View Full Version : Longest Trip Without Resupply
Tipi Walter
09-30-2009, 10:40
I'm interested in learning about other backpacker's trip lengths and how far they've been able to stretch out their food and fuel load for one trip. 15 days? 21 days?
I'm also interested in setting up a food cache to go even longer, like 30 or more days. Anyone use a couple of bear canisters as a hidden food cache? How do you keep it secure w/o rolling off a mountain side? Anyone have experience with food caches?
garlic08
09-30-2009, 10:50
Hi, Tipi.
As a thru hiker, I think in miles. My longest was 165 miles between food supplies. I did cache once for a 240 mile trip and just hung a plastic grocery bag from the end of a downed 25' lodgepole propped against another tree and that worked great as far as leaving no trace and not having to pack out/pick up the container.
i was told that the best place to store a bear vault is in the middle of the thickest pricker bush you can find.... have fun getting it out :eek:
A buddy and I once spent a winter at an old loging camp in Northern Ontario.. In the summer we paddled in through the lakes with an old Quebec Wood Stove and dry goods and stashed them as close as we could get them to the cabin we'd be staying in. Roughly 4kms from the Cabin. With the advantage of the canoe's we where able to put all our dry goods in 50 Gallon steel drums... Hiking you won't have that advantage. Once freeze up hit, we snowshoed for 3 days to reach the cabin pulling our gear on tobogans... Once we reached the camp we spent several days setting it up and got the Quebec stove pulled across the ice and put in place... In total we spent 96 days in the bush, only once having to snowshoe out for supplies at Bear Island. We saw a grand total of 3 people the entire stay... Two RCMP officers on snowmobiles and a bush pilot who saw the smoke from the cabin and landed on the lake to investigate what we where up too...
Using bear canisters would definitely work, perhaps you could sling them into a tree like a bear bag to keep them from disappearing..
Tipi Walter
09-30-2009, 11:01
I'm planning on putting two BearVaults by a small rock overhang(on a steep hillside)and wrapping them in duct tape with a carabiner on each tied into a cable to secure somehow to the rock and/or blowdown log. Then again, I'd like to forego the whole cache and pull 21 days with everything on my back.
Bear vaults generally advise against securing them to something as it gives an advantage to animals so that they can get leverage and may possibly open it.. You may want to look into that...
Man 21 days of food on your back at minimimum would be 40lbs of food... I know your prone to carrying heavy loads but wow, that would be a mega load..
Tipi Walter
09-30-2009, 11:12
A buddy and I once spent a winter at an old loging camp in Northern Ontario.. In the summer we paddled in through the lakes with an old Quebec Wood Stove and dry goods and stashed them as close as we could get them to the cabin we'd be staying in. Roughly 4kms from the Cabin. With the advantage of the canoe's we where able to put all our dry goods in 50 Gallon steel drums... Hiking you won't have that advantage. Once freeze up hit, we snowshoed for 3 days to reach the cabin pulling our gear on tobogans... Once we reached the camp we spent several days setting it up and got the Quebec stove pulled across the ice and put in place... In total we spent 96 days in the bush, only once having to snowshoe out for supplies at Bear Island. We saw a grand total of 3 people the entire stay... Two RCMP officers on snowmobiles and a bush pilot who saw the smoke from the cabin and landed on the lake to investigate what we where up too...
Using bear canisters would definitely work, perhaps you could sling them into a tree like a bear bag to keep them from disappearing..
That sounds like a pretty good adventure. Did you have a chainsaw for wood gathering or just a couple of bowsaws? Did you keep a journal of your trip? When I lived at my tipi I hauled a 140 pound Atlanta Stove Works woodstove up a one mile trail with an elevation gain of 800 feet. It kicked my sac! And I didn't carry it, I pushed end over end like a domino and when it finally got to the top and inside the lodge, it was well worth it. I sure miss my old woodstove in the winter when I'm backpacking, but I've found a suitable replacement: GOOSE DOWN and lots of it.
Tipi Walter
09-30-2009, 11:14
Bear vaults generally advise against securing them to something as it gives an advantage to animals so that they can get leverage and may possibly open it.. You may want to look into that...
