Come on Grandpa, tell us about the good old days.

[George]

when did wing foot guide start?

[rickb]

when did wing foot guide start?

The Philosopher's guide came first.

Check this out: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...ide-to-the-A-T

Then check out the online copy of the 1983 Philosopher's guide here, thanks to the AT Museum-- fun reading (I wish I had had a copy):

http://www.atmuseum.org/1983-philoso...to-the-at.html

[Wil]

In the 50s/60s the heavy-end hikers carried quite a bit more than their counterparts today. "Minimalists" as they called themselves then (those few who called themselves anything at all) carried the same ballpark weight as ultralighters today but were not nearly as comfortable, well-fed, or environmentally responsible. Overall it's a whole different world today: more documentation, less independence and isolation, more domestication. Neither better nor worse, just different.

[JanetB]

There's a 2 volume set about trail journals about the early folks. I think it's " Hiking the Appalachian Trail" Grandma Gatewood with her 2 shower curtains (1 on top 1 below) was UL even with her cast iron skillet.
Correct me please!

That book was well worth reading. Compared to all the technical gear we all consider 'essential', this 67 year old woman hiked the trail back when it was pretty rough in KED's Sneakers, a pair of baggy jeans, carrying a sack the made out of extra denim which contained very little. She lived on handouts from the kindness of others and the wild plants and berries she foraged along the way. PLUS, she waked the entire trail two more times before she turned 74. Truly an amazing woman. She is my here and inspiration.

[Gambit McCrae]

I am by far not a Ol wise one, but I love hearing about the good ol days

[Lyle]

Well, just to add my story, though many on here have heard it already.

My "thru" was not actually of the AT, but it did include 500 miles of the AT. In July of 1980 I joined a group hiking cross-country. I joined the group in Bryce Canyon National Park (Ruby's Inn, to be exact) and backpacked 3300 miles in the next 11 months to end at Lewes Delaware on May 27, 1981. The group had started in San Francisco.

My pack was a Kelty Tioga, my tent a Sierra Designs Starflight (just under 4 lbs), a Jansport Synthetic Brass Bed for a sleeping bag, and a SVEA for a stove (with a Sigg Tourister Cook Kit). Boots were a pair of Vasque Hiker II - triple layer of full grain leather over my foot - extremely heavy and blister inducing. Had to slather on Sno-Seal every couple of weeks, especially in the desert, to keep them from drying out and splitting - also kept them semi waterproof. In decent weather, from eastern Colorado to Damascus, I wore cheap running shoes and carried the boots on top of my pack. Flashlight and candle lanterns were our light sources (anyone remember the Mallorys? Could hold these in your mouth while cooking). We would hike trails if there were any close to where we were headed. Some of the better known trails we followed were: Rico-Silverton Trail in Colorado, 100 miles of the CDT in Colorado, the entire River to River Trail in Illinois, 50 miles of the Sheltowee Trace in Kentucky, Cumberland Gap Trail, the AT from Damascus to Harpers Ferry, and the C&O Canal Towpath into DC.

Pack weight was normally about 40-45 lbs. We would often go a week or more between re-supplies, had to pack for 11 days when crossing the Continental Divide on the CDT. My guess is that the heaviest pack I carried was in the range of 60 lbs. Temperatures we encountered ranged from over 100 degrees in the high deserts of Utah to 13 below zero in both Missouri and Whitetop Mountain in VA. No actual trail support facilities (except on the AT portion), but local folks were wonderfully supportive, and helpful all across the country. We averaged 12 - 13 miles per day, kept low so folks could join us along the way for a day/week/month. Our longest "official" day was 16 miles, shortest was 3 miles. My personal longest days were a series of 25, 24, and 27 miles consecutively through SNP on the AT.

For further browsing (and more pictures than you'll want to look at) check out the website:

http://hikanation.com/

[Traveler]

I'm not sure how things were for everyone "back in the day", but clearly remember what it was like for me when I started hiking seriously in the late 60s and didn't have a lot of money to spend on gear. As was normal for my age group then (18-21) a lot of stuff was begged, borrowed, or purchased at the low end of the backpacking scale. About that period of time, higher end gear that was mostly used in high altitude pursuits started to branch out from high altitude equipment into weekend backpacking but was pretty expensive. I remember looking at a new down filled sleeping bag for about $150.00 (that would be approximate $900.00 in todays dollars), and thinking someday I will have enough for that. Keep in mind a brand new Mustang hard top that year was just under $3,000 so even gear modestly priced by todays standards required saving for at least a season, perhaps two to get one item of the higher end gear.

