Lightweight Backpacking News: Digest No. 9

Backpacking Light has scoured the web and will now bring you salient backpacking news stories, gear releases, and trip reports.

Introduction

If you’d like to submit a link to a timely (fresh) story for us to consider including in our next installment, please send it along to submissions@backpackinglight.com with the subject line “BPL NEWS DIGEST”.

Sub-Arctic Snow Biking

It must be the time of year for some fatbiking in the snow. Anyhow, this group of 6 friends decided to go on an adventure in the great land up north. The centered their trip on the White Mountains National Recreation Area, a very large, multi-use swath of land 30 miles north of Fairbanks, Alaska. In addition to some great scenery and some fantastic snow biking, the group simplified their trip by sleeping in cabins which also kept them warmer. The group did a loop of the recreation area and by the end covered over 100 miles. Man does it look like a fun trip!

Read the full report from REI’s Blog.

Expedition Shorts

MEET THE MAN WHO HAS RECORD FOR EVEREST CLIMBS – Apa Sherpa who has climbed Everest a record 21 times will be hosting a slideshow and video presentation in Boston this February.

PADDLEBOARDING LAKE MICHIGAN IN THE WINTER – Seth Haley set out for an epic adventure: paddling Lake Michigan in all of its frozen glory.

Photo of the Week

Hendrik Morkel remembering his memorable trip on the high plateau in Slovenia.

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Remembering that high camp on the first #ULSummit in beautiful #Slovenia. @jotaro6 pitched his cuben Khufu on this high plateau where a large herd of ibexes was passing us after dusk. One of my favourite trips & camps of the last few years! #ultralight #backpacking #backpackinglight #trekking #hiking #hillwalking #nature #wilderness #outdoors #gear #mountains #sun #rock

A photo posted by Hendrik Morkel (@hendrikm) on Jan 20, 2015 at 11:30pm PST

Skills

Navigation Skills That Will Save Your Life

In today’s technological age we have become increasingly reliant on gizmos and gadgets. From GPS units to Google maps this trend has become painfully obvious in the area of navigation. While these tools may get you from your home to the grocery story there is no guarantee these gadgets will get you from the backcountry back to your house. Limited cellular service range, the gadgets inherent fragileness, and their battery life all scream caution if there intended use is the primary form of navigation. A simple map and compass and the knowledge of how to use them can be the difference between life and death and is the number one assurance to keep from being lost. Let’s face it – the backcountry is a wild place and even with the marked trails and GPS coverage there are no guarantees. The moment you step off the trail or your GPS battery ends you are on your own, and having a map can be a lifesaver. Plus the knowledge of backcountry navigation skills will allow you to explore more remote areas off-trail which is where the real adventures begin. This report from Wes Siler will teach map and compass navigation basics and will help you be prepared to conquer the outdoors.

Read the full report from Wes Siler on Indefinitely Wild.
Watch this video on triangulation which is the best way to find where you are.

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Becoming an Adventurer

Have you considered a career as an adventurer? Alastair Humphreys recently shared his thoughts on turning this hobby into a job. He stresses how rewarding it is to live your passion, but he also makes it clear that it is not an easy road. You have to be willing to grow through years of financial hardship until your brand is noticeable and people begin to reward you for it. You have to be able to enjoy the journey both the success and failures, and the hardships and triumphs. The most important thing to keep in mind is that it is possible. It is a simple process to live your dream but that doesn’t mean it will be easy, but if you stay the course and work hard it’s really just a matter of time. And to be sure – you can’t really do it for the money. The money may come but it will be a result of the process of loving what you do and not as a means to the end. Cherish the journey and you can do it.

Read the full report from Alastair Humphreys.

Skills Shorts

TAKING ARCHERY TO THE NEXT LEVEL – Lars Anderson demonstrates the best techniques to become a proficient, accurate, and quick archer.

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HOLDING YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE – Are you struggling to improve your fitness? Maybe all that’s holding you back is a solid plan. Matt Lutz has a strategy to get you to the next level.

Gear

Gear List for Backcountry Nordic Skiing

Andrew Skurka used this gear list while exploring the Yukon back in 2010. While his gear may not be suited for big mountain turns or groomed trail skiing it excels in the in between rolling hills and even breaking trail through fresh powder. The mantra for his gear list is simplicity and lightweight. Alpine Touring (AT) gear is great for the trips with a lot of vertical but AT Gear is heavy. Cross-country skate skis are great for groomed trails but can’t hold a candle can to AT or backcountry nordic skis in the backcountry. Skurka’s skis (the old-school Asnes Nansen) track well in powder and are light enough to power through the flats. If you’re looking to traverse across a winter landscape in quick and light fashion this gear list may be for you.

Read the whole gear list from Andrew Skurka.

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Gear’s Evolution

Over the years, the gear we use to access the outdoors has vastly improved (Gasp!). Anyway, with items like skis which have evolved from wooden planks to cambered fiberglass the change has been obvious, but it is still good to smell the roses every once in a while and appreciate what you have. Thanks to technological innovation we can now enjoy the outdoors more safely and comfortably than ever. These increases in gear have played a role in the outdoor pursuits we see today. To be sure, many of the recent outdoor accomplishments (dawn wall, solo-summit of Denali, etc.) are due in large part to more reliable, durable, and light gear. This is not to overlook the training and sacrifice to reach these achievements, but rather to underscore the fact that it is just easier to go lighter now and carry the same gear.

Visually see this gear transformation from Flathead Living.

Gear Shorts

3-D PRINTED LIGHTWEIGHT CARBON FIBER BIKE – Adrian Smith uses a 3-D printer to make bikes.

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GOSSAMER GEAR GORILLA ULTRALIGHT BACKPACK REVIEW – Section Hiker came to the conclusion that this pack has an improved suspension, is rather durable, and has great features which all together makes it a great pack.

People

Interview with Moe Witschard

Planet Packraft just launched a new section on its site dedicated to interviewing people who have shaped the sport of packrafting. For their first interview, Planet Packraft caught up with Moe Witschard, a whitewater, wilderness packrafter and photographer as well as the founding member of the American Packraft Association. Witschard shares with us that his love of adventure has been ingrained in him since he was young and that drive pushed him to become interested in packrafting seven years ago. Since then Witschard has been a force in the sport and now all his friends have packrafts.

Read the full interview at Planet Packraft.

People Shorts

GEARJUNKIE COMPLETES 110 OUTDOOR AMBASSADOR LIST – Gear Junkie recently completed its list of 110 outdoor pioneers who molded our outdoor pursuits to what they are today.

ANNA MCNUFF AN JOYOUS ADVENTURER – If you are looking for a reason to smile look no further. Here is someone who absolutely loves what she does.

Beyond Our Boundaries: Episode 24

Follow the story of a family of five as they backpack over 2000 miles from Georgia to Maine.

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Ultralight Hunting: Towards a Coherent Definition

Much like the ultralight backpacking movement, ultralight hunting is beginning to grow in popularity due to gear innovation as hunters look for a more holistic hunting experience. As new gear begins to push the envelope, we turn our discussion to a what is the definition of ‘ultralight hunting’?

…there’s several thing to be taken into consideration before trying to go on a 5-7 day hunt with 27-35 lbs. I would personally say DON’T TRY IT, as the people posting these weights have either 1) never actually tried doing it and are guessing 2) are very experienced and have their kit dialed in 3) only do ONE backpack hunt a year and can get away with taking very little food 4) haven’t had s**t hit the fan yet and leave a lot of gear home that could help keep them on the mountain.–Aron Snyder

Introduction: That Other Ultralight

Backcountry hunting is a categorically different pursuit than backpacking and its variations. I’ve tried to make this point a stark one with the epigraphical quotation, a forum post from Kifaru rep, Rokslide.com co-founder, and famous internet hunter Aron Snyder. Backcountry hunters obsess about and discuss pack weight just as fervently as backpackers, but as the above figures reveal, the foundational assumptions used by the two camps are very different. In this article I will attempt two tasks: first to describe the conceptual gulf between backpackers and backcountry hunters and how it explains the difference in ultralight pack weights between the two, and second to make an initial foray towards establishing a numerical standard for an ultralight backcountry hunting base weight.

Late September hunting in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. In an ideal hunting situation, animals set the agenda, not the weather, no matter how ugly.

When it comes to the evolution of gear, technique, and mindset, the ultralight standard of less than 10 pounds base pack weight (i.e. everything but consumables) has been around for an eternity. More than long enough for the term to become co-opted for every imaginable marketing angle, for cottage companies and garage tinkerers to push gear well past the ultralight threshold, and for mainstream companies to at last make gear which easily fits into an ultralight gear ensemble. I still don’t put much credence in Ron Moak’s infamous 2012 pronouncement that prior to the early “oughts” an ultralight baseweight required “black arts,” but his larger point from the Ultralight: State of the Revolution series of blog entries is inarguable: advancements in technology have stripped much of the relevance out of the accepted ultralight standard of 10 pounds. It is much easier than it once was, if not just outright easy, to build an ultralight kit and use for just about any trip you might conjure up in (for example) the temperate latitudes of the northern hemisphere between April 1st and November 15th.

Hunting takes you to places you wouldn’t otherwise go, and shows you things you might not otherwise see, as with these elk let of the big tree in the middle, seen on an April bear hut in the Bob Marshall. 5 minutes after this photo was taken wolves separated an elk from the herd, surrounded it in an aspen thicket, and took it down.

A hard metric for ultralight backpacking baseweight is useful for the same reason it is useful in anything, we humans love to ask for exceptions. Be it a higher baseweight figure for those over a certain height, or an extra SUL pound if you exceed a certain mean elevation, however compelling the excuse, the e-word remains nothing more than an attempt to get away with something rather than embrace the extra challenge of meeting an objective standard. There’s no inherent value in pack of a certain weight, the value can only be found in the trip such a hiker can only now do, as well as the extra consideration and learning meeting a rigorous weight standard can bring about. As Ryan Jordan wrote in 2013, “For me, SUL as a mindset has motivated me not only to be very intentional about what I take on the trail, but also to be very intentional about how I count the costs of all sacrifices that I make with time, finances, material possessions, and relationships.” Establishing a rigorous comparative standard with no wiggle-room helps you learn more. As will be discussed below, when it comes to hunting such things are highly relevant.

