High Sierra Topix

longri wrote: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.

Not mentioned but -
There exists a cultural interaction among long distance hikers regarding food trading... (Personal experience and as seen from the perspective of the Tuolumne Store picnic tables).

After going to the PO and receiving their boxes and white buckets - food drops, and in the process of restocking their backpacks, most pick and choose what items to take. Any then unwanted food is labeled as "garbage". This does not actually mean trash but rather a trail term for unwanted items either not tasty enough, too heavy, or just not wanted to be carried. Then these items (Cliff Bars, instant mash potatoes, oatmeal, peanut butter, etc) are put in the middle of the table and first tried to be traded, and when unsuccessful, then freely shared by any of the hiking peers present before being donated to the general population's hiker box. If accepted as a peer, after sitting for a while, (maybe buying a six pack to share), you could restock right there for free.

The point is that most of these are seasoned hikers who know enough - what food to carry, and what won't be eaten...most carry just enough. While not advocating that regular hikers don't know their limits, many novices over-pack way too much food. It is at those "one-day-in" campgrounds where realizations are made..."I am carrying too much crap!"

Rather than finding unwanted items mysteriously stashed and discarded in bear boxes...many are actively looking to give away items in any attempt to lose weight. While you are not specifically going to this popular campground with "a preset plan to harvest"...maybe better to look at it as a unique situation that has mutual benefits to both parties.

Often just by talking with camp-mates, mentioning your 14-day trip just completed, and stating that you are looking forward to some good food, (all true), the rest just happens. How is this sleazy or unsavory?

rlown wrote:http://www.highsierratopix.com/communit ... ife#p52679

Thanks for that. Pretty weird ideas.

markskor wrote:There exists a cultural interaction among long distance hikers regarding food trading...

...Rather than finding unwanted items mysteriously stashed and discarded in bear boxes...many are actively looking to give away items in any attempt to lose weight. While you are not specifically going to this popular campground with "a preset plan to harvest"...maybe better to look at it as a unique situation that has mutual benefits to both parties.

Often just by talking with camp-mates, mentioning your 14-day trip just completed, and stating that you are looking forward to some good food, the rest just happens. How is this sleazy or unsavory?

Yes, yes, and yes. I've also done some food trading at locations where food is picked up. And I've been offered food without asking and sometimes I accepted it. I don't know how to draw a clearly defined line for what is unacceptable to me. But I know it when I see it.

My favorite hungry hiker story happened @ the TM store. We were camping down @ June lake and drove up to hang out and stroll around for the day. We had cooked a sh!t ton of ribs the night before, and brought along a complete 24" rack to hand out to some PCTers. My wife, who is a born & bred NYC city girl, laughed at me with outright skepticism as if anyone who wasn't completely homeless would freely accept a cooked, leftover food handout from some random person.

Well, the laugh was on her as she looked on in amazement as the first person I asked bee-lined with me to my car (we were parked right by the tables). He then hoisted his prize and returned to his group of friends, where they proceeded to devour it in minutes.

She loves to tell this story in corporate settings; it always gets a chuckle, especially when she emphasizes they were *PCT* hikers. More people are becoming aware of this strange group of people who are walking a marathon a day, all the while burning an amazing amount of calories.

The target of the mooch is not always a truely "consenting" party. There is an obligation to help out a fellow backpacker if he REALLY needs it. Since I seldom go back with extra food, this puts me in a bind. Giving any away is a sacrafice on my part, perhaps I will have to cut my own trip short. A "moral" mooch would word this clearly as an option, for example, "if you have any extra food you do not want to lug around, I would be willing to take it off your hands - if not that's totally OK." There needs to be NO pressure, overt or implied. Mooching is an art, if done well. I really think it is better if the person with too much makes the offer.

Hobbes- tell your wife that when she orders a meal from a resturant she may be equally grossed out if she knew how the food was handled in that kitechen. Accepting food from strangers is not that different. In my mind, about the same risks. Last trip I did, I did not plan to camp the night before, but was not "allowed" to start on the trail after a certain time - stupid rule at Roads End. Got to talking to a nearby camper, and he invited me over for wine and crackers with another couple. Went fine for a short bit, then joints came out and it was clearly intended to be a pot party Not particularly compatible with my 6AM start on the trail the next morning and a very hard day! I had to gracefully bow out without offending anyone, LOL.

Just adding to the overall thread..
Carrying too much food used to be my overall biggest sin. I finally got to where I weighed what I brought back.. and wrote it down. This seemed to be therapeutic.. and I found that I always repeated my problems. (Mainly too many bars, too much oatmeal, too much "contingency"). It is ironic how much attention is paid to ultralight wear and gear, but in reality this was my biggest problem. I have gotten better now in my old age. Instead of 120% of what I need, frankly I plan about 90%. In other words, I consciously underplan..knowing that on an extended trip.. there will be a lunch I won't take, a breakfast I dont feel like, not to mention fish. The only consequence if I am wrong is that I have to come out a day or two early. This has never happened. I have never run out.
It does make me feel somewhat a sense of accomplishment to get home, on schedule, with almost no food.

It's interesting hearing how everyone does food prep differently. I bring enough ramen for every night I plan to be out plus one night extra. For all my other food I just grab random things that are lying around my pantry and assume it will be enough. More often than not I sit down for my first lunch on a trip and mildly panic, thinking I haven't brought enough food. I then overcompensate by rationing my meals the first day or two, and by the end of the trip I wind up with too much food left over.

The only time I really didn't have enough food was when I was brand new to backpacking and had no idea what I was doing. Not having grasped the notion of packing light yet, I made a whole bunch of bean and cheese burritos to get me through a two night trip. However, I preceded to accidentally leave all those burritos in my fridge, so I set off into the backcountry with nothing but two packets of oatmeal, an apple, cheez its, and expired trail mix. Luckily I stayed at relatively low elevations in the Jennie Lakes Wilderness and was able to find thimbleberries and raspberries. I got along fine, and ever since I've never really eaten a ton when backpacking.

My brother and I would always pack one pound each of dry dog food as emergency rations. We would never be tempted to eat it unless we were in dire straits. But we would not starve before making back to civilization either. Once we met a couple that didn't have food for breakfast on their last day, so they asked us if we could spare any since it was our first night. We offered them the dog food. They declined. I was younger then...

Reuben

I've never run out of food, but there was once a guy at the top of Glen Pass asking people for food. He was saying something along the lines of he ran out and had 60 miles to go or something like that. To me, It came across to me like he was just hitting up people for free food since Onion Valley wasn't too far away. Either way I didn't have any extra to spare since I plan my food pretty exactly.