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  1. #1

    Default Possible to thru hike without a stove?

    Just wondering about this. I hiked about 1/2 of the PCT without one. Cooked on very small fires instead. This method might be difficult on the AT since it rains more frequently. Although now that I think about it, there are probably a greater number of established campsites on the AT that have existing fire rings to use which would reduce the impact and also make it more convenient to cook with a fire..

    Has anyone thruhiked with food that doesnt require cooking and just got their hot meals every few days in town? Seems like it wouldnt be a very enjoyable way to go, just to save a few pounds by not having to carry a stove...

    (I will be taking a stove on the AT this summer, just throwing this out there for discussion..)

  2. #2
    Frieden and Ed - World Explorer Team frieden's Avatar
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    Unless you need coffee or tea, I don't see why you couldn't hike without a stove. I, unfortunately, need my tea!

  3. #3

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    There are indeed more fire rings and established campsites.

    There are also areas that have essentially been denuded of firewood by over use and too many campfires.

    You're right about the AT being a wet trail....on many occasions, it will be impossible to make or keep a fire, even if you feel like foraging wood, building the fire and tending it....in the rain.

    It also takes time and trouble to collect wood and get a fire going. Most folks want to eat right away at day's end and don't have the patience to get a fire going.

    And lastly, building a fire every night isn't exactly keeping with Leave No Trace principles, which encourages minimal use of campfires, and certainly not DAILY use of them.

    It is certainly possible to do without a stove and "eat cold" for long parts of the A.T.; I usually do this myself in periods of really hot weather. But most folks wouldn't want to do this every day, nor would they want to have to build a fire every day in order to eat.

    In just about every case, I think hikers should pack some sort of stove.

  4. #4
    Registered User A-Train's Avatar
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    I would never go sans stove on the AT, unless I was doing a short summer section where I could resupply often, and pick up deli sandwhiches or other treats frequently.

    Not to say by any means that it can't be done, because it can and has, but I wouldn't choose to.

    Spring in the Apps can be cold, rainy and nasty. Actually there is a good chance of precipitation in every state, at every month of the yr. Being stuck shivering in a shelter or tent without a hot cup of noodles or water could seriously be asking for trouble. Even when you get caught out unprepared in a freak cold spell of a night, there is always the fallback to boil water and leave it in a water bottle in your sleeping bag.

    The other factor is that there are areas where fires are not permitted. New Jersey and Connecticut come to mind, and I believe NY may also fall under this category, and I know there are others.
    Anything's within walking distance if you've got the time.
    GA-ME 03, LT 04/06, PCT 07'

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    I did from just north of Duncannon to somewhere in MA without one. The prime deli-hiking states. It was alright for a while, but by the time I was in NY, it sucked. It was really kind of disturbing to stare longingly at someones mac&cheese as I ate cheese on a bagel for what seemed the hundredth dinner in a row.
    I wouldn't do it again.

  6. #6
    Registered User Burn's Avatar
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    there is always something that can be used to build a self sustaining fire...at curley maple this year it snowed and i got there at 3pm while there were folks who decided to weather the storm since noon. they were shivering and miserable. i asked them why they hadn't built me a fire. "No dry kindling" what a joke....in 3 mins we were all roasting hot dogs i had packed out cause there is always something that will burn in the woods, no matter how wet it is. in this case, leaves that had not fallen during wind storms the previous fall were not even damp...one strike of a lighter and adding small twigs, our fire warmed the entire area at least 10 degrees and our spirits more importantly.

  7. #7
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    Squeaky doesn't carry a stove and doesn't cook. I've seen us regular hikers who don't cook either. But stoves are so light and convenient that I don't leave home w/o it. The zip stove might be a good "stove" for you as it runs on wood... and 2AAs Carry a small baggie of dry starter wood and your cookin rain or shine

  8. #8
    Michael + Laura Ryan justusryans's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Nean
    Squeaky doesn't carry a stove and doesn't cook. I've seen us regular hikers who don't cook either. But stoves are so light and convenient that I don't leave home w/o it. The zip stove might be a good "stove" for you as it runs on wood... and 2AAs Carry a small baggie of dry starter wood and your cookin rain or shine
    Actually runs on one AA battery. I carry cotton balls soaked in alcohol for a emergency fire starter. Once you get any kind of flame going, turn on the fan and if its burnable, it will burn. Wet or not!
    "We wanderers, ever seeking the lonelier way, begin no day where we have ended another day; and no sunrise finds us where sunset left us."

    Kahlil Gibran

  9. #9
    trash, hiker the goat's Avatar
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    i didn't carry a stove, not for weight issues (b/c my pack was still 50lbs), but b/c i got tired of cooking noodles & eating them & then cleaning up. i ate mostly bagels with salami & cheese for dinner.

  10. #10
    Long Distance Hiker Chef2000's Avatar
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    There was aguy who started without a stove in March. Within a few days he had alienated a few hikers, because he kept asking them to boil water for him so he could drink coffee that he brought.

    If you go stoveless, be prepared to watch everyone else eat a steaming hot meal on a 15 degree night at 4500 feet.

  11. #11
    trash, hiker the goat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chef2000
    There was aguy who started without a stove in March. Within a few days he had alienated a few hikers, because he kept asking them to boil water for him so he could drink coffee that he brought.

