My Journey to Freedom and Ultralight Backpacking (26 page)

  Shoulder straps were made from closed cell padding covered by silnylon. Mine were 3 inches wide, and ½ inch thick. Initially appearing too wide, these straps proved to be quite comfortable because they distributed the weight so well.

  My two 24-ounce water bottles were carried in silnylon pouches threaded onto the front straps. A shock-cord band held the neck of each bottle snug against the strap. Water carried in this way serves as a counterbalance for pack weight, and provides quick, easy access. Also, I was always aware of how much water I had, and could refill and treat water trailside without taking my pack off.

  Please keep in mind that I am five foot 2 inches. If you are much taller than that, adjusting the length on pack and shoulder straps may be necessary.

Supplies to make this Silpack
:

2 1/2 yards silnylon

3 yards of 1'' wide web strapping

2 yards of ½ inch wide Velcro, if wanted for pocket closures

Mesh ditty bags for outer pocket, if wanted

Closed cell pad

Draw cord for pack

3 Cord locks

2 ultralight plastic clips

Hip belt buckle

Shoulder strap buckles

Seam sealer

  To make this pack, begin by sewing two large stuff sacks, one shorter than the other. The shorter one will serve as the outer layer, and form outside pockets. When one is placed within the other, the bottom will have a double thickness. Use one-inch seam allowances, heat seal, double roll and stitch every seam

  My 2,288 cubic inch capacity backpack is made with a rectangle of silnylon, measuring 30 inches long by 40 inches wide. Cut a generous collar for the large stuff sack. The second, shorter stuff sack was made from a rectangle 22 inches tall by 45 inches wide. As you can see, the outer one will be wider, and will give the pockets some slack, providing additional space. Sew both stuff sacks as described in the directions above, omitting the collar on the shorter one, but still hemming the top of it. On the shorter one, add bottom loops for gear if desired. When both the stuff sacks are made, turn right-side out. Insert the longer one into the shorter one. Match the bottom seams and sew the bottoms together.

  You can thread some ¼-inch wide elastic though the casing of the outer sack, and draw it tight to keep gear from falling out. As you sew this pack, any seam can have a loop and an ultralight plastic clip inserted. It is easier to do it now, and reinforce the loop, than to add a loop later.  At this time, you can sew in the two clips for securing the top pack lid in place. Place them near the top of each of the front gear pockets. Each loop of silnylon will add about one gram additional weight.

  Now, pin the side seams, the center and back seams, marking a straight line with chalk where you will sew. Then stitch these lines vertically to form gear pockets.   Add Velcro closures to the pockets, if wanted.

  The shoulder straps are made of two rectangular silnylon pieces, each measuring 8 inches wide by 18 inches long. Fold the pieces in half, and sew the long seam. Double stitch to reinforce. Insert an 8-inch length of web strap up into the inside of one end of this tube, so you cannot see the strap. Stitch through the web strap as you sew the bottom of the silnylon tube closed. That will be the bottom of your padded shoulder strap. Turn this tube right side out. Your web strap will be hanging down from the end of the tube. Reinforce from the outside with an x stitch pattern. Sew the plastic buckle on the end of this web strap for the bottom section of the shoulder straps to thread through later.

  Now, cut two pieces of closed cell pad 3 inches wide by 16 inches long. Insert into the tubes. Stitch tubes shut at the top to hold the padding in place.

  Measure down about 7 inches from the top of the pack and sew the straps on. Place them about two inches apart. Shoulder straps should be lying flat, going downwards, right sides facing up.

  Make the lid for the pack by cutting a rectangle 17 inches wide by 38 inches long. You will use this extra length to form a front lid pocket and corresponding flap.

  To form a pocket the width of the lid, hem one 17-inch end of the rectangle. Then, fold the hemmed end up 10 inches, and stitch the sides together. Just above the pocket opening, fold down 2 inches of fabric over the pocket opening, the entire width of the lid to form a flap. Pin in place. This flap protects the contents of the pocket.

