My Journey to Freedom and Ultralight Backpacking

by Carol Wellman

  If the reason for backpacking is just about hiking, and enjoying the trail, then a light pack will enhance the journey. With every mile, and every foot of elevation gain or loss, the work involved in backpacking is increased proportionately to the weight carried.

  Perhaps time is limited and long high mileage days are crucial. Paring down every last gram is important. This actually can be quite fun, and looked upon as a personal challenge. I would never criticize anyone who does not want to go this far, but it is an extremism that I enjoy.

  The formula that one should not carry more than 25% of their body weight is a good starting point. This figure is used with one’s ideal body weight, and includes food and water. That 25 % should be considered maximum weight, including food and water. If one were hiking the desert, where water is an issue, temporarily exceeding that maximum may be unavoidable. Each liter of water weighs two pounds. At times, 6 liters are carried, for a total of 12 pounds.

  But generally speaking, the 25% is applicable in most backpacking situations. As a 120-pound woman, that translates into 30 pounds for me. If I have to carry two liters of water (4 pounds) and four days of food (about 6 pounds) that gives me 20 pounds of base weight to work with. As an ultralighter, I would look at getting to a 15% maximum weight, or below. That translates into 18 pounds, maximum. I was able to do this on my AT thru-hike in 2002. In Port Clinton, PA, the outfitter weighed my pack at fourteen pounds, which is 11.6% of my body weight. That included food for four days, and 12 ounces of water. My gear list for this hike, complete with adjustments, can be read in Chapter 5 of this book.

  The philosophy of ultralight backpacking is to bring innovation and problem solving strategies into the backcountry with us. One way to really lower pack weight is to have carefully planned strategies concerning water.

  Some strategies concerning water in well-watered areas include carrying two water bottles, one that is drunk as soon as purification is complete. The other one is kept full until another water source is located. At the water source, the other one is drunk, and both bottles refilled and treated. As you continue hiking, this cycle is repeated, drinking one bottle of water as soon as purification is complete, and reserving the other one until a water source is located. This way a person stays well hydrated, without running out of water.

  In the desert, this strategy changes. Compute the miles to the next sure water source, and divide the amount of water carried among the hours necessary to reach that source. The most I carried was 5 liters of water. Try to get started at daybreak, while it is still cool. Then, during the heat of the day, it is a good idea to rest in the shade, preferably at a water source. You may have to create your own shade but hopefully there will be a rock overhang or Joshua tree. Cook and wash the dishes, brush your teeth, and wash your body at a water source if possible. If there is still a lot of daylight when that source is reached, you can hike until dark. Whenever you reach water, tank up, that is, drink as much as you can hold, resting and waiting, then drinking more. This method will get you through a lot of desert miles on a daily basis.

  I tried to keep my food at just over one pound per day. I realize this is very minimal for most people. Men might need nearly twice that figure. A 160-pound man, carrying 15% of his body weight, would have twenty-four pounds to work with. That would allow for additional food weight. Some strategies for keeping food weight down include always leaving town very full and covering some miles before camping. Each day’s meals are portioned, using chocolate covered peanuts, raisins, nuts and candy for a lot of calories and hiking energy. Supper is ramen noodles, instant rice, instant potatoes or oatmeal. A satisfying appetizer is bouillon cube, dissolved in one cup of hot water with peanut butter cheesy crackers broken into it. This is very filling and weighs only 1.25 ounces. Expect to come into town hungry. Take advantage of any convenience stores, concession stands, or trail magic along the way. With a low pack weight, you can cover more miles. Any additional food that accumulates by eliminating extra days on the trail can be portioned and consumed before getting into town.

  Attitude

  My philosophy of ultralight backpacking says we can take what we want to enjoy our journey, but it just needs to be as light as possible. If we can redefine or eliminate some of our wants, real progress will be made towards an incredibly low pack weight.

