Do we really need ??

A few weeks back some media stations showed Iraqi pilgrims gathering in a holy city. They have come WALKING from other cities as far as 40 miles away !

Most people in those marching crowds didn’t carry anything. The walk took a few days and their stay took. TV didn’t show anything about the trip back home, they may have used busses I don’t know.

Along the way there were road-side kitchens to provide the pilgrims food and tea. That accounts for the food part but still doesn’t help understand NOT carrying a bag of some sort for whatever necessities.

That event, whatever little has been show of it led me to think about different people NEEDING things to survive. Is it really that we need what we say we need to survive, or is it just in the head and the way we think?

Those people didn’t even carry anything. Anyone of us I guess would have pulled a small BOB wagon with supplies or at least clothes and tube tent. In those crowds, the only ones who pushed anything with wheels were ones with babies. And even those didn’t seem to carry with them a whole lot of stuff.



Edited to add :
Official count of those pilgrims was around 7-8 million ! Lets say it was half of that number. You can see what I am talking about.... can you march that long and join such a huge crowd and NOT take a small bag with you ??

In poor country's people generally don't have much, so the don't need to carry that much. They are used on not having a lot of luxeury.

If you look at many other native style people, they also carry very little. Knowlegde is a lot lighter, than a pack.

My grandfather still lives in a rural area (didn't have electricity until the 1950's.) Most he ever carried was a homemade pocketknife and maybe a pack of matches. Then again, being intimately familiar with your area makes a big difference. You know where the water is, the seasonal temperatures, edible plants, etc, etc. Part of why we seem to carry so much stuff is cause we don't have that intimate understanding of the land that most of our parents, grandparents naturally had. Many people in 3rd world locales still have that familiarity. I guess being poor also has something to do with it, you just make due with whatcha got.

First, not carrying anythign does not tell you if they paid for or did not pay for lodging, and they seem to have been able to pay for food and drink. If they did not use shelter, then something about that environment must have permitted them to do so, it must have been warm enough. Seems like that would almost cover their needs.

It also is quite clearly part of their culture. When everyone you know lives like this for some time in their life, it's not difficult to think you can too.

Much of what we would carry and do is about our comfort, not simply continuing to live. Much of the stuff in my EDC is all about comfort. it goes unused for long periods but is carried all over. Seems like the adult version of a baby blanket to me.

Actually, it's the Shiite Arbaiin pilgrimage to Karbala, Iraq.

When there are kitchens along the way who provide food and water to these pigrims I think of thru-hikers who don't bring very much gear because they know that there will be a cabin or a town every so often...seems similar to me somehow. I wouldn't be surprised if these kitchens (or something/somebody near by them) were able to provide some first aid to those who got hurt along the way.

I imagine there were given that there were so many people taking part...then again many of those people live a hard life to begin with and have a LOT of faith...injuries might not have slowed them down.

Just because they do it, doesn’t mean I want to. I’m sure when they are thirsty they drink from a stream or any found water source or fill a bottle from a stream. I’m also sure (with 8-million making the trek) that those stream are a good bet to have some human waste in or around them, 8-million people generate a lot of pee.

I will stay with using my Katadyn water filter.

I'm trying hard NOT to imagine what the hygiene/sanitation issues are involved with this event.

-BLast

The first thing is the why we carry what we do.
We carr because we are planning to cope with a problem.
We are doing it on the basis that we will be alone. And have to cope with the situation on our own.

The pilgrims are traveling an established route.
Because of this there are facilities and amenities along the way.
Also they are not alone. Many others are right there if assistance is needed.

True most people have lost their connection the world around them. But I'll lay odds that the majority here have either not lost it or are trying hard to regain it.

Also true that with knowledge the minimum amount or gear needed can be greatly reduced. Yes with a pocketknife and the proper skill set you can make or scrounge most anything else needed. What most of the gear carried does is buy time. And yes makes things easier and more comfortable.