smoke?

[wyclif]

I'm not a big smoker, but once in a while I do enjoy the occasional American Spirit (blue pack) or all-tobacco cigar ($3 or above will usually get you one free of 'filler' in the bottom 3/4).

However, I have to say that most of the "smokes" I've seen on the AT are the "all natural" kind that you can't buy in stores in this country.

[Frosty]

I had quit for 9 years. I started again on my hike this summer. Seemed like everyone I was hiking with rolled smokes. Must say, now I kick myself in the ass, but I quit once before so maybe I can again.

Hope you have better luck than I did. I quit in 1971 after smoking for about 9 or 10 years. It wasn't easy, and there were a few false starts, but I did it.

In 1976 I took a drag off someone's cigarette. The next day I bummed a couple butts at work. The second day I was right back at a pack + a day.

It didn't bother me because I knew I could quit. HA! egotistical me.

I tried to quit again and couldn't do it. I'd quit at least once a week. It wasn't until 1981 that I finally quit. You can believe I won't take a drag again. I do't want to go through that again.

Hang in there. Perservere. Remember: If at first you don't succeed, quit and quit again.

[Almost There]

Yeah,

Frosty that about sums up how hard it is to quit.

[Tim Rich]

Every year that we sectioned we encountered more and more tobacco smokers. Generally, they were young and traveled in groups who smoked. Many would starting rolling the minute they hit the shelter. I've heard a number of them mention that they started on the trail and only planned to smoke while on the trail.

As we progressed north in our section hikes, we saw fewer and fewer pot smokers. Perhaps it's because the pot smokers became more discreet, or maybe the more flamboyant tokers dropped out.

Take Care,

Tim

[rambunny]

I bought cheap ciggs in the south and mailed them ahead in my bounce box for the exspensive areas,in Babylon i smoke a pack a day,on trail abouta pack every 3 days.

[the goat]

i try to leave town with 2-3 packs of filters and a pouch of bali shag or drum. i smoke a cig every three miles, sometimes two cigs.

i quit smoking last year though.....still miss it too....still sneak the occasional cig when drunk too!

[MarcnNJ]

I smoked American Spirit mediums (green pack) for 10 years......even though i just quit, i could see myself enjoying a hand-rolled American Spirit every now and then on the trail.......

[Topcat]

i dipped Copenhagen from age 16 until about 3 months ago and it was way to hard to quit to do it again. that being said, i love a good cigar once a week and plan on doing just that when i do my through hike in 7 years or so. Might start doing some other things i quit long ago too...:-)

[mweinstone]

good one.i do think less pot smokers finish cause it makes me tired after it makes me happy.

[neo]

i quit smoking in febuary 1985,i was smoking over 3 packs a day,i started coughing up blood at the age of 26,so i figured it was time to quit neo

[the goat]

good one.i do think less pot smokers finish cause it makes me tired after it makes me happy.

just keep smoking at regular intervals throughout the day, and you won't get tired

[KirkMcquest]

After a few pints, I start to jones for a smoke. Tried bringing ciggs on the trail once, they just tasted like crap. Smoking on the trail just tastes and feels wrong

[Brock]

I started NOBO last year with the hope to quit smoking my 3-4 cigs a day habit. That didn't last long. I found it surprising how many people smoke cigarettes on the trail. I thought it would be completely opposite.
Most of the smokers I encountered were very nice about the habit and would take it outside the shelter. Most had hopes of quitting or slowing down their habit. All of them were happy with cigarette prices in the south and most switched to rolling their own cigs further north when packs of cigs got much more expensive.
I was in the Smokies talking with a Ridge Runner who was complaining and teaching us about proper butt removal. He asked us NOT to throw our butts into a fire, but pack them out. Anyways, he claimed that more smokers finish the trail than nonsmokers and attributes it to the smokers tendancy to take more breaks (to smoke) and overall it contributes to enjoying themselves more, therefore staying on the trail longer.
All of what I thought about smoking on the trail went out the window the first time I saw a legendary thru-hiker chain smoking cigs up Sasafras Mtn with ease while my newby legs where shaking trying to figure out how he wasn't losing his breath.
When I was on the trail, I probably smoked MORE than I did back home. On the trail, I felt as if I EARNED the cigarette and quickly changed my hope of quitting. I would smoke at lunch (sometimes 2 cigs) and then at dinner and before bed. Sometimes during a short rest during the day I would smoke too. I was never one of the smokers who stopped hiking just to have a cig, more to enjoy a view with a sig.

[wyclif]

I do think less pot smokers finish cause it makes me tired after it makes me happy.

There's also the problem of resupply--unless you're willing to carry a pound baggie the whole trip.

[SouthMark]

Hope you have better luck than I did. I quit in 1971 after smoking for about 9 or 10 years. It wasn't easy, and there were a few false starts, but I did it.

In 1976 I took a drag off someone's cigarette. The next day I bummed a couple butts at work. The second day I was right back at a pack + a day.

It didn't bother me because I knew I could quit. HA! egotistical me.

I tried to quit again and couldn't do it. I'd quit at least once a week. It wasn't until 1981 that I finally quit. You can believe I won't take a drag again. I do't want to go through that again.

Hang in there. Perservere. Remember: If at first you don't succeed, quit and quit again.

I quit in 1976, started running, working out, etc. Ran marathons, triathlons, a real helath nut and an obnoxious ex-smoker. Then in 1985 I started my own business, stopped for gas on the way to a potential client and bought a pack just to calm my nerves. I too knew I could quit. NOT! I finally quit again two years ago. Now when things have slowed down in my life and I'm at an age where I can consider serious backapacking again, I now have PDA caused by all those years of smoking. I just had the stints in my right leg replace threed weeks ago and now my left leg has 60% blockage. Sorry for the long winded post but if it helps just one.

[Johnny Appleseed]

Smoke 'em if you got 'em.

[freefall]

Every year when I leave Springer I carry a few cartons of those cheap Tahoe cigs to sell by the pack ($5) to the hikers trying to quit. I'm sold out by Neel Gap. There's money to be made off the weak.

Would get them every once in a while when I lived in Erwin. We called them Tailholes though. quite aq profit on ther L. Wolf. Aren't they something like $10 a carton?

[Ridge]

If you run out of cigs just try the shelters, especially on rainy days. You'll get your fix and then some. Ask the shelter mice, they all have lung cancer!

[Adom]

I stopped my pack a day habit 3 weeks ago when I started training seriously for the trail. I've only slipped up twice since then and both times there was some whiskey involved.
The way it sounds here I might end up starting again out on the trail, I've rolled my own on and off for years, it could happen. Hopefully it doesn't.

[mweinstone]

you gonna pack firewater?i love wiskey but cant feel good about packin it. your thaughts on trail drinkin as apposed to savin up for town drinkin?