Leaving it behind.

[neeman]

What gear depends on your location and season

I split my gear into three catagories:
I will use - Gear I know I will use on the trip, food, water, clothing
I might use - Emergency gear only to be used in an emergency
I want to use - toys and recreation

It makes it much easier to see what gear does what
And then see if I can save weight

 

[baldtaco-II]

Sometimes, depends on the goal.........................................................................................Certainly when I see folks with huge amounts of cutting tools, trendy but heavy water bottles and whatnot I do wonder at their goals. Same when I see massive amounts of duplication in gear, a good example being fire starting stuff. Lighters, hexamine, matches, spark rods, wood, cotton fiber, flares, char cloth, hairy string for fire lighting, more spare PJ ball, a 5th length of rubber band just for lighting fires, rubbish out the tumble drier and all that I do wonder. As far as I'm concerned there's nothing wrong with that but when people tell me I need that or I am in danger I tend to filter them out.....................................................................................From the accounts of many here though I do believe I pack on the heavy side. I've done the 1960s Swiss army pack that looks exactly like a Duluth for £10 if you sew on a headband strap and it sucked. Cooking over an Esbit burner sucks too. As does sleeping under a woolly blanket and cooking over an open fire using a cake cooling tray as a grill. I liked it at the time, to me it was adventure, and there was no doubt it was lighter than what I use now but in hindsight it was very fair weather stuff. The reason why I migrated from that simple light gear was only because of its deficiencies. It didn't take many wet sleeping bags before I thought the advantages of a decent bivy bag would clearly be worth the extra weight. That said, as some heavier stuff got added like decent functioning cooking gear performance fabrics made clothing, sleeping and shelter gear much smaller and lighter than ever before. So there's a bit of a swings and roundabouts thing gong on there. What I'd loose out on in the weight of the battery for my LED lantern compared to the simplicity and lightness of a candle has to be offset by something. That something is that my LED lantern blows a candle so far into the weeds it makes it a worthwhile swap. But there has to be a huge performance increase like that. I'm strongly adverse to taking a heap of novelty rubbish just because it exists. I like tools. I'll never like gadgets and trinkets, so I'll never be caught with some fancy match box or crap like that..................................................................................Another factor for me is fitness. I am about that age where I'm going to expect stuff about me to start to fail in the next decade. I can already see it in lots of my peers. They've got themselves a bit of a gut, they make funny vocal noises when they sit or stand, the throat has started to go baggy and they no longer care about nose hair. I don't want to join that club. It's inevitable some of that will take me at some point but I won't go quietly. They'll be no relaxing into the elasticated trousers for me. I'll know I'll loose eventually but I'll put up the fight of my life in the meantime. Apart from last year when I did a huge amount of peddling and swimming instead, because I had some other stuff going on, I'll be out not long after I wake up doing 3-5 cross country with a daypack of no less than 20lbs. On the tredder I made darn sure I had a good load on that too. I don't think I cycled much of anywhere with less than 20lb in the panniers. I just don't think of that kind of weight as an impediment. Sure when I unload it I can feel it and I am faster whether that be off my back or off the bike, but I'm accustomed to it. It feels odd not to have it. On a proper trip 45-50 lbs is quite heavy up and down hill but it's not as bad as it would be if I didn't do that in daily living. And that means I can enjoy some good food and not rely only on dehydrated and GORP..........................................................................................There are some things that will always be a bit of a quandary but again that is dictated by the goal state. A great example for me is a tripod and binoculars. Often I don't need either so I can save quite a lot of weight. On the other hand it is great to be able to climb a hill, mount the binoculars on the tripod, and periodically look up from the laptop during a break from work and have a good glass about. If I only went out once a month or so I probably wouldn't do that. As I get out a lot more than that I often do. Each trip has different goals. Those goals aren't always practical either, sometimes they are purely silly but fun. Not so long ago mah woman and I did a 15 mile sponsored walk across the hills for charity with a bunch of other folk. Half way through there was a pitstop at a village for lunch. Many of the others went down and bought takeaway coffee from a little shop and some of them bought plastic sandwiches and bottled water from a garage. In my pack I had hauled around an antique tea set in a wicker basket complete with spirit burner, china crockery, and bone handled forks. Whilst we generated a lot of interest from the others they all seemed to think it was very weird to carry “that all that way”. I thought it was bugger all and I loved it.

