Lightweight (or Ultralight) conversion stories...

[SGT Rock]

I started hiking way back. As long as I can remember, I have been going into the woods with my family. As a family, we would go on treks into local forests with or without trails. As a child, I wanted to have my own big backpack like the grown ups, and I got my first one at about 12. It was a small yellow frame pack without a hip belt. My brother and I would load them up on hikes with whatever we thought hikers should carry like canteens, flashlights, ponchos, etc. We didn't care about weight, we just worried about having the right stuff.

At that time we would use cotton socks, t-shirts, blue jeans, long underwear, etc. without thinking about why we would freeze when it rained. We used heavy canvas Army tents and rectangular sleeping bags made for car camping. Our footwear was the sturdy work boot looking things sold at discount shoe stores that gave out blisters like Santa gives presents on Christmas. Hiking up mountains was fun, but it was hard work. My first real overnight trip was on the Appalachian trail at Standing Indian, where it forms a loop trail using the side trails. At some points I thought I would die, but it was an adventure.

Learning to hike like this was simply the way it was done. Sore backs, big blisters, and wet sleeping bags just seemed like normal problems. A Coleman camp stove (almost 2 pounds) seemed like a modern marvel, as did my first down sleeping bag and nylon tent - even though it got wetter sometimes than my canvas pup tent.

At the age of 17, I joined the Army. I wanted to serve my country, but I also wanted some adventure, travel, and a little college money. I had these romantic notions that field training in the Army would be like backpacking - I was right and I was wrong. At 18, I went to Fort Knox and learned that the Army version of backpacking could still have sore backs, wet cotton clothing, blistered feet, but with even heavier loads, and none of the stuff I considered fun about going into the woods. But, as I saw it, I was becoming a stronger hiker for later in life. With what I had been through, hiking would be very easy. Actually the Army was warping my mind even further.

The catalyst

I continued to hike and occasionally backpack on and off for a number of years. Finally in 1996 I was stationed near my family again (my extended family) and my aunt started hitting me up to go backpacking with her again. So in 1997, we finally hit the AT together. It had been a long time since I hiked in those mountains, and I started dragging out all my old gear and supplementing it with stuff I thought I needed from my Army gear. At this point I thought I needed bomb proof gear including a 2 liter pot, a pistol, a Coleman fuel stove with lots of fuel, 2 whole sets of clothing plus cold weather stuff, a big knife, 4 canteens, MRE dinners, a canteen cup and esbit stove (for back up of course) rugged rain gear, etc. By the time I finished, the pack was over 65 pounds for 3 days and two nights! I came off that trail stone bruised and wore out.

At the end of that hike, I did an AAR - After Action Review. This is a method we use in the Army to improve performance. It is comprised of 5 basic parts:

1. What was supposed to happen.

2. What actually happened.

3. What went right.

4. What went wrong.

5. What will I do differently next time.

So I started looking for what I didn't use or need. After I got rid of a lot of stuff (not enough BTW), I had trimmed off quite a bit of pack weight. Then I started looking through catalogues for lighter versions of what I was already carrying. Instead of running out and buying stuff right away, I kept looking and making comparison lists. I also devised my first spread sheet and got a postal scale.

Another thing I did was search the internet. One of the very best sites I found, and my biggest influence was The Lightweight Backpacker. The 27 pound packing list seemed like a fantasy to me, but after a few months of comparing and shopping, I thought I might be able to do it. What really helped was the Knowledge nuggets and pack weight reduction tips Charles had on that site. Some things seemed like a bad idea until I tried them like using empty soda bottles instead of a real canteen or water bottle, using just a spoon instead of a whole mess kit, drinking lots of water at water holes instead of carrying it, etc.

The process

Lightweight hikers and ultralight hikers often get categorized as gear heads, which in a sense we are. What drives the lower pack weight is lighter gear. What I consider a gear head is a person that always needs to have the most or newest toys on the trail. When I go hiking, the last thing I want to think about is my gear, while a gear head loves talking gear and hikes just to be able to use his gear. So a gear head can be an lightweight or ultralight hiker, or they can be a 65 pound pack weekend hiker.

As I said, I started reading the internet and cutting out excess gear. My first real gear purchases were to get lighter clothing. I replace everything cotton with polyester materials which reduced weight wile working more efficiently - exactly what you want. But I didn't get the very best stuff out there, there are a lot of alternatives that may get overlooked like Wal-Mart clothing, or sale clothing at some outdoor stores, or even military surplus. Since I did that, I have replaced everything at least one more time.

Luckily I didn't have a lot of money at that time, or I would have wasted it on a lot of tents and sleeping bags (consecutively lighter) that in the end I wouldn't have been happy with. I would have ended up with probably 2 sleeping bags and three tents in my closet if I had been financially able to buy them.

My next real lightweight barrier breakthrough was making my own gear. I had avoided it for fear of dying somewhere because of failed equipment. But in 2000, I lost my coffee cup while thru-hiking the Pinhoti. That turned into a first gear invention with my Lemonade Jar. When I got off the trail, I immediately started looking at alternatives to other gear and made a Cat Stove.

So now the juices started flowing. I found some real deals on some lightweight gear like a titanium pot, sil-nylon stuff sacks, and some GoreTex clothing. I also started using a hammock and poncho set up I had sometimes used as a teenager in the local woods when camping out in the summer. Again, The Lightweight Backpacker was an inspiration because at that time a review of the Clark Jungle Hammock started me looking in that direction instead of at tents - that eventually led me to the Hennessy Hammock.

At this point I really started looking around on the internet and talking to some veteran thru-hikers like Sweeper and Hungry Howie about their lessons learned about weight reduction. The main emphasis seemed to be "think outside the box". By that I mean: don't think like a American trying to live in the woods with everything you are used to, only made in a backpacking version; think about what you need to live in the woods, and go from there. I also picked up on the notion that if it looks stupid, but it works, then it isn't stupid. So I gave up the idea of a sleeping bag and started looking for a quilt (an idea I had on a winter hike once actually) and forgoing a frame pack (internal or external) and started looking for a frameless rucksack. Also about this time I read Ray Jardine's "Beyond Backpacking" which helped, but I still prefer the internet and its sources.

Thinking outside the box has led me to some failures as well, but it has also led to some successes. Failures: SGT Rock's Wood stove - not really efficient or easy to build; the sunscreen heat reflector - simply backpacking snake oil; SGT Rock's Ruck - maybe not a failure, I just ain't light enough yet; Krill Lights - good, but not bright enough; Safewater In-Line filters - they suck. Successes: Hennessy Hammock, Moonbow Gearskin, Nunatack Backcountry Blanket, Turbo V8 stove, running shoes, etc.

Results

Well, I haven't become the 8.5 pound base weight ultralighter like Ray Jardine, but I have gotten my base weight down to a respectable 12.3. And at the same time I have made my hiking experience a lot more enjoyable. Besides being lighter and easier to move, I found my guiding axiom: "The more I carry, the more I enjoy camping; the less I carry, the more I enjoy hiking". Meaning that the more "extra crap" I remove from my pack and from my life while on the trail, the better connected I get to the surroundings and the total experience. If I want to just camp, why not load all that heavy crap in a car and go car camping. Hiking and camping are not the same thing!