  Sew down part of the top edge of the flap, stitching through the pocket top at the same time. Sew from each side towards the center about 5 inches. Then add a Velcro closure to the remaining pocket opening.

  Along each long edge of the lid, make a draw cord casing, by double rolling the fabric and stitching close to the inner edge. This casing will run the entire length of the lid, including the sides of the pocket you just made.

  Thread cord through so that the lid can be tightened, and prevent rain from getting in while you are hiking. Stitch down cord at the end to be attached to the pack. Put cord locks and clips on the opposite ends of the cords, which were threaded out at the bottom corners of the pocket. These cord locks will allow you to cinch up the lid, and secure with the clips that were added previously, so that it will stay that way while you are hiking.

  Sew the lid onto the pack ½ inch below the seam that attaches the shoulder straps to the pack. You will have the top, right side of the lid facing the outside of the pack and lying over the shoulder straps. The pocket will be downwards, touching the shoulder straps, and not be visible. As you stitch the lid on, you will be sewing through the shoulder straps also, serving to reinforce them.

  Next, fold the lid up over the top of the pack. Pin a 13-inch piece of web strap over the lid seam, beginning where the shoulder straps start. You will have excess strap, which will serve as a lift loop right at the center. This lift loop really comes in handy when you need to grab your pack, or hang it on a hook. The easiest way to center this web is to begin at the farthest side of one shoulder strap, and stitch toward the middle. When you get to the middle, reinforce with an x stitch pattern, then sew back to where you started and reinforce with another x pattern.  Then stop, turn the pack around to the other shoulder strap and sew the web strap on there, working your way to the middle. You should end up with a loop right in the center.

  To make your hip belt, cut a rectangle of silnylon measuring about 8 inches wide and as long as your waist. You will carry this pack lower, but you want to have some guideline. Once the seams are taken in, and it is attached, the padding will be shorter than your waist. This is important because on a long hike, your waist and hips will shrink, and if the padding is too long, you won't be able to tighten your belt enough.

  Cut two web straps, one about 6 inches, the other about 15 inches. These will be inserted on each end of your belt. Fold the silnylon in half lengthwise, stitch the long seam, inserting one end of the shorter web strap as you did previously for the shoulder straps. Turn right side out.

  Cut closed cell pad 3 inches wide by the length of your tube. Cut this into three sections, one for the back, about 14-16 inches long, and two for each side, about 5 inches each. Insert into tube, one side first. Stitch fabric together to hold in place. Do not include the pad in this seam. Insert the back pad section. Stitch fabric together to hold this in place. Then add the last piece of padding, fold fabric to the inside, and stitch this closed while also inserting the web strap for your other side of the belt.

Put the pack on, and mark where the hip belt is to be sewn on, so that it will ride on your hips, just below your belly button. There will be some adjustment with the shoulder straps, so it is just necessary to be close. It should be near the bottom of the pack itself.

  Sew belt onto pack at the same places you stitched the fabric together to hold the padding in the hip belt tube.

  The bottom sections of your shoulder straps will be two short pieces of web strap about 15 inches long. They will thread through the two plastic non-slip buckles that were sewn onto the shoulder straps previously, and at the same time serve to reinforce the hip belt.

  To do this, lay the bottom section of shoulder strap over the vertical seam that attached the hip belt to the pack. The bottom end of the strap will be at the bottom edge of the vertical seam of the hip belt. Sew the strap over the vertical seam. Sew close to the edges, reinforcing with x stitching patterns.

  Thread a ¼ inch diameter cord for the draw cord on your pack. When the pack is full, you need a cord thick enough for the cord lock to grasp securely.

  Your pack can have a mesh ditty bag sewn onto the front, centering it over the other silnylon gear pockets. This will add about one ounce of weight to your pack.

  Seam seal every seam with 100% silicone. Apply to one area at a time, and allow each to dry between steps.

