Honestly I had the exact opposite experience. The PCT's longer dry stretches forced me to actually think ahead and learn my own limits, while the JMT's constant water access just made me lazy about planning. And I found the thru-hikers way more open at camp, probably 'cause they've been through enough trail drama to know sharing intel saves everyone's butt. The JMT crowd felt more like weekend warriors comparing gear than people who'd actually learned to survive out there. Maybe shorter routes don't make you sharper, they just make you think you are.

That part about the burnt bag smell really hit home. I had the same problem for years, and it got so bad one time that we had to open every window in the house for a whole weekend. My wife finally banned microwave popcorn altogether, which was rough because we used to watch movies every Friday night with a big bowl. Now I do the air fryer thing too, but I've gone a little further and started doing raw almonds with a tiny bit of salt and oil. They come out so crunchy that my dentist actually asked me what changed because I was chewing louder in the waiting room. So yeah, definitely try the nuts, just keep an eye on them around the six minute mark because they go from perfect to scorched real fast.