Comparing States, Water Bottles, Etc.
On the trail, when I’m not teaching boy scouts about Leave No Trace practices or attempting to identify species of birds for day hikers, I myself am learning.
This is because I spend most of my nights at shelters hanging out with thru-hikers. By the time they’ve reached my section of trail they’ve already gone about 1,400 miles. Some are on their second packs and their third or fourth pair of shoes, and they’ve got stories and wisdom to share (they also have pompousness, but I would too).
Here are some of the things they’ve taught me:
1. How to toast a pop tart on a JetBoil (tinfoil is key).
2. “Hiker midnight” is 9 p.m.
3. The Pacific Crest Trail is supposedly physically easier than the Appalachian Trail (elevation gain is more gradual, as the trail was built for pack animals).
4. Pennsylvania is (unaminously) the worst state on the AT.
5. You can put Gregory packs in a (front-loading) washing machine. I am still skeptical about this but mine is starting to smell…
6. Gatorade bottles weigh less than Nalgenes (if you’re not concerned about cancer, that is).
