's approach to the AT
7. Jack Tarlin - 7 or 8 thrus? In the age of internet and Whiteblaze, gave him a huge profile in the AT community

russb
02-18-2012, 08:30
Came here to post him. Didn't he pretty much pioneer ultra-light backpacking?


Perhaps in the modern generation. But lightweight was not introduced by him, nor was he the first to even write about it. In the late 1800's, GW Sears (aka Nessmuk) wrote: "Go light; the lighter the better, so that you have the simplest material for health, comfort and enjoyment."

4eyedbuzzard
02-18-2012, 08:38
How do we measure the overall influence of Baden-Powell and scouting's influence? It's huge and likely eclipses all other influences from a general "get out and hike standpoint :-?

That aside, from a traffic standpoint, i.e the pure number of people brougt to / lured to backpacking, especially the AT, I'd have to go with Ed Garvey. Thru-hiking and LD hiking was still really fringe until he popularized it. After his hike and the publication of Appalachian Hiker the numbers of both LD and section hikers exploded. Wingfoot certainly deserves mention as well - widely read and very influential.

Colin Fletcher certainly deserves a mention - all of us from my generation studied his writings, and Ray Jardine continued in a similar path later. All the early trail builders (Avery, MacKaye, others, need to be mentioned. Then there's also the synergistic effect from the famous expedition climbers like Edmund Hillary, Jim Whittaker, and later those like Alex Lowe and others. Not hiking, but the famous publicized expeditions awakened a lot of interest in hiking and the outdoors in the "mere mortal" community.

And then there's the enablers: how do we measure the influence of Dick Kelty and Gerry Cunningham and others? or even guy named Wallace Carothers he invented some stuff called nylon?

My top five:

Robert Baden-Powell
Benton MacKaye
Colin Fletcher
Ed Garvey
Dick Kelty

Lyle
02-18-2012, 09:43
I can't help but smile at how stuck in the AT mindset folks are. Most influential of all time, and some lists do not include anyone outside the AT "family"? Guess it shouldn't surprise me, considering this is an AT site for most practical purposes, but the number of members who seem to have no reference OTHER than the AT is amusing.

I find this evident in many discussions here. This mindset can be both good and bad for backpacking in general.

Anyway, a fun discussion.

I'll expand on my earlier post, with a very brief reasoning behind my suggestions:

Colin Fletcher - Obvious, wrote the best-selling "Bible" for modern backpacking
Harvey Manning - Wrote another very popular how-to, "Backpacking, One Step At A Time". I could possibly be talked out of this one, or convinced that Ed Garvey was more influential, but thought I'd throw his hat in the ring.
Bill Kemsley - Founding publisher of "Backpacker" magazine. Whatever we feel about this publication today, at it's introduction and for at least a decade it was VERY popular and influential. Bill Kemsley was also one of the co-founders of American Hiking Society. Very influential in securing positive favor from Congress for ALL trails.
Earl Schafer - Obviously, showed and inspired others to attempt and accomplish Thru-hikes.
Grandma Gatewood - Similar to Earl Schafer but extending that to women. Dorthy Laker could also be considered here.

I gave honorable mention to Jim Kern - Co-founder and long-time president of American Hiking Society, which, among many other efforts, initiated the "Hike-The-Hill" campaign. A lobbying coalition of all of the National Scenic, Recreation and Historic Trails that moves on Congress each spring to keep hiking and hiking trails foremost in our politicians minds.

BirdShooter
02-18-2012, 11:09
Greg Lowe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Lowe_(climber)) invented the world’s first, close-fitting, internal-frame backpack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpack). I don't miss my frame pack a bit.

max patch
02-18-2012, 11:29
Gee, if Earl Shaffer was THAT influential (and he's in my top 5) you'd think we'd know how to spell his name correctly.



I would round out the top five with:

Harvey Manning
Bill Kemsley
Earl Schafer
Grandma Gatewood

Honorable mention - Jim Kern


Major Rogers of Rogers Rangers, James Fenimore Cooper, Colin Fletcher, Bill Bryson ( I thought if Katz could do it then I could do it ) , Wingfoot, These are people who actually influenced me. Schaffer, Garvey, and others I read about later


Honestly i had never heard of Earl Schafer or any of the others who pioneered hiking the AT or backpacking in general until I found this forum.

