Backpacking Light Magazine

Backpacking Light Magazine http://www.backpackinglight.com/ Latest news, views, and reviews about lightweight hiking and backpacking from BackpackingLight.com, the website of Backpacking Light Magazine. en Copyright 2001-2010 Beartooth Media, Inc. BackpackingLight Magazine http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bplcomlogonew.gif http://www.backpackinglight.com BackpackingLight Magazine (M) OMM Kamleika Race Smock, Jacket, and Pants Review http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/omm_kamleika_race_smock_jacket_pants_review.html <blockquote>Waterproof shells with a minimalist design and four-way stretch fabric</blockquote> by Danny Milks & Kristin Tennessen | 2012-05-15 OMM is a British company that has been hosting adventure races since 1968, hence the name OMM, which stands for the Original Mountain Marathon. OMM also makes a full line of adventure racing gear and clothing, tailored towards that activity and the weather conditions typical in the UK: cool, wet, and windy. The products are equally appropriate for runners and ultralight backpackers, even though OMM designed them with adventure racers in mind. OMM created the Kamleika shells to handle rain and wind at a minimal weight. OMM calls these their waterproof breathable soft shells, due to the soft, stretchy nature of the Gelanots fabric. The fabric alone makes the shells stand out, but our testing shows that these shells are well designed racing suits. ARTICLE OUTLINE <ul compact> <li> Introduction</li> <li> Specifications</li> <li> Description</li> <li> Performance</li> <li> Assessment <ul compact> <li> Acknowledgement</li> </ul> </ul> # WORDS: 2370 # PHOTOS: 14 <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/thumb/omm-kamleika-race-smock,-jacket-pants-review-tn.jpg' align='right'> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bullet-arrow-red-small.gif'><a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/omm_kamleika_race_smock_jacket_pants_review.html'> Read this article at BackpackingLight.com</a>View All: <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Gear/Reviews/index.html'>Reviews</a> &gt; <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Gear/index.html'>Gear</a> 15 May 2012 00:00:00 MST (M) Lightweight Bikepacking: An Introduction http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/lightweight_bikepacking_introduction.html <blockquote>"This kind of cycling actually brings you closer to the land than hiking... because you must read the landscape so closely in order to ride across it." -Drew Walker, â€œThe Talkeetna Traverseâ€ Adventure Cyclist (Jan/Feb 2001) </blockquote> by David Chenault | 2012-05-15 It's called bikepacking. Backpacking while on a mountain bike. Multi-day mountain bike touring. As impresario of cycling culture Gerard Vroomen has written, 'Slow enough to see the trees, fast enough to get through the forest.' If you're a mountain biker and not much of a backpacker, bikepacking will open up new galaxies right out your front door. If you're a backpacker but not a mountain biker, bikepacking will allow you to explore new worlds in your pre-existing universes. And if you're neither a mountain biker nor a backpacker, but are reading this anyway, what took you so long? You've been missing out! This article will provide an overview of contemporary bikepacking, discuss its origins and ways of sub-dividing the main approaches to traveling with bikes in wild places, and point out some places in which bikepacking might be enjoyed. Two companion articles will discuss bikepacking-specific gear in detail: one reviewing suitable backpacks, the other rackless on-the-bike carry systems (e.g. frame bags and seat bags). BackpackingLight has covered bikepacking before, but it's been five years since the trip on the North Umpqua trail that Doug Johnson discussed in the ninth issue of BackpackingLight magazine ('Singletrack on the Ultralight'). In that half-decade, a minor revolution has taken place with bikepacking gear, which in turn spawned a major revolution in the minds of bikepackers. The range of routes being bikepacked and the way in which these trips are approached are quite different as a result of these advances. It's worth noting that this article will discuss lightweight bikepacking only. As with lightweight backpacking, ski touring, or packrafting, the 'light' part is only on the surface concerned with weight. No one has yet proposed a weight classification quite as rigorous as the base weights which have come to separate lightweight from ultralight and then superultralight (less than 20, 10, and 5 pounds, respectively). In this article I'll use a simpler method: lightweight bikepacking means multi-day adventure-based mountain bike riding with no trailers and no panniers. No trailers, no panniers! You eBayed your Arcflex Terraplane a decade ago, yes? Same thing here. Not only are seven-pound backpacks, Bob trailers, and panniers (and often racks) heavy, they allow you to carry even more gear, which is not only heavy on the body (SOMETHING is propelling that bike!), but heavy on the mind and soul. The superficial aspect of lightweight wilderness travel is having a light pack so you can use less energy, move faster, longer, easier, and so forth. The deeper reasons for lightweight have to do with mindfulness, personal growth, and a studied and respectful approach to the land and the human relationship with it. Bringing