CONTROVERSIAL Thread Ahead - Who BAckpa cks?

“I guess a firestorm will result from this... but so what.

Who actually backpacks? There are so many threads that are responded to by people who OBVIOUSLY have very little experience, that sometimes I question the value of the responses.

How many nights were you out BACKPACKING last year?

(1) 0-10 nights
(2) 10-20 nights
(3) 21-41 nights
(4) More than 42

This is not a test... just a "Gee...who are these people" question.”

“(3)

8)


This year goal 50 to 60 I am at 15 right now!

With a long way to go!!!”

“Thanks. You responded... a good thing. I'm guessing that a lot will be pissed thast I even asked!”

“Aah, another memory test!”

“15 more or less
some day hikes too”

“No problem!!!

I would never get mad over a simple question.

8)”

“I spent a good three months sleeping in a tent last summer! Going to do it again! Building backpacking trails!”

“You go Bear!!!!

Buliding trails and doing work on them is a hard job.

Thank you for the work you do!

8)”

“This year I also get to be a boss, runnig my own crew and get paid more. No more being the peon for me. I'm movin' up! Watch out world here I come!”

“The Bear is on the move look out!!!!!!

8)”

“6 nights so far this year with another 10 already scheduled...Hey Crazy Mike, if you can count KOA nights...you'd already be over 60 wouldn't you?...LOL”

“Now that has to be the worst joke I have herd in a long time!!!!

8|”

“How many bag nights in 2001?

IAre you a Real Backpacker?”

“Hheheheheheheh!!!!!!!!

8)”

“(5) Though five was not an option I chose it anyway. I forgot to keep score.

Wanderer, in case you haven't noticed 80 percent of the posts are from people killing time during work instead of working. It stands to reason that if a person cannot focus on their job for eight hours a day they cannot focus on the narrow scope of backpacking very long either.”

“Sorry if I offended anyone. (Not really). Here's the reason for me posting as I did:

Let's "assume" I have a question about some piece of backpacking gear. If y'all post a response, I "assume" you know what in the he!! you're talking about. This is a BACKPACKING site, so I ASSUME y'all are BACKPACKERS!!

HOWEVER, it is apparant from the responses that many who post here have very limited backpacking experience. I don't really care to hear from those people when I'm looking for gear suggestions... what I am looking for is the experience of those who have BEEN THERE / DONE THAT.”

“I can only post when I come home for lunch and when I get home from work!

8)”

“Towards the high side of (2)”

“Wanderer, if you know anything about newsgroups you have been to rec.backcountry. There are some experienced folks out there, but the riff-raff have stunk it up too.”

“I'd never depend on posts from this site for gear advice when there are clearly better sites for this. This place is just for laughs.”

“I work in the mountains, I do at least one 10 day wilderness trip each month, that's not counting doing trips with clients each month (my other job)...I quit counting the days and nights spent in the mountains a couple years ago...bet my wife would know, down to the day I suspect.”

“Someone else asked this awhile back--I think I counted 50 something days out last year (working with my calendar)

I've only spent two nights out so far this year. I've got a bum leg so that may be all the way it seems to be going.”

“I will be going on my first backpacking trip in the morning. When people are asking questions about gear I read the responses whether they are good or bad in hopes of learning something, heck I will even start a thread to find out about some gear that I am looking to purchase. I have asked questions about packs, sleeping bags, gloves and others that I can't remember.
I hope this answers your question (at least pertaining to me)of who are these people.”

“Who Backpacks?
Who actually backpacks?
How many nights were you out BACKPACKING last year?

Nowslimmer...are you TOO SENSITIVE?
Wanderer
------------------------
Wanderer - Yes, I probably am too sensitive. Are not we all? So I apologize for the insensitivity of my reply. I tried to go two ways at once! On one side I believe those two posts contain the answers to the questions that you posed. On the other side I (me, my opinion) felt that the subject had been somewhat exhausted recently. I probably should have added TIC or LOL to my post.

With your response, "Here's the reason for me posting as I did: ...," I can understand a little better your objective. I don't know how you will be able to tie everything together. Nights on the trail, etc., does not necessarily equate to knowledge of a piece of gear, etc. A non-hiker may be able to impart some useful information.

