Packing..more or less?

Suffice it to say, what you pack is a highly personal choice. Take as much or as little as you deem necessary. Learn what works for you, develop a systematic approach, and stick with it.
 
I always seem to pack more clothes than I need-depending on the length of hte trip I bring a spare pair of pants, a set of tee shirt boxers and socks per day and usually a canvas overshirt, a wool sweater, and a flannel shirt, in addition to a hardshell. Usually I come home with only half of those ever used, and they take up more volume than anything else in my pack...
 
You only need to hang out with the locals to see how little you need to enjoy the great outdoors. I don't go big on jewelry but the dishrag tactical shorts work fine for me.

rgw_penan_narrowweb__300x458,0.jpg
 
Zozo*HC* said:
For long marches 30mile+ a day the ideal is no more than 10-15% of body weight. And it contains food and water too. way too underpack.

In case of backpacking with much less daily distance, overpacking is OK.
Click to expand...

ditto n these points. typically my overniters are less than 15 miles into the woods(sometimes much less, rarely more, unless a through hike), then set up camp and hike daily from there. doing this i tend to overpack some. on those occasions when i set up new camp each nite, yup i work hard at sorting out the non-essentials and pack accordingly. its always a process and constantly learning....
thats one of the things i really enjoy about this forum.
you guys keep me thinking.....
never too old to learn
 
R Y P I think everyone would agree that we would love to see pictures of your bag / gear set up! Or other photos from your travels.
 
It depends on what you're doing. I took a boat trip about a month ago, and had 110lbs of gear all out for a week long trip. That included tools to work on the boat, hunting gear, camera gear, 1 1/2 weeks worth of food, waders and muck boots, a three legged stool, and a bottle of Bushmills.

My normal 3-4 day loadout in the fall is about 28lbs, which includes some niceties just for enjoyment.

Fact be told though, if you were being chased, you could travel a LOT lighter, and survive just fine. If you want to see how little you can take, you could try UltraLight backpacking. Beyond that though, it is a compromise between light weight and comfort, up to about 30some pounds, where it means that you could probably change a few things and like your trip a lot more.

It really depends on what you want. Some people will hump a stainless pot all over creation because they didn't want to spend the extra $20 to get a titanium one that weighed 1/2lb less. I took a trip with a guy that would pack a big pink rubber hot water bottle, because he had done it before and everyone liked holding it when they were cold and tired at the end of the day. I take most of the keys off my keyring before I leave on a trip.:D
 
RYP said:
Two choices for a bag. I normally carry an afghan wool blanket but if its cold I carry a black fleece blanket (usually cost 10 bucks) you can zip it up like a bag, or chop it up to make clothing, wrap it like a shawl or use it as a tarp And you can give it away.

I used to carry a small English made bag but since I am 6'4 most bags are simple too small. Even on expeditions I just sleep in the mud or on the roof rack.

I normally camp with just a hammock and a tarp. Once you go light you really feel stupid carrying a whole REI store. As for those lists that people make of all the cool gear they are going to bring.
Click to expand...

RYP - Out of curiosity, what kind of hammock do you travel with? I have one from Brazil that would be way too big for packing, so I would guess it's a lighter one. Also, do you find you have trouble with bugs with the hammock/tarp configuration? I have thought a lot about trying it, so I'm very interested in your response. Thanks!
 
Its a nylon military "SAS" style hammock. About the size of a big beer can when its stashed. I give em away but no its not your back yard hammock.

You need two mounting points (trees are nice but in the desert...you sleep on the ground)

http://www.silvermans.co.uk
 
RYP said:
Its a nylon military "SAS" style hammock. About the size of a big beer can when its stashed. I give em away but no its not your back yard hammock.

If you feel the need to give another away, let me know.

Ron
Click to expand...
 
Last edited:
RYP said:
Its a nylon military "SAS" style hammock. About the size of a big beer can when its stashed. I give em away but no its not your back yard hammock.

You need two mounting points (trees are nice but in the desert...you sleep on the ground)

http://www.silvermans.co.uk
Click to expand...

Thanks, RYP. That'll save some searching. I've been debating between getting a small, one-man tent and going the hammock route. I have learned to sleep really well in a hammock, and thought that could work, but wasn't sure. I'm glad you mentioned it!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top