Running Out Of Food

If you've been searching for the best source of information and stimulating discussion related to Spring/Summer/Fall backpacking, hiking and camping in the Sierra Nevada...look no further!
Post Reply
User avatar
longri
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1082
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:13 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Running Out Of Food

Post by longri »

TahoeJeff wrote:Maybe she is not arguing at all? Maybe she is just posting opinions/experiences!?!?!
We can play semantic games. By calling it "arguing" I don't mean to imply something evil. Call it discussing if you prefer.

This is what she posted:
Wandering Daisy wrote:For those who maintain that the "fish alone" strategy of backpacking makes "sense" to you, the by all means, do the JMT on fish alone, no begging off others, no trading fish for food, and then be your own judge of how this works.
She's addressing somebody by referencing a particular point of view that they have. I don't know who this is but I suspect it's someone made entirely out of straw.
User avatar
TahoeJeff
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1223
Joined: Thu Mar 08, 2007 11:03 am
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker
Location: South Lake Tahoe, NV

Re: Running Out Of Food

Post by TahoeJeff »

Longri, you need to get out and go for a hike....
"A society that puts equality before freedom will get neither. A society that puts freedom before equality will get a high degree of both."

Milton Friedman
User avatar
Wandering Daisy
Topix Docent
Posts: 6640
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Fair Oaks CA (Sacramento area)
Contact:

Re: Running Out Of Food

Post by Wandering Daisy »

White flag and truce, Longri! Perhaps a bit of mis-interpretation on both of our parts regarding what we were answering in our posts. I need to figure out how to do that thing where I can highlight and bring another's post into my own. Then things may be more clear. Let's both just go out and backpack. :)
User avatar
longri
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1082
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:13 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Running Out Of Food

Post by longri »

Wandering Daisy wrote:White flag and truce, Longri! Perhaps a bit of mis-interpretation on both of our parts regarding what we were answering in our posts. I need to figure out how to do that thing where I can highlight and bring another's post into my own. Then things may be more clear. Let's both just go out and backpack. :)
I wasn't attacking you, Daisy. Just pointing out that you were tilting at windmills.

The quote button on this website is non-intuitive. It's the button with the little arrow, just to the right of the button with the exclamation point.
User avatar
Lumbergh21
Topix Expert
Posts: 629
Joined: Mon Oct 31, 2016 10:11 pm
Experience: Level 3 Backpacker

Re: Running Out Of Food

Post by Lumbergh21 »

longri wrote:
Lumbergh21 wrote:I agree that stealing is "sleazy". It's actually beyond that in my book; it's a crime, a particularly bad crime in a back country situation that could easily result in more than a talking to if someone did it to me. But, how is resupplying through hiker buckets supplemented by purchases at places like Reds and VVR "sleazy"?
I don't know whether you were lazy when reading what I wrote or I was lazy when I composed it. But I never meant to imply that either stealing or going through the resupply buckets was sleazy. The former is a crime, and I was joking about it as a possible way to get food. The latter is perfectly legal and more or less encouraged. I've done it. On one trip (where I couldn't fit enough of my own food into my canister) I actually planned in advance to do it.

What I think would be sleazy would be to plan on mooching off of other hikers. It would be perfectly legal; just not something I'd set out to do.
OK, I think planning to mooch off other hikers not just go through the hiker buckets looking for more food is indeed sleazy. It was your comment about mooching off hikers who pack to much food that made me think you were referring to the hiker buckets because that's where the extra food ends up.
User avatar
rightstar76
Topix Expert
Posts: 776
Joined: Mon Jun 26, 2006 3:22 pm
Experience: N/A

Re: Running Out Of Food

Post by rightstar76 »

