View Full Version : Tips
GeneralLee10
02-12-2009, 21:52
I was thinking something like this mite help some people that are trying to cut weight. So I thought all of you guys and gals that are UL hikers mite be able to give some useful tips on going UL or to just help lighten the load. Tips not just for the AT but all around tips.
Thank You
A tip I have its not about UL but you said a tip. While on the trail PLEASE, PLEASE brush your teeth.
GeneralLee10
02-12-2009, 22:03
Not a light tip but most definitely a Good one. Know one likes to smell death:eek: when they are talking to you.
SGT Rock
02-12-2009, 22:14
Everything should have more than one function. If it looks stupid but it works - it isn't stupid (dirtbagging tip). If it weighs more than 2 pounds, find a new one.
Caveman of Ohio
02-12-2009, 22:22
Don't eat yellow snow.
1) Use a frameless backpack, learn how to pack it.
2) Use a lightweight shelter - tarp, tarptent, or hammock.
3) Carry a light cookset (or none in the summer).
4) Combine clothing and sleeping bag to achieve lowest anticipated temps.
5) Don't use a sleeping bag liner unless it's a vapor barrier liner (for extremely low temps.). Use long underwear, silk pajamas, etc. You just can't do much with a liner except sleep in it. If it's made of cloth and you can't wear it, think again.
6) Think multiple use (see above). Another example might be to buy a light knife with a can opener included in the blade selection. Using a P-38 is a hassle. (Victorinox makes a better opener than Wenger - my opinion).
7) When you get your load down below 30 lbs. (hopefully WELL below 30), consider low top hiking shoes or trail runners. Less weight on your back means your ankles won't be subjected to as much stress, and, it's been said, "a pound on your feet is like 5 on your back". I couldn't agree more.
8) Use quick cooking or no-cook foods. Faster cooking means you won't have to carry as much fuel.
Let me think of a few more. :p
Hope that helps. :)
2nd the 2 function rule my other main rule is fewer items
The seven best places that I can think of to cut weight (in addition to what others have already written about every item having multiple uses):
Most "traditional" hikers can easily shed 5-12 pounds with these first four:
1) Get a lighter weight pack
2) Get a lighter weight tent/tarp/hammock/shelter system
3) Get a lighter sleeping bag
4) Get a lighter sleeping pad
This next one is SO obvious. Nearly everyone who wants to cut weight firmly believes it. However, we also routinely fail to follow this advice with great regularity....
5) The weight of EVERY item is important. So often we say to ourselves: "This item is ONLY 8 ounces more (or 4 oz more, 2 oz. more, 1 oz. more etc)". Those ounces will add up to pounds MUCH quicker than you think. (Best example: I'll just bring ONE more pair of socks, just ONE more shirt--or just a TINY bit heavier outer layer etc.). No item weighs "next to nothing"!
6. Watch the weight of your food and water. Some people simply carry far too much "extra" drinking water--"just in case". Remember, water weighs 2.25 lbs per liter. Also, try to have most of your food be "dried" or "dehydrated" (or something similar). Apples are 85% water. Peaches are 90% water. A can of condensed chicken noodle soup weighs 10.25 ounces. However, a foil pouch of dehydrated /dried chicken noodle soup weighs less than one-half ounce. Well, you get the point.
7. REMEMBER: You ACTUALLY need far fewer items than you THINK you need. (I am relatively new to light and ultralight hiking. After 30 years of "traditional" hiking, I am having to TOTALLY re-think my list of what is REALLY essential or necessary.)
Montana AT05
02-13-2009, 02:21
First of all, if you aren't the kind of hiker who hikes long hours, you should reconsider if you really need or want to go lightweight. If you enjoy half day hikes to a camp where you relax and enjoy yourself, then pack when you can!
If, on the other hand, you like hike dawn to dusk, and your idea of camp is a place to eat and sleep, then you might want to go ultralight.
If the latter:
Think about weight AND volume. Volume is important and often overlooked--if your pack is compressed and tight, you can carry it easier and it's more comfortable. There is no need to fill every ounce of any pack.
For volume (and usually weight):
Get rid of fleece items. Go with the newer materials like North Face Apex or the lighter stuff from niches gear makers (Montane makes wonderfully light and packable wind pant and top (made from pertex) that are nice for in camp and as a warm layer at night)
Use a Tarp or hammock instead of tent. No tent poles needed. That means you can fit your shelter into your pack easier (or strap it on)
Aqua Mira instead of a water pump
A sleeping bag that may cost more but is better designed and packs tighter (Montbell comes to mind)
Stoveless eating.
