A guy who lives to be out there

Read about Billy Goat. I admire his attitude and gumption but I could never venture out without my REI espresso maker...

;)
 
Why lug a fancy Swiss Army knife when a simple paring knife will do? He has an expensive lightweight backpack and a high-quality down jacket and sleeping bag.

This cracked me up.
 
Thats an awesome story, Ill bet that dude has some stories to share! The SAK comment was not my cup of tea though!
 
interesting story, i bet he would be fun to share a camp with...

yeah that SAk comment didn't really make sense to me...my paring knife is right around the same weight as my two layer SAK anyways, and my SAK has a longer blade...maybe its the handle material...
 
great story man... thanks for the link...:thumbup: that guy seems pretty wild.. i wonder if he would like to hang out here in the wilderness and survival forum..:o
 
Great story! thanks for the link.

The more you hike, the less you need.

I love that quote, and damn if it isnt the truth! Made me think back to when I first started my hiking / wilderness adventures. If I had ever fallen over I would have been like a turtle on my back, Legs and arms waving about and never getting up.
Now, everything I carry would have fit into just one of my pouches back then :D

Exception of course being my blade..s..s..s, Ok Blade's! I have 8 pounds of gear and 50 pounds of knives on me! But hey, ya gotta be prepared! :D
 
I still have that newspaper at home.. We can argue with alot of his stuff but the bottom line is that he walks the walk. I wonder how he would feel if someone handed him a Mora. What i would realy like to know is why did his wife marry him in the first place lol... Its not like he is ever home. Well maybe thats why she did marry him cause he is not there....

Sasha
 
Great link, thanks for posting it. I do think his SAK quote is short-sighted though, he could have more utility for the same weight in a SAK.
 
I wouldnt get to bent out of shape over the sak comment, probably way down his list of important equiptment.
 
Most hikers are not knife people per say. I met two yuppie type hikers on the AT once that were miles from now where. They told me they did not even have a knife between them. I was packing a Northstar, Skachet and a pocket knife. At the end of the day it is what you get out of the experience. I guess those fellows were enjoying themselves.

:rolleyes:
 
Most hikers are not knife people per say. I met two yuppie type hikers on the AT once that were miles from now where. They told me they did not even have a knife between them. I was packing a Northstar, Skachet and a pocket knife. At the end of the day it is what you get out of the experience. I guess those fellows were enjoying themselves.

:rolleyes:

Praytell what is a yuppie type hiker?:p
 
Amen brother................

These guys looked like a walking LL Bean or Patagonia Wear comercial. From Boots to hat, from tent to stove, all the latest and the most expensive. Yet they had not a blade between them.

A man without a knife is a man without a life
Old Norse Proverb
 
I'm a bit of an odd ball on this thread - but Billy Goat Gruff has mental health issues. He has a problem family life and has distanced himself from his son and his wife. For some unknown reason, his wife puts up with him and outfits him by sending him supplies while he is out on the trails. His son indicates that he is distant and falls into a depressive state at home. When at home he lives a dysfunctional life. He sleeps in the garage - thanks honey for continuing to support me by sending me supplies on the trail - no please don't expect me to talk to you when I'm home.

Sorry - it might be romantic to spend all of your time in the wilderness. But given his wife's activities he isn't really self sufficient just reallying on them to support his obssessive fixation. I admire the wife - keeps the home, keeps her job, volunteers for the trail. The wife IS contributing to society and a better world. I don't admire Gruff.
 
Well, he freely admits he has issues. Hiking in the wild helps him to deal with them. Strenuous activity has long been recognized as helpful to those with depression. Apparently he's a positive influence on those he meets on the trail.

The knife comment? Well, we're all knife nuts or we wouldn't participate in this forum. What do you really need? A blade. I use my SAK tweezers frequently, but the rest of the tools are geared to urban civilization.

If you base your survival gear on "What if?", you'll be car camping.
 
If you base your survival gear on "What if?", you'll be car camping.

What if you need another pair of underwear?

... He doesn't bother carrying extra socks or underwear......

"The more you hike, the less you need," he said. "You find out you don't need a big first aid kit. I carry just some moleskin and a bandanna. . . .

Nope - he ain't prepared.
 
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