The most “non lightweight” thing you’ve seen on the trail

There's a heavy, high-quality wrought iron loveseat on the top of Picketpost Mountain (outside of Phoenix, AZ). But what's really amazing is that the "trail" involves much rock scrambling and a 10-foot high boulder that must be climbed. How they did that with the loveseat is beyond my imagination, but I enjoyed a nice rest on it at the top!

On the way to John's Brook Lodge in the Adirondacks, we encountered a young man carrying an enormous beefsteak (enough to feed 20-25 people) in a plastic milk crate strapped to his load-hauler external frame pack. (There was more food in his pack.)

Where are those pack goats when you need them?

Edit: Yes, of course it was a JBL staff member — I didn't think they were excluded from the theme of the thread…it still looked mighty funny!

> On the way to John's Brook Lodge in the Adirondacks, we encountered a young man carrying an enormous beefsteak (enough to feed 20-25 people) in a plastic milk crate strapped to his load-hauler external frame pack. (There was more food in his pack.)

Are you sure it wasn't one of the JBL staff? They pack in all of their supplies.

My wife and I came upon a guy about 10 miles into the Pasayten Wilderness of Washington State about 15 years ago. He was sitting a little off the trail and had a couple large suitcases and a large trunk (about 2' x 2' x 3'). He was big and a bit weird.

I carried a gun for a few years after that whenever I hiked with my wife in that area.

Last year on a Meetup overnighter I was attending, a gal showed up with one of the most distressing conflicts between UL and BPH that I've ever seen.

Her pack was a lightweight external frame. Her tent was a boy scout pup tent (quite light). She didn't pack a sleeping bag, brought a military poncho liner instead. (That actually was a mistake, she would have frozen that night).

However- she had 3 GALLONS of water with her. One gallon in her pack, and one gallon jug to carry in each hand. Our hike was along a creek nearly the entire way, and we were camping at a lake. I was only able to get her to agree to ditch one gallon. She only needed to carry a liter, tops.

Her food was all canned. And she had quite a few cans.

And she had a bunch of cotton clothes- cotton hoodie, etc. Her pack probably weighed somewhere around 60 lbs. For an overnighter.

Fortunately, she decided to bail on us shortly up the trail because the pack was quite uncomfortable. I wasn't the organizer for that Meetup, but after that experience I also include a sample packing list in all my Meetups.

I once saw a couple hiking in with a 130 quart ice chest. They were maybe 2 miles in from the trail. another time I saw someone carrying a huge wooden handled axe.

One of those standing grills (the metal circular ones) and lawn chairs to basecamp at Highland Mary Lakes in Colorado's Weminuche (the Northwest side). They would just spend all day and night catching trout at one area with angler set ups.

A few years ago I saw an unattended heavy hauler pack with a 50 lb bag of dog food strapped to it. Later I saw the owner hiking with it, accompanied by a rather huge St Bernard.

About a week ago in the San Jacinto Mountains:

That gallon of water hanging off the back can’t be helping things.

His buddy didn’t even have a backpack, just a duffel bag. He forced his arms through the handles to make a sort of backpack.

HJ
Adventures in Stoving

lease lightweight thing I did…

When I was a lad in boy scouts we would carry a 18lb cast iron dutch oven. After all that work, the fruit cobbler always tasted good :)

as to what I have seen… it's tied

#1 my cousin who work for the forestry service years ago. Typical heavy-weight backpacking style gear and food for 5 days + double bit axe, saw, and a chain saw with gas. My memory was that when he hit the trailhead the gear was 110-120lb.

#2 a couple of years ago on the lost coast. 60 gallon cooler that seemed to be filled with a funny harness to carry on the back, a surf board on the shoulder, and a large bag (I am guessing clothing) slug over his side

"#2 a couple of years ago on the lost coast. 60 gallon cooler that seemed to be filled with a funny harness to carry on the back, a surf board on the shoulder, and a large bag (I am guessing clothing) slug over his side"

The cooler must be a favorite method for someone there. I've come across a cooler twice out there. Once it was filled with wool blankets and clothes.

> cooler must be a favorite method for someone

The guy I was talking with had ice, beer, and burgers in his cooler.

