[pct-l] Backpack Packing strategies...

[Ernie Castillo]

Excellent commentary Steel-Eye.
My hiking buddy Jaime saw 2 opposing theories in 1980: backpackers and campers. He called himself a camper. This explained the amount of gear we carried and, by today's standards, our moderate average miles per day. It also explained our March start.
 
I try to share the "heavy trucker" perspective because it's what we did 31 years ago. Along with wearing 5-pound leather boots with Vibram soles, we also carried Jansport backpacks, Jansport tents, lots of food, multiple water bottles, multiple fuel canisters, and sub-zero sleeping bags. My philosophy: I am carrying everything I need to survive in the wilderness. We didn't have water caches or Trail Angels in 1980. Heck, there were huge chunks of the PCT that was nothing more than a dotted line on a map: "TBD" meant To Be Developed (Later). We walked roads when we had to, we pitched tents in blizzards, and we struggled to keep our pac weight to the rule of thumb of the day: one third our body weight. 
 
I commented on the "Backpack Packing strategies" thread because looking back, it seemed to explain why strapping a tent, poles, foam pad, sleeping bag, and a hunting knife to the top of my aluminum frame might have been a challenge to stand up with but didn't seem all that bad once I got truckin'. (Note: I walked on the side of the highway road toward Burney Falls with an entire food drop, unopened box and all, strapped to the top of my pack.)
 
It worked for me back then, just as a 8-10 pound pack works for you today. To you, weight matters. To me, comfort and preparedness matters. Heck, I don't think I had a food dropped that weight 8 pounds.
 
The phrase didn't exist 3 decades ago, but I really like the "Hike Your Own Hike" philosophy.

Ernie Castillo
PCT Class of 1980


 

> Date: Sat, 14 May 2011 08:44:40 -0700
> From: steeleye at wildblue.net
> To: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Backpack Packing strategies...
> 
> Good morning, ,
> 
> I would like to congratulate the researchers at University of Michigan,
> Department of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering, for
> creating a strong case in support of the long-elusive perpetual motion
> machine. 
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