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[at-l] Re: One worry, one concern

> After an overburdened hike last fall, I made my winter project lowering my
> pack weight.  My "goal" has been to get my cold weather pack with water,
> fuel, and 7 days of food down to 40 pounds.  I doubt I'll make it.  But I
> will get down into the low fourties, and under fourty for the summer.  I've
> had a lot of fun with my spreadsheet, AND I'm looking forward to paying a
> lot less attention to it once the weather warms up!

Right now my cold weather pack with water, fuel, and 7 days of food is down to 
about 30 pounds. Looking at my old "pre-ultralight" list, it would have been 
about 42 pounds.

> I also discovered a few things along the way:
> 
> (1) The expensive items are often heavier.  For example, Gore-tex jackets
> vs. cheap coated rain gear.  I'll probably bring my LLBean parka (not the
> most expensive, by the way) for the cold weather, and switch to someting
> half the weight and one third the cost for the bulk of the trip.  Another
> example: the Trangia #28 alcohol stove set weighs, complete with small pot,
> about the same as a MSR Whisperlite... it also costs about half what the
> whisperlite costs.  I'm going to go with the Trangia Westwind and a
> titanium pot: that's more expensive, but it still costs about the same as a
> Whisperlite and a MSR stainless steel pot.  You have to carry more alcohol
> than you would gas, but I think my numbers are going to work out ok.  This
> is just an example: gas stoves have other advantages, and my alcohol stove
> hasen't arrived yet, so I don't know how well it will work in practice.

You may have problems getting fuel for the alcohol stove on the trail.

The titanium pot is a great idea. I've got both an Evernew titanium 1.3 liter 
pot (6 oz) and a Sierra cup (1 oz) that are very durable and very light weight. 
When I replaced an MSR stainless steel pot, lid, and potholder and a 12 oz 
insulated cup with the Evernew pot and cup, I saved over a POUND of weight.

> (2) The real secret is leaving things at home.  Light gear is much heavier
> than gear you don't bring at all!

Absolutely. In looking back over what I no longer take with me I see such items 
as:

Backpacker Poncho
Metal Pot Holder
Fork
Rain Pants
úSandals (camp shoes)
Carabiner
Backpacker Candle Lantern
Outdoor Research Tent/Pack Repair Kit

The rest of my weight savings were based on substituting lighter items for 
heavier. For example, I now carry a bivy sack instead of a tent, a smaller 
technical pack instead of a larger external frame pack, etc.

> (3) I read Ray Jardine's book, and can't quite bring myself to go
> "ultralight".  If I had more experience with his techniques I might be
> willing to try more of them out, but some of the things he does make me
> nervous.

I've gone ultralight myself, although not to the extent Ray has. Everything 
idea I've actually TRIED from his book has worked for me. I still haven't tried 
them all, though. Some just don't fit into my own personal style of hiking. We 
all need to "hike our own hike", but keeping an open mind for new idea is also 
very important.

> Many of his general points are right on though... in particular,
> there is a kind of hysteresis effect:
> 
>  The heavier your load, the more you have to carry.
>  The lighter your load, the less you have to carry.
> For example, if you carry 60 lbs, you need a pack that will support 60
> pounds in reasonable comfort.  Packs that can do that weigh 6-8 pounds!  On
> the other hand, you can save 3 pounds or so by going with a lighter pack...
> but only if you get your pack weight down!  Also, the more you carry, the
> slower you'll go, and the more food (and weight) you'll have to take
> between resupply stops. 

Absolutely right on. This is his "hiking pyramid" and is so true.

> At one point, my spreadsheet was verging on the
> "ultralight", but I couldn't quite get the weight down to where I was
> willing to go the next lighter backpack (and besides, it wouldn't have fit
> my long torso).

I'm 6' 2" myself, but have still managed to find a pack that's extremely 
durable and fits me that only weighs 1lb 14oz (North Face Exocet). It's big 
enough to carry all my stuff and 7 days food.

> (4) If you are tall, everything weighs more. :-(

So true. I always have to get a "long" sleeping bag and pay the penalty in 
extra ounces.

> (5) If you have big feet, three pound boots turn into four pound boots. :-(

Or 20 oz running shoes turn into 26 oz running shoes.

> (6) You can save POUNDS in cold weather by spending your camp time in your
> sleeping bag.

Absolutely! That cuts down a huge amount of clothing that needs to be carried, 
ending up with less weight and less space required (so a smaller, lighter pack 
can be carried saving even more weight).

> (7) I like it when experienced hikers post gear lists and, even better,
> talk about how they USE their gear.  I like it because those posts help me
> think about new things I can leave behind!

I've got a detailed list posted on the Web page below. Probably the biggest 
single tip I can give people on gear use is to  take items that have multiple 
uses. Following are some multiple use item examples:

Use your sleeping bag stuff sack filled with clothing as a pillow
Use wool hiking socks as mittens
Hike in a nylon swim suit (combines walking shorts, underpants, and, of course, 
a swim suit!)
Use a lightweight long underwear top as underwear or as a long-sleeve outer 
shirt
Use a stove windscreen as a reflector for a candle, making a candle lantern
Carry an umbrella to provide the functions of rain gear while hiking and a very 
small tarp when in camp

+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+
Michael Connick
GA->ME on the Appalachian Trail in 98!

E-mail: Michael_Connick@clrmnt.com
Michael's Ultralight Backpacking Page:
    http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/mconnick  
+-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=+
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