My Journey to Freedom and Ultralight Backpacking (27 page)

   When buying food for a resupply, shop with a hand basket instead of pushing a cart. This way, you get a feel for how much weight you have picked up. Some weight will be lost in repackaging, but not enough to consider at this point. I keep a mental estimate of weight, knowing that 4 bags of Gorp ingredients, each weighing 12-14 ounces each, will give me 48-56 ounces, or enough for about 5 days.

   If the store is very small with limited food, walk down the aisles to get an overall picture of what is available. At this point, variety is not that important, but quantity and calories are. Almost any gas station, convenience store, or small town shop will have candy, candy bars and chips. These can be combined into Gorp mixes, or repackaged separately. Look for candy bars that have nuts in them. This will see you through to supper. Some small stores sell boxes of cold breakfast cereal, which make fine finger food. Check for bread, hamburger or hot dog buns or bakery items. If there is something to go on that bread, great! Peanut butter, cheese, cream cheese, beef sticks or jerky on the side will all make a fine supper. Something hot to drink is really nice. Look for instant soups, coffee, or tea. It's not important to get all the four food groups now. All you are after is enough reasonably tasty food to see you through to the next resupply. If you see something that takes longer to cook, like white rice or pasta, keep any extra fuel and spend a little more time cooking. Buy between one and two pounds of food for each day, regardless of the vitamin content. This junk food will provide enough energy until your next resupply, and will save hitch hiking into the next town, which is sometimes an impossible or dangerous endeavor.

  I never go shopping when I’m hungry unless I plan to buy my town lunch at the store. If one has had a bad or scanty resupply in the last section, the normal reaction is to overcompensate in the next town. To avoid overbuying, sit down to a satisfying meal first. At the very least, buy a quart of ice cream, drink some chocolate milk, or eat a large deli sandwich. Taco chips and soda also take the edge off hunger before resupplying.

  Rainmaker taught me to break down the extra packaging, discarding jars, plastics and cardboards. Using the best zip-loc bags possible, repackage oatmeal, pasta, cookies, cereal, coffee, and chips. This definitely saves on the amount of trash that must be carried later. Taco chips, pretzels, Fritos, cookies, and candy all come in their own plastic bags, which can rip down the side later on and spill. It is much easier to put them in zip-loc bags while you’re in town.
Gear list/ Winter and Summer Checklist

  The following list is intended to be very complete. Its main purpose is to help you not to forget anything. For complete discussion on each category, see chapter seven.


         
Sleeping Bag with stuff sack


         
Sleeping Pad


         
Shelter with stakes, and guy lines, in stuff sack


         
Ground cloth, if desired


         
Pack, pack liner or garbage bag liner


         
Pack cover


         
Rain jacket, rain pants


         
Warm layer (fleece top, pants, hat, gloves, socks)


         
Mid weight layer (silk or polyester blend top, mid weight bottom, socks)


         
Hiking layer (shorts, top, socks, hat)


         
Sandals


         
Stuff sack for clothing


         
Sleep wear


         
Town wear (optional)

Hygiene/ Medical/Murphy


         
Tooth brush, tooth paste, dental floss


         
Comb


         
Ultralight mirror


         
Tweezers for tick and splinter removal


         
Disposable razor


         
Rubbing alcohol, cotton balls


         
Toilet paper


         
Trowel


         
Hand sanitizer, or use rubbing alcohol


         
Body lotion or Vaseline, traveler's size


         
Camp towel/ bandana


         
Pain reliever


         
Imodium


         
Multi-Vitamins


         
Sun block


         
Insect repellent


         
Electrical or duct tape


         
Needle and thread


         
Safety pins


         
Free flowing super glue


         
Any prescriptions you are taking


         
Eye glasses, sun glasses


         
Two or three ditty bags for all this

Cook System


         
Stove


         
Fuel


         
Matches, lighter


         
Windscreen, pot support, pot lifter


         
Cooking pot


         
Cup, spoon


         
Pot scrubber, if wanted


         
Plastic bags for repackaging food


         
Zip-loc bag for trash


         
Ditty bag for pot and stove


         
Stuff sack for food

Water Treatment and Capacity


         
Chemical treatment (always bring)


         
Filter, if wanted


         
Water bottles


         
Water bag/Platypus


         
Water bottle carriers, or use pockets on pack

Other Items and Tools


         
Paper and Pencil/Pen


         
Driver's license, and /or photo ID


         
Non-debit credit card


         
Emergency telephone numbers, insurance card


         
Flashlight/ LED /Photon light


         
Knife


         
GI-style can opener


         
Watch


         
Trail guide, maps, data sheet


         
Compass, if needed or wanted


         
Cash


         
Ditty bag as wallet


         
Quality zip lock bags for all paper products


         
Rope for hanging shelters, guy lines, or food bags

Luxury Items


         
Cell phone


         
Radio, batteries


         
Pocket E-mail


         
Camera (digital, disposable or regular)


         
CD player, discs


         
Quality zip-loc bag and ditty bag for any luxury item


         
Knee braces, if needed or wanted


         
Reading material, books


         
Mace/ bear spray


         
Bear canister


         
Sleeping Bag, Hydrogen Marmot 800 fill, rated at 30 degrees, with stuff sack: 24 ounces


         
Fleece Bag liner: 8 ounces


         
Sleeping Pad, closed cell, 43 inches long by 19 inches wide, corners trimmed: 8 ounces


         
Reflective ground sheet, for inside tent: 4 ounces


         
Shelter, my Tacoma Solo, with 6-skewer type stakes, and guy lines, in stuff sack: 18 ounces


         
Pack and garbage bag liner: 9 ounces


         
Pack cover, same as used on the AT thru-hike: 1.5 ounces

Clothing


         
Silnylon rain jacket, rain pants: 6 ounces


         
Warm layer (fleece jacket with hood and mittens attached, socks) 15 ounces


         
Mid weight layer (thermal top, nylon tights): 9 ounces


         
Hiking layer (polyester pants: 13 ounces, long sleeve shirt: 6 ounces; sports top: 3 ounces; socks: 3 ounces; gloves: 2 ounce): 27 ounces total


         
Stuff sack for clothing: 1 ounce


         
Sleep wear (balaclava 1 ounce, fleece tights 7.5 ounces, wool socks 4 ounces, polyester top 5.5 ounces)

Hygiene/ Medical/Murphy


         
Toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss:


         
Comb, ultralight mirror


         
Rubbing alcohol, cotton balls


         
Toilet paper, trowel
,
bandana


         
Vaseline, traveler’s size


         
Pain reliever, Imodium


         
Electrical tape, wound around water bottles


         
Needle


         
Sunglasses


         
One ditty bag for all this: 8 ounces total

Cook System


         
Soda can stove, windscreen, pot support: 1 ounce


         
Fuel, 4 ounces alcohol, and 9 hexamine tablets


         
Stick matches, lighter: 20 grams


         
Minimalist pot, cup, spoon 1.5 ounces


         
Zip-loc bag for trash: 2 grams


         
Stuff sack for pot and stove: 12 grams


         
Stuff sack for food: 14 grams

Water Treatment and Capacity


         
Chlorine chemical treatment: 14 grams


         
Water bottles: 2.2 ounces


         
Platypus: 1 ounce


         
2-water bottle carriers: 1 ounce