The Enlightened backpacker

Introduction

What is ultralight backpacking? Essentially, it is being able to cut the weight of your pack dramatically while still maintaining a safe environment. With the advances in lightweight materials, one can cut the weight you are carrying while still having a safe, fulfilling journey.  Lightweight backpacking is defined as a base pack weight of 5-10kg (11-22 pounds) and ultralight backpacking is reached when you can get your pack down to under 5 kg (11 pounds) . This is your base weight, which is everything you need to carry without consumables such as food, water, and fuel. Ultralight backpacking enables one to go further, faster, and with less fatigue.

How do I make it lighter?

Go ahead and pack your pack as you normally would for a weekend hike. You may or may not have a list that you use so that you don't forget anything. If you don't have a list start one. It is so easy to forget something important and it's even easier to add things that are not important! 

Once you have it all packed ready to go, the first thing you need to do is to get a digital kitchen scale and weigh all your equipment item by item. Take each item out and weigh it as you go. When your pack is empty weigh that as well.  Write them all down on a chart with the heaviest items at the top down to the lightest at the bottom. Now you have a great picture of what it is you are carrying. The results will likely surprise you! 

The Big 3

The three heaviest items in your backpack are usually your sleeping bag/pad, tent, and backpack. If you are wanting to lighten your pack you will need to look at these three items first. There is not much to be gained by cutting your toothbrush in half and drilling holes in it to save a few grams when you are carrying a 3kg backpack! There is little you can do to reduce the weight of the items you already own, so you need to replace them with a lighter alternative. However, reducing the total weight of your pack requires that you pay attention to everything in it. It is no good buying a lightweight backpack and then trying to cram in everything you used to bring in your old system.

One Planet Winterlite

One Planet Strezlecki

 

Nemo Morpho 2P Airbeam

Tent or shelter

I used to always like to sleep in a tent. It gave me a feeling of security, from the elements, bugs and creepy crawlies, and it also helps to keep your gear clean and dry. However, I have recently started using a tarp shelter instead. A tarp shelter is more minimalist. But surprisingly it has quite a few advantages over a tent. The first thing you need to ask yourself is "am I going to sleep on the ground or in a hammock"? Either way, a tarp can be used as your shelter. A square tarp has many uses, and can be configured in different ways depending on weather, wind direction, etc. You can't beat the ventilation of using a tarp. Condensation can be a major issue in a tent in humid conditions. With a tarp set up as an A frame style it keeps the rain off and gives you great ventilation. In the case of blowing rain or strong winds you can pitch one end flat on the ground giving great protection. Careful campsite selection will help to ensure a great night's sleep. 

Zpacks Rectangular Cuben Fibre Tarp

Sleeping bag/pad

There are a few choices to make here. Firstly you have two options as to the type of sleeping bag, down or synthetic. Generally speaking, down will give you better warmth/weight ratio, and it also compresses much smaller than synthetic. The downside is that down bags are usually more expensive and they lose more of their efficiency when wet than synthetic bags do. Having said that, synthetic bags are not great when wet either. The key here is to learn to keep your bag dry - at all costs. There is now the option of water-resistant down also which is an added benefit.

Bag or quilt? Recently sleeping quilts have become a lot more popular. The way a sleeping bag keeps you warm is the loft of the insulation. By compressing the insulation under your body while sleeping you essentially render it useless. Therefore if you choose a quilt you are not wasting insulation by sleeping on top of it. Of course, your sleeping pad is a vital part of your sleeping system in keeping you warm underneath as well as providing some level of comfort. 

In the case of a hammock, which I have chosen to use on my Bibbulmun Track challenge, you don't need a pad underneath. But in colder conditions you will need an underquilt which hangs underneath your hammock to keep you warm from below.

zpacks 30 degree 900 fill power down top quilt

Backpack

This should be the last thing you upgrade. A lightweight backpack will not have the load carrying capacity of a heavier model, so getting this first and filling it with a heavy load will be counterproductive and will likely damage the pack as well. Lightweight backpacks have less pockets, zips, and compartments than conventional packs. They are also usually frameless. Some come with a sleeve where you put your sleeping mat in and that acts as a frame.

To determine how large your pack should be, take all your gear and put it in a cardboard box. Pack it all in as you would a suitcase. Then measure the dimensions of the box to give you a volume. The trick is to get a pack that will comfortably fit all the gear you need without being too large. You will have a tendency to fill whatever size pack you have so resist the urge to go up to the next size!

GoLite Jam 50 Litre ultralight pack

Carry knowledge in your head not weight on your back!

I would not suggest that a novice backpacker do a little reading, purchase all the latest lightweight equipment and head out into the mountains above the snow line for a week with little experience or skill. It is usually something that experienced bushwalkers gravitate towards, to enrich their backpacking experience. You need a different skill set to camp successfully under a tarp rather than in a full featured tent. You also need to know how to layer clothing, and use systems. For example, we talk about a sleep 'system'. This includes your sleeping bag/quilt, as well as a sleeping pad, or hammock to insulate you from the ground, and also what clothes you will wear inside your bag to compliment the insulation of your bag for different conditions. 

