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  1. #41

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    Quote Originally Posted by foodbag View Post
    As I grow older, and (in my opinion) wiser, I have come to the conclusion that our modern society provides us with too much information and too many options, not only for backpacking/long-distance hiking, but in just about every area. One only has to visit Amazon or REI to see evidence of too many choices, and Google? Fugedaboutit! I just Googled "too many choices" and came up with 1,210,000 results in .64 seconds.

    Maybe I'm just tired, but I am done with studying everything to the Nth degree; I am done with surfing 10,000 different choices for water bottles; I am tired of the "noise" of my possessions (downsizing furiously for the last couple of years); and I am just about done with our noisy Western way of life.

    I've decided to just live my life, and play it as it comes to me: More leaping, less overplanning, more risk taking, and less angst....

    Going hiking on the AT in 18 months, following my retirement from the work force. Gonna throw a few things in my pack and jump the back fence....

    I’m with you...you’re not simply talking about gear choices and trip planning but a way of living modestly, with less detritus, freedom from junk, and more spontaneous living.

    Being able to reinvent oneself is one of the biggest advantages in aging, IMO. I’m workin’ on it now...have sold and rid myself of tons of household crap, getting the house ready to sell, decreased my work hours, bowed out of some of my time-consuming group activities...

    It’s hard work and I recently had to cancel two hiking trips for house-related stuff but the end result is going to be fabulous.

    (And dang...if you can’t figure out how to turn on the TV cuz there’s so many effin remotes, who needs ‘em?)

  2. #42
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tipi Walter View Post
    You can also throw out a bedroll and sleep in the backyard every night and try to "live outdoors" as much possible even though you're not out on a trip. It's called "Getting Your Bad Nights", a definite Passion for some of us.

    It's something I do every night when I'm not out backpacking---and I resigned myself long ago to be outside sleeping on a thermarest if at all possible. Why? Because there's something special about sleeping outside every night. We should never take Nature for granted because it could all be wiped out by human sprawl and development and then we'll be lucky to have a bush next to the county courthouse to sleep underneath.

    Here's my back porch "camp"---

    Attachment 45314
    Mine own is a back yard hammock stand I use a couple nights a week when the evenings are crisp. I came in this AM at 5:30 as the sun was coming up and it was easy to leave the hammock than deploy the tarp for shade.

  3. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    Every one reaches a threshold when what someone interprets as enjoying themselves is nor perceived by yourself as enjoyable. HYOH is most often used to justify one's behavior no matter how that behavior imposes on others. It's mostly an acronym to defend a "responsibility only to self" mentality. There's another side of HYOH which rarely is discussed. That is the side of being responsible for one's hike as one who never hikes alone in an isolated bubble. The AT experience never has been an experienced of isolation. The AT itself does not exist as an isolated entity that spontaneously miraculously fell out of the sky for any one person. There are countless that support the AT making the "AT experience" possible. When we hit the trail with a "responsibility only to self" "if it feels good to oneself do it" attitude of ingratitude we demean the very intent and goodwill of the AT and all those who support the AT effort.
    I'm not defending rude, ungrateful hikers who use HYOH to mean "Don't tell me what to do, I'll [disruptive/destructive behavior] if I want to, it's my hike!"

    Littering, hiking with speakers blasting music, letting a badly-behaved dog roam off leash, illegal fire circles... I've certainly heard self-centered hikers use HYOH to defend behaviors that I certainly did not find enjoyable because they were negatively affecting my experience or endangering the trail. In that case, I agree that the initialism has been twisted from "live and let live" to a justification of rudeness or outright law-breaking.

    But I fail to see how planning out details and watching too many gear reviews could somehow infringe on someone else's enjoyment. (Unless they're being obnoxious about it to others, which I would consider a separate behavior.) To me, my "threshold" is when a behavior actually affects me or the trail in some negative way. I guess that's a subjective threshold, because some would argue that even witnessing someone else at a campsite checking a phone screen just *ruins* their escape to nature, while it would never occur to me to feel bothered by someone else's decision to meticulously plan out their hiking schedule or text their friends at the picnic table. So there's room for debate about what constitutes "affecting" someone. I just think that the idea that there's a "right" amount of planning to do or not do before a hike is definitely a situation that falls under the original meaning of HYOH.
    A.T. 2018 Thru-hiker
    Follow along at www.tefltrekker.com

  4. #44
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    To my way of thinking the most satisfying part of HYOH is not insisting/wanting others to affirm one’s own choices (and to shut the hell up if you hold a contrarian opinion) but rather not giving flying **** what strangers think, and then walking the the beat of your own drummer.

    Especially since everyone has 100% control over the latter.

    Being force to listen to another’s drivel over the sound of a cracking fire or music of spring peepers is another story, of course.

    That does not happen on the internet, thankfully. And even on the AT its mostly self inflicted harm.

  5. #45

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    When we de-clutter and reduce our material possessions in LIFE and expectation of needing to know it all to hike it opens the door to greater clarity and time for living LIFE. Shop shop, buy buy buy accumulate accumulate possessions maintain maintain organize organize fret fret fret


    Less can be more. It occurs when we question and sober up from our culture's norms.


    Wish you the best in your journey.


    Live in the moment appreciating embracing rather then how most live, always wanting to be somewhere else doing something else.

  6. #46

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dogwood View Post
    When we de-clutter and reduce our material possessions in LIFE and expectation of needing to know it all to hike it opens the door to greater clarity and time for living LIFE. Shop shop, buy buy buy accumulate accumulate possessions maintain maintain organize organize fret fret fret


    Less can be more. It occurs when we question and sober up from our culture's norms.


    Wish you the best in your journey.


    Live in the moment appreciating embracing rather then how most live, always wanting to be somewhere else doing something else.