    If you go stoveless, be prepared to watch everyone else eat a steaming hot meal on a 15 degree night at 4500 feet.
    yeah i agree.

    i didn't always go stoveless. early on, before i ditched the stove there was this dude who ate nothing but PB&J. every time someone cooked, he would stand around like a vulcher saying stuff like: "mmmmm, that sure smells good." <awkward silence> "wow, that sure is a lot of food." <awkward silence> "man, you mind if i try that?"

    ....needless to say, his attempts to yogi other hikers were mostly futile, and resulted in his alienation.

  12. #12

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    Quote Originally Posted by wren
    Just wondering about this. I hiked about 1/2 of the PCT without one. Cooked on very small fires instead. This method might be difficult on the AT since it rains more frequently. Although now that I think about it, there are probably a greater number of established campsites on the AT that have existing fire rings to use which would reduce the impact and also make it more convenient to cook with a fire..

    Has anyone thruhiked with food that doesnt require cooking and just got their hot meals every few days in town? Seems like it wouldnt be a very enjoyable way to go, just to save a few pounds by not having to carry a stove...

    (I will be taking a stove on the AT this summer, just throwing this out there for discussion..)

    Stoves are more ecologically sound than fires, more readily controlled and contained. This is one area where the quest for saving weight goes too far. The added safety and utility of a backpacking stove, be it alcohol, canister, white gas or wood burning, is a significant benefit.

    There is a significant comfort factor in warm food at night and it can help you get started in the morning as well. The added weight is a small price to pay.
    Andrew "Iceman" Priestley
    AT'95, GA>ME

    Non nobis Domine, non nobis sed Nomini Tuo da Gloriam
    Not for us O Lord, not for us but in Your Name is the Glory

  13. #13
    The AT Hiker Formerly Known as MASH
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    Two problems: carb choice and cost.

    I experimented with stovelessness on a week long section hike, and although I enjoyed it, I found that the 9 oz (pepsi can stove + stand + alcohol + fuel bottle) I saved was not worth it.

    Without a stove, you are limited on most carbohydrates, as they do not have a whole lot of calories per ounce in a "ready-to-eat" state. A bagel is as good as it gets- 80 calories per ounce. Compare this with the baseline 110 calories per ounce for instant rice- and that's before you add your oils!

    To compensate, you end up taking pretty heavy foods with a high calorie-weight ratio right out of the bag. In a perfect world, your stoveless hiker could chow down on 8 oz of fatty nuts and be perfectly satisfied. In reality . . . well, let's say that those nuts and candies and cheeses don't quite fill the belly in the right way.

    Then there's the cost problem. Since you can't depend on cheap dried starches (noodle bags, mac and cheese, rice and sauce, etc), you start hitting the nuts, cheeses, and prepared meats extra hard. This can pump up the costs of a week's supplies by 2x or even 6x.

    This is a personal reflection- you might find that stovelessness works great. If I were to through-hike, I would probably dump the stove during the deli relay through the mid Atlantic

  14. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by mogilews
    Two problems: carb choice and cost.

    Awesome post... Thanks!

  15. #15
    The AT Hiker Formerly Known as MASH
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    Glad to help out! Calorie consumption is one of those things I became mindful of when planning a possible through hike. Interesting tidbit: Fritos corn chips contain almost as many calories per ounce as straight oil. If you hold a lighter to one, it will burn. As such, it makes a great crunchy base for frito pie (Bear Creek Chili mix, cheddar, mmm)

    When talking to thrus on my section hikes, I found it interesting how bashful they were about binges in AYCE places in town. There is no reason for them to be bashful. There is no way a through hiker can carry all the calories s/he needs on his back, unless s/he is doing very conservative mileage, and living on a LOT of fats, AND carrying a 30+ lb pack. The binges in town are no luxury- they're the key to keeping your weight up, not to mention availing yourself of all the foodstuffs that are lacking on the trail (fresh vegetables come to mind).

  16. #16

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    I hiked the entire AT without a stove. Ok, thats a lie, I carried my stove to the Walasi-Yi Center and mailed it home. Very small wood fire just too easy. Be willing to change. Bring love.

  17. #17

  18. #18

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    Food was no problem, sent the pot home the next week. I bought and ate whatever it was that I wanted, which was not what I thought I would want before I was out there. Steak, potatoes, salid, pies, whatever. I had one of the lightest packs out there.

  19. #19

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    I went "cold" for a good two months of my hike; although, I did keep my stove with me. Others were stoveless the entire hike. This is one of those comfort and experience things.

    I wouldn't go out and urge inexperienced long distance hikers to go out sans stove, as some people really get a mental boost from a warm beverage or a liptons at the end of the day. An experienced long distance hiker that knows what they're in for mentally will have no problems logistically going "cold" 100% on the AT.

  20. #20

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    On my 1st thru, my stove blew up and i went the rest of the way (about 1000 miles) without one. I found that if you grab some firewood aprox 10 minutes before you get to your camp, it's easy to find good, dry firewood. I got to be a real pro at buiding fires, even in the rain. So, it can be done without much trouble although with the beer can stoves out now, and alcholhol available in towns, it's not much weight at all to be able to at least have your coffee in the morning without rebuilding your fire.
    I wouldn't worry so much on the east coast trails about de-foresting the trails by useing up firewood, there's lots of dead stuff laying around. You just will have a hard time finding any near shelters or popular camping areas.

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