Two People

[offpher]

Person-A and Person-B They both hike a trail. The same trail they start at mile 0 both finish at mile 2000.
Person-A has the newest light weight gear--- pack, sleeping bag, stove, cookware, shelter---- everything
right down to a spoon the lightest one man can make. Spent $3500 on this gear. Also wears the best
[hiking clothes] that money can buy. Has $500 dollar shoes.
Person-B Has two 5 gallon buckets inside is cheap camping gear spent $150 for everything. Wears cotton
clothes. has on walmart boots $30 dollars.


They both have fun hiking the trail.

Now is Person-A more of a thru hiker than person-B ???

Is Person-B less of a hiker than Person-A?????

The point is don't think someone else is not a hiker when they don't meet your standards of what a hiker should
look like or wear.
HYOH

Just some food for thought......................................
Have a nice day and as always Have fun and HYOH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tuckahoe]

Hmmmm went hiking this week with two others and saw many folks on the trail... there was never a discussion about anyone's gear.

[Lone Wolf]

i'm more apt to hang around person B. plus they tend to finish the trail.

[hayshaker170]

It depends. What are the buckets made of?

[gollwoods]

Does anyone else get trail critiques on gear randomly from other hikers. I have an over sized rain cover from campmor that droops well below the pack. I had a guy just blurt out some gibberish about moneys worth on the pack. Must have been the gear weenie inspector

[Rain Man]

Just don't fret too much about what others think? Simple. Solution.

[Walkintom]

just don't fret too much about what others think? Simple. Solution.

+1. Hyoh.

[MuddyWaters]

Gear is irrelevant, with the exception that lighter lets you hike farther, faster.

Just like in everyday life, where you have materialistic people that brag about what they have, how much it costs, etc. Expect to see some of that on trail too.

Ignore them.

[Slo-go'en]

Sorry, a poorly equipped hiker has a poor chance of finishing the trail. The well equipped hiker will have a much better chance, although it's not enough to guarantee success.

[peakbagger]

Person B is going to have a major challenge when they get to northern new England where there are ledges and boulders to climb up and down. Carrying buckets will definitely slow someone down as they are going to need a rope to drop the buckets down or pull them up.

I find gear discussions are generally just an ice breaker.

[rickb]

Not sure about the buckets, but I think the larger point is a good one.

Issue is not what others think, however.

Its what we think of ourself.

I have bought plenty of stuff because it was the thing to do at the time, and frankly because the "thing" made me feel like more of a backpacker.

I expect there are may on this list with a Terraplane collecting dust in closet that would admit the same.

[illabelle]

Sorry, a poorly equipped hiker has a poor chance of finishing the trail. The well equipped hiker will have a much better chance, although it's not enough to guarantee success.

Exactly. What wasn't mentioned is that the second guy is carrying significantly more weight. Few of us buy better [expensive] gear because we're rich and care little about the price. We buy it because it matters.

[MuddyWaters]

Question was not about chances of finishing trail, it was if they are less of a hiker because they are different. The supposition was that they both did hike the exact same distance.

There is some snobbery by some, that requires you "fit in" to the mold.

People with less money to spend on gear can be ostracized and not fit in. On todays trail scene grandma gatewood would have been an outcast, avoided and ridiculed as a crazy homeless person. Probably would be reported to authorities as being a threat to herself as well.

People were hiking the trail successfully long before todays modern gear appeared.

Heck, on her first hike JPD used a mop handle as a hiking pole, and an old too-small pack from her brothers time in scouts.


While you are making up reasons it cant be done, know that Animal carried his food in a 5 gal bucket in 2012, all the way.

Just because you are too much of a wimp to do it, doesnt mean everyone else is.


2014Animal_16095.jpg

[shakey_snake]

There are hundreds of person A every year, and person B is hypothetical. And there are thousands of thruhikers that are much more like person A than person B.

What makes person A "more of a thru hiker" is that he exists in actual reality, and not only in your conjecture.

But thank you for your thought-experiment, I guess. Generally, I find that 'shrooms and forum posting don't mix well.

[Pedaling Fool]

There are hundreds of person A every year, and person B is hypothetical. And there are thousands of thruhikers that are much more like person A than person B.

What makes person A "more of a thru hiker" is that he exists in actual reality, and not only in your conjecture.

But thank you for your thought-experiment, I guess. Generally, I find that 'shrooms and forum posting don't mix well.

I'm not so sure how hypothetical person B is; there was a hiker by the name of Animal (IIRC) that thruhiked carrying buckets.

[Pedaling Fool]

I'm not so sure how hypothetical person B is; there was a hiker by the name of Animal (IIRC) that thruhiked carrying buckets.

I just noticed post #13, you can see his pic.

[magic_game03]

Just some food for thought......................................

If this is food for thought I'm sure it came off the Mickey D's dollar menu. It's very divisive rhetoric.

Since most thru-hikers resemble person-B they would be the majority. Likewise, person-A would be in the minority. Your tone toward person-A is condescending, and just shows your animosity toward others.

[shakey_snake]

Yes, I remember Animal. I followed his trail journal a couple years ago.

Still, that's 1 Animal, 1 year, and only 1 bucket. Also, if you want to be technical, he was a LASHer--albeit and interesting and colorful one. He's not really OP's person B.

[WingedMonkey]

Person-C, Talks a lot about what it takes to thru-hike but never successfully finished one.

[MuddyWaters]

Yes, I remember Animal. I followed his trail journal a couple years ago.

Still, that's 1 Animal, 1 year, and only 1 bucket. Also, if you want to be technical, he was a LASHer--albeit and interesting and colorful one. He's not really OP's person B.

Animal has hiked several years, and 2012 was a thru-hike.