    You sound rich.

  7. #47
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    "fewer the artifacts
    less the words
    slowly the life of it
    a knack for non-attachment"

  8. #48
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    Quote Originally Posted by TwoSpirits View Post
    "Plans are worthless, but planning is essential."*
    (attributed to Eisenhower)
    "A failure to plan is a plan for failure" - a favorite of an old boss

    "Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance" or "the 5 P's" - A favorite of my Father.

    I think the OP is just frustrated by the fact he is ready to go hiking but has to wait 18 months to go. He can't help but think about his future hike and so his mind is occupied by it but at the same time he is frustrated because he wants to get on with it but has to wait 18 months to go. I know that when I am thinking and planning for a trip or a hike in the future, I reach the "I am sick of thinking about it I just want to go" attitude at some point and it is frustrating.
    If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.

  9. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by TexasBob View Post
    I know that when I am thinking and planning for a trip or a hike in the future, I reach the "I am sick of thinking about it I just want to go" attitude at some point and it is frustrating.
    I have sometimes felt almost the exact opposite -- when planning a trip several months away, I've found myself falling into a mood where I'm asking myself "do I really want to do this?" I start doubting that I will enjoy day after day of walking, or camping in cold rain, etc...which is of course pretty ironic, because those are precisely the things that I start out so excitedly planning for (and yes, analyzing and comparing and buying gear for.)

    It can be pretty depressing; I literally feel like a failure, as if I'm some sort of "bad hiker". I've found that only way to snap out of it is to get myself out there -- even if it's only a day hike or an overnight at a state park. It doesn't take long to feel rejuvenated, re-energized, and excited again.



    Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
    fortis fortuna adjuvat

  10. #50

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    Quote Originally Posted by KnightErrant View Post
    I'm not defending rude, ungrateful hikers who use HYOH to mean "Don't tell me what to do, I'll [disruptive/destructive behavior] if I want to, it's my hike!"

    Littering, hiking with speakers blasting music, letting a badly-behaved dog roam off leash, illegal fire circles... I've certainly heard self-centered hikers use HYOH to defend behaviors that I certainly did not find enjoyable because they were negatively affecting my experience or endangering the trail. In that case, I agree that the initialism has been twisted from "live and let live" to a justification of rudeness or outright law-breaking.

    But I fail to see how planning out details and watching too many gear reviews could somehow infringe on someone else's enjoyment. (Unless they're being obnoxious about it to others, which I would consider a separate behavior.) To me, my "threshold" is when a behavior actually affects me or the trail in some negative way. I guess that's a subjective threshold, because some would argue that even witnessing someone else at a campsite checking a phone screen just *ruins* their escape to nature, while it would never occur to me to feel bothered by someone else's decision to meticulously plan out their hiking schedule or text their friends at the picnic table. So there's room for debate about what constitutes "affecting" someone. I just think that the idea that there's a "right" amount of planning to do or not do before a hike is definitely a situation that falls under the original meaning of HYOH.
    There you go. You communicating defined details makes the difference. That's why I tend to read every word you post. I know where you stand. I like how you express yourself clearly. It demonstrates maturity, tolerance, and agreeableness born out of and enhanced by your world travels. I figured you would save me some finger tapping at a keyboard.

  11. #51
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    Being lucky living in a place thats quiet and close to nature, I usually spend more nights out on the balcony, up in the open loft or on the terrace, than in the bed.
    Our grandkids (3 and 5yrs) love this so much, they insist on sleeping on the terrace when staying overnight here.

    A nice side effect is the gained experience about sleep systems.

    As to the core topic here, I belive having to much money but to little time to actually go out hiking easily leads to the claimed overthinking and overequipping.
    Last edited by Leo L.; 06-16-2019 at 05:45.

  12. #52

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    Quote Originally Posted by Traffic Jam View Post
    I’m with you...you’re not simply talking about gear choices and trip planning but a way of living modestly, with less detritus, freedom from junk, and more spontaneous living.

    Being able to reinvent oneself is one of the biggest advantages in aging, IMO. I’m workin’ on it now...have sold and rid myself of tons of household crap, getting the house ready to sell, decreased my work hours, bowed out of some of my time-consuming group activities...

    It’s hard work and I recently had to cancel two hiking trips for house-related stuff but the end result is going to be fabulous.

    (And dang...if you can’t figure out how to turn on the TV cuz there’s so many effin remotes, who needs ‘em?)
    LOL Horray. I'm not the only one.

    Nothing wrong per say with having stuff including mega money as long as they don't have you. That's the root of the Tiny House and downsizing and looking globally rather than only locally/nationally movements. To do it it may take questioning U.S. cultural norms.

    Some of my most memorable and ultimately rewarding times were when I was struggling or living materialistically minimally. Now, when I'm in HI living in a Tiny House I spend less time maintaining a larger home, less time working to pay for a larger home, which incidentally I never needed, other than to satisfy ego, no longer have a life constantly enamored with money or working for someone else, and now spend more time having globally diverse experiences and contributing to a larger whole than it being all about me.

  13. #53

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    Quote Originally Posted by TexasBob View Post
    "A failure to plan is a plan for failure" - a favorite of an old boss

    "Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance" or "the 5 P's" - A favorite of my Father.

    I think the OP is just frustrated by the fact he is ready to go hiking but has to wait 18 months to go. He can't help but think about his future hike and so his mind is occupied by it but at the same time he is frustrated because he wants to get on with it but has to wait 18 months to go. I know that when I am thinking and planning for a trip or a hike in the future, I reach the "I am sick of thinking about it I just want to go" attitude at some point and it is frustrating.
    Depends on who or what you're performing for. Often it's for someone else's greater economic or system benefit.

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