  I think this requires a change or adjustment of attitude for most Americans, brought up to believe that two chickens are needed in every pot, two cars belong in every garage, and a home with only one full bathroom is considered substandard.

  An ultralight attitude can be developed over a period of time. Henry David Thoreau said, "How many a poor mortal soul have I met well nigh crushed and smothered under its load, creeping down the road of life, pushing before it a barn seventy-five feet by forty, its Augean stables never cleansed, and one hundred acres of land, tillage, mowing, pasture, and wood-lot! The portionless, who struggle with no such unnecessary inherited encumbrances, find it labor enough to subdue and cultivate a few cubic feet of flesh.”

  The idea I get from this is that we don’t want anything too big; it just drags us down. We want enough, but just enough. Less material goods does not indicate poverty, but the power of personal restraint. It’s actually a very satisfying concept and practice.

  This is not to be taken in reference to money in the bank. A wise man once said, “Most emergencies can be solved with the proper application of a Master or Visa Card.” Instead of pushing stuff through life, I prefer to live lightly, with back-up funds properly kept safe and accessible.

  An ultralighter who is self-sufficient shows personal power. Anyone who constantly needs to borrow gear, food, water, fuel, or guidebook pages from others, is not an ultralighter, but a parasite and drain on the hiking community. I know those are strong words, but I will not advocate that anyone go to a trail ill equipped or unprepared because they have tried to save pack weight, figuring they will come across some good Samaritan or trail angel to bail them out.

  Certainly it is fun and necessary to share food and gear occasionally. The goal, though, as an ultralighter, is to have everything one needs or learn how to improvise until they get it. In some areas, a person may not meet another hiker for days or even weeks. Also, it is not fair to put others at risk, obligation or inconvenience because of our lack of planning.

  This ultralight attitude transcends the pack and includes our own bodies. Carrying an extra 20 pounds of body fat is unnecessary weight. It is detrimental to our health, and requires additional effort for every mile hiked. We make choices about our gear to eliminate extra weight, and choices are made to lower body weight. It's not a matter of totally cutting out items, it’s a matter of reducing portions, improving components (less fats and sugars) and arriving at a weight that best suits our needs. Again, it's about having what we want, but perhaps that also means redefining what we need and how much of it.

  There are some who, planning a long distance hike, decide to “bulk up”. They intentionally gain weight, knowing that they will be using more calories each day than they will be carrying. This is a bad plan, because unless the weight is muscle, no benefit can be found for carrying extra fat up those long inclines and steep grades. Knees, ankles and feet will suffer with the weight. Extra body weight will cause more stress as the heart and lungs labor to fill the needs of the extra poundage. Once the body is able to shed the fat and build leg muscles, real progress will be felt in trail readiness. The lean hiker is a healthy hiker. Especially on the Appalachian Trail, where food sources are abundant, no extra weight should be gained in preparation.

  Reality

  Even if we could get our needs and wants pared down to absolute basics, sometimes a bad back, sensitive knees, or previous injuries may necessitate additional pack weight. Special dietary considerations have to be dealt with. Harsh weather and climate conditions also call for additional gear. But once customized, and after reality is paid homage, the result is a functioning, workable, system. There should b
e no embarrassment with knee braces, back braces, doubled sleeping pads, medicines or vitamins. The mere fact we can do this at all is pretty amazing. Some of the most honored hikers are those the doctors have told to stay home, those hikers who press preconceived limitations, and teach us all about perseverance.

  Some tips about proper body mechanics I learned from Rainmaker have kept me on the trail. More than 35 years of long distance backpacking have given him much understanding about pain, its prevention and relief. Follow these suggestions at home, when applicable, to prevent injuries which will flare up when hiking.

  His strategies include:

  Never twist your back while lifting, or in preparation for lifting anything heavy. Consider it heavy if it weighs over 5 pounds. Always face the weight, bring it close to your body, and lift with your knees. To lower the weight, reverse these steps. This includes bounce boxes and loaded packs.

