>Kahley, > >I'm gathering from your mail that you are getting concerned about your >pack weight. It appears that you've hit the pack weight wall. Now your >swapping gear in and out but nothing seems to have much effect. I for >one am not going to tell you what to keep or remove from your pack. >But, if you'll bear with me, I try to give you a few ideas on how to >change your approach to the problem. Over time you will solve your >problem. > >People often talk about gear in an isolated environment, as if swapping >item A with item B will reduce your load and make life easy. >Unfortunately it's not that simple. There are three areas to consider >and understand when deciding on the appropriate equipment for you. The >environment, you and the gear you carry. > >1. There's the environment: > >It may seem that everyone will obviously be aware of this one. But I'm >not talking about macro environments like a winter at the North Pole vs. >a summer hike along the AT. Instead I'm talking about micro >environments that you will encounter along your trip. By learning about >micro environments you can use them as supplements to your equipment. >But to do so you must be comfortable with how they work. > >I'll give you a recent example of how micro environments came to my aid. > A couple of weekends ago I went on an overnight campout with my son's >boy scout group. We arrived at the organized camp early and most of the >people setup their tents (supplied by the scout pack) in the meadow. I >brought my own tent so I was well aware of its strengths and weakness. >Since I knew the forecast was for rain, I pitched my tent in shelter of >the trees. > >Next morning, after a night of rain, several of the tents pitched in the >meadow had a pool of water in the floor while mine was nice and dry. >Now one might assume that the other tents weren't very good. But that >would not be correct. All of the scout tents were less than 10 years >old, excellent heavy duty tents and most (including the soaked ones) had >ground cloths. Mine on the other hand was over 20 years old (my AT >tent) and had a number of small pin holes in the floor and I never carry >a ground cloth. > >In this case the difference between wet and dry was that I understood >the limitations of my gear and used the environment as an aid to >strengthen it. > >It also raises an interesting point. Several weeks ago a lot of people >fried Friar Tuck for taking Gutsy's ground cloth. I would have made the >same recommendation. Over 20 years I've camped in lots of places from >pleasant forests to glaciers to mountain tops and never carried a ground >cloth. The only time I was wet was when I was too lazy to setup camp >correctly. My point is that before I can recommend that someone >eliminates a piece of equipment, I must first understand how they have >integrated it into their system. > >2. Then there's you: > >Much has been said on this list about the greatest key to a successful >hike being a positive metal attitude. Well your mind is your greatest >single piece of gear you carry. Books can be a good starting point on >training your mind on how you, your gear and the environment will >interact. But experience is the greatest teacher. Don't be afraid to >experiment. One way to do this is by not using something you carry. As >your hiking try going a few days without using a particular piece of >gear you're carrying. It may feel uncomfortable at first, but if you >can adjust to not using it, then maybe you don't really need it. > >The other part of the you is the physical. How conditioned you are, >you're ability to withstand cold directly effect the amount of gear you >need to carry. I you naturally sleep warm, or know how to eat to sleep, >you may not need as heavy a sleeping bag. If you're in good physical >condition you can use fewer clothes during the day. You'll need to stop >less and your stops will be shorter. When you hit camp, your sleeping >bag becomes apart of your apparel. You'd be amazed how much you can do >while lying in one. I've walked into camp, laid out the bag, cooked >supper, went to sleep, woke up, cooked breakfast, rolled up the bag, and >walked on. But then that may not be you're style. > >3. Finally there's your gear: > >First, understand that for everything you carry (including your pack), >someone else has successfully avoided carrying on the AT. Your gear is >simply the bubble between you and your environment. How thick or thin >that bubble needs to be depends upon items 1 & 2. The better you >understand them the easier it will be for you to judge your gear. One >thing I try to do is to come up with at least two to three uses for >every piece of equipment. > >One example was the food bag / day pack tip I'd mentioned in an earlier >post. By adding a couple of light straps to a light waterproof food >pack, I've eliminated the need for fanny or day pack for side trips. On >our trip this summer we will be using a tarp instead of tent for >shelter. To support the tarp we'll be using our hiking staffs. The >poles combined with our frame packs will form a comfortable back rest. >This eliminates the need to purchase a special device to convert our >pads. > >Tarps are lighter than tents, but under extreme conditions water can be >driven under the tarp around the edges. Many people combine a bivy sack >with tarp to keep their sleeping bags dry. I've decided to make my own >bags this summer. The bottoms are coated rip-stop with a pocket for the >pad. The top of the bag is Ultrix waterproof but breathable. This >combines the sleeping bag and bivy into one unit, saving weight. > >I'm not recommending that you go out and start making your own >equipment. I do so because I like the challenge and feel comfortable >using a sewing machine. It's not that commercial equipment is bad. In >fact most of it is very good. But since manufactures need to build for >a wide audience, they often put in features I don't want or need. Or >they will leave out a feature that will make several pieces of gear work >well together. > >Remember the goal is to develop a system that you can be comfortable >with. One that will provide adequate physical and mental security, but >still allow you the freedom to accomplish your goal. When someone >offers you advice on a piece of equipment, make sure you understand how >they use it. If it fits in with your system or your willing to alter >your system to accommodate it fine. If not, ignore it. > >I guess the statement "Hike your own hike" could be extended to "and >carry your own gear". > >I hope I've helped more than bored you. > >Ron Moak >
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