I do have a lot of backpacking experience. Yet, I feel very inexperienced in many areas. Also, we may all have different objectives in our backpacking. I feel that all of us can contribute useful information.

One of the best sources of information is on the AT or the PCT, where one can encounter hikers with all sorts of equipment and experience. One of my first problems was getting a heavy (too heavy) pack on my back and myself on my feet. I observed a variety of techniques by thru-hikers on the AT. Getting out where the "real" action is, is my first recomendation for learning about backpacking and gear.

I will be pleased if I can help your backpacking in any way. And at all times, I like to have fun.

Sincerely,”

“I just use my back pack to go to the liquor store each night.I can't go very far ,because I'm affraid of bears and can never keep the TP in that little hole long enough to cover it up.”

“If you get a bigger, heavier backpack you won't have to go to the liguor store every night.

Damn ultralighters are so wierd.”

“Yeah I'm a backpacker. I mostly go during the cold months but do a bit in Summer. I don't know exactly how many trips I did last year but I'd say I had between 30 to 40 bag nights. I've been a BPer for 14 years. Seen lots of great places and met many cool people. I try to help with gear questions if I can but I'm not that big of a gear ho like I've been in the past so I'm not up on all the new toys.
My Dream is to thru-hike the AT when I retire. Then I'll be free to die.”

“'My Dream is to thru-hike the AT when I retire. Then I'll be free to die.'
walkindude

No way, dude. That's just a start. Then, there is the PCT, the ECT, the ocean to the mountains trail, the Santa Fe Trail, South America, Europe, etc.

I plan to hike all the way to the hereafter. One of these days I'll retire and get started. Until then, I'll have to live on just 3 to 4 months of apprenticeship backpacking per year. Stick with it Dude, those mtn. trails are Yours.”

“Yeah, That's true. I'm just mostly focused on the AT now though.
Till then I'll be just getting out all I can.”

“To my chagrin, less than ten nights in the last year. I would usually do a weekend once every 4 to 6 weeks and a yearly week-long trip but I've been off my game recently due to a slight altercation I had with a pot-hole in a dark parking lot!

Nooooo... not scrambling over boulders, ice and scree miles from nowhere --- a friggin' pot-hole in an asphalt parking lot less than a quarter mile from my front door!!

<GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR>

So ANYway, the ankle is about healed up but needs a bit more strengthening and the 10 or 15 lbs I gained while sitting on my fat ass has to go, LOL

That's my story an' I'm stickin' to it.”

“About 10 nights per year I guess. I do lack experience, but I am having a fun time gaining it.”

“wanderer...you want some advice from a pro!?...just trust everything this cat poppinfresh talks about...he's like this amazing mtn guide in cali...

*coughs and grins*”

“To put it nicely wanderer perhaps what your not accounting for is more then a lack of experience.

since i for one dont sleep at 16,000 feet on alpine slopes and most of my trips are in warm hummid climates my choices and preferances as well as experience and going to be very different from others not to mention the fact that there are no "rei" type stores near me.
we choose gear based not only on experiance but also on availibility , need and budget. I did my basic outfitting for two people on a tight budget and knowing better then to skimp on shoes i was left with very little to do the rest of the outfitting. I did just as much research and picked from the best products availible in my price range and location with a full knowledge of the limits i was imposing on myself and frankly some of the equipment was recycled from car camping simply to save $$$.

in the end we all must compromise not only on features but on price and sometimes comfort . none of these compromises imply a lack of experience.

ps to answer your question
last year about 20
this year almost 50 planned”

“26 bag nights..I think”

“The low end of (3).”

“must have been around 20 actual backpacking bag nights last year but don't know for sure for i wasn't counting. i think i have 9 so far this year.”

“I had been doing about 10 to 15 nights a year, but last year it was just 5 :( . Let's see what happens this year!!!”

“you decide.

Hiking solo since a child.

Kids only solo camping.

5 days Shenandoah NP. Gary Fox, Mark Miller, Tom McWhorter and I, spring break our senior year of high school.

I'd say my backpacking speed over the years is probably 8 mile/day.

1973-1977
Innumerable overnights in NM
Gila-7 days
Pecos-7 days

1977-1984- The dry years.
Living in TX, Gila once for 3 days, Pecos once solo for 7 days.

1984-1992
The California years. Tons of day hiking, car camping.

