Whi is your ideal backpacking partner???

[Larry Dyer]

But I take Jesus with me everywhere anyway….

Now, all spiritual cliches aside, I'd take my wife. I'm still waiting on Jesus to perform the miracle of strapping a pack to her back (even if it means buying a tent)!

[Eugene Smith]

Aldo Leopold.

[carl becker]

Mother Nature.

[Dave T]

I'd go along with the Great Satan (no, not the USA a la Khomeini et al).

The real Satan.

No need to bring Esbit tabs or that heavy Jetboil.
"Hey Satan, could you heat up this ramen for me?"

Any other flame-based needs covered.
"Hey Satan, could you melt the end of this fraying nylon strap?"

Why bring a bear canister?
"Hey Satan, there's a bear nosing around my foodbag. Can you scare him off?"

Etc.

[Travis Leanna]

Melissa Arnot

Of course, that's my second choice to my finacee.

[Todd Williams]

Dave, you nailed it. You wouldn't even need a sleeping bag, just spoon up to Satan to stay warm. Don't let Satan spoon you though. He doesn't believe 'no means no"

Now if somehow you could talk Jesus AND Satan to come along… talk about great conversation!! Actually you'd probably end up wishing for 'the sound of silence' cause of all that gabbin'. (not Simon & Garfunkel)

And speaking of Paul and Art, I'd bring Mrs. Robinson. She hike?

[Chris Benson]

"Aldo Leopold"

+1. I'll add Muir, especially for a Sierra's trip.

[Jack Scheckton]

I was just about to say Muir.

Hiking the PCT 1890s style with John Muir would be interesting, it wouldnt be a LNT trip… but I'd love to practice traditional minimalist hiking and listen to his stories and observations.

[Ben]

My wife is slways the first person I'd pick to spend time with. Our work hours clash terribly so we make the most of the time we get. Plus, she loves the outdoors as much as me! My second choice would be any of the great people who have been so friendly and incredibly helpful on here! I'd jump at any opportunity to backpack with someone I can learn so much from. Selfish of me, I know haha

[Dug Shelby]

Haven't seen her in years, but she was a great friend. surfed a little on the pro circuit, tough as nails, feminine as a woman can get, always saw things as hopeful and possible, had an awesomely infectious laugh, out-surfed any guy, out-anythinged most guys, ambitious, clever, mischevious, and above all else, absolutely stunningly gorgeous.

Why I was stuck on another girl and didn't drop to one knee with a diamond for this woman I will never know!

I'll add also a lot of others sentiments…for me, Jesus was the original thru-hiker. Hung out with tent makers, knew how to survive in the wilderness, and friend to all animals. And the conversations we could have….mind blowing. I'd yo-yo the triple crown with the guy!

Dug
http://thf2.wordpress.com

[Chad Miller]

None of them.

I'd rather take either just myself or Samn Haraldson.

[david hensley]

Besides JC, I would to hike with any of my good friends or family, no one that I'm close with likes to hike :(
Would love to thru-hike with mah pops!

[Thomas Burns]

With love and respect to my friends and family:

My iPod and a good, long novel by Charles Dickens.

As my pappy used to say, "I love people. I love them even more if i can spend a few days away from them."

Stargazer

[Craig Savage]

Dick Cheney would be my 1st pick. My 2nd choice (though not by much)would be Robert Kagan or any of the other senior heads involved with the Project for the New American Century think tank.

We would be going somewhere very remote…

[Scott Ireland]

OK, so my bad eyes required I click on the picture to enlarge it well enough to see, and I then browsed through your Alaska pics…wow! is all I can say. Beautiful pictures of your kayak and hike adventures. Can't believe I've never been up there, but your pictures have really rekindled that fire.

And my pick? Probably Ed Abbey…

[Brian Hall]

Dick Cheney? Watch out for hunters…

[Craig Savage]

hehe, too funny. Our journey would take us somewhere devoid of witnesses, errr… people

[joseph peterson]

There is nothing better than backpacking with family!

[Cesar Valdez]

My wife comes in first place, of course.

But I am sure I could learn a thing or two from Ray Mears, so he would probably be my next choice.

For everyone that picked Jesus, be careful with semantics. An "ideal" partner assumes one that exists/existed. There is a lot of debate about whether or not said ideal partner exists/existed. And if we are allowed to pick anyone, proven to exist or not, then I bet it would be pretty cool backpacking through Middle Earth with Aragorn. He seemed to really know his stuff. You don't just become a Ranger out of the blue. Plus if any orcs attacked, he'd be good to have around too. Then again, Gandalf might be even more useful in that case, but given the context Radagast the Brown Wizard might seem a better choice. So if mythology counts, I pick Aragorn or Radagast.

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