Backpacking in the cold/wet months.

mymindisamob

mymindisamob

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It's been a very, very long time since I've backpacked, but one of my sons is home from Alaska for awhile and wants to do an overnighter. So we picked a fairly short trip (about 6 miles round-trip) and will be camping at Lena Lake in the Olympic Mountains here. I have packed for everything I could imagine and it is absolutely insane how huge and heavy my pack was for an overnighter. I am now (taking a break) in the midst of reassessing my needs and paring down. It was a whopping 45 pounds with food, water, tent, sleeping bag and misc. stuff. That seems heavier than in the days I could carry the equivalent of a truck.

I thought I'd ask what you guys have done for trips in the cold and wet months. I'm not necessarily asking for advice, just for stories and conversation.;)
 
The solution is simple.
Overpack,then swap packs with your son.
"Kiddo,help the old man out"
 
Can you find water easily at your camping place ie snow, lake, ect? If you are camping within a couple minutes from the lake, you can get your water there, just purify it, that should cut down on water-weight.

I cant really think of much else, my winter pack was ~35lb, but my hike was pretty short. I would just bring enough water for the hike, then refill at camp.

Dunno if this helps but... dont pack 10000000 knives? :D
 
zhangmaster12 said:
Can you find water easily at your camping place ie snow, lake, ect? If you are camping within a couple minutes from the lake, you can get your water there, just purify it, that should cut down on water-weight.

I cant really think of much else, my winter pack was ~35lb, but my hike was pretty short. I would just bring enough water for the hike, then refill at camp.

Dunno if this helps but... dont pack 10000000 knives? :D
Click to expand...

That's a good thought. My purifier is way less than water and we'll be at the lake. As far as knives it's only Kershaw Skyline and a Busse BATAC.:eek:
 
I do overnighters all the time in the winter, you gotta be able to suffer and still enjoy it though if you are packing light... 45 pounds isn't bad for a one nighter, especially if that includes climbing gear and snowshoes.
 
I'm about 35lbs. with all my rain gear and fishing gear, and I could still afford to lose some weight.

You may want to look over your Big Three: Tent, sleeping bag, Backpack
Also, spend some time on backpacking forums, especially ultra light forums. You don't necessarily have to follow there mindset, but you can learn quite a lot on what areas you can shave weight from.

Of course, the lighter you go, the more money you spend, but in my opinion, it is worth it, as you aren't likely to need to buy replacements for 10 years if you take care of your stuff.
 
I spent a night at Lena Lakes some years back, very cold, wet, very beautiful. Make sure your tent will keep you dry if it rains. It's a steep trail too if I remember. If you post an equipment list, I'd be happy to offer some thoughts.

One general thought is that for an overnighter you don't need a ton of stuff. Food and cooking gear can add up to a lot of weight. Eat a big meal at the car, saves you some food weight. If it were summer, I'd say ditch the stove alltogether and eat a cold meal. In winter, hot drinks are key for morale, and fending off hypothermia. Still, you can plan a meal that only requires one pot and minimal, if any, utensils. Wash your dishes when you get home, saves soap and scrubby. Etc, etc.

Two knives is fun, but overkill if you're trying to save weight. Two of anything (other than socks) is probably overkill for an overnighter.

Love that Olympic Peninsula, post pics when you get back. (or leave the camera to save some weight ;))
 
Heres what I would bring:

-Tent
-Sleeping bag
-Sleeping Pad
-Both knives (skyline weighs nothing, anyone who cant hump an extra 5 ounces should just go home and sit in front of a pc all day)
-Extra pair of socks, undys, pj's
-1 stainless pot, 1 cup. Thats all the cooking ware you need.
-For fire: a handfull of tinder, firesteel, gasoline. Ditch the gasoline if you want to practice firestarting. Gasoline is a no-screw around instant fire starter, good for cold and wet. Matches.
-Hiking Poles + Spike things for shoes if icy
-CAMERA + TRIPOD, we need pics man!:D
-1liter water+nalgene, carried in a baldric style.
-Food: Get a 2 boxes of Uncle Bens Rice. They weigh next to nothing and are tasty as hell Have your son carry the beans and sausage. Believe me, these are a great trio :D.
-Water filter + clorine tablets
-Tarp

Thats it. That should weigh about 30lbs.
 
zhangmaster12 said:
Heres what I would bring:

-Both knives (skyline weighs nothing, anyone who cant hump an extra 5 ounces should just go home and sit in front of a pc all day)
Click to expand...

OP should do what he WANTS, and as I noted, carrying two knives can be fun. That said, the OP said he wanted help reducing his pack weight. 5 oz here and 5 oz there adds up pretty quick.

I would argue that one doesn't NEED two knives for an overnight 3 miles from the car. I know there's the whole "one is none" argument and it seems pointless to rehash it here. Whether it's knives or something else, reducing pack weight means making choices and leaving stuff behind.

On a cold night, are you better off with an extra knife, or an extra Cliff bar to keep your metabolism going (same weight as skyline)?
 
mymindisamob said:
That's a good thought. My purifier is way less than water and we'll be at the lake. As far as knives it's only Kershaw Skyline and a Busse BATAC.:eek:
Click to expand...

I guessed that he wanted to bring the Skyline.

mymindisabob: do whatever you want, that Busse aint Breakin!

candlelight:

Its true, 5oz here and 5oz do add up, but an extra knife provides you with so much more fun! For me, I dont mind humping an extra 5oz, as long as 5oz doesnt become 5lbs.

Your right, dropping the knife and adding they skyline isn't a bad idea. Whenever I bring a folder on hiking trips, it never gets used, I use my fixed blade for everything. So there is a good possibility the Skyline wont get used. Many times when its cold and wet, you dont want to screw around with toys, you just want to get the job done and get warm. In those situations, the Skyline never leaves my pocket.

But also keep in mind the hike is only three miles, so maybe he can bring both the Skyline and the Cliffbar:eek::D
 
Wow. My usual overnighter load is around 30 pounds (And I wish it was lighter sometimes...), all year round. Tent in summer, tarp + more warm stuff in winter all evens out. Sleeping bag, pad, stove, cook gear, water filter, food, water, small FA kit, compass, flashlight and headlamp, extra clothing, a few other odds and ends...

Then toss in snowshoes, avy beacon and probe, snow shovel, ice axe... okay, maybe not 30 pounds in winter.
 
An overnighter in winter would have me carrying about 10 more pounds than in summer. All due to the fact that I carry extra socks and base layers and I just suck it up with a big, comfy sleeping bag.

Travel light, freeze at night.

Not me, I'll be comfy, thanks.
 
I whittled it down about 12 pounds. Of course I told my son and his buddy that they might have a couple extra items to carry.;)
All in all, it's not bad at it's weight now, but I will be on the look out for a lighter tent. It is almost 10 pounds alone.

I'll be taking both knives mentioned and my boy insists on carrying my Battle Mistress too. ;)
 
Good post, I'm packing for a cold spring trip down here in GA...I really want to do the hammocks instead of the tent (saves me a about 3-4 pounds), so I'm hoping the overnight lows get bumped up to 40-50 degress. I'm going to get my pack loaded up today and weigh it...I know mine will weigh the most, but the wife and kids' packs will get some addtional items to distribute the weight. Good news is that we'll be camping by a small spring, so I can drop lot of water weight.

ROCK6
 
The older I get, the more stuff I need, and the less likely I am to hike and camp.

I can get a LOT more stuff in the truck, and just park beside the camp site. :o
 
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