For weight:
Again, consider using Aqua Mira (or similar product) instead of a pump system
Reduce the number of clothes taken (I always over-pack here). Always plan for one set of dry clothes at all times--if you overdue any clothing items, make it socks. Socks can used as gloves in a pinch as well...but NEVER sacrifice safety (i.e. be sure to have a warm later, a rain layer or a wind layer). And back to socks...good lord, I've seen ulrta lighters who get foot fungus because they never change socks. Not worth the extra ounce savings folks...
Rain Gear: Consider NONE if its summer and you have no risk of extended cold fronts. Or, use only a top layer such as DryDucks, a lightweight poncho, or Frog Toggs for rain gear--standard store bought rain jackets are heavy and don't breathe well at all. I use Dry Ducks pants that I cut into shorts on very wet days.
Go stoveless. No stove = no fuel and usually = no pot. I eat cereal (dry and with powdered milk) from a screw top nalgene 8 0z cup (can double as a water container)
Trail Runners instead of boots.
Plan your resupply better. Food weighs a lot.
Dump the "extras". Things like solar chargers, unnecessary maps or navigation tools (nota bene: I said UNNECESSARY not necessary!). Extra books or writing items (most folks I know end up not using them)
Fameless pack with foam taken out (if any existed) and your sleeping pad as a frame inside (dual use per the posters above). You may find you like what happens to such packs after you set up camp--they are flat and unobtrusive...and can be used under your legs if you use a torso length sleep pad.
Hike with a partner and split shared gear. Just be prepared to play nice so he/she doesn't walk off with the important part. Hmm, no wonder I backpack alone...
Last tip--convert to lightweight packing gradually. Especially when dealing with a shelter set-up. If you do ultra lightweight all at once, something will go wrong and you might be tempted to eschew further lightweight efforts.
Shelter systems are hardest thing for most people to get used to. Tents offer a traditional system--fully enclosed, no bugs, feels safe...they are dry inside, they offer wind protection...tents are NICE! But carrying one for 25-30 miles a day sorta-kinda-stinks when you realize it weights > 3 lbs and a tarp is < 1 lbs.
mtnkngxt
02-13-2009, 08:44
Pack- Name brand stuff is heavy and most of the time sucks. Your paying more for less. Go with companies like ULA I can't say enough about Brian or his products. The guy build bombproof lightweight packs that last forever. Others that come to mind are GG G4, SMD Essensce.
Shelter- Go with a Tarp/Tarptent. Henry Shires is a genius man makes unbelievable stuff and its reasonably priced.
I have the Squall 2 it is great, but I also have a hammock.
Hammocks are going to cost more, and tend to be about 10oz heavier for a complete setup, but I more versatility of where I choose to sleep. I can hang in rock gardens and on ridgelines where tenters wouldn;t have a chance. If you go the Hammock Route JackrBetter makes some of the best quilts out there. I'd suggest a JRB Nest Underquilt with a No sniveler top quilt. As far as the hammock goes, Warbonnet Blackbird or a Speer III.
Sleeping Bag for ground dwellers. Western Mountaineering- Enough Can't be said about their bags. They aren't cheap but their bags are unbeatable.
Ground pad- Thermarest Zrest. 10oz reasonably comfortable good insulation.
Alcohol stove! Ti cookware. Evernew .65L pot weighs 3 ounces and is plenty for soloist.
garlic08
02-13-2009, 11:51
Montana wrote that long post and saved me the trouble--thanks. I agree almost verbatim.
Several above have stated my main rule--the best way to save weight on an item is to not bring it. Since I left my cook kit behind, I haven't missed it one bit. Same with the water filter. I now know I'm better off without a fleece. Or rain pants most seasons. Or a book (a good puzzle on one sheet of paper can last for hours or days of contemplation time). Or a knife (single edged razor in my first aid kit). Headlamps are over-rated, too. The list goes on. With this rule, lightweight packing is simpler and cheaper, too.
sclittlefield
02-13-2009, 13:37
Fleece is fine, Montana was pointing out its bulkiness. You'll spend a whole lot more to upgrade, so if it works for you and your hiking style, go with it.
Montana AT05
02-13-2009, 13:40
"whats wrong with fleece?"
Well, nothing is wrong with it. I (and I suspect others here) don't want to say fleece is wrong or worthless. In fact, I own some fleece items and like them.
