BACKPACKING LIGHT:
Feb 15th 7pm, REI Paradise Valley, AZ
What's stopping you from Backpacking lighter? Backpacking light is about being comfortable and safe on the trail (instead of struggling under a heavy load), while still maintaining comfort in camp. Carol Crooker, Editor-in-Chief of BackpackingLight.com, will discuss the advantages of carrying a lighter backpacking load, and provide specific tools and techniques to participants on how to lighten their pack weight. Carol will have an 8-pound baseweight pack loaded for participants to try on and later unpack so that clothing, cooking, sleep, and shelter systems can be examined.

BPL staffer Will Rietveld and friends will present a workshop on Lightweight Foods and Cooking for Backpackers on April 14 at 6 PM in Durango Colorado The workshop will cover backpacking stove options and how to prepare your own lightweight, nutritious meals for the trail. Forget about those expensive freeze-dried backpacking foods or heavy gourmet meals that require a lot of preparation. Our team of experts will present their tried and proven methods to keep it inexpensive, simple, light, and tasty.

Couples Ultralight Backpacking Workshop
Sat., May 21, 1:00 PM- 5:00 PM
Washington DC Area (At REI Bailey's Crossroads in Virginia)

Alan Dixon, Product Testing Director and Senior Review Editor for Backpacking Light and his wife Alison Simon will lead an ultralight backpacking workshop in the Washington DC area this May.

This workshop will focus on ultralight backpacking for couples with an emphasis on the techniques and gear that allow light, comfortable and safe backcountry travel. Their techniques and light-gear discussions are valuable to all backpackers, especially to women, and couples wishing to start, continue or resume backcountry hiking adventures. The techniques are equally suited to those backpacking with children.

Chances are your pack is two to three times heavier than it needs to be. Workshop leaders, Alan Dixon and Alison Simon believe most couples can travel in the backcountry with 14-16 lb packs for a three-day trip without sacrificing comfort or safety.

A wide variety of the workshop leaders' ultralight gear will be on display and used for hands-on demonstration of ultralight techniques. Open discussion, questions, and demonstration of techniques with hands-on audience participation will constitute the much of the workshop. Due to requests from last year’s workshop there will be special sections focusing in detail on backcountry clothing and backcountry cooking. Alan and Alison will stay after the workshop for more questions and, if there is interest, to cover additional participant directed topics.

Registration is necessary. The $50 class fee ($40 per person for attending couples) includes the class and all course materials. To register, call Customer Service at 703-379-9400, and lighten your load! At REI Bailey's Crossroads in Virginia.

Edited by alandixon on 04/18/2005 09:00:02 MDT.

Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking Gear and Techniques Workshop in Durango, Colorado April 19. Will Rietveld and Janet Reichl will show you the gear and techniques they use to keep their pack weight under 15 pounds for summertime backpacking in the mountains. Will now has his base pack weight (everything except food, fuel, and water) under 7 pounds, and will show you how he does it, without sacrificing comfort. Besides the ultralight approach, Will and Janet will cover various options for lightening your pack and increasing your enjoyment of backpacking.

BPL staffer Will Rietveld and his spouse Janet Reichl will present a Lightweight and Ultralight Backpacking Gear and Techniques Workshop in Silverton, Colorado August 5 at 6:30 pm in the Silverton Town Hall. Will and Janet will show you the gear and techniques they use to keep their pack weight under 15 pounds for summertime backpacking in the mountains. Will now has his base pack weight (everything except food, fuel, and water) under 5 pounds, and will show you how he does it, without sacrificing comfort. Besides the ultralight approach, Will and Janet will cover various options for lightening your pack so you can enjoy backpacking more.

As an FYI, we are considering expanding BPL Clinics to the following cities in 2006. If you have feedback, please forward them to publisher(at)backpackinglight(dot)com.

Denver
Boulder
Jackson WY
Salt Lake City
Seattle
San Francisco
Los Angeles
Minneapolis
Boston
Atlanta

I vote for Seattle. I live 1 1/2 hours away - but would attend such a clinic if given.

I vote for Ontario, near Los Angeles. There are a lot of convention centers and a major airport in Ontario, CA.

Again San Francisco would be great. Thanks.

"Bean Town" aka Boston

San Francisco or Seattle is better than no Left Coast appearance. Portland or Eugene would be even better.

"GO LIGHT: BACKPACKING WITH LESS"

DESCRIPTION:

Montana State University-Billings, in partnership with BackpackingLight.com, is offering an evening workshop that will help you lose those pesky pack pounds. Proceeds will benefit the Blake Morstad Memorial Endowment at Montana State University.

INSTRUCTOR

Ryan Jordan is the Co-Founder of BackpackingLight.com and Publisher of Backpacking Light Magazine, the leading authority for information about lightweight gear and techniques for hiking.

WHERE

MSU-Billings Downtown

WHEN

Wednesday, November 9, 6:30 to 8:30 PM

CLASS SIZE LIMIT

100

COURSE FEE

$30.00

CONTACT / SIGNUP

Adam Sundstrom
asundstrom@msubillings.edu

Edited by ryan on 09/09/2005 21:38:09 MDT.

"LOSE THE WEIGHT! DON’T LET YOUR BACKPACK BREAK YOUR BACK"

DESCRIPTION:
Do you have to give up in-camp comfort when you cut your pack weight? That is the question Carol Crooker, Editor-in-Chief of BackpackingLight.com, has spent the summer and fall answering. After a series of SuperUltraLight backpacking trips (total pack weight at the start of a four-day trip was 12 pounds), she has discovered that you can be quite comfortable even at such ridiculously low pack weights. She even slept in a hammock – the ultimate luxury - on about half of her trips.

Join her as she shares insights from her SUL adventures on how to comfortably drop a few pounds – no matter what your pack weight is now.

WHERE/WHEN
REI Paradise Valley, October 18th, 7 pm
REI Tempe, October 19th, 7 pm

Edited by cmcrooker on 10/04/2005 10:56:27 MDT.

Hello? San Francisco area anyone....please?

Kansas sometime? Especially Lawrence?

www.backwoods.com hosted Coup a couple of months ago, but I missed it do to other commitments.

Backwoods or www.sunfloweroutdoorandbike.com might be interested in hosting one sometime.

Carol,

It would be "wonderful" if you would post your 8 pound gear contents for us to analyze? Am also wondering what temperatures and resupply times are being considered with 8 pounds?

thanks

Ken, I'm doing a SF clinic in Spring 06. Date and locale not solidified yet.

Sweet!! Will be a pleasure to meet you and learn some more!! Thanks!!!

Los Angeles would be great-I live there and it is such a populated area that you can reach a lot of people.

Has BPL considered holding a clinic in the D.C. area