I like the phrase "appropriate paranoia". I hike with some "be equipped" people who I term "bombproof backpackers"...lol.

Hiking solo in sparsely hiked areas is an entirely different ballgame in being equipped. Risk goes up even with carrying a PLB for the rare incapacitating illness/injury where help may not arrive for up to 24 hours or more. I really appreciated this when I got a virus on a group hike that took me out in minutes to hours. It makes one think about how they would have "performed" if it had been a solo outing. Staying dry, warm and hydrated should then be your immediate goals.

Actually, I've always thought of prepared/equipped as going hand in hand. Preparedness to me is being appropriately equipped with gear and knowledge for the given trip.

Edited by jshann on 01/28/2010 10:03:27 MST.

Thanks for all your continued comments and conversation!

A few specific responses: Dwight, the photo was from Isle Royale, but I'm not sure if it was on the Greenstone after Ojibway tower, or if it was taken on the Minong not far out of McCargo.

Jedd and all: I do carry some "just in case" stuff. In general I pack with no tolerance for being cold, wet, or uncomfortable. I pack enough clothing to be plenty warm, I carry a cushy pad, complete rain gear, and so forth. I also know and accept that at some point my feet are going to be wet and cold, that there'll be a morning I have to wake up and put on wet clothes and go. But that's just not a big deal. A typical pack list is on the community gear lists. I do carry a survival kit and a fixed-blade knife, and some basic first aid conveniences.

My survival kit: emergency blanket, a couple large-ish pieces of aluminum foil, 40' of 250# spectra line, 25' of 500# spectra line, needle and thread, ferro rod, signal mirror, petro-jel cotton balls double-wrapped in foil, and a whistle. I can create shelter, start fire, boil water, and signal for help, and the packet is small enough to easily fit in my pocket. Along w/the survival kit I carry the Grohmann Boat Knife, great for all kinds of camp chores and getting fires going in wet conditions.

My current first aid kit is a couple micro tubes of superglue, a maxipad, a mess of assorted bandaids (I tend to get cracked fingertips on trips), a little antibiotic ointment, and that's about it. I do carry enough ibuprofen for 2 x 800mg/per day, and enough Benadryl for 4 per day. I also started carrying some antifungal powder in a small bottle, but that's more of a "toiletries" thing. I think that's about it; I can fabricate whatever else as needed.

Melissa, liked your feedback and thoughts on multiuse. David, like you said, it's ultimately more about efficiency than just weight. Actually, when I talk to people about carrying a lighter pack, I don't talk about ultralight at all. I just talk about it as backpacking. When you box things in too tightly people have narrow expectations. I just try to create awareness that you can carry less stuff, still be safe, warm and dry, and ultimately have more fun on the trips. In the shop I'll point out how cool technology has gotten... for example, you could carry a full-size 0.75" Z-lite, or you could carry a full-size, 2.5" thick mattress for the same weight and a little more warmth... and, oh, the thicker pad packs down about 5 times smaller than the z-lite. (The Neo isn't always the answer, just an example here!)

Some other thoughts I've had while reading your comments are that the Zipka light I used to carry weighed 2.3oz w/batteries. I never brought spare batteries, because the light would burn 120 hours on one set. I had the same batteries in that LED light for 4 or 5 years. My new light doesn't have such long run time, and I might bring an extra lithium battery, but if it comes down to it and my light burns out... no worries. I have a pack full of gear. I'd stay the night and hike out in the day. But then, I don't backpack when it's dark. Day hike/ski/snowshoe, sure. Or maybe an easy overnight in to a cabin, etc. But that's about it.

I'd also like to point out that I've met many BPLers, and have referred a lot of people to the site. Although many of our frequent forum posters might be in the 10# pack range, I know through personal conversations that many of the people following our discussions don't carry such loads... and that's fine! I regularly meet people who still have a 15-30 pound base, and those people do follow the things we do here. They take what works for them from the site, and apply it to their interpretation or end desires for their backpacking experience. So what if someone carries a 20# 3-season base? Maybe they cut back from a 50# base, and they're tickled pink at carrying such a light pack. There's room for all of us here, and we can all learn from each other's different perspectives.

