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Episode No. 2: Trim the Fat
Carrying extraneous equipment and supplies that don't serve your primary objectives of hiking and camping on a wilderness trip can rapidly balloon your pack weights. In this episode of The 60-Second Backpacker, you'll learn why packing only the essentials, replacing equipment with skills, and limiting nonessential items to only those things that compliment your trip goals are critical for maintaining a low pack weight.--- End of free preview ---
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The 60-Second Backpacker: Episode 2, Leave the Kitchen Sink at Home
Sometimes the lite-weight types can go to extremes, as well. Â I am thinking of thru-hikers begging for food, running shoe clad trekkers on steep snow (yes, they got hurt), and clinically obsessed gram counters who seem more inclined to gear ‘ascents’ than actual mountains and whose attitude towards others less ‘enlightened’ can be irritatingly patronizing. Â Tribalism is negative: gear is just a means to an end, and the ‘right’ tool might not always be the lightest one available.
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I usually carry one item extra on purpose: eg. a bow drill OR fire piston to work with my son on alternative fire starting OR a tenkara rod OR a few ropes of different diameters for son to practice knots OR a book to read for me while my son practicing with his slingshot…Carrying ONE non essential item adds a lot to our trips.
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