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  1. #21
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    For those of us interested in your way of doing it, can you please publish your gear list and give us some specific tips on how you did it on $250 per month. I'd like to think I could but am not sure, so it would be nice to get some direct info from somebody who has actually done it.

  2. #22

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    THE AT ON TEN BUCKS A DAY. A short story by Pilgrim. Coffee, oatmeal, honeybun - hike. Peanut butter tortilla with cheese and salami - hike. Sniker Bar - hike. Ramen with tuna, - sleep in a shelter. Seek hiker boxes. Repeat.

  3. #23
    Skywalker jdavis7590's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    For those of us interested in your way of doing it, can you please publish your gear list and give us some specific tips on how you did it on $250 per month. I'd like to think I could but am not sure, so it would be nice to get some direct info from somebody who has actually done it.
    Teton Sports Pack 50L $45. I made a few modifications to remove unnecessary straps and cords.
    Sierra Designs Back Country Bed 600 Fill 3 Season $180. I spent the most on my bag because as we all know your bag will save your life.
    Closed Cell Pad $15. Thermarest knockoff
    Stanley Cook Pot $14
    Energizer Head Lamp $9
    Nylon Pants and Shirt (Walmart Clearance) $12 LOL After 1000 miles I’m still wearing both regularly with burn holes and all.
    Wool Top and Bottom (Mid weight) $50. There are several Chinese companies that make super cheap quality merino wool. I will add that the butt on my bottoms did eventually give out.
    Merrill Moab Ventilators $65. If you wait and possibly take a color you might not like you can save a ton on shoe cost.
    1 pair darn tough socks and one pair of cheap wool socks to sleep in $25
    Columbia fleece (Mid layer) $20
    Columbia Synthetic Jacket $35
    Balaclava and gloves $15 (bought out of Walmart bargain bin)
    Walmart brand 10x10 Tarp I took from the wood pile in my back yard


    This was my gear list minus my trail guide. I only carried several hundred miles of it at a time. Oh and a lighter, tuna can for alcohol stove and aqua mira that I already had. I started on March 1st and saw temps in the low teens at night and finished at Harpers Ferry in late June when it was very pleasant at night. I also carried a digi camera.
    If you couldn’t guess, I shelter slept a lot of the time but I would occasionally string up my tarp or cowboy camp. I probably cowboy camped more than anything else.
    My luxury items were my churchwarden pipe and tobacco. I brought pages from a crossword puzzle book.
    I never got cold while in my bag but when the temps were low I would sleep with everything I had on. I took only what I needed and planned to have anything else that I might have missed shipped to me.
    I did not carry a first aid kit. I don’t advise this because your safety is in your own hands. However, I never had a need for one. I did get a few scratches from hunting for fire wood or tight brush on the trail but just a dab of alcohol fixed that up. If you break a leg or cut an appendage off, you will need more than a hikers first aid kit. Again, I advise you take a kit.
    I ate Knorr, oatmeal and grits on the trail. On resupply days I would typically get a special dinner that I would pack out and eat the same night. I was able to keep my gear weight down to the point where I could carry more food and water if I had to.
    Yes, you will see folks who have tablets, solar chargers, radios, multiple changes of clothes, tents and hammocks, stoves, elaborate cookware etc. This post is not an attack on those that carry these things or other things. Also, some people eat more than I did and bought more fancy food. My point with this thread was to show that going with a more economical mindset is possible and that there is always people who will say anything less than the best is pointless. I never thought to myself that if I had better gear that I could hike another two miles on the day. I never found myself thinking that if my trail runners were just a little fancier I could go a few more miles. Or if I had the super moisture wicking fabrics then I would be happier. Everything you bring has weight and it adds up. I didn’t even bring a knife. On the rare occasion, I needed one I just used the knife of a fellow hiker. It was rare.
    If you are thinking of hiking the AT then do it! Don’t let the absence of the best gear or huge sums of money affect your decision. I went cheap but never felt the effects. When the elements got bad I was comfortable. I never went ‘hungry’. You are always hungry but it’s a hiker hunger. Not a ‘your going to starve to death’ hungry. I agree that this system is not for everyone but I was not the only one by any means. I was pleasantly surprised by the numbers who shelter slept and even cold cooked.
    Finally, someone got upset with my statement about real hikers show themselves after the Smokies. I still stand by that statement. When I started in March of this year I was surrounded by tons of hikers and some scoffed at my methods and had no reservations in telling me I would fail. However, a majority of these people fell off within the first few weeks according to the shelter logs. I was slow so I met a lot of people passing me. The trail has a way of righting itself. In the beginning, you will meet some people who are just terrible. I promise they eventually just disappear and only show up as memories as we discuss their behavior around the campfire.
    “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

