Backpacking equipment--deodorant over knife?

To each his own, I EDCed an 8lb butt pack for two months, just because I could, no real problems, although it was really the limit, an H harness would have been great. I think this guy is a bit nuts, personally I wouldn't want to hike with him, but that's ok, I don't plan to do any 2000 mile trips. maybe if I did I would think differently, but then who's to say?
I for one hope that this guy doesn't get anyone killed while on a trip.
 
Magnussen said:
I used to get all bent out of shape about non-knife carrying folks on the trail. I don't bother anymore. Mainly because they CAN AND DO go their whole lives without ever needing a knife on the trail. I've seen so many web-articles, books, how-to's and gear for the ultralight hikers that it is foolish to believe the statistic are that high for "no-knife" related survial situations. It is just a different style of camping. I steer clear of it because I don't like being disconnected from nature. Not that the UL crowd doesn't experience nature.... I just feel they are spectators rather than participants.

I did UL trekking for about 5 years before realizing how miserable I was. I love gettin down and dirty!

Rick
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Rick, i think you just nailed why I steer clear of those folks myself. Personally, I'd rather be a participant than a spectator. Those folks who do the ultralight thing to see how fast they can cover a trail from point A to point B surely can't experience the wilderness the same way as those of us who like to get dirty.
 
I know a couple guys who are "no fire" ultra-minimalist types. One wanted to implement that policy on an Alaska river trip I was planning. I told him there was more beaver-cut driftwood than a hundred groups would ever need and it gets naturally replenished constantly. I told him that if he really felt that he needed to have a "no fire" camp, he could hike a few hundred yards up or down the river from my main group and set his own camp. Otherwise, he could pursue a course of action I could describe only in W&C.

He wisely didn't pursue that trip opportunity. I have no problem with others doing what they want---I just don't want them telling me how to manage my outdoors experiences.

DancesWithKnives
 
I read about half and quit. An idiot is an idiot. He will carry a trowel but no knife or fire source?
 
Interesting. I have 2 knives on me it nearby at all times. I'm amused when I take out my Gerber clutch at work and someone says, "wow, that's scary". If they knew I have a fixed blade within a few feet, would they be alarmed? Not that I'm planning to use them except as tools, but the idiot news has put the knife into the taboo category.
To each his own. I'm taking a knife, or 3.
 
Backpacking is totally different from camping or even day hiking but not to carry a knife at all is just stupid.
 
If I could only have two items with me, it would be a knife and fire making supplies. How diametrically opposed to this guy's opinion is that?
 
x39 said:
If I could only have two items with me, it would be a knife and fire making supplies. How diametrically opposed to this guy's opinion is that?
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What, no deodorant? What, are you sane or something — taking things that can save your life, rather than something to make you smell nice? What kind of thinking is that?
 
It's just a different sport, ultralight camping. It works on the AT (where there's nothing left to cut), it doesn't work on the CDT, and it works badly on some parts on the PCT. Been there, done that, though I did carry a small SAK and a mini-bic. I also carried DEET - makes deodorant completely useless.

I did know one guy that did most of the PCT in running shorts and a t-shirt, with one water bottle, and a bunch of power bars. He didn't even disinfect the water. He just kept running until he hit his resupply point, and slept there. He said he had fun. Then giardia hit two days after he finished. End of fun.

But the Darwin principle makes it clear every now and then that ultralight fastpacking techniques are not part of wilderness & survival skills.
 
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i get the feel from ultralighters that they could care less about where they are they just seem to care about going as far and fast as they can with no care or respect for nature
 
I'm not anti-ultralight---I think there are some valuable things coming out of that movement. To use a martial arts analogy, Bruce Lee's philosophy when studying other arts was to take what is useful to you and discard the rest. I've taken a number of useful suggestions from the ultralight folks. I just don't like it when some of them tell me that I need to observe all of their practices and make all the same choices (like no fires in the middle of the Alaska wilderness).

DancesWithKnives
 
It seems to me that the ultra light, ultra fast thing is more of a personal physical challenge than anything else: how fast can I cover this trail? Sure, it takes place outdoors, but then so does jogging around a track. As far as I can tell, it has nothing whatsoever to do with communing with nature, other than a quick glance as you run by. Rather than carrying what you need, you ship it ahead and use it at some way station. To my way of thinking, there’s nothing even remotely connected with W&SS.

I couldn’t live like that. It goes against everything that makes being outdoors special to me.

Maybe I’m weird, but I like going out with everything I’ll need to enjoy a stay in the wilderness. I don’t want it shipped ahead, I want it with me so I can use it when I want, not on a preset schedule. Okay, I admit I’m old, and can’t travel as fast as I could when I was younger. The thing is, I wouldn’t travel that fast even if I could. I like setting a leisurely pace, and actually experiencing the world around me. I like to stop and investigate rocks and streams and trees and animals. I don’t learn a darned thing running by the wonders of nature as fast as my old legs will carry me. I don’t go out to set a record, or brag about how fast I did trail X, Y or Z. I might talk about some weird bug I saw, but I can only do that because I took the time to look.

But that’s just me. I like doing it my way, and that’s that.

