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  1. #21
    Registered User greenpete's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BlueRidgeGator View Post
    I've been lost on the trail before. I will be taking an Inreach mini with me so that doesn't happen again.
    Don't mean to cast aspersions, but have you considered a map and compass? Seems to me we're technologically "easing" ourselves into ridiculousness.





    Wilderness is where things work the way they're supposed to work - Walkin' Jim Stoltz

  2. #22
    Some days, it's not worth chewing through the restraints.
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    Quote Originally Posted by NHPete View Post
    What's with all of the inReach shaming?
    What's with any shaming... period? If folks choose to wear heavy Vasque boots or carry a Nalgene or whatever, that's their business. I don't think I'd pour boiling water into a SmartWater bottle and stick it in my sleeping bag at night - but I'd do it with a Nalgene. Different strokes, HYOH, whatever. I'm happy to share my techniques/gear list/insight/whatever with anyone who asks me, but otherwise I'm going to assume that they carry what they want to carry and wear what they want to wear, and it's none of my concern.

    And if anyone's Mom wants to cook my dinner and tuck me in... I'll send my itinerary.

  3. #23
    Registered User Tuxhiker's Avatar
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    01-01-2012
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    I carry a satellite rescue device for emergencies. It is for the peace of mind of my son, my 88 yr old mother, my pre-retirement coworkers, and friends. It puts an immediate halt to those annoying conversations that begin with: You hike alone! Well-worth the cost and weight penalty. I am a senior, female, solo hiker. If I didn't hike alone, I wouldn't bother with it.

    To address the dirty shower issue: If you don't want to carry shower shoes, crocs, or whatever; you might consider carrying a non-scratch SOS scrub pad or a toilet wand refill pad (without the wand). Both have embedded cleaning stuff for those rare disgusting showers. Both should also be pretty light. Scrub it down, then let it sit a while before you shower. Then congratulate yourself for accomplishing some trail magic!

  4. #24
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    InReach is a tool like any other and it has saved lives. I carry mine for the peace of mind of family members but unusually only on remote hikes like in the Sierra Nevada. I have a “freedom” subscription plan that can be turned on and off as needed. The cost is not great in ounces or dollars if it provides some peace of mind. If I was a solo hiker with no family or friends, I probably wouldn’t carry one but thankfully I do have people who worry about me when I am on trail and I owe it to them to do what I can to alleviate concern.

  5. #25

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    The alcohol was just for the athletes foot concern. I know it isn’t enough for nail bed fungus unfortunately.

  6. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye View Post
    What's with any shaming... period? If folks choose to wear heavy Vasque boots or carry a Nalgene or whatever, that's their business. I don't think I'd pour boiling water into a SmartWater bottle and stick it in my sleeping bag at night - but I'd do it with a Nalgene. Different strokes, HYOH, whatever. I'm happy to share my techniques/gear list/insight/whatever with anyone who asks me, but otherwise I'm going to assume that they carry what they want to carry and wear what they want to wear, and it's none of my concern.

    And if anyone's Mom wants to cook my dinner and tuck me in... I'll send my itinerary.
    +1000^^^^

    If someone asks I'll gladly share what I have learned, and I will cease discussion at the first hint of disinterest, which is usually "Yeah, but...." after which I cordially bow out.

    Fine by me and no hard feelings. I'm not carrying their stuff.

    And, inreach mini weighs 100g on the nose and it keeps my wife happy. A ping a day is all she asks, which isn't too much IMO.

  7. #27
    Registered User Water Rat's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Deadeye View Post
    And if anyone's Mom wants to cook my dinner and tuck me in... I'll send my itinerary.
    ^^ THIS sounds like it could be the answer for when people ask, "What can I do for Trail Magic?" I think this might be an untapped market.

    I can think of a couple of other reasons why people are carrying personal locator devices...

    Caregivers who need to be able to be reached in the event of an emergency. Carrying an InReach was the only way I could still continue to hike, while remaining in contact with my mostly independent relative. That tool allowed me to still be able to get out there and hike.

    I also have a friend who was recently diagnosed with an underlying health condition that will eventually end her hiking days. In the meantime, and while she still feels able to get out there, the InReach is allowing her to still retain some semblance of normal. To look at her, one would think she was perfectly fine and healthy. Without this tool, there is no way her doctors and family would feel comfortable with her being out on the trails by herself.

    Never judge a book by its cover. At a quick glance, and without knowing these back stories, I am sure many have thought my friend and I were both just following "the trend." At the end of the day, we should just be happy people are still choosing to get out there and hike. People have their own reasons for what they do, and why they use the gear they have.

  8. #28

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    One very nice aspect of the InReach service plans over Spot is the ability to go on a month to month basis. I no longer have my SPOT (gave it to a friend) but you were stuck to keep a yearly package. I have been on the fence WRT buying an InReach. The basic month to month "Freedom" plan is $14.95 per month and the top of the line plan is $64.95 per month with a $34.95 yearly fee for the Freedom plan (month to month). The basic yearly plan is only $11.95 per month with 10 free texts per month and 10 minute tracking interval. I would think anyone with a Verizon cell plan would have sufficient coverage to make due with only 10 free text messages per month on the InReach and the $0.50 overage isn't bad.

    3.5 oz isn't bad for a safety device. My little Sig P938 only weighs 21 oz loaded with holster.

  9. #29
    Registered User Maineiac64's Avatar
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    08-09-2016
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    I mentioned in another thread I am using a Zoleo satellite messenger, it works great.

  10. #30

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    Quote Originally Posted by LittleRock View Post
    I remember seeing one 20-something "thru-hiker" in VA whose mom actually drove to the nearest trailhead and hiked a few miles to the nearest shelter, set up his tent and made him dinner while he sat and played cards with a few of his friends.
    Say What!!
    Termite fart so much they are responsible for 3% of global methane emissions.

  11. #31
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    InReach is all about texting which most Americans seem addicted to. I don’t care bring your InReach devices. Public showers without shower shoes is a gamble just like a lot of choices on the trail and in life. Just don’t complain after. When I hike I notice lots of things other hikers do that I would not, etc. I keep my mouth shut and try to mind my own business.

  12. #32

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    I haven't returned to Neel Gap since my hike in '17. I have had the chance to talk with hundreds of prospective thru-hikers and dozens of folks that finished. The information available to them today is so vast, that they are usually overwhelmed with what to buy and what lies ahead. They will ultimately figure it out or go home. There are 100 ways to thru-hike the AT, ten of them are bad, but the others depend on your fitness level, reason for being there, people you end up hiking with and your timeline. That, along with the people you meet on and off the trail, is what makes an AT thru so special. Soak up all the knowledge you can before the hike, decide what sounds most like you and your budget, then roll up the trail and adjust as you learn.

    Most people don't need an In-Reach on the AT. It does makes sense for many people on other trails, but if it makes them or their family more confident and comfortable on the AT, the weight is not significant. With the proliferation of electronics, maps and compasses are almost extinct on the AT and PCT. Electronic devices have their weaknesses, but some form of navigation redundancy is easily attained. The In-Reach is really a valuable piece of gear with very little downside.

    I really enjoy talking with folks that are planning to start their AT thru-hike in a few months. Most of them are still novices in the field, but their excitement level is off the charts. They also to a person, express that deep concern for the unknown. I think that is what makes embarking on an AT thru so special.... the mixed emotions. Brings back really good memories.

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