The need to breathe in lands away from the heat of the city, to feel a
sense of total and utmost self-directed control and completeness in the
pack on oneUs back (our much-cherished "stone") motivates numerous numbers
of us to seek the backcountry year after year after year, humping some
thirty or more pounds on our backs.  An activity most deservedly of the
label of sadomasochism.  The better yet to share this experience with good
friends and lovers, all of us watching that brilliant, beautiful and
picturesque lake in front of us, after the long dayUs hike, a scenery
gently embraced by the billowing hills of pine around, and everything cast
against the amazing warmth of the setting sun, tinted in a glow of red and
orange.

Unfortunately, the technicolor luxuries that we seek all too often are
spoiled by the simple fact that humans are basically not well designed to
live with each other for too long before the need to get away from each
other arises.  In backpacking expeditions, the common demoninator of group
strength and inter-dependency of team equipment stresses the invisible
field that psychologists call our personal space.  Invasion of this
abstract territory creates tension that, unlike the carefully arranged
tinder from last nightUs fire, erupts into flames at the first spark,
whether by on-trail argument, or the fact that one lost one too many poker
hands.  Nevertheless, the dangers of solo-packing far outweigh the benefits
of being completely in charge of the whole operation, and thus we are all
burdened not only with equipment and food, but by the responsibility of
social management as well.

This unspoken law inherent in backpacking recently had the chance to spring
forth and grab me by the throat.  However, the twist in my account is that
the chaos started not while we were in-country, but even before our feet
left the city pavement.  Let my experience serve as a warning to those with
even a hint of desire at organizing a trip.  Leaders are rarely
appreciated.  Captains usually go down with the ships.

My yarn begins with a simple and innocent request at a house party for
someone to organize a camping trip.  Now the crux of the matter comes sight
when one realises that the people wanting very much to go camping have
never really ever gone far from an electrical socket.  Given the depth of
the night and quite a number of drinks, yours truly somehow volunteered to
spearhead the operation.  Suddenly I found myself conjuring up a nice
backpacking trip into Algonquin Provincial Park in Ontario, Canada.

The next several days were spent in a frenzy with me calling all kinds of
places for information, and making reservations at the park.  With all the
paperwork finalized, the purchase of equipment came to need attention.
Since I was pretty much the only person who can be really categorized as a
"backpacker", everyone looked to me for advice.  Now that may sound simple
and straightforward to you, but in fact asking for and accepting advice are
two different things.  Apparently, the sheltered urban life of these
concrete hikers did much to warp their sense of the wilderness, and instead
of purchasing the sensible stuff that I had written down for them, they
spent the entire week acquiring Rambo-style hunting knives and ten ton
storm-trooper war boots.  In fact, one or two actually wielded a battle-axe
of sorts at trailhead.

Now all of that did not go unnoticed by me.  In actual fact, I was present
when they made their purchases, but after several hundred protests and
attempts at putting sense into them, I gave up.  After all, I didnUt have
to carry all that junk.

What I did have to carry, however, was part of the food items.  And here
was the real killer.  Since all food was purchased on a team basis, with
all of us sharing the expense, it was logical that team decision dictate
what was to be purchased.   Here they overrided my concerns about "high
water-content foods" with more ease than during the equipment purchase
session.  We ended up with cans and bottles of ham, sausages, bacon, and
even several jars of spaghetti sauce.  If not for the can and bottle ban at
the park, we would not have dispensed with all the extra weight of the
packaging, and would not have made use of the Ziploc bags that I had
absolutely insist that we purchase.

On the fateful day, almost everyone was late, and we missed the deadline
for departure (in order to reach trailhead before the office closed).  In
fact I had secretly been wondering if weUd get there at all.  Anyway, we
left a little after midnight, and got to trailhead around five in the
morning.  Since we did not get a permit and it was so dark, we parked in
the front.  The more demanding (bordering on obnoxious) of the group
demanded that I lead them into the campground without obtaining (and paying
for) the permit since the rangerUs office was not open until eight.  I
obviously did not pay attention to them, and told everyone to sleep in the
cars. I was later to be admonished for "wasting" their money, since we did
not get checked by any rangers while on the trail.

The relatively challenging trail (even when done properly) was a stretch of
19 kilometers.  We covered about 12 on the first day.  How we managed to do
that was a complex mixture of human dynamics and poor technique.  First of
all, all that water laden food was getting on everyoneUs nerves.  I
actually had to hide a smirk because I told them that they would end up
throwing out a bag or two of spaghetti sauce.  They dismissed my concern,
only to later find themselves arguing about who the hell brought along so
much sugar because not everyone drank coffee anyway, and who the hell
wanted coffee in the first place.  They emptied the sugar  in the forest
for the ants.

