My Journey to Freedom and Ultralight Backpacking (28 page)

Other Items and Tools

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Paper and Pencil/Pen: 1 ounce

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Driver's license, non-debit credit card, emergency telephone numbers: 14 grams

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LED Photon lights: 12 grams

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Box cutter-knife: 5 grams

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GI-style can opener, watch: 20 grams

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Trail guide, maps: 2.7 ounces

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Cash: 6 grams

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Ditty bag as wallet: 6 grams

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Zip-loc bag for papers: 4 grams

Luxury Items

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Cell Phone, in zip-loc bag: 6 ounces

  In the Big Three category I decided not to bring a ground cloth because my tent already had a good, leak-proof floor. However, with temperatures predicted to be in the low teens, I decided to include a fleece liner and reflective ground sheet, adding 12 ounces for both.

  I had a good hood on my fleece jacket, and a hood on the silnylon rain jacket. The wind was gusting between 10-20 mph, so the silnylon jacket hood was very useful. I didn't bother to bring any sandals because it would be too cold to use them, and no town stops were planned. My clothing included an extra long-sleeve shirt, and long hiking pants instead of shorts.

  In the hygiene medical category, I didn't need insect repellent or tweezers. I brought a bandana and a camp towel to help insulate my food when cooked, dry condensation in my tent, and use for stuffing in my pillow. I didn't use any sun block, but the sunglasses came in handy with bright winter glare. I brought dental floss, which can double as thread for repairs. The trail is only 117 miles, so I didn't need a razor, extra lotion or vitamins.

  I carried my mini pot, because of the additional clothing weight. In retrospect, I think the larger pot would have been worth the extra 5 ounces. I never carry a pot lifter, but instead use fleece mittens as potholders. I don’t bring a pot scrubber and instead use water and a finger to clean my pot. If you don't burn food, and wash the pot immediately, this is usually adequate. A pot scrubber can harbor bacteria and food smells. The food smells can attract animals.

  I have never carried or used a water filter, but rely on chemical treatment. For winter backpacking I bring a Platypus instead of a water bag because frozen water can be carried in a Platypus, but not in a water bag. I put water in my pot and cup at night. Before bed, I dumped all the water from my water bottles and Platypus. I knew it would all be frozen in the morning.

  The liquid fuel was difficult to light in the evening, as the temperature dipped below freezing. The next morning, a companion reported that the temperature had dropped to 12 degrees. I used 4 hexamine tablets to thaw my water on the soda can stove. When water came to a boil, I poured some over the ice in the cup, thawing it this way. As planned, all my water was used at breakfast, and I didn’t carry any worthless ice. Within half a mile after leaving camp I came to good water, and filled a bottle for the morning's hiking. Because of the possibility of leaks, I never take the chance of sleeping with my water to prevent it from freezing. A person's perception of thirst is less in cold weather. However, it is very important to be well hydrated in winter.

  When winter hiking, bring plenty of high calorie food, and eat well before going to bed. Eating salty peanuts or beef jerky can cause incredible thirst, so when it's this cold that can cause some problems. During the night it will be hard to drink a lot as your water becomes frozen, and if you do drink a lot it’s hard to get up to pee. It's a good idea to plan on having a midnight snack, which will help you to stay warm. Do not eat or drink anything that could upset your stomach, and do not eat a lot of fiber, or quantities of chocolate, which can act as a laxative. It's very hard to dig a cat hole in frozen ground in the middle of the night.

  There is a lot of darkness in the winter. Unless you night hike, plan on spending nearly 14 hours inside your tent in your sleeping bag and out of the wind, where body heat can be trapped. Wear all your clothing, if necessary. Use your pack under your feet for insulation. The coldest hours are just before dawn.

  In the morning, any condensation in your shelter may be frozen. It's hard to get up in such cold conditions, but once you get moving, the blood will circulate and you will warm up. So, pack up quickly (but carefully, so you do not loose any gear). Get out of your tent, turn it inside out, and shake out the frost. Place the tent in its stuff-sack while wearing a spare pair of gloves. They will get wet and cold and you will want to replace them with dry gloves or mittens. Winter backpacking requires an oversized stuff sack for your shelter. You want to quickly stuff this frozen mass, and get hiking. Stakes may be frozen to the ground, so use a stake to remove each one by lifting upwards through the hooked end.  Do not bring gutter nails on winter backpacking trips because they can be very hard to get out of frozen ground, having little or nothing to grasp.

  I think we will see a counter movement to ultralight backpacking, a backlash to the fascination of ultralight packs. It is human nature. Some will purposely carry heavy loads just to prove they are stronger, unconcerned with pack weight, and defiantly independent of all ultralight innovations. There will always be those who question the motives of ultralighters, suspicious of ulterior motives, wondering how we can see or enjoy anything while hiking long days and doing big miles. My reply is that our enjoyment comes with walking in the woods, without feeling like a pack mule. Feeling light and unburdened, we appreciate our adventure, having come primarily to hike and not to camp.

  The ultralight movement will continue to grow. New fabrics, plastics, and metals will make the low weights of our present gear seem heavy. Paging through The Complete Walker, written by Colin Fletcher in 1971, 33 years ago, one can see remarkable differences just in cooking systems. He lists his two nesting cook pots at 1 pound, 4 ounces, and the spoon at 2 ounces. His Svea 123 stove weighed 1 pound, 2 ounces, with a windscreen listed as 3 ounces. Today we have whole cook systems that weigh less than 8 ounces.

  The "gram weenie" extremism should continue; I hope to promote it myself. I realize it is, and should only be, for experienced backpackers. But every sport has its extremists. Extremism got us to the moon, to Mt. Everest, and to the North Pole. Someone had to believe it could be done, and then went out to prove it.

  And then, thankfully the moderating effects of mainstream America will keep us all reasonable. Given the best information, these mainstream backpackers will choose what works for them.  And, with more people enjoying the trails, new ones will be built and promoted and maintained. Our national lands, forests, and waterways will be protected from exploitation so that future generations can enjoy their majesty. That’s my hope, anyway.

  As long as I can walk, I plan to hike America's trails. In the next couple of years, I hope to gain the Triple Crown, the backpacking “world title” for completion of the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail, and Continental Divide Trail. I expect to continue designing backpacking gear, using it on long hikes as well as overnight adventures. This is presently a field dominated by men, so it represents pressing limits on my part, and breaking down barriers. There is a real need for custom tailored gear, and it is fascinating to work with individuals who want to achieve an ultralight system that is uniquely theirs.