If I were to think of the most influential it would have to be all those scoutmasters and youth group leaders that introduce young people to backpacking. For me that would be the leaders of Troop 67 of Little Creek Amphib Base in Norfolk and Troop 55 of Oak Grove Methodist Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.


Influential for me: (top five)
Eric Ryback (heard about him, got his book, wanted to follow in his footsteps)
Warren Doyle (heard about his record and then met him early in my hiking days)
Ray Jardine (learned a lot from his book)
Earl Schaeffer (how many can hike the trail without socks and use a newspaper for a sleeping pad?)
Ward Leonard

Also: (Ok, I like to read)
Ed Garvey
Grandma Gatewood
Henry David Thoreau
Cindy Ross
Edward Abbey


I can't help but smile at how stuck in the AT mindset folks are. Most influential of all time, and some lists do not include anyone outside the AT "family"? Guess it shouldn't surprise me, considering this is an AT site for most practical purposes, but the number of members who seem to have no reference OTHER than the AT is amusing.

I find this evident in many discussions here. This mindset can be both good and bad for backpacking in general.

Anyway, a fun discussion.

I'll expand on my earlier post, with a very brief reasoning behind my suggestions:

Colin Fletcher - Obvious, wrote the best-selling "Bible" for modern backpacking
Harvey Manning - Wrote another very popular how-to, "Backpacking, One Step At A Time". I could possibly be talked out of this one, or convinced that Ed Garvey was more influential, but thought I'd throw his hat in the ring.
Bill Kemsley - Founding publisher of "Backpacker" magazine. Whatever we feel about this publication today, at it's introduction and for at least a decade it was VERY popular and influential. Bill Kemsley was also one of the co-founders of American Hiking Society. Very influential in securing positive favor from Congress for ALL trails.
Earl Schafer - Obviously, showed and inspired others to attempt and accomplish Thru-hikes.
Grandma Gatewood - Similar to Earl Schafer but extending that to women. Dorthy Laker could also be considered here.

I gave honorable mention to Jim Kern - Co-founder and long-time president of American Hiking Society, which, among many other efforts, initiated the "Hike-The-Hill" campaign. A lobbying coalition of all of the National Scenic, Recreation and Historic Trails that moves on Congress each spring to keep hiking and hiking trails foremost in our politicians minds.

takethisbread
02-18-2012, 11:49
Jesus Christ

Fiddleback
02-18-2012, 13:08
John Muir

John Colter

Jim Bridger

Jedidiah Smith

Daniel Boone

Honerable mention not to a single person but to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

hikerboy57
02-18-2012, 15:19
John Muir

John Colter

Jim Bridger

Jedidiah Smith

Daniel Boone

Honerable mention not to a single person but to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

add john fremont opened up the west.
both lewis and clark were p***ed when they fopund out there was no hiker feed.(the first hiker feed they had was salmon, salmon, and more salmon.)

Sly
02-18-2012, 16:56
John Muir

John Colter

Jim Bridger

Jedidiah Smith

Daniel Boone

Honerable mention not to a single person but to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Did any of them actually carry a backpack?

Cookerhiker
02-18-2012, 23:09
I can't help but smile at how stuck in the AT mindset folks are. Most influential of all time, and some lists do not include anyone outside the AT "family"? Guess it shouldn't surprise me, considering this is an AT site for most practical purposes, but the number of members who seem to have no reference OTHER than the AT is amusing.

I find this evident in many discussions here. This mindset can be both good and bad for backpacking in general.

Anyway, a fun discussion.

I'll expand on my earlier post, with a very brief reasoning behind my suggestions:

Colin Fletcher - Obvious, wrote the best-selling "Bible" for modern backpacking
Harvey Manning - Wrote another very popular how-to, "Backpacking, One Step At A Time". I could possibly be talked out of this one, or convinced that Ed Garvey was more influential, but thought I'd throw his hat in the ring.
Bill Kemsley - Founding publisher of "Backpacker" magazine. Whatever we feel about this publication today, at it's introduction and for at least a decade it was VERY popular and influential. Bill Kemsley was also one of the co-founders of American Hiking Society. Very influential in securing positive favor from Congress for ALL trails.
Earl Schafer - Obviously, showed and inspired others to attempt and accomplish Thru-hikes.
Grandma Gatewood - Similar to Earl Schafer but extending that to women. Dorthy Laker could also be considered here.

