More fear = More gear?

[Sailing_Faith]

In small boat cruising, I have a theory that more fear equates to more gear.

Basically, the more things you imagine going wrong or causing discomfort... the more stuff you will pack to prepare for it.

I suspect this will also apply to hiking... I would LOVE to learn from others experience what some of these things may be.

=> What have you carried that you have decided was not necessary?

[Spirit Walker]

I always carry too much food. I hate being hungry, and though I know I would survive just fine missing a meal or three, I make sure I never do. I usually end up with at least one extra dinner at the end of each section - sometimes more. Snacks and lunch usually get eaten, since it's easy enough to just enjoy more cookies when available, but I've carried pasta packages for weeks without eating them.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Big first aid kits are not necessary. You want to be able to handle minor stuff and survive big stuff - that usually mean stopping bleeding. You need any special meds (such as epipen for allergic bee reactions), a few bandaids for small cuts, a small piece of gauze, duct tape, be able to treat a blister (needle and moleskin and/or duct tape), have a little neosporin or similar for a cut, have tweezers for tick removal, perhaps a couple of Immodium for diarrhea, Benadryl for an allergic reaction, and in the worst case stop major bleeding (close lacerated wound with duct tape, make duct tape butterflies, etc). You can't keep sterile in the woods and you can't realistically treat any major trauma. In the event of an emergency like this you want to stop bleeding and get the hell off the trail ASAP to proper medical care. There will invariably be other hikers around and S&R to help.

[max patch]

water bag...

[Blissful]

My huge 7 lb Lowes backpack. Downsized my gear, downsized the pack.

[4eyedbuzzard]

water bag...

One of the two drybag stuff sacks I carry (one for clothes, one for food) is one of those WM dry bags that usually has my extra/unworn clothing in it. It doubles as a water carrier if needed to haul water in camp. It'll hold about a gallon or so without spilling.

[Pedaling Fool]

Actually in the hiking community it's, More Gear = More Fear. People are so fearful of the weight of their gear that they do idiotic things like cut the edges off maps (if they even carry them) or remove sections of their toothbrush, spend hundreads of dollars to reduce gear weight by just a few ounces... All because of the fear of gear weight.

[max patch]

One of the two drybag stuff sacks I carry (one for clothes, one for food) is one of those WM dry bags that usually has my extra/unworn clothing in it. It doubles as a water carrier if needed to haul water in camp. It'll hold about a gallon or so without spilling.

Thats a good idea.

[Pedaling Fool]

I always carry too much food. I hate being hungry, and though I know I would survive just fine missing a meal or three, I make sure I never do. I usually end up with at least one extra dinner at the end of each section - sometimes more. Snacks and lunch usually get eaten, since it's easy enough to just enjoy more cookies when available, but I've carried pasta packages for weeks without eating them.

This is absolutely true in most cases. Most don't experience an increase in food intake until after about 2-4 weeks into a hike; and actually most will see a decrease in food consumption during the beginning phase of a hike.

[DavidNH]

wow a backpack that weighs 7 pounds empty. I'm gonna guess it holds 6000+ cc of space? man that's a lot of gear in can hold. Amount of gear expands to fill available space. Not sure if that's a law of nature but it might as well be!

[Hiking Man]

I carry way to much water sometimes around 3L, thinking that the next water sorce is going to be dry. Then i end up passing three or four water sorces before i have to fill up again.

[-SEEKER-]

WATER But I've never regretted it.

[Odd Man Out]

I hope this doesn't start yet another lengthy and necessary discussion, but they are mentioned often here:
Hand gun and bear spay -

[4eyedbuzzard]

I hope this doesn't start yet another lengthy and necessary discussion, but they are mentioned often here:
Hand gun and bear spay -

Well, if you do carry either of those, your ultimate intent should still be the same as your first aid kit - dead weight that you plan NOT to have to use unless necessary. The possibility of needing either is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone faces both common, and unique risks, and everyone assesses the level of those risks, and the security carrying either defensive measure provides, differently.

But the subject horse is polarizing and has been beaten into the ground to the point it just doesn't lead to either informative or intelligent discussion anymore.

[Spokes]

A Katadyn water filter (use Aqua Mira), 550 paracord (use 2mm cord), any knife larger than a Victorinox Classic (nuff said), a cat trowel (use your heel), any stove that burns coleman fuel (use an alchy stove), and a camp pillow (use your clothes bag).

Give a little bit and I'll think of some more........

[garlic08]

Nice first post, and very perceptive. I say it this way: "You pack your fears". Pack weights for a given section of the AT can vary from less than 10 pounds to over 50 pounds. You tell me which hiker is more at home in the woods.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Nice first post, and very perceptive. I say it this way: "You pack your fears". Pack weights for a given section of the AT can vary from less than 10 pounds to over 50 pounds. You tell me which hiker is more at home in the woods.

I think weight / gear also can have a lot to do with intent, such as desire to hike vs. camp, duration between resupply, remoteness of trip, etc. For example, I know from his posts here that Tipi Walter carries a LOT more gear than most hikers, but he also is arguably probably more at home (and skilled) in the woods than most hikers. Gear weight can be influenced by so many factors, including price. Getting down to 10 pounds base weight isn't usually cheap.

[SawnieRobertson]

Well, if you do carry either of those, your ultimate intent should still be the same as your first aid kit - dead weight that you plan NOT to have to use unless necessary. The possibility of needing either is in the eye of the beholder. Everyone faces both common, and unique risks, and everyone assesses the level of those risks, and the security carrying either defensive measure provides, differently.

But the subject horse is polarizing and has been beaten into the ground to the point it just doesn't lead to either informative or intelligent discussion anymore.

4-Eyed Buzzard, you have so much knowledge and have such a way of passing it along that I hope you will sometime offer a workshop for us forever-wannabees at one of the get togethers.--Kinnickinic

[SawnieRobertson]

"More gear=more fear" is really so true. I absolutely never want to do without water, so I fill everything I've got at the beginning of each day. (You should see me stagger with it.) OTOH, I have two filters sitting in boxes upstairs where I have put them after sending them home way before I got there.--Kinnickinic

[4eyedbuzzard]

4-Eyed Buzzard, you have so much knowledge and have such a way of passing it along that I hope you will sometime offer a workshop for us forever-wannabees at one of the get togethers.--Kinnickinic

I'm a better writer than I am a hiker or woodsman though Sawnie. I'm just another weekend warrior (albeit for some 40 years) when it comes to hiking.