Man 21 days of food on your back at minimimum would be 40lbs of food... I know your prone to carrying heavy loads but wow, that would be a mega load..
I might have to forego my usual 4 or 5 books. but I'll definitely keep my little radio.
Pedaling Fool
09-30-2009, 11:16
I'm interested in learning about other backpacker's trip lengths and how far they've been able to stretch out their food and fuel load for one trip. 15 days? 21 days?
I'm also interested in setting up a food cache to go even longer, like 30 or more days. Anyone use a couple of bear canisters as a hidden food cache? How do you keep it secure w/o rolling off a mountain side? Anyone have experience with food caches?
I've never really looked over my logs to see what my longest outing has been, but I know I reguarly do ~10 days between resupply. I just don't want to go to town every 3-5 days like most and I didn't mind the weight I had to carry to make that possible.
But, I don't get the cache movement, that seems to be getting more popular. That seems like it would require a lot of driving. Why would someone want to drive all the way up 30+ days of walking trail, stopping at various places find a hiding spot and then have to drive back.
Maybe it's just me, but I really hate driving in a car, probably because I've used a bicycle as my primary form of transportation for over 20 years. I hate driving so much that since my retirement, most of my trips to and back from D.C. have been on a bike. But I would not want to ride a bike(much less a car) to-and-back various cache points.
garlic08
09-30-2009, 11:36
...But, I don't get the cache movement, that seems to be getting more popular. That seems like it would require a lot of driving. Why would someone want to drive all the way up 30+ days of walking trail, stopping at various places find a hiding spot and then have to drive back.
Agreed. The only time I did it was a one-way car trip and the cache point was at a pass right on the drive. I walked home, carrying the cache bag with me. It worked well that time, but I sure wouldn't make a habit of it. I'm pretty sure it was illegal in the USNF, too.
Snowleopard
09-30-2009, 11:44
There are lightweight wood stoves:
http://www.titaniumgoat.com/stoves.html These are 2.5 to 3.5 lb. I've seen ( online ) cheaper light stoves designed for use in wall tents, but can't find them right now.
Cheaper stoves in the 20 to 60 lb range are at: http://www.walltentshop.com/CatStoves.html
Kifaru has cheaper light stoves: https://www.kifaru.net/stoves2009.html
I've seen antique folding wood stoves that were probably in the 15 lb range.
That sounds like a pretty good adventure. Did you have a chainsaw for wood gathering or just a couple of bowsaws? Did you keep a journal of your trip? When I lived at my tipi I hauled a 140 pound Atlanta Stove Works woodstove up a one mile trail with an elevation gain of 800 feet. It kicked my sac! And I didn't carry it, I pushed end over end like a domino and when it finally got to the top and inside the lodge, it was well worth it. I sure miss my old woodstove in the winter when I'm backpacking, but I've found a suitable replacement: GOOSE DOWN and lots of it.
We took a couple of bow saws, hammers, and various other tools as our purpose was to build a cabin of our own on a small lake north of where we where staying... No power tools... The cabin we built was used by firefighters fighting forest fire nearby a about 6 years ago... That winter DNR went in and burnt it to the ground as it was on crown land...
Firewood was mainly procured from the logging camp as there where piles of 4 foot logs that had never been removed from the camp... Most where rotten and provided little use, but as you dug to the bottom of the piles you could scavage some very dry usable wood...
The most difficult part was keeping the water hole cut in the lake open...
I miss those days...
Oh and no I never kept a journal... I always have good intentions of journaling, but then I never actually do it... We would always be so tuckered by the end of the day of building or exploring that I was usually flat out asleep shortly after dark..
You could bear bag your food a ways off the trail. A gps unit to mark the locations seems like a very good idea...
The Weasel
09-30-2009, 12:09
A few thoughts on food caching:
1) In many places it's illegal. If found, it likely will be taken. When you come to the cache and nothing's there, you have a problem.
2) It's a bad mistake to leave a bear vault on the ground. Bears are very likely to find it and move it away, even if that means uncovering rocks on it. Again, it will be gone and you have a problem.