I gave honorable mention to Jim Kern - Co-founder and long-time president of American Hiking Society, which, among many other efforts, initiated the "Hike-The-Hill" campaign. A lobbying coalition of all of the National Scenic, Recreation and Historic Trails that moves on Congress each spring to keep hiking and hiking trails foremost in our politicians minds.

Good points - I hadn't thought of Kemsley and Kern but their endeavors were very influential.

TOMP
02-18-2012, 23:41
I can't help but smile at how stuck in the AT mindset folks are. Most influential of all time, and some lists do not include anyone outside the AT "family"?

I think that is because this is for the AT museum and not the backpacker museum. But if we can pick anyone then of course Johnny "Appleseed" Chapman and Christopher "Alex Supertramp" McCandles are my top 2.

Zigzag
02-18-2012, 23:58
Lots of great answers. No wrong answers. In everyone's answers are people that made them aware of hiking & the outdoors, the AT or a walk around their local park. In my case, I had 2 people in mind. 1, Justice William Douglas, his article in the early 60's on the White Mountains was fantastic. 2; My Uncle Norman. 10th Mountain Division, trained Israeli mountain troops for the 67 war in the Golan heights. Still remember backpacking trips with him in the Presi's in the mid 60's.

Cookerhiker
02-19-2012, 00:05
Lots of great answers. No wrong answers. In everyone's answers are people that made them aware of hiking & the outdoors, the AT or a walk around their local park. In my case, I had 2 people in mind. 1, Justice William Douglas, his article in the early 60's on the White Mountains was fantastic. 2; My Uncle Norman. 10th Mountain Division, trained Israeli mountain troops for the 67 war in the Golan heights. Still remember backpacking trips with him in the Presi's in the mid 60's.

Justice Douglas single-handedly saved the C&O Canal from becoming a parkway.

Ladytrekker
02-19-2012, 00:10
Anyone who has ever donned a pack and hit a trail

Sierra Echo
02-19-2012, 00:13
Anyone who has ever donned a pack and hit a trail

I like that answer best!

harryfred
02-19-2012, 00:32
The AT is certainly a significant factor for many hikers, but this question goes beyond the AT.

John Muir.
Knew about him long before I even thought about backpacking and yes enveied and admired him.

Sensei
02-19-2012, 02:27
The AT is certainly a significant factor for many hikers, but this question goes beyond the AT.

John Muir.

We have a winner! National parks, national forests, and arguably the entire American environmental movement owe their existence - or at least their present form - to this man.

stranger
02-19-2012, 03:30
Greg Lowe (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Lowe_(climber)) invented the world’s first, close-fitting, internal-frame backpack (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backpack). I don't miss my frame pack a bit.

100% Absolutely Incorrect - Greg Lowe did not invent the internal frame pack, he was merely the first person to mass produce it and popularise it.

Furlough
02-19-2012, 08:24
Rory Stewart?

I don't know about influential, but pretty amazing what he accomplished given the time, locations and circumstnaces. Wonder if the world will ever regain any semblance of normalcy to allow the average joe/joesette to hike securely through those regions?

Furlough
02-19-2012, 08:41
John Muir

John Colter

Jim Bridger

Jedidiah Smith

Daniel Boone

Honerable mention not to a single person but to the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Along with Boone, you really have to include Simon Kenton. Kenton was Boone on steroids, just not as well publicized.

rickb
02-19-2012, 08:47
Dick Kelty (Kelty Packs) was a backpacker who had a big influence on backpacking.

rickb
02-19-2012, 08:52
How do we measure the overall influence of Baden-Powell and scouting's influence? It's huge and likely eclipses all other influences from a general "get out and hike standpoint :-?

That aside, from a traffic standpoint, i.e the pure number of people brougt to / lured to backpacking, especially the AT, I'd have to go with Ed Garvey. Thru-hiking and LD hiking was still really fringe until he popularized it. After his hike and the publication of Appalachian Hiker the numbers of both LD and section hikers exploded. Wingfoot certainly deserves mention as well - widely read and very influential.

Colin Fletcher certainly deserves a mention - all of us from my generation studied his writings, and Ray Jardine continued in a similar path later. All the early trail builders (Avery, MacKaye, others, need to be mentioned. Then there's also the synergistic effect from the famous expedition climbers like Edmund Hillary, Jim Whittaker, and later those like Alex Lowe and others. Not hiking, but the famous publicized expeditions awakened a lot of interest in hiking and the outdoors in the "mere mortal" community.