Backpacking is the prime mover of overnight ski touring, wilderness packrafting, and to a large extent alpine rock climbing and mountaineering. One does these things to travel through a given landscape in a certain fashion and see what is to be seen along the way. Even climbing is most often dedicated to experience in the landscape more than reaching a summit, witness the profusion of excellent routes which end when the good climbing does. Hunting is different. While pursuing animals in the backcountry is a good way to talk yourself into visiting and looking closely at some obscure, rough, gorgeous country, in the ends it’s like Fight Club. The first three rules of hunting are that to succeed you must kill something. If you spend five days in the mountains you went hunting, and probably succeeded in executing a fantastic backpacking and nature-watching trip, but you did not have a successful hunting trip, however satisfying the overall. I say this not as a value-based statement, but to highlight the principle around which any standard for an ultralight backcountry hunting baseweight must be built. If it will help you kill your prey, it makes the cut, no matter how heavy. As will be seen below, this is a hugely important distinction, because the backpacking pieces of an ultralight hunting pack will be among the lightest items on board.

An 80 pound, 8 mile packout in the Bob Marshall. An ultralight hunting kit is still heavy by backpacker standards, and that’s before you add 1500 cubic inches of venison.

Building an Ultralight Hunt

Because hunting has different motivations than backpacking, it often goes into very different places, and does so in different ways. Late September in the Northern Rockies of the United States provides a good example of this distinction. Mixed precipitation is common, as is standing snow in the higher elevations, though daily and nightly lows are usually relatively mild (read: below 20 F is uncommon). A common ultralight backpacking strategy for these conditions is to modify summer gear only a little, perhaps with warmer socks, and if particularly cold and wet conditions are present maintain warm feet via a brisk and steady pace, with perhaps a fire at camp. If the day’s high pass is exceptionally cold, a still stronger pace and an hour of minor suffering is usually all that is required. Hunting the same areas and conditions demands a different approach. Deer, elk, or sheep are likely bedded in invisible locations through the height of the afternoon squall, and descending to find dry wood is likely to spook whatever animals are nearby. Not only does the hunter need to move slowly and quietly through the area to find a high spot with good visibility for when the weather lifts, but he or she must be prepared to stay stationary during and after the storm to glass for and then locate suitable quarry. The ensuing stalk may be fast paced and help warm up cold feet, but might be interrupted at any moment by a forced wait behind a boulder midway across a talus slope, all while exposed to both the wind and the keen eyes of alpine ungulates.

The ultralight backpacker deals with challenging conditions like these with a judiciously selected kit, and adapts to the conditions by varying the pace and manner of travel. The ultralight hunter must adapt to the way the animals respond to ambient conditions, and have the equipment to do so.

A gorgeous October day in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, five miles from any trail. Sometimes you get lucky with the weather, but to go where the animals are requires worst-case preparation.

All of which is to say that the ultralight hunter will have a much heavier pack, and for good reason. But how much heavier? Ultralight has in hunting, just as in other outdoor pursuits, become a potent marketing buzzword, with whole companies producing products lines devoted to “ultralight hunting.” A baseweight standard should be rigorous enough to push end-users towards defying dogma when choosing their gear. It should also provide consumers with a tool which can help hold gear-makers feet to the fire, and help foster innovation in content rather than marketing.

The following chart is a suggested list tailored to generic autumn conditions; early October in the US Rockies, early September in the Alaska Range, or mid-April in New Zealand’s southern Alps. As can be seen, the weight gets up there in a hurry. The maximum suggested hypotheticals I have here assembled come to a baseweight (worn clothing, food, and fuel not included) right around 36 pounds.

Category	Item	Example(s)	Example Weight (oz)	Upper limit weight (oz)	Category limit total (lb/oz)
Camp	3+ season shelter for two	Seek Outside BT2, with pole and 10 stakes	36	40	4 pounds 9 ounces
	20 degree sleeping bag	Zpacks regular/long	18	24
	sleeping pad	Thermarest Prolite XS	8	10
Packing	80+ pound capable ~4000 cubic inch pack	Paradox Unaweep, Stone Glacier Solo	52	64	5 pounds 12 ounces
	Game bags	3x medium TAG bags	10	20
	Drybags for gear, contractor bags for meat	Sea to Summit Ultrasil, Hefty	8	10
Cooking	stove and ~1 liter pot	MSR Windpro, Cat can alcohol w/ Evernew pot	15	20	2-3 pounds
	fuel	fuel	1.5 oz/day/person
Misc	100+ lumen headlamp, skinning knife, rope, tags, first aid, repair gear, PLB, hygiene, water bottle etc	Havalon Piranta, Petzl Tikka XP, McMudro Fastfind, satellite phone, etc	48	48	3 pounds
Clothing (carried)	Durable raingear	Arc'teryx Alpha FL jacket, Rab Xion pants	21	24	4 pounds 6 ounces
	fleece midlayer	Rab Micro pull-on	8	8
	Insulated jacket	First Lite Uncompahgre	20	20
	Windshirt	Black Diamond Alpine Start	7	8
	Light, snug gloves	Black Diamond Mont Blanc	2	2
	Rain mittens	Outdoor Resarch Revel	3.5	3.5
	Insulated hat	Original buff	1.5	1.5
	Spare socks	Smartwool PhD Nordic medium	2	2
Clothing (worn)	Midweight pants	Patagonia Simple Guide	15	16	6 pounds 10 ounces
	Baselayer top	Patagonia Merino 1 longsleeve crew	5	7
	Orange vest	poly mesh construction vest	3	3
	Boxer briefs	Patagonia silkweight capilene	2.5	4
	Ball cap	Arc'teryx Neutro visor	1.5	2
	Socks	Smartwool PhD Nordic medium	2	2
	Light boots	Zamberland Crosser Mid GTX	36	40
	Gaiters	Kuiu Yukon	12	14
	Trekking poles	BD Alpine Carbon Cork	16	20
Food	High calorie, palatable foods	Bars, Mountain House, etc	22/day	28/day	28 ounces/day
Shooting	.25-.338 caliber centerfire rifle with scope, compound or tradition bow, .45-.50 caliber muzzleloader with scope	Kimber Montana in .308, Leupold 6x36, appropriate rings/bases	92	112	8 pounds 8 ounces
	12 rounds of ammo, 6-8 arrows	12x 165 grain Federal Fusion	10	16
	Scope cover, sling, gunbearer, release, etc	Neoprene scope cover, nylon webbing sling	4	8
Optics	6-10x bioculars with strap or chest rig	6.5x32 Meopta Meopros with cord harness	23	26	8 pounds 4 ounces
	spotting scope	Vanguard Endeavor HD 65S	51	64
	tripod/head	Vortex Summit SS	30	32
	binocular mount for tripod	Outdoorsmans	2	2
	rangefinder	Vortex Ranger 1000	8	8

This list, and thus I would suggest any ultralight hunting gear standard, must be tailored to account for not only the added weight of weapons, optics, and meat processing equipment, but for a pack which can haul very heavy loads, a shelter which can be pitched in places optimized for game spotting, and clothing which will allow for the aforementioned hanging around and bushwacking in bad weather. Many aspects of the above list will be subject to change depending on location and the species pursued. You’ll need more game bags on a moose hunt than on a deer hunt, for example, and a spotting scope and tripod may not be necessary for hunts in thicker country or for larger, less elusive species like elk and caribou. Later season hunts will demand a warmer sleeping bag and more clothing, while early-fall hunts or hunts in warmer locales might allow for less. Traditional bowhunters will shave pounds off their weapon weight compared to rifle or compound bow hunters. It was my intention however to make this list as close to the median as possible, and to make the individual selections rigorous, but not esoteric. Thus, I propose that the cutoff for ultralight backcountry hunting be a baseweight below 35 pounds (knocking a pound off the total to make for an even figure and account for a certain degree of laziness on my part).

35 pounds: The debate begins

There is, intentionally, a lot to argue about with this list and the 35 pound cutoff for ultralight hunting. I’ll address a few of the point-by-point particulars below.

The author’s Kimber Montana. Chambered in the versatile .308 cartridge and with an all-purpose Leupold 4×33 scope mounted, this rifle weighs 6 pounds all up. Weight-saving modifications include cutting the barrel to 20 inches and installing a titanium bolt handle. Weight-adding modifications include a Duracoat paint job, palm swell, and flush swivel cups on the left side.

Having a rifle which comes in below 7 pounds is fairly simple with a non-magnum mountain rifle and a smaller fixed or variable scope. In the US such a combination can be had for little more than $1500. Hunters who cultivate the ability to make shots over 300 yards, and prefer the larger variables and magnum calibers which often go along with such an approach, can still have a sub-7 rifle, but will need to invest a lot more money and be prepared to cope with a hard-kicking gun. Skimping on ammo is also a good way to fail in seeing the big picture. In theory you’ll only need one round, but you never know when you’ll miss once or twice, have to check scope zero after a bad fall, or have to help dissuade a bear from coming in to your camp to check out the meat hanging in a tree. Ultralight will always come with sacrifices, but they should be the right ones.

Glassing for bighorns using the Vortex Summit SS tripod and Outdoorsmans binocular adaptor. Binoculars on a tripod are key to attentive all-day glassing.

Some of the questions concerning the necessity of 8+ pounds of optics have been hinted at above, but insofar as hunting can be described as finding the best way to see the deer (or elk, bear, etc.) optics are essential, and skimping here is an almost surefire way to reduce your odds of success. Compact binoculars are a recipe for headaches and eyestrain, and the value of good binoculars mounted on a tripod can almost never be overstated. New England hunters stalking whitetails in softwood swamps may only need binoculars, but most hunters most of the time will find a tripod handy at one point or another. Again, ultralight hunting is all about making wise sacrifices, always keeping the overarching goal of a dead animal in mind.

Sub-alpine jungle in the Gallatin Mountains of Montana. When following game sign, you have to go where they go, no matter how steep and thick.

