LIGHT IS NOT RIGHT

The vast majority of thruhikers i see are going light or ultra light. 
The most common conversation in camp is how many miles they did.
Almost everyone has an obsession/ cult following with Sawyer Squeeze filters.

Light is not right. My reasons are I need to be comfortable. Most people buy from the cottage industry makers of ultra light gear who seem to have taken over the gear scence related to A.T. thru hiking. The people I see with this stuff carry very little. They also have to modify it to make it comfortable. Many if the packs are frameless. Frameless packs have a history of being innovative but not working. To work a lot of forethought has to go into packing. I've used 2 over the years that worked. Both by Wildthings which sadly doesn't really exist anymore. Taken over by an investment fund. The packs where the Andinista and Freney. I still have my Freney. They were for alpine climbing. The had a pad in the back that can be removed and used to bivouac.
Here is a great link discussing UL packs:

http://www.mchalepacks.com/ultralight/detail/UL%20Pack%20Comments%20from%20Dan%27s%20Letter.htm

Its a long read but excellent info. It basically blows UL packs out of the water.
I've seen lots of people trying to pad the packs I different ways. I saw one guy tie his foam sit pad around his back to gain some comfort from all the stuff poking thru the pack. The stuff is basically  single use then toss it. Sucks you into spending for gear constantly. Also not the best for the environment. This stuff doesn't decompose. DUH!
Mileage, another cult. Ultra light let's you go faster, further. I am not interested in how far or fast I'm going. I'm interested in the environment around me, the views, smells, other then mine, history, ecology, the walk back from the local store eating a sandwich with no agenda for the day.
All they are getting out of the trail is they can say I hiked the A.T. I want to say I experienced the trail. I lived it. I feared it. I sat and watched the sun rise which each day is different and won't ever be the same. 
And yes there are days it totally sucks and had plans to quit. But a view like that is reinvigorated to make it thru another mile, or day.

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