And then there's the enablers: how do we measure the influence of Dick Kelty and Gerry Cunningham and others? or even guy named Wallace Carothers he invented some stuff called nylon?

My top five:

Robert Baden-Powell
Benton MacKaye
Colin Fletcher
Ed Garvey
Dick Kelty


Great reply. I especially like your inclusion of Robert Baden Powel.

Spokes
02-19-2012, 10:03
Otzi the Iceman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ötzi_the_Iceman

Fiddleback
02-19-2012, 12:30
Did any of them actually carry a backpack?

Naw, probably not. But, IMO, 'backpacking' isn't defined by its technology...or by any particular region or trail.;)

FB

Pioneer Spirit
02-19-2012, 12:50
Colin Fletcher was my main influence in the 70's.

My next would be my ancestor Aquilla Webb, son of a general Washington staff member. He was a drummer boy outside the recruiting office in Charlestown VA 1812.

He walked to Ohio by himself afterwards in the pre road days. Farmed around Zaleski Ohio.

BirdShooter
02-21-2012, 11:23
Earl Shaffer is the correct spelling

http://www.earlshaffer.com/

weary
02-21-2012, 11:50
I agree that almost all the names mentioned were influential. But the person who probably influenced the most people over the decades was Henry David Thoreau. In addition to Walden, his books and essays told of exploratory walks to the mountains of Western Mass, Monadnock, Washington, and first called broad attention to the wild Maine mountains and rivers. His writings inspired Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir, among the millions who have sung his praise.

Jack Tarlin
02-21-2012, 12:03
I'd add Stephen T. Mather to the list, a man whom most Americans have never heard of.

Without his efforts, the National Park System as we know it would not exist.

Spogatz
02-21-2012, 15:51
What about the original Homo Sapiens that came out of Africa and spread all the way around the world.....They had to walk a long way....

RockDoc
02-26-2012, 17:08
The question is "influential", not most skilled or with the most miles under their feet. These days, that means authors of books, and arguably, web material.

Bryson
Fletcher
Rybeck
Wingfoot
Jardine
might list Thoreau in here too ...

with Honorable Mention to Thomas Jefferson, because if anyone else was President at the moment Napolean thought about selling Louisiana, they would have ignored it and today we would all either be still back in our original countries, or clustered along the Eastern Seaboard. This had been a pet project of Jeffersons prior to 1803. I've seen no indication that any other early President or founding father considered the idea of expanding the US to the Pacific Ocean. Let's hear it for visionary Presidents (we've had so few)!
For those that might say TJ was not a backpacker, remember that his father was a professional surveyor and cartographer at a time when Virginia was largely wild frontier. TJ also held the post of county surveyor for a time. He knew how to hike, carry a load, and read the land, and this background was essential for his planning of the Lewis and Clark expedition.

Wil
02-26-2012, 19:16
I'm surprised Dorothy Laker hasn't been mentioned. Certainly on my top 10 list, anyway.

Papa D
02-26-2012, 20:31
How about Papa D? I mean come on you guys. No votes for me yet??????? :sun:rolleyes: HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

rocketsocks
02-27-2012, 04:10
Papa D papa D he's our man,if he can't hike it no one can!:D+1 vote for Papa D:)

Miami Joe
02-27-2012, 05:00
1. Moses
2. Amerigo Vespucci
3. Hernan Cortes
4. Marco Polo
5. Johnny Appleseed

Papa D
02-27-2012, 08:21
1. Moses
2. Amerigo Vespucci
3. Hernan Cortes
4. Marco Polo
5. Johnny Appleseed

+1 to Johnny Appleseed

rocketsocks
02-27-2012, 08:46
And +1 for Moses,cause let's face it.........he's Moses!

Barbarosa
02-27-2012, 11:22
The guide books "The Pacific Crest Trail: Volume One and Volume Two", raised doubts about Ryback's claim and produced evidence that he accepted rides for some of the journey. Ryback and Chronicle Publishers sued Wilderness Press, the publisher of the guide books,[16] (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-15) but the suits were dropped in 1974.[17 (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/#cite_note-16)

Blue Jay
02-27-2012, 13:51
3. Hernan Cortes
4. Marco Polo


I could be wrong, as I was not hiking that year, but didn't these thrus have horses?