Heavier clothing than the typical ultralight backpacking load is also inevitable for backcountry hunting. Even in big wilderness, the charismatic megavertebrates most hunters pursue tend to treat trails like roads, and try to live their lives that one drainage or basin further from the stream of human traffic, however occasional that stream may be. A big part of the reason hunting the true backcountry has become more popular recently is not because it’s easier. The deer in such places, for example, may well be less wary of humans, but there are also far fewer of them per square mile. Hunting the backcountry, and especially hunting wilderness-dependent species such as sheep, is satisfying because it is as close as hunting gets to being absent from larger human influences. This end will be all the better pursued, and success all the more likely, if you get as far into the thick and nasty and untraveled as is possible. Simply put, this requires clothing which can stand up to such use. 2.5 layer PU raingear and Quantum GL-shelled puffy coats will not get the job done here, at least not for long. The options suggested in the chart are the lightest choice currently available which my experience suggests would hold up to a few seasons of non-pro use (say 20-30 days each year).

Early season, glassing at first light can be the most productive time of day, which on a backpack hunt means camping as near to a good glassing location as possible. On this sheep hunt, that meant hauling 24 hours of water to a tundra plateau atop a 10,000’ butte, and camping in a very windy spot. A sturdy shelter like this MLD Solomid is recommended.

Footwear is also something where the approach for the ultralight hunter must be very different from the ultralight backpacker. I hardly ever backpack with waterproof footwear, but for fall hunting I’ve found it to be essential. Getting your feet soaked cruising through a snowfield is fine if you can keep rolling at 3.5 mph afterwards. If you need to hunker down to glass instead, dry feet are the only way to have warm feet. Footwear also needs to have enhanced grip and durability for off-trail use, and have enough support and sole stiffness to get that 80 pound load of meat and your camp back to the trailhead. I don’t think the conventional hunting boots, most of which are 2+ pounds a foot and stiff enough to be crampon compatible are necessary or desirable, but something beyond a zero-drop sneaker is probably in order.

Packs for the backcountry hunter must also have different capabilities, while still being as light as possible. Thankfully, hunting packs have undergone tremendous growth in recent years, and there is no longer any need to go above the 4 pound mark in order to obtain a pack which is large enough for an ultralight load and meat, has functional features and compression, and carries weight as well as your legs are capable. A number of makers not mentioned in the chart make solid and well-regarded hunting packs, but the 4 pound barrier is an interesting one because it neatly divides those who have adapted the core design of their suspension systems to be lighter versus those who have merely come out with lighter components for the same old system. The sort of innovation Stone Glacier and Paradox Packs have brought to market in the last two years is the sort of thing which will need to become commonplace if the 35 pound mark is to become as routine for hunters as 10 pounds is for backpackers.

There is little more exciting than the first sighting of a potential quarry through the spotting scope. None of these bighorns proved to be legal rams, but seeing them 2 miles distant on the first night of a hunt made sure the following days were shot through with optimism.

Conclusion: What’s next

Two things are in the future for backcountry hunting. The first is continued gear innovation, increasingly within the hunting industry itself, which will make lighter baseweights ever easier to achieve. Hunting clothing, which as discussed above is both quite heavy and has many demands placed upon it, is one area where it is easy to imagine major improvement. Quite a few hunting-specific clothing companies have come in being, and seemingly done well, since Sitka went into business in 2006. The overwhelming majority of these offerings are still far too heavy, both because of excessive features and the use of heavy fabrics. If the last 15 years of ultralight backpacking has done nothing else, it has proven that functional durability does not need to be sacrificed to obtain lighter gear, often much lighter than anyone initially thinks possible. In the next two years I expect companies like First Lite and Kuiu to knock 3 pounds off the 10+ that is the worn and carried total, with no loss of function or durability. Any backpacker knows that a 40+ pound pack is darn heavy, and no matter how fit you are it will slow you down. On a hunt, slower means less time in good glassing spots, more time needed to close the distance when game is spotted, and more energy expended overall. The harder the hunt, the more I want my pack lighter.

The second is that the backcountry hunting movement will continue to redefine what hunting is and how is it portrayed in the broader culture. Backpack hunting the wilderness shares many skills with front country whitetail hunting, but in many respects the two have as much to do with each other as backpacking does with golf. I don’t think that bow hunting whitetails out of a treestand over a food plot is unethical, especially given the overpopulations problems virtually all of the midwest and south will face so long as whole states remain deer buffets with few natural predators. But the general public is right to see frontcountry, often road-based hunting as something of a peculiar exercise, shot through with contradiction. Backcountry hunting is more of a holistic experience; experiencing where the game lives, humanely killing the animal, carrying the animal back to your home, before finally butchering it and eating it. The whole process fosters an intimacy with the wild which backpacking and its derivations cannot begin to match. In a world increasingly safe and sterile, where the raw math of how we as individuals stay alive is ever more abstract, backcountry hunting is a perfect antidote, and ultralight backpacking and hunting are ideal bedmates.

(Disclaimer: The author has a non-remunerative position as a product tester and design consultant with Seek Outside/Paradox Packs.)

West Canada Lakes Wilderness

A beautiful wilderness with incredible fishing rehabilitated after years of logging and industry use. Just don’t forget your lake packraft…you’ll need it!

Most often, visitors to the Adirondack Preserve flock to the high peaks region of this expansive park, and rightfully so – with 360 degree views that often span as far as the eye can see, and rocky summits that break through the tree-line – there’s no denying the beauty of this region. But we had other things on our minds than bagging peaks this fall. We had done enough of that this season already and the western lakes region was calling.

I had been itching to do some fishing and hiking in the remote streams and beaver-laden swamps of the West Canada Lakes region. Recently having been told of recovering populations of brook trout in this area, my goal was to get out there and try to catch some, while exploring this region in detail for the first time. You can research more about the history of acid rain and industrial pollution-based damage to this region with a quick google search, but it’s too much to cover in the introduction here.

The site of a once-famous national geographic article about the dead lakes of the region.

In my mind this would be the best kind of trip – reasonable mileage, epic scenery, remote isolation in a region I had never explored extensively, and one last chance at a weekend in the mountains before the winter set in. I planned a loop around Cedar Lake to meet up with the Northville-Placid Trail, which we’d follow out to Mud Lake – then we’d loop back around by Sampson and Pillsbury lakes. Perfect for the 3 days and two nights we had free. I set out with my good friend and hiking companion Rich, for what would become a tranquil and epic nature experience, even if a little bit less fishing-focused than I had originally hoped.

Our route in the West Canada Lakes Wilderness.

Rich and I set out at dawn on Saturday of Columbus Day weekend and headed straight up for the trailhead near Indian Lake. When we got up there, we spent some time navigating the unpaved logging roads – some marked, some unmarked – trying to find the trailhead. After realizing that we were supposed to DRIVE up what we originally thought was a trailhead, we found the almost-full parking lot. As if by divine intervention only, there was one last space for us. Bingo! The trail unfolded before us…

Just in time for the tail-end of the fall colors.

Our timing was a few days late for the best of the leaves, but we still were there early enough to catch the end of the seasonal display. In much of the Adirondacks where we usually hike, fires are prohibited to protect the forest. We were glad to know we’d have the warmth of a fire out here as the temperatures at night would plummet to 28 or 29 degrees both nights. We had a mix of sun and clouds on our hike in through the scenic backcountry.

A deep and dark brook surely held native trout. There is no shore to stand on and many of these brooks are not easy to fish. You have to get inventive.

We immediately encountered sketchy bridges, bogs and streams that had no banks to fish from and yet flowed deep and surely held native fish. I started to realize that I wasn’t in even remotely familiar-looking fishing conditions. Uh oh! The West Canada Lakes Wilderness is a vast and largely (currently) undisturbed area of land to the west and south of Indian Lake. While it was logged in the past, and some private sections continue to be selectively logged today, the wilderness area itself has been protected for quite some time now. As someone who as spent a lot of time in different parts of the Adirondacks, I can solidly say that this part has its own distinct feeling. Its remoteness is immediately apparent, but snippets of evidence discovered by chance add another angle… its almost as if one can feel the souls of some of the people who once stood in this place in a different time and under very different circumstances. One can find peaks, valleys, streams, rivers, lakes, ponds and beaver swamps all pressed right up next to each other. This makes for muddy, slow hiking and, as we would discover, difficult fishing. Bushwhacking, while offering rewarding opportunities for fishing, would not be recommended without serious navigational skills with a map and compass, or a modern GPS. It is no joke.

This bridge provided a place to get a short drift on a Tenkara rod. A traditional rod and reel could have accessed more of the river for fishing here.

Choosing the right fishing gear for this trek was the subject of much deep thought – before, during, and after the trip. If, for example, you want to be able to get a bigger fish or you like to throw a heavy line, use split-shot, weighted lures or tungsten bead-head flies, then you’re going to want a longer Tenkara or Keiryu rod that can throw weight around better. These rods are stiffer, especially Keiryu rods. Go long! Especially if you’re fishing lakes, because you’re going to get the extra length to cast farther and better, to throw a longer line while keeping more line off the water, and because if you have nothing hanging overhead, there’s no need for a short rod. The longer the rod and the shorter the line, the better your drift will be. While you can certainly throw a 20 ft line with a 10-11 ft Tenkara rod, you won’t really benefit as you would with a 13 ft or longer rod and a matching-length line. Experience has shown me this relationship is the most important part of my setup, much more than the fly. Of course I had unique goals in mind for this trip. After all, these aren’t pristine mountain lakes at 10,000 ft. You cannot even wade into them to wait for fish trolling near the shallow “shelf” extending out into the water before the bottom drops off into the deep. I knew I wasn’t going to be casting the longest lines on lakes; I was looking for flowing water.

Part of the motivation for fishing on this trip, other than the location, was that I had recently bought a new small-stream Keiryu rod, a rather short Shimotsuke Kiyotaki 18, from Chris at Tenkarabum. I wanted to compare it to my (now discontinued) Daiwa Soyokaze 24sr Seiryu rod. I knew I’d be in varied fishing environments so I threw in my Tenkara USA Iwana 11ft Tenkara rod as well. Should I find that I only had lakes and ponds to fish, I wanted the longer rod. It later turned out that this wasn’t close to long enough.