Anyhoozit, cheers, all! Look forward to hearing some more of your thoughts.

Edited by 4quietwoods on 01/28/2010 10:42:19 MST.

"Eins:

EMT = Emergency Medical Technician
EMS = Emergency Medical Services"

John, I got the E and M right, thanx for clearing up the T and S.

Eins

I too have been thinking a bit more about this thread. Last night I realised that my longest term regular hiking buddies fit into this category:

"I met a guy recently who takes great pride and (stated) pleasure in carrying a 120-POUND pack. Even for long weekends. He told me it was great"

We often hike with a married couple who have had the same bombproof 3.7kg MacPac Olympus tent, and heavy sleeping bags, MSR white gas stove with 8 oz heat exchanger, set of two stainless steel pots (1.3 and 2 litre with fry pan lid), really rugged canvas packs and a host of other 'heavy' gear. They always carry some fresh fruits and veggies, lots of bowls, cups, cutlery, super thick Thermarest mats...you know, all the traditional gear we used to all carry. Thing is, they're both happy on their hikes, and proud. Proud because the husband is really fit and strong, so he carries most of the load, and it barely slows him down, so he feels like a real man. She's proud because her husband acts like a real man and is a good 'provider'. They are proud because their gear has lasted for over a decade of heavy use. They are proud because they are prepared for anything, and indeed they have even had call to use their PLB once. There is no way I would or should even consider convincing them that my way is better than theirs, or that they would be safer or have more enjoyable trips if they went lighter.

However, this all changes when we want to do a 'girl's trip' sometimes, and hubby stays at home. We then find that the wife is ill prepared to carry the gear she has available to her, yet she won't accept offers from the rest of us to borrow some lighter gear for these trips. She fears gear that is unfamiliar and distrusts lighter alternatives. So she slows us down, and doesn't really have that much fun :( It is at this level that my evangelism is prone to kick in, and I often have to bite my tongue, and refuse to take some weight off of her.

nm

Edited by jshann on 01/30/2010 19:06:50 MST.

I've enjoyed this good provocative essay and thread. I want to summarize a classic regime for cutting down the gear and weight. These ideas are not mine nor new.

“BE PREPARED” to survive and hike another trip:
Rule 1: The only unforeseen event that you must “Be Prepared” for is to be found alive within 2 or 3 days of the time when someone starts real search and rescue looking for you;
Rule 2: Be sure that you make a plan and carry what is necessary to assure success of Rule 1 in the specific environment of that trip;
Rule 3: No clothing or equipment is critical (as opposed to comfortable) except for what is needed to assure the success of Rule 1.
EXAMPLE: The only real danger here in the North Cascades and similar mountain environments is hypothermia in some combination with injury, wandering so far off your stated route that searchers are looking in the wrong place, or not being able to signal your location to searchers. You won't die of hunger, thirst, wild animals, snakes, mosquitoes (well, probably not), giardia or anything other than hypothermia. You may be miserable, but you won't die. That said, hypothermia is a serious threat. Nearly every year, a few climbers, hikers, hunters, and back-country skiers here get caught in bad weather. Many went out just for the day. Mt. Rainier and Mt. Hood are especially notorious. (See links below) Unpredictable weather, especially blowing rain, fog and unpredicted snow (below is a picture taken on the PCT on August 15 this summer) can make you dangerously wet and cold, interfere with making a fire, and obscure you and your attempts to signal searchers until the storm passes.
To address this risk, for this example of risk environment:
a) Be sure that people at home know your route and the time you are supposed to be out;
b) Take some combination of clothing, blanket, bivy or shelter that will keep you dry under a tree or rock ledge in blowing sleet;
c) Be sure you know how (practice it) to build a big fire in the rain with natural materials and be able to keep it going day and night for warmth and smoke (signal) production, and carry the fire starters and tinder (this may the only necessary redundancy of any gear) to be sure you can do it.
With this minimal baseline of planning your route, clothing, shelter, and fire starters, you can then quickly prune your gear list to what you want carry to “Be Equipped”. If you make a bad guess on a Rule 3 item, you'll live, you'll get the chance to innovate, and it will make a good story.