Penn-J
02-28-2012, 13:18
I agree that almost all the names mentioned were influential. But the person who probably influenced the most people over the decades was Henry David Thoreau. In addition to Walden, his books and essays told of exploratory walks to the mountains of Western Mass, Monadnock, Washington, and first called broad attention to the wild Maine mountains and rivers. His writings inspired Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir, among the millions who have sung his praise.

I agree. I read Thoreau on a daily basis.

DogPaw
02-29-2012, 12:37
I put my vote in for Emma Gatewood, by virtue of hiking the AT multiple times with a duffel bag, toothbrush, light blanket, food, and a stick. In her old age. Consecutively.

lemon b
02-29-2012, 12:43
Johnny Appleseed is a myth. No more real then Alice in Alice in Wonderland.

vamelungeon
02-29-2012, 13:14
Johnny Appleseed is a myth. No more real then Alice in Alice in Wonderland.
Johnny Appleseed was in fact a man named John Chapman and was quite real.

vamelungeon
02-29-2012, 13:17
I'm surprised Dorothy Laker hasn't been mentioned. Certainly on my top 10 list, anyway.
Good point! She's one of my hiking heroes.

hikerboy57
02-29-2012, 16:11
Johnny Appleseed was in fact a man named John Chapman and was quite real.
if you borrowed the caterpillars hookah, you would find out that alice is very very real.

rocketsocks
02-29-2012, 16:21
if you borrowed the caterpillars hookah, you would find out that alice is very very real.I never met alice,but I did meet that little tuft of moss down there at the foot of the mushroom.

lunchbx
02-29-2012, 17:06
Not a thru-hiker but def influenced me to getting off my bum and into the outdoors Mr. Richard Proenneke

quilteresq
02-29-2012, 18:19
Otzi the Iceman.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ötzi_the_Iceman

He was certainly the first known, but probably not so influential in his day.

Miami Joe
02-29-2012, 19:47
Johnny Appleseed is a myth. No more real then Alice in Alice in Wonderland.

What history books you reading? He was best friends with Sacagawea.

hikerboy57
02-29-2012, 20:00
Naw, probably not. But, IMO, 'backpacking' isn't defined by its technology...or by any particular region or trail.;)

FBcolter was first to see yellowstone, which at the time was known as "colters hell", pack or not, id say that was influential.

TOMP
02-29-2012, 20:08
Johnny Appleseed is a myth. No more real then Alice in Alice in Wonderland.

Hmm, nope. I actually did a lenghty paper and presentation on the life of John Chapman for my US history I class in high school. And he was in our history books too. Sure, Johnny Appleseed, the legend, may have been exggerated over the years but the main facts are true. There are folks that made some of his apple trees protected historical landmarks. Also I think his stick and bandanna "hobo" pack may have been the first UL frameless pack for backpacking. And inovator of truely barefoot hiking.

lemon b
03-01-2012, 09:46
Then call him John Chapman. Because in my mind this is a cart in front of the horse. Johhny Appleseed was invented by writers, then history buffs came up with faces.

vamelungeon
03-01-2012, 10:20
Appleseed was his nickname, nothing wrong with using one. Everyone here has one, our "trail names."

Sent from my BlackBerry 9330 using Tapatalk

DogPaw
03-01-2012, 14:27
Didn't he get eaten by badgers?

vamelungeon
03-01-2012, 14:29
What an odd thing to argue about.

lemon b
03-01-2012, 16:19
Guess thats what happens 4 days into quitting smoking.

vamelungeon
03-01-2012, 16:24
Guess thats what happens 4 days into quitting smoking.
LOL It gets better, I'm 4 years into it. Good luck!

TOMP
03-02-2012, 00:03
Then call him John Chapman. Because in my mind this is a cart in front of the horse. Johhny Appleseed was invented by writers, then history buffs came up with faces.

Ok well believe what you like, but to me he is just as real as anyone else in a history book. And Johnny Appleseed was a name that he used for himself, not a name given to him by a conspiracy of writers and historians.

Blue Jay
03-02-2012, 13:46
What an odd thing to argue about.

Not on this site. I noticed the purist Vs nonpurist started up again that means that underware vs no underware will be starting soon.

