The Things I Carry & Leading from The Rear

Don’t worry. This is not a “what’s in my pack” article. If you want to be bored by learning all that I carry, feel free to find my website, mountainblazers, and within the Backpacking Article section you can read about that.

As a trail guide I pack a bit heavier than I would need to otherwise. And I already pack heavy.

Late July, right around 7pm in the Pisgah National Forest, with a group of nine. Just after the 2nd heavy rain shower hit us, two in our group (a young couple) decided enough was enough, packed up their things, and walked just over a mile to finish the evening in their vehicle. I later discovered the young girl had packed a tent purchased by her father. From Amazon. A steal at $15.

During the first rain shower I quickly realized the tent they were using was far from adequate. No problem, I told them. I erected my lightweight tarp over their tent. Normally this would have been a great solution. Unfortunately the damage was done by this time. Their fun had ended.

Despite the failure of my tarp to help out in this situation, I carry it when I have a group and there is any threat of rain. I also carry enough carabiners to create noise when I am on the move, and some extra rope. I’m always teaching how to hang food bags, and I always need the extra rope and carabiners.

That’s the extent of the extra things I carry. I have enough weight as it is.

Note: The hike back to the vehicles from this campsite was an easy, safe hike, and they departed before sunset. However, I feel I should have followed them out and then back to the campsite. This is another one of my mistakes from this past summer which I do not intend to repeat. Luckily for me, and them, it is a mistake learned the easy way. Further, I’ve learned recently (this week) from some more experienced hikers than myself (Glenn and Balzaccom), that I basically had a “bailout option” in this case. For future hikes as a trail guide, I intend to have a bailout option within my planning.

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One of the sayings in the Marine Corps is “leaders lead from the front.”

Certainly applicable for the military. Maybe not so much as a trail guide. At least not when it comes to actually being on a hike with a group you are leading.

As a trail guide I prefer to hike last in line for a few reasons:
-I can monitor the whole group. If someone is getting tired or having trouble, I can spot it.
-Gently encouraging each hiker to take turns leading the group builds confidence (even if they grumble about having to do it).
-It prevents me from setting a pace the group can’t hold.

Of course, the quote about being a leader in the Marines is more about leading by example. This is the number one thing I took with me from my service in the military. If I’m asking someone else to do something, I darn well better be willing to do it myself.

Leave no trace. If they witness me leaving trash at the campsite, or not concerned about hanging food bags, then everything I discussed about leave no trace becomes wasted energy on my part.

I could write more and more pages about this, but for now my point with this 3-part series is; as a trail guide I am a leader. When I take hikers on a trip they are going to look to me when the going gets rough. They are going to emulate what I do. More than that, they are going to remember these first trips for the rest of their life. I’ve taken on a responsibility to not only make it enjoyable for them, but to hopefully create responsible hikers who care about nature and doing the right thing when out in nature.

I embrace these responsibilities. Hopefully next year I will do much better. This was my first summer in this role. Many mistakes on my part, but so much fun! And very rewarding!