But there are better materials now. Some examples:
Merino wool (I am a fan of Icebreaker)
Apex (North Face marketing term for a polyster/elstane material) other companies use a different name or material--but it's essentially a smooth, water and wind repellant material that is flexible, packable and comfortable
Pertex
Fleece is bulky and doesn't work well when wet.
I eschew fleece in my long trips mostly because of the bulk.
Montana AT05
02-13-2009, 13:42
Oh also, I carried a fleece top on my AT thru-hike and did just fine--it made a wonderful pillow at night and warm camp top when needed. I just prefer other stuff now. Maybe it's the gear geek in me, constantly changing my load-out. Help!
whats wrong with fleece?
KEEP YOUR FLEECE, if you like it. The very nature of fleece gives it the most consistent loft of anything lighter than wool. Except for seams, the loft remains the same over the face of the fabric. Being unshelled, it dries much faster than some of the synth. insulated fabrics, since the shell prevents the air from passing through. Fleece can also be used with a shell on the outside to cut the wind, being then more efficient. Fleece with a shell allows you to:
1) Wear the fleece alone in still conditions.
2) Wear the shell alone in mild, windy conditions, and
3) Wear them both together in colder, windy conditions.
Fleece loses practically ZERO loft when wet. It can be wrung out and put back on quickly, and dries relatively quickly with body heat.
The new stuff is, for a fact, warmer per weight, and is more compressible, but that makes it more vulnerable to loss of loft when soaked than fleece.
It seems to me that the request that started this thread is asking for folks to sort of recreate the entirety of what entire books have been written about, such as by Ryan Jordan, Ray Jardine, etc etc. Like others, I enjoy talking about this stuff, but I suggest to the original poster that a good initial approach would be to try a book on the topic, then read through existing threads of interest here and/or perhaps http://www.backcountryforum.com/
My suggestion would be to check your local library system for, say, "Lightweight Backpacking and Camping" by Ryan Jordan and read through that as a start.
Jayboflavin04
02-13-2009, 14:38
Well I am a Newb and have been asking alot of those already asked questions, because I am getting ready to dump some change on my gear!
So I thought I would post my gear purchase list! I know it isnt ultra light, but I intend on having a comfort level since I am new. I know this list has a heavy price tag but this is somthing I am going to do for a life time. I am a hopeful thru in 2011
Pack--gg vaportrail, opsrey atmos 65 or exos 53--2.5
Tarptent clouburst 2 --- 2.5lbs (have)
Prolite 3 womens -----1lb
Bivy sack----xtreme weather early spring late fall 6oz
Western Mount ultralite---1.8lbs
Packafeather alcohol stove...1.5oz (comin)
Fuel bottle (free pop bottle)
snowpeak 1.3L mess kit.....5oz (have)
camp cup (have)
Ti spork
2L platy hoser
2L platy for camp
1L nalgene carried empty (mixing drinks)
MSR sweetwater----read it all still dont wanna take the chance
(clothes worn or carried)---adjust acording to season
base layer - colombia mid weight (polyester)
insulate top - Montebell down jacket or vest or equivilant
North face paramount pants zip off leg style
light weight mid-boots (no gortex)
3x good socks(1 back-up 1 worn 1 sleepin) prob smart wool lowest cut
Liner socks???
Wickig T (nike, addias, whatever is cheapest)
Windshirt 4oz
Rain gear/outer layer (own frog toggs, but am considering marmot precip top n bottom or equivlant)
Trekking poles ????
stocking hat/wide billed hikers hat
Tear it apart folks!!! Save me some money maybe too!!
I have a couple of sporks, one is a Ti from Vargo. I've gone back to spoons.
The tines on sporks really aren't useful for, say, handling long pasta, and they tend to poke holes in freezer bags if you eat out of them. I use a large MSR ti spoon and break my pasta into small bits so I can eat it with the spoon.
Nearly Normal
02-13-2009, 15:05
Tips not just for the AT but all around tips.
Well..............:D
I won't go there.
I just got a Bamboo spoon the other day, it's really lightweight, and the handle could be cut down some, but I just can't find a second use....any ideas?
daddytwosticks
02-13-2009, 15:15
Pooo trowel :)
Focus on outdoors rather than gear in order to reduce and simplify.
Use stuff which requires less care and attention, reducing support items.
Manage moisture, rather than prevent it at all costs. Live sustainably.
Adapt your system to the environment you are in...