 

[Mannlicher]

I'm always a little put off by folks that feel that their way is the only way that makes sense. Nothing at all wrong in saying you like this, or that, or do it this way, or that way. Giving your reasons just adds creditability.
Denigrating how another fellow chooses his gear or sets his priorities though, detracts from same.

That said, I like to carry a lot of stuff when afield.

 

[Angus McGunnigl]

I carry a small but effective set of gear.
Similar to the OP, I have found that the trails in my area(primarily North Cascades) are becoming steeper as I age !!
I also am a bit less anxious about being in the woods that I was as a younger man. I used to carry more "back-up" stuff, but know I really expect my gear to work properly and it ususally does. For example, how many sets of batteries for my 2AA led light do I need on a one night ? I've left an 'oh-shit' call 911 time with my wife and family, map(highlighted) of the trail I'm going to use.
I think the "outdoor stuff" industry makes alot of money off peoples inexperience/anxieties/fears about "what clould happen out there".

 

[Codger_64]

... I think the "outdoor stuff" industry makes alot of money off peoples inexperience/anxieties/fears about "what clould happen out there".

This is very true. I am reminded of a discussion I heard when in a conference between an I.P. attorney and Bill Dance while I was working on a patent for Bill. Paraphrased, "Most fishing lures are not intended to catch fish better. They don't buy my lures. They are meant to catch fishermen better. They buy my lures".

 

[DrivebyTrucker]

I have a team of sherpas to carry my gear.

 

[sutured]

One of the ironies of being a gear head is that while I love playing with all the toys, It's very unlikely that I'll have any of them with me when I'm really in the bush. MOST of the things you can have with you will simply slow you down, often to the point that you cannot complete the trip you set out to do in the first place. Imagine going into REI or EMS and actually taking all the crap they sell backpacking...I mean, it's all got a place and a use, but the shear volume of it would require an army to move.

It's crazy the stuff some people cary. Somewhere around here is a picture of sixty or so items laid out on a piece of cardboard that the poster carries 24/7. Lord help him if he ever falls in the water, and I can only imagine what the "day pack" looks like.

When I go for a serious day hike there are really only two things I always bring: enough water, and the ability to stay out overnight without freezing to death in the event I get immobilized and can't get back to shelter.

That pretty much means clothes for the daytime conditions plus a stocking cap, matches or a lighter, any knife that will make a feather stick, a small flashlight, and a space blanket. Toilet paper usually makes it in the pack, too, and I usually cary a walking stick. If it's going to be much below freezing overnight I'll throw in an extra layer of clothes and maybe a space-blanket sleeping bag, but really I'm planning on a fire to keep me alive if I'm stuck. If it's particularly wet or cold I might throw in a little tinder to help get the fire going. For a decade and a half I slept outdoors more nights than inside, and I can only think of a handful of times I got stuck out somewhere other than I wanted.

I like playing with my toys as much as anyone, but for a day hike in unfamiliar country that's really all I need. If the hike isn't long enough to require carrying water, I just want matches and a knife in my pocket, nothing else.

That's not to say that I wont bring three knives, my hatchet, binoculars, camera, foodstuff, etc., but I do so because I want to play with them, not because I think I need them.

 

[stabman]

Well, I think we all agree that the amount of stuff needed depends on location, season, and length of time to be spent out there.

But I think most of us would also agree that 80 pounds of gear for an overnighter is a tad much (or 160 pounds between two people...I mean, come on!)

 

[midnight flyer]

I'm always a little put off by folks that feel that their way is the only way that makes sense. Nothing at all wrong in saying you like this, or that, or do it this way, or that way. Giving your reasons just adds creditability.
Denigrating how another fellow chooses his gear or sets his priorities though, detracts from same.

That said, I like to carry a lot of stuff when afield.

Nicely said. While I might snicker a bit when I see a guy in the trail that looks like an overloaded pack mule, 35 years ago, I was that guy!

And believe me, I enjoyed very minute of my day out, accepting 50+ pounds of gear for an overnighter as just part of the process.

With more and more parks and rec areas being closed due to lack of use (along with no gate fees, no outside funding) I am glad to see folks use the public lands however they feel comfortable. Go to the gate, pay the access fee, enjoy the park.

Many of our packing choices are made for us here in South Texas. No, we aren't part of a nanny state....

We carry stoves because in most parks open fires are completely prohibited. We seem to be in perpetual drought these days, and we can't take a chance on fire. So pack stoves are essential.