3) If others find your cache, you may find that it's been consumed or removed. Again...
4) Absent extremely conspicuous landmarks, it's easy for caches to be overlooked. Again...
Good luck. Risky, though.
TW
WalkingStick75
09-30-2009, 12:14
I have used a 50 cal ammo can on a few occasions for re-supply. Use a 10-12' cable to a tree. The length of the cable helps so the bear can not get leverage. Everything inside is vacuum sealed and the can itself is air tight. I have never had anything get in and only once did "something" play with where I put it. Not sure if it was man or bear.
10.5 days/~200 miles or so (included a Mt. Whitney side trip) from Kennedy Meadows to VVR on the PCT/JMT.
Lots of snow and beautiful, rugged terrain that is still the highlight of my backpacking "career".
Runner up was 8 days in the Wind River Range area. The resupply was a stop at the "town" of South Pass City. More of a (very small) historic area that hold packages for CDT hikers. Still, after 8 days, it was a welcome little pit stop. I then went to Rawlins a few days up the trail for a real town stop.
I could go 30 days without a resupply by hiking one mile a day. :D Sometimes thinking in days vs. miles is not a good baseline unless I know what that translates into for a typical day. Is a person basecamping? Hiking all day? Something in between?
I have 3 bear vaults, primarily for use as caches. I have had them out for 3-4 weeks without being disturbed (the caches, that is, I'm always disturbed:rolleyes:) I usually just walked a few hundred feet up trail from a road crossing, then a few hundred feet to either side, and placed the canister against a downed tree, rock, anything. It was very easy to remember where I left them, even after weeks. I even left one within sight of a shelter - no problems with humans or bears molesting the food.
Did this 3 years running, no problems.
I included my wife in the delivery process - we'd make a day of dropping caches. I think it's a great way to travel & hike, and not have to go into town if I didn't feel like it.
Using bear canisters would definitely work, perhaps you could sling them into a tree like a bear bag to keep them from disappearing..
Don't do that! If you put your bear can in a bag, the bear has a handle on it and may drag it a long way... lost forever. Bear canisters are designed to be too big for the average bear to get in his jaws. They'll bat it around and chew on it, but won't take it away. Just put it somewhere that it won't roll too far, but like I said, mine have never been touched. I think if you keep it near roads and away from campers, it won't be on any bear's normal route.
The Solemates
09-30-2009, 13:58
i think people resupply all too often on the AT, but I also doesnt think it matters....to each their own.
we've done up to 17 days without resuppling. on our AT thru we often did 10-12 days without resupplying.
drastic_quench
09-30-2009, 13:59
I've done weeks in the Boundary Waters without resupply. But man, those Duluth/canoe packs are pure murder; they're just a giant backpack with no belt. Say goodbye to your shoulders and knees. We had to walk every portage three times at minimum. Three packs for two men and the packs probably weighed an average of fifty to sixty pounds, add a aluminum canoe on your shoulders with other assorted stuff...
The first time I went, an outfitter sent us with a giant four burner Coleman stove and cast iron fry pan (for fish). The second time, I was able to talk my party into ditching the Coleman, and using the cast iron over the nice fire grate PROVIDED AT EVERY TENT SITE! Since that time, I've gotten into backpacking a lot more and I've acquired a nice light gear collection on the cheap. I've made it clear that there's no way in hell I'm getting outfitted. God, with my light backpacking gear I could breeze through the Boundary Waters. Me, a little kayak, pack, and pole. That sounds so nice and effortless.
If you haven't been, I do recommend it. There's nothing quite like it. It's an entirely motorless area that's incredibly remote. The trip is part thru-hike, part canoeing, and getting to eat your fresh catch of pike and walleye every night is fantastic.
Similar to Mags, I hauled 15 days of food up Whitney Portal and on to Reds Meadows (150 mi) in doing the JMT in 1977, when I was a young 27 year old whipper snapper. Back then there was no resupply between the two points. Only side trails of a day or two each way out to a trailhead.