Maverick wrote:
You do not want to eat a protein (trout) only diet for a longer time period, protein is not an optimum source of fuel, especially when engaging in high aerobic activity. Our bodies have to work hard to turn it into energy, putting a lot of stress on ones liver and kidneys. The human bodies ability to metabolize protein ends at 35% of total caloric intake, above that it can lead protein toxicity. Plus there is the most uncomfortable issue of no fiber consumption.
Interesting, even John Muir didn't want to eat a protein only diet:
https://vault.sierraclub.org/john_muir_ ... ter_3.aspx

...our stock of beans as well as flour has failed--everything but mutton, sugar, and tea...Just at this moment mutton seems the least desirable of food, though of good quality. We pick out the leanest bits, and down they go against heavy disgust, causing nausea and an effort to reject the offensive stuff...Bread without flesh is a good diet, as on many botanical excursions I have proved....We dream of bread, a sure sign we need it. Like the Indians, we ought to know how to get the starch out of fern and saxifrage stalks, lily bulbs, pine bark, etc.
User avatar
Wandering Daisy
Topix Docent
Posts: 6640
Joined: Sun Jan 24, 2010 8:19 pm
Experience: N/A
Location: Fair Oaks CA (Sacramento area)
Contact:

Re: Running Out Of Food

Post by Wandering Daisy »

Mooching is begging when the target is actually reluctant but feels pressured by you. Opportunism is when you can spot an overloaded backpacker who actually will thank you for taking some of his food ! Pragmitism is simply checking the food buckets. Trading fish for food is the free market! Although I am against the first, I see nothing immoral with the latter three, whether done as planned or in a food emergency. However it takes a certain personality to pull this off, and it is not me.

Mooching water has not been discussed, but I have had more people beg for water on a long dry stretch of trail, than beg for food. This is a hard call when I too am running low. I cannot tell if they are actually dying of thirst, or just whimpy. I have turned down the requests, but felt bad for miles afterwards. I and my climbing partner once were really bad off lacking water when a "proven" water source at the base of a backcountry climb turned out dry- rather than turn back we chose to climb. I had given him all my remainig water while on the climb, and was myself crippled by cramps while walking out. We turned down offers of water, simply out of pride (perhaps too we did not want others to know how stupid we were for not planning our water needs correctly).
User avatar
AlmostThere
Topix Addict
Posts: 2724
Joined: Wed Jun 24, 2009 4:38 pm
Experience: Level 4 Explorer

Re: Running Out Of Food

Post by AlmostThere »

I wonder if the guy who planned a long thru hike existing on sunshine and air ever made it back to comment on how successful that endeavor was? (I think this was the forum I saw that one on, anyway, maybe not.) Technically, his mooching wouldn't have been planned, but I bet he ended up doing it and I think that too would be sleazy...

I'm hoping he just started his meds again and thought better of it, and made other plans.
User avatar
longri
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1082
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:13 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Running Out Of Food

Post by longri »

Wandering Daisy wrote:Mooching is begging when the target is actually reluctant but feels pressured by you. Opportunism is when you can spot an overloaded backpacker who actually will thank you for taking some of his food ! Pragmitism is simply checking the food buckets. Trading fish for food is the free market! Although I am against the first, I see nothing immoral with the latter three, whether done as planned or in a food emergency. However it takes a certain personality to pull this off, and it is not me.
I don't think mooching, as you're defining it, is actually immoral. Two consenting adults are required, nobody is harmed. As long as you're not telling lies about why you want the food it seems just fine from that perspective. But I still think that having a preset plan to harvest extra, unwanted food from overladen backpackers is sleazy and unsavory.

That said, I regularly rely on my wife bringing too many pretzels.
User avatar
longri
Topix Fanatic
Posts: 1082
Joined: Mon Aug 13, 2012 9:13 am
Experience: N/A

Re: Running Out Of Food

Post by longri »

AlmostThere wrote:I wonder if the guy who planned a long thru hike existing on sunshine and air ever made it back to comment on how successful that endeavor was?
I must have missed that one. How long ago was it?
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: mkbgdns, Spicer'sVet and 126 guests