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  1. #1

    Default Be on the lookout for Gadget & Mama Bear...

    They are thieves. They stole my bandanna right from the front of the Damascus library, and I asked each of them if they had seen it, and they each replied, "No". When I went inside I asked the librarian to run back the camera footage 15 minutes, and I caught these scoundrels in the act. They returned it only after I left a note on their tent, explaining that they would face stiff penalties for failure to comply. However, they only left it at the library and never made amends or an apology.

    Fast forward a few weeks later, I get up to Quarter Way Inn and meet "Chunky" the nice lady who runs it. She told me a story about these two hikers who came in unannounced, raided EVERYTHING out of the hiker box, and when asked by Chunky what they were doing..... Gadget replied, "Looking for a place to *****!"

    "Chunky" said she had never been so appalled at two hikers and threatened to call the law if they wouldn't leave immediately.

    These hikers are a detriment to the trail and could cause harm to your gear or hostels. Ask Quarter Way Inn to back me up on this, or even the Dreamer hostel. I spotted them at the grocery store in Pearisburg 8 days ago. Be on the lookout and stay away. They have a dog.

    Here are photos of the hikers, their dog, and finally their tent. Don't say I didn't warn you.


    - Rebel

    IMG_0980.JPG IMG_0983.JPGIMG_0985.JPG

  2. #2

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    They might they might have stolen your bandana and they might be thieves but anything and everything in a hiker box is fair game if one person wants to take all of it that's perfectly okay. Not sure what the beef is there it's just discarded stuff
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 06-24-2017 at 14:10.

  3. #3
    Registered User methodman's Avatar
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    Greedy people are a problem

  4. #4
    Registered User mrcoffeect's Avatar
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    Muddy it may be that the INN might have a policy that the hiker box is for patrons only.

  5. #5

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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    ... a hiker box is fair game if one person wants to take all of it that's perfectly okay.
    That's news to me.
    [I]ye shall not pollute the land wherein ye are: ... Defile not therefore the land which ye shall inhabit....[/I]. Numbers 35

    [url]www.MeetUp.com/NashvilleBackpacker[/url]

    .

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    Quote Originally Posted by Rain Man View Post
    That's news to me.
    Theres major resupply places that leave them outside. Overflowing.
    Its peoples garbage. Not a swap box where you Leave item to take item.

    If you take ownership of it and want to control who can have it and how much, you got issues.

    But an us-vs-them always crops up
    People dont want non hikers raiding their garbage, or bad hikers, or non payers. Anyone different from themselves.

    Its.....garbage....left in hope someone can use it.
    Places in sierra have to haul it out at end of season..they certainly dont care who takes it....as long as they take it.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 06-25-2017 at 08:32.

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Theres major resupply places that leave them outside. Overflowing.
    Its peoples garbage. Not a swap box where you Leave item to take item.

    If you take ownership of it and want to control who can have it and how much, you got issues.

    But an us-vs-them always crops up
    People dont want non hikers raiding their garbage, or bad hikers, or non payers. Anyone different from themselves.

    Its.....garbage....left in hope someone can use it.
    Places in sierra have to haul it out at end of season..they certainly dont care who takes it....as long as they take it.
    Get real. The passive live and let live attitude of hikers on the AT has led to the degradation of the trail experience and has become obsolete. There is a big difference between the western trails and the AT, so using that example is just an inappropriate excuse for low moral character or outright thievery. The acceptance of low moral character leads to an overall social structure and culture of low moral character.

  8. #8

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    Quote Originally Posted by TD55 View Post
    Get real. The passive live and let live attitude of hikers on the AT has led to the degradation of the trail experience and has become obsolete. There is a big difference between the western trails and the AT, so using that example is just an inappropriate excuse for low moral character or outright thievery. The acceptance of low moral character leads to an overall social structure and culture of low moral character.

    Your partly right. But backwards
    the problem is the attitude of many hikers today.
    Spoiled babies that expect everything to be for them.
    and expect it to be free.

    A hiker box is discarded stuff. Period. Unless the person leaving it had a conditional agreement, oral or written, to whom and under what conditions it might be given to others, it belongs to no one.

    But jackholes get their nose out of joint all the time when a homeless person hits a hiker box...someone that needs the stuff more than a bunch of entitled whiny hikers.

