Originally Posted by T_O_M
I see some of the yuppie hikers dressed in the latest hiking fashion carrying them but I don't understand the purpose, it seems to just be herd mentality.

What are they for? Is there something I've missed in 35 years of backpacking without them?


You must be a flatlander.

In the Cascades, with any pack over 20 lbs, they're a Godsend.


“Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils.” - General
John Stark.