My hiking group goes each 4th of July to the same lake, to camp, fish and swim.

One of the traditionalists - slow miles, heavy gear - watched me get out the alcohol stove. He offered his stove for my use, as if mine wouldn't work. He offered his pump filter because the Sawyer Squeeze I am testing "looks like too much work."

But then, he gets up Sunday morning early, packs up everything, and starts for the trailhead because "I am too slow, you all will catch up to me." It took him a good five hours to go the six miles to the lake on the first day out.

We didn't catch up to him. I caught fish for breakfast and we lingered to cook and eat it. Because we could, because we knew it would take us two and a half hours to do the return trip. (It took less.)

I have to wonder why backpackers think that gear that is clearly working for me is so inadequate. Why would I bother carrying something that doesn't work?? I ignored him and boiled my water with the stove, filtered the rest with the Sawyer, and went on with my lazy day at the lake.
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"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few." Shunryu Suzuki

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