Appreciation post: That guy on trail who told me to ditch the heavy tent for a tarp

He said my 6 pound tent was why I was miserable each day, and after 3 nights under a cheap 10x10 tarp in the Smokies, I slept better and saved my back, so has anyone else had a stranger’s gear advice actually work out that well?

3 comments

3 Comments

elizabethtaylor3d ago

Oh honey, that's the gospel truth right there. Strangers on the trail sometimes see what we can't because we're too busy being miserable in our own heads. My knees were killing me one time in the Big Horns and some old-timer just said "try walking like you've got a book on your head" and it fixed my whole posture for the rest of the trip. Never would have listened to my own husband telling me the same thing, but from a stranger who'd been there it just clicked. That tent advice probably saved your trip more than you even realize yet.

the_pat3d ago

@elizabethtaylor That "book on your head" trick sounds like nonsense, but you're right that we only listen to strangers when our own people say the same thing.

luna8912d ago

Your husband probably worded it different than the stranger did, tone matters more than folks give it credit for.