only the gear and food you need forces you to pay greater attention to both external and internal conditions. For virtually all bikepacking trips, a trailer with a huge load bespeaks of a problematic relationship with the world at large. ARTICLE OUTLINE <ul compact> <li> Three Types of Bikepacking</li> <li> Bikes for Bikepacking <ul compact> <li> Bikes for Dirt Touring</li> <li> Bikes for Technical Bikepacking</li> <li> Bikes for Hellbiking</li> </ul> <li> Places to go Bikepacking <ul compact> <li> Dirt Touring Destinations <ul compact> <li> The White Rim, Canyonlands National Park</li> <li> The Great Divide Mountain Bike Route</li> <li> Back Roads Near You</li> </ul> <li> Places to go Technical Bikepacking <ul compact> <li> The Maah Daah Hey Trail</li> <li> The Colorado Trail</li> <li> The Arizona Trail</li> </ul> <li> Places to go Hellbiking</li> </ul> </ul> # WORDS: 5420 # PHOTOS: 10 <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/thumb/lightweight-bikepacking-introduction-tn.jpg' align='right'> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bullet-arrow-red-small.gif'><a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/lightweight_bikepacking_introduction.html'> Read this article at BackpackingLight.com</a>View All: <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Trends/Trend Reports/index.html'>Trend Reports</a> &gt; <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Trends/index.html'>Trends</a> 15 May 2012 00:00:00 MST (M) Success and Failure on the Colorado Trail http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/success_and_failure_on_the_colorado_trail.html <blockquote>Planning like crazy to do a thru-hike doesn't quiet the fears: "Can I do this? Will my gear work? Will I stay motivated? Do I have the right food?" Only time on the trail would answer.</blockquote> by Luke Schmidt | 2012-05-08 My grandfather's friend Jerry dropped me off at the Colorado Trail trailhead just as the sun was going down. With a rainstorm threatening I trotted off to find a campsite for the night. Like the entire trip, this drop off was last minute. I'd bought all my food, mailed my resupply packages, and packed all my gear over a weekend. Now after all the crazy planning I was finally going to do a thru-hike, or so I hoped. I'd been on dozens of trips from weekends to five days, I'd done even longer canoe trips, but I'd never been able to go hiking for more than five days at a stretch. The questions in my mind were "Can I do this? Will my gear work? Will I stay motivated? Do I have the right food?" Only time on the trail would answer. ARTICLE OUTLINE <ul compact> <li> A Last Minute Start</li> <li> Part 1: Racing the Clock</li> <li> Part 2: Rain</li> <li> Part 3: Boredom</li> <li> Part 4: Going Remote</li> <li> Part 5: Going High</li> <li> Things Go Wrong</li> <li> Final Thoughts </li> </ul> # WORDS: 5130 # PHOTOS: 40 <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/thumb/success-and-failure-on-the-colorado-trail-tn.jpg' align='right'> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bullet-arrow-red-small.gif'><a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/success_and_failure_on_the_colorado_trail.html'> Read this article at BackpackingLight.com</a>View All: <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Places/Trip Reports/index.html'>Trip Reports</a> &gt; <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Places/index.html'>Places</a> 08 May 2012 00:00:00 MST (M) Granite Gear Blaze A.C. 60 Review http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/granite_gear_blaze_ac_60_review.html <blockquote>Will it light the trails on fire?</blockquote> by Brad Groves | 2012-05-08 The Blaze A.C. 60 is not born of blazon fireworks or Las Vegas-style, in-your-face theatrics. Its appearance is relatively unassuming, though not unattractive... techy enough to look like a contemporary pack, but without standing out, the Blaze reminds me of a good spyâ€™s ability to blend in. It performs well in the field, too, and looks its role: solid, light, utilitarian. ARTICLE OUTLINE <ul compact> <li> Introduction</li> <li> Specifications</li> <li> Checking out the Basics</li> <li> Looking into the Finer Details</li> <li> Fire by Friction?</li> <li> Conclusion</li> </ul> # WORDS: 2150 # PHOTOS: 5 <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/thumb/granite-gear-blaze-ac-60-review-tn.jpg' align='right'> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bullet-arrow-red-small.gif'><a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/granite_gear_blaze_ac_60_review.html'> Read this article at BackpackingLight.com</a>View All: <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Gear/Reviews/index.html'>Reviews</a> &gt; <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Gear/index.html'>Gear</a> 08 May 2012 00:00:00 MST (M) On-Trail Route Finding: When the Trail is Hard to Follow http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/route-finding-when-trail-is-hard-to-follow.html <blockquote>"I've never been lost, but I was once a mite bewildered for a few days." - Daniel Boone</blockquote> by David Chenault | 2012-05-01 Getting lost is not a black and white affair. I can't recall ever being fully lost, in the sense of having little idea where I was, but there have been plenty of times where I could only pinpoint my location to within a kilometer of a given point, and even more occasions when I knew exactly where I was, exactly where I wanted to