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  1. #21
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  2. #22
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    An excellent start. I've read a lot of them. Covers stoves and cooking well.

  3. #23
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ethesis View Post
    Spoiler alert.

    The book only recommends boots.

    Etc.





    1968.

    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Complete_Walker

    Might as well tell people all they need is to watch the movies version of A Walk in the Woods.
    A bit of common sense helps regarding equipment. A bit of common sense seems to be lacking in the general population these days.
    Fletcher's philosophy and day to day trail routine have not gone out of style.
    As for Internet searching, a recent thread asking for freeze dried lentils turned up numerous sources that the OP either missed or had not searched for.
    The current practice seems to be expecting to be spoon fed information without bothering to do any personal homework.
    Back in the day, a 9 day JMT hike without resupply or 350 miles between resupply on what would become the PCT worked for the handful of folks who were backpacking at the time. That was not wrong. Just different.
    Wayne
    PS: The SVEA 123 stove has been on the market since forever. It's still a viable option today.


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  4. #24
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    [QUOTE=Venchka;2163221]

    PS: The SVEA 123 stove has been on the market since forever. It's still a viable option today.

    I love the Svea and Optimus stoves, having grown up with them. However, while they are fine for a few days on the trail they really don't work for long haul hiking anymore. Too hard to resupply fuel. I still enjoy hearing the sound of a Svea 123 though.

  5. #25

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    [QUOTE=Bansko;2163225]
    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post

    PS: The SVEA 123 stove has been on the market since forever. It's still a viable option today.

    I love the Svea and Optimus stoves, having grown up with them. However, while they are fine for a few days on the trail they really don't work for long haul hiking anymore. Too hard to resupply fuel. I still enjoy hearing the sound of a Svea 123 though.
    the only thing that changed is the amount of fuel weight carried, a half gallon of fuel is roughly 4 lbs...I can loose that in my morning constitutional.

  6. #26

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    ...admittedly though, I've never weighed one

  7. #27

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    The whole point of internet forums is so people can interact with each other. Gear is always evolving, trails are always changing, customs and communities change. Different points of view are expressed, and everyone learns more in the long run. The website sells advertising and remains available as a resource.

  8. #28
    Registered User Venchka's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Puddlefish View Post
    The whole point of internet forums is so people can interact with each other. Gear is always evolving, trails are always changing, customs and communities change. Different points of view are expressed, and everyone learns more in the long run. The website sells advertising and remains available as a resource.
    Translation. From casual observation.
    1. I'm clueless and too lazy to research and learn on my own.
    2. Tell me what I need to know.
    3. I'm still clueless and I will argue with you.
    Self directed research is a lost art.
    As for SVEA type stoves, carry both white gas and kerosene jets. I see kerosene for sale in the TN & NC mountains. A liter of white gas could last 400-450 miles. Perhaps longer.
    Pay no attention. I was never here.
    Wayne


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  9. #29
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post

    Your comment "36-40 lbs is not ultralight" is another purely subjective opinion, especially the comment about the likelihood of injury and finishing. Many backpackers carry in excess of 40 lbs and have great trips and wouldn't consider going lighter or consider using a lighter pack part of Hiking Basics. And they even finish their trips without injury.
    Actually there are numerous instances of common definitions, google is your friend.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultralight_backpacking

    http://blog.gossamergear.com/lightwe...king-conundrum

    Carrying overweight packs, camped by the road is not in any of them.

  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by Hosh View Post
    Actually there are numerous instances of common definitions, google is your friend.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultralight_backpacking

    http://blog.gossamergear.com/lightwe...king-conundrum

    Carrying overweight packs, camped by the road is not in any of them.
    these are relatively new terms as gear manufacturers and technology changed, google wasn't even around when ultralight was 36 pounds.