Some experience in finding a suitable camp site is essential. Just knowing where to camp will ensure you are able to find a site that is bug free, or warmer than the surrounding areas, or more sheltered from the elements if a storm comes up. Survival skills in different terrains and climatic conditions is also a great skill to have and is good insurance in emergencies. Safety is also paramount. You certainly don't want to leave behind your down jacket to save a few hundred grams if you are going into a potentially cold environment. 

One of the skills an ultralight backpacker uses is to find multiple uses for as many items as possible. For example, your cooking pot is also your bowl, no need to take extra plates. You can stuff a few spare clothes into a sack to use as a pillow. You can use your tarp for your shelter, ground cover, rain gear, or for catching rainwater. You can use your trekking poles for shelter poles, emergency splints, and of course walking poles.

What skills do you feel are essential for lightweight backpacking?

What is ultralight backpacking?

                                   

 "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, 

   I took the one less travelled by,

 And that has made all the difference."   Robert Frost.

Firstly let me ask you a question. Why do you go hiking or backpacking? If I asked this question of 20 people I would likely get 20 different answers. It is different for all of us. Think for a moment, why is it that you do it? Some of us love to just get away from the stress and hustle of life, the traffic jams coming home from work, and ironically the little devices that are supposed to make our life more convenient. You know what I am talking about, the phone, the ipad, the internet, the television. Some of us have an innate connection with the wild places that are still able to be found in this busy overcrowded world. Some like the challenge of testing themselves and their equipment in adverse conditions and environments. 

Is it the camping you love or the hiking?

Some of us love to drive out into the country, park the car, walk a few miles and camp by a quiet stream. They like to sit and read a book, or string up a hammock and take a nap. At meal times they love to bring out the cooler, or the BBQ plate and cook up a hearty meal. They use this base camp for the weekend and then pack up and hike back the few miles to the car, refreshed from being out in nature. 

Some of us love to take the steep, windy road, far into the mountains, deep into a wilderness area. Then shoulder a pack with all your essentials and hike for days or weeks or even longer, stopping briefly along the way at tranquil settings to camp. Then early the next morning setting out again to discover new horizons. 

Neither of these approaches are the right or wrong way to backpack. And some of us do both at various times. Most of us however, tend to lean towards one style more than the other. If you find yourself tending to hike more than camp it will only be a matter of time before you start to ask yourself "why is my pack so heavy"?

The recent trend

I have been backpacking for many years and was quite used to carrying up to 30kg (66 pounds) for a weekend backpacking trip. In fact on some of our exploratory expeditions and canyoning trips I would sometimes carry more than 50kg (110 pounds). It wasn't until I started training for the 1000km Bibbulmun Track record in Western Australia that I realised I couldn't hope to beat any records carrying my normal loads. I came across blogs from other backpackers talking about the recent trend in ultralight hiking and backpacking. Recent technology has enabled manufacturers to start making equipment that is stronger, lighter, and in some cases as durable as the old mainstream backpacking equipment. Ultralight backpacking emphasizes the use of lightweight gear as much as possible while not compromising on safety. 

Golite Jam 50 litre backpack

Base weight

The base weight of your pack includes everything that you will carry in your pack on your trip. It includes the pack itself, tent/shelter, rain gear, extra clothing, sleeping bag/ mat, hammock, stove/mess kit, and other small essential items. It does not include the clothing you would wear during the day. It also does not include consumables such as food, water, and fuel.

While there is no hard and fast numbers for pack weights the following is a good guide, remember these are base weights.

Traditional backpacking is where you will be carrying around 15kg (33 pounds) or more. Lightweight backpacking is in the range of 5-10kg (11-22 pounds) and anything under about 5kg (11 pounds would be considered ultralight backpacking. 

This all depends on your size and weight as well. If you are a 5ft tall female that weighs 50kg (110 pounds) your gear will be a lot lighter than a 6'2 male weighing 90kg (198 pounds). Your clothing and sleeping gear will need to be bigger and therefore heavier. I am about 6'1 and weigh about 90kg (198 pounds) and I have managed to get my base weight down to under 3.5kg (7.7 pounds). This works out to less than 4% of my body weight as my pack base weight. This is for my 1000km trip in the Western Australian summer time. 

The time of year, climate, and terrain will also affect the weight in a big way. Obviously camping above the snow line at 14,000ft in mid winter in Colorado will require a lot more gear than at sea level in the tropics in summer time.

Why hike ultralight?

Ultralight gear can cost more than traditional gear. It is often less durable, and sometimes you may compromise on luxury items in order to go ultralight. So then why would you do it? Ultralight backpacking can be a lot more enjoyable. You can go further and faster. That means that your consumables will also be less. If you are hiking 100km and do it in 5 easy days of 20km each, you will have to carry food and fuel for 5 days. If you can hike the 100km in 2 days, you will save quite a bit of weight in saved consumables. It also puts a lot less stress on your body, joints, muscles, and feet. Because of this you bounce back from a long day's walk faster and easier. You reduce the possibility of blisters and sore feet. Your muscles won't be as sore and as a result you will enjoy the experience a whole lot more! 

