The recent 'arctic blast' had me buying Sterno in case electric power went out and I wanted to heat water. I love Sterno. It is what I used to heat water on nearly the entire Appalachian Trail after I sent my little backpacking stove home in disgust.
So the Sterno purchase has had me thinking about the AT a bit. I don't have many photos of myself on the AT but here is one. I am nearing the summit of northern terminus, Mount Katahdin, in Maine.
For the climb, a little of which was accomplished on 'all fours', I'd shed much of the gear I was carrying. A light load is NUMBER ONE priority (yay Sterno!!) and it was the only time on the trail when I was going to go back the way that I'd come, so I left most gear at the bottom. - Patt Nance, OH