I am tempted to explain the differences between Tenkara, Keiryu and Seiryu fishing since I use all these kinds of rods, but I won’t because it’s rather complicated and could really use an article of its own. I will refer you to Chris Stewart at Tenkarabum.com for that. He has lots of info, as well as many rods that don’t fit into the Tenkara purist’s definition of a Tenkara rod, but which you should learn all about. There’s so much to learn out there! I hope to see more articles from him on the site at some point because they are always full of useful information.

[Editor’s note: Back in August of 2013, Chris Stewart wrote an extensive Tenkara: State of the Market Report that not only identifies the best rods, but also helps explain the differences between Tenkara, Keiryu and Seiryu fishing and rods. The article is a great resource to learn more about this topic in addition to his website.]

I’ve been fishing mostly with these rods for the last few seasons and they are lots of fun:

“Top to bottom: Nissin Air Stage 240, Tenkara USA Iwana 11 ft, Daiwa Soyokaze 24sr, Shimotsuke Kiyotaki 18, and the impossibly small and light Nissin Pocket Mini 270. That rod is a dream, but I didn’t have it yet for this trip. I will be using it on all my backpacking trips going forward… maybe worth its own review later on. It really does pack down to 9 inches long and weighs in at 28.61 grams on my scale. Whoah.”

You can see my affinity for the shorter rods that suit my usual fishing destinations. However, the short length of most of my rods really hurt rather than helped on this trip… I found less overgrown streams and more open water than I had expected by a long shot. I spent most of the time fishing ponds and lakes, debating how to get more line out onto flat water – the opposite of what I usually worry about when fishing Tenkara style – and certainly not what I wanted to be doing, which was evaluating shorter rods for stiffness. I should have brought a pack raft and a longer rod and saved this goal for a different trip. Lesson learned. You really cannot fish this area in its entirety, and for its trophy fish, without being able to get floating on the water somehow. I knew this would mean I’d miss some fish, but didn’t realize until later on just how many.

Cedar Lake.

As we neared Cedar Lake, we crossed a bridge. I fished for a few minutes and caught what looked like some kind of dace or darter… I don’t know enough about micro-fishing to know for sure. I should have fished down the stream more for trout, but the weather turned for just a moment and I packed up my gear instead. Worried about finding the best camp-site and looking to cover a little more ground, we pushed on to leave more time to fish later.

Fished here for too little time.

As is common in the Adirondacks, we encountered plenty of mud from day one. A side note here… in past articles and comments I’ve mentioned my aversion to using running shoes for backpacking in the northeast because of mud and water. I was constantly told that I just needed to try them, see how well they worked, and learn to live with the downsides. I spent a good deal of time and investment with different shoes, minimalist and non-minimalist, before coming back to lightweight waterproof boots for good. I find that in the Adirondacks, unlike at high altitude or out west in low humidity, trail-runners stay wet almost as long as waterproof boots, negating any benefits of using them over here, in my opinion. It often takes days for waterproof boots like a lightweight Solomon boot to wet through, and I’d prefer the 2-3 days of dry feet on a wet hike to all the days with wet feet, as happens when I wear day hikers on most trails in the Adirondacks. I now carry my Altra Lone-Peak shoes to use as camp shoes when necessary, and to wear for peak bagging, on trips where we set up a base camp. Not the case here.

Not all the trails are paved with wood, most are made of pure mud.

We soon found a prime campsite between two lakes that was too good to pass up, and we set up our tents. Rich is still “in transition” towards becoming more UL and he is moving, towards lighter options as his gear ages out and his budget allows. Normally he splits a tent with another friend of ours, which they co-own. On this hike I winced as I watched him take the entire 2-person marmot for himself. One day he’ll learn. I hope. There’s plenty of time for that in the years to come.

My zpacks soplex next to Rich’s marmot two-person tent, with Beaver pond behind us.

I learned from experience why you don’t pitch the tent right near the water on this night. I’ve never had condensation in my solplex before, even on the most humid of nights. I’ve put a good number of nights on this thing so far and it’s a real winner overall. Goes to show that bad site selection for a tarp or tent makes or breaks your condensation situation. Another lesson learned.

My Gransfors-Bruk Outdoor Axe is in the foreground, and my friend Rich’s new wildlife hatchet is in the background. Coincidentally both forged by Mattias Mattsson. We should probably send him a thank you note, they are very well made.

We stayed quite warm and dry though, since in a totally overkill and ridiculous move, we both brought our hatchets with us. I can’t say I was sorry, as we made quick work of the abundant supply of wood that was dead and on the ground everywhere. I often spend way too much time deciding whether or not to carry the 1.1ish lbs of that hatchet since I rarely make a fire. But on this trip it was no question. The weather forecast had us facing below-freezing temps that night, and neither of us had cold-weather bags, or much patience for breaking wood with cold hands.

Sunset on Cedar Lake.

Rich makes quick work of the firewood. Never fear, I corrected his stance to move his foot out of the way right after taking this photo.

Rich enjoys the fruits of his labor, we had a roaring fire going in no time.

We were both totally taken by the silence in this region. Having spent considerable time in the high peaks region nearby and camping near the local lakes, seldom have I camped far enough from a river or stream, or in a place where I’m sheltered enough from the wind that to hear total silence. It’s almost jarring at first, especially when I realized how my ears were ringing and damaged from my life in the city. Yeesh. I took some photos of the moon on the water and called it a night.

Night-shots with no tripod brought mixed success.

We hit the sack early, falling asleep to the sounds of loons and flocks of geese commuting overhead. The owls came out later and woke me up a few times with their hooting. I always forget how they seem to congregate around lakes and rivers, and how loud they sound when there’s no other noise to overtake them. I fell into a heavier sleep as the cold settled in and awoke early to the first light of dawn in order to catch some photos of the sunrise, and hopefully some fish…

Sunrise over Cedar Lake.

Sunrise over beaver pond, unnamed peak in the background.

Cedar Lake with morning fog lifting.

The photos came out ok, but the fishing… well, that was another story. I just couldn’t reach the fish. You can’t wade into these lakes and ponds because of the silt and mud near the shores. The result is that you cannot cast far enough out to reach the fish with an average Tenkara rod. In many cases, you don’t have the room behind you to cast a long line on a traditional fly rod with a reel either. Packraft please!?

No way to reach the fish – they were rising about 40 feet out in front of me.

I tried to wake Rich up a few times but he was mumbling about sleep and wouldn’t budge. I gave up to keep fishing and taking pictures while he missed out on the sunrise. Once he got up, we took our time packing up and eating a light breakfast. When I showed him my photos, he lamented at his own laziness regarding sleeping in. We made sure the coals were out on our fire and started the hike to Mud Lake and the next trail junction.

These tall trees made us feel small.

As we hiked through impossibly-tall pine forests littered with Birch trees, I scanned for signs of the streams that I knew were flowing from lake to lake, between swamp and pond, and which surely held native trout… but due to low water, many of them had dried to a trickle. Others were too overgrown to cast into, or had no real shore on which to stand. Waders and boats were clearly in order here.

Plenty of shrubs, fallen branches and tall grass prevented me from getting my fly close enough to the edge of the overhanging bank to entice the hiding fish to rise.

After locating a promising stream on the map, we hiked a bit off trail to check it out. Again, casting from shore was not an option. The water was too cold to wade so we moved on. We intersected the stream again at a slower section. The water was crystal clear and moving slowly, giving up our position to any wary native trout. I cast a line and let a dry fly float near the edges where overhangs surely provided protection. Again, no luck. I spent too much time here trying to coax fish from their hiding spots, and it eventually came back to haunt me.

Rich ate lunch while I looked for fish. I was fishing in the wrong spot, but I was having fun.

We covered a few more miles as quickly as possible – I was pushing to get to better trout water. We had to detour around the side of a lake where a bridge had been washed out and more time was wasted there. By the time we could get around and back on the trail, the sun was dipping. At this time we found some absolutely ideal and yet unexpected native trout water between two lakes.

Some of the most picture-perfect Adirondack Brookie water I saw on the trip that wasn’t a lake or a pond. I will be back here to explore again.

I wanted to fish this section extensively, but this time I could tell Rich was itching to move on – he wanted to find a prime campsite while it was still light out, and while he was down to fish later, he wanted to keep hiking. I was crushed. But at the same time, I knew I had plenty of time fishing at the last spot, this was a fair compromise to make. I just wish I had more time! I noted this spot on the map and cannot wait to throw my line in here another time. I explored the stream for a few minutes and saw a few small brookies darting under rocks. This was it! Oh how I wanted to stay right there for another whole day. But we kept moving. I was praying for a quick hike to the next trail junction, where we had hoped to find good campsites near West Canada Creek and fish again.

Bridge over the water between Mud Lake and South Lake.

On the way, we crossed another body of water, one that connected Mud Lake with South Lake. This was another prime fishing spot, but again, not perfect for Tenkara. However, the sheer number of fish rising around us was enough to force us to stop and throw a line in from the bridge for fun. It was mind-blowing. But it was also torture, in that we couldn’t reach the bigger fish… we couldn’t even get close. The smaller trout under the bridge were rising close enough, but the big brookies and rainbows were way out of reach. I hooked into a few small fish and landed one small lake or rainbow trout, it was hard to tell. I also caught another small silvery fish that I couldn’t identify, but it wasn’t a trout or a largemouth bass. Soon we gave up out of sheer frustration and the urge to get to camp as the sun was setting. We set off over the bridge as the sun set the surrounding hills on fire while it set behind the ridge on the other side of the lake. Still no time spent fishing the familiar flowing mountain streams and rivers. Bummer.

A perfect location for a motivated individual to cruise in a packraft chasing trout.