While researching hiking equipment, I learned about fitness and nutrition as a by product. I've learned how to eat better food, live healthier, and avoid nutrition and dehydration problems. While researching I also learned about techniques like stealth camping, mail drops, and other ways to improve on no trace techniques as well as stay light. Not a bad deal at all!

Anyway, that is my story and I'm sticking to it.

How about your story?

[Hammock Hanger]

I was a Girl Scout and GS Leader for many many years. It was drilled into me that you never go out into the wilds w/o being prepared.

Needless to say I humped a 55 pound pack up and over a lot of mountin peaks. Not totally undoable but definately not fun.

I read many books on going light, but I HAD to have so many things to be PREPARED. After some 1800 miles on the AT I was able to work out what it meant to be PREPARED to ME!!

I now carry a base weight of 13 summer / 15 winter pack. Add to that food and water and I'm between 26 - 30 pounds. I doubt I will ever get much lighter but having cut my original pack in half has made my hiking experience much more enjoyable.

HH

[Perkolady]

A long , long time ago,,,,

I don't exactly remember how I got interested in backpacking to begin with , but when the bug really hit, I didn't know ANYONE who did this and I had no resources to find out how to get started backpacking and what gear to get and so on. So, i headed to the local library hoping for books on the subject.

Every book I brought home was from the 1950's !!!
After hungrily devouring all the chapters , I headed out to my local sporting goods shop.
Lemme tell ya...
My first trip out on the trail was a killer ! LOL
I'm 5 ft tall, and at the time i weighed 92lbs. and my pack weighed
56lbs !!
And , acording to the 'expert' recommendations in the books, I brought things along like a HATCHET,etc (you get the picture)
LOL
I was sooooo sore the next day out!
Talk about learning the HARD way !
Ever since , I have been a fast learner.
Lighter is definately more comfy !

I am SOOO very thankful for websites like this one and for wonderful people who share my passion and their willingness to share what experience has taught them !

Things sure have changed a lot from those 50's way of thinking, thank goodness !
LOL
Here's to lighter packs,
Perkolady :)

[hikerltwt]

read beyond backpacking.........woke up!

[TedB]

Hi my name is Ted and I'm a lightweight.

Growing up I did a lot of hiking and camping with my family. Spent a lot of time exploring a small patch of woods out the back door. As I grew older I was active in the Boy Scouts, where we mainly did car camping but there were a few almost-backpacking trips. It wasn't until I was in college that did my first real backpacking trip, a one night trip on the AT in the Grayson Highlands area.

On that first trip I remember a fellow hiker so out of shape hiker and overloaded that he struggled to cover the 5 miles we traveled that day. I did ok, with about 50 lbs after quite a bit of effort into gear selection. I remember that night there was one guy who was sleeping under a tarp. Now that was a hard core hiker.

Well wonderful trip and I enjoyed many more. One summer I did a 4 day solo hike on the AT in Roan Mt. area. My weight was probably a little lighter then, but not to much. On that trip I decided one day I must hike the AT. During that trip I also struggled with some knee problems that did not quickly heal when I returned.

So at this point in time I wanted to hike, I was reading up on the AT, but I had one problem, a bad knee. I had seen Ray Jardine's book before in the library, and I found his ideas interesting. However, I had a hard time trying to apply his concepts to me. Sure, I wanted to reduce my pack weight as much as anyone else, but I go hiking to enjoy myself not to race. Well this time around I had a new reason to loose pack weight. My knee wasn't doing to well, and I figured I could either drop the pack weight or stay at home. The trail was calling and the choice was easy. I was ready to do whatever it took.

This started the crazy period where I went hard core lightweight. I realized going through my gear and trying to trim weight here and there wasn't going to cut it. So I took the other approach. Start with nothing, and start adding things until I just barely have enough to be happy.

With that I mind I did a trial run to reset my pack weight near zero. I did a short (18 hour) overnight trip, with what I considered to be the absolute minimum. I choose a fall weekend after the bugs were gone, and the weather was perfect. I only went about 2 miles from my car, ready to bail out if needed. My day pack was all but empty, only three items inside.

The trip was a success, I proved to myself I can not only survive but be happy with next to nothing. The next thing to do was figure out what else I needed to add. I had read on the AT most people send gear home at the first town they come to. My goal was to do the opposite, to miss the ideal pack weight on the low side, and add gear as required.

Around this point I started to realize that I didn't have anything planned for summer break (in college), so perhaps this might be a good time to hike the AT or at least part of it. It would be my last free summer before graduating. I starting making gear as shown in Jardine's book. Made a pack, a "quilt", a tarp. Money was tight so I took the budget route to choosing gear.

I did two shake down hikes in the spring, and eventually visited a physical therapist who showed me a stretch that helped my knee. Classes were over before I knew it. Soon I was on the trail, heading north. My pack weighted in at 15 lbs at Amicalola S.P. fully loaded. I had met my goal, when I reached the first town, I didn't send stuff home, I picked stuff up.

Looking back, I think my knee injury was a blessing. The challenges and rewards of going light add a special touch to my adventures. I must adapt to the environment not it adapt to suit me. Thats the way I like it.

[stranger]

Easiest way to go light is to be simple and practical. Don't over think something that essentially doesn't really matter. However if you're out there with 50 lbs, or bringing a scale to the outfitter to weight everything...you have some problems. Cheers!

[TedB]

Stranger,

No story? Only advice? Speak up. We want to hear your story.

[stranger]

I wouldn't exactly say I have a lightweight conversion story, but here's my experience with pack weight. I have never carried a heavy pack...simply cause it sounded like alot of work. When I thru-hiked the Long Trail when I was 18 (1994) my huge external tilted the scale at 33lbs at the start. The next year I left Springer on March 2nd and my pack weighed in at Amicalola at 36lbs. And in 2001 I hiked from Waynesboro to Vernon my starting pack weight was about 27lbs.

I have always carried a pack that weighs atleast 4lbs empty, and a shelter in the vinicity of 2.5-3.5 lbs...but managed to keep weight down due to being simplistic and practical. I don't count ounces and could give a **** about a pound here or there. I have been carring a 6lb tent over here in NZ cause that's all I brought from the US...yet still have a light pack and great trips.

I guess what I meant from my last post is that you don't have to get fanatic about saving weight...I sometimes wonder if people go out there to hike OR to have a weight savings competition. Just take ONLY what you need and instead of making 35 items lighter in your pack....just bring 20 or 25. I also have very bad knees and carrying a heavy pack wasn't really an option for me anyway. Cheers!

