View Full Version : Time or miles
Do you hike hike to enjoy the time out there or how many miles you can do in a day? It seems all the books I have read and a lot of posts on here most are on how many miles they can do in a day with the lightest load.
Footslogger
06-20-2005, 10:13
The mileage is pretty irelevant to me ...or at least it's not constantly on my mind as I hike. For me it's being in the outdoors or on a trail that has greater meaning.
'Slogger
AT 2003
Rain Man
06-20-2005, 10:35
Do you hike hike to enjoy the time out there or how many miles you can do in a day? ...
These are mutually exclusive?
By definition, you're going to get false results from a poll stated in this fashion. Did you intend that?
Rain:sunMan
.
I plan a minimum number of miles to meet my goal in the alloted time (2 - 3 weeks). This goal is about 7 to 10 miles a day as about 8 miles is what I can do a day when I first hit the trail. Usually I do more after the first 2 days, but this allows me to hike further if I want, or less if I need to.
Probably if I thru hike I'll schedule a minimum of 12 MPD & do around 14 - 16 once I get my trail legs.
Doctari.
JoeHiker
06-20-2005, 11:37
Hawkeye, the next time you wish to tell us all that hiking a lot of miles means we're missing all the world around us, just flat-out state it, OK?
Attempting to disguise your opinion in the form of a "poll" is disingenuous (not to mention a waste of time)
I just go out there and enjoy my hike on the most part, no hurry....
TakeABreak
06-20-2005, 15:39
Well my first hike, I did a lot more miles per day than i had planned, chasing post offices for mail drops. Next time I plan to use hostels, motels, outfitters and where-ever else I can for mail drops so I am not worried about getting there to late in the day or between saturday noon and monday morning.
I will average only 15 miles a day.
Do you hike hike to enjoy the time out there or how many miles you can do in a day? It seems all the books I have read and a lot of posts on here most are on how many miles they can do in a day with the lightest load.If you hike the whole trail, you go 2200 miles whether you carry a heavy pack and can only walk 5 hours a day, or a light pack and can walk ten hours a day. Why would the former cause you "to enjoy the time out there?" I would think it would be the latter that is more enjoyable. Unless enjoyment is spending 18 hours a day in a shelter :)
fiddlehead
07-10-2005, 01:53
who plans these things?
i just walk and camp wherever i am when i'm tired.
burn the schedule before you take your first step! (that's my motto)
Seems like most of the general public and some of the hikers are impressed by miles, weight and speed. Seems what really impresses some of those hikers are themselves:p Time and miles, as is weight and speed, are connected but most folks lean one way or the other, and a few lean a lot. I feel forunate for the time I've got to spend on the trail. At the same time, it doesn't bother me if someone wants to see how little time it takes to get to point B. Different poeple have different reasons. The Trail is big enough for all of them, the question is are we?
Hmm....
one has to do a certain amount of miles each day which means putting in some time hiking. But if one focuses just on miles... to extent of missing what you see...is there a point to being out there in the first place?
What I find is that if I hike long and slow..I will cover miles but still see what is around me. Frankly I just dont understand why anyone would want to hike the AT in three months!! what the hell is the rush?
nhhiker
The rush is to see if they can get to point B in 3 months. Why? The challenge and/or a notch on the ol' hipbelt, er sholder strap :rolleyes:. They point out that there isn't a whole lot of difference between 2 or 3mph. They just walk 12 hrs a day instead of 8, so actually see more beauty per day. Its just a different way for individual reasons.
What's unpleasant to me are the few that think that they are somehow better, ("experts" or "gurus") for hiking for their reason. Hiking to validate ones ego ain't my cupasoup but the masses get a kick out of it. It markets well. I think the dayhiker who is out 4,5-6days a week is the guru- at least mine is.
SGT Rock
07-10-2005, 10:55
It's just like anything, I may never want to drive my car 200mph on the road, but I can be impressed by a NASCAR driver, and I may never want to survive in the woods with nothing but a loincloth and a flint knife, but I can be impressed by those that have before.