My Journey to Freedom and Ultralight Backpacking

by Carol Wellman

  Cooking separately works for many hiking partners. It may seem unusual for committed partners to cook separately but Rainmaker and I have always done it this way because we have separate methods and evening routines. When resupplying, we each buy and carry the foods we like, estimating our weights and food cravings separately. Sometimes his experience causes him to choose things I would never have thought of, like whole-wheat tortillas. Thinking to outdo him, I bought corn tortillas. Mistake. The corn tortillas dried out quickly, broke into pieces and tasted very bland. But, at least I was the only one to suffer the consequences. There never was an argument over food choices, or who ate what, or when. I like coffee first thing in evening camp. Rainmaker would wait and have his with dessert. I never presoak food, but instead bring my water to a boil, then dump in my food. Rainmaker puts his food and water into his pot. He allows it to rehydrate there, then heats it. We each carry soda-can stoves with hexamine tablets or liquid fuel. This solo method of cooking allows one member of the team to continue hiking if the other needs or chooses to leave the trail.

  Every hiker needs one good spoon. You can eat anything with a spoon. Anything that needs cutting can be broken apart, but every hiker should have one decent spoon. After a bad experience of stepping on and breaking my only plastic spoon, I began carrying a metal unbreakable spoon, which weighed 18 grams. After finding out that a Lexan teaspoon, the handle trimmed by one inch, weighed 8 grams I switched. They are very durable, but not unbreakable. I do not carry a pocketknife, using a round, 5-gram retractable razor knife instead.

  The Cook Set

  A successful ultralight cookset nests together, and then fits in a small ditty bag. My 8-ounce system nested within the pot itself, and was used on the Pacific Crest Trail in 2001, and the Appalachian Trail in 2002, although not exclusively. As told in the previous journals, I was always testing new ideas to lighten my load. Making gear from the lightest available materials is a hobby of mine. For the last 594 miles of the AT, I switched to a 3-ounce cook set which nested within a plastic bowl and lid, and required a new technique for ultralight cooking. I had considered going to cold food to save the weight of my pot/stove/cup system when I realized this new idea was so light it would actually save the weight of carrying heavier cold food.

  David made the soda can stove for me. This was the only stove I used while hiking the entire AT, approximately 2,168 miles. It was fired 1 - 3 times per day every day when on the trail from March 12 to August 14, 2002. The stove and the rest of the set are still in usable condition. This stove, made from two aluminum cans, and weighing only 12 grams, is used with both cook sets.

  The pot support for the 8-ounce system is made from half of a 13 ounce coffee can and weighs 28 grams. The pot support for the 3-ounce system was made from a standard 15-ounce can that originally contained black beans and weighs 10 grams. Both have 1/8- inch holes drilled along the bottom perimeter, 8 on the small, and 14 on the large. This allows sufficient air to feed the flame. There are two identical sections of metal cut out at the top of the pot support, to increase oxygen flow.

  A windscreen is made of a length of aluminum foil, folded over 3 times for strength, to surround the pot support. Its purpose is to direct heat upwards to the pot, and save fuel. It can be folded up, and placed within the set when not in use. On long hikes, extra aluminum foil can be sent in your bounce or drop boxes to make new windscreens when the first one wears out.

  The capacity of the aluminum pot for the 8-ounce system is 30 fluid ounces, has a lid and weighs 106 grams. The pot for the 3-ounce system is actually an empty Handy-Fuel Canned Heat container, which has a lid made of aluminum foil. This mini-pot is 3 1/4 inches in diameter, 2 1/4 inches tall, has a capacity of 10 fluid ounces and weighs 14 grams.

  I cooked and ate directly out of the larger pot, using a plastic cup for my coffee. This cup was made from a one-liter soda bottle, which had been cut off about one inch taller than the desired height. Then, duct tape was wound around the lip of this container. Boiling water was poured into this cup, allowing it to shrink. Tests have shown that the plastic will shrink only once, and the tape was necessary to maintain the shape of the cup. Once cool, the water was dumped, and the cup was cut short enough to nest within the cooking pot with its lid in place. The cup's final weight was 12 grams.