We arrived at the trail junction and a lean-to as the sun was setting, and discovered we were at another ideal trout fishing location. This was a much larger river in comparison to what we had seen so far, but still relatively small as rivers go. Again, this was textbook Adirondack brook trout water. West Canada Creek looked beautiful. We met an older gentleman who had sprawled his gear out around the lean to. We talked about fishing for a bit and he motioned to his fire, where he had just prepared the 11 inch brookie he had caught for dinner. We decided that since we had missed the fishing, we’d push on through the dark for a few more miles and camp near Sampson Lake instead. We made impressive time on these next couple of miles, arriving at a lean to and campsite at Sampson Lake. It was getting cold and the quick pace kept us warm. Brisk conversation was welcome, mentally speaking, as the isolation of the cold and the dark, and the lingering memories of missed fishing opportunities created a demoralized feeling on the trail. We pushed through it and had fun anyway.

Upon arriving at Sampson Lake Lean-to, it was clear that it was not as epic as the lakes we had already seen, and we set up camp in the dark nearby. We were pretty tired both mentally and physically. I didn’t even feel like screwing my stove into a canister to cook, so I just ate some granola bars and a cookie and set up my Solplex. Rich spent about 20 minutes moving his tent around trying to figure out where was far enough from the water, flat enough for sleeping, and yet far enough from the neighbors’ bear bag to feel safe. We were both pretty pissed that the people in the lean-to had decided that the edge of the campsite was a prime spot to hang a bear bag. Being that it was dark and they were asleep we didn’t wake them up to share our feelings. But I just can’t help but to point out that even if you think you’re alone at a campsite, be courteous! Never set a bear bag up close to camp… hike back at least a few hundred yards in the opposite direction of the water and the campsite. Do not ruin it for others, please.

I convinced him that we were safe and that our lives were not in danger and we talked before turning in early again.I fell asleep to the chorus of owls and geese, with the occasional interlude of a loon. The temperature was again hovering around 29 degrees, and I draped my down jacket over my western mountaineering caribou MF sleeping bag and cocooned myself inside, leaving just a small hole for my mouth. I haven’t slept that well in years. I awoke to the sound of our neighbors taking down their bear bag and hiking out. I kept my mouth shut, after all, it was a new day.

Sampson lake.

We packed up camp quickly as rain threatened to ruin our morning, but it never did. I snapped a few photos of the lake, the lean to, and Rich’s morning hairdo.

What’s the name of that street fighter character again… Ryu?

As we hiked the next few miles to complete our loop, I fell back a bit and spent some time hiking solo. The eerie feeling of the first day returned as I absorbed the atmosphere of the woods around me. I couldn’t shake the feeling of “abandonment” and bleakness I had felt earlier – but had man abandoned nature after the region was protected, or had nature abandoned man while he was here during the logging days? Did the early loggers and trappers feel this way out here too, or was this feeling left behind by their presence in this place? It almost felt like there were ghosts around me… that feeling is one that I have rarely ever felt before. Were the lost souls who had never made it out of this region watching me, listening to my every step and trying to follow me, trying to find there way ever still…? Or was it just the normal ritual of fall ending and winter making its claim on the woods? Discoveries like this old car only help to deepen those thoughts:

This old car’s undercarriage has sat untouched for who knows how long?

This wooden wheel has lasted as long as the metal. I’d almost still run that tire…

Some elements of design don’t change… this grease and cotter pin have been here for decades and remain unchanged.

As we neared the car I snapped a few more photos that captured the mood.

Fall is coming to an end, as was our trek.

We drove home feeling like we had experienced so much… there was almost too much to absorb to talk much about it. This weekend had left an emotional mark that somewhat re-defined the Adirondacks for me, in such interesting ways. I never knew just how epic and lonely it could feel, even in the company of others. But yet this feeling wasn’t a sad one, nor did it bring anything but the longing for more time in this wilderness, more fish to be caught, and more hikes to be taken with friends in the future. I think I’ve figured that feeling out now… maybe its just a longing to be in such a magical place, clearly owned by nobody and ruled by mother nature alone. I hope that you too can have a chance to visit this vast and complicated wilderness and experience it for yourself. If you plan to fish, bring a raft!

Logging roads lead in and out of the wilderness area.

Lightweight Backpacking News: Digest No. 8

Outdoor news: stories, gear, trips, and more!

Introduction

Read the full report and interview on Sidetracked Magazine.
Visit Ray Mears website.

Hiking in Kauai

Diane Soini decided to pack for her vacation as if it were a backpacking trip even though the trip would mainly consist of day hikes and snorkeling. Hawaii is a beautiful place to backpack. Many of the trails skirt the edges of cliffs overlooking the thundering sea below. Waterfalls cascade around and when you add into the mix some snorkeling what is left to be desired?

Read the full report and interview on Gossamer Gear.

Expedition Shorts

WHAT’S IT LIKE ON THE MOON? – Mary Anne Hobbs caught up with Captain Gene Cernan, the last man to walk on the Moon.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

HOW SHACKLETON PITCHED HIS EXPEDITION… (ha! you thought I was going to type “shelter”) – Sir Ernest Shackleton made the case to fund his Antarctic Expedition to a potential donor on the back of a program.

Photo of the Week

High Country Guides shows us the proper way to hang a bear bag using the PCT method. Thanks!

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the photo immediately below, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

Proper bear bag hang using the PCT method. I like to use oven bags to line the inside of my stuff sacks. Helps keep the oder in the sack. Because loosing your food in the #backcountry could be a very bad thing especially if you are several days out! #hiking #ul #ultralight #backpackinglight #camping #sierras #California #outthere #highcountryguides

A photo posted by Troy Meadows (@high_country_guides) on Jan 5, 2015 at 6:50pm PST

Skills

Reclaim Your Vision

Struggling from myopia (nearsightedness)? The solution may be simpler than previously thought. Turns out that children who spend lots of time outdoors seem to have better eyesight than those who are mainly indoors. It seems as though the sun’s rays are nurturing to the eyes and promote their health. Vitamin D whose production is stimulated in sunlight may be the most important factor to maintaining healthy eyes. Other considerations such as level of fitness and overall health play a role, but researchers seem to pinpoint lack of time in the sun as the primary reason for the loss of vision.

Read the full report at BBC News.

Sleeping in a Bivy

People approach bivy camping hesitantly. It just seems weird to sleep out in the open, right? But it doesn’t have to be…Despite the concerns, bivys perform well enough in a rain storm, you don’t have to sleep “alone” – others can join you in their own bivys, and you are not more vulnerable than a tent. Bivys are a useful backpacking tool that will cut down on weight and give you a light and functional sleep system.

Read the full report on Fevered Mutterings.

Skills Shorts

WORLD BOULDERING CHAMPION TRAINING DAY – Need motivation to start training? You shouldn’t anymore.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

6 TIPS TO HANDLE A WHITEOUT – Staying calm and being up on your nagivation skills are a few of the tips compiled by the Brooks Range Blog to managing a winter storm.

Gear

Looking for a New House?

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

One small caveat: you have to be able to get by with one bedroom. In Amsterdam, where rent prices are too high, people tap into their creative side to find places to live. Heijmans One are non-permanent dwellings which can be assembled or disassembled in a day. They are elegant at least by standards typically used to evaluate squatters’ housing. Truth be told, you probably couldn’t put one in your pack but as far as lightweight gear that you use every day it could have a place.

Read the full report on FastCoexist.com.

Nordic Skates Revamped

Looking to get out on the ice this winter? Consider this skate setup that uses Möja bindings which are versatile – they can be combined with telemark boots (or some other boots with some kind of toe lip). Dual use gear is common on our circle, but this might open up some new options for backcountry travel by ski and skate…

Read the full report on LeftBound.com.

Gear Shorts

$300 GEAR LIST – If you are on a budget or new to backpacking here’s a gear list from pmags.com to wet your whistle and get you going.

L.L. BEAN ULTRALIGHT 850 DOWN JACKET REVIEW – Section Hiker reviews this jacket that is a great for hiking or looking stylish around town.

People

Chat with Chris Figenshau

For the last 20 years, Chris Figenshau has been succeeding in an industry that’s very tough to do: action sports photography. His mountaineering and photography skills lead him to get a job with Warren Miller, and since then his career has taken off. He has worked with most major ski companies and magazines and recently helped film Teton Gravity Research’s (TGR) film Higher which is set in Nepal and features a ski of the a very unique peak dubbed the “Shangra-La Wall”. TGR caught up with Chris recently to get his take on the film, his techniques, and life in general.

Read the full report on Teton Gravity.

Interview with Jon Muir

Adventurer Jon Muir has been exploring our world for the last 39 years. His successes include treks to Everest, across Australia, and both poles. His adventures have come with a healthy dose of perceived “failure” including multiple attempts to reach Everest and cross Australia. For Muir however, these “failures” have been rewarding by pushing him to his limits and helping him learn about himself and our world. In his eyes, the real tragedy is not trying something because of a fear of failure. Alastair Humphreys “sat” down with Jon for an interview covering his favorite adventures and why he has explores so many different modes of human powered travel (e.g., he has kayaked, skied, and climbed), his recommendations for planning your own adventure, and why he always has another adventure lined up.

Read the full report from Alastair Humphreys.

People Shorts

SNOWBOARDER NARROWLY AVOIDS AVALANCHE – A snowboarder at Hatcher Pass triggered an avalanche and quickly boarded to safety, but captured the seriously huge slide with his action cam.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

FACING YOUR FEARS – Emily Bell signed on to be a member of the support team for Sean Conway who was trying to swim the length of Britain. One problem: she is terrified of water.

Flash Reviews No. 4

Introductory Reviews of the Sonim XP7 Ultra-Rugged Smartphone; Fenix HL22 Single-AA Headlamp; and Casio Pathfinder PRG-270 Watch.

Sonim XP7 Ultra-Rugged Smartphone

The convergence of electronic devices with functions of interest to backcountry travelers took a huge leap forward with the introduction of the iPhone. In one fell swoop on June 29, 2007, the iPhone heralded an exciting but cautiously optimistic path for multi-function electronic devices.

About one year later, the iPhone 3G was introduced. This was perhaps the most important evolution in smartphone hardware technology – the iPhone 3G offered fast processing, lots of memory, a high resolution color screen, improved battery life, and a quality camera.