GlazeDog
03-02-2012, 14:03
Colin Fletcher
John Muir
Thoreau

This is tough to answer.

hikerboy57
03-02-2012, 14:20
Not on this site. I noticed the purist Vs nonpurist started up again that means that underware vs no underware will be starting soon.
havent ssen the alcohol vs. canister forum pop up in almost a week now.:)

WingedMonkey
03-02-2012, 14:49
Arlo Guthrie

hikerboy57
03-02-2012, 16:13
Arlo Guthrie

woody guthrie

CrumbSnatcher
03-02-2012, 16:30
And +1 for Moses,cause let's face it.........he's Moses!
a few years ago dan "WINGFOOT" bruce did a thruhike with jesus and moses.
in the 100 mile widerness they came up on a river crossing, they all looked at each other, moses said "i'll go first"! then he slapped the water with his leki's and the water parted, letting moses walk to the other side. jesus rolled his eyes, "i can beat that" then he walked right across the top of the water to the other side. leaving wingfoot on the other side, all by himself. then wingfoot spoke "thats all fine and dandy,but the trail don't cross there" :-)

rocketsocks
03-02-2012, 16:38
a few years ago dan "WINGFOOT" bruce did a thruhike with jesus and moses.
in the 100 mile widerness they came up on a river crossing, they all looked at each other, moses said "i'll go first"! then he slapped the water with his leki's and the water parted, letting moses walk to the other side! jesus rolled his eyes, "i can beat that" then he walked right across the top of the water to the other side. leaving wingfoot on the other side, all by himself. then wingfoot spoke "thats all fine and dandy,but the trail don't cross there" :-)HeHeHeHer,that is very funny...Ifin I went,jesus would have said Rocketsocks,you bring your snorkel?;)

Cookerhiker
03-02-2012, 20:15
Not on this site. I noticed the purist Vs nonpurist started up again that means that underware vs no underware will be starting soon.

And then there's underware vs. underwear...

Shakespeare 1990
05-10-2014, 14:41
1. Duffel Bag Tim
2. Robert Louis Stevenson
3. John Muir
4. Henry David Thoreau
5. Jesus of Nazereth


Shakes

rafe
05-10-2014, 14:58
John Muir, Bob Marshall, Benton MacKaye, Colin Fletcher, Ed Abbey, and (if we're just talking influential) Bill Bryson.

William O. Douglas belongs on the list somewhere. (How many SCOTUS justices have hiked the whole AT?)

stillatit
05-10-2014, 15:41
I agree with Lyle's putting Harvey Manning first. When I was getting started hiking in the late 1970s, his book Backpacking One Step at a Time was hugely helpful, as was Yosemite back country ranger Craig Patterson's Wilderness Mountain Survival. If we judge "most influential" as helping others backpack, then Manning comes first to me. Surely he helped many thousands to learn how to enjoy the backcountry, be ready for problems, and pass on that info to others.
:D

stillatit
05-10-2014, 15:51
Funniest entry by fredmugs:

"My ex-wife. I started hiking to get away from that b!tch. After my first AT section I filed for a divorce. Thanks Appalachian Trail!"

:sun

Drybones
05-10-2014, 16:28
funniest entry by fredmugs:

"my ex-wife. I started hiking to get away from that b!tch. After my first at section i filed for a divorce. Thanks appalachian trail!"

:sun

lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!

Drybones
05-10-2014, 16:30
The most influential person is the one that got you interested in it...for me...911.

SouthMark
05-10-2014, 16:51
Collin Fletcher - Hands Down.
+1............

Dogwood
05-10-2014, 22:36
Daniel Boone, Lewis and Clark, Muir, Colin Fletcher, Moses, Jesus Christ, .........Maybe, we should think outside the AT and even the U.S.?

jimmyjam
05-10-2014, 22:40
John muir.

Sent from my SCH-S720C using Tapatalk 2

BirdShooter
05-10-2014, 22:52
Honestly i had never heard of Earl Schafer or any of the others who pioneered hiking the AT or backpacking in general until I found this forum.

If I were to think of the most influential it would have to be all those scoutmasters and youth group leaders that introduce young people to backpacking. For me that would be the leaders of Troop 67 of Little Creek Amphib Base in Norfolk and Troop 55 of Oak Grove Methodist Church in Chesapeake, Virginia.

You have a point. I started backpacking because I had a good Scoutmaster and had the opportunity to hike 50 miles in New Mexico at Philmont. That was the beginning of 30+ years of hiking/backpacking.

saltysack
05-11-2014, 18:57
My ex-wife. I started hiking to get away from that b!tch. After my first AT section I filed for a divorce. Thanks Appalachian Trail!

