The human condition

“What is it?

How does backpacking help?”

“Someone's leader gave him a project to do while visiting earth!
;-) tee hee.”

“you know, i've never really thought about what that meant! apparently something to do with our capacity for finding meaning...”

“you know, i've never really thought about what that meant! apparently something to do with our capacity for finding meaning...”

“The human condition today is so far removed from our evolutionary programming that many people find comfort in the woods wrapped in layers of nylon and polypropylene while carrying many pounds of synthetic gadgets on their backs.”

“Aww, c'mon guys, it's really quite simple. You see, it's the condition that humans are in.”

“Lousy.”

“We're nomadic by nature. We are at peace and most aware when we are doing what our big game tracking ancestors did: walking...setting up camp... walking... setting up camp. By visiting unspoiled places, we reconnect with our primal selves.”

“"Take me to your ladder; I see your leader later!"

--Groucho Marx”

“'ll”

“Here's a book that answers ALL questions.

I kind of think he's a pompous a$$.”

“What Violin said.”

“The human condition and how backpacking helps:
We seek to understand ourselves and our role in nature better. So we strap on a pack, head out and look for solitude. Why is each backpacking trip unique if the recipe is always the same? Because nature is chaotic and unpredictable.”

“Okay, now I have it. Geobeet is ULTRApacker.”

“Some things about backpacking that are appealing:

1. If there's ever a war and we're forced to flee home, we're used to sleeping on the ground and we have all the equipment to do it.
2. Whiners are hardly ever deep in the backcountry.
3. People who don't understand us keep their distance as they're not sure if all those bumps and scratches on our skin are mosquite bites or the plague.
4. Wild animals are cool.
5. Food tastes better out there.
6. Tents are fun.
7. Death by bear mauling is better than being hit by a drunk driver?”

“Yeh, Lyndy. Ya got me.”

“C'mon people. The human condition - What is it that makes all of us go?

What is the underlying need that backpacking serves?

Violin may be on to something, but I know he doesn't speak for everyone. He just thinks he does.”

“No Lyndy, ya haven't got me!

Yes UP, Violin, in this case, speaketh for me. And it's not enough we need all that techno junk, we have to have it ultralight so we can pack it in easier.”

“That's an interesting observation... coming from a TROLL who doesn't even speak for HIMSELF.

LOL”

“What makes you think I'm not violin?

Anyway, don't change the subject:

Backpackers are a rare breed. Are they really human? This is what I want to know.”

“Well DUH!”

“I think Violin pretty much hit the nail on the head. It's hard to expand on that, at least for now. But I think society as a whole trys too hard at acting "civilized", and in the process ignores or sometimes even shuns outdoor activities such as hiking. Most of the people at my work are born and raised New Yorkers, and think I'm a total nut for going backpacking every weekend. Explaining it to them is futile. But I have observed that I'm also a lot less on edge than they are! :-)”

“Duh yourself.

If those who backpack are human what are those who do not?

Where's the line drawn?”

“Who said anything about those who do not? Jeez, ya can't even rememeber your own question! You need to take a hike!”

“Would that make me human?”

“Why would you want to be a human? There are so many species to choose from.”

“Alright, Geo. You win.”

“Since the majority of people don't backpack, I don't know if it says a whole lot about the human condition.”

“In a way, I'm glad they don't. Imagine how crowded the trails would be! Like the southern terminus of the AT in March!

I guess there'd have to be more trails to absorb them all... and their personalities would be Much Improved.

(not that it's done a lot for some people I could name... LOL)”

“Backpacking makes me feel like a normal person.

I think?

8)”

“I still say that 'normal' thing is way overrated, LOL”

“We're nature by nature but forced to live in the confines of the modern daily existence. No one really, deep down, wants to exist this way but we adhere to it. Money drives the world. Objects drive the world but if we had true freedom, we would need nothing. Not worry about what works and what doesn't, not worry about what makes life more enjoyable and what doesn't. We would just be. Pure, raw energy.”

“Backpacking is a mood affecting exercise, with long term benefits, enduring for some time even after a backpacking trip. Furthermore, the mood benefits of backpacking are in direct proportion to the amount of stress that the individual is under in life.
For most who backpack, the mood benefits of backpacking are not revelations. Moreover, backpacking taken together with the benefits of time spent in sunlight, in fresh air and in nature, are especially motivating.
Two direct routes by which the backpacking exercise biologically improve moods is via the release of endorphins and the reduction in levels of cortisol, the stress-depression hormone, in the blood.
Endorphins are natural painkillers that induce feelings of euphoria. Intensive exercise appears particularly effective in raising endorphin levels. Some studies have found that a good workout boosts levels of serotonin, a hormone related to improved mood.
Indirect routes by which the backpacking exercise also elevates mood are improvements in self-esteem and self-confidence. This probably comes with feeling stronger, more energetic, more mentally alert, and altogether more physically capable, as well as having achieved measurable personal goals. Backpacking also involves social contact at the campsites, and this provides an opportunity to engage with others in a supportive and friendly context - possibly leading to stronger friendships.
Overall, the emotional benefits of backpacking are uncontestable and irresistable.”

“Good treatise, prosecutor! I'm printing that out for my girl scouts and their parents.”

“And Geobeet sounds to me like he is arguing with himself.”

“Or with Cindy_lu”

“being human is human being.....”