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Lightweight Backpacking Long Ago


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  • #1252188
    Brian Camprini
    BPL Member

    @bcamprini

    Locale: Southern Appalachians

    I'm sure I'm not the first to see this, but I found a great book called "Going Light With Backpack Or Burro" that was published way back in 1951. It is truly amazing how much of what we discuss now was around back then. Available for free viewing here: http://www.archive.org/details/goinglightwithba002640mbp

    Any other "old school" knowledge or interesting backpacking history available out there?

    #1551730
    Charles Grier
    BPL Member

    @rincon

    Locale: Desert Southwest

    Yeah, I have a copy, bought it when it first came out. I used a lot of the ideas in the book when I thru-hiked the JMT in 1954.

    #1551732
    CW
    BPL Member

    @simplespirit

    Locale: .

    Horace Kephart had Camping and Woodcraft published in 1906.

    I got a pristine 1941 copy off ebay a while back.

    #1551733
    John Whynot
    Member

    @jdw01776

    Locale: Southeast Texas

    >>Any other "old school" knowledge or interesting backpacking history available out there?

    The Backpacker by Albert Saijo from 1977, focused on lightweight and simplicity.

    #1551740
    Brian Camprini
    BPL Member

    @bcamprini

    Locale: Southern Appalachians

    Charles–jmt class of 54 huh? I'll bet you laugh at us young'uns with our supposedly newfangled gear…lol.

    Cool stuff–I'll check out some of these other books.

    I was surprised that they talked about twin aluminum stays in a rucksack, inflatable pads, etc, 60 years ago. I really thought those were innovations in the 70s and 80s. I guess we really aren't all that smart nowadays–just have some better materials to work with :-0

    #1551746
    David Olsen
    Spectator

    @oware

    Locale: Steptoe Butte
    #1551810
    Dale Wambaugh
    BPL Member

    @dwambaugh

    Locale: Pacific Northwest

    Henry David Thoreau got the Less is More philosophy down in 1845. Then again, the African Bushmen and Native Australians would kick our butts and make change.

    #1551811
    Richard Gless
    BPL Member

    @rgless

    Locale: San Francisco Bay Area

    A lot of it is about innovation around materials and how to use them. My first attempt to "lighten up" was to get a magnesium frame instead of aluminum on my first CampTrails pack. Then the space age nonslip rubber made it to climbing shoes and the standards went way up. Then silnylon and cuben came along. Just needed someone to try it out. What is/will be the next step in UL materials?

    #1552000
    Chris Nott
    Spectator

    @chrisn

    Locale: Canada west coast

    "Going Light With Backpack Or Burro" was reprinted in the Sierra Club annual for a while. I have a 1968 copy which contains the full text (makes up 2/3 of the book), a list of upcoming trips and some more gear advice done in a very rough draft format that is interesting to read. I also have a reprint of Horace Kephart's "Camping and Woodcraft" and the Albert Saijo book (though my copy is from '71). Also in my collection is a first edition first printing of Colin Fletcher's "The Complete Walker" ('68), a 2nd printing of Harvey Manning's "Backpacking: One Step At A Time" ('76?) and another book that I can't remember the name of from 1977. I have some magazines including Backpacker #8 (winter '74) and a few from 1979. I love reading about early backpacking. The one thing that impresses me is that the average pack weight hasn't changed – people just carry more or more complex gear.

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