    Mark Twain

  4. #24

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    Quote Originally Posted by cmoulder View Post
    For those of us interested in your way of doing it, can you please publish your gear list and give us some specific tips on how you did it on $250 per month. I'd like to think I could but am not sure, so it would be nice to get some direct info from somebody who has actually done it.
    Intentionally avoid, or be fortunate to avoid, getting to the trail and back home, impromptu gear break down or replacement and medical, and in town expenses and/or simply ignore those expenses and it's not hard limiting 6 day buying in town resupplying to $40-50 per resupply. Don't spend money on trail on expensive in town eats, alcohol or other "substances" costs, or solo or 2P hotel stays, buy chow at Wally Worlds with an extreme frugality focus, and take whatever there might be from hiker boxes. I warn you living a long duration trail life in lack of abundance can lead to self absorbed behavior. Nice to hike with personal abundance including materialistic abundance so one's hike can include contributing to others success.

    In 2006 for about 1/2 of an AT NOBO I made due on $200 per month for on trail expenses. It required sacrifice and discipline adapting to a new very frugal trail life. All gear was already purchased during those $200/month periods, town stays under a roof were avoided like the plague, and that does not include impromptu dental emergency costs or getting to GA from NJ or getting from ME back to NJ.

  5. #25
    Registered User colorado_rob's Avatar
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    With due respect, I'm not sure I've ever seen a better example of "the pot calling the kettle black".

  6. #26

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    Quote Originally Posted by jdavis7590 View Post
    Teton Sports Pack 50L $45. I made a few modifications to remove unnecessary straps and cords.
    Sierra Designs Back Country Bed 600 Fill 3 Season $180. I spent the most on my bag because as we all know your bag will save your life.
    Closed Cell Pad $15. Thermarest knockoff
    Stanley Cook Pot $14
    Energizer Head Lamp $9
    Nylon Pants and Shirt (Walmart Clearance) $12 LOL After 1000 miles I’m still wearing both regularly with burn holes and all.
    Wool Top and Bottom (Mid weight) $50. There are several Chinese companies that make super cheap quality merino wool. I will add that the butt on my bottoms did eventually give out.
    Merrill Moab Ventilators $65. If you wait and possibly take a color you might not like you can save a ton on shoe cost.
    1 pair darn tough socks and one pair of cheap wool socks to sleep in $25
    Columbia fleece (Mid layer) $20
    Columbia Synthetic Jacket $35
    Balaclava and gloves $15 (bought out of Walmart bargain bin)
    Walmart brand 10x10 Tarp I took from the wood pile in my back yard


