Morning Beefy - my understanding is that a through hiker does a trail from end to end in one go, while a section hiker may do it over several visits - bit like doing a week on the C2C one year and then going back the next to finish it off. No idea what a normal hiker is, never met one. O0Thanks pdstsp ;D ;D ;D
Paul
Rest and drink some of our great local craft beers. In the US we are now enjoying a wonderful craft beer era. O0
Very true, I worked in the US in the early 90s, very difficult then to find a good beer, and was amazed when we went on holiday there a few years ago, what a difference. Fantastic craft beers pretty much everywhere we went along the East coast O0
I've walked about 1/4 of the Appalachian Trail in three different years, hiking sections. Then I realized the AT was just too populated for my taste and quit backpacking there.
This summer I'm attempting the 500 mile Colorado Trail. I say "attempting" B/C I'm 75 and those 12,000 ft. sections may be too difficult. Or I'll just rent a d@mn llama! ;)
Eric B.
Slogger,I don't carry 30ilbs these day that was quite a number of years ago, I was just giving an idea of mileage when/if carrying that weight. Some on multi days routes over here do carry quite a bit more than 30ibs though. being an island we are always affected by seaward weather systems and so you have to go prepared for anything. Indeed we have have sun, rain, sleet and snow and back to sun all within a few hours on occasions. Our mountains are not high in comparrison with the Rocky mountains or European Alps but conditions in Winter can be Arctic. I too have the Osprey sacks in various sizes.
You should not be carrying more than 30 lbs./14 kg. on the long trails of North America if you were using UL gear. My own gear is not excessively light but it is durable and comfortable.
For a 4 day November Grand Canyon North rim-to-South Rim backpack in 2017 I carried 28 lbs. with some cold weather clothing and 5 days of food and fuel.
MY BIG THREE:
TENT-> Tarptent Moment DW - 2.5 lbs.
PACK-> Osprey EXOS 58 - 2 lbs. 11 oz.
SLEEP SYSTEM-> Western Mountaineering Megalite down bag - 1 lb. 7 oz. ~ REI FLASH Insulated 3 season Air mattress - 15 oz.
My stove is usually a light Trail Designs Caldera Cone stove, 3 cup aluminum pot and ESBIT fuel tablets
Eric B.
So yeah, I can see that backpacking in the UK can call for taking more and different gear than a stroll in the Mojave desert where I live.
Eric B.
Slogger,
You should not be carrying more than 30 lbs./14 kg. on the long trails of North America if you were using UL gear. My own gear is not excessively light but it is durable and comfortable.