“BE EQUIPPED” only with what you can't comfortably do without (after trying) on the foreseen conditions of a trip. DON'T try to “be equipped” for “possible” non-life-threatening events – meet them as they come and be resourceful.
These methods work for a lot of people:
a) During a trip, don't use anything unless you are forced to use it in order to reach your personal level of comfort and enjoyment – just leave it in the pack, and try to let lightness and simplicity fill the comfort space of the sequestered item;
b) After each trip, take out every single thing you did not use on that trip, (except for the Rule 2 items);
c) Never add anything to your pack unless you know you will use it to reach your personal level of comfort and enjoyment for the conditions of that particular trip (snow, climbing, night hiking, rain in the forecast, etc.), or it is a Rule 2 item for that particular trip; then take those special items back out after that trip;
d) Do keep looking for some lighter item that performs the same function as a heavier one, or a multiple use item that allows you to do away with a single use item with resulting less complication, volume and net weight;
e) Have more fun;
f) Repeat a) through e).

Dale



Why this is important:

http://www.examiner.com/weather-in-jackson/mount-hood-climbers-likely-deceased-due-to-the-extreme-weather

http://www.kirotv.com/news/16585646/detail.html

http://www.oregonlive.com/clackamascounty/index.ssf/2010/06/two_hikers_found_after_two-day.html

Edited by dlcrandall on 10/09/2010 17:55:21 MDT.

Once maybe 10-20 years ago, there was a U.S. Marine who was off duty and taking a simple day hike in a wilderness area just north of Yosemite National Park. He had gotten some miles from the road, and had virtually nothing for gear. He fell of a cliff trail and landed at the bottom of a ravine with two broken legs. Nobody really knew that he was there, so nobody was looking for him. His military training kicked in, and he slept in a "squirrel's nest" of leaves. He drank raw stream water and basically just survived as best he could. I believe after 2-3 weeks, he was able to crawl back up the hill and crawl those miles out to the road, and he recovered in a hospital. You have to admit that he was mentally prepared for survival, if not well equipped.
--B.G.--

To me the "enlightenment" of learning about lightweight backpacking after decades of using traditional gear seemed to be complimentary to a mindset of lightweight skills.

Almost automatically, as one goes lightweight, comes the concentration on doing the same with less - less weight and less gear.

i.e. one cook pot, not two, a SteriPen and not a water filter, Freezer Bag Cooking and not traditional freeze-dried food, etc.

But along the way I've discovered that I won't sacrifice the sleeping comfort of my ancient Thermarest Lite, regular length for a CCF 3/4 length pad, or my TarpTent Moment for a bivy or tarp. And an internal frame, LW pack is, to me, more comfortable than a lighter framless pack.

It's a learning process and a lot of the learning, as the author infers, is not so much about equipment as skill set of "doing more with less". Finding a better, safer camp site, a cleaner water source, understanding the weather signals of clouds, knowing your first aid well, etc.

I'm not a "survivalist" or minimalist but I CAN survive if I am forced to because I've taken the time to learn and practice survival skills. No, a bow drill won't likely start a flame but it WILL start embers that you can blow into a flame. You need to know that.

Finally, knowing the strengths of your group helps. A good routefinder is given that task, an EMT or paramedic is the go-to person for first aid, and a good cook is priceless. These are skill sets that are complimentary to a safer, more enjoyable hike.

Eric

Edited by Danepacker on 01/31/2010 18:12:13 MST.

Brad - Excellent article! I think if I were going to teach an intro-to-lightweight-backpacking class, I'd use your article as a place to begin.

I began lightening my load a year or so ago. Now, instead of buying the newest things on the market, for each item, I stop and think first about its use, its practicality, its weight, and its necessity. It has made a big difference!

Kathy, thanks for the props!

I wish i could print this out and keep copies in my pack to give to people i see on the trails. I think you hit the nail on the head with this one.

Thanks!

Nice piece of work, Brad. But you and I and our small band here are no match for them marketing folks at TNF, MH, Gregory, Arcteryx... you name it!

"Better to have it and not need it", the saying goes, "then to need it and not have it". And thus the cash registers never stop ringing...

Thank you for the insight. That was a great article.