If water is plentiful, use more water and less soap etc. If sticks are plentiful, use it as fuel, and use more hot water and less soap etc. Enjoy the environment, but use it sustainably, and you will often end up lighter by having to take less other stuff to keep things entertaining. Even in high traffic areas you might be able to use stuff that is in abundance, such as leaves for soap, inner bark for tea, or keep yourself entertaines with making small containers out of bark and stuff. With this type of approach, being a part of the environment rather than apart from it, you can still minimize impact, but you may find stuff like tents, and even good stuff cameras, books, etc. less neccessary. Try to not to adhere too rigidly to leave-no-trace. Sustainability is more to the point. Empathize with the environment. Treasure and preserver what is rare. Use what is abdundant. Live sustainably.
GeneralLee10
02-13-2009, 16:51
So instead of a sleeping bag why not use down pants and jacket inside a bivy. That would save room and weight you would think. If both sleeping bag and jacket,pants have the same 850 fill don't they retain the same amount of heat? I know they sell some suit type of sleeping bag but not for me.
kytrailman
02-13-2009, 21:20
Multi-task everything that you possibly can ,to cut down on volume.
Smile you can use it as a blowgun. Take the metal part off and there you go.
Fuel bottle (free pop bottle)
Be careful. Many fuels dissolve some kinds of plastic bottles--especially "pop bottles".
WILLIAM HAYES
02-13-2009, 23:03
If you are really intersetd in ultralight gear and techniques check out the Backpackinglight web site
So instead of a sleeping bag why not use down pants and jacket inside a bivy. That would save room and weight you would think. If both sleeping bag and jacket,pants have the same 850 fill don't they retain the same amount of heat? I know they sell some suit type of sleeping bag but not for me.
Most down filled clothing is not baffled, just sewn through. That leaves spots with no loft. Most cool weather sleeping bags have baffles. That would make them more efficient than sewn through down clothing.
This would make the above suggestion ineffective in very cold conditions:
Expedition down jackets and pants have baffles, but due to the extra fabric (and need for more abrasion resistant fabrics) they can't help but be heavier. Also, separating the arms from the core with sleeves reduces the body's ability to keep itself warm. Same goes for pants.
A good expedition jacket goes for around $500 or so and up. Pants are just a bit cheaper unless they're bibs, then they'd be as much as the jacket.
In warm weather it just might work. I've gone summer camping with a down vest, long underwear, and fleece pants for sleeping gear in a hammock. I've been comfortable down to about 50 degrees, and I could wear all the clothing in camp the next morning.
Here's an example of a bag designed to be used in conjunction with a jacket:
http://www.featheredfriends.com/ProductDetails.aspx?productId=78&CatId=1&ProductName=Vireo
Montana AT05
02-13-2009, 23:24
Actually Backpackinglight.com and Prolitegear.com are a short walk away from each other in Bozeman, MT (where I live).
Each is run and staffed by good people. Lot's of neat stuff and ideas coming out of those shops.
Go stoveless. No stove = no fuel and usually = no pot. I eat cereal (dry and with powdered milk) from a screw top nalgene 8 0z cup (can double as a water container)
I can not say from experience how well this works but can only talk about what I have read in some forums. If you are out for a week (no resupply), wouldnt being stoveless be a weight burden? Meaning, I would think the difference between a weeks worth of dehydrated foods over foods ready-to-eat would more than equal the weight of a light weight alchy stove with 5 oz of fuel...If nothing else at least you are getting something hot in your every so often.
Adam
Most backpackers will experience the most amount of wt. lost in the Big Three(or as Prain4U has Big four) when they first start to lighten their load.
Prain4U hit it first:
Most "traditional" hikers can easily shed 5-12 pounds with these first four:
1) Get a lighter weight pack
2) Get a lighter weight tent/tarp/hammock/shelter system
3) Get a lighter sleeping bag
4) Get a lighter sleeping pad
On a changing basis nothing is heavier for its volume than water, unless of course U R carrying lead bricks. Learn to manage the amt. of water U carry. Lastly, consider the excessive wt. on your body also as the wt that U carry on the trail. Excessive(I'll let U determine what's excessive) wt. in your gut puts that much more stress and strain on your joints, muscles, and bones. For many hikes and hikers the amt. of energy U receive from being excessively over wt. falls short of the energy that's needed to haul it up the trail.