Finally, the smartphone had evolved into a device that integrated global positioning system with detailed maps on a large color screen, a camera that could produce stunning imagery in the hands of the skilled, a library of reading for passing away the time on long winter nights or tent-bound storm days, and of course, communications (through a cellular network, when available) for SMS and voice calling, and social media connectivity.

With advances in ruggedized cases from the likes of Otterbox and Lifeproof, satellite communications connectivity (see Expedition Blogging, Part 1: A Satellite Phone-Based System), and external battery supplies for phone recharging, the smartphone-as-a-backcountry electronics device is coming to age rapidly.

The primary limitations in today’s technology that are of the greatest interest to backcountry travelers are (1) the limited ability to use devices in extremely foul conditions (especially with gloves), (2) short battery life, and (3) the inability to connect directly to satellite networks without accessory hardware.

Satellite connectivity technology is evolving more rapidly than I can write these words, and while not quite ready for mass adoption (in terms of cost and consumer device availability), look for a generation of ruggedized smartphones to incorporate it for the consumer market within just a few years as satellite networks proceed through significant upgrades in speed and bandwidth.

Until then, we have the Sonim XP7.

The Sonim XP7, a ruggedized (shock-, water-, and dust-proof) Android phone with LTE, Bluetooth, GPS, and WiFi connectivity.

Features / Claimed Specs:

4,800 mAh battery for 1,000 hr of standby time and 40 hr of talk time.
Weight: 10.2 oz / 290 g
Touchscreen usable with gloves
Waterproof, dustproof, drop/impact, and vibration/shock resistant
Resistant to extreme pressure, puncture, and chemicals (including oils and solvents)
Fully operational across a wide temperature range (-20 deg C / -4 deg F to 55 deg C / 133 deg F)
3-year hardware warranty that covers accidental damage

If I had to write my own wish list for a backcountry smartphone, the above would come awfully close to this. I was particularly interested in five key features: usability with gloves, battery life in cold temperatures, and operation in cold temperatures.

Glove Usability

I tested the Sonim XP7’s usability with gloves that had fingertips made from merino wool, polyester, synthetic leather (polyurethane), and leather. All materials were tested both wet (damp) and dry. Various gestures (taps and swipes) were performed about 100 times for each glove material type, and then repeated with wet materials. A grade of “good” was assigned if the device was responsive to more than 90% of gestures, a grade of “fair” was assigned if the device was responsive to 50% to 90% of gestures, a grade of “poor” was assigned if the device was responsive to less than 25% of gestures, and a grade of “NR” (not responsive) was assigned if the device was responsive to less than 5% of gestures. These results were repeated for a popular Android phone (my personal Samsung Note 3) and an iPhone (my wife’s personal 5S).

The following tables summarize the results.

Dry


Material	iPhone 5S	Samsung Note 3	Sonim XP7
merino wool	good	good	good
polyester	NR	poor	fair
synthetic leather	fair	good	good
leather	NR	NR	NR

Wet


Material	iPhone 5S	Samsung Note 3	Sonim XP7
merino wool	good	good	good
polyester	good	good	good
synthetic leather	good	good	good
leather	good	good	good

The Sonim XP7 scored better than the other two tested phones with dry gloves, but contrary to its claim of being usable with “work gloves”, it was mostly nonresponsive to gestures performed by leather gloves. There was no difference between the responsiveness of any of the phones with wet gloves, regardless of the material, as is to be expected with each of these phones, all of which have capacitive (and not resistive) touchscreens.

Battery Life in Cold Temperatures

A battery drain test was performed where all location and connectivity services were disabled, and the phone left outside until the battery died. Battery temperature, capacity, and drain rates were monitored using third-party apps installed on the phone.

In temperatures between the -20s deg F and +40s deg F, the Sonim XP7 battery drained in about 220 hours. During this time, all location and wireless connectivity services (including cellular, WiFi, and Bluetooth) were disabled.

Operation in Cold Temperatures

True to Sonim’s claim that the XP7 can be used in temperatures down to -4 deg F, my own testing doesn’t dispute that claim. In fact, I found the phone to be functional even at -27 deg F, with only mild screen ghosting.

In comparison, my Samsung Note 3 begins to show ghosting at about 10 deg F, but remains functional down to about -20 deg F. My wife’s iPhone 5S fares worse, with significant ghosting at 10 deg F and the ironic “iPhone needs to cool down message” popping up when temperatures plummet below zero.

Summary

In summary, I think the Sonim XP7 shows promise. It’s well-built and appears to deliver on its promise of being ultra-rugged and resistant to some of the horrors that might cause damage to electronics in the backcountry: water, dust, shock, impact, puncture, temperature, pressure, and chemicals. A cursory examination of battery life, cold weather performance, and usability with gloves is positive. That I can have a cell phone, GPS, mapping device, and camera in a single device that I can leave on and handy during the day while I’m trekking is very appealing; especially for the types of hikes I might take in less-remote areas where I want a cell phone with me.

Fenix HL22 Single-AA Headlamp

Here are the specs:

Powered by a single AA battery
Weight: 1.6 oz (45 g) without battery
Cree XP-E R4 LED
90m throw distance
120 lumen max (80-90 minute runtime)
45 lumen mid setting (4.5 – 5.5 hour runtime)
3 lumen low setting (55 hr runtime)
Materials: aluminum and plastic
Digitally regulated power
Waterproof

The Fenix HL22 Single-AA Cree XP-E R4 LED Headlamp

This is not my favorite headlamp (I don’t have one yet) but this comes close. Other than its boxy aesthetics (which I like but those who are seeking more alien-like housings will disapprove), the performance of this headlamp is near the top of its class when compared to some of its more popular competition – the widely available Black Diamond Spot, Petzl XP, and Princeton Tec Remix.

The HL22 isn’t perfect – in fact, too many changes were made from its previous generation, the HL21. The HL22 has more plastic, a smaller button, and a change in location of the button from side to top. None of these “features” were improvements. I hope the HL23 blends the performance of the HL22 with the design aesthetics and durability of the HL21.

Aside from the HL21, among the rest of the headlamps mentioned above (including the Spot, XP, and Remix), the Fenix HL22 has a better sell sheet: one lamp, one button, one AA battery, easy mode switching, few modes, more durability, easier battery changes, and easiest to operate with gloves.

Casio Pathfinder PRG-270

The Casio Pathfinder PRG-270 ABC (altimeter, barometer, compass) watch isn’t brand new to the market, but it has quietly snuck in besides watches from Garmin and Suunto to become a highly competitive option for wilderness travelers.

Casio Pathfinder PRG-270 (submodel B-1 shown). The best value of any ABC watch on the market?

After having tested its accuracy and compared results with other ABC watches from Suunto and Garmin, alongside the latest generation of dedicated GPS units, I can say with confidence that there are little differences in accuracy of barometric-based altimeter readings between the flagship models from Garmin, Suunto, and Casio. Now that the technology has normalized, the ABC watch game will be won in other areas.

For me, those areas include:

Battery life
Ease of use / menu structure
Button functionality while wearing gloves
Visibility of the watch face in bright sun
Size and weight
Durability
Price

In all of these areas, I’ve found the PRG-270 to keep up with the best of them. The watch is recharged by solar power, the menu system is intuitive (I didn’t need to read the instruction manual), the buttons are the most functional for gloved hands of any brand I’ve owned, the watch face is easy to read in bright sun (I have the PRG-270B-1 model, which has an inverse face), it’s light enough for wrist use (2.4 oz / 67 g), and a great price (less than $125 on the street). It feels durable enough to take a beating, and online reviews from owners certainly validate that – in fact, there seem to be many more positive testimonies of durability and low failure rates for the Casio PRG-270 than just about any model ever built by Suunto or Garmin.

The only thing it’s missing (for now) is fitness performance integration and GPS, which Casio (incompletely) addresses using smartphone integration in its STB watch line. If Casio has a hankering to enter the outdoor fitness watch market, currently dominated by Garmin (Fenix), Suunto (Ambit), Polar (V series), and Fitbit (Surge), they may built a positive following with the PRG-270 – but they’ll be chasing the technology leaders for now.

But if you’re looking for a basic ABC watch that is rugged, easy to use, accurate, and functional, the Casio PRG-270 is among the very best available – and is certainly offers the best value-to-performance ratio on the market.

Beyond Our Boundaries: Episode 23

Follow the story of a family of five as they backpack over 2000 miles from Georgia to Maine.

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Walking in Nepal

Desperate for an authentic Nepalese experience, the author takes to the less-traveled trekking routes to learn about himself and the area’s beauty.

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Lightweight Backpacking News: Digest No. 7

Backpacking Light has scoured the web and will now bring you salient backpacking news stories, gear releases, and trip reports.

Introduction

Read the full report on sidetracked.com.

How Much Does it Cost to Climb Mt. Everest?

Climbing the most famous and tallest mountain in the world is expensive. With travel, gear, climbing permits, logistical support, and training Mountain Everest is one expensive cookie. Well surprisingly (or maybe obviously) the cost depends on which of the two popular routes to climb Everest you take. The more expensive route begins south of Everest in Nepal and will cost you almost $15,000 more than the north side from Tibet due to salaries for support staff and climbing permits.

Read the full report on outdoorlife.answers.com.

Expedition Shorts

JUMP START YOUR NEW YEARS RESOLUTIONS – Undoubtedly, many of us made New Years Resolutions to get outside more often. With our busy lives this can be daunting. Consider Alastair Humphrey’s Microadventures designed to simplify the process and get you outdoors.

MT. EVEREST TIBET ROUTE AS SEEN FROM SPACE – A new photograph taken from space shows the popular Northeast Ridge route from Tibet, over glaciers to the summit of Mt. Everest.

33 DAYS ACROSS ALASKA – Some friends link up for an adventure across the Wrangell St. Elias National Park.

Photo of the Week

Hike Venture shares this great photo of Iceland. Needless to say it is now clear why it is named as such.

