Hey, just looking for some words of advice from experienced hikers. Me and two of my friends are planning a sobo 2016 thru hike, and we are all physically fit and (I firmly believe) mentally capable of completing the hike. I do have some worries about the way they plan on carrying gear, though. Their idea is to split the load so one guy has the food, one guy has the tent (they're thinking of using a 3-man tent) and sleeping bags, and one guy has the rest of the gear and misc. items. In a perfect world, this would be a great idea, but after taking into account hiking pace and the possibility of being split up due to weather, trail difficulties, etc., the plan suddenly seems disastrous. The only problem is, my friends don't see it that way. One in particular is as stubborn as a mule and can't be convinced he's wrong unless he personally experiences failure or Gabriel himself comes down from heaven to tell him otherwise. I think it is extremely important for each hiker to be self-sufficient, but maybe someone has heard of or successfully used the gear-split method. So, in summary, is my friends' idea even a possibility, or should I continue to try and dissuade them?