  Use a knee pad or cushion whenever possible. Do not sit in a position that requires knees to be fully bent, such as those young children use, butt resting on or near your heels.

  When hiking uphill or climbing over boulders, take smaller steps so that your knees are not extended at a right angle to the ground. Keep the weight centered over the quadriceps as much as possible. Those large leg muscles are designed to bear the weight, not the knee joints.

  Avoid running or striding quickly down hill. The knees take the brunt of this type of descent, and although they may show no immediate ill effects, that night and the next day they may ache incredibly. Long-term heavy dosage of Ibuprofen is no remedy for mistreating your body in this manner.

  Fully utilize your hiking poles to take advantage of your upper body strength. For people with bad backs or knees, poles have become standard hiking equipment. On an ascent, use your arm strength to assist in transferring weight forward with the hiking poles. On a descent, allow your poles to bear some of the weight downward, again using smaller steps to avoid over-extending the knees.

  Warm up in the morning before beginning the day's hike by walking around camp, doing some light, full range of motion exercises with arms, wrists, and legs. Never jerk your pack up, but lift it with a smooth even motion while keeping the back straight.

  To aid in a healthy lifestyle, lift weights two or three times per week. Dumb-bells (two identical sets of hand weights) are said to promote better balance and muscle development than one heavy barbell. Walking daily, with or without weights, is always healthy. Never run or hike with ankle weights, which can cause a great deal of damage to the knees.

  It is always a good idea to take your ultralight system out for a few consecutive nights to find any flaws before heading out on a long trail. Many problems become apparent only after several days on the trail. Some people hope they can get by on cold food, only to discover that without something hot at the end of a day, they just didn’t feel well fed. I twice tried to ditch my pot support, using stakes, rocks and aluminum cans, and finally concluded the pot support was worth the ounce of weight. If the way you have configured your water transport system doesn’t work for one reason or another, it is better to find out before you are in the middle of a desert.

  Experience

  We were nearly done with our journeys, section hikers, thru-hikers and overnighters, all sharing a shelter in the 100 Mile Wilderness section of Maine. A young friend thoughtfully asked me, “So how’s your ultralight system working for you?” I told him that it was great, that I was still carrying the same silnylon backpack, Tacoma tent, and soda can stove since Springer Mountain, Georgia. I mentioned that I’d gotten my base weight down to eight pounds. He shook his head and reflected, “I carry more weight by accident than you do on purpose.”

  I gave him a big grin, for that was a great compliment. It didn’t happen overnight. Trial and error played a large part in accruing the experience necessary to become a minimalist. I learned how to utilize everything in my pack (and surroundings) to stay warm in unexpected, record cold. A couple times I got “burned” trying to go too light, was hungry and cold, fought with troublesome gear, and had to forego the week’s journaling. But, that’s how you learn. A person won’t know their limits until they go beyond them, then you just back up to that point. But by experimenting, enjoying the good and coping with the bad outcomes, I was able to shed the standard approach. I learned to ask for information when necessary, and then make wise decisions. All this takes time, a willingness to fail, a willingness to learn, and a willingness to recognize success, however marginal.

  The gear I used in 2002 will no doubt be replaced by other gear as technology progresses, and I come up with new designs. There is no perfect shelter, no perfect sleep system, and no perfect pack. We are all individuals. What works for me may never work for you; hence by that very theory nothing can be perfect. But, as you read the next sections on various backpacking components, I believe you will be able to shave pounds off your present pack weight. Although some ideas may seem outlandish, give them a go, in the comfort of your own back yard, and I think you will have a lot of fun. You may even choose to adopt some of them.

  Remember to always play it safe when bringing children, sick, handicapped, inexperienced or older folks with you. Take those extra precautions, and carry some extra weight. A cell phone raises objections from some outdoor advocates, but without a doubt they have saved many lives by facilitating timely rescues. Let no one tell you what you need, and what you don’t. Your needs always remain your own choices. The purpose of this book is to reveal ultralight techniques, and leave the decisions up to you.