[Skeemer]

I don't have a conversion story but am starting my first thru-hike from Springer in March. I am concerned about staying as light a possible. Clothing is my current issue. I have a Gortex parka that weighs 18 ounces. A little heavy? But it does have zippers for ventilation and should provide excellent cold/rain protection. Then I bought these Guide Pants that weigh a pound. Modern stretch/quick dry material. Should I ditch these and go with zip offs so I don't have to take a separate pair of shorts? Of course I have the silk weight t-shirts. The next question is the Fleece jacket. With the above parka should I try for a lighter fleece pullover or go with the polartec 200 midweight jacket? I've seen testimonials that the later is indespensible. But , will the 200 be too heavy in combination with the parka? Oh, the other thing I was going to carry was a compact vest of about 3/4 pound. Wondering if I probably should have gone with a light rain suit and not the expensive parka and gude pants? Now I would like to stay with the parka if possible. My experience to date has been summer hikes. Not real cold/wet hiking. Thanks in advance for comments/suggestions.

:confused:

[chris]

I'd say that it is probably best to stick with what you have, rather than shelling out money for new stuff to shed a few pounds. A goretex parka, pants, 200 wt. fleece jacket, thermal underwear, a warm hat (or two), and a pair of warm gloves should be fine, assuming that a really, really cold front (below 0) doesn't move through. When you are hiking, warmth isn't too much of an issue. Mostly, you need something for down time, like in camp, at a shelter, or taking a break. If it is bitterly cold when you stop for the day, you will probably have to get into your sleeping bag right away.

After a few miles, you may find that what you have is too much, not enough, or just too heavy. Once you have a good idea of what you need (and this varies from person to person), you can add, subtract, modify, or get new gear with confidence. In the initial stages of your hike, you pass several outfitters. Neels Gap, Wesser, Gatlinburg (if you really have to), Hot Springs, and Damascus. Getting new gear on the trail isn't a problem and after a bit of hiking, you'll find that what you thought you might need isn't relevant, or you might want something you didn't think of. It is better to start with what you have (and what you have is fine) and make good choices later on, than to buy a bunch of stuff now and find out later on that it really wasn't necessary.

[Skeemer]

Thanks Chris,
Seems like the common sense approach. In fact, I met a thru-hiker (Darma something- very nice young man) last summer who said just about that....I should not buy anything as I will get to know what I need as I hike. I forgot about Neels Gap...I've heard good things about them.

[chris]

No problem, Skeemer. Have a good hike. Part of me really wants to get back out on the AT, but the PCT is calling too loudly to ignore.

[SGT Rock]

Let me also plug the fact you don't have to buy everything you need, or that not everyting has to be made by REI, NorthFace, Polartech, etc.

You can use soda bottles for water, lemonade containers for a lot of things, make your own stove, use Wal-Mart Grease pots for cooking, GI surplus field jacket liners instead of fleece, etc.

If it looks stupid but works, it isn't stupid.

[juztyn]

Here is my story.
I used to be a XXULH (extremely extra ultra light hiker).
Here was my gear list:

Then, as I was walking, I saw the light, it was good, because it was kind of cold outside being naked and whatnot. I said to self, "change is neccessary". Therefore, I took a trip to the elite outfitter in my area (K-Mart). Now here is my new list:

Backpack - Solid Iron Reinforced Box (Old Safe), with breathable mesh shoulder straps (ultralight), no hipbelt
Shelter - 4 Room Family Tent, 3 Room Tent as backup
Sleeping Bag - Electric Blanket, Serta Matress for Pad
Extras - Generator (for blanket), Portable Dish and TV for entertainment

I weigh in at 1000lbs, so I think the 400lb base weight is easily justified as my highly developed bear back lugs it up 45 degree angles with comfort. More than that, the versatileness of the system lets me hike 500 mile days. My goal is to do a triple crown in a weekend. So that is my story. Hopefully I have inspired some of you.

[Footslogger]

With the exception of the Boy Scout Handbook I never did read anything about hiking/backpacking. I just went out and did it. I knew about the AT and PCT through the scouts but growing up in Ohio I sort of figured my chances of ever setting foot on either of them were pretty remote.

I copied other people's gear and habits for the most part. I asked a lot of questions and accumulated gear over the years.

While I was raising kids in the 70's and 80's I pretty much let the gear gather dust, doing mainly car/dump camping.

When my son was old enough to join the scouts I joined the troop with him. I pretty much became the "high adventure guy" and began taking the older more adventurous scouts out on weekend trips. I ended up leading 3 Philmont treks ('95, '97 and '99) which gave me the bug for extended distance hiking ...even though those Philmont treks were barely above 100 miles each.

The only problem was that I was still dragging a pack around that weighed well over 50 lbs. My wife hiked the AT in 2001 and I hiked along for the first 2 weeks and then again for the 100 mile wilderness. We both left Springer with big packs and it darn near killed us. I decided then and there that some of the weight HAD to go.

I set my thru hike for 2003 and got serious about weeding out the heavier and unecessary stuff from my pack. Working at REI was a big plus during that time because I got to see and play with a lot of alternative gear, not to mention coming in contact with hikers who had already "lightened up".

Little by little I got the pack weight down. I went from carrying an average of 55 lbs to my current pack weight of 24 - 26 lbs. I COULD go lighter but I'm satisfied with where I am and don't want to cut any further into comfort or safety.

'Slogger

[Seeker]

i was raised outside a city in central upstate new york. after school every day, i hit the woods for a few hours before dinner, rain or shine. there was nothing behind the house for a mile but trees, hedgerows, meadows, corn fields, horse pastures, scubby areas, hardwood forest, and a swamp with a pond in the middle. on the other side of the road, it was that way for two miles. great place to be a boy. i was fascinated by voyageurs, long hunters, indians, trappers, and frontiersmen in general, and read a lot of books on outdoor skills and camping and woodcraft. my first tent was from a green stamp catalog (ask your parents), and i camped in the back yard, with mosquitos coming in through the snaps (not zippers) in the bug net. i had a huge, heavy cotton sleeping bag, but it worked. my first real trip was a week long excursion in the high peaks area of the adirondacks with some friends. i had a cheap external frame pack, that heavy sleeping bag, a big aluminum canteen, and those steel toed plastic/leather work boots they sold at kmart. i was 9. i ached, but had a blast. i also learned why we bear bag on that trip, the hard way. i also learned that mosquito repellant on your hands will flavor your food and make your lips tingle. i joined the boy scouts shortly thereafter. for two years, i was in a fairly large and wealthy troop that had a lot of good equipment and went out about once every couple months on a short overnighter. after that, i joined my uncle's troop (not sure why i didn't do that first) and stayed with them for about 4 more years. he was an outdoorsman. one of those guys who knew how to do anything with a pocket knife, a sapling, and some cord. he passed a lot of that knowledge on to us boys, especially survival and 'all weather' skills... we camped every whatever numbered weekend every month, rain or shine, summer, fall, winter, and spring. we didn't have much 'gear' as a troop, other than our old canvas baker-style tents. but we learned a lot about staying warm and dry.

after HS, i joined ROTC, went through my summer training with this huge and heavy ALICE pack, grew in strength and wisdom, and thought i had it all figured out... two years as an infantry officer in the guard while finishing college convinced me that i didn't really like to walk though. so i spent a couple years in the cavalry, a couple years as an intel officer, got some free trips to a nameless african hell hole and a slightly better caribbean island, was stationed in germany, arizona, georgia, kentucky, and new york along the way, and got out after a total of 11 years in the service.