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A bit of #ice in #Iceland | #hiking #backpacking #microadventure #adventure #nature #outdoor #outdoors #wild #blue #clouds #sky #backpackinglight

A photo posted by HikeVentures (@hikeventure) on Nov 11, 2014 at 2:50am PST

Skills

How to Face Uncertainty and Adversity on Your Backpacking Adventures

Most backpackers are well aware of the inherent danger in backcountry travel – that scenarios that can be handled by a car trip to the hospital can quickly become compounded by the remoteness and rugged terrain of the backcountry often with devastating results. Many of us have faced these scenarios and are fine today, but the internet is littered with examples of when things went badly. We understand the great risk and yet Nature keeps calling to us and we are helpless to not heed her call. However as in many worthwhile things in life, it is not a matter of if but when we will face extreme adversity in the wilderness. In BPL’s wilderness trekking school we strive to develop a mindset known as tolerance for adversity and uncertainty. This is the most important part – realizing that you will be ok and that you have the power to overcome the obstacle is the first step to surviving. In addition to a victory mindset, preparation and having the skills to face the challenges are of crucial importance. These skills include first aid, physical health and strength, and discernment to keep yourself out of unnecessary danger. We love the outdoors but we want to continue to enjoy them so don’t put yourself in danger and if you end up there be ready to fight for survival.

Read Wes Siler’s tips on creating a mindset and fostering skills to emerge victorious when things go wrong on indefinitelywild.com.
Josh Mathe in his recent article for BPL discusses the techniques necessary to train your brain and body to overcome limitations.

How to Take Photos in the Winter

Rob Sheppard, who grew up in Minnesota has developed a knack for taking photos in snow and ice. While learning photography on the banks of the Great Lakes with the wind swirling around him as the cold temperatures numbed is bones, Sheppard developed a love for the capturing the outdoors not shared by “fair-weather” photographers. He learned how finicky photography can be in the winter as the snow acts like a mirror by reflecting colors at an equivalent angle to viewer. Over the years, he has mastered snow and ice photography learning how to boost subtle colors during low-light settings. From batteries to gloves, he also has some great tips on techniques to dealing with winter photography in general.

Read his photography tips on outdoorphotographer.com.

Skills Shorts

MOUNTAIN BIKERS USE RACE CARS, TOY CHUTES, AND ARROWS TO FILM EPIC LINE – Your only limit is your imagination. These mountain bikers made a professional quality film demonstrating that a low budget doesn’t need to diminish the quality of your videos.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

CERTHERO.ORG HELPS YOU GET CERTIFIED – Launched by adventurers Logan Randolph and Sam Aarons, Certhero.org makes it easy to find certification courses in your area. Read Brian Green’s report.

People

Interview with Rosie Swale-Pope

Alastair Humphrey’s interviews Rosie about her unsupported 20,000-mile, 4-year run around the world. With only her trailer Icebird to keep her company, Rosie was the first ever to complete this journey doing it in memory of her husband who passed away from prostate cancer as a means to cope and to raise money and awareness. Now she is running across this U.S. – this time for fun! Try to keep up with this fiery 68-year-old and you may be out of luck. She inspires us to chase our dreams and its never too late.

Read the full interview on alastairhumphreys.com.
Visit Rosie’s website.

An Unbreakable Spirit for Adventure

Adventurer and photographer Jim Harris suffered a paralyzing crash while training for an expedition in Patagonia just about a month ago. He has been recovering and healing from his injuries in a Cincinnati hospital. Over the years, Jim’s love of the outdoors pushed him to do great things. He says he’s not fearless rather he enjoys exploring and putting himself out of his comfort zone because that has forced him to grow. A staff writer for Cincinnati Times caught up with Jim while in the hospital and learned more about his life and his passion for the outdoors.

Read the full report on cincinnati.com.

People Shorts

MAN “CLIMBS” MT. EVEREST TO SUPPORT DAUGHTER – James father of Charlotte who suffers from cerebral palsy is walking a local English hill 75 times (equivalent to climbing Mt. Everest) to raise funds for a treatment that will allow her to walk.

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110 OUTDOOR AMBASSADORS PROJECT – So far 74 people have been chosen as they have shaped our sport to what it is today. If you have someone in mind to nominate visit gearjunkie.com.

Beyond Our Boundaries: Episode 22

Follow the story of a family of five as they backpack over 2000 miles from Georgia to Maine.

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2014 Staff Picks

Backpacking Light’s staff is some of the most passionate backpackers around. Take a look at the ultralight gear we use and treasure.

Introduction

An annual tradition! The BPL Staff Favorites identify the 3 pieces of gear for each of us that has impacted us most in 2014. We hope you enjoy and wish you all the best for the New Year. Don’t forget to add your own favorites in the forum below!

Summary Table: Staff Favorites


Doug Johnson	Suluk46 Tica Ice Tool	Kovea Spider Stove	Golite Shangri-La 5
Dave Chenault	Bluewater Canyon Pro rope	Paradox Unaweep 3900	Alpacka Scout
Roger Caffin	NB 1210 Leadvilles	Basic Baseplate Compass	Deejo knife
Kevin Sawchuk	Hoka One One	Trail Designs Sidewinder ULC	Buff
Eric Vann	Altra Lone Peak Shoes	Feathercraft Baylee Packraft	Hyperlite Mountain Gear Porter 4400
Ryan Jordan	Dynafit PDG / Madshus Eon AT Nordic Ski System	NeoAir Xtherm Pad	Sony RX100 Camera

Doug Johnson

Suluk46 Tica Ice Tool

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $175
5.1 oz / 146 g (68 cm length)

I have one of the original Tica Ice Tools- #26 and pre-Suluk 46, back when Steve Evans was first creating amazing gear. I studied this carbon fiber and titanium wonder as Steve developed it within the BackpackingLight forums, and stood amazed when I first held it in my hands. It made my previous ultralight axe feel like a tank and it is a piece of gear art. Since then, it has been my faithful companion on every non-technical climb or scramble. It disappears on a pack, so it joins me when I’d sometimes leave an axe at home. It self-arrests and self-belays with conviction, and has joined me across many glaciers and alpine routes. The newer version has some key improvements, most notably shaft plugs to keep the snow out. I LOVE this tool.

Kovea Spider Stove

Learn more Here.
MSRP: about $65
6.0 oz / 146 g

My favorite winter stove for years was my trusty Coleman Xtreme. But as the canisters became more and more rare, it was time for a change. Enter the Kovea Spider, a stove from Korea.

This remote canister stove allows standard canisters to be run upside down, ensuring a liquid feed that will work into lower temperatures and higher altitudes (much like the Xtreme). This stove also works great for groups, and was an excellent performer on a 10 day canoe trip in the Bowron Lakes, BC with my family last summer. It simmers beautifully and boils quickly as well. I have yet to put it to work melting snow, but I’ll test this out soon enough!

Support BPL and buy the Kovea Spider Stove at Amazon.com.

Golite Shangri-La 5

Unavailable
5 lb 10 oz / 2551 g (fly, pole, bug tent)

I was first drawn into ultralight backpacking via the Ray Jardine designs manufactured by Golite in the late ’90s. Sadly, after 16 years as a manufacturer of many classic ultralight products, Golite closed shop in 2014. Of the many Golite products I have used and loved, one of my favorites is the Shangri La 5 shelter. A pyramid tent with optional bug netting or floor, this is a highly versatile shelter that works equally well in the snow as it does as a group or family tent. In the last 5 years, this is my tent that gets the most usage by far. At 5.5 pounds with the bug netting, it’s not the lightest pyramid around, but it gobbles up my family of four with ease and is comfortable as a backcountry playroom as well. I love this shelter, and I’m sad to see Golite go. My best to Kim, Coup, and all of our friends at Golite- thanks for the great adventures.

Dave Chenault

Bluewater Canyon Pro rope

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $179
3.3 lbs / 1.5 kg

The Canyon Pro (renamed Zion Pro) is still the lightest and the most durable canyoneering rope available, making it ideal for multiday missions. It adds minimal weight to already heavy packs, resists coreshots to a degree that makes it easy to not take any backup, and wears so well over the years that the high upfront cost will end up being a net savings. The orange color features well in photos and is easy to find if you drop the coiled rope in a pothole. It is fast, especially when new, and is thus not ideal for beginners, especially on longer single-strand rappels.

Support BPL and buy the BlueWater Canyon Pro Rope at Amazon.com.

Paradox Unaweep 3900

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $339
3.25 lbs / 1.5 kg

The Paradox suspension is by far the best I’ve used; it’s elegantly minimalist and carries 20 pound overnight loads and 80 pounds of deer meat equally well. Coupled with a spare, yet functional bag made of durable materials and you have a category buster which renders everything but small daypacks redundant. The Unaweep can truly carry anything you can fit in it or strap on it, so long as your legs are up to the task. My favorite aspect of this versatile load hauler has been being able to take on lots of group gear. Feeding my friends when they packed light on food, hauling my wife’s packraft, and carrying food and technical gear for my mother on a Grand Canyon trip have all been highlights of the year which the Unaweep made easy. The 3900 size, in my preferred VX42, has a Talon compression panel.

Alpacka Scout

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $545
3 lbs 10 oz / 1.6 kg with the tie downs glued in

The Scout is not the most versatile packraft, and is not the boat I’d pick if I could only keep one. However, it is my favorite, because of its modest size and weight, and because the style it demands, open boating on more moderate waters far from the road, invariably makes for my favorite trips. It is tough as nails like the other Alpackas, and perfectly capable in class 3 so long as you’re in a position to not mind getting soaked. The Scout does require aftermarket tiedowns for pack and seat attachment, the only thing I’d like to see Alpacka change. That I was one of the last to squeak in before multi-stripe orders became extra only adds to the sentimentality. Besides, if Captain Morgan (aka BPLer Morgan Rucks, pictured here at the APA Packraft Roundup) approves you cannot go wrong.

Roger Caffin

NB 1210 Leadvilles

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $125
11 oz / 315 g per shoe for size tested

These shoes were developed by New Balance for the Leadville high mountain race, and were reviewed in September 2013 here. The US size 10, 4E width were reviewed.

