I Continue To Be Amazed..

“1) ... by folks who talk about backcountry cooking like it is trying to cook on Mars or something. It is really that hard to prepare ANYTHING in the woods that you could NOT cook at home? Surely with all of today's availability of processed meals, meats in foil pouches, and the ease of home-dehydrating -- anyone can cook anything..

And yet.. I continue to see posts (primarily on the 'other' board of folks who seem to think that enjoying a nice spaghetti dinner or a chinese stir fry as totally out of the question in the woods. What's up with this??.. Am I the only one who finds all this 'gnashing of teeth' as somewhat humorous?

2) ... by folks who think hiking with perfect strangers is odd, and part of some fantasy world. It has been my experience that the backpacking community is a warm group of closely-knit souls that although their differences are myriad -- we share a kindred spirit, uncommon to the 'internet' community in general.

How many of us have planned a hiking trip by posting it on a message board, only to find that we are later surrounded by rapists, axe murderers, and pedophiles? I smile when I see folks making comments like 'I just can't bring myself to hiking alone in the woods with some perfect stranger.'

================================

Is it just me??.. Or do both of these myths regarding the sport we all love seem so contrary to reality?”

“uh... one minor point, TD...

The folks who hiked with the axe murderers are no longer posting.”

“I’ve certainly never seen anyone eaten alive on these boards after a group hike.”

“Tilt: heehee.. NOW we know where some of the 'lost' TT'ers have gone..”

“OK...everyone who has hiked with Tilt raise your hand!

Hey Tilt, I don't see any hands...you must be the axe murderer we've been hearing about!”

“I've seen some taken apart!”

“I totally agree with number two.”

“'cause he posted the exact same things on The Other Site. ”

“TD swings both ways! HEE Hee.”

“I love telling tails about the rapists, axe murderers, and pedophiles I've met on the internet. And crack heads too.”

“aw shucks Navi, i didn't realize i was that memorable...”

“Don't I remember an ice axe from that Hance Creek trip Tilt?”

“There was just a little bit of ice, up near the rim, <G>.

Hey, Barb & Steve know I'm not an axe murderer!




Anybody seen Barb & Steve lately?”

“LMAO at Tilt.. hehe.. u figured it out??”

“Hey, if you're not above a little cannibalism, you can resolve both issues at once... Multiple Use Items Whenever Possible, right?

"This my combination hiking partner amd midnight snack."”

“Hey TD!

Good post. If the point of backpacking is to get away from it all for a bit, then why do hikers bring the meal they would eat at home into the woods?

Philosophical inconsistency?”

“How can I enjoy the same meals in the woods without my "microwave"? Besides, all my frozen meals thaw and begin to smell.”

“Nice thread TD... its fun to read some backpacking related "chatter."

I do like to keep my cooking on the trail as simple as possible - or even skip cooking altogether.

I'd like to add to the list of amazing things:

* That people think your are some kind of self torturing fanatic - if you are happy going without a bed for a week (as if God or had created people and beds on the same day).

* That people can't see why anyone would strap skis or snowshoes to their boots in order to wander around in the winter for a few days straight.”

“eating in the backcountry should not be a chore
my recipes and menus are akin to the KISS method”

“I continue to be amazed that some people continue to insist that it's acceptable to take dogs into the backcountry, where they don't belong. Unless they're on the menu.

LNT = LDH.”

“Maybe we should stage an fake axe murdering to help some of the newbies on a future trip get use to camping with the TT crowd.
That should increase the comfort level of all newbies to come.”

“...and I gave TD the keys to my house and the axe murdering, rapist pedophile didn't kill me. You see, I'm still posting!

lololol j/k Dawg”

“I really don't care what I eat on the trail BUT IT MUST BE EASY TO CLEAN UP! I ain't doin' no dishes out there.”

“Ditto what flyguy said! I'm all about those boil-a-meals!”

“You will all note that Treebeard was careful to say that he was 'just kidding'...”

“Thank you T-man....”

“And here's one for all you hatchet-heads out there...



Isn't that a cutie?”

“I'm not hiking with tilt.”

“Kinda looks like the one Town Dawg slept with when he visited us.



J/K!!!!!!!!!”

“NO DISHES! NO DISHES!


NO HATCHETS! NO HATCHETS!”

“But it's just a little Baby Hatchet! LOL

Hand forged in Sweden. Initialed by the blacksmith. Handle only 10 1/2 inches long. Total weight 13 oz.”

“Why can't we eat well on the trail? When backpacking I try to make meals as palatable as possible. Freeze-dried, prepared yummies are usually enough to gag a maggot. I prefer shopping in the supermarket and putting dried dinners together with other ingredients. I will be dehydrating some meats for this purpose, and some veggies as well.

The second part of cooking is, obviously, clean-up. But one-pot cooking minimizes the amount of things to clean. It's usually not a big chore.

As for hiking partners, I have met few people in the backwoods who have cause concern. And those who might have caused concern, I came to realize that the concern was unfounded. Yes, there have been some murders on the trail, but generally Jack the Ripper ain't gonna go to all the trouble of hiking into the backcountry when Central Park is a lot more convenient.

I find hikers to be warm people with whom you can start a discussion easily. If you need advice or assistance, they readily supply it. I've never been turned away from a camp or shelter, although I have decided at times to just not even ask.

Every once in awhile, other hikers or campers cause problems. There are litter and sanitation issues. But on the whole, you are less likely to run into trouble on the trail than on the roads to and from the wilderness.”

“I like to cook a big wiener schnitzel ven I am hiking!”

“I'm hoping I can find a few MRE's on the road to Damascus...”

“Yeah, I agree, this summer I plan to work as a laborer.”

“Hard work makes the body feel good!

8)”

“remember, only YOU can prevent backcountry murders!!!”

“heh.. nice responses.. ya.. the clean-up part is the key.. but I think several of y'all are on track.. the store bought stuff is ok.. but I am in the crowd that prefers "prefer shopping in the supermarket and putting dried dinners together with other ingredients."”

“Well TownDawg, anytime you want to cook me dinner and clean the dishes while on the trail, you just let me know! :)”

“hey tilt: http://www.cnn.com/2003/WORLD/meast/04/09/sprj.irq.secret.jail.ap/index.html

my gosh.. now how would you like to backpack with some of THESE guyz.”

“Smiley girl?.. heh.. u got a deal.”