i then moved to tennessee, and didn't give much thought to backpacking despite being 30 miles from the smokies. i had two young kids and a business to run. after a couple years though, i started taking them for short hikes, then longer ones, then overnights up to the mount collins shelter (about a half mile off the clingman's dome access road, on the AT). i rediscovered the outdoors and started going on longer trips myself. i had a 4 lb backpack, a 3-4 lb fiberfill 2 sleeping bag, a coleman stove (440, the AAFES version of a peak1, i think), a couple nalgenes, a 1 lb water filter, and other assorted 'stuff'...oh. and that ridiculously heavy thermarest mattress that my back required to get a decent night's sleep on the ground or in a shelter. i think it all weighed around 35-40 lbs... maybe it was more. all i know is that i was still in good shape, but my shoulders, knees, and back were killing me at the end of each day. after doing it the hard way for a few years, i moved to LA for a job (in 2002).

somehow or other, i discovered that there were backpacking resources on the internet. at sgt rock's place, i found kindred spirits, informal discussion, and valuable information. rock happened to be stationed where i worked, but i didn't figure that out until he left (he now lives 15 miles from where i lived in TN!) his hammock information appealed to me, since i was now in a semi-tropical environment much different from the smokies... the heat, rain and humidity, and mosquitos needed a different approach. i was particularly impressed with his description of having stayed dry through a tropical storm that hit the area. it was my first experience with this stuff, and i hadn't liked it much (and i went through it in a house, not a hammock.) in any case, i started paying attention to what rock was saying.

i read about silnylon tarps. so i made myself a tarp, thinking that would save some weight, made a few other changes, and got my weight down to maybe 30-35 lbs. i was still sore and my knees still hurt. something was still wrong. i traded my old pack in for a kelty trekker. but my load still hurt. eventually, somehow, i realized that a whole new mindset was required ('essential' vs 'nice to have'), which also meant overcoming a military officer's propensity to worst-case everything and over-plan. after that, things just sort of fell into place. i stole rock's gear spreadsheet and reworked it as my own, with my own gear in it. i listed what i had, and what i eventually wanted to replace it with. that single step was probably the biggest eye opener. it's unbelievable until you actually sit down and weigh every single piece of gear on a digital scale, how heavy stuff really is, and how quickly it adds up. after i did that, is sort of went like this:

-i bought a hennessey hammock to replace a tent and saved about 2.5 lbs. it weighs about 2 lbs. i made one that weighs 17oz, but i prefer the HH setup, so i'll keep using it and put my daughter in the homemade one.
-i kept my blue foam pad for the hammock until i could afford a JRB underquilt (heavier, but only by 11oz, and the convenience factor, plus double duty as a jacket, overcame the weight gain).
-i replaced the kelty trekker with a golite gust and saved 3.5 lbs.
-i replaced my North Face Thunderhead bag with a more suitable and lighter WM Caribou down bag. it's only good to about 35-40*, but that's all i need down here in LA. the only other place i go camping is in TN or NY in the summer. it saved me about 2.5 lbs too.
-i replaced my stove and gas container with a homemade pepsi stove, saving about 1.5lbs. i later converted to rock's ion stove (saved a whole ounce on that one!)
-i replaced a heavyish set of rain gear for some dropstoppers and saved about a pound.
-i started carrying my water in soda bottles and a platypus 2l bladder vs nalgene and a huge 6 qt water bladder. i got rid of the stainless steel cutlery set, the hatchet, saw, big knife, water filter, heavy AA flashlight, and multiple changes of clothes.
-i replaced a heavy non-stick set of MSR cookware with a walmart greasepot, and then later obtained an MSR Titan kettle. they weigh the same, the greasepot holds more, but i like the compactness of the Kettle (my whole kitchen fits inside, stove, cup, lighter, windscreen, scrubbie, soap, and all, and i still have room for a packet or two of soup or cocoa).

in short, i replaced everything that could be replaced at what i considered an acceptable price with something lighter. i got rid of redundant items, or items that didn't get used daily. it took about 2 years (i saved for a year to get the one sleeping bag, and another year to get the JRB underquilt) to get it all, but it was worth it.

i also experimented with the hammock. it is possible to stay dry in a southern downpour with the small stock tarp. but i will be getting a larger McCat tarp someday (that's my last replacement piece).

somewhere along the way, i picked up a copy of jardine's book. i was already leaning toward the light, so to speak, but his book explained to me 'why'... i hate marketers, people who sell ice to eskimos, that sort of thing... and i majored in marketing in college, and sold cars at one low point in my life... i know a little about how advertising works on the mind of the masses... i liked most of what i read in his book, but especially the part about gear and why it's built as heavy as it is... what i intuitively sensed was explained in pretty clear terms, and i've not looked back.

my current base load (skin out, no food, no water, no fuel) is about 13 lbs or so. i can go to about 11 in the heat of summer down here, and with a heavier sleeping bag and thicker longjohns and fleece could probably get by with about 15lbs up north in the fall/spring.

i don't know why rock's site made such an impression on me and my thinking... but i'm grateful, especially in regard to the hammock stuff. and i know that if it weren't for him, dozens of soda cans might still be alive, instead of burned and cut up and thrown out as scrap, feeding my stovie addiction. and i definitely feel that i'd still be carrying a 30lb pack.

thanks Rock. u da man. "toujours pret".

[Just Jeff]

My story is much like Skidsteer's...

I grew up in the woods - my mom's parents had 11 acres right next to my dad's parents' 12 acres, right next to my friends' who-knows-how-many acres...and we were always out there. Great place to be a boy.

I didn't start heavy b/c I couldn't afford it. I used a shower curtain and a regular house blanket. Sometimes I'd even put it in a duffle bag b/c I didn't have a backpack, even for school. Then I got an aluminum mess kit from the flea market, and a plastic canteen, and I had everything I needed. No fancy gadgets.

Moved around a bit, went to the city and had to camp in the backyard and pretend to adventure in the nearby parks. Joined a BSA troop but the camping trips were always car camping and jamboree things - car camping has never really interested me other than for family time - so I quit after a few months to look for something more adventurous.

Joined the Naval Sea Cadets in high school to work with planes, then a Force Recon guy showed up and we started a little Recon/SEAL training unit. Went camping with nothing more than what we could strap onto our web gear - not even ALICE packs. That's where I first started sleeping in hammocks, too - one of those nylon string hammocks they sell in the Exchange. Woke up shivering in the rain on top of Mt Yonah one night - thoroughly drenched with water dripping off my butt (lowest point in the hammock). But I learned a VERY valuable lesson that night - all the sudden, laying there all wet, I realized I had been colder than that before on some of the other training we did. Once I realized I had been colder and come through it ok, I was immediately calm and stopped shivering...and ended up going back to sleep with no problems. At that point, as a 17 year old and before I even went to basic, I realized the value of training. I had been through worse, so I could put the current discomfort aside and get some rest for the next day's activities.