Haaaaaaaaaaa


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

MuddyWaters
05-11-2014, 19:03
I have to rate John Muir as #1 as well.

I dont think anyone else belongs on the same list as him.

NY HIKER 50
05-12-2014, 10:06
Collin Fletcher - Hands Down.

Folks, I have to disagree with you on this. Colin Fletcher never had anything to do with trails. He even said in his book and I Quote "Bad luck to you". He may have gotten people interested in backpacking, but he also carried weight that I would not even think of today. I used to carry that kind of weight, Not any more now that I have more experience.

Lyle
05-12-2014, 10:26
Folks, I have to disagree with you on this. Colin Fletcher never had anything to do with trails. He even said in his book and I Quote "Bad luck to you". He may have gotten people interested in backpacking, but he also carried weight that I would not even think of today. I used to carry that kind of weight, Not any more now that I have more experience.


Well, of course equipment and techniques have changed. Fletcher started his writing in 1963, possibly earlier. Virtually ALL of his teachings still apply today, however.

He wrote about the how, but stressed that his examples were dated and that everything was changing. The influence he had was in instructing folks on what to look for, and, more importantly, the "why's" of backpacking. He espoused a general philosophy of enjoying the outdoors for the sake of being out their, with no other motive. One need not be a hunter, fisherman, mountain climber, photographer, park ranger, surveyor, explorer, etc. to give you an excuse to hike.

Yes, he also espoused going off-trail. That doesn't mean he wasn't a backpacker. Most of us are just more lazy than he was. Why, on earth, do you feel he had to be a trail hiker to be considered? He kept many of his hiking destinations secret, that was by design. He wanted to encourage folks to find their own "Secret Worlds".

To this day, and after many thousands of miles of hiking, both on trail and off, many of the things I do while backpacking, and some of the most enjoyable aspects, are directly the result of Fletcher's inspiration.

Colin Fletcher was a huge influence at a time when there weren't hundreds of blogs and how-to videos permeating our consciousness. He was extremely influential to me and millions of others.

Tipi Walter
05-12-2014, 10:39
I agree with Lyle in that Colin Fletcher has to be at the top of the heap. First, he was a war veteran with the Royal Marine Commandos in WW2 which means he was tough. Then he ended up writing around 10 books on the outdoors and the backpacking lifestyle. Plus, he was smart and articulate---like Ed Abbey but tougher and pulled far more backpacking trips than Cactus Ed. And to say Fletcher carried more weight than is currently reasonable or maybe it offends our UL sensibilities, well, I just don't see it. And it's not important.

Another hero is Sierra Nevada backpacker Norman Clyde.

http://www.deathvalleytoyosemite.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Eastern-California-Museum-Norman-Clyde-On-the-Trail-ca.-Unknown1-245x300.jpg
He routinely carried a 90lb pack and stayed in the mountains for months at a time. For more info see---

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1073163/index.htm

Mags
05-12-2014, 10:45
re: Colin Fletcher

As Lyle said, the gear may change. The why's and the how's do not.

I am of a generation that did not grow up on Colin Fletcher but I still return to the well of his knowledge.

Consider these timeless words from him:

I also realized that I'd grown soft, Things had been going too well lately. Too easily. I needed something to pare the fat off my soul, to scare the **** out of me, to make me grateful, again, for being alive. All I knew, deep and safe, beyond mere intellect, that there is nothing like a wilderness journey for re-kindling the fires of life. Simplicity is part of it. Cutting the cackle. Transportation reduced to leg- or arm-power, eating irons to one spoon. Such simplicity, together with sweat and silence, amplify the rhythms of any long journey, especially through unknown, untattered territory. And in the end such a journey can restore an understanding of how insignificant you are – thereby set you free. -

No mention of gear, or weight or even technique.

But the "Why?" sings as loudly now as it did when he wrote that sentence over twenty years ago.
As a person actively struggling to balance a long term goal of a sustainable career, a marriage and a sense of wanderlust, those words really speak to me.

More so than any latest blog post on a titanium widget or cuben fiber whatchmacallit.