    This was my gear list minus my trail guide. I only carried several hundred miles of it at a time. Oh and a lighter, tuna can for alcohol stove and aqua mira that I already had. I started on March 1st and saw temps in the low teens at night and finished at Harpers Ferry in late June when it was very pleasant at night. I also carried a digi camera.
    If you couldn’t guess, I shelter slept a lot of the time but I would occasionally string up my tarp or cowboy camp. I probably cowboy camped more than anything else.
    My luxury items were my churchwarden pipe and tobacco. I brought pages from a crossword puzzle book.
    I never got cold while in my bag but when the temps were low I would sleep with everything I had on. I took only what I needed and planned to have anything else that I might have missed shipped to me.
    I did not carry a first aid kit. I don’t advise this because your safety is in your own hands. However, I never had a need for one. I did get a few scratches from hunting for fire wood or tight brush on the trail but just a dab of alcohol fixed that up. If you break a leg or cut an appendage off, you will need more than a hikers first aid kit. Again, I advise you take a kit.
    I ate Knorr, oatmeal and grits on the trail. On resupply days I would typically get a special dinner that I would pack out and eat the same night. I was able to keep my gear weight down to the point where I could carry more food and water if I had to.
    Yes, you will see folks who have tablets, solar chargers, radios, multiple changes of clothes, tents and hammocks, stoves, elaborate cookware etc. This post is not an attack on those that carry these things or other things. Also, some people eat more than I did and bought more fancy food. My point with this thread was to show that going with a more economical mindset is possible and that there is always people who will say anything less than the best is pointless. I never thought to myself that if I had better gear that I could hike another two miles on the day. I never found myself thinking that if my trail runners were just a little fancier I could go a few more miles. Or if I had the super moisture wicking fabrics then I would be happier. Everything you bring has weight and it adds up. I didn’t even bring a knife. On the rare occasion, I needed one I just used the knife of a fellow hiker. It was rare.
    If you are thinking of hiking the AT then do it! Don’t let the absence of the best gear or huge sums of money affect your decision. I went cheap but never felt the effects. When the elements got bad I was comfortable. I never went ‘hungry’. You are always hungry but it’s a hiker hunger. Not a ‘your going to starve to death’ hungry. I agree that this system is not for everyone but I was not the only one by any means. I was pleasantly surprised by the numbers who shelter slept and even cold cooked.
    Finally, someone got upset with my statement about real hikers show themselves after the Smokies. I still stand by that statement. When I started in March of this year I was surrounded by tons of hikers and some scoffed at my methods and had no reservations in telling me I would fail. However, a majority of these people fell off within the first few weeks according to the shelter logs. I was slow so I met a lot of people passing me. The trail has a way of righting itself. In the beginning, you will meet some people who are just terrible. I promise they eventually just disappear and only show up as memories as we discuss their behavior around the campfire.
    Thumbs up for you! You did it your way and not the way some of the "HYOH" crowd thinks you should do it.
    Stumpknocker
    Appalachian Trail is 35.9% complete.

  7. #27

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    What Jdavis did on trail was embody HYOH. He owned his hike. He was responsible for his hike. He determined what was right for his hike, hopefully without imposing his hike on someone or something else. That's the part of HYOH that's often ignored.

    Where he gets it wrong is attributing bad advice is the norm here on WB. WB posters offer a range of advice that takes into context a wide range of possible approaches, situations, and potential experiences. The vast majority of WB posters are not making absolute statements coming from an intolerant attitude of 'this is the way it must be done.' Over and over this is noted by the tolerance and inclusiveness shown here with posts that include such statements like "For me", In my experience, "This is what has worked for me in that situation, etc. If one fails to note that many opinions are based on someone else's hike and someone else's currently accepted standard that's to their chagrin.That doesn't make the advice necessarily "bad." This is a site better off perceived as based on providing options, possibilities, and potential not absolutes, not a how to book based on this is what's right for all people all the time.

    Perhaps two of the most potentially complex and individually specific topics are trail budgets and kits. Posters on WB generally know that orienting their posts to include and allow for a wide range of individually appropriate choices. It is ultimately up to the thinking reader which opinions hold merit and info will apply to their hikes. Don't conclude just because some info doesn't individually apply it's "bad advice." It simply may be the advice isn't necessarily bad; it just that it doesn't individually apply.

    I don't want to be so blinded and distracted that I can't see the forest through the trees.

