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Chatted with a guy on the Pacific Crest Trail last month who totally changed my gear approach
He was about 60, carrying a beat-up Jansport and a tarp, and said he'd hiked over 2,000 miles without ever buying a fancy sleeping pad. Told me 'you don't need a 4-pound tent, you just need to not care about being comfortable for a few nights.' Made me wonder - how bare-bones have you gone on a route and still had a good time?
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betty1261d ago
Last summer I hiked a 180 mile section of the Colorado Trail with nothing but a foam pad, a bivy sack, and a small tarp. No tent, no stove, no chair pad. I slept on packed dirt and pine needles for two weeks straight and honestly it was fine. My back was a little sore in the mornings, but after a few days I stopped noticing. The worst part was actually my hips getting bruised from rolling onto the hard ground at night, but I just shifted around and dealt with it. That trip taught me that half the stuff we carry is just for mental comfort, not real necessity. Still, I wouldn't do it in the rain or snow, just in dry weather where I knew I wouldn't be miserable.
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