Then I got to the Academy and went through survival training - even starving and carrying a pack made from a cut up parachute harness with TWO FULL SETS OF EXTRA BDUs and that damn issued down bag, I still had a great time humping through the mountains. Became an instructor the following two summers but the pack was never more than about 50 lbs (we had to carry some student safety gear or it would have been even lighter).

Then after I had a decent paycheck and started hiking for fun, I thought I had to get all of "that stuff" that hikers carry. 5-6 pound pack, thermarest, multiple flashlights, etc. I never carried a big tent, though - just used a military poncho. Even so, my pack was probably 60 lbs...frequently had to stop on uphills just to rest, knees screaming on downhills, didn't even want to pick it up in the morning. Always sore from the second day on.

After my first AT trip from Buena Vista, VA, I decided there's a better way and started looking up stuff on the internet. Found TrailForums, then SGT Rock's and Whiteblaze, then got a Hennessy and found hammockcamping. The good stuff had started. Then I got Beyond Backpacking - I don't agree with everything in there but that was probably the most influential source that changed how I look at my pack.

Then I got the JRB set and a 31oz pack and I was pretty much set...until I got the gear testing bug...and now my bank account suffers for it!

Got my pack weight pretty low just to show myself that I could do it comfortably, then let it creep back up because I really don't feel much difference between 15-25 lbs. My base weight is usually somewhere around 12 lbs when I solo and always under 30 lbs total weight even in winter (haven't done more than a 3 day winter trip, though).

Nothing too exciting...no 120 lbs infantry packs or anything...but it's been a fun trip.

[River Runner]

I had camped a lot with my family as a child (mostly RV camping), but in spite of being interested, didn't start backpacking until about 3 years ago. I read everything I could get my hands on about it before starting out, and started out light to medium weight. I'm still working on lightening up - my biggest weight now is food and water - I always carry too much food and seldom start with less than 3.5 liters of water. In spite of a fairly low base weight, my pack usually ends up somewhere between 32-35 pounds total because of that. My next few trips I'm going to work on reducing food and carrying less water between sources.
My worst mistake as a beginner was buying an inexpensive (but under 2 lb) sleeping bag. Although it's rated for 40 F, I've never been comfortable sleeping in it under 60 F. After a few shivery nights, I ended up making a Ray Jardine quilt, and liked it quite well, but I am converting to down. Last winter I bought a Western Mountaineering ultralight with 2 oz overfill, and love it. I sleep in a Hennessy Hammock (purchased after two nights in a borrowed tent) & love that too. The worst thing with the hammock has been figuring out an insulation system. Currently I'm using a cut-down Therm-a-Rest Large, with the width working quite well in the hammock. I've considered a down quilt to reduce bulk and for comfort, but they are heavier and would provide no insulation if I need to go to ground.
I've used only three stoves (Pocket Rocket, pepsi can stove, and cat food can stove). The cat food can stove is my favorite because it is so simple and easy to make, plus it seems to work the best overall. I'm still using my original pots (GSI Double Boiler), but instead of taking both, I just select the one sized the best for my needs for a given trip - the small pot for solo trips and the larger one for trips where I will be sharing cooking gear. I've changed several other pieces of gear around (a couple of different filters to my current KlearWater treatment; an endless array of different clothing components; lighter stuff sacks; other misc. small items). An item I will probably lighten in the future is my pack (currently a 4 lb model with a great carry). For now, I'm fairly satisfied, but I'm always tinkering a bit.

[PKH]

One thing in particular struck me in Sgt Rock's original post: the importance and influence of The Light Weight Backpacker web site. It was a revelation to me and a tremendous source of ideas and information. When I first encountered the site I was carrying a 40 lb pack, and I too thought that 27 lb seven day pack was pure fantasy. Not anymore. Amazing.

Cheers,

PKH

[SGT Rock]

The Light Weight Backpacker is still the best source of information on going light around IMO. Better than RJs Book because it has lots of stuff to read, has a great interactive forum where you can exchange ideas, puts up reviews of lots of varied good gear, and links to places where you can go buy it. Add to that a section of lots of plans for great gear you can make yourself. And it is all FREE! You are not stuck buying into one guys philosophy and strategy for pack weight reduction.

[dloome]

I wish I had a funny ultralight conversion story about carrying a 60 pund pack. But I don't. Before I'd ever backpacked, I did a lot of bike touring (still do) carrying way too much gear. I remember wanting to do some backpacking and knew it would suck if my pack weighed anything close to what my loaded bike did. I aproached the issue like an engineer, started out with an 11 lb base weight on my 1st hike, now down to about 6.5 for normal 3-season conditions, around 9.5 for moderate winter condtions.
Beyong Backpacking is a great resource even though I personally am not a big fan of RJ.

[SuperTroll]

Short and sweet...

I hiked as a teen...Carried everything....all of it heavy.

Graduated High School..Draft number 67.....JOINED the Army to avoid the draft...I got to choose my field then....(Ended up in Army Special Forces).

SF Teams pack for the mission first with heavy emphasis on the "What if's?"

Maybe you get ExFil'ed, maybe you gotta hump out....(SF is a STRATEGIC asset... we work well behind Enemy Lines)...my load before "What if's" was usually 100+ lbs....

Lotsa Jumps, Lotsa Miles, Lotsa weight...lotsa joint problems now that I'm 53......

I wasn't converted, I was FORCED to lightER packing...and the older I get the more I have to cut the weight....

DOWN SIDE: I still, after being retired for more than 11 years, can't beat the psychological need to pack for "What if"...even on a dayhike.....

Dayhike load is 25/30 LBS......weekends is at 50/60 lbs...I've cut the load by HALF...Mom would be so proud of me....

[Blissful]

I've decided there is no way to convince a sixteen-year-old to go light when packing. Maybe on the thru next year when he endures two weeks of the GA mtns he will think about lightening the load. But he wants to take all these little things that all add up (like a metal carabiner to hang his hat on, etc. argh). And of course, his knife with a three inch blade. Maybe he just needs to live and learn.

[mingo]

I've decided there is no way to convince a sixteen-year-old to go light when packing. Maybe on the thru next year when he endures two weeks of the GA mtns he will think about lightening the load. But he wants to take all these little things that all add up (like a metal carabiner to hang his hat on, etc. argh). And of course, his knife with a three inch blade. Maybe he just needs to live and learn.

are you talking about your kid? why don't you just tell him what to carry and be done with it? who's the adult there?

[Doctari]

WOW, some great stories here.

Like Bleach, I was a bike camper, and I carried way too much gear (including a tupperwear 1 gallon "tub" I used to wash dishes in. And I carried dishes.) Never did learn my lesson. Oddly: the bike was as light as avalable 30 years ago, I had it custom built, but I still "Had to have" all that heavy and un-used gear to camp. It took 4 panniers AND I still had to tie my sleeping bag on top of the back rack. :rolleyes:

So, when I started backpacking, I continued the "tradition" of carrying all that d*** gear. First trip was an overnighter, only 8 miles each way on fairly easy terrain. I used the pack I now use, but I had it WAY OVERSTUFFED, 40 Lbs of stuff in a 15 Lb sack. I had a GREAT time, came home and , , , , , , wait for it, , , , , Bought a bigger pack, so I could carry more stuff. Oh boy, am I a slow learner!

