Changing my mind about lightening my pack mid-route

I was on the John Muir Trail near Red's Meadow last August, dead set on carrying my heavy 70L pack with all my comforts. Then my knee gave out on a steep descent and I had to sit for an hour icing it with creek water while other hikers passed me. Has anyone else had a gear failure force you to ditch stuff and mail it home?

3 comments

3 Comments

dylan_brown301mo ago

Man, that sounds rough! I totally get how a bum knee can change your whole mindset out there. I had something similar happen on the PCT where my pack was just too heavy and my shoulders were wrecked. Had to ship my camp chair and half my clothes home from Kennedy Meadows. Sometimes you gotta learn the hard way that lighter is better, especially when your body starts talking back to you.

the_christopher1mo ago

Used to think the lighter is better crowd was just overreacting. Carried a 45 pound pack on the Appalachian Trail and thought I was fine. Then my right knee started giving out on every downhill around the Smokies. @dylan_brown30 you nailed it with that Kennedy Meadows story. Had to mail home three pounds of random stuff from a hostel in Damascus and it changed everything. That extra weight you think you need just beats you down mile after mile. Body forces you to learn the lesson eventually.

roberts.leo1mo ago

Read somewhere that Kennedy Meadows is where gear dreams go to die.