go, but couldn't get between the two due to unforeseen cliffs, swollen rivers, and so forth. On one occasion years ago, two partners and I stood at midnight, the soft contours of the San Rafael Swell illuminated by all the earth's stars and a new moon, watching the passing, silent headlights of semi trucks on I-70 five miles to the north. We could see a fuzzy dirt road almost within spitting distance leading back to camp, but spent three hours finding a way down the 100 meter cliff to it. Did that count as being lost? On another occasion Chris Plesko and I hiked off our map (on purpose) and rather than picking up the human trail out of sight across a huge meadow, followed the bison-made highway deep into the head of an unknown valley. It took until noon the next day, a camp still off the map, some GPS extrapolation, and a bushwhack down a big hill covered in blowdown to find a human trail again. Many might consider that lost. Neither of these misadventures were planned, and neither led to anything worse than sore feet and a good story, but both could have had far greater consequences. Descending a Windgate sandstone cliff system is dangerous enough in daylight, and when you know there's a route. Doing it in the dark, after a 60-kilometer day, and with one functioning headlamp for three is begging for a fall and broken bones. And had Chris or I slipped on the countless rain-snotted logs, rescuers would have been looking in the wrong place for days. Getting lost, in all its gradations, is thus something to be avoided. Or at the very least, entered into willingly and with proper preparations. There are endless ways to make route finding on faint trails, both human and animal, easier and more predictable, and thus safer. What follows are a few of them. I'll discuss each idea in introductory form, before examining them in the context of both human and animal created trails. There will be occasions in the wilderness when you'll be forced to route find based on no established path of any kind, but those times are more rare than you might think. Most of the time in the wilderness, someone has gone there before, and finding and following the established trail is the most efficient way to go. A bonus section dealing with winter-travel on snow-covered trails is included as well. Disclaimer: these are some ideas for route finding on human and animal trails. There are many more. I also take no responsibility herein for instructing on map and compass use. If you canâ€™t adjust for declination or lack an intimate understanding of contour intervals, stop now. Learn that stuff and come back later. ARTICLE OUTLINE <ul compact> <li> Introduction</li> <li> Bring Enough Map</li> <li> Know your Trail Builder</li> <li> Look Up, Look Down</li> <li> Look for Sawn Logs</li> <li> Check Yourself</li> <li> Use the Force</li> <li> Bonus: Finding the Trail Under Snow</li> </ul> # WORDS: 5860 # PHOTOS: 26 <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/thumb/route-finding-when-trail-is-hard-to-follow-tn.jpg' align='right'> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bullet-arrow-red-small.gif'><a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/route-finding-when-trail-is-hard-to-follow.html'> Read this article at BackpackingLight.com</a>View All: <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Techniques/Techniques & Best Practices/index.html'>Techniques & Best Practices</a> &gt; <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Techniques/index.html'>Techniques</a> 01 May 2012 00:00:00 MST (M) CAMP X3 600 Ski Pack Review http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/camp-x3-600-ski-pack-review.html <blockquote>A lightweight ski day pack with a handy, hands-free ski carrying system.</blockquote> by Danny Milks & Kristin Tennessen | 2012-05-01 CAMP is known for making some very lightweight ski mountaineering and climbing gear. In fact, a number of their competitive ski mountaineering equipment is some of the lightest on the market, like a 195-gram harness (6.9-oz), 290-gram (10.2-oz) pair of crampons, and 260-gram (9.2-oz) Rapid ski pack. The X3 600 does not fall into that category of super specialised ultralight equipment. Rather, this pack is a fairly simple, stripped-down ski touring pack. It is the lightest of the X3 line, which includes the X3 Light ($170, 17.3 oz/790 g) and X3 ($160, 35 oz/990 g). These other two packs have tougher fabric, more padding, an aluminum frame, and back-panel access. In an effort to go lighter, has CAMP found a good mix of weight and durability with the X3 600? Or, have they gone too far and made a pack that just doesn't hold up to the inherent abuse of ski touring? ARTICLE OUTLINE <ul compact> <li> Introduction</li> <li> Specifications</li> <li> Description</li> <li> Performance</li> <li> Assessment</li> </ul> # WORDS: 2530 # PHOTOS: 13 <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/thumb/camp-x3-600-ski-pack-review-tn.jpg' align='right'> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bullet-arrow-red-small.gif'><a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/camp-x3-600-ski-pack-review.html'> Read this article at BackpackingLight.com</a>View All: <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Gear/Reviews/index.html'>Reviews</a> &gt; <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Gear/index.html'>Gear</a> 01 May 2012 00:00:00 MST (M) Tunnel Tents Tutorial and State of the Market Report - Part 3: The Mini-Reviews http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_part3_2012.html <blockquote>Part 3 of this tutorial gives the details on the seven tunnel tents included in this report.