We ran out of water some time in the afternoon.  This I admit was pretty
much my fault because I had expected the land to contain an abundance of
running streams and springs.  Perhaps my images of the wilderness in
Algonquin arenUt so accurate after all.  Anyway, that, and the incredible
amount of clothing that everyone had managed to bring along (I donUt know
what they were preparing for.  I gave them a minimal list, which they
easily ignored) made the walking very difficult especially in terrain rated
"challenging".  We had precious little flat ground to walk on, and there
were numerous uphills and downhills that made anyone wearing proper hiking
boots grateful (in my decision making and budget balancing, I opted to
spent a little more money on quality lightweight boots - with good insoles
- and buy a less expensive sleeping bag instead, as my old one was somehow
ripped to shreds after I lent it to someone last year).  In fact, I was the
only one to do so with any degree of success.  Most other people either did
not wear proper boots or did not break new ones in.  Both these latter
groups can blame it on their spending money on things like Machetes or
whatever, or did not want to go on practise hikes to break new boots in.
Furthermore, nobody agreed to my suggestion of carrying 25% of body weight,
and being the skinniest party member (everyone else weighed on average
about 40 more pounds than me) had to endure a load that definitely felt
much over 25% of body weight.  Obviously I was the last in line, with no
sympathetic stops or slowing down by those in the front who were "leading
the right way".  Actually I was pretty angry when I tested a few of the
packs belonging to the bigger guys and found that theirs even weighed
lighter than mine!  I just couldnUt believe it.

So far so good.  I nearly collapsed from exhaustion, but managed to hump
the load until we reached an unoccupied campsite.  You see, with everyone
so mad at each other, and blaming the hot sun and the hard ground on the
person next to oneself, there was no group decision making, no letUs check
out the scenery, no nothing.  Just forward march.  In this manner we made a
wrong turn here and there, and found that all the sites we passed through
were occupied (especially with our late arrival at trailhead) and none were
to be encountered for many more kilometers.  With no choice but to rush
onward before sundown, we somehow managed to huff and puff our way through.

Arriving at the campsite would have been Nirvana, except that everyone was
on everyone elseUs nerve, and so camp was set up quietly (and I might add
not exactly efficiently) and the few friends that managed to stay friends
slept in the respective tents.  Water was not to be found except from a
lake which, to understate, had things suspended in its waters.  In fact,
when boiled (which I wondered about, since even our MSR at maximum with
wind shielding and everything did not seem to encourage bubbling to any
real extent), the "stuff" sported a film or something on the top, but we
had no choice but to use it.  I threw in an iodine tablet for each batch of
water we treated, but the taste made some of my peers refuse the secondary
protection, and I really just gave up on lecturing them about guardia and
other kinds of nasties.

The good news is that we did make use of the ton of food that we brought
along, and had a very filling meal.  When it was time to clean up dinner,
there was not much light to see by since there were some cheapos in the
party who did not want to contribute the extra few bucks for an additional
gas lantern, and so we had to make do with one.  The same cheapos decided
to put all the food inside the tent so that "animals could not get at it".
I showed them how to hang the stuff between trees, but I don't think they
listened to me.  Luckily we did not get any visitors.  The night was very
cold but I brought along my pad and space blanket, which everyone had
laughed at before setting off, but which offered me yet another smirk when
I heard some of them complaining in the morning about the hard ground and
the cold night.  You see, they purchased Rambo knives and Mag-Lites instead
of the pad and a good sleeping bag (real men stuff, they told me, not sissy
luxuries like what I suggested).

Actually, I didnUt sleep that well because in the morning they woke me up
as none of them knew how to start the MSR and none of them had bothered to
listen when I gave a demonstration in my backyard.  And all of them wanted
hot coffee ASAP.  None dared complain about not having enough sugar,
however.

20/20 HINDSIGHT (lessons to be learned from my experience):

1 - Human Dynamics is not a thing to be brushed aside.  The problems of
compatibility are very real and in a situation where it is not as easy as
going home when the animosity gets too hot to handle, group cooperation is
of highest concern.  Without group decision making, the organization of the
trip is compromised, and with a poor foundation, it gets very difficult to
improvise as the going gets tough. 2 - The larger the numbers of people,
the more complex it gets.  One must take into account each and every
possible relationship between all the party members, and factor in with the
rest of the formula all the past histories of conflicts (if any) and
incompatibilities between each and every person. 3 - Water supply remains
the highest concern while on-trail.  Always carry enough water to last for
the entire trip if unsure, and always remember to fill up canteens at
trailhead. 4 - Water-content foodstuffs are not to be fooled around with.
The extra weight is considerable when added up.  If dried foods do not
appeal to the palate, remember that the point is to visit nature, not pig
out in the woods. 5 - Above all, do not assume that your destination
campsite will be vacant.  Plan your trips so that even if your goal sites
are occupied, you have backup sites to reroute to, or enough energy to
backtrack and change directions. 6 - Check, double-check, and check again
your directions.  Make sure that you really are where your triangulation
says you are, and make sure that all opinion is considered.  You may have a
temporary mental block that is confusing your picking out proper landmarks.
7 - Wear proper footwear for the terrain. 8 - Never buy items that are
useless or uncalled for, but that you also have to carry. 9 - Finally,
NEVER BACKPACK WITH BEGINNERS.  Always initiate them with car camping or
day hikes in nature walks.


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