  8. #28

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    In terms of your experience all I am hearing is from a brief thru hike. It may mean a lot to you and you've come a long way, but we need to talk again after you have 30-40 years of varied experience, preferably international. I think you will look back on your remarks as those of a relative beginner.

  9. #29
    Skywalker jdavis7590's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by RockDoc View Post
    In terms of your experience all I am hearing is from a brief thru hike. It may mean a lot to you and you've come a long way, but we need to talk again after you have 30-40 years of varied experience, preferably international. I think you will look back on your remarks as those of a relative beginner.
    Thanks RockDoc. I didn't realize how unimportant my experience was until you pointed it out. Im amazed how much you can tell about someone from reading a few posts. For those who can recognize it, you have only validated my point.
    “The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.”

    Mark Twain

  10. #30
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    Bad advice from people lurking on the internet? Imagine that!
    If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

  11. #31
    Registered User colorado_rob's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by jdavis7590 View Post
    blah, blah, blah..... Im amazed how much you can tell about someone from reading a few posts.
    You got one thing right! As did the WB web designers when they included the "ignore" button.

  12. #32
    In the shadows AfterParty's Avatar
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    I like and appriciate your point of view. Even though I have yet to hike I know I won't spend 5k but that's just me. And I don't really have to worry about it, but I'm just cheap but I feel like I could do the trail for much closer to 2-3k and not suffer in the slightest.
    Hiking the AT is “pointless.” What life is not “pointless”? Is it not pointless to work paycheck to paycheck just to conform?.....I want to make my life less ordinary. AWOL

  13. #33
    Garlic
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    Another common piece of advice on this site is that things get more expensive, and tougher in places, in New England. My monthly average cost increased at the end, and my daily mileage decreased a bit.

    Also, there is a difference in costs between hiking half of AT and hiking the entire AT. Some of the gear may need to be replaced or exchanged for a different season. A hiker may eventually get tired or sick and really need to rest. A family emergency may need some travel spending. Etc.

    Just as I would never hike with someone else's pack, I don't know why people come here looking for advice, especially from unknown sources. But as long as people ask, I guess there are people (like me) willing to give their own opinions. It's no surprise some think there's bad, or at least incomplete, information here. Many posts start with, "I'm not a thru-hiker, but...."
    "Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning

  14. #34
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    Quote Originally Posted by jdavis7590 View Post
    I'm sorry that my signature robs any credibility I may have with you. However I like it and your postscript seems like an attempt to be mean. I don't like mean people so...... (raspberry noise with a thumbs down).
    Sorry, not trying to be mean, no raspberries from me to you. I do think critical thinking is an important skill, and I think that it is important to not misquote others. Without getting political (but you can let your imagination run wild), too often fake quotes are repeated and then taken up by others, repeated again, until they get a patina of "truthiness" to them. My point was simply that by signing with a fake/misattributed quote in big bold letters undermines any point anyone tries to make. You have a POV worth considering ... I'm just suggesting that if you want it to have greater impact, reconsider your sig line [1]

    Frankly I find your story remarkable and while I think "anyone" could go with that little gear, not just anyone would be happy to do so. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself, and I have quite a bit of sympathy for going about things in a thrifty way. I admire your ability ... and willingness ... to do so (mostly ... I'm not so keen on doing without and counting on others ... for knife, first aid, etc).

    I do agree with some other posters here (esp. Dogwood, first to say so) that it appears you mischaracterized your pre-hike situation by saying "The majority of advice and comments I received ...." But Traveler summed things up nicely - I'll leave it at that.

    [1] Here's a potential replacement: "The problem with internet quotes is that you can't always depend on their accuracy. - Abraham Lincoln, 1864"

  15. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by garlic08 View Post
    Another common piece of advice on this site is that things get more expensive, and tougher in places, in New England. My monthly average cost increased at the end, and my daily mileage decreased a bit.

