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Finally got my pack weight under 20 pounds after a rainy weekend in the Smokies
Got soaked through on the second day and realized half my stuff was just 'what if' gear I never touched. What's one item you packed for years before finally leaving it behind?
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richardrodriguez1mo ago
Remember my buddy who always carried this heavy water filter pump? He swore by it for years, even on dry trails where we just used tablets. Last fall his pump cracked on the first mile, so he borrowed my drops. He hasn't carried that pump since, said it was just a security blanket. What's your "just in case" item that finally got cut?
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daniel_martinez841mo ago
Did he ever try fixing that pump with epoxy? I had a similar one crack on a trip years ago. A tiny tube of super glue in my repair kit sealed it up well enough to finish the week. Sometimes the old gear just needs a quick patch, not a permanent retirement.
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evan_morgan811mo ago
Totally get that, I had a water filter that was more glue than plastic by the end. It was my dad's old hand pump and I kept patching it for years out of some weird loyalty. What finally made me quit was when the patch job failed and I had to drink straight from a sketchy stream. Ever get so attached to a piece of gear you ignore how bad it's gotten?
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