Montana AT05
02-14-2009, 01:23
"I can not say from experience how well this works but can only talk about what I have read in some forums. If you are out for a week (no resupply), wouldnt being stoveless be a weight burden? Meaning, I would think the difference between a weeks worth of dehydrated foods over foods ready-to-eat would more than equal the weight of a light weight alchy stove with 5 oz of fuel...If nothing else at least you are getting something hot in your every so often.
Adam"
-----------
It depends on what you pack for food. I do have to add in powdered milk and cereal instead of Liptons style dishes. But mostly I eat health bars, nuts, etc.
Overall I "think" I save weight and volume, but I have never tested it.
For me it's also a preference thing. I love cereal in normal everyday life, so I don't mind eating it on trail. Plus I have very little cleaning and logistics.
garlic08
02-14-2009, 11:47
I can not say from experience how well this works but can only talk about what I have read in some forums. If you are out for a week (no resupply), wouldnt being stoveless be a weight burden? Meaning, I would think the difference between a weeks worth of dehydrated foods over foods ready-to-eat would more than equal the weight of a light weight alchy stove with 5 oz of fuel...If nothing else at least you are getting something hot in your every so often.
Adam
I agree with Montana here, too. It's a matter of style and preference, not always weight. Cookless is not always lighter, especially if you carry fresh fruits and vegetables (which is a health advantage). Many hikers will never go stoveless because they're addicted to hot coffee, for instance.
Advantages of stoveless include easier resupply (don't have to worry about finding or shipping fuel, and it's easier to buy food at c-stores), carrying less water for dry camps, quicker meals leaving more time for hiking, safer (no stove or fuel accidents, no temptation to cook in the tent), no cooking in the rain or snow...to name a few.
I've gone stoveless on my last two thru hikes and my enjoyment of hiking has gone way up. But I agree, it's not for everyone, especially the coffee hounds!
[quote=garlic08;779360].... It's a matter of style and preference, not always weight. Cookless is not always lighter, .....
I think it's great U R exploring a lot of different areas in your hiking kit to lower wt. It all adds up to lowering total carrying wt. But, let me stress again, most hikers will see the most amt. of lost wt in the Big 3(pack, shelter,sleep system), particularly if U R in the earlier stages of going lite or UL. Before U move on, really scrutinize the wt of those Big 3. I witness many hikers who seek to go lighter in ozs. by going stoveless, cutting off toothbrushes, removing tags, etc. when I notice they still have a 3-4 lb or heavier pack for a thru-hike, a 3-4 lb shelter, a 3 lb or heavier sleeping bag, a heavy sleeping pad, etc. As U lighten the wt. of areas like eating/cooking/food, shoes, clothing, trekking poles, how much water U carry, etc. U will find U R also reducing bulk which will in turn mean U will have to reevaluate pack size and pack wt.
when you get back from any trip, sort your gear into 3 piles:
1) Items used each and every day
2) Items used occasionally
3) Items used rarely or not at all.
Next, get rid of piles 2 and 3. You don't NEED them. Keep this up for a couple trips, and you'll eventually end up with Lewis and Clarks famous "what we had available for trade could be tied up in two handkerchiefs".
Also, wear wool. As a culture, we've "rediscovered" Merino wool, and makes are getting a fortune for what used to be a man's day to day work clothing (price a Filson Cruiser jacket, or a Woolrich shirt if you doubt).
hopefulhiker
02-14-2009, 18:50
One tip I learned on the trail was to find out about the reliability of water sources.. If you can be really sure that there is a good water source ahead then it does not make sense to carry a bunch of water to the next water source. In 05 water was plentiful on the trail..
To be sure, it is better to be safe than sorry. but as I hiked I found that by talking to people coming the other way I could ration out my water so that I was not carrying a lot extra by the time I got to the source.. Of course, using Aqua Mira, a couple of times I found myself watching my watch untill the time I could take my first drink after treating.. But my point is that I thought that at the beginning of my hike I was carrying too much water. There is a lot of risk associated with this because you never know when you might fall off the trail, break a leg, or something happen when what you are carrying may have to last a few days.
but I took that risk. I would always "camel up at the water source" (drink as much water as I could,usually about a litre). During that wet year I found that under normal circumstances I could fill up with just a litre and a half.. This saved a lot of weight over the long run...
I'll tell U what Indwlkr, U PM w/ an address and I'll send U, free of charge, my extra copy of LIGHTEN UP - A Complete handbook for LIGHT & ULTRALIGHT backpacking by Don Ladigan.
calculating infinity
02-15-2009, 18:04
got this from another thread but it really helped me figure out pack size
You can use a tall kitchen garbage bag to help measure your volume, the 13 gallon size is 49L or 3000 c.i.