  The bowl and lid for the new 3-ounce cook set were made from a container that originally contained powdered drink mix. The containers can be found at grocery stores and cut down to the desired size. Together they weigh 46 grams. Although the capacity of the pot is only 10 ounces, by continually heating water I could enjoy a variety of items each night. When the first pot of water was hot, I poured it into the plastic lid, and made coffee or soup. This sturdy lid had a capacity of 8 ounces and made a great cup.

  While the stove was still burning, I added more water to the little pot, set it back on the pot support and brought it to a boil. My meal of instant potatoes, rice, Ramen, or oatmeal would be prepared in the bowl. The dry food was placed in the plastic bowl and the boiling water poured directly over it. I stirred a few times with the spoon, then covered it with the aluminum pot lid, and allowed it to set for 2 minutes. The pot never needed washing, because nothing was ever cooked in it.

  If you wish to use this ultralight cooking method, try hot instant cereals. If you eat a cold breakfast, two packages of hot cereal taste great at night. Bring a baggie of raisins, chopped dried fruits, instant milk, and nuts to enhance this meal. If you wish to cook instant cream of wheat, cornmeal, or Farina, pour boiling hot water into your cup, then sprinkle in the grain while stirring constantly. That way, it won't get lumpy. Cover it and let set about a minute. If you cook oatmeal, put it in the cup first, then add the hot water. Stir just enough to mix, then stop stirring or it will taste pasty. Let sit a minute or two.

  Instant soup with peanut butter cheesy crackers is an excellent appetizer for the boil and rehydrate method. Instant 4-Cheese mashed potatoes are fantastic, as well as the chives and sour cream flavor. You can add some bacon bits, or even broken up pieces of beef stick. Beef jerky, is too chewy for this dinner, whereas the beef stick is vacuum packed meat, resembling summer sausage.

  Lipton dinners are somewhat expensive, not very filling, and take too long to cook. They do not work with this rehydating method. Regular pasta or regular rice will not work, either. It requires instant foods.

  A variety of liquid fuels can be used for the soda can stove, including denatured alcohol, rubbing alcohol and fuel-line antifreeze. Estimate about one ounce of liquid fuel per meal. Soda can stoves will not burn any gasoline-based products. It will not burn Coleman fuel. Hexamine or Esbit, both solid fuel tablets, can be used by inverting the stove and placing the tablet on the bottom, which for this purpose, becomes the top. Alcohol soaked cotton balls, previously used for personal hygiene, and small twigs can also be burned next to the fuel tablet to supplement the fuel.

  There are other models of the lightweight stoves, including a cat food can stove, photon stove, tea candle burner and esbit stove. None of them have the versatility of the soda can stove. Stoves that are sold commercially and burn Coleman fuel and gasoline remain a mystery to me. They flame up, weigh nearly a pound, have moving parts, become clogged, and require technical maintenance.

  Since you may be cooking in camp while sitting in your sleeping bag to stay warm, be sure to practice with your stove. Maintain safe cooking habits, especially when lighting your stove so you don’t burn yourself, your sleeping bag or your gear. Shelter protocol varies. Some people feel one should never cook in a shelter. The other extreme is a hiker who will cook right next to your gear. Because the value of your gear exceeds his expectations, move your gear to a safe place, and don’t trust anyone to cook closely to your sleeping bag. I have seen stoves blow up, and have seen others set the shelter on fire. Apologies don’t keep you warm at night.

  Water Capacity/Treatment

  Water capacity is important in desert situations, places where little data
is available, areas where you are uncertain of upcoming water sources, and those times when camp is made early in the day. Although it is not always necessary to carry maximum capacity, the ability to pick up additional water can really be useful at times.