</blockquote> by Roger Caffin | 2012-04-24 This series is part tutorial, part survey, and part opinion piece. I have allowed my opinions to come through a bit more strongly than normal here. Consider yourself warned! In <a href="http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_part1.html" target="_blank">Part 1</a> I defined the essentials of a tunnel tent and show how easy it is to pitch one in bad weather. In <a href="http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_part2_2012.html" target="_blank">Part 2</a> I explored in more detail some features of a tunnel tent and list them for a number of tunnel tents from around the world. Part 3 consists of mini-reviews for each tent listed. ARTICLE OUTLINE <ul compact> <li>Macpac Olympus</li> <li>Hilleberg Nallo 2</li> <li>Exped Aries Mesh</li> <li>Vango Tempest</li> <li>MSR Dragontail</li> <li>WE First Arrow</li> <li>Stephensons 2R</li> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/thumb/tunnel-tents-part1-tn.jpg' align='right'> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bullet-arrow-red-small.gif'><a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_part3_2012.html'> Read this article at BackpackingLight.com</a>View All: <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Gear/State of the Market Reports/index.html'>State of the Market Reports</a> &gt; <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Gear/index.html'>Gear</a> 24 Apr 2012 00:10:00 MST Wilderness Equipment First Arrow Review http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_2012_we_first_arrow.html <blockquote>Tunnel Tents Tutorial and State of the Market Report - Mini Reviews</blockquote> by Roger Caffin | 2012-04-24 This is a mini-review to go with <a href="http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_part3_2012.html" target="_blank">our series on tunnel tents</a>. It reviews the Wilderness Equipment First Arrow. Some of the illustrations are from the manufacturer's web site, used here with acknowledgement. ARTICLE OUTLINE <ul compact> <li> Introduction</li> <li> Details</li> <li> Summary </ul> # WORDS: 1370 # PHOTOS: 7 <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/thumb/tunnel-tents-2012-we-first_arrow-tn.jpg' align='right'> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bullet-arrow-red-small.gif'><a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_2012_we_first_arrow.html'> Read this article at BackpackingLight.com</a>View All: <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Gear/State of the Market Reports/index.html'>State of the Market Reports</a> &gt; <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Gear/index.html'>Gear</a> 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 MST Macpac Olympus Review http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_2012_macpac.html <blockquote>Tunnel Tents Tutorial and State of the Market Report - Mini Reviews</blockquote> by Roger Caffin | 2012-04-24 This is a mini-review to go with <a href="http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_part3_2012" target="_blank">our series on tunnel tents</a>. It reviews the Macpac Olympus. Some of the illustrations are from the manufacturer's web site and from friends, used here with acknowledgement. ARTICLE OUTLINE <ul compact> <li> Introduction</li> <li> Details</li> <li> Snow Loading</li> <li> Pole Sleeves</li> <li> Stakes</li> <li> Summary </ul> # WORDS: 1390 # PHOTOS: 7 <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/thumb/tunnel-tents-2012-macpac-tn.jpg' align='right'> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bullet-arrow-red-small.gif'><a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_2012_macpac.html'> Read this article at BackpackingLight.com</a>View All: <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Gear/State of the Market Reports/index.html'>State of the Market Reports</a> &gt; <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Gear/index.html'>Gear</a> 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 MST Vango Tempest 200 Review http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_2012_vango_tempest.html <blockquote>Tunnel Tents Tutorial and State of the Market Report - Mini Reviews</blockquote> by Roger Caffin | 2012-04-24 This is a mini-review to go with <a href="http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_part3_2012.html" target="_blank">our series on tunnel tents</a>. It reviews the Vango Tempest 200 tent. Some of the illustrations are from the manufacturer's web site, used here with acknowledgement. ARTICLE OUTLINE <ul compact> <li> Introduction</li> <li> Details</li> <li> Summary </ul> # WORDS: 1160 # PHOTOS: 7 <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/thumb/tunnel-tents-2012-vango-tempest-tn.jpg' align='right'> <img src='http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/images/bullet-arrow-red-small.gif'><a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/tunnel_tents_2012_vango_tempest.html'> Read this article at BackpackingLight.com</a>View All: <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/sf/Gear/State of the Market Reports/index.html'>State of the Market Reports</a> &gt; <a href='http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/s/Gear/index.html'>Gear</a> 24 Apr 2012 00:00:00 MST