[at-l] "Back then..." comparisons 1979-2004

[Victor Hoyt]

I think you're right for the most part. But technology certainly has made a
few more inroads and refinements. I think pack suspension has come a LONG
way since'79. My D3 was pretty cool (and I still have it), but there's a lot
better out there now.

You're wrong about the Thermarest. I was one of only two people in the group
I hiked with who did not have one. I was on the Colin Fletcher kick, and
swore by Ensolite. The Thermaresters all finished, and I did not. Hmmm...
These days I am in love with the Z-Rest.

Yes, Trail Magic as you say, was magic. It was not so contrived as it has
often become today. What we did not have then, though they were just
starting to appear, was trail names. For me, that was a good thing. I know
it's an unpopular opinion, but I do not like trail names.

Though I've never managed to walk it thru in one shot, I've been over most
of it at one time or another over the last 27 years. It really hasn't
changed much for me. It still looks the same from the inside. I'm not one to
pay much attention to re-routes, and changes (unless I get lost :-). It
simply is what it is; a dirt path in the woods. I never lost that "bee-line"
focus that I developed while hiking that year. Hiking for me is about
striding out and covering miles. There's always something new around the
next bend or over the next rise. And at the end of the day, sitting around
chatting and trading stories is as much a joy as it ever was. I hope that
never changes.

v