Bob,
This has been a good discussion to read through with lots of good responses. This is probably going to be a long response from me as I'm prone to do with discussions such as this but I hope it can be informative and some additional value to the thread for any others engaged or lurking here.
Regarding the social aspects of backpacking, I concur with what many others have said. I'll always say hi to fellow hikers passing by, and will enjoy a quick chat with anyone when opportunity presents itself, but most of the time, outside of the company I start my hike with or pre-plan to meet up with, I tend to seek solitude. I don't always enjoy it when a place of wilderness feels more like an amusement park, which as
@steve said, is often the case with popular national parks such as Zions and Arches and even places closer to home like Timpanogos or Brighton Lakes on a summer Saturday, even more so on Labor Day. I won't let such crowds keep me away such places if that's where I want to go, but I just have to put myself in a different mindset if I know such crowds are to be expected. Like most others have said, I won't invite myself into another's camp or go around a lake just to say hi and get to know someone, but if I were to go on a solo trip, there's a certain peace of mind that comes with having some other trail traffic and neighbors nearby when camping. Of course, If I ever had the opportunity to do a thru-hike on the PCT or AT, then I would totally expect and plan to meet and chat with lots of people, camp with strangers, exchange food and develop some camaraderie with all the other fellow hikers. So, aside from such a thru-hike, for me, the opportunity to find some solitude, self-reflection, and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of a beautiful wilderness setting are usually the primary objectives for venturing out on a backpacking trip and that's just hard to do when there is a huge population of others occupying the same area. Being able to make and share great memories with wife, family, and/or friends is also something I enjoy about getting out in the backcountry when such company is present.
Regarding fires, I always enjoy conversing with any company I'm with while sitting around a good campfire when the area permits it, but will usually only cook on the fire if I'm car camping or caught some fish that I'll wrap in foil and toss on some coals. When backpacking however, fire or no fire, my dinner will more often consist of something that only needs hot water to cook or rehydrate it at which point a stove of some type will almost always be not only more convenient but also more efficient. And, as others have said, there are way more people using the backcountry now than prior times. There are several lakes all throughout the Uintas where all the dead wood and dry fall have pretty much been cleaned out and fire restrictions have been put in place within 200 feet of their shores. I'm not a fan of big bonfires except when it's someone's backyard or on other private property. When on public land, I think it's best to be as conservative as you can, and when fires are permitted, they should be kept relatively small using as little wood as possible. I do like your all-night fire set up if you are in a survival situation or tarp camping near the side of a rock and it's rather cold out.
And regarding "old school" skills and what not, I think the term they have for that now is called "Bushcraft". I think it's valuable knowledge to know how to whittle and fashion your own tools from the natural resources out there and know how to live off the land with little to nothing else from civilized society, as it were, and many have made this into a hobby. I have nothing but respect for these people, but I'd much rather take some comforts and luxuries from home that allow me to leave as little trace and use as little natural resources as reasonably possible. I'm grateful and feel fortunate to live in a time where such technological advancements and big selection in outdoor gear is now available from what there was with prior generations. With that said, the recurring theme throughout this thread that "less is more" still holds true and is a good mindset to have. I think a great balance of bushcraft style knowledge and resourcefulness with modern gear can go a long ways in leaving no trace and allowing one to cover great distances with less stress on their backs, knees, and feet.
As for your questions from the OP...
The longest trip I've done was 65 miles this last summer, hiking from Summit Park (Park City) to Provo. I don't currently have money for the ultra high-tech super lightweight materials and gear currently out on the market, but my base weight (pack minus clothes worn on the trail, food, water, and stove fuel) was about 23 lbs or so. Adding full bottles of water, food, and fuel put it up to around 30-32 lbs or so. We completed the trip in 4 days, with our longest day being close to 20 miles. With the distance we were covering each day, I anticipated being much hungrier and packed accordingly, but only ended up getting through about half my day's worth of snacks each day, so I ended up finishing with a couple lbs more extra food than needed.
Steve posted some great videos by Mike Clelland and I too highly recommend his
book for tips on where you can lighten your load in big and little ways. To show more of what's possible, I found this video of a guy who claims to have a sub 10 lb pack of gear he uses on his thru-hikes.
Then, not to be beaten, here's a guy whose name is John Chlarson who managed a suitable mid-summer overnighter system weighing under 5 lbs!
Under 5 lbs! That includes the fishing pole! I'd say only a scout going out for his wilderness survival badge could top that. Seriously though, John has a whole library of some terrific videos he's posted on his
YouTube channel about repurposing various products and being resourceful at lightening your load on a small budget.
Another informative
YouTube channel with well done videos worth checking out that shows what kind of ultralight gear is out there is from a guy named Dave Collins:
Lastly, I really enjoy this video that does a nice job comparing and contrasting "traditional" backpacking gear vs newer advancements in gear:
Was going to say LED headlight, but after further thought...a camera. It's great to bring back photos to share with others and put up on BCP.
I don't know if it qualifies as "old school" but I like to carry one of these
Light My Fire knives. Especially if I'm out on a solo hike or staying the night in an area that permits fires. I don't know how successful I could really be in using it for self-defense purposes, but I like to think I could give a bear or other big animal a good sting with it if circumstances ever came to that (i.e. if bear spray fails). More so, it does a fantastic job of batoning small pieces of wood for making tinder and kindling. I'd probably leave it at home or at least in the car when taking trips into the desert though.
My age and experience doesn't go that far back, but my guess is cookware or footwear. If you were to ask what has seen the
greatest change and innovation, I'd have to guess that it would be shelter systems.