Ultralight hiking is a process. It requires fine tuning, patience, and tweaking. Make notes along the way and when it comes to unpacking at the end of your trip ask yourself these questions. What did I carry all that way and didn't even use? How much food did I bring home? How can I make it lighter next time without compromising on my safety?

This style of hiking or backpacking is not for everyone. But, if you love to explore and take in as much as you can each day you start to adopt the philosophy of faster and lighter. It does not mean you have to hike like a superman and do 50 miles a day, but at least you have that option. In this regard I find that I feel safer hiking in this way. I also find that when you start to lighten your load, and leave the non-essentials behind, you begin to connect with nature on a much deeper level. You seem to assimilate into Nature itself rather than dragging along a whole bag full of gear to keep you safe from nature. I really love this approach.

If you are thinking about trying out ultralight backpacking, stay tuned. I will be going into it in a lot more detail in future posts.

The Secret Canyon - Part 2.

Read part 1 here.

 

Inner Sanctum

 

This was a canyon within a canyon, a narrow slot that knifed its way through solid basalt walls and plunged over multiple waterfalls. The river is then ejected out of the end of this section to plummet over the final 80m (265ft) drop to the valley floor. We dubbed this the Inner Sanctum. I did a Google search to see how they defined "Inner Sanctum", these are some of the descriptions. 
 

• ·         A sanctum is a holy place inside a temple or sacred place. If you refer to someone's inner sanctum, you mean a place which is private and sometimes secret, in which they can be quiet and alone.

• ·         It's the deepest, safest place one could be. Your inner sanctum is your safe place.

• ·         It just means..The inside of something. "Sanctum" I believe is Latin for Sanctuary which is really a place of solitude and safety which can apply to many inanimate objects.

It seems that we picked an apt title for such a place, although a lot of people would not consider it "safe". 

The squeeze

Inner Sanctum Falls

It began at 'Inner Sanctum Falls' At the top of this photo you can make out a person peeking around the edge of the rock. This is Steve, he is at the top of the Inner Sanctum where the mini canyon starts. Then Andy is halfway down the photo and Kevin at the bottom. I am standing at the top of the next waterfall as I shoot this photo. This was a very dry year and the water was very low. It was mildly challenging in places but mostly just a lot of fun. However, the unknown around the corner was always a concern to me as trip leader. You see, there are no guidebooks here, no photos, or videos of past trips. There were no past trips. No-one had ever seen what we were seeing. I know that for certain because without placing bolts in strategic places along the way there was no way through here. 

After taking the photo I step to the right and descend the next waterfall, around the next corner.

After detaching from the rope I swim along the canyon a short distance and look back to see Kevin reach the bottom.  The sunlight is streaming down the narrow crack illuminating our path, and casting eerie shadows on the walls. It isn't until later when I get my photos developed (yes this was long before digital cameras) that I see the guardians of the canyon on the walls. Do you see the lion on the left side and the eagle on the right? It is as if the king of the beasts and the king of the birds are guarding the entrance to the last section of the Inner Sanctum. I name this one Guardian Falls. 

Guardian Falls

There are many small drops in this section, some are easy jumps, others more of a squeeze. Finally we hear that familiar roar that we know is Lower Falls.  It is a tricky escape from the rivers clutches as we tie onto a line and scramble up onto the edge of the falls.

The approach to Lower Falls

We actually spent the night very close to the spot in the photo above one year. We did not plan to stay here, we just ran out of daylight. We had no choice but to bolt ourselves to the wall and hung in our harnesses just out of reach of the water. The top of the 30m waterfall was just a couple of feet from where I slept. There were only three of us that year, and it was a magical experience. There was a full moon that night and it lit up the canyon like a spotlight. It was surreal, something I will never forget.

The edge of Lower Falls.

Once we are of danger and on dry ground again we tie to a line and scramble around to the left side of the river where there are some good solid trees in order to descend the last pitch. The last drop down Lower Falls is spectacular. It is about 80m (265ft) drop to the pool below, we have just been through a very difficult challenging section of river and is the culmination of 7 yrs of persistence.  I lay back on my way down and soak up the warm sun on my back. It is great to be out in the sunlight again.

Lower Falls

The dark area right above where the water comes out is the bottom end of the Inner Sanctum. As you can see, you have to watch your step as you come around that corner or you could quite easily be swept to your death over the edge. Lower Falls is split by a protruding rock near the top and thunders down into a gorge that is much wider from here on. The cliff behind the waterfall rises another 200m (660ft) to the rim of the canyon far above. We came down that way one trip in order to get a good look at the top of the waterfall and determine if there were any possible anchors we could use here.

After reaching the valley floor again, it was just a few more miles walk to the car and home again. We had finally done it! We were a part of the canyons life for such a short time, but it will always be part of my life. Experiences like that are priceless.

Are there any canyons near you that you could visit?