Any "experienced" hiker soon realizes how often and easily a hike on a trail can become an off trail excursion. My experience has been that fires are often needed when traveling along a trail. Just because you are on a trail doesn't mean that you won't be delayed.
Not all trails are easy to follow, even in good conditions, and good conditions easily fade away.
You make fires on day hikes?
What an experienced hiker has experienced depends on where they've hiked and in what conditions.
This guy's an east coast hiker. Sounds like he's experienced popular east coast hikes -- trails most likely to be well-marked, well-maintained and relatively heavily travelled.
The Pacific Northwest hiking that I've done has been an altogether different experience from hiking in Virginia. The PNW trails that I've hiked -- though popular by PNW standards and in guide books -- have been in far more remote locations and have a fraction of the foot traffic.
Heck, in the PNW the Forest Service roads to the trailheads require a degree of caution and preparation that is not an issue when the trailheads are on Skyline Drive or the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Previous Topic
Index