Christopher Robin
02-15-2009, 18:51
In your packing list you forgot gloves.
Cabin Fever
02-15-2009, 21:07
I second Montana's posts about North Face Apex. I have the Apex Bionic jacket and I have never worn anything so great at regulating temp. I know a lot of TNF's stuff is for fashion and not performance, but Apex is the real deal.
frisbeefreek
02-16-2009, 00:41
I've been backpacking for a while, but am just getting started with UL.
The single best investment I've made is buying a digital 5# scale. It costs around $30. Then I weighed everything. I mean everything. You will be surprised by some weights.
Example: My little Katadyne water purifier storage sack weighed 3.25oz. Swapped a piece of tyvek that weighs 0.42oz. Nice weight savings, zero cost, no risk.
Another example: My tech T-shirts weight between 4 and 8oz. Guess which I pack now?
Suddenly that extra tent stake seems painful, even though it is only 10grams.
Also-If you are investing in new gear (big 4 equipment), consider buying the pack last. Your sleeping bag, shelter, and mattress will shrink substantially, and then you can shrink the pack size accordingly.
daddytwosticks
02-16-2009, 08:49
I've been waiting for someone to mention a scale...best investment I've made in trying to go lightweight. The wife thinks I'm nuts though.....
as someone who uses a hammock, i sometimes leave my sleeping pad at home depending on weather conditions. last summer on my section hike in june and july i didn't bring my pad, and didn't miss it.
fifo
This doesn't apply to all, but if you hike w/a partner, you can share gear and cut a great deal of weight.
Shared gear:
Tent & groundsheet
Pot & stove & fuel
Water filter & water bag (I personally don't like aquamira)
Camera
Weatherband
Guidebook/& or maps
Misc. bugspray, nail clips, etc.
I'm probably forgetting a few but if you split all that up it adds up...
This doesn't apply to all, but if you hike w/a partner, you can share gear and cut a great deal of weight.
About a week or two ago there was another thread on WhiteBlaze regarding sharing gear with a hiking partner. Most writers seemed to be very much against the idea of sharing gear. To read their many reasons for/against the idea--see here:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=46150&highlight=Sharing+gear
6. Watch the weight of your food and water. Some people simply carry far too much "extra" drinking water--"just in case". Remember, water weighs 2.25 lbs per liter.
So how much water do YOU carry?
So how much water do YOU carry?
It all depends----The expected heat/humidity levels play a role. Another factor is how strenuous my activity level will be. How much water I will need for cooking also plays a role.
HOWEVER, the BIGGEST factor is when can I (with some degree of certainty) expect to be able to replenish my water supply?
How much water I carry will vary from day-to-day (and sometimes hour-to-hour--within that day) depending on the above factors.
AS A STARTING POINT, I GENERALLY PLAN TO CARRY 2 LITERS/QUARTS OF WATER WHEN HIKING OR ENGAGED IN OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES. I then adjust that amount up or down based on the factors I have noted.
I have carried as little as one liter when I was hiking in relatively cool temps and water supply was very abundant (hiking alongside a fast moving stream with many water pumps and springs available). I once carried 2 gallons (almost 8 liters) in the American Southwest when I was going to stay overnight at a dry campsite and reliable water sources were (I think) something like 16 miles apart. (I would rather not do that again--that water was pretty heavy and the weight "sloshed around" if I moved too abruptly).
garlic08
02-17-2009, 12:16
So how much water do YOU carry?
If you're talking about the AT, it's often possible to carry none at all. Before I started a big climb, I'd look in my guidebook for a water source on the other side. If water was listed and my experience told me to trust the guide in the area, I'd drink what I could then dump the rest of my water, sometimes a full liter. That's over 2 pounds lighter right there for the climb. Once I dumped water in front of another hiker, and you would've thought I was spilling fine single malt by the look on his face.
Prain4U has an excellent point there. At 2.2 pounds, a 1L bottle of water is the single heaviest item in my pack, including the pack. I carry as little as possible, but drink as much as possible at the sources.
If you're talking about the AT, it's often possible to carry none at all.
The only reason that I make it a practice to always carry at least SOME water--is if I encountered an unexpected first aid emergency (for myself or someone else) between reliable water points. In such instances, having some available water can sometimes be helpful. HOWEVER, THIS IS JUST A MATTER OF PERSONAL PREFERENCE (or it might be because I am paranoid :))