will Wild ruin the next couple hiking seasons?

[Dogwood]

Yes, some people will attempt thru-hikes of the AT and PCT as a result of seeing Wild. Yes, many will not know what they are attempting but so goes the romanticized infatuation with thru-hiking. Most who do this will become section hikers anyway but they will have a hard time saying they are section hiking as there is less glory in section hiking. Really, every hike is your thru-hike.

[theinfamousj]

North Face isn't the only company making frog tents---Here's a Mt Hardwear Muir Trail from 2001.

That last tent (the only one I quoted) looks an awful lot like my REI Alpine-something tent. Tent pole color coding and all. So much so that I wonder if it is being misidentified as Mt. Hardware.

[Dogwood]

I sincerely would appreciate movies, and particularly the hiking community, not over glorifying over dramatizing thru-hikes. It's as if glorifying hiking isn't enough unless hiking/backpacking is done on an epic grand scale. That is a mistake in my book! Hiking/backpacking for the large majority of hikers/backpackers is NOT taken on as epic grand journeys. It's taken on as epic grand shorter distance journeys.

[fireneck]

Saw Wild. Was disappointed to see more Reece porn than PCT nature porn.

PCT was an occasional backdrop for the real story. Having already been convinced about hiking being awesome, I would not expect this movie to convince people that hiking is awesome. But I guess the movie presents the PCT as some sort of prescription for finding one's self, which is alluring.

I like my porn equal parts Reece and PCT. Far too light on both.

[Jim Adams]

It's not a hiking movie. I don't think it will make a difference at all.

[HighLiner]

Movie had a lot of "relationship" drama. Sure didn't seem focus too much on hiking, except occasionally. My guess is not much impact will result. But you never know....

[Tipi Walter]

Movie had a lot of "relationship" drama. Sure didn't seem focus too much on hiking, except occasionally. My guess is not much impact will result. But you never know....

America is a rolling nation and a sedentary nation. I live in East TN and Knoxville was recently named the top #1 Most Sedentary City in America. So, do I see backpackers in the Cherokee or Nantahala national forests? Oh monkey-howling heck NO. Will Americans be exposed to the New Way of Backpacking by this movie? Uh, their education will come in the sitting state on a padded cushioned-seat in a dark room, and then they will stumble out of the theater and enter a metal box and onto another padded couch and roll away.

Always insulated from the exertion and the sport. Remember, 13% of Americans walk.

[Furlough]

Reese isn't a backpacker and she probably barely weighs 100 pounds so I'm sure they filled up that pack with foam or other light stuff. Strayed, however, did lug a huge amount of weight according to the story, but there probably was no good reason to torment Reese with that reality, or possibly cripple her.

Not sure where it was on WB, but someone posted a clip of an interview with Reese Witherspoon, Cheryl Strayed, Laura Dern, and the director or producer. Reese and Cheryl talk about the pack and how originally it was stuffed. After some scene, Cheryl made them fill up the pack with gear. No mention of what the weight was.

Furlough

[Panzer1]

I think this movie would discourage people from hiking the pct, especially because of the part where she has to pull off her toe nail. Lol

[Another Kevin]

America is a rolling nation and a sedentary nation. I live in East TN and Knoxville was recently named the top #1 Most Sedentary City in America. So, do I see backpackers in the Cherokee or Nantahala national forests? Oh monkey-howling heck NO. Will Americans be exposed to the New Way of Backpacking by this movie? Uh, their education will come in the sitting state on a padded cushioned-seat in a dark room, and then they will stumble out of the theater and enter a metal box and onto another padded couch and roll away.

Always insulated from the exertion and the sport. Remember, 13% of Americans walk.

Uhm, I think you're preaching to the choir, and it isn't even a Christmas sermon. (Merry Christmas, anyway!)

[DLP]

Outside Magazine Article, "Thru Hike Permits up 300%".
http://www.outsideonline.com/news-fr...T-Hikers-.html

Doesn't affect me too much, as I don't want to do a thru hike, at this time. I'm mostly worried about water caches in So Cal, as this looks to be a really dry year (although it is early...). And toilet paper. I cringe to think of 300% more TP on the ground.

EDIT: PS... I'm not in So Cal, so have never seen a water cache... but I worry about trail angels trying to resupply them and I worry about hikers relying on them and getting into trouble.

[DLP]

I sincerely would appreciate movies, and particularly the hiking community, not over glorifying over dramatizing thru-hikes. It's as if glorifying hiking isn't enough unless hiking/backpacking is done on an epic grand scale. That is a mistake in my book! Hiking/backpacking for the large majority of hikers/backpackers is NOT taken on as epic grand journeys. It's taken on as epic grand shorter distance journeys.

This describes me totally. I don't think I'll ever do a long thru hike. But, OMG... the places I've been. But then, it was "A Walk in the Woods" that got me backpacking even if it is for only 3, 5 or 9 night trips.

[Kevin108]

That movie was completely unfollowable to me. If I hadn't read the book first, I wouldn't have had any idea what was going on in most of it. I don't expect it to cause any noticeable change in trail use.

[JRowan]

Outside Magazine Article, "Thru Hike Permits up 300%".
http://www.outsideonline.com/news-fr...T-Hikers-.html

I think that the Outside people might want to redo the headline to something a bit more accurate- the quote in their article from Jack Haskel (PCTA) is about their website traffic increasing by 300%, not permit applications. The 2015 permit page hans't gone live yet.

That said, it definitely seems like the speculation of this being a massive year for PCT hikers is going to be spot-on, Wild or no Wild.

[Dogwood]

Thanks a bunch for the link, imscotty. I'll copy it and read it on my next trip.


Here's a pic from the Outside article. She can't be too clueless if she uses an old frog-style North Face tent.

I've seen a few in the backcountry---






Various North Face frog tents in different locations.


North Face isn't the only company making frog tents---Here's a Mt Hardwear Muir Trail from 2001.

Sheryl looks quite the Stoner darning the Bob Marley Made From Hemp tee shirt. She's cleaned up well to the delight of us all including Fox Searchlight pictures, the producers of the movie.

[Dogwood]

Cheryl has three books and a movie out. Does quite a bit of other writing, including achieving some writing awards, is making appearances, and has her own website being pinged nicely. Cha ching. I wonder how marrying Brian Lindstrom, a filmmaker played into these promotions. Here she is with Reese at the Golden Globe Awards. Both looked quite stunning. Reese Witherspoon is up for a Best Actress Oscar too. Cheryl also made an appearance at the other night's State of the Union address as guest of her District's Representative.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/...-of-the-union/

Who doesn't like the story of someone who turned from a questionable path over coming some of life's adversity along the way onto a more empowering path?

[Sly]

Three items of gear I noticed in the movie I used on the AT in '97 were a MSR Whisperlite (small bottle), MSR Dromedary bag (2 liter) and the same stainless steel MSR cookpot. However, my pack (Dana Designs Terraplane) was probably heavier, and my tent (Sierra Design Clipflashlight) lighter. I had no saw, condoms, journal, but left Springer with a 50 lb pack including food and two-liters water.

[imscotty]

Here is an article about the 'Wild Effect'...

http://mashable.com/2015/05/17/pacif...l-wild-effect/