In the modern era, (post-ww2), perhaps only Ed Abbey is any rival to Colin Fletcher in terms of the sheer joy of being outdoors and influencing people's perspective of such.

rafe
05-12-2014, 11:35
Re: Mags' Colin Fletcher quote: "Eating irons" reduced to one spoon? What's wrong with plastic spoons? :)

Tipi Walter
05-12-2014, 12:41
Re: Mags' Colin Fletcher quote: "Eating irons" reduced to one spoon? What's wrong with plastic spoons? :)

SOME NORMAN CLYDE QUOTES:


Heading for the mountain backcountry one day, Clyde, weighing 140 pounds then, weighed his pack: 75 pounds. He spent that night with a survey crew who were amazed at the size of his pack. In the morning, the crewmen as a prank badgered Clyde about the dangers of running out of food in the wilderness. First one survey crewman and then another urged "extra" cans of their food on Clyde. Never one to turn down free supplies, Clyde set out that day with a pack that had grown to 95 pounds!

"I can still remember my awe at the collection of gear Norman drew out of his duffle bag," recollects climbing companion Smoke Blanchard. "There's part of the weight right there. The duffle bag was lashed to a six-pound Yukon pack frame, which also supported a full-length Hudson Bay axe. But perhaps the kitchen bag was the most surprising.... Norman's six large kettles, the cups and spoons, the dishes and bowls, the salt shakers, condiments, servers, and graters, and for all I know, cookie cutters.... Boots? He carried several: ski boots, tricouni boots, rubber-soled boots for the rocks, camp slippers."


"It's not true," Clyde told Blanchard once, "that I carry an anvil in my pack." He did carry five cameras: two 35mms, two 120s, and a spare. And the books! Smoke Blanchard recalls "Norman's rather large library in many languages" - in his pack, not in his cabin. Clyde read Spanish, French, German, Italian, Latin, and Greek. On long trips, he treasured the Greek. He was most rusty in it: books in Greek lasted longer.
"I think many people might find his way of travel in the mountains quite strange, especially with today's gear," Blanchard comments. "But you see, Norman was not just visiting the mountains or passing through the peaks. He lived there...."

(This from---http://www.nps.gov/seki/historyculture/clyde.htm

So, the whole notion of plastic spoons, or the suggestion thereof, would've probably gotten someone shot.

Sarcasm the elf
05-12-2014, 13:41
Most influential? My parents, my uncle, and my scoutmaster. You all can feel free to make up whatever list you want.

Rain Man
05-13-2014, 10:28
Just another name for consideration, and he did backpack on the AT, before it was the AT, and in the GSMNP, before it was the GSMNP:

Horace Kephart.

Rain Man

.

Mags
05-13-2014, 11:09
Horace Kephart.


.

I downloaded OUR SOUTHERN HIGHLANDERS fairly recently.

I really should read it next. Esp since the BMT takes you right by his old haunts.

Cadenza
05-13-2014, 20:20
To those of us spoiled by modern technology, titanium, sil-nylon, Gore-tex, and canister stoves,.....Horace Kephart's book "Camping and Woodcraft" may be a bit dated. But I still think it is the best book ever written on the subject.

Someday I intend to do a trip with turn-of-the-century technology. Canvas pack, natural fiber clothing, cast iron skillet, and a slab of bacon.....
Come to think of it,.....bacon is really all you need! :)

rafe
05-13-2014, 21:06
Myron Avery? Built the freaking trail, or rather bossed people around to get it done.

Ed Garvey? I'll bet Garvey was known to most AT thru hikers who finished in the '70s.

James R. Hare -- edited that fat two-volume set of AT journals, published in '75.

Darrel Maret, published "The Philosophers Guide" -- first of the AT thru-hiker guides, mid '80s.

modiyooch
05-25-2014, 23:07
I read Peter Jenkins' "Walk Across America" in 1979 and by 1980 I quit school and work, sold my car and started the AT.

lemon b
05-26-2014, 11:10
Difficult question. But off the top of my head.

1) Dad
2) Kay Wood
3) James Taylor (The Long Trail)
4) Baltimore Jack
5) Chip Leonard

Favorate Whiteblaze personality Tipi Walter.

Except for Mr. Taylor & Tipi I've actually talked all of these people while hiking. Kay was the most interesting. Jack just a regular guy and Chip well different. But awhole lot more understandable after eating. That cat's personality really changes after chowing down.

Cookerhiker
05-26-2014, 11:57
William O. Douglas belongs on the list somewhere. (How many SCOTUS justices have hiked the whole AT?)

If we had a thread with this question regarding the C&O Canal, Douglas would be #1 without question - hands down!