  Some important considerations when planning water capacity are the weights and sturdiness of each container. Below are some types of bottles commonly carried with their corresponding weights:

  Nalgene-1 quart bottle…. 5.2 ounces

  Plastic soda bottle-24 ounces…1.2 ounces

  Plastic soda bottle-1 quart…. 1.2 ounces

  Plastic soda bottle-1.5 liters…1.5 ounces

  Plastic soda bottle-2 liters…. 1.8 ounces

  Platypus plastic bag-2 liters…. 1.25 ounces

  Silnylon Water sack-5 quarts…. 1.5 ounces

  As the list shows, if you need 4 quarts for total capacity, there is quite a range of weights possible. If you elect to take only Nalgene bottles, the total weight would be 20.8 ounces. If you take four 1-quart soda bottles, the weight would be 4.8 ounces. If you take two 1.5 liter bottles, with one quart bottle you have 4.2 ounces. If you choose 2 quart bottles for hiking, with a water sack for evenings, you would have 3.9 ounces.

  Each water bottle needs a pocket or bottle carrier, and the bottles are bulky even when empty. A silnylon bottle carrier, attached to the pack for carrying a water bottle, will last up to 6 months on the trail and weighs half an ounce each. Water sacks and Platypus water containers will roll up and occupy very little pack space. The type and number of containers you take will depend on water availability. On the PCT I carried two 1-liter soda bottles, and two 1.5-liter bottles because of the desert conditions. On the AT I carried only two 24-ounce bottles, and a Platypus just for camp use.

  Plastic soda bottles are remarkably strong. Rainmaker still has his from the 3-year hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. Both 1.5 liter bottles survived the airlines, and over 7 months on the trail. I use soda bottles on my hikes, and carried a 2-liter Platypus for a while. The Nalgene bottles, while strong and attractive, just weigh too much. People trust them to the point that they fill them full of water, and sleep with them inside their sleeping bag to keep their water from freezing. It doesn't always work; one couple had the seal pop and their bags got wet. A better plan (learned the hard way) is to pour water in the pot at night, and then thaw it on the stove in the morning.

  The Platypus can be rolled up small and stored until evenings at camp. I have seen a lot of them develop leaks in the desert, so as a preventative measure, never trust all your water to one or two large containers. Be careful never to place a full one on top of your clothes or sleeping bag while hiking. Bears will tear a hole in them if they are left hanging outside the shelters in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.

  The water sacks are very useful when you are stationary (campsite, or lunch break). You wouldn’t be able to haul water in them in the desert for many hiking miles. If they develop a small leak, repair them with 100% silicone, allowed to air dry at least 12 hours.

  There may be times when you must pick up water from shallow or murky places. If you are carrying soda bottles, you may need to get out a small plastic cup to dip with. You can strain out the debris with your bandana by placing it over the mouth of the bottle, and pouring it through slowly. Having at least one wide-mouth soda bottle would be very handy at these times. After straining the water, add your chemicals. If you have a filter, you may be able to find a spot deep enough to pump. Sometimes, there is only enough to dip. Plan to have a small receptacle flexible enough to catch water from a trickling stream. An 18-ounce empty plastic peanut butter jar, an 8-ounce margarine container, or a cut off 16-ounce soda bottle bottom all work well. All these containers will hold boiling water, but will shrink the first time. They can double as soup mugs and coffee cups in camp. Preshrink them at home by pouring boiling water into them when they are in the kitchen sink to avoid any accidents.

  Water treatment is such a controversial subject that I suggest each hiker research the issue and decide for him or herself which method he or she is most comfortable with. One important caution, however; never hike into the backcountry with only a water filter. They can fail, and often do. Handles break, seals fail, inline filters clog and become useless. Always carry some chemical to use as back-up water treatment. While boiling water is effective, sometimes a person doesn't have enough fuel to rely on this for their back-up method. Boiling times differ for higher elevations and water concerns. A Wilderness First Aid text stated that:

  "The common diarrhea-causing microorganisms are sensitive to heat. The protozoa Giardia and Amoeba, which cause amebiasis, die after two to three minutes at 140*F (60*C). Viruses and diarrhea-producing bacteria die within minutes at 150*F (65*C). Diarrhea-causing microorganisms are killed immediately by boiling water (212*F). By the time water boils, it is safe to drink. A five to ten minute boil sterilizes water. Remember, boiling point decreases with increasing elevation but does not affect disinfection. The boiling point at 19,000 feet is 178*F (81*C), sufficient for disinfecting water."