    Also, there is a difference in costs between hiking half of AT and hiking the entire AT. Some of the gear may need to be replaced or exchanged for a different season. A hiker may eventually get tired or sick and really need to rest. A family emergency may need some travel spending. Etc.

    Just as I would never hike with someone else's pack, I don't know why people come here looking for advice, especially from unknown sources. But as long as people ask, I guess there are people (like me) willing to give their own opinions. It's no surprise some think there's bad, or at least incomplete, information here. Many posts start with, "I'm not a thru-hiker, but...."
    well I'm not a thru-hiker but...if I see posts that say the trail can be hiked for $800 and others that say bring $10,000 I know that I better find out what the deal is. I also know that if a poster has 10,000 or 3 it's not a measure of there outdoor skills level.

  16. #36

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    ...and I guess I also know that if a fella doesn't bring a knife or at least a razor blade opting to rely on borrowing one from another hiker should the situation arise...that my conversation with said hiker is done!

    I wont even get into the not carrying a first aid kit

  17. #37

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    Quote Originally Posted by rocketsocks View Post
    well I'm not a thru-hiker but...if I see posts that say the trail can be hiked for $800 and others that say bring $10,000 I know that I better find out what the deal is. I also know that if a poster has 10,000 or 3 it's not a measure of there outdoor skills level.
    posts...ten thousand or three posts

  18. #38

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    Everyone has dribbly poopy advice except for you, got it. ... and moving along now.

  19. #39

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    Quote Originally Posted by jdavis7590 View Post
    Teton Sports Pack 50L $45. I made a few modifications to remove unnecessary straps and cords.
    Sierra Designs Back Country Bed 600 Fill 3 Season $180. I spent the most on my bag because as we all know your bag will save your life.
    Closed Cell Pad $15. Thermarest knockoff
    Stanley Cook Pot $14
    Energizer Head Lamp $9
    Nylon Pants and Shirt (Walmart Clearance) $12 LOL After 1000 miles I’m still wearing both regularly with burn holes and all.
    Wool Top and Bottom (Mid weight) $50. There are several Chinese companies that make super cheap quality merino wool. I will add that the butt on my bottoms did eventually give out.
    Merrill Moab Ventilators $65. If you wait and possibly take a color you might not like you can save a ton on shoe cost.
    1 pair darn tough socks and one pair of cheap wool socks to sleep in $25
    Columbia fleece (Mid layer) $20
    Columbia Synthetic Jacket $35
    Balaclava and gloves $15 (bought out of Walmart bargain bin)
    Walmart brand 10x10 Tarp I took from the wood pile in my back yard