  Congratulations! You are now a bona fide gram weenie.

The Ultralight Resupply
 

  Many long distance hikers at some point will mail a drop box to themselves. This box may be sent parcel post or priority, at least 2 weeks in advance of the projected arrival time. A common practice is to obtain a medium size box, and start adding things to it. Food, vitamins, maps, insect repellent, shampoo, toilet paper, shoelaces, new socks, new zip lock bags, reading material, tape, hexamine tablets (fuel source), toothpaste, laundry powder, and batteries are typical supplies. Sometimes a few extra clothes are included if weather or terrain is changing.

  Hiker boxes are filled with the extras mailed in this way. I have learned to weigh the box at home before sealing it up. If the box weighs more than 10-12 pounds, I know I will not carry its contents out of my resupply town. The best time to discard the extra weight is at home. Are my non-food items in the smallest plastic containers possible? Snack size zip-loc bags are perfect for vitamins and hexamine fuel tablets. An .85-ounce tube of toothpaste will last several weeks. Only ¼ cup of dry laundry detergent is needed for that town’s laundry. An ounce of shampoo is all that can be used in town. Shampoo isn’t used in the backcountry, and so it will not be hauled out of town. If I am picking up new socks, I discard the old ones.

  Some folks will carry extra weight for many miles to save money in the next town. Would you carry one pound of weight for 10 cents per mile? Using that rate for a reference, it would mean being paid (or saving) $10 to carry one pound for a hundred miles. Take a one-pound can in your hand, and wonder if you would carry that for 100 miles, if someone gave you $10. Usually, when you get to town, you find you have carried several pounds of extra fuel, shampoo, food or paper, and saved just a few dollars. When the hills are really steep, the weight adds up to misery, and the money seems inconsequential.

  When packing food for a drop box, divide the food into each day's allotment, and keep it as close to your minimal comfort level as possible. If packing several boxes at once, variation of food will be important. Weigh those bags of Gorp, and vary the recipes. Seriously. I like to put each day's worth in a zip-loc bag, keeping it to 10 ounces. If this bag of Gorp is to be used as breakfast as well (high mileage or cold days) my Gorp for the day may weigh up to 14 ounces. In camp that evening, I will have a cup of soup with crackers, then my supper of ramen, rice or oatmeal. Any Gorp left from that day's allotment would be dessert. I drink instant coffee before and after supper, but will seldom carry hot cocoa, pudding mixes or Jell-O because its weight is mostly sugar. As a small woman, I need less food than a larger male would need. Twice this amount would probably be adequate for a man.

  Try to leave town with your stomach full of good, healthy, high protein food. It’s okay to pull into the next town hungry. Keep in mind, though, that sufficient fat and calories are needed on trail to keep energy levels up. In cold weather more calories are needed, especially before bedtime in order to sleep warm. It isn’t bad to have a lot of food weight, because you can always just stop and eat it. Picking up your pack will get easier each morning. It’s those first days that are rough. Some hikers will carry an extra day of food in case of emergency. Some hikers pack scantily, especially in hot months when appetites lessen, making big days easier. Food weight is definitely a variable that needs much practice and individual consideration.

   Using the same principles discussed above, a resupply is almost always possible at a food mart, convenience store, and certainly at any large grocery store.  If the store has any deli food available, be sure to enjoy a meal there as well.

  An easy fuel source for the soda can stove is 70% rubbing alcohol. There will be some water when the flame goes out, which is drained by turning the stove upside down. Rubbing alcohol (which can be used for personal hygiene as well), requires one ounce to cook most simple meals, and can be found nearly everywhere. It does burn a bit sooty, and if it gets cold it should be warmed in its bottle next to your body. ISO-Heet, a gas line additive, can be found at almost any convenience store and it makes great soda-can stove fuel.

Be ready to dump or stash in a hiker box any extra fuel you don't need. Eight ounces should last 8 meals; many times it is sold in 16-ounce containers.