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?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles58121d 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_green8221d 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.