Since everything is so dry, if you are in an area that has a designated pit for fire, tinder is EVERYWHERE. No need to pack in a sharpened leaf spring to baton logs into submission to get dry wood for tinder. Walk two steps off the trail and pick some dry debris up, and you are on your way.

Except for a few months a year, weather is imminently predictable. Either the sun is up and it is hot, or the sun is down and it is a little cooler. We are interrupted by rain occasionally, but we often go a couple of months with little or none. Sometimes longer. So no rain/storm gear most months.

Since our end of the state doesn't get snow, I don't even own a heavy sleep bag. Nor a heavy tent.

My biggest weight is water, and although I carry plenty with me and filter more as needed, it is something to be planned around. Hiking on a trail when it is 100+ degrees (last year we had something like 65 days in a row!) isn't nearly the fun it should be unless you are fully hydrated. It seems every trip to a park the rangers tell me that they had to "pull someone out" and take them to the hospital for dehydration.

I always like to read the posts on this end of the forum as I see how different (especially from PitDog's part of the world!) our environments are.

Robert

 

[trailbum]

I believe most of us carry more than needed.

 

[redpoint]

Couldn't agree more.

I'm all for people playing around with gear, I love gear just as much as the next guy. But, the reality is that [as most have said] you don't need much, beyond some basic tools, a clear head, and some experience to make it through an epic. When I first started backpacking, camping, hiking, climbing etc ... I carried a lot of gear. Damn, I remember some heavy-ass packs. I remember some early winter trips up Mt. Washington in New Hampshire with an easy 65-70 lbs on my back. Ridiculous! Nowadays, I'm doing way more technically and physically demanding trips at higher altitudes in BC and WA state with a fraction of that weight. I'm always looking for ways to lighten my pack. I'm not obsessive about it, but I'm very conscious of weight. Equipment is so light these days too. About the only emergency extras I'll bring is a well thought-out FAK and I'll usually bring a secondary light source [e.g. main headlamp and then a Petzl eLite or HDS Ra].

Of course longer trips demand more weight in supplies/equipment, but in general, a weekend backcountry ski trip in the mountains yields a 25 lb pack - no more [and that has to include items that probably won't be used, but need to be carried: beacon, shovel, probe]. The key, is trying to A, buy the lightest gear for the task; and more importantly B, allow everything to perform multiple tasks [e.g. instead of lugging around a -25C sleeping bag, I just use a -7C/20F sleeping bag, but I'll wear a belay parka inside]. The lighter you are [and fitter too] the faster you'll move, the more you'll see, and in some situations, the safer you'll be [i.e. crossing a long stretch of avalanche prone terrain for instance].

For a hike that I know, at most, I'll carry some basic food, water, a knife, a headlamp [with spares], a warm jacket [I'm usually in the mtns], and basic navigation equipment 7-10 lbs max all in. If it's a full day hike there'll be a FAK as well.

Multiple knives, lights, giant FAKs, guns, bear spray ... I can't and won't justify any of that [unless I was in a very dangerous grizzly area, I may bring the bear spray]. Common sense can often be enough to avoid confrontations with bears. I'm an avid photographer too and used to ALWAYS carry a tripod and a pro level [i.e. heavy] SLR/DSLR ... can't justify that anymore either unless it's a photo-specific trip. I just shove a point and shoot into my pocket and call it good ... having a camera immediately accessible yields more engaging pictures/better trip documentation anyway.

Happy wandering ...

 

[Fonly]

I think its a hard issue for any of us to swallow, we all like our toys, and enjoy using them.

That said, there is a time and place for everything. The last time I went on a camping trip, i honestly don't remember, I make plenty of day trips into the wood with the jeep, have a fire, have some smokies, chat with a friend, or re kindle some old ones.

I don't even really have a backpacking kit any more, I have sections of kit I wear, but all of my gear is SAR based now, and doesn't break 10 pounds, even in winter. I keep all of what I need in the jeep as I'm never far from it now. I feel bad in the sense that I'm not that hardcore hiker anymore, but I get more enjoyment from 4X4 into places, spending the night with friends then coming home, I also don't have the time anymore to spend a few days out in the bush.

 

[upnorth]

I think its a hard issue for any of us to swallow, we all like our toys, and enjoy using them.