  11. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    Translation. From casual observation.
    1. I'm clueless and too lazy to research and learn on my own.
    2. Tell me what I need to know.
    3. I'm still clueless and I will argue with you.
    Self directed research is a lost art.
    As for SVEA type stoves, carry both white gas and kerosene jets. I see kerosene for sale in the TN & NC mountains. A liter of white gas could last 400-450 miles. Perhaps longer.
    Pay no attention. I was never here.
    Wayne


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    I think maybe the point being made is that asking the WB community IS RESEARCH. Ain't nothing wrong with that perspective.
    A while back I think it was Lnj who started a rant thread about this very issue. And here it is, with an excerpt:
    This is a forum/site designated for serious hikers, whether it be thru-hikers, section hikers or weekend warriors or even wanna be's, so it stands to reason that if I go on to this site and ask a question of all the many many, what I would consider "authorities" on the subject, that I am IN FACT searching, and looking it up. I am going to the place where many pros congregate to chat about what I want to know about. I consider coming to this site the very act of "looking it up". Why must I dig down to the first grain ever sprouted on a subject to get a respectful answer? Not only do people answer with "look it up", but they are often quite rude about it. Why is that?

  12. #32

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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    Translation. From casual observation.
    1. I'm clueless and too lazy to research and learn on my own.
    2. Tell me what I need to know.
    3. I'm still clueless and I will argue with you.
    Self directed research is a lost art.
    As for SVEA type stoves, carry both white gas and kerosene jets. I see kerosene for sale in the TN & NC mountains. A liter of white gas could last 400-450 miles. Perhaps longer.
    Pay no attention. I was never here.
    Wayne


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    Sometimes people want to be part of a community. Much like on the trail, people tend to talk about generalities when they first meet. About weather, about gear, about trail conditions.

    Stop being a lazy whippersnapper, and do the research yourself! Kids these days, too lazy sew their own backpacks from canvas and twine! In real life, on the trail, is this how you greet a newcomer when they ask, "How do you like your pack?"

    Maybe they're asking, because they want a straight answer from a variety of experienced hikers, and because they don't want to trust manufacturers' or sellers' claims. Maybe they read "Call of the Wild" and want to know if the wilderness has changed since 1903?

    No, that can't be it, it has to be because they're lazy, and doing things the right way (my old way) is a lost art. Seriously, you should be pleased that they're bothering to ask your opinion as a first option.

  13. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    A bit of common sense helps regarding equipment. A bit of common sense seems to be lacking in the general population these days.
    Fletcher's philosophy and day to day trail routine have not gone out of style.
    As for Internet searching, a recent thread asking for freeze dried lentils turned up numerous sources that the OP either missed or had not searched for.
    The current practice seems to be expecting to be spoon fed information without bothering to do any personal homework.
    Back in the day, a 9 day JMT hike without resupply or 350 miles between resupply on what would become the PCT worked for the handful of folks who were backpacking at the time. That was not wrong. Just different.
    Wayne
    PS: The SVEA 123 stove has been on the market since forever. It's still a viable option today.


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    good points.

    Though stoves are another topic.

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by Venchka View Post
    A bit of common sense helps regarding equipment. A bit of common sense seems to be lacking in the general population these days.
    Fletcher's philosophy and day to day trail routine have not gone out of style.
    As for Internet searching, a recent thread asking for freeze dried lentils turned up numerous sources that the OP either missed or had not searched for.
    The current practice seems to be expecting to be spoon fed information without bothering to do any personal homework.
    Back in the day, a 9 day JMT hike without resupply or 350 miles between resupply on what would become the PCT worked for the handful of folks who were backpacking at the time. That was not wrong. Just different.
    Wayne
    PS: The SVEA 123 stove has been on the market since forever. It's still a viable option today.


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
    What was interesting is that no sources for freeze dried lentils showed up. Dehydrated did and the majority of those had cooking times of a half hour or so.

    What did surface is that there is lentil soup that cooks in three minutes and fits the place freeze dried would fit.

    If you didn't know about the soups you could do easily conclude that taking lentils would end up the way all the two pound bags of beans in the hiker boxes do (something I see from time to time on my section hiking).

    A google search for freeze dried lentils (which was run before the post was made) came up empty.

    Learning that the soup fits the place it would fit explains why you can find freeze dried refried beans but no lentils (they both have similar cooking uses). No one seems to make a quick prepare refried bean soup.

  15. #35
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    Most of the time on the AT I carried less than 1/2 a liter of water.

