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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Where to start?
- Thread starter 59Bassman
- Start date
A good pair of boots, some proper socks, and a guide book of local easy day hikes. Find a friend who is willing to come along. Can't think of a better start.
Find a local outfitter (and there are plenty in East Tennessee), and they can get you going. No reason to start off by spending big bucks (if any at all). Tell the outfitter that. I'm a minimalist at heart and take as little as necessary/possible.
Just start easy.
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AAANNNNDDD. Since we know your approximate location, definitely buy an ANNUAL PASS to national lands. That Annual America the Beautiful pass costs $80 and covers all the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands where entrance fees are charged. It will easily pay for itself if you visit fee sites often. Two can sign the pass then either can enter such sites with a car load where fees are by the car or one of the card holders plus three where per person fees are charged.
The time and place to fiddle with a stove and learn its individual traits are at home before you leave. All stoves can be cantankerous at times, and every stove is at one time or another. Learn yours when and where it's convenient.
Yup.
Unless you want the back country trashed, marred, and scarred such signs are necessary. Sadly, many just don't care enough to take the long view.
Leave no trace you were there excepting your footprints. Those coming in behind you will appreciate it just as you'll appreciate those who were ahead of you leaving no trace they were there.
^^ THIS ^^
I feel particularly strong about this with respect to national lands. I leave the area unscarred for your kid. You leave it unscarred for my kid. Even if we (currently) live in different areas. Should you ever visit the White Mountains of NH, you and yours should be able to walk deep into the woods and feel a sense of wildness without finding a fire bit, cut branches and ropes tied to trees left behind by me and my kids. I see that as my duty, dad to dad, to you.
I feel particularly strong about this with respect to national lands. I leave the area unscarred for your kid. You leave it unscarred for my kid. Even if we (currently) live in different areas. Should you ever visit the White Mountains of NH, you and yours should be able to walk deep into the woods and feel a sense of wildness without finding a fire bit, cut branches and ropes tied to trees left behind by me and my kids. I see that as my duty, dad to dad, to you.
Guys, you take me a bit wrong. I'm not advocating free-for-all 4X4 tracks through our national parks. I understand the need to protect the areas when others won't.
What bothers me is the trails I love to fish along in the Smokys have similar signs, and I understand them. However, with all of the prohibitions against any other uses of the trail (for instance, my fishing dogs stay home), folks are allowed pack their horses up there every freakin' weekend, leaving the finest stretch of water in the world (at least the parts of the world I've seen) smelling like a manure pile.
Sorry, I should have clarified my spleen venting.
What bothers me is the trails I love to fish along in the Smokys have similar signs, and I understand them. However, with all of the prohibitions against any other uses of the trail (for instance, my fishing dogs stay home), folks are allowed pack their horses up there every freakin' weekend, leaving the finest stretch of water in the world (at least the parts of the world I've seen) smelling like a manure pile.
Sorry, I should have clarified my spleen venting.
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- May 19, 2007
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59Bassman, I think you make a fair point. I'd suspect that guys like us sit in a different income bracket from someone who takes a horse up there, and who might have a more influential voice. If the world was fair, the horses would have to pack the road apples back to the home paddock. Personally I think domestic animal leavings should be handled the same way the human variety are, but I'm sure some folks wouldn't see the point.
I think we are all on the same page, We would all like to do things our way, but have to abide by rules for the lowest (and dumbest) common denominator.
I think we are all on the same page, We would all like to do things our way, but have to abide by rules for the lowest (and dumbest) common denominator.
59Bassman, there are trails in the national lands were horses are allowed and there are trails where they aren't allowed. There are even trails designated primarily for horses.
The NPS park where my son took the pic of the sign above has over 500 miles of maintained trails, 180 of which are open to horses.
If you want a trail or trails not designated specifically as horse trails to have horses banned, work the system to have horses banned on that trail. If not you, who do you expect to do it?
The NPS park where my son took the pic of the sign above has over 500 miles of maintained trails, 180 of which are open to horses.
If you want a trail or trails not designated specifically as horse trails to have horses banned, work the system to have horses banned on that trail. If not you, who do you expect to do it?