I've carried 14 days of food several other times in my younger years and when 60 lb packs was standard fare. Don't ever plan on doing it again. Most I carry now-a-days is 7-8 days worth on a week long hike.
Pedaling Fool
09-30-2009, 16:15
What does everyone do with these containers (ammo cans, bear vaults...) once you retrieve your stuff? Seems like you would have to hit a town after getting your cache so you could mail off the container and whatnot.
21 days. Pack weitht was stupid ridiculous. Pound of slab bacon, pound of jerked venison, oatmeal, 50 granola and power bars, pound of Bisquick and coffee. I felt very stupid.
21 days. Pack weitht was stupid ridiculous. Pound of slab bacon, pound of jerked venison, oatmeal, 50 granola and power bars, pound of Bisquick and coffee. I felt very stupid.Pack mules are supposed to feel stupid! :p :)
cowboy nichols
09-30-2009, 18:24
I've never met a stupid mule-----can't say the same for humans.
Tipi Walter
09-30-2009, 19:00
I've never really looked over my logs to see what my longest outing has been, but I know I reguarly do ~10 days between resupply. I just don't want to go to town every 3-5 days like most and I didn't mind the weight I had to carry to make that possible.
But, I don't get the cache movement, that seems to be getting more popular. That seems like it would require a lot of driving. Why would someone want to drive all the way up 30+ days of walking trail, stopping at various places find a hiding spot and then have to drive back.
Maybe it's just me, but I really hate driving in a car, probably because I've used a bicycle as my primary form of transportation for over 20 years. I hate driving so much that since my retirement, most of my trips to and back from D.C. have been on a bike. But I would not want to ride a bike(much less a car) to-and-back various cache points.
My cache trip wouldn't be on the AT and so would not be a linear trip. I'd get dropped off at a place with my pack and my two bear canisters, then cache the food and be on my way. 15 days later I'd swing back up to the drop off point and reload for another 15 days. So, for several weeks I'd get to explore one large area and circle back for a repeat.
There are lightweight wood stoves:
http://www.titaniumgoat.com/stoves.html These are 2.5 to 3.5 lb. I've seen ( online ) cheaper light stoves designed for use in wall tents, but can't find them right now.
Cheaper stoves in the 20 to 60 lb range are at: http://www.walltentshop.com/CatStoves.html
Kifaru has cheaper light stoves: https://www.kifaru.net/stoves2009.html
I've seen antique folding wood stoves that were probably in the 15 lb range.
I think the best stove I've found that's portable is one of the Four Dog Stoves, but the heavy stove I used was found at a yard sale for $70 and become my new best winter friend. Fotog below.
I have 3 bear vaults, primarily for use as caches. I have had them out for 3-4 weeks without being disturbed (the caches, that is, I'm always disturbed:rolleyes:) I usually just walked a few hundred feet up trail from a road crossing, then a few hundred feet to either side, and placed the canister against a downed tree, rock, anything. It was very easy to remember where I left them, even after weeks. I even left one within sight of a shelter - no problems with humans or bears molesting the food.
Did this 3 years running, no problems.
I included my wife in the delivery process - we'd make a day of dropping caches. I think it's a great way to travel & hike, and not have to go into town if I didn't feel like it.
Thanks for this useful information. I been caching stuff for years, every since the mid 1980s, but I never tried to cache food strictly for a backpacking trip. I'm getting two bear vaults and wonder, did you use any anchoring system or just leave them loose on the ground up against something?
12 days. Was routinely out for 30 days total, but got resupplied twice by horsepackers.
What does everyone do with these containers (ammo cans, bear vaults...) once you retrieve your stuff? Seems like you would have to hit a town after getting your cache so you could mail off the container and whatnot.
Ya go back and get them. They're right where you left them, and they have trash and dirty laundry in them! (When I stash food, I stash clean socks, too).
Graywolf
09-30-2009, 23:54
Tipi,
Check into "The Thousand Mile Summer" by Colin Fletcher, He catched alot in the desert and across Death Valley I think he also used bear canisters.
He also catched some on his hike through the Grand Canyon, "The Man Who Walked Through Time".
Check em out, great reading and good info too.
