Why does nobody talk about how group trips slow you down

I used to plan my backpacking routes solo, covering 15 to 18 miles a day on the Appalachian Trail. Then last summer I took a group of 4 guys on the Laurel Highlands Trail in Pennsylvania. We averaged maybe 8 miles a day because of gear adjustments, photo stops, and one guy with blisters. I realized I'd been treating hiking like a race instead of a shared experience. Now I build in an extra day for every 3 people in the group. Has anyone else noticed how much your pace drops with more than 2 people?

2 comments

2 Comments

jasons6316d ago

Wait, are you saying the mushroom photo guy was a bigger time sink than the blister dude? That's a wild plot twist I wasn't expecting.

the_sarah16d ago

Wait, isn't it wild how one person with a blister can basically reroute your whole trip? I took two friends on a section of the Long Trail last fall and we barely did 6 miles the first day because one of them refused to believe their boots were new and needed breaking in. Ended up sitting on a log for an hour while they taped their heels, and then the other guy wanted to take pictures of every single mushroom we passed.