Then I got the chance to hike the AT from Springer to Dick's Creek!
Thought process: It's march, in the mountains, I have to carry LOTS & LOTS OF WARM CLOTHING! (Or I'll die?) And 6 days of food, even tho I'll be resupplying at day 4. I think I even had 5 pairs of socks :rolleyes: & I'll need a LOT of fuel for my stove (1 ltr for that section, OMG) and: 2 ltr steel cook pot with lid, alumimum fry pan, 2 nalgene water bottles, 2 gallon water bag, Big knife, spatula, spoon, fork, small pepper mill, and the list goes on embaressingly long.

Yes, I took a pepper mill.

What happened: Threw away or shipped home about 80% of my extra clothing, left "tons" of food in the Yi's hiker box.

Second trip on the AT, carried less clothing, but not much less. Smaller kitchen, but not by much.

3rd trip: I did a little better, on returning home I figured that my main problem was my pack was too big, allowing me to carry all that STUFF. "I should go to a smaller pack, even have one in the basement"

4th trip: still carried the big one (nearly 4000 CI). But It was nearly empty, with nothing tied on, I was now down to about 39 Lbs, from about 65 that first trip.

After the 4th trip I decided to actually figure out what I had used or not & discard the not used stuff. Oh, my, 1/2 my pack was empty space now. Got the smaller (about 2000 ci) pack & it all fit inside. All of it, even the sleeping pad. Have since taken a few local hikes, and found that at (about) 29 lbs, I sometimes have to check to see if my pack is on. That's 29 Lbs FSO with water & 4 days food. I carry 4 days not because I'm out that long, but because all of my hikes are either on the AT or to test gear / train for the AT. I almost float down the trail as compared to hike #1 with an estimated FSO of 70+ Lbs. I'm more comfortable in camp than I ever was carrying all that crap, I eat as well and sooner. Still cannot figure out what I was thinking in regards all that winter gear, I usually don't get cold, even been known to wear shorts & tee shirt outside at 35 degrees.

Someday I'll go lighter, but now I'm happy, and I have used either homemade gear or "recycled" stuff not really intended to be BP gear.

What I need to get lighter: Over quilt & under quilt to replace my very bulky & heavy sleeping bag. Lighter pack, I like the size, but mine is "bomb proof" nylon, I figure syl or even just regular nylon would do the job at 1/2 the weight. I may then loose the hiking poles, thereby saving about 1.5 Lbs. And switch to runners instead of lightweight boots, altho my boots are "Only" 1 lb each so may keep them till I wear em out.
Natch all this takes $$$, so I have to wait.



Doctari.

[Engine]

I started backpacking in my early teens after many nights spent "camping" prior to that. My first backpack was a bright orange "black sheep" brand external frame and I used a store brand sleeping bag that likely weighed around 4 pounds. I still remember trying to decide what to put into the many exterior pockets on the pack, since it just didn't make sense to leave them empty.:)

Those early trips were almost always solo and usually weekend length journeys around the White River in Michigan. My pack probably weighed about 40 pounds for a weekend trip, what with my 4 pound hatchet and all.

Fast forward 12 years and I was introducing my family to backpacking. I had 4 children and my loving wife had zero experience on the trail. I still vividly remember our first family trip of ten days in the Smoky Mountains. I carried all the food for 6 of us and on day one my pack weighed an honest to God 81 pounds. During that trip my right anterior thigh went numb and the feeling didn't return for 3-4 weeks afterward. We continued to go 2 or 3 times a year for the next 8 years or so and other than the kids getting big enough to share the food load, very little changed as far as gear goes.

Over the past few years Vet (my wife) and I have whittled away at pack weight, but only to the point where she would start at around 36-38 pounds and I would be around 50. Better, but far from good!

Last December I took a 20 foot fall while mountain biking and was busted up pretty good. The after effects from that crash have caused me to rethink my backpacking strategy. I had always thought the UL weights I saw sounded wonderful, but I doubted the "comforts" could still be possible.

Well, we are now committed to achieving the optimum compromise between UL and comfort. That is going to vary from person to person, so it might take some experimenting, but we are well on our way. As long as the Tarp Tent Rainbow 2 I ordered an hour ago (YAY!) is around the advertised weight, my big 4 (pack, tent, bag, pad) will come in at 6 lbs. 7 oz. for 3 season use.

My old Gregory Wind River weighed 8 1/2 pounds by itself! Vet won't have to deal with a tent and her big 3 will be 6 lbs. 1 oz. (including a heavier bag as she is a cold sleeper). Her old Gregory weighed over 7 pounds on its own.

We are taking our first trial run with the new "system" in late April for a week from Springer headed NOBO and I'll let everyone know how it went, but for now I cannot wait to hike comfortably in trail running shoes under a total pack weight of maybe 24-25 pounds tops...:banana

[sherrill]

On my thru in 83 I started out with a partner, sharing a Eureka Timberline, of which we split the poles, stakes, body, and fly.

It only took a couple of weeks for him to realize that hiking wasn't his thing, so he decided to bag his hike and I carried on.

It only took a couple of days to realize that carrying that 2 man tent wasn't working for me (for obvious reasons).

Well, being broke and desperate can make one pretty crafty. I found a stretch of 3 mil plastic and some cord in a construction dumpster and learned to fashion a tarp out of it.

Between that piece of plastic and a few shelters I made it to Maine. Not saying I didn't have some rough patches but it made me appreciate the lighter things in life.

[Surplusman]

I started backpacking in the 1950's, when cotton and WWII surplus were kings. I drifted away from backpacking and hiking in general until about 6-7 years ago. Unfortunately, early on a grabbed a copy of Backpacker, and was shocked at the prices on the gear they had touted in there. No way I could afford that stuff...but I did have plenty of military surplus since I had an internet surplus business. So that's what I began hiking with again. But I soon retired most of it because of the weight. And although I hadn't heard of the ultralight movement yet, I began trying to cut down weight on everything and looking for inexpensive clothing and equipment on the internet. There's a lot out there. Some of it is crap, but a lot is good stuff. I suffered a stroke in July 07, and my right side was completely useless. I had to learn to walk and use my arm and hand all over again. But one driving force in my rehab was knowing that I was going to hike the AT again. And that I did last October, going from Benedict Pond to Tyringham, MA. I still have a slight limp in my right leg, and I can't go galloping over miles of trail in a day like I used to, but I'm out there! But I packed too much last October, and when I got home, exhausted but happy, I started weighing items and figuring out how to cut my pack weight drastically. Since I'm on disability, I still don't have a lot of $ to spend, so some stuff is going to have to do until I get my sewing skills back up to par. Right now, I am going to use a little 690 CI military assault pack. That's all I have. But it's a darn sight better that the big thing with 30 lbs in it that I stumbled along the AT with last year. If it doesn't fit into that little pack, it isn't going with me. So far I've been able to whittle the weight down to about 11 lbs for everything excluding water. This is for a 3-day, 2-nighter.