Graywolf
I'm getting two bear vaults and wonder, did you use any anchoring system or just leave them loose on the ground up against something?
Sorta depends on the environment. Imagine if a bear does find your canister and bats it around for a while, where can it go? Don't leave it on a steep slope, near a stream, etc. I usually put it on the uphill side of a downed tree, and covered it with loose branches or hunks of bark (mostly so it wouldn't be seen by a person). Another common place was in the crook of some roots, or between some rocks. But like I said, 3 years straight, with 3 bearvaults in the woods for up to a month, and none were ever bothered - I think covering them was more for my own peace of mind.
So the short answer is: just leave them loose on the ground up against something. That's actually what the instructions say, too.
skinewmexico
10-01-2009, 00:53
I never would have thought to stash clean socks and clothes. But I don't think I'm physically capable of going more than 7 days without a resupply anymore.
earlyriser26
10-01-2009, 06:26
15 days when I could carry an 80lb pack. Once I tried 21 days, but that trip ended early. Now, a week would be the max. I would consider.
Chance09
10-01-2009, 07:36
There was an article i found on long distance hiking on google a long time ago about a guy who would do 60 to 90 day extended trips with no supply. He'd start with around 90 lbs, mostly food and go from there. He actually calculated his body fat into his calorie intake. You may be able to find it by searching something along the lines of "calorie intake for long distance hiking". The guy would put on 15 to 20 pct body fat and end up around 3- 6 when he was done. Doesn't sound like fun to me but it was a pretty good article.
Pedaling Fool
10-01-2009, 08:06
Ya go back and get them. They're right where you left them, and they have trash and dirty laundry in them! (When I stash food, I stash clean socks, too).
And I thought just stashing them was a lot of driving, but going back to pick them up...
Tipi Walter
10-01-2009, 08:25
Tipi,
Check into "The Thousand Mile Summer" by Colin Fletcher, He catched alot in the desert and across Death Valley I think he also used bear canisters.
He also catched some on his hike through the Grand Canyon, "The Man Who Walked Through Time".
Check em out, great reading and good info too.
Graywolf
I read these books many years ago and have pretty much forgotten the details. Thanks for the reminder.
Sorta depends on the environment. Imagine if a bear does find your canister and bats it around for a while, where can it go? Don't leave it on a steep slope, near a stream, etc. I usually put it on the uphill side of a downed tree, and covered it with loose branches or hunks of bark (mostly so it wouldn't be seen by a person). Another common place was in the crook of some roots, or between some rocks. But like I said, 3 years straight, with 3 bearvaults in the woods for up to a month, and none were ever bothered - I think covering them was more for my own peace of mind.
So the short answer is: just leave them loose on the ground up against something. That's actually what the instructions say, too.
I'm gonna rethink my cache spot and place it further off where it's a little bit more level.
15 days when I could carry an 80lb pack. Once I tried 21 days, but that trip ended early. Now, a week would be the max. I would consider.
I just got back from a 14 day trip and noticed I had about 5 or 6 days worth of food and fuel left in my pack so I probably could go to 21 days without even a cache. A couple years ago I did a 15 day winter trip and all went well. Last January I pulled a 12 day trip when the temps hit zero, minus 1 and one night minus 10. My fuel was going fast! I'd say a long winter trip in zero temps would really present a challenge on fuel w/o a cache.
There was an article i found on long distance hiking on google a long time ago about a guy who would do 60 to 90 day extended trips with no supply. He'd start with around 90 lbs, mostly food and go from there. He actually calculated his body fat into his calorie intake. You may be able to find it by searching something along the lines of "calorie intake for long distance hiking". The guy would put on 15 to 20 pct body fat and end up around 3- 6 when he was done. Doesn't sound like fun to me but it was a pretty good article.
I'm starting to Google extended backpacking trips and haven't yet found the guy you're talking about. Many links point to people who travel thru a foreign country for a month or more, sort of like tourists with a backpack.
garlic08
10-01-2009, 09:51
This may be the long unsupported trip you're looking for:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5551705
Tipi Walter
10-01-2009, 12:42
This may be the long unsupported trip you're looking for:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5551705
Thanks for the link. I found an even better link called the Arctic 1000:
http://www.ryanjordan.com/2006_arctic/
Even better link from a WB user.
http://www.bucktrack.com/Alaska_Brooks_Range_Traverse.html
No gear analysis or detailed listing of what constitutes a record.
