Lowe - A Backpackers Guide to Making Every Ounce Count: Tips and Tricks for Every Hike

Copyright 2015 by Steven Lowe

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file.

Print ISBN: 978-1-63220-694-7

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-63220-955-9

Printed in China

For my beautiful wife, Andrea, who supports me in all my backpacking adventures.
(Or maybe she just wants me out of the house for a week so she can paint another room or rearrange the furniture, again.)

CONTENTS

Did you weigh your toothbrush and sunscreen?
Did you cut the tags out of your shirt?
Did you forget the TP?

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Laozi

INTRODUCTION

H ow many times have you been backpacking and realized down the road, well, down the trail, that you packed too much stuff or did not pack the right stuff that you needed for the trip? Or worst of all, that you packed everything so quickly that you dont remember where anything is stowed within your pack?

How did your knees and back feel after carrying around so much weight or from an unbalanced pack? What did you learn about backpacking and from whom did you learn these techniques, tips, and suggestions? If there is one thing that I have learned throughout my many years of camping, its that on each trip I take, I learn something new.

When I first became interested in backpacking, I watched the commercials, and I listened to the store clerks at my local outfitter stores, other self-proclaimed expert backpackers, as well as anyone who would talk to me. I listened and ended up carrying so much weight that the trip was not very enjoyable because of how miserable I was at the end of the day.

I hurt. I endured all this discomfort because, even though I carried too much stuff, I wanted to be outdoors. I learned the wrong way to backpack from the wrong people, and I was using bad information. I found myself caught up in the commercialization of the sport and bought the gadgets, the widgets, the whachya-ma-call-its and the do-hickies. I quickly learned that they all had one thing in common: WEIGHT, and a lot of it.

Therefore, I started scouring the Internet, reading books, and watching YouTube videos. I started looking at the items within my pack, as well as the pack itself, and started to change my way of thinking. I learned that there are much lighter options available. Some are DIY, and some are not. I talk about DIY here, but I dont delve too deep into the DIY world, because, well, the DIY world is a big world.

While I was looking for lighter options, I accidentally turned into a Gram Weenie. This book is about how and why I became a Gram Weenie and how a Gram Weenie thinks when preparing for a backpacking tripat least how I prepare for a trip.

A Gram Weenie, in a nutshell, is someone who is extremely conscious of the weight of every item within their pack.

As you read, you will learn how one Gram Weenie (that would be me) thinks, how to look at the items in your own pack, and how to shave some weight from your pack so you can travel a little bit lighter down the trail. I will also touch on how to pack certain items and how I organize after a trip.

Each backpacker tackles this obstacle a bit differently, so this is not a book on the only way to do this or that; this is just the way I do things. You will be able to get a tiny peek into the mind of a Gram Weenie to help you understand how we think, and understand why some folks say the things we do are crazy, as some call it.

Yes, I cut the tags from my gear and the clothes I wear. Yes, I also cut my toothbrush down so it is shorter; I have been so desperate to shave a few ounces, I drilled holes into the handle of my pot gripper, trying to lose a little bit of weight. (Quick tip: it didnt help.)

I will explain the epiphanies I had and what led me to each one. Learning how I became a Gram Weenie might lead you to your own epiphany or two about your own pack, which will ultimately lead you to a lighter pack.

Once you understand the how and why of thinking the way we do, and you start thinking as a Gram Weenie, you will be making some dramatic changes to your pack, which will in turn lead you to a lighter packpossibly the lightest pack you have ever carried. You will be looking at your pack from a new and, as some would call it, very weird perspective. But in the end, you will have the last laugh. You will be carrying the lightest pack possible.

Many judge backpackers by the pack they carry. It may be a heavy pack, an old pack, or a really lightweight pack with no frame. But try not to judge a hiker by their pack. Only you can decide what you are willing to carryeither a lot of weight or not a lot of weight. Its just that simple. You basically have two options: light or heavy.

I simply decide to carry as little weight as I can without sacrificing comfort or safety. For me, though, the focus is on comfort, not safety, although I keep safety at a close second. I will use that phrase quite a bit throughout this book because I want to be comfortable, but I do not want to risk my or anyone elses safety. As you read this book, keep an open mind that it is possible to carry a very light pack and still thoroughly enjoy a backpacking trip, without sacrificing either comfort or safety. Once you learn to think this way, you will be able to plan a trip with less or lighter gear.

Good luck, and I hope to see you on the trail sometime.

Steven Lowe

CHAPTER ONE

TWO RULES TO UNDERSTAND

I dont have a lot of rules surrounding my gear, but a couple need to be mentioned up front. Rules keep us in line. I know that we are talking about backpacking, but some rules can keep us alive.

Every backpacker out there has his or her own rules.

Rule number one is: (Enter your own personal rule number one here.)

There are folks out there who have a list of the items that go into their pack firston every trip. You may even have your own set of rules you go by while planning for a trip, during the trip, and after the trip.

For me, I keep a few select items in my pack at all times: my knife, headlamp, cook kit, water filter, and a few other items. Right now, my pack is hanging up in my gear closet, but the pack is not empty. There are a few items stowed in the pack ready for my next trip. You know, the stuff that does not need to be maintained other than taking the batteries out of the headlamp.

Some rules can be broken, bent, or otherwise ignored. However, one rule that cannot be argued since it is a fact of science more than a rule is called the Rule of Three.