My pack was a used wood frame (I think an old BSA pack but can't be sure) with leather adjustable straps with a simple canvass sack (the really neat ones had a pocket or two on them). There were no shoulder pads unless you wadded up tee shirts and I don't recall a hip belt. I do recall the chaffing and bruises the pack left. The canvass could be treated with a sealer but leaked liked a sieve, probably because the hip thing to do was sew patches from various places onto the pack. Stuff was tied onto the outside of the pack onto the wood frame, which was more like a McClellan saddle come to think of it. Really good wood frames had a shelf on the bottom to rest the pack on and act as a carrying spot for a tend. Aluminum frame packs were not common, but weren't uncommon on various trails, usually sported by "older" people (meaning in their late 20s - 30s) who had some disposable income.

My first sleeping bag was flannel with cotton fill and required wrapping in a poncho or water proof bag all the time. It was bulky, heavy, and not real warm when it got cold. Tents we used were typically 2-3 person that everyone shared part of the load. The tents we used were treated canvass and fairly heavy at the low end of the borrow/buy cheap scale. Clothing varied from light cotton shorts and tees in summer to jeans in colder weather. I did have a jaunty pair of wool pants (classic NH red/black patterned) with heavy suspenders with matching coat and hat that were really hot most of the time if the temperatures were above 0. Long underwear was wool or cotton, and most outerwear was wool or cotton based on season. I do not recall anything being lightweight then, but I was buying at the lowest end of the scale if not getting hand-me-downs from people I knew who upgraded.

Boots were mostly all leather in those days and about 5 lbs or better per pair. Then as now, footgear was the first order of business for me, this was the only place I spent real money at first so I had fairly good boots. To this day the unique sound of creaking leather on gravel or rock has a very quieting effect. There was no traction gear for winter outside of crampons and our snowshoes were cat gut and in two sizes, one wide for lofted fresh snow, the other narrow for trail use. Cooking was (for us) usually on a fire using simple cook pots and the obligatory cast iron skillet. When we were in places that didn't allow open fires we would use a Coleman pump type stove (single burner). The kitchen "Mess" was another communal load share among those on the adventure.

We weighed packs on occasion, they ranged from 35 pounds to 55, depending on season and how much food we would need for the trip (surprisingly not a lot different than today). Though our gear was a lot heavier and cumbersome than today and we suffered their failure in cold/wet weather, we still managed to get out routinely and had a lot of fun.

[Rain Man]

Horace Kephart wrote magazine articles about camping in the 19-teens, which were compiled in books later. I have his "Camping" volume dated 1933, copyright 1917, based on his book from 1906. Perhaps he qualifies as a "Grandpa"?

Chapter VI is about light tents and Chapter VII is about light equipment, where he writes "The art of going 'light but right' is hard to learn. ... Probably 'Nessmuk' came as near to it as any one.... He said that his load, including canoe, knapsack, blanket-bag, extra clothing, hatchet, rod, and two days' rations, 'never exceeded twenty-six pounds'.... This, of course, was in summer."

"A pair of scales are a good thing to have at hand when one is making up his packs. Scales of another kind will then fall from his eyes. He will note how the little, unconsidered trifles mount up.... Now let him imagine himself toiling uphill under an August sun, ... over rocks and roots and fallen trees, with all this stuff on his back."

It goes on like that. An amazing author, who also wrote "Our Southern Highlanders," an amazing book.

Fun to hear and read how things were back in Grandpa's day!

[4eyedbuzzard]

Different attitudes makes me twist my moustache and ponder what you mean....do elaborate please on attitude changes over time.

I think the biggest is that most all, or maybe just a greater percentage of us hikers back then, considered how our behavior, especially in towns/public, reflected on the "hiking community". There was this notion that if hikers were polite and not complete slobs, that it would make hikers more welcome in trail towns. There seem to be many who hike today who don't seem to care as much as we did about the impression they leave. Perhaps it's just a reflection of society in general though.

