19
Talked to a guy on the PCT who made me question my whole gear list
I was doing a quick section hike near Crater Lake last month and ran into this guy who had been on the trail for like 6 weeks straight. He had this beat up old backpack and a tarp instead of a tent, and I thought he was just some ultra light nut. But he looked me dead in the eye and said "you're carrying too much stuff you'll never use" and pointed at my camp chair and three pairs of socks. I got defensive at first but then I realized I hadn't sat in that chair once in 3 days. It hit different because he wasn't being a jerk about it, he just said it like a fact. Now I'm sitting here at home looking at my gear pile and wondering how much of it is actually worth the weight. Has anyone else had a stranger on trail completely change how you pack?
3 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In3 Comments
anthony1292d ago
Met a guy who carried a harmonica for 800 miles and never played it once.
5
ellis.leo2d ago
That harmonica thing cracked me up because it hits on a bigger truth about how we pack our fears into our packs. I notice this same Exact pattern in my regular life - carrying around extra weight just in case something goes wrong, like spare groceries or tools I never touch. On trail it becomes so Obvious because every ounce literally hurts your feet, but off trail we just carry that invisible weight without thinking about it. That guy calling out your chair was probably the best trail advice you'll ever get even if it stung a little.
1