–mark

> A MSR-fired hot tub. (Thomas DavidinKenai)

This I gotta see, how did it work?

I've considered making one of these and I think I could make one with enough fuel for 3 hours of operation and have it weigh less than 40lb.

Now, the heaviest thing I've seen was me for an overnight hike with my Uni. Midwinter 4000 foot ascent at night for the purpose of celebration.
My pack weight was around 80lb. I had a cast iron fry pan, an ad hoc oven, 4lb flour, 3lb asparagus, 1.5lb butter, 24 eggs, 4lb of bacon and 1lb of white gas.

The following night we cooked fresh bread rolls, asparagus with sauce hollandaise, cheese fondue and meringues for dessert. With a breakfast of eggs benedict it was pure gluttony.

It took me 4 hours to walk 4 miles with a 4000 feet ascent.

…. and that's why I decided to go UL from then on.

100 pounds, 11+ gallons, containers filled with water. Straight up 1,200 ft Koko Crater.

Returned this weekend from the Cairngorms (Scotland). Upon arriving at Corrour bothy, someone showed up with five kilo of coal… but could not fire it up, even with half a dozen of fire starters. I didn't even try, having not knowledge whatsoever to start a coal fire.

At the same bothy, earlier visitors left 3 cans of alcohol free cider. I can only imagine the faces of that trekking group, after climbing passes or mountains in horrible weahter, hoping they'll have some great time at the bothy with some superb cider, followed by the desilution: "shit, we bought alcohol free booze at the petrol station. Someone in this bothy is going to die tonight"

I recently read an article in New Zealand Wilderness Magazine, where the author describes seeing a tramper with a metal rubbish (garbage) can lid on the back of their pack.It's purpose was never revealed. Also described is an incident where a hut warden had to turn back a young woman pushing a shopping trolley. She had made it to the first hut on the track and was intending to take the trolley the whole way. Perhaps she had read The Road.

Robert: the MSR-fired hot tub was slow to heat up – it took four hours to get to 104F. 4 or 6 BP stoves only put out 30,000-50,000 BTU/ hour (about 12kW). I later went to a 250,000 BTU/hour propane burner. That got things to temperature in 40 minutes, but the added weight of the steel tank made it more suitable for snow camping with a sled or for car camping. I'll see if I have any photos that meet BPL guidelines, which I believe preclude naked college students.

Yeah, cast iron, coolers, boom boxes, external frame packs loaded 2' over the bearer's head with God-only-knows-what stashed inside. A classic scene is an overweight good ol' boy with a monster load, accompanied by a female companion carrying a lightly loaded day pack. Chivalry indeed! Maybe she had the life insurance on him paid up :)

The last time we were out at Olympic beaches I saw a guy walking up in the wooded section of the trail with a massive military/tactical style pack that was easily three times what I had hauled in. It just towered over him. It may have been the same bunch, but someone had hauled a huge squad tent out there, like a big green canvas cabin. It is only 3 miles from the Lake Ozette parking lot to Cape Alava and nearly flat, but geeze!

I very much remember the Eagle Scout who went on my first overnight hike with our troop who had all the light spendy gear. I had suffered up a couple miles of switchbacks in heavy boots, an old Trapper Nelson wood and canvas backpack filled with an old army surplus air mattress and a flannel lined sleeping bag. He dined on steak while we nearly poisoned ourselves trying to cook chicken in the coals of our roaring bonfire, with a choice of burned to s crisp or nearly raw. I had a *steel* surplus mess. D-cell flashlight– all the good stuff :) We must have done major damage to the surrounding forest that weekend gathering firewood.

I’ll see if I have any photos that meet BPL guidelines, which I believe preclude naked college students.

Actually, just go ahead and post them. We’ll be sure and let you know which ones are inappropriate. ;)

HJ
Adventures In Stoving

PMs work too. ;)

Queen size folding cot, matching air mattress.

Saw a guy in NC on the AT carrying a gold panning set up. He said he was going to fund his trip from his findings. I would assume he went broke.

Yo Mamma!

(sorry, i've done some very rare imbibing of some alcohol [red wine], and i have very low tolerance)

Did someone say “gold?” Here’s a nice “UL” (ahem) sluicing set up…

HJ
Adventures in Stoving