  NOLS Wilderness First Aid, pp. 288-9.

  If you have Internet access, a search using "backcountry water treatment" will yield good links. The best one I have found so far is http://www.yosemite.org/naturenotes/Giardia.htm. It is written in lay terms, and just in case it becomes unavailable to future readers, I will list some of the highlights. Most of this deals with giardia, but there are also charts at that site concerning other bacteria.

  Highly respected wilderness physicians wrote that although hundreds of gallons of water have been tested in the backcountry of America, only one or two giardia organisms might be found in any one spot. This is generally not enough for infection. The danger is likened to a shark attack at a beach.

  Giardia is a protozoan when active, and attaches itself with an adhesive substance to the upper intestinal lining of the host animal. It feeds and reproduces by dividing about every 12 hours. A single parasite can theoretically create more than a million in 10 days and a billion in 15 days. Once the host starts shedding these parasites into the environment, other animals can become infected. A human may shed as many as 900 million per day. A really important note is that even though cysts can survive for as long as 2 to 3 months in cold water, they cannot survive freezing. This means that the high country in winter and early spring is not likely to have viable cysts.

  The gut wrenching symptoms take an average of nine days to appear, sometimes not even showing up for four weeks. They can disappear suddenly and reappear later. They may lay dormant for months or not appear at all. Contaminated food or water, and direct fecal contact can cause infestation. Twenty percent of the world's population, and an estimated seven percent of Americans, are infected. Reportedly up to sixty percent of the children in some day-care centers are infected with giardia. Institutions for the mentally retarded, public swimming pools, promiscuous male homosexuals, international travelers, patients with cystic fibrosis, and family members of these individuals all have high infestation rates.

  Several people became ill when a cook prepared a salad with her hands. She didn’t test positive for giardia, but her child did. The lesson to be learned here is to wash hands thoroughly before preparing food, and to be careful whose food bag you eat from.

  Another good link is I found in my search is http://gorp.com/gorp/activity/hiking/medical/water.htm

  It deals with water treatment, and is from GORP, The Great Outdoors Recreation Page. Studies have shown that filters do not decrease the reported illnesses of backcountry hikers. One study wrote that in their survey, 59% of filter users became ill within just a few days of beginning their hikes. One habit filter users may develop is judging water to be safe because they don't feel like pumping it through their partially clogged filters. If you carry a back up one-ounce bottle of chlorine, you can treat the water instead of taking a chance.

  Many hikers use iodine. It is lightweight, inexpensive, and comes in tablets or drops.
However, note the small print on the bottle. Some brands state that the water must be at least 50 degrees for the chemical to disinfect it properly. Also, the taste may affect your food if the water is added when cooking. Adding half of a vitamin C tablet will clear the color of the water, and improve its taste. However, some people develop stomach distress if they use too much vitamin C because of the acidity. Just a little bit goes a long way, and it also inactivates the purifying compound. Therefore, allow sufficient time for the purification process before adding anything containing vitamin C, including powdered drink mixes.

  Chlorine is used all over the world, in cities and in the backcountry, to treat unsafe water. It is also used in municipal water treatment plants. The Environmental Protection Agency has a great report about the safe treatment of overflow water using chlorine. You can find this report at this web page: http://www.epa.gov/safewater/dwhealth.html.

  You can get an in-depth report at that site by typing "chlorine" into the search format. Over time, chlorine does breakdown in warm water and sunlight. Chlorine is ineffectual in very cold water. However, chlorine is easy to obtain, requires only a few drops per liter, and will dissipate with time in treated water. The amount of debris in water will affect how many drops are needed for saturation and disinfection, a good reason for straining murky water before treating it. Rainmaker has used only chlorine to treat water for 10 years of hiking, and reports no ill effects. I have used chlorine exclusively for all my hikes, and I have never been sick from tainted water. Chlorine can be carried in small, leak-proof bottles, which allows the liquid to be used in droplets. I carry mine in a small pocket on my hip belt.