He just set out to have a wonderful experience. :)
Tipi Walter
10-01-2009, 13:26
Even better link from a WB user.
http://www.bucktrack.com/Alaska_Brooks_Range_Traverse.html
No gear analysis or detailed listing of what constitutes a record.
He just set out to have a wonderful experience. :)
I had an earlier conversation with bucktrack.com and he mentioned something about 7 days being his longest time before resupply at one of his caches. I'd like to learn more about his actual caches and what he used and where he put them.
We took a couple of bow saws, hammers, and various other tools as our purpose was to build a cabin of our own on a small lake north of where we where staying... No power tools... The cabin we built was used by firefighters fighting forest fire nearby a about 6 years ago... That winter DNR went in and burnt it to the ground as it was on crown land...
Firewood was mainly procured from the logging camp as there where piles of 4 foot logs that had never been removed from the camp... Most where rotten and provided little use, but as you dug to the bottom of the piles you could scavage some very dry usable wood...
The most difficult part was keeping the water hole cut in the lake open...
I miss those days...
That is really cool. So no journal, what about pictures? I've always had a dream of doing just that, trying to last the winter up in the far north country. I wouldn't try to live off the land or anything like that, I would bring my supplies in.
I imagine I would spend the summer cutting wood and stocking up supplies, some hunting in the fall (professionally process the meat), then hunker down until I got cabin fever. Read, write, maybe get a generator for some movies. Short night hikes in the middle of the day. It sounds awesome.
I had an earlier conversation with bucktrack.com and he mentioned something about 7 days being his longest time before resupply at one of his caches.
I'd say getting a cache in the remote wilds of Alaska is a bit different from getting a cache anywhere in the lower 48. Probably wouldn't feel like a resupply in the way you, I and most people think of it.
Colter posts on WB. Perhaps he'll chime in. :)
drastic_quench
10-01-2009, 15:25
Jeez, at some point you might as well get a donkey. I couldn't imagine enjoying 90lbs pack hiking.
That is really cool. So no journal, what about pictures? I've always had a dream of doing just that, trying to last the winter up in the far north country. I wouldn't try to live off the land or anything like that, I would bring my supplies in.
I imagine I would spend the summer cutting wood and stocking up supplies, some hunting in the fall (professionally process the meat), then hunker down until I got cabin fever. Read, write, maybe get a generator for some movies. Short night hikes in the middle of the day. It sounds awesome.
No sorry no journal... I really need to work at putting my ideas and adventures on paper... I do have photo's but they are all 35 mm and I don't have a scanner to put them in digital format... I'm actally pretty weak at modern technology and really don't have the interest to learn most of these skills.
My GF was recently going through some old photo albums of mine from before meeting her and she was amazed at the various adventures Pete and I had done over the years.. She too feels I should have been keeping a journal. She now has taken on the responsibliity of journaling our outings and is also slowly peicing together on paper my previous adventures from the stories told by friends that where there as she meets them.
A generator is not practical as it requires fuel, and with such services being a minimum of a 3 day walk away, plus the additional weight, it becomes a liability... Lots of good books, candles, a good wood stove and nature become your entertainment.
Tipi,
So you say you will be doing loops in this area requiring you to cashe in one spot that you will return to midway through your stay? So your not base camping, but rather will be moving every few days? Also you say that you just did 14 days and had several days of food and fuel left over? So it sounds as if you can carry enough to sustain yourself for at least 16-20 days without a cashe... One vault then should do the trick nicely..
I'm envyous, and look forward to point in my future to have that kind of time again... I'm finding homesteading to be a very time demanding yet rewarding lifestyle. When you depend on livestock and crops to sustain you through the winter months you must be very calculated and cautious with your reserves... Cutting, pulling, bucking, splitting and piling firewood alone sometimes seems like a full time job. However, my neighbor and father recently retired and is quickly learning the ropes so that I can enjoy some free time in the future.