For me, getting things down as light as I can is a real necessity because of my right leg. A heavy pack is dangerous in my case! But I have found out that I can still hike and be comfortable, well-fed, and do it safely,
and with minimum weight. I love the challenge of the whole concept and I love putting it into practice. Yes, it DOES make hiking more enjoyable.
I've said it in other posts, and I'm going to say it again: The "good old days" of backpacking are right now, not the 1950's or any other time. Enjoy them.

[scrivner]

Hello,

I guess I’ll take a run at answering this question. I’ve been hanging out here and asking questions and some folks have been helpful. Maybe my experiences will be helpful to someone.

As a kid I spent most of my free time in the woods or the library. Enthralled by the Leatherstocking Tales and stories of long hunters, Daniel Boone and Roger’s Rangers I took to the woods at a fairly early age. As I recall I was nine the first time I headed out for a spring weekend on my own.

For gear I had a blanket roll my mom showed me how to rig and carry across my chest, a butcher knife from her kitchen and a canvas haversack my uncle had from the Army. I carried his old Army canteen, a small box of strike anywhere matches, a couple cans of beans, a stack of baloney and some bread in the haversack. There might have been a Tootsie Roll or two in there too. I also had some fishhooks and line. In my part of the Midwest anyone could catch bass or catfish on bread balls.

I cooked my fish on a stick over an open fire and slept rolled up in my blanket next to the creek, where I discovered that mosquitoes like to hang around water. The trip went well and I made many more trips over the summer, making some changes in gear and methods, but staying close to what I started with.

A neighbor, an old guy who said he was in War I, and looked it, showed me how to use a number 10 can with a wire for a pot, how to make a hobo stove and how to snare rabbits with wire. I went out with him a few times. He carried an old S&W .22 pistol with which he shot all kinds of small game, which he cooked over our fires. He also carried a pint of whiskey and liked to tell stories over the campfire, which I thought was just great. He ran a trap line along the Wabash River, and taught me a little about trapping.

For my tenth birthday I bought myself a .22 rifle and a canvas boy scout knapsack with money from my paper route. That summer I graduated from weekends to three and four day trips, and finally near the end of summer mom let me go for a whole week. By then I could pretty much count on fish, rabbit or squirrel for dinner most nights. Often friends went with me. But more often I went alone. I just had no interest in baseball or any other summer activity. By the time I was twelve I had read every book in the library on the outdoors, including Nesmunk, and was at home in the woods. I never weighed anything, but would be surprised if I ever carried more than about ten or twelve pounds, including my .22

Notice I haven’t used the word “backpacking.” I don’t think I even heard that word until the 60s. I thought of what I was doing as woods wandering. At thirteen I discovered girls and that was the end of my woods wandering for quite a few years.

Although we called it “humping” I did quite a bit of what some might call backpacking while in service with the 82nd Airborne Division and the 7th Special Forces Group. Very little of that was what I would consider recreational, but it was informative.

After the service I traveled to a number of different countries in Asia, Latin America and Europe, and in some instances I was doing what could be called backpacking; I had a pack, I carried my gear.

I spent about six months traveling around Europe with a canvas rucksack and a one-man tent. I bought my outfit in a mountaineering store in Paris and would guess it weighed in at no more than twenty pounds, including a bota full of cheap red wine, a baguette and a foot-long salami. After humping ordinance for Sam I had no interest in carrying any more than I had to carry and figured out that the lightest weight item was the one I didn’t bring: no cook pot, stove, or heavy sleeping bag.

I used the same rucksack for some extended trips in Latin America, including a good many miles on foot in remote areas, some of them not mapped at that time, late 60s early 70s. I substituted a Yucatan hammock, a serape and a poncho for my sleeping bag and tent and lived on tortillas and whatever the Indians were eating. Didn’t do any cooking myself, so no cooking gear, just a cup, a spoon, and a water bottle, and a Randall knife and .22 pistol. I guess that was backpacking too, and pretty lightweight at that.

Back in the U.S. I read Colin Fletcher’s book about backpacking and realized I was just a lazy woods loafer and had to get me some real gear if I wanted to be a real backpacker. So I bought a double walled tent and a ground pad, a nifty minus zero down bag, a bunch of those little plastic boxes, and a nesting pot set, and one of those killer brass Svea stoves and.. Well, you get the idea. I even bought a pair of those cool Italian leather mountaineering boots for a hundred bucks, probably weighed about seven pounds.

In my spare time over the next few years I humped the Eastern and Western Mountains with a load of about forty-to-fifty pounds. Boy, this was real backpacking I thought. Somewhere along one of those trails I decided I wasn’t having so much fun. But hey, it was real backpacking. Right? Right?

My work took me back to Asia, and during a long down time I went island hopping through the Philipines and Indonesia. On land I traveled by foot, Tuk Tuk and Jeepney. I got rides on local boats (fishermen and shell gathers) from island to island. I walked most of the length of Luzon and Cebu and carried all my gear, but I didn’t have a backpack so I don’t know if this was backpacking or not.

My entire outfit consisted of: a sarong to cover up with at night, a head net, a poncho, an oversized tin cup from a local market, a little bag with a sliver of soap, a toothbrush and a comb, a pair of thin cotton shorts, a t-shirt, an empty Johnny Walker bottle for water, and my Randall knife. I wore a long sleeved shirt of thinnest cotton and drawstring pants of the same fabric, sandals, a straw hat and sunglasses, and my watch.

For food I carried about a pound of par-boiled rice that you can get in any Chinese market; it cooks like instant rice, and some dried fish and vegetables also from the market. I foraged or bought fresh fruit along the way and caught a fish from time to time. Mostly I ate with friendly local folks. My whole outfit went into a canvas shoulder bag from Brady of England. They still make the same bag.

By the late 70s I was busy with other things and backpacking didn’t seem like much fun anymore, especially since backpacking meant humping forty or fifty pounds if I wanted to get into the mountains. Then I met Don Douglas, who was CEO of Alpenlight, a 80s era maker of lightweight backpacking gear. Don hipped me to lightweight gear and I decided to give backpacking another try.

I bought one of his packs, which weighed one pound and held 3000 ci. Now I started getting all technical. I even bought a scale to weigh my new gear: a one pound sleeping bag, 12 ounce bivy sac, a Gaz stove and not much else. I wore Patagonia midweight long johns, a Patagonia Anorak, about eight ounces, Patagonia Baggy shorts, and a pair of New Balance running shoes. I had some great trips in the Western mountains, just traveling easy, and as fast or slow as I wanted. With no more than eighteen to twenty pounds on my back I could stay out for a week or two, sneak up on marmots and deer, run boulders if I felt like it, and in general just have a great time, more fun in the outdoors than I had had in years.

Then life took me down other roads and I didn’t go backpacking (now I knew I was really backpacking) or spend much time outdoors for some years. I gave all my gear to my brother-in-law. When my sons got to a certain age I decided that the city life they were living was not enough, and that part of raising kids was spending some time in the dirt.