That said, there is a time and place for everything. The last time I went on a camping trip, i honestly don't remember, I make plenty of day trips into the wood with the jeep, have a fire, have some smokies, chat with a friend, or re kindle some old ones.

I don't even really have a backpacking kit any more, I have sections of kit I wear, but all of my gear is SAR based now, and doesn't break 10 pounds, even in winter. I keep all of what I need in the jeep as I'm never far from it now. I feel bad in the sense that I'm not that hardcore hiker anymore, but I get more enjoyment from 4X4 into places, spending the night with friends then coming home, I also don't have the time anymore to spend a few days out in the bush.

Primarily what I did up in the bush. The big trips were weekend long with the wife in slightly more remote spots. I find a lot of enjoyment in day trips but I'm quite ready to have a shower and hot supper at the end of the day. Oh ya, and a tick check in front of the mirror ! A day in the trees or along the river is enough to restore me. My reality is ( primarily 1 ) -3 day trips and my gear is oriented that way. The axe, tent, etc. is a trunk carry and the car is an oasis of back up gear if needed. A good friend wants to hook up again this season for weekend canoe trips. We both know that we have space\weight restrictions, which is fine.
:thumbup:

 

[upnorth]

This is very true. I am reminded of a discussion I heard when in a conference between an I.P. attorney and Bill Dance while I was working on a patent for Bill. Paraphrased, "Most fishing lures are not intended to catch fish better. They don't buy my lures. They are meant to catch fishermen better. They buy my lures".

Analogous to the trend of ''survival'' equipment being hawked by famous names\manufacturers lately.

 

[Codger_64]

Analogous to the trend of ''survival'' equipment being hawked by famous names\manufacturers lately.

Yes. However, for the discerning outdoorsman, there are some real new products that overcome limitations of previously available equipment. Lighter weights (titanium, spinnaker cloth, silnylon, dynema), and better constructed gear. It does present a veritable maze since many products tout to overcome a non-existant problem or fail to achieve their claimed advantages. Thus the neophyte tends to overbuy, buy repeatedly similar products looking for the "best one", and believe that they must acquire and carry a magic combination of gear which is everchanging. This is where acquired skills come into play. Through experience, we learn skills that make many products obsolete or redundant. But boys also like their toys. Survival equipment and knife makers depend on a combination of these factors for a steadily expanding market.

Says the kettle!

 

[August West]

Several people have mentioned guns which I think proves the difference in peoples priorities. My model 37 smith and 15 rounds of ammo will pretty much always be near the top of my packing list. Chris

 

[stabman]

Several people have mentioned guns which I think proves the difference in peoples priorities. My model 37 smith and 15 rounds of ammo will pretty much always be near the top of my packing list. Chris

Well, a handgun doesn't add too much weight.
In Canada, you can't carry the handgun in the woods, but you can carry a rifle or shotgun...which does add considerably more weight.

 

[Bumppo]

For Day hikes or short trips I carry more than is needed, but not more than realisticly practical . I ust the "Ten Essential" as a guide. A lumbar pack or small ruck carries everything.

 

[chopchop]

Thus the neophyte tends to overbuy, buy repeatedly similar products looking for the "best one"...

Oh man... that's me for sure. I probably have about 5 or 6 different pots and I don't even like to cook at home! The thing is, though, for some things I really do find "the one" and ditch the rest of the stuff.

My wife and I hiked part of a 20 mile trail along the ocean as a day hike, but I had enough stuff to spend a few weeks. We stopped at a beach a few miles in, and a guy who was coming out asked how long we'd been on the trail. He just shook his head at me.

I want to say that I wouldn't take as much stuff if we did it again, but I probably would. I get out so rarely that I want to play with all my toys and over estimate what I'll be able to actually do in the time allotted.

I am usually under 30lbs for my base weight, but my knees would love me even more if I could let go of some of my gear.

 

[Bigfattyt]

My last "trip" I carried a pretty heavy pack. At least 50 lbs for an Over Nighter!

Why?

Because it was a two day Canoe trip! Two fixed blades. Extra sleeping bag (in case one of the scouts forgot theirs, or lost it, or it got soaked on the first day canoeing). Three sleeping pads (Cabelas Alaskan Guide are definitely not Super Light).

When you are paddling down stream, and there are no portages, hey, why not.

If I have to pack it on my back, more stuff gets left behind! But that said, I tend to bring a bit too much. And, I am not climbing Everest or anything.