[rafe]

I guess 1990 isn't that long ago. That year I did about 700 miles of the AT. My gear was massively, stupidly heavy when I arrived at Amicalola. I'd lightened it by 10 lbs. before I was out of Georgia. I actually started with a pair of jeans, but they got mailed home from Suches (even before Neels gap.)

Gear was a Camp Trails external frame pack, Eureka Solitaire tent, MSR Whisperlite stove, Thermarest shortie pad, a warm but heavy down bag from Hermans. Fabiano Trionic mid-weight leather boots. No poles. No cell phone. Too many mail drops. Lotta folks still using external frame packs back then.

I still wear flannel to this day, but only wool or synthetic. 99% of the flannel you see at the mall is cotton. There's almost nothing from that old kit that I still use, with the exception of the OR "Seattle Sombrero." The Goretex bottom still works as a windbreaker but has no water resistance any more.

I'm guessing the median pack weight was around 50 lbs., at least for the first few weeks. There were a handful of young smart hikers with small, light packs. Ward was one of them and set the speed record that year.

[Venchka]

It is often said that, "These are the good old days."

For an interesting one page read about early JMT & PCT travel and plenty of GOOGLE search fodder follow this link:

http://www.mchalepacks.com/ultraligh...il%20Story.htm

Would anyone today consider a 400 mile resupply schedule? Would you? Perhaps a sub category for Fastest Known Time with the fewest resupply points?

Wayne

[TexasBob]

...........To this day the unique sound of creaking leather on gravel or rock has a very quieting effect..........

It is a peaceful sound.

[Deadeye]

I hiked the LT in blue jeans, cotton t-shirt and cotton socks and lived.

[rickb]

I think the biggest is that most all, or maybe just a greater percentage of us hikers back then, considered how our behavior, especially in towns/public, reflected on the "hiking community".

I had fun reading the 1983 Philosopher guide last night.

He spoke to some of this with the entry on Greymor -- and his concern that some hikers would abuse the Monks' hospitality and ruin it for all. He also addressed thru hikers tendency to complain about the trail..

There was was a great deal more, but here are two screen shots on this. While I agree with what you are saying 100%, it is interesting how so many things remain the same


image.jpg


image.jpg

[Spirit Walker]

I hiked the AT twice in cotton pants and t-shirts. It wasn't a problem back then. The heavy leather boots were a bother, because I had blisters for the first two months and the last month or so when the constant rain softened the leather so I wore huge holes in the lining, but they did last the entire hike.

[Enigma]

Many thanks...the Philosophers Guide is indeed a fine read!

[nsherry61]

The gear I used in the 60's and 70's was mostly solid gear, if heavier than today.
Backpack was external frame (campways?), nylon sack, or my dad's army surplus pack with a canvas bag.
Sleeping bag was army surplus down with what I'm sure was a cotton fabric on the outside.
Tent was a coated nylon tarp. Still tarp camp today, but with lighter nylon.
Cloths were all wool. Wool plaid shirt, wood dress pants, wool socks, nylon "mountain parka" later one was home-made with first generation gortex.
Boots were heavy or mid-weigh leather.

[rickb]

Many thanks...the Philosophers Guide is indeed a fine read!

I liked his take on dealing with the locals dogs.

In truth, there were not all that many miles of road walking in 1983 but they were certainly not uncommon.

Loose country road dogs were a reality I had largely forgotten.

Funny how you quickly you forget the parts of a thru hike that sucked.

[rafe]

I had fun reading the 1983 Philosopher guide last night.

He spoke to some of this with the entry on Greymor -- and his concern that some hikers would abuse the Monks' hospitality and ruin it for all. He also addressed thru hikers tendency to complain about the trail..

There was was a great deal more, but here are two screen shots on this. While I agree with what you are saying 100%, it is interesting how so many things remain the same


image.jpg


image.jpg

By 1990 -- the words hadn't changed, only the typesetting was neater and more professional.

[gbolt]

Not a Grandpa... Yet. But remembered deciding between the 4# North Face Wind Tunnel 1 person and the Eureka Backcountry 2 person at 5#. Brother bought the 1st, I went with the 2nd choice and both are still usable (for car camping...lol). The other hot item was the Frying Pan with the collapsible handle. Still fight the urge to take it with me now, sometimes. Great breakfasts would still work over the Micro Rocket I am sure. The only difference between today and yesteryear is really weight. Same functional purposes, just about 20 to 30 pounds heavier back in the good Ol' day's.