1992-1999 Fairbanks Alaska. Tons of expeditions and day hiking, innumerable cross country skiing, rare backpacking bag nights, lots of car camping nights, day canoeing.

1999-present.
Day hike once per week. Two solo one nighters, couple of solo two nighters in the Sandias. Trailhead 15 min from my house. Scouting a route for a 5 day, four night loop in the Sandias.

Want to get out more, as always, but teenagers under the roof require my presence at the homestead. That too will pass.

Do I get the job? As I have said before, all I want is a $10 million, multiyear contract to backpack, hike, and crosscountry ski at will. I have to live in ABQ or northern New Mexico.

For More Info”

“#4 times 24 years, give a take a couple of years of lower trail days.”

“Wanderer,please redirect your question to your self and inform the rest of the TT responders as to your level of expertise. This will allow them to judge you by your yardstick.

Its not bad enough that your ego must "rate" others advice (advice is inherently subjective and is to be taken lightly already) but you must start a thread that will demean and belittle those not fortunate enough to spend time in the out-of-doors,and in turn negate any productive input they have to offer simply because they do not meet your standards of qualification. Perhaps you should preface all of your posts with a disclaimer stating that if you have less bag nights than me (insert number here) than do not respond as you are unfit and inexperienced as a backpacker and I cannot learn from you or your advice. I have more gear and associated trail knowledge and general out-of-doors know how so please only respond if you have thru-hiked the AT,CDT,PCT or any other trail that would qualify you to speak to me about gear and backpacking technique. Thank you so cordially signed , Wanderer the all-mighty.”

“I give the official score keeper a -1 for completely missing the opportunity to rerate this thread in a witty comical manner.

His whiny indignation is worth a point, so the unofficial score of the official scorekeeper is net zero.”

“Bacpac, I take your point about whining and not approaching this subject from a more humerous bent. However, since I am the one with the score keeping experience I must ask YOU how long you have been keeping score. Its OBVIOUS that you have very little experience and I question the value of your response.”

“'Do I get the job?'
Pathman

Job? Money? We can get paid for this?

(Mounts a MG thinking cap.) Maybe there is a way. Almost all my backpacking/hiking has been to lose weight. My method has always been successful. And I have finally found how to stabilize my weight, instead of the repeated backsliding. And this year I will finally reach my goal weight. With a final, good "after-picture," I can finish my article. I sent the Introduction to Matt a month ago, but he has not published or rejected it yet. Someday, maybe Matt?

So maybe I can guide groups on weight losing pilgrimages. Is there any real money in this?”

“Just because I don't pluck the hairs out of my @ss to tally the results like you do doens't mean I can't keep score. I will concede that my scoring ability is affected by caffine and occasionally beer thus it remains unofficial.”

“official scorekeeper summed things up pretty good. And that was why I submitted the links to two previous strings to Wanderer.

Also, I have stated, A non-hiker may be able to impart some useful information. and I feel that all of us can contribute useful information.

So, bacpac, I would have to give a higher rating to official scorekeeper for his effort. Of course, this is meaningless because I have no qualifications for being a rater. Do they teach "rating" in the schools anywhere?”

“Just because you've spent several nights out doesnt automatically qualify a person to give advice.”

“Do I have to fax wanderer a copy of my college transcript too?”

“I don’t keep track of this type of thing. It’s not why I do it. I go out to enjoy myself. If I make a beer run on my vacation and it is agreeable to hiking partners, I’ll do it. I’ve never been a purist. I read a lot of things from people’s trip reports that make me say to myself, “Eww, wow. I’m never hiking with that person.“ On the same note, if you see me doing something that makes you say, “Eww, wow.“, put me on your do not hike with list and move on. Chances are I’d have no desire to hike with you either.

Hell, I barely talk about hiking when I’m here even when advice is pointedly asked for. I’ve done that stuff to death. Sometimes a subject will come up that piques my interest and I’ll get into a heavy hiking discussion but mostly it’s the coffeehouse atmosphere I dig here. Many here find this sort of thing important and depend on it heavily for how they are defined. I don’t. I am Nigal who hikes, not a hiker named Nigal. Hiking…it’s what I do, not who I am.”

“Well, I think Wanderer knew he was going to take some heat on this one...bravo for it. His observation or opinion seems quite intuitive to me.”

“I'm just looking for that job.”