The day I decided to get some lighter gear

[myakka_]

I figure that those of you who hike and camp in the deep wild places will see some humor in this.

My job requires me to travel all over the country and to camp for 2 weeks or so in some of the most remote mountain ranges there are. When I first started I was told that I could take a total of 70lbs, and this would include my clothes, toiletries, large bag, sleeping bag, pad, tent, day pack, and special clothing and gear for work.

So this weight didn't include food since that would be provided.

On my first trip with this group, I was nervous about needing something and not having it. So I carried extra boots, 18 days worth of clothes, and every little gadget I thought might possibly be needed.

Camp was at the top of a very high ridgeline north of Fort Collins Colorado. (I remember that because we were bumped to another camp and stopped in Ft Collins during the transition. Our crew was 20 men, most of us fairly large guys, each with his pack, and the tools we needed to work including chainsaws and shovels and other specialized hand tools.

As we rode in our old school bus up the steep slope, we started to notice a grinding sound, and a smell of oil burning. The driver stopped the bus, told us that the transmission was having difficulty with the harsh grade, and could we walk the last 2 miles to the top. He explained that once we topped out on the ridgeline, his bus would carry us just fine, but it just couldn't carry us, and our gear up the last part of the hill.
So we got out and started walking uphill the last 2 miles, for some reason we were trailing the bus and choking on the smell of it's distress.

After about 1/2 mile, the bus ground to a stop again. The driver got out and apologized again. "I think the transmission is slipping under the weight of carrying your gear. Can you carry your own stuff? Just the last 1 1/2 mile....."

We all geared up, some seemed to have just a little bit of weight, and of course I was at my maximum allowed 70lbs. We started hiking again, still in the smoke and choke of the rattletrap bus's fumes.

Another 3/4 mile went by, and I was in misery. Hiking up this steep grade, carrying my 70lbs of gear, smelling the stink of this stupid piece of crap bus...

And finally the bus stopped one more time. The driver got out, and told us that the old bus just couldn't pull itself over this last bit of trail. Then he asked us something unbelievable. Almost 15years later I can still remember his sheepish expression, and our astonishment as he asked us to "push" the bus the last 3/4 mile to the top.

So as I leaned into the back of this stinking, smoking jalopy, I thought about each piece of gear weighing me down. Did I really need all those clothes? The second pair of boots? Spare flashlights? rope? All the little things I stuffed into my bag because I thought "it would be nice", now just seemed like overkill.

I made sure the rest of that trip to study what gear I actually needed, and what stuff did the camp provide? I didn't need to carry rope, since I could request some at camp. I didn't need multiple pairs of boots. And there was laundry in camp. I could carry a lot less clothes. In fact, the pants and shirts we wore while working were provided, so we could trade our dirty clothes for clean every couple days. And there was nowhere to go in civies, so why bring a bunch of personal clothes?

By my next trip, I had lowered my weight to 28lbs I actually "needed". I never really got interested in going "ultra-light" like some of you guys that cut handles off of tooth brushes, but I really did learn to appreciate a tent that was 3lbs over a tent that was 12lbs.

I hope that my suffering back then gave some of you ultra light hikers a laugh.

[Meriadoc]

Thanks for the smile! Good story.
(And I'm no ULer)

[imscotty]

Great story...

[jdc5294]

This was great, I'm considered a Light guy but I've trudged up steep slopes carrying 50+ lbs before and can sympathize.

[Damn Yankee]

Sounds like my old Army days. Good story

[Kerosene]

Hey, at least it only took you 2 miles to figure it out.