Met a solo hiker on the JMT who said something that stuck with me

I was on day 5 of the John Muir Trail last August, taking a break at Thousand Island Lake, when this older guy with a tiny pack sat down next to me. He pointed at my 60-liter bag and said, 'You carry your fears.' Honestly, I've been thinking about that phrase and what I really need on a trip ever since. What's the one piece of gear you packed that you later realized was just fear weight?

3 comments

3 Comments

miles5812mo ago

That's a bit deep for trail talk. Sometimes extra socks are just extra socks, not some big fear thing. People read way too much into packing choices.

laura_green822mo ago

But that's exactly how it starts! You brush off the small stuff until you're ten miles in with a blister and suddenly that extra pair is a lifesaver. It's never just about the socks, it's about admitting the trail can turn on you. Calling it overthinking just means you haven't been caught out yet. Every piece of gear tells a story about what you're afraid of going wrong.

david_hayes1mo ago

That whole "reading too much into it" thing from @miles581 reminds me of a buddy who swore his huge first aid kit was just being smart. Then on a section hike he admitted he packed it because his uncle almost bled out from a fall years ago and he was scared the same thing would happen to him. Socks are socks until you realize you brought four pairs because your dad got trench foot in the army and you grew up hearing that story. Sometimes extra gear is just extra gear, but sometimes that 60-liter bag really is full of our own ghosts.