  16. #36
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    Quote Originally Posted by illabelle View Post
    I think maybe the point being made is that asking the WB community IS RESEARCH. Ain't nothing wrong with that perspective.
    A while back I think it was Lnj who started a rant thread about this very issue. And here it is, with an excerpt:


    Just attach another point to my original rant before, but in a much lighter mood now , The reason that I chose to use Whiteblaze as my "Google" on topics all things backpacking/hiking, is because of a certain level of vetting that i am able to do by reading RESEARCHING on this site. See, I and all newbies, can Google any topic under the sun and what is received back is akin to something like trying to get a sip from a fire hose. And.... the flooding of info that is received is based on key words in the search which can be interpreted on the net in any number of ways, as in a trowel via google will bring up every gardening tool every produced on the planet, not just the particular type I am interested in. I can further narrow my google search to cat hole diggers and end up with 5000 pages of litter boxes and the like.

    If I come here, I can spends time Researching the posters here. I can read what they have done, where they have gone, how long they have been out, where they live and I can develop my own personal opinion about said posters and decide for myself who among you all I trust to know what I want to know. Who is the "pro" in my own opinion. Then when I ask a question to the broad public here, I am going to get very succinct answers based on real experience and knowledge. Yes, i will still get opposing opinions and lots of them, but they are specialized opinions and not sales based. Its then up to me to decide for myself from a much narrower field of options. This to me is more valuable than google.

    I think this whole site is a Newbie site. I asked once before and will again now... Who is the hiker/backpacker that is sage in experience and mileage, officially anything BUT a newbie, that can come here and learn something new? Notta one. So this is the hiker/backpacker virtual hangout with every level of experience and non-experience and thats why we love it so. Even the crotchety, grumpy old men are fun to play with sometimes. I know they hot buttons now and when I get bored... I just push one and watch the feathers fly. Its fabulous.
    " Of all the paths you take in life, make sure a few of them are dirt. "

  17. #37
    Registered User methodman's Avatar
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    I too feel that there is no harm in anyone at any level asking questions . Why must everything seem to end up being an argument over the validity of the thread. No one has to read a thread they think is invalid.

  18. #38
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    Don't overthink it. There is no magic pill that you can take that will make you a thru hiker. I did a thru last year and had relatively little experience with backpacking. One thing I did to prepare was spent hours on this forum. It helped a lot but you do have to take the advice here with a grain of salt. Not sure how to explain it but the thru hikers I interacted with last year, including myself, did things quite a bit different than many of the folks here suggest. This is true of the advice I read on this site this year as well. My only explanation for it is that there is a significant difference between section hiking and thru hiking and the advice gets all mixed together here. I changed out a couple major items and many minor items in the first 500 miles. This was not unusual. Thru hikers were spending big money between Mountain Crossings and Damascus on new gear. If you are going to be hiking for 2,000 miles you don't just live with a piece of gear that is not really working out for you. This can mean the difference between success and failure. Try to make good decisions but also give yourself the option of a purchase on the trail if you can.

  19. #39
    Registered User Elaikases's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by KDogg View Post
    Don't overthink it. There is no magic pill that you can take that will make you a thru hiker. I did a thru last year and had relatively little experience with backpacking. One thing I did to prepare was spent hours on this forum. It helped a lot but you do have to take the advice here with a grain of salt. Not sure how to explain it but the thru hikers I interacted with last year, including myself, did things quite a bit different than many of the folks here suggest. This is true of the advice I read on this site this year as well. My only explanation for it is that there is a significant difference between section hiking and thru hiking and the advice gets all mixed together here. I changed out a couple major items and many minor items in the first 500 miles. This was not unusual. Thru hikers were spending big money between Mountain Crossings and Damascus on new gear. If you are going to be hiking for 2,000 miles you don't just live with a piece of gear that is not really working out for you. This can mean the difference between success and failure. Try to make good decisions but also give yourself the option of a purchase on the trail if you can.
    That is really nicely said. Thank you.

  20. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by Starchild View Post
    Most of the time on the AT I carried less than 1/2 a liter of water.

    I have met people who did that and had already finished half the trail.

    I've met people who never filtered. Did a section last year where the water was 10-12 miles apart and I was filtering a trickle out of a culvert and grateful.

    It is proof of that conditions and needs vary.

    In the Georgia drought and heat we were passed by a hiker, long and lean, going 5-6 mph and not breaking a sweat. His pack was tiny --it looked like his total carried weight was 14-15 lbs.

    there re is a lot of variation.

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