Sensible Ultra Light Backpacking
I have spent a lot of time reading articles about ultra light backpacking. Some of them make sense and others are just plain crazy and also dangerous. One article suggested that one should cut all zippers out of pockets, cut the handle off tooth brushes and, sleep with a piece of house wrap as a shelter. While you want to be as light as you can be when in the wild, you do not want to find your self in a situation that you cannot get out of.
Being light will enhance your enjoyment of the hike and allow you to go farther than you could if you were carrying the kitchen sink. Going further can also mean survival if for some reason you are in a situation where you have to change your route to avoid a hazard or weather.
In our most recent trip, my brothers and I were led to believe there were sites for camping that in fact were either closed or not safe. One of our 6 mile days became 12 miles but our lighter loads made it possible for us to continue on to the next camp.
What you take depends on where you are. In the Northwest where we were hiking this year, we had both rain and sun. In this case the tent was needed and not only provided two of us shelter but also our packs. In other situations the tent can be left at home in lieu of a hammock and rain fly.
Home sweet home
Although there are times when a tent is prudent, it is also the heaviest thing in your pack next to your water supply. The older I get the less my body likes the ground but you will inevitably find a situation where you will have to grab some dirt to sleep on.
A hammock can be more comfortable and also get you off the ground in damp conditions. In Jungle Operations Training School, we learned how to setup a jungle hooch using our poncho liner, poncho, and some parachute cord. I made it through many a jungle downpours in this type of setup and the breeze kept you cool and allowed wet items to dry more readily.
Carry a bivouac for the ground and also a rain fly that can be used to create the jungle hooch setup along with a hammock ($34 @ REI) if there are trees that can be used. The fly can also be used to keep your pack and other gear dry while you are in the bivouac should it rain. There are environmental factors when attaching something to a tree but a towel can be used to protect the bark. These shelter types will cover every situation you might encounter, give you more flexibility when deciding how sleep, and combined weigh less than a full blown two man tent.
Another option is convertible tent - hammocks made by Hennessy that will serve both purposes but be ready to pay a hefty price tag.
To stove or not to stove that is the question
Depending on regulations at the camping sites where you intend to stay, a stove may be your only option for cooking especially if you are hiking where fires are illegal. A stove will light when a campfire will not and is safe in locations where high fire risks are a concern. A stove can also be useful when firewood is at a premium or at higher elevations where oxygen is in short supply. Finally, a stove can be used in a tent if needed.
If your hike consists of locations where campfires are allowed, leave the stove at home. The stove may be light but the fuel will add extra weight to your pack as well as take up valuable space. In the end boiling water for some dehydrated meal is all it will be used for and a fire will do just as good a job and also provide the quintessential conversation starter the end of a day of tough hiking. Of course it goes with out saying that making sure your fire is totally out before you head out the next day is your responsibility.
Its not about the food is it?
I tried to bring really great meals to these trips at least for the first night but in the end the pack weight and trash weight is just not worth the effort. If you have read the Grand Canyon review, you know that for the sake of the chef in me, I foolishly packed 2 cans of chicken for a pasta dish and ended up having to pack one can out unused. This is clearly not the way to go!
The dehydrated food industry is putting out some really tasty although high in sodium meals that are very light both before and after consumption. Regardless of your feelings about these meals, they are designed with the hiker or bomb shelter dweller in mind.
At the very least there should one meal that will feed all each night, which is a quote from the Mr. Obvious Show. What people do not consider is there should also be a backup plan for meals should your trip run longer than you planned.
You want to eat to keep up your strength for the next leg of your journey but backpacking is really about roughing it isn't it?
In general, we make each person responsible for their own breakfast, lunch, and snacks. Dinner is the community meal.
Battle of the bags
Unlike others, I am not afraid to make a commitment to whether down is better than synthetic when it comes to sleeping bags. There are plenty of pros and cons articles out there but the truth is, because we are talking about ultra light backpacking, the answer is down. To avoid the usual rhetoric lets focus on what you have to do to use a down bag in all conditions.
Moisture is the enemy of down without question but there are things you can do to protect down such as placing your down sleeping bag in a space saver bag. The space bags are rugged and can also aid in reducing the amount of space the bag takes up in your pack. If you have a sleeping bag compartment in your pack, you may want to consider inserted the bag into a Bivouac before packing it so that should you need to bed down in a storm the bag is protected. Finally, use a liner with your down bag. Liners will protect your bag from your sweat and will also add to the temperature rating. I generally do most of my packing in the southwest and therefore do not experience the flux in temperatures those in the northwest or east are exposed to. Because of this, I use a 45 degree down bag and so far with the assistance of a 15 degree liner, I have never been cold. Certainly, those in cooler climates may need two bags to handle the weather changes.
One point I need to make is that if you can afford to have two bags to choose from then one should be ultra light down and the other synthetic. However, if you only have one, it should be versatile, light, and also down.
What is on your back?
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I have left the best for last. This time I have to be conservative because the cost of a good backpack can be expensive. In preparation for the Grand Canyon trip, I bought the absolute lightest pack I could find. In my case it was the Scarab 55 liter pack from North Face. I actually bought this pack twice because after paying $160 for the large on Campmor, I found that it was too large. So, I went to a store to get fitted for the pack only to find the medium was my size and they just happened to have one for the lesser price of $120.
With the capacity of the pack at 55 liters, I have to pack carefully for each trip. I do have a tent and there are no locations on the outside of the pack where I might attach the tent so it must ride in the very large main mess pocket on the front. This puts a bit more weight to the rear of the pack than I like.
My pack is the quintessential in ultra light backpacks. However, I suggest a multi use pack that will work for the shorter trips my brothers and I take but also for longer multi day hikes that may require more gear. For example, packing in Yosemite can see temperatures in the 80's during the day but can drop to the 30's at night which means you need warm clothes for the nights and cooler attire during the day when you are humping it to El Capitan.
Cutting to the chase, a good over all pack is one that is around 65 liters in size with plenty of ways to attach things and has easy access to items in the pack. The pack should also be water proof or come with a pack fly to protect your gear from the elements. I also like the idea of the sleeping bag pocket so that I can pack my down bag inside my bivouac sack to protect it against moisture. Your pack should also have the ability to be compressed when the bag is not full. Having a pack that can not compress will make the pack unstable and you could get injured or fall if your pack shifts while crossing some obstacle.
We are not getting any endorsements at this point so I will refrain from recommending any particular brand other than the one I have. The most important thing is to get the pack fitted by a professional. A well fitting pack can make the difference between a good day of hiking or a really bad one.