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One of my favorite things to do is share my personal knowledge, experience and techniques with other backpackers who want to lighten their pack weight. Recently I had opportunity to do this with five women. All have years of traditional backpacking experience around the world and various locations across the U.S.
We started the day by meeting at a local eatery for breakfast; this enabled me to become more familiar with everyone’s experience level and expectations each hoped to gain from having a lighter pack. During the breakfast chatter it was apparent everyone in the group had a clear understanding of a good layering system, hyperthermia, camp skills, bear bag hanging etc. The overall consensus was the same…they all wanted to enjoy backpacking more and believed a lighter pack was the solution.
After breakfast we went to the location and where the gear axing would take place, once there and the traditional backpacks literally rolled out of the back of the SUV, I knew I had a tough job ahead, we’re talking GINORMOUS packs.
I shouldered my UL pack and they their MONSTERS…together we walked to where the gear axing would take place. No one wanted to volunteer to be first…two stood with their heads down snickering. With gear spread across the table, we began discussing the possibilities of what pieces could serve dual purpose and what could be left behind. At first there was great reluctance, as time went on and wheels began to turn…reluctance faded as their excitement materialized.
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A Different Way of Thinking
Waterproof maps became a vapor barrier between them their gear and the damp ground. Switching out heavy ground sheets for Polycryo sheets became a priority. Carrying both a small cooking pot and mug were not necessary…after all drinking from the cooking pot is perfectly acceptable trail etiquette. Eliminating the extra stuff sack for organizing empty stuff sacks…I guess in case one thought about escaping or something. Ditching potty trowels and using a stick was welcomed…the soil is soft in the Southeast. Carrying a flashlight and headlamp and a micro LED might be just a little overkill…then I don’t really know what all lives in the dark.
The one thing that surprised me the most was no one carried camp shoes, they didn’t think a separate pair of shoes was necessary. I had always thought carrying camp shoes was an unwritten law or something among traditional backpackers…I guess that shows what I know.
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A lot and I mean a lot of “what if”…“just in case”…and “back up” gear got tossed on the growing gear pile, lovingly known as the pile where old gear goes to die.
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The beginning of lighter weight backpacks had arrived. Much talk of gear and options sprouted and the realization of Gossamer Gear’s slogan set in…Take less. Do more.
With all the “ 21.4 lbs of no longer wanted or needed gear” boxed up and loaded in the SUV we grilled steaks and discussed new packs…after all the old MONSTERS are no longer needed for such little gear. We talked about trips from the past and lightweight trips of the future…there will be many. This year two will hike the Camino de Santiago, two will hike the JMT and all will hike trails in the Southeast.
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Gossamer Gear Kumo, Gorilla and Mariposa packs
I want to thank Gossamer Gear for supplying packs for this event and the women who attended and left with lighter packs.
Tagged: backpacking, packs, planning, tips-n-tricks Image may be NSFW.
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