  Gear Preference

  The biggest changes in backpacking weights can be attributed to the new fabrics and designs now available. There are ultralight alternatives to every piece of gear that was once thought basic. Generally, there is some trade-off when you pare serious weight. As I go through each category, and note the pros and cons, remember I am not saying which one is best. That is as subjective as what kind of pie you prefer.

  The use of silnylon for shelters, stuff sacks, pack covers, and raingear can cut respective weights in half. Special care must be used with this waterproof, flammable fabric, but the results are impressive. Favorite existing gear can be remade by a skilled seamstress using silnylon; more about that is in the “Make Your Own” section.

  Micro fleece, silk, polyester and nylon have replaced cotton blends and heavy, man-made fibers. Clothing is now more versatile and weight efficient. You may have a favorite fabric blend, or expect a looser fit, which could raise pack weight. Again, that is your preference, but branching out into something unusual may give you unexpected pleasant results.

  There are many ways to cook on the trail. There are choices concerning solid or liquid fuels, fast cooking or slow, compatibility with your cookware, and the amount of space in your pack you are willing to devote to this system. How large your system must be will depend on what you expect out of your meals.

  Multipurpose gear eliminates duplicate ounces, however, care must be taken not to jeopardize one's health or safety. I personally am not fond of ponchos that serve for both rain gear and primary shelter. As a loose fitting rain cover, they do not offer the protection a light jacket would. With hiking poles, the water tends to drip and run down the arms. They could work as a tarp over a bivy bag, or even a ground cloth inside a tarp. In cold, wet, rainy weather, the idea of stripping off one's raingear to set up as a shelter can be a dangerous concept. Great care must be taken in such weather to stay as warm as possible, even if not totally dry. Rain gear can serve as a very effective wind barrier, and it can hold in body heat. At the end of the day, after hiking has stopped and camp is being made, there is a serious danger of hypothermia. Removing this important layer and setting it up as a very basic shelter should be carefully considered, and tested before making it a part of the daily routine, regardless of how light it is. There are some accomplished hikers who have made the poncho serve them for both a shelter and rain gear over thousands of miles of hiking. There was some t
rue suffering involved, but that was their preference and trade-off for the low weight.

  Hikers have considerable differences in their shelter preferences. Before spending a lot of money on expensive gear, especially a shelter, it is wise to decide what you expect from it. One gauge of being a real “gear-head” is when the square footage of your accumulated tents, tarps and bivys equal or exceed the square footage of your house or apartment.

  Another remarkable difference in gear choices can be seen by the colors chosen. I like all my colors to blend in with the environment, so that stealth camping and hiking is always an option. This ability to be hidden is a safety issue. The aesthetic issue is to allow other hikers a perception of solitude. Also, bright colors have been proven to attract bears. However, some people feel that earthy colors are dark and depressing, and prefer to use yellow, blue and red. It is definitely recommended to have some bright colors during hunting season. White is a dangerous color to wear during deer season, even in small amounts or as underclothing. A flash of white looks like the tail of a deer to inexperienced hunters.

  Partners

  Weight can be saved if your adventure includes a partner. Before you try to recruit a partner, perhaps some issues should be addressed. Not everyone enjoys a long-term hiking partnership. Many concessions must be made to keep both parties happy, including matters relating to budget, town stops, length of hiking day, mileage, and routing. Are you a person who needs solitude, or do you become rejuvenated with human interaction? Is your journey a time to get away from it all, or do you want it filled with company and socializing? Will daily decisions initiate power struggles? It is hard enough to get along with a close friend or lover for long periods on the trail. Be cautious of hooking up with a stranger or someone you know only through correspondence, and know exactly what their actual backpacking experience includes. Honestly talk over your expectations before a commitment is made. You will see the best and the worst in your partner, so be prepared for a variety of moods.