Re: Ultra lighters bear canisters?
Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2012 6:26 pm
My feeling is that true "ultralighters" rarely stay out in the wilderness for more than a few nights at a time. They keep their kit to a minimum so they can achieve high daily mileages, then bolt to civilization to load up on calories. The few serious ultralighters I've run into on the trail seemed to be attracted to the bare minimum in footwear (tennis shoes, sandals, etc.) and they were all fixated on high mileages. Some used a small bear canister, most did not, preferring instead to plan their itinerary so they would camp in an area equipped with a bear locker. They were all prepared to bail if extreme weather threatened. None would be caught dead with a pack in excess of 30 lbs.
That said, many of us strive to minimize our pack weight -- who wouldn't want to? For those of us who like to do multi-week trips without resupplying, here are some ideas to consider:
-- Get rid of the Thermarest pads -- they're heavy and prone to leaks. Far better to hike with a blue foam pad (or something similar). They insulate, they are absolutely reliable, and they weigh a lot less.
-- Lose the water filter. You don't need it in the Sierra.
-- Leave your tent at home for summer hikes. Consider a bivy or a tube tent. I've been backpacking in the Sierra since 1970 and have always relied on a one pound tube tent. Admittedly, they're not the most comfortable, but they have served me well over the years, providing adequate shelter both from rain and snow. A tube tent costs less than $10 and can be re-purposed as a ground cloth a few years down the road.
-- Lose the pillow. Instead, stuff your down jacket into a stuff sack, cover it with a cotton shirt, and you have the softest pillow you can imagine.
-- Minimize the extra clothes. I bring one extra T-shirt, one extra pair of undies, and one extra pair of socks. I prefer to hike in blue jeans and take one pair of light nylon shorts, which does double duty as headgear under my baseball cap when the sun is fierce.
-- Lose the Leatherman Tool -- it's too heavy. I hike with a small, lightweight two-bladed Swiss Army knife -- just the right size for slicing off a piece of cheese or salamie.
-- Don't buy pre-packaged dehydrated food, the kind of stuff you would find at REI. It costs an arm and a leg, is not particularly weight efficient, and cannot easily be repackaged -- which means once you've cooked it in the backcountry, you're left to carry the crap it was packaged in for the duration of your trip.
-- Carry a basic lightweight cook kit. All you need is a 2 quart pot (aluminum is light and cheap) to cook and boil water in, plus a Sierra cup (they make them out of Titanium now and they are extremely light).
-- Your backpack itself might be a prime suspect when it comes to the weight of your overall kit. Most packs on the market today are unnecessarily heavy when empty, with all sorts of straps, pockets, and gizmos you don't need and will never use. Ridiculous.
-- Do you really need a water bladder built into your backpack? No. I carry two one-quart Nalgene bottles, one empty in my backpack and one about half full on my hip, which serves as a canteen. I keep both bottles full in camp, and use one in the morning to prepare a helping of "instant breakfast."
Happy trails --
Mike
That said, many of us strive to minimize our pack weight -- who wouldn't want to? For those of us who like to do multi-week trips without resupplying, here are some ideas to consider:
-- Get rid of the Thermarest pads -- they're heavy and prone to leaks. Far better to hike with a blue foam pad (or something similar). They insulate, they are absolutely reliable, and they weigh a lot less.
-- Lose the water filter. You don't need it in the Sierra.
-- Leave your tent at home for summer hikes. Consider a bivy or a tube tent. I've been backpacking in the Sierra since 1970 and have always relied on a one pound tube tent. Admittedly, they're not the most comfortable, but they have served me well over the years, providing adequate shelter both from rain and snow. A tube tent costs less than $10 and can be re-purposed as a ground cloth a few years down the road.
-- Lose the pillow. Instead, stuff your down jacket into a stuff sack, cover it with a cotton shirt, and you have the softest pillow you can imagine.
-- Minimize the extra clothes. I bring one extra T-shirt, one extra pair of undies, and one extra pair of socks. I prefer to hike in blue jeans and take one pair of light nylon shorts, which does double duty as headgear under my baseball cap when the sun is fierce.
-- Lose the Leatherman Tool -- it's too heavy. I hike with a small, lightweight two-bladed Swiss Army knife -- just the right size for slicing off a piece of cheese or salamie.
-- Don't buy pre-packaged dehydrated food, the kind of stuff you would find at REI. It costs an arm and a leg, is not particularly weight efficient, and cannot easily be repackaged -- which means once you've cooked it in the backcountry, you're left to carry the crap it was packaged in for the duration of your trip.
-- Carry a basic lightweight cook kit. All you need is a 2 quart pot (aluminum is light and cheap) to cook and boil water in, plus a Sierra cup (they make them out of Titanium now and they are extremely light).
-- Your backpack itself might be a prime suspect when it comes to the weight of your overall kit. Most packs on the market today are unnecessarily heavy when empty, with all sorts of straps, pockets, and gizmos you don't need and will never use. Ridiculous.
-- Do you really need a water bladder built into your backpack? No. I carry two one-quart Nalgene bottles, one empty in my backpack and one about half full on my hip, which serves as a canteen. I keep both bottles full in camp, and use one in the morning to prepare a helping of "instant breakfast."
Happy trails --
Mike