I look forward to reading your journal of the trip...
Jeez, at some point you might as well get a donkey. I couldn't imagine enjoying 90lbs pack hiking.
Not my thing, but it is the flip side of going light. If someone enjoys it, and it does not effect other people, power to them.
I've often done 7-8 day carries just to avoid going into town myself.
And I thought just stashing them was a lot of driving, but going back to pick them up...
Yeah, it's a bit of a pain, but again, I make it part of the fun. Driving back to the hills in the convertible, pointing out the features of the hike to the little lady, etc. Besides, not going back would be littering.
Tipi Walter
10-01-2009, 19:44
Jeez, at some point you might as well get a donkey. I couldn't imagine enjoying 90lbs pack hiking.
What some people forget is that while yes, the first few days are heartbreaking, the pack gradually ends up in the 40 pound range, about like a daypack. The price of admission in this case is a heavy pack in the beginning. Eating solves the 90lb pack problem. Eventually.
What some people forget is that while yes, the first few days are heartbreaking, the pack gradually ends up in the 40 pound range, about like a daypack. The price of admission in this case is a heavy pack in the beginning. Eating solves the 90lb pack problem. Eventually.
a 40 pound daypack!?!:eek:
Tipi Walter
10-01-2009, 21:54
a 40 pound daypack!?!:eek:
If you ever backpacked with an 80lb pack, 40lbs seems like a daypack.
What some people forget is that while yes, the first few days are heartbreaking, the pack gradually ends up in the 40 pound range, about like a daypack. The price of admission in this case is a heavy pack in the beginning. Eating solves the 90lb pack problem. Eventually.
Sounds like that Winnie the Pooh quote that goes along the lines of "We should eat all our food first so we shan't have to carry it" :)
I love unique ways of doing hikes. I wouldn't do it..but I think it is cool that people like you are. :) (Seriously)
What some people forget is that while yes, the first few days are heartbreaking, the pack gradually ends up in the 40 pound range, about like a daypack. The price of admission in this case is a heavy pack in the beginning. Eating solves the 90lb pack problem. Eventually.
If you ever backpacked with an 80lb pack, 40lbs seems like a daypack.
Just for giggles, sometime throw a bag of raisins and a Snickers in a jacket pocket. Nothing on your back. Go take that anorexic dog of yours for a walk.
You might like it. Or you might fall over.:sun
Tipi Walter
10-02-2009, 09:22
Just for giggles, sometime throw a bag of raisins and a Snickers in a jacket pocket. Nothing on your back. Go take that anorexic dog of yours for a walk.
You might like it. Or you might fall over.:sun
This would put me in the dreaded category of the Dayhiker, something I try to avoid at all costs.
garlic08
10-02-2009, 09:36
...Eating solves the 90lb pack problem. Eventually.
Definitely--I remember those days. This quote reminds of the saying I remember from the fire service, "Eventually all fires go out. Eventually all bleeding stops."
Tipi Walter
10-02-2009, 10:33
Definitely--I remember those days. This quote reminds of the saying I remember from the fire service, "Eventually all fires go out. Eventually all bleeding stops."
And there's something that happens on the first day of a long backpacking trip, nomatter how heavy the pack, and it's hard to put into words. There you are, you're standing at the trailhead with way too much weight and enough food to eat like a king for several weeks, and your load is a disaster, but something happens on that first step into the woods. You know you have 15 days ahead of you to do exactly what you want, and you know the place and all the trails and all the best camping spots.
Sure, the pack is monstrous but there's this fantastic feeling of first-day freedom that offsets any amount of pack weight. "I made it out again! Thank God!"
Before the advent of all this new-fangled ultra-light gear, back in 1986 I spent 10 days climbing in the Wind Rivers of Wyoming. Hiked 16 miles into the Cirque of the Towers with 30 lbs of climbing gear, VE-24 tent, and all our food. My pack weighed about 120 lbs....
Not a fun hike, but once there, it was a basecamp situation, and an excellent adventure!