The ultra lighters may not understand me — and I certainly don’t understand them — but there’s room for both, I suppose. I just can’t get my head around anyone who won’t carry a knife and fire starting materials in the bush. That, to me, is insanity.

Although I may make jokes about it, I’m not even against carrying deodorant ... right alongside your knife and firesteel.
 
In my younger free'r days (Hmm they also seem to coincide with before I was married) A couple times a year myself and a group of mates would take a week or ten days hunting out the back of Queensland ( lots of not much out there) The great thing about no showers was how easy it was to get a spot at the bar when we got back into town you just walk up stand behind the group at the bar and they part like the Red Sea LOL
I found it a bit disturbing a while ago I brought a commercial camping magazine there was a section on ultralite gear list so I looked to see if I could learn anything there was no knife no torch ( for the reasons stated in the link in this thread) the first aid kit was solely about blisters and the emergency gear was an EPIRB. Not even a bandage for a twisted ankle.
This is a knife forum so it would be expected that all here are knife enthusiasts. We never see the point in no knife. Perhaps we see ourselves a bit more self reliant ( I think I do)
The other thing I found interesting was the "wait till I run into someone with a knife, to get something cut" comment. This bloke is the same one who is gunna hit me up for some extra fuel for his stove because he cut his calculations too fine, or the aforementioned strapping bandage. I'd love to know his plans if he gets gastro and runs out of single ply sheets.
He is the high performance F1 racing car I'm the land Rover 110 My carburetor has more dirt in it than his chassis has ever seen.
Now that I think of it he is completely dependent on others, he is walking a blazed trail, carrying food prepared be someone else, cooked ( or reheated) on a stove built by someone else fueled with stuff made by some one else.
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I'll bet he is using trail notes written by someone else. I don't know the history of the APT but I bet the first bloke to do it was carrying a knife ( probably an axe as well)
He is the same fella that runs on a machine in the gym because the streets are too ( dirty, dangerous or uneven take your pick)
What does this bloke do for him self. Has he ever looked to the sky to watch the clouds for a weather report. or is that on his Iphone. Poked his plastic spade in the mud for a worm to fish with. Spent half a day on a stalk to have a wind shift and watch the stag bolt before he got close enough. The satisfaction of having your woman warm herself by a fire you started with a knife ( or axe) and flint. or cooked that fish on a fire he started with a knife and his shoelace. Watched his son pull in his first bream.
Nah stuff him his life is hollow.
Carl
 
Hell, he should at least use anti-perspirant (how do you spell that). You can apply it it to your feet to stop them from sweating. A trick I learned aong time ago.
 
warrigal said:
In my younger free'r days (Hmm they also seem to coincide with before I was married) A couple times a year myself and a group of mates would take a week or ten days hunting out the back of Queensland ( lots of not much out there) The great thing about no showers was how easy it was to get a spot at the bar when we got back into town you just walk up stand behind the group at the bar and they part like the Red Sea LOL
I found it a bit disturbing a while ago I brought a commercial camping magazine there was a section on ultralite gear list so I looked to see if I could learn anything there was no knife no torch ( for the reasons stated in the link in this thread) the first aid kit was solely about blisters and the emergency gear was an EPIRB. Not even a bandage for a twisted ankle.
This is a knife forum so it would be expected that all here are knife enthusiasts. We never see the point in no knife. Perhaps we see ourselves a bit more self reliant ( I think I do)
The other thing I found interesting was the "wait till I run into someone with a knife, to get something cut" comment. This bloke is the same one who is gunna hit me up for some extra fuel for his stove because he cut his calculations too fine, or the aforementioned strapping bandage. I'd love to know his plans if he gets gastro and runs out of single ply sheets.
He is the high performance F1 racing car I'm the land Rover 110 My carburetor has more dirt in it than his chassis has ever seen.
Now that I think of it he is completely dependent on others, he is walking a blazed trail, carrying food prepared be someone else, cooked ( or reheated) on a stove built by someone else fueled with stuff made by some one else.
Shelter
bed
navigation
I'll bet he is using trail notes written by someone else. I don't know the history of the APT but I bet the first bloke to do it was carrying a knife ( probably an axe as well)
He is the same fella that runs on a machine in the gym because the streets are too ( dirty, dangerous or uneven take your pick)
What does this bloke do for him self. Has he ever looked to the sky to watch the clouds for a weather report. or is that on his Iphone. Poked his plastic spade in the mud for a worm to fish with. Spent half a day on a stalk to have a wind shift and watch the stag bolt before he got close enough. The satisfaction of having your woman warm herself by a fire you started with a knife ( or axe) and flint. or cooked that fish on a fire he started with a knife and his shoelace. Watched his son pull in his first bream.
Nah stuff him his life is hollow.
Carl
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Well said, Carl. Well said, indeed.
 
DWK2 said:
I'm not anti-ultralight---I think there are some valuable things coming out of that movement.
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I agree. I'm all about lightening the load whenever possible provided that I don't loose functionality in the process. I think most of us here are the same way, that's why we see more threads about silnylon tarps instead of shelter halves. ;)

However, that doesn't mean leaving something behind that I need.
 
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