    Being concerned about a hiker box is really being petty. The truth is...its not about the hiker box at all....its about people that dont meet your idea of who you think should use it. or even be on the trail.
    Last edited by MuddyWaters; 06-25-2017 at 10:44.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by MuddyWaters View Post
    Your partly right. But backwards
    the problem is the attitude of many hikers today.
    Spoiled babies that expect everything to be for them.
    and expect it to be free.

    A hiker box is discarded stuff. Period. Unless the person leaving it had a conditional agreement, oral or written, to whom and under what conditions it might be given to others, it belongs to no one.

    But jackholes get their nose out of joint all the time when a homeless person hits a hiker box...someone that needs the stuff more than a bunch of entitled whiny hikers.
    Morals and moral character are not based on technicalities and written law. So, yes, greedly emptying all the contents of a hiker box into your pack is technically allowed, but that does not make it morally correct, especially when you know there may be others behind you that may have a need for some of the contents that were left to benefit hikers, plural, and not just you. A moral person would take only what they need and be willing and even glad to share with othe hikers.

  10. #10

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    IMO...the real issue here is what does "*****" stand for?

  11. #11

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    Quote Originally Posted by TD55 View Post
    Morals and moral character are not based on technicalities and written law. So, yes, greedly emptying all the contents of a hiker box into your pack is technically allowed, but that does not make it morally correct, especially when you know there may be others behind you that may have a need for some of the contents that were left to benefit hikers, plural, and not just you. A moral person would take only what they need and be willing and even glad to share with othe hikers.
    I dont care who takes it.
    But im a person that leaves stuff in boxes at most resupplies
    Not takes stuff from them

    And that may be where difference is.

  12. #12
    Registered User BuckeyeBill's Avatar
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    When I resupply, I try to get other hikers to go together for the staples that we all use. Then I always ask if someone wants what is left of other stuff I bought. Then if anything left, it goes to the hiker box. After that, it up for grabs.
    Blackheart

  13. #13
    Registered User Water Rat's Avatar
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    "Fast forward a few weeks later, I get up to Quarter Way Inn and meet "Chunky" the nice lady who runs it. She told me a story about these two hikers who came in unannounced, raided EVERYTHING out of the hiker box, and when asked by Chunky what they were doing..... Gadget replied, "Looking for a place to *****!""

    From this ^^ it sounds like they just walked in and started helping themselves. When confronted, it sounds like they were jerks. My take on it is that it wasn't so much about them taking from the hiker box, but more about they conducted themselves.

    With attitudes like that I would imagine they wouldn't differentiate between a hiker box and someone's pack (or pack contents). Contents of a hiker box are up for grabs. Another hiker's bandana/tent/pack - not so much.

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    I feel sorry for the dog.

  15. #15

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    Not sure if it still exists but hostel owners used to have an email list about "problem hikers". If hikers got bad enough res they would find themselves unwanted.

    As for hiker boxes, unless someone keeps an eye on them they become mostly trash, lots of partially filled food bags of definitely questionable food and mostly low grade camping gear and clothing that would best end up in goodwill box. And I cant forget, empty or mostly empty fuel canisters. Many I ran into over the years had mouse crap all through them. More power to anyone who really wants anything from them.
    Last edited by peakbagger; 06-25-2017 at 18:46.

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    The dog might belong to someone else and be something they picked up along the way

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    Quote Originally Posted by jimmyjam View Post
    I feel sorry for the dog.
    That's the first thing I thought of, Pets can't pick their owners and it looks like the lady is eating all the kibbles.

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by peakbagger View Post

    As for hiker boxes, unless someone keeps an eye on them they become mostly trash, lots of partially filled food bags of definitely questionable food
    .
    yeah, I do a lot of off season / early season hiking and the boxes are nasty - with short days, long nights and no one around I have cleaned out and washed the boxes for something to do

  19. #19
    Registered User carouselambra's Avatar
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    I didn't know this story, but saw them today at the Holy Family Catholic Church Hostel in Pearisburg.

  20. #20

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    Always some shady types like this around!

    As for hiker boxes, the people that "need it" are usually the ones that can use almost all of it, so not sure how I feel about leaving the stuff sitting there until someone has the right "moral, temperate and equitable need" for hiker box stuff?
    But going into a hostel just to raid a hiker box that is meant for paying guests isn't cool if you're not staying there

    A lot of people use hiker boxes as part of their "resupply strategy", and I am glad I have the funds to have a tastier and more reliable approach.

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