Tipi Walter
10-02-2009, 20:30
Before the advent of all this new-fangled ultra-light gear, back in 1986 I spent 10 days climbing in the Wind Rivers of Wyoming. Hiked 16 miles into the Cirque of the Towers with 30 lbs of climbing gear, VE-24 tent, and all our food. My pack weighed about 120 lbs....
Not a fun hike, but once there, it was a basecamp situation, and an excellent adventure!
That's what I'm talking about, when men were men. You still had to do the 16 miles in with 120lbs. Gives hope to others.
GrubbyJohn
10-04-2009, 11:55
just did a 10 day section hike and with water pack came in at 60 lbs... but stayed away from towns and that was the whole reason for the trip....
dreamsoftrails
10-04-2009, 13:21
That's what I'm talking about, when men were men. You still had to do the 16 miles in with 120lbs. Gives hope to others.
real men resupply every 2-3 days while carrying a 3 lb baseweight.
I'd like to learn more about his actual caches and what he used and where he put them.
Here I am, better late than never! One consideration for caches is legalities, although I think in general the regs are a bit more lenient in Alaska. Then of course it's important to make sure that animals can't get in them or haul them away, and that used caches are retrieved.
In the eastern Brooks Range I used surplus steel 20mm ammunition boxes with the latches wired shut. They are waterproof and airtight. I had GPS coordinates and a description of the location. Precise coordinates AND a detailed, accurate description of the location are vital. A pilot buddy dropped them off for me. I had a bear cannister cached on the Dalton "Hwy," my only road crossing. I picked up a mailed cache in the village of Anaktuvuk Pass and another bear canister of food near Arrigetch Peaks. At the headwaters of the Noatak River I had my boat and other supplies stashed in two airtight steel drums (one large and one small) which I hauled downriver with me. The biggest problem in the western Brooks Range was that I had coordinates and no description of the cache locations. The coordinates turned out to be approximate and I had a heck of a time finding one of the caches. Later in the summer air taxis flying on other trips picked up the caches along with unused food, trash, etc.
My caches had basic backpacker food supplies, along with fresh batteries, aqua mira, and since I knew I was going to be out all summer and might lose small items: a spare pen knife, spoon, pencil, etc. The caches were spaced about a week apart at spots I knew to be "landable" by aircraft. There's more info here. (http://www.bucktrack.com/Alaska_Maps.html)
Longest Trip Without Resupply?
My first marriage.
My longest planned was Silverton, Co to Beaver Creek Campground, just outside of Del Norte, Co. Followed mostly the CDT, side trip to within a few miles of Wolf Creek Pass to meet some folks, than back north to Sawtooth Ridge and, following various other trails, including cattle trails, down to Beaver Creek. Planned for 13 Days, took closer to 11 or 12 days.
Second was 12 days on Isle Royale with no resupply. This is about the limit I like to go.
take-a-knee
01-15-2010, 15:20
I have used a 50 cal ammo can on a few occasions for re-supply. Use a 10-12' cable to a tree. The length of the cable helps so the bear can not get leverage. Everything inside is vacuum sealed and the can itself is air tight. I have never had anything get in and only once did "something" play with where I put it. Not sure if it was man or bear.
That would work, you might also consider burying it if the ground won't be frozen when you plan to recover it. Ammo cans last a long time as long as the gasket is sound. The mere disturbance of the ground itself can be smelled by some animals for several days however, certainly by a bear, whether that would make one dig it up, who knows? It would probably be a good idea to spray the can down with some of that enzyme-based scent killer like hunters use, and maybe sprinkle a little baking soda around.
Wabakimi Regional Park in Ontario Canada (Canoe County) 14 days on the water.
lern how to fish and hunt. or just fish.
randyg45
01-15-2010, 17:26
lern how to fish and hunt. or just fish.
And snare.
I was in a national park with about 10 lbs of food and I found a backpacking fishing pole when i was filtering water. I ended up staying an extra week avoiding park rangers.
Also slingshots are great, you can get ones that fold up and hold amo in the handle, also you can just use rocks. Mice make great target practice.