    This was my gear list minus my trail guide. I only carried several hundred miles of it at a time. Oh and a lighter, tuna can for alcohol stove and aqua mira that I already had. I started on March 1st and saw temps in the low teens at night and finished at Harpers Ferry in late June when it was very pleasant at night. I also carried a digi camera.
    If you couldn’t guess, I shelter slept a lot of the time but I would occasionally string up my tarp or cowboy camp. I probably cowboy camped more than anything else.
    My luxury items were my churchwarden pipe and tobacco. I brought pages from a crossword puzzle book.
    I never got cold while in my bag but when the temps were low I would sleep with everything I had on. I took only what I needed and planned to have anything else that I might have missed shipped to me.
    I did not carry a first aid kit. I don’t advise this because your safety is in your own hands. However, I never had a need for one. I did get a few scratches from hunting for fire wood or tight brush on the trail but just a dab of alcohol fixed that up. If you break a leg or cut an appendage off, you will need more than a hikers first aid kit. Again, I advise you take a kit.
    I ate Knorr, oatmeal and grits on the trail. On resupply days I would typically get a special dinner that I would pack out and eat the same night. I was able to keep my gear weight down to the point where I could carry more food and water if I had to.
    Yes, you will see folks who have tablets, solar chargers, radios, multiple changes of clothes, tents and hammocks, stoves, elaborate cookware etc. This post is not an attack on those that carry these things or other things. Also, some people eat more than I did and bought more fancy food. My point with this thread was to show that going with a more economical mindset is possible and that there is always people who will say anything less than the best is pointless. I never thought to myself that if I had better gear that I could hike another two miles on the day. I never found myself thinking that if my trail runners were just a little fancier I could go a few more miles. Or if I had the super moisture wicking fabrics then I would be happier. Everything you bring has weight and it adds up. I didn’t even bring a knife. On the rare occasion, I needed one I just used the knife of a fellow hiker. It was rare.
    If you are thinking of hiking the AT then do it! Don’t let the absence of the best gear or huge sums of money affect your decision. I went cheap but never felt the effects. When the elements got bad I was comfortable. I never went ‘hungry’. You are always hungry but it’s a hiker hunger. Not a ‘your going to starve to death’ hungry. I agree that this system is not for everyone but I was not the only one by any means. I was pleasantly surprised by the numbers who shelter slept and even cold cooked.
    Finally, someone got upset with my statement about real hikers show themselves after the Smokies. I still stand by that statement. When I started in March of this year I was surrounded by tons of hikers and some scoffed at my methods and had no reservations in telling me I would fail. However, a majority of these people fell off within the first few weeks according to the shelter logs. I was slow so I met a lot of people passing me. The trail has a way of righting itself. In the beginning, you will meet some people who are just terrible. I promise they eventually just disappear and only show up as memories as we discuss their behavior around the campfire.
    The problem here is that you have not included things in your gear list.
    Now I am not saying you had any of the follow,but maybe you did.
    Something to carry water in.
    Stakes.
    Cord for your tarp (which although you owned, you did not list a cost).
    Raingear.
    Pack cover, trash bag or liner, or you just let your **** get wet? Because it does rain on the AT.
    If you needed to use a knife, you should have bought one. Don't preach your frugality if you borrowed it. You should be self-sufficient, it's backpacking.
    Underwear, maybe you were commando.
    Let's be real and no offense, but with one shirt in 1000 miles you are simply one smelly mofo. This makes the hiking community look bad in trail towns. One can get a clearance synthetic shirt at Wal-Mart for $3-5. Or an off season pair of swim trunks for shorts, cut out the lining and go commando.
    Kudos for suggesting the med kit. If you recommend it put a price on it.
    You paid for the Aqua Mira and used it. Price it and include the price. I drink 3-4 liters a day. How about you?
    Maps?
    Guidebook Price?
    Did you borrow those?
    Did you have a cell phone? Not a necessity but if you used it for anything hiking related, called a service provider, used an app, made a reservation, there's a cost.
    Digital camera, it cost you money to buy. Items have a service life. If you use them in service during your hike, you need to price that service time.
    Food bag.
    Eating utensil.
    Batteries and a alcohol fuel.
    Trekking poles (not necessary but did you have them?
    Rosanna Bandana.
    Sunscreen or bug spray? Don't need the latter but the former is not a bad idea before leaf out.

    Now, since you have not added in all your costs, I suspect your accounting is off elsewhere too.

    As far as the site, I can't think of a topic which doesn't have contrary/multiple opinions. There is no one mind here on any subject. There are over a million posts on the site and without a doubt, I have read a majority of them.
    "Sleepy alligator in the noonday sun
    Sleepin by the river just like he usually done
    Call for his whisky
    He can call for his tea
    Call all he wanta but he can't call me..."
    Robert Hunter & Ron McKernan

    Whiteblaze.net User Agreement.

  20. #40

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    Knorrs, oatmeal and grits is a cheap, but not exactly a very good diet in the long run. Hope you at least added tuna to the Knorrs. Though I guess it's not too far off the mark of my usual diet of Honey Bun/corn chips/Knorrs with tuna diet either. Restaurant meals are what really add up and they are very hard to pass up. But that's just me...
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