I taught them to travel in the Western mountains with minimum gear: wool blanket, poncho, knife, foraging and fishing gear, pretty much the way I had learned. Showed them how to make jerky, dry vegetables and do a little trapping and fishing. Then I took them to Boulder Outdoor Survival School, where they learned flint knapping and other primitive skills. Along the way I found out I was again having fun in the outdoors. But I also found that I was not so comfortable any more rolled up in a blanket on a bed of grass. My old bones, and old injuries, wanted some comfort.

We went to buy some new backpacking gear, but we found that there was no lightweight gear to be had. This was…oh, middle, late, 90s I think. Everything in the stores was “bombproof,” which made little sense to me, since I am certainly not bombproof, and I knew my boys weren’t either. Anyway, we did the best we could. The boys got their gear and off they went on their own into the mountains, then to Europe, and into adulthood. And me?

Well, due to accidents and injuries, chronic severe illness and the general press of life, I haven’t been backpacking, woods wandering, or anything like that for more years than i want to count. A while back my boys started nagging me to get off my ancient butt and get outside again. So, I decided that while I’m still breathing I’d like to take at least one more long walk, which I am now planning, probably a thousand miles or so.

I started looking around and found this site. I’ve learned a bit from reading and asking questions here, but I’m still not where I want to be in terms of knowledge about current gear. Due to various physical impediments, my current goal in this game is to develop an ultralight outfit that will allow me to travel on foot for extended periods and camp in at least minimal comfort. I can figure out lightweight with comfort. Ultralight in comfort, not there yet.

Thanks to all who have offered me suggestions.

Best regards to all,

Scrivner

[robb]

What did it for me was 2 key things...

1. The dawn of Adventure Racing whcih forced me to re-evalaute everything I was carrying

2. The reluctant acquisition of amy first Hennessey Hammock.

Now it's almost painfully obvious what I need and don't, and it has spilled into my everyday life. I travel quite a bit for a living, and my colleagues are consistently amazed at how little I pack.

[Connie]

Every year, our family vacation was car camping in National Parks and National Forests, combined with fly fishing, canoeing, photography and camp cooking on a small campfire or Coleman stove.*

The Girl Scouts 18-day backpack (with mules) in the North Cascades, Washington State was another highlight of my early backpacking experiences.*

In high school, I was sponsored into Basic Mountaineering, at Olympic College. Naturally, the mountains we climbed were in Olympic Mountain National Park. We had a practice climb, at Sherman Rock (Seattle, WA) and "little Si" next to Mt. Si near Issaquah, WA.

In college, I was a co-founder of Outdoor Program at Western Washington State College, Bellingham, WA. It was a successful program: we "rented equipment" holding the Student Union card, essential ID in those days, the equipment was olny for our aponsored trips. We had sign-up sheets briefly describing the trip and listing required clothing and equipment. Experienced members of the Outdoor Program could sponsor a trip.

In college days, I met Ivon Choinard at Smith Rock's rock climbing clinic, sponsored by the University of Oregon - Outdoor Program. I met Jim Whittaker, involved in a rescue on Mt. Rainier.

I bet Jim Whittaker had the biggest pack sold. Ivon Choinard had one of his minimalist rock climbing day packs.

However, I had got interested in lightweight backpacking during that 18-day backpack with the Girl Scouts.

I had carried my first lightweight pack in Basic Mountaineering.*

I was challenged right on the trail. I had to dump out my pack, to show everyone I had the 10-essentials and I did: not just "token" 10-essentials either, but practical and utilitatian 10-essentials plus a few extras, as a matter of fact.

My 1st Mountain Rescue and my 1st experience as a rope leader, I got a U.S. Navy Seal and his "buddy" sent by their commander for "mountain training" safely off the mountain. I had to carry that military man's heavy pack on top of my pack.*

I think he had rocks in his pack!

I was 15 years old.

I think I will always prefer ultralightweight and lightweight backpacking.

[Edvvard]

Hi my name is Ted and I'm a lightweight.



Hi Ted.


What happened for me was just last spring (09). I went camping with a few friends, but we had to walk about a mile to our campsite. Anyway, I had an Eberlestock pack, USGI intermediate sleeping bag(old 60's version),ka-bar knife , a USMC tent, and all sorts of other heavy things.


Well. After reaching our campsite, I decided something needed to be done... I had to get lighter weight and lose tons of gear. I went based on what I read about peoples 'bug-out bags'

This year, I have cut my pack weight from i think about 50 lbs to about 18 lbs by making my own gear and leaving things at home

[Grampsb]

Growing up in west central Mn in the 1950's spend time in the outdoors as a Boy Scout and backpacking with friends. Back then we didn't think too much about weight. I had a old army surplus framed rucksack and I think a Colman sleeping bag. I also had a BS cook set but no stove. We generally cooked over open flame. Also took several trips to the Boundary Water and we had old Gurman Aluminum canoes. Talk about heavy.

Joined the military in 64 and got out camping (unfortunately) until about 2005. Got back into it and visited a local outfitter. Spend about 4 hours in the store with the sales rep and I got some petty good advice. I was in shock (both sticker and technology wise) on how the gear had changed over the years. Anyway I walked out with an Osprey Ariel 65 (I have a small frame) a NF Rock 22 (could not affordd the MSR Hubba and I needed a 2 man tent), a NF Kilo sleeping bag, Pocket rocket, atitaniumm cook kit plus other gear.

I started to search the internet and found sites like WB, BLP, Hiking HQ, Hammock Forms plus others. From these sites I learned about lighter options such as replacing the Nagel with Pepsi or Coke bottles, tarps, Hammocks and companies that make high quality light weight gear.

In 2007 I took my 17 year old grandson to the Boundary Waters for his first real camping/canoe experience. Once again, surprise, K elver canoes weighting only 44 lbs.

I am currently in the process of lighting my load. I have so gotten a TT Moment, a ULA Circuit and a much lighter and compact sleeping pad. As most everyone says it an ongoing process.

As far as making my own gear I am not well skilled in that area, but hope to acquire some of that skill in the future.

[Country Roads]

I took up backpacking to go farther. I was pretty clueless and knew no one that bpacked. The only new piece of gear I bought was a camptrails external frame pack. I used the stuff I already had from car camping; Ouch!
I am not that big: 5 ft and at that time only weighed 104 pounds. That pack weighed around 35 pounds for a weekend hike. I had fun, but could not go farther; which is what I wanted to do.

Found Jardine's book Beyond Backpacking. Did not adopt many of his ideas, but what the book did do was get me to think outside the box of traditional backpacking.
So, I carefully replaced heavier stuff as money would allow, made much of my gear and haunted the Goodwill and Salvation Army stores for name brand "good stuff" that was only a few dollars.
I love to make stuff and it is nice to make a stove to cook on that is as light and efficient as one that costs 10 or more times the price; make my own stuff sacks, cook pots, etc.

Weekend trips are now with around 13 to 15 pounds depending on the weather, water sources and how well I want to eat.
My hike through the Roller Coaster carrying 3 1/2 days of food was 19 pounds at Chester Gap. Still hate the roller coaster, but the light pack made it bearable.
I can now go farther; All Good!