Like many, if not most folks here I've been at the UL game for quite some time. I go on my trips and am often mistaken for a dayhiker.I've worn that like a badge of honor. I love the look on their faces when all my gear comes out like the clowns coming out of the car at the circus :D. This weekend, however, something was different.
I took my 9yr old son on his first AT overnight. We went to Shenandoah for the views and the easy trail. We stayed at Gravel Springs Hut only b/c I wanted my son to be comfortable (aka at an established site)for his first outing. I figured stealth camping might be too much for him 1st time around. Anyhow, I got along with all the hikers/campers present but I didn't really realize how out of place I felt until after reflecting on the trip today.
I was one of only 3 folks using an alcohol stove. The one guy was a thru hiker, and he drew a decent sized crowd who wanted to see him light his stove with a rod and steel. He was carrying a "traditional" gear load and yet had the tiniest steel I have ever seen. He had hiked half the trail carrying this worthless item and decided to try it out now. After much effort he did get it to work, but now I understand why so many people shun such gear after having a long distance hiker put on such a show. Anyway, I kept a low profile and talked very little about UL gear, except with one guy who seemed to get it and was facinated with how fast the prototype I was carrying boiled water.
This is the 1st time I actually felt out of place in the hiking community. I try to stay in touch with what more traditional hikers are carrying and try to show them what UL options exist, but I felt like this time it would have been like peeing into the wind.
Is it just me?
