stink turns shop owners off to us it makes their normal customers unhappy sometimes
Packs in stores
D.O.C. I know what you mean, lucky thing the bad experiences on the trail are few and far between. Wonder if it had any thing to do with being north of the Mason-Dixon Line? Oh boy! I've really opened a can of worms now!!! I can't recall a single place that turned me away on my thru but things do happen. I do recall in Penn. I went into a laundry and got change to use a payphone the owner came out and insisted on giving me my money back (dollars) he said the change machine was for his customers only not for phone customers. I have some buddies who reenact, they really enjoy it. I'd like to get involved but it can be an expensive venture and time consumimg.
Rick
It's all about respect. And like someone said before, you just have to use your judgement.
I personally never felt entitled to bring my super smelly pack inside a business, especially a small one. For small stores, I almost never brought my pack inside. For larger chains, I would leave my pack in front of the store. Anytime I would bring my disgustingly stenched pack inside any establishment besides a hostel/hotel, I would ask a shopkeeper/manager if it was ok bring inside, or where's the best place to leave it. Just do this out of respect for business owner and for others around you. Thru-hikers are a truly odorous bunch who lose sense of their hiker smell.
I would also always bring my valubles inside (all it took was a small bag with my wallet and camera).
Also, if a business owner is disgruntled by the sight of you, chances are they don't want your thru-hiker business anyway and will not feel the slightlest loss if you take your business elsewhere...there are very few of these types along the trail, but unfortunately, they do exist.
More than likely, no non-thru-hikers is gonna want to steal let alone touch your smelly stuff...there are always exceptions, or course. We had a food-bag bandit when i hiked who would steal hanging food bags in the middle of the night. And hostels are also a place to never leave valubles unattended, but that applies to any hostel anywhere in the world.
Anyway, just be mindful of others. Most establishments will already have a place for you leave your pack. all you have to do is ask.
How awful! I mean all the thefts are awful, but at least you can take steps not to leave your pack unattended. But unless you're trying to attract bears we're all going to be hanging our food bags up.Originally Posted by adaval
He who forms the mountains,
creates the wind,
and reveals his thoughts to man,
he who turns dawn to darkness,
and treads the high places of the earth—
the LORD God Almighty is his name.
-Amos 4:13
Thanks for the "under the shopping cart" idea. That's a good one I had not thought to do. Many people have hinted that odor is often a concern of people in town. This could be a whole other thread but a little baking soda goes a long way in removing odors. Mix with a little water and smear it on your pits and your good to go. Its not going to make you smell like roses but it will help.Perhaps making life a bit easier in town.
"A man is rich in proportion to the number of things
which he can afford to let alone." -Thoreau
Asking with a smile, rather than demanding or expecting, almost always got me a smile in return and a place to park my pack inside. In the real tiny general stores, I would leave my pack outside for as long as it took to ask. If there simply wasn't room, which happened more than once, I'd remove the valuables and keep as good an eye on it as I could from inside. When hiking with someone, we'd take turns standing guard. Never had a problem. It probably didn't hurt that I kept pretty clean, too. I bathed and rinsed out clothes on the trail as often as I could. No baking soda, but that's a good idea.
I heard of one pack theft in Duncannon--a section hiker left a pack in the park to walk several blocks away to a store. Not too smart.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
Be prepared - hand out clothes pins to store employees.
As I live, declares the Lord God, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn back from his way and live. Ezekiel 33:11
About the last thing you want to do is bury your pack in the woods somewhere, and expect it will be there when you return from your town visit, as some have suggested. Not an option for me. Try using one of those wire mesh covers to prevent cutting open your pack and locking it to a parking meter or tree.
Most of the time, you'll have a separate (hopefully waterproof) sack containing your money, ID, camera, and other small but essential items. Definitely bring this inside with you-- but everything else of yours (sleeping bag, clothes, pack) is very unlikely to be targeted by a thief, at least in the trail towns in the Mid-Atlantic & New England. Hell, it's used, smelly, and cumbersome.
Of course, if there's no sign forbidding packs, it never hurts to attempt to bring your pack partly inside and see if it's allowed... or if they have a specific spot they'd like you to put it. Usually they DO have a designated place just outside or in the entryway, which is pretty safe.
--There is always more uphill.
I never once had a problem- just used common sense. Like others said restaurants and convenience stores don't care for packs inside. I did carry my pack inside some of the larger grocery stores below the cart and was never challenged. Splitting up time "watching the packs" with a friend is the best option.
Always a good idea to carry a small stuff sack containing your valuables to take with you when separated from the pack.
"Fish Camp Woman.... Baby, I like the way you smell"
- Unknown Hinson
hikers can cause problems if they go into a restaurant stinking. When you know your going into town you could try to wash up some (weather permitting) and put on some clean town clothes. If you stink, they should ask you to leave, its a restaurant...
Panzer
Also, I second the idea of putting your valuables in a small bag or fanny pack of some kind. I always put my wallet, phone, camera, ipod, meds, Swiss army knife, headlamp, compass, booze, etc in a small fanny pack. That way if someone does steal your pack all they get is old used gear that they won't really want.
Panzer
Yep, I always carried my wallet and digital camera while in town. Everything else was expendable and I'd leave my pack outside of grocery stores hoping it would disappear so I could go home but it never happenedAlternatively, just stash your pack at the local hostel.
Wire Mesh Covers
The wire mesh cover idea is a good one, this is my usual routine.
I actually made something myself instead of buying it, I got some metal and wire mesh from:
http://www.bwire.com/
I took some fine wire mesh and formed and fastened it basically into a shape that I can easily use it to hold a lot of my stuff. Then I connected a locking device, and boom, all set. Really worked out well, no problems yet...
-J-
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