like now, huh cupcake?Originally Posted by Boston
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You're thru-hiking now or have in the past ?? ...and never took a zero ??
'Slogger
The more I learn ...the more I realize I don't know.
take as many as you like and you will probably still finish on time........
I didn't plan for any zeros for my 2000 hike. I figured that zeros were for allowing the body to rest after an especially strenuous day, to wait out nasty weather, or to enjoy a friendly Trail town. How could I tell when those things would happen months away while I was sitting at my computer typing up a schedule while drinking a beer? I took 6 zeros in my 150 day hike...one at Damascus after a 26 mile day, three at home in PA to meet my grandson who was born while I was on the Trail, one in Gorham after getting beat up by the Whites, and one in Monson to mentally prepare for the looming end of the trip. There were several other days when I only walked 3 or 4 miles into or out of town. For a thru-hiker these are esentally zero days.
You've posted this before with banana, "yabba dabba",....exactly what do you mean by this?
I find the whole term "Zero Days" to be a bad thing as it implies you are suppose to be racking up X amount of miles in X amount of time etc and feeds the whole racing up the trail mentality...I honestly never recall anyone asking pack weights..How many miles did you do today..How long did it take... etc..Back in the 70`s.....So take your time and enjoy your days off (Stop using zero days)..If you find a spot you like or just don`t care for the weather sleep in and read a book
Sometimes you can't hear them talk..Other times you can.
The same old cliches.."Is that a woman or a man?"
You always seem out-numbered..You don't dare make a stand.
I think you have this backwards, you'll be lame if you never take a zero day!Boston:Zero days are lame.
Actually, I suppose some can go without zeros, but everyone has to resupply and even a nero day can be rest for your body. Hiking is supposed to be fun and full of the freedom you can't find anywhere else - take a zero if you want, take two, take three!
ad astra per aspera
Ah yes, the good ol days... back before there were "zeros" and "nearos" and "cut-offs".
No matter, do what you do and enjoy.A nice start would be to avoid "lame" advice.
i have taken 0 days on section hikes, but always in the woods. often so we can have a base camp to go somewhere but once, in the whites, we stayed a 0 on Garfield, laid around, climbed to the top, laid around some more, ate chicken soup, laid around some more and basically, laid around some more. It was a great day.
When i thru hike, i dont think i will worry about a number of 0 days, i like the idea of going where the wind blows me.
Some of my best zeros were at Miss Janets, Tarrapin Station, Elmer's, and Overmountain Shelter.
I even take a zero occasionally on section hikes. The most fun have been out in the woods like at Dismal Falls, Winding Staircase, or on Slickrock Creek. If you are out there in it, why not enjoy it. I've found I would rather do a short day through town (note: I have not thru-hiked yet) and spend a screw-off day at a nice creek.
Zeros ain't lame. They are only lame if you are lame while taking them.
Last edited by SGT Rock; 09-17-2006 at 08:31.
SGT Rock
http://hikinghq.net
My 2008 Trail Journal of the BMT/AT
BMT Thru-Hikers' Guide
-----------------------------------------
NO SNIVELING
Good question.Zero does not = wallow.
Then again, maybe it does if most of your hiking experience is done on the internet.
Even if it does what`s wrong with that?...One of my favorite things to do when hiking was to just hang out at a nice shelter and enjoy life. To me it was home and I felt as if I belonged there and would have spent my life just hiking on the trail with direction and destination being irrelevant...Of course that was when you could stay at a shelter during the week (M-F) when school was still in and not see anyone else come thru... Of course if you are on a "thru-hike" and already figure it`s going to take 7 months then obviously you can`t linger to long anywhere...But if you HAVE 7 months and it actually will only take you 5 then by all means hang out a few days here and there
Sometimes you can't hear them talk..Other times you can.
The same old cliches.."Is that a woman or a man?"
You always seem out-numbered..You don't dare make a stand.
Just a small point here: notice the placement of this thread: Thru-hiker specific Q&A. If you're not a thru, perhaps the original poster doesn't want/need/care about your opinion. Just my 0.00.
I know my comment was just to counterpoint someone that said that Zero's were lame.
SGT Rock
http://hikinghq.net
My 2008 Trail Journal of the BMT/AT
BMT Thru-Hikers' Guide
-----------------------------------------
NO SNIVELING
I don't know if there is such a thing as an "average thru-hiker." FWIW I took 26 zero days during my 5.5 month hike. It's pretty simple. Listen to your body. Hike if you like. Take a rest day if you feel beaten up or need a day of rest. You may want to take a day off in places like Hot Springs, Erwin, Damascus and other trail towns.
Have a great hike.
'All my lies are always wishes" ~Jeff Tweedy~
I would think people who have hiked for a long time and been involved in the hiking community..Say 30-40 years and have been on 20-30 long distance hikes may have some input on most any topic which is of value..Maybe more so than a lot of "thru-hikers"..I know a LOT of thru`s who have basically no hiking experience before they do their TH....I think it basically gets down to the various reasons why people are out there in the first place what value the original poster may take from their answers or advice...The advice of someone who is just hiking as a physical challange and who`s only goal is speed and distance will be different than someone who is out there for the peace and solitude and connection with nature....I may not have completed my thru-hike way back when but I`d like to feel that my input from the perspective of a hiker from another generation may add a different slant that a lot of younger haiker may otherwise never hear or even knew existed....Or I may just be an old crackpotJust a small point here: notice the placement of this thread: Thru-hiker specific Q&A. If you're not a thru, perhaps the original poster doesn't want/need/care about your opinion. Just my 0.00.
Sometimes you can't hear them talk..Other times you can.
The same old cliches.."Is that a woman or a man?"
You always seem out-numbered..You don't dare make a stand.
By the time I made it to connecticut I had been on the trail for 4 months and had taken around 40 zero days. I loved every single one of them and my hike wouldn't have been the same without them. If you don't mind doing big miles you can zero and just make up for it in the next couple days.
While thru hiking through Vermont I got off the trail and went to Saratoga Race Track spent 3 zeros, came back with zero in my pocket.
E-Z---"from sea to shining sea''
I bet I had at least 30 zeros, and probably closer to 35 if I really broke it down. If I did it again, I'd cut that at least to 15, and do the majority of those out in the woods.
For comparison - we had 7 in 73 days during the paddle trip last year, 3 of which were for a hurricane. Plenty of Near-O's or half days, but it always felt better to us to make a few miles a day.
Like they say - one bad day of hiking for every zero day.
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