andrewclaus

If you're being serious, he left out a space--"thru" hiking is a shortening of "through" hiking. The term is common in the hiking community. "Thru" hikers are those who hike the long trails in the US, the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, the Continental Divide to name a few, in one trip. I'm not sure if the term is used in other English-speaking countries with long trails that require an entire season to hike.

I am a thru hiker first, a touring cyclist second. My bicycle pack is highly influenced by my hiking pack. The main differences are the tools, lock, and spares needed for the bike, and the packs and rack themselves. On my back, I can carry my stuff in a very light sil-nylon rucksack that weighs ounces, for a total load of less than ten pounds. On the bike, the old panniers and rack I have weigh over five pounds by themselves. Add the extra stuff for the bike, and it's over 17 pounds, a huge increase over the hiking pack. So I'm looking for a lighter way to carry gear, and following this and similar threads with high interest.