You will note from the photo that New Balance used Vibram soles for these shoes: an interesting departure for them. They normally use a royalty-free in-house sole. It would seem that these shoes have been very popular items and are still on sale in some places, with possibly more to come next year. (Yes, that is a hint for 2015.)

Since the review my wife and I have bought (yes, actually spent our money!) several more pairs, and we wear them daily on our morning training runs. They are not showing much sign of wear and are very comfortable. Of course, with that Vibram sole, they also grip very well.

Support BPL and buy the New Balance Men’s MT1210 NBX Trail Running Shoe at Amazon.com.

Basic Baseplate Compass

Retailers and manufacturers would love you to buy a large heavy and certainly expensive compass, but instead I go for the simplest and lightest one I can find. The photo shows a Brunton 7DNL which was reviewed here in January 2010, but please do not take this as anything more than an example. There are plenty of other brands which are just as good – and some are much cheaper. In fact, some of the inexpensive no-name units do look very similar to some of the more expensive brand-name ones: a different door on the Chinese factory maybe? Yes, I have bought and used them as well.

The features you need for good navigation are the baseplate (not very big), a smoothly rotating ‘capsule’ so you can set the local declination, the liquid fill inside the capsule to damp the needle rotation so it settles quickly, and the N-S lines inside the capsule. With this sort of compass I can navigate to within a degree or two – and so can anyone else with a bit of practice. One last feature I strongly recommend: that loop of good nylon string through the corner hole, so the compass hangs around your neck. A compass buried inside your pack is of very little use.

Does this mean I am labelling as useless all those heavier features like mirrors, lenses and prisms and other do-dads? Yep, sure does. They add weight and cost, but you won’t be navigating any better with them. Good navigation is a combination of a compass to align the map, a good topo map, and some practice. Don’t forget the practice! In fact, in fine weather, I often navigate (very well thank you) using the sun and a rough idea of the time of day.

Support BPL and buy the Suunto A-10 Compass at Amazon.com.

Deejo knife

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $26
0.5 oz / 15 g

This knife, along with its bigger (35 g) brother, were reviewed in Jun-2014 here. There were some comments after the review that the steel was not the hardest knife-steel available – perhaps not, but mine has kept its edge quite well over a lot of use.

So why am I including this knife here? Because it is so neat and light (but very sharp and effective) and I find it in my pocket so very often. Crocodile Dundee bowie knives are all very well in the movies, but who actually carries one? For 99% of my needs this one is fine. Forget the machismo theory: look at real life use. OK, it’s a bit small for chopping up loaves of French bread – fair enough.

Ah yes – that rather sharp point: often used for minor surgery, like digging out splinters. Much more effective for that than a traditional SAK.

Support BPL and buy Deejo Knives at Amazon.com.

Kevin Sawchuk

Hoka One One

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $160
12 oz / 340 g each

While these shoes suck on difficult cross-country involving steep side slopes, climbing and hopping from rock to rock, they are spectacular in protecting your feet and legs on steep and rocky trails. They are pricey, but I’ve usually gotten 600-700 miles out of each pair making them similar in cost/mile to most trail runners.

Support BPL and buy the Hoka One One Running Shoe at Amazon.com.

Trail Designs Sidewinder ULC (ultralight cone)

Currently unavailble
MSRP: $40
4.5 oz / 128 g

Although currently not available this small cone stows in my BPL 1100ml pot providing a very lightweight and compact cooking system. While not optimized for wood burning it’s not hard to figure out how to prop this system on rocks to make it work in a pinch. If you bug Rand he may be willing to bring this back!

$40 (when available) 1.3 ounces (cone and stakes), 4.5 ounces (including pot, lid and esbit “gram cracker” stove).

Buff

MSRP: $20
1 oz / 28 g

From washing to drying, sun protection to adding a touch of warmth a Buff is nearly always with me in the outdoors. I especially love them in the winter when they do such a good job of protecting my face from reflected sunlight.

Support BPL and buy Buff Headwear at Amazon.com.

Eric Vann

Altra Lone Peaks

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $120
10.9 oz / 310 g

I used these shoes (the 1.5 version) continuously this summer while encountering rugged terrain while in the Bob Marshall wilderness. The shoes were subjected to snow, water while packrafting and crossing streams, dirt, and tough rock. Other than fraying seams, the shoes behaved wonderfully and although it’s probably time for me to get a new pair of shoes I still use them often. I am impressed with their tread and durability, and definitely recommend them. Altra has also released their 2.0 version which I’m sure builds upon these strengths.

Support BPL and buy the Altra Men’s Lone Peak 2 Trail Running Shoe at Amazon.com.

Feathercraft Baylee River Runner

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $1275
6.5 oz / 2.95 kg

While a little bit on the heavier and pricier side for a packraft, the Baylee’s value is clearly long term due to Feathercraft’s emphasis on its durability. The boat is a little more robust than some of the similar, lighter Alpacka models which makes it ideal for beginners and for rivers lined with rocks and branches. We are beginning to use these boats almost exclusively at the Montana High Adventure Base where we take out Boy Scout troops and venturing crews because they allow us to give the scouts an opportunity to enjoy the outdoors by packrafting while ensuring their safety that comes along with a more durable boat.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Porter 4400

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $345
2.5 pounds / 1.1 kg

This is pack is great. I love its versatility. This summer while leading treks for Boy Scouts out of the Montana High Adventure Base, some people would give me a hard time for my “rucksack”, but by the end of the trip they were impressed with it’s as adaptability. Its shape allows you to pack the pack to hold bulky loads well plus its large volume (70 liters) makes it great for expeditions where you are carrying lots of gear and food. It has many tie down points for securing the gear to the pack or the pack to a packraft. Its water resistance makes it an ideal pack for packrafters. For those who like to have total control of how they pack their pack this one’s for you. It could use a few more exterior pockets but you can make your own (see here) or you can buy some form HMG.

Ryan Jordan

Dynafit PDG / Madshus Eon AT Nordic Ski System

Learn more about Dynafit and Madshus.
MSRP: $295 (skis), $850 (boots), $550 (bindings)
8.8 lb / 4.0 kg per pair of boots, skis, and bindings

In February, I wrote AT Nordic Ski Systems: Discovering the Best of Backcountry Nordic and Alpine Touring Systems Through Hybridization and introduced you to my hybrid AT Nordic rig – Madshus Eon Skis, Dynafit TLT Speed Superlite Bindings, and Dynafit Dy.N.A. PDG boots – a system that weighs only 8.8 lb per pair. The skis have a waxless base that prevents skin transitions on easy rolling terrain. Low-effort touring and ski-running come through biomechanical efficiency from with a boot cuff that rotates through a wide range of motion and unrestricted binding toe pin rotation. Unlocking the heel for the descents means that I have good control (better than normal!) on downhills. One of the system’s best features is that when the skis do have to be carried (e.g., when alpine climbing or low-elevation approach hiking) – the burden is light!

Support BPL and buy the Madshus Eon Ski and Dynafit TLT Speed Superlight Speed Touring Bindings and Dynafit PDG Ski Boot at Amazon.com.

NeoAir Xtherm Pad

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $200
15 oz / 425 g

I used to fiddle with multiple pads for winter snow camping. Some combination of my backpack, a partial-length foam pad, a torso-length inflatable, etc. I’ve since gravitated towards simplicity, and with the Xtherm, way more warmth. It takes up little space in my already bulky winter pack and gives me the rest and comfort I need for long, dark, cold winter nights. I’ve camped directly on snow with the Xtherm down to nearly thirty degrees below zero (F). Below about minus 15 (F), a 1/4” foam pad underneath the NeoAir is required as additional insulation, but I only bring that extra pad when the forecast is extra-cold. If I had to own only one pad for all-seasons, this would be it.

Photo: The morning after a -27 deg F night spent under the stars on a NeoAir Xtherm pad directly on the snow.

Support BPL and buy the Thermarest Neo-Air Xtherm Sleeping Pad at Amazon.com.

Sony RX100 Camera

Learn more Here.
MSRP: $799
9.3 oz / 263 g

I’m still on version m2 of the RX100 and can’t wait for it to break (I tend to shoot a lot in inclement and cold weather, so my camera’s lifespan is always limited) so I can upgrade to the m3! But I’m more than satisfied with the incredible performance-to-weight ratio of this little gem. A sharp, contrasty Zeiss lens combined with a high-resolution larger-than-average sensor, good manual controls, RAW capability, outstanding dynamic range, and terrific 1080p video at 60 fps make this my all-time favorite camera for backpacking.

Photo: Reconnaissance Lake, High Uinta Wilderness, Sony RX100 ISO 160, 10mm (28 mm @ 35mm equiv), f/5.6, 1/500

Support BPL and buy the Sony RX100M m3 Camera at Amazon.com.

Rab Vapour-rise Lite Alpine Jacket review

The Rab Vapour-rise Light Alpine is an extremely well designed windshirt, but when compared with other similar weighted windshirts the value is tough to see. However when compared with other soft shells it quickly becomes irreplaceable.

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Beyond Our Boundaries: Episode 21

Follow the story of a family of five as they backpack over 2000 miles from Georgia to Maine.

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Negotiating the Permit System: Six Western US National Parks

Our National Parks are awe-inspiring places of beauty. Often the backcountry permitting can be a challenge. Don’t let that stop you. Here are some tips to face the process with ease.

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Lightweight Backpacking News: Digest No. 6

Backpacking Light has scoured the web and will now bring you salient backpacking news stories, gear releases, and trip reports.

Introduction

Expeditions

Fatbiking the Land of 10,000 Lakes

In Minnesota in the winter, fatbiking isn’t a fad – it has become a way of life quickly replacing traditional nordic skiing as not only a means for recreation but as a form of transportation for active commuters. Several friends set off to explore the Northwest Trail, a demanding route that is more water than trail and in the winter is a real adventure for fatbikers. Fatbiking on frozen lakes is similar to glacier travel – there are always unstable areas waiting to pull you down below. To prepare for their 3-day, 120-mile journey, the friends practiced rescue techniques and the best methods to cross lakes. In the end their trips was a memorable one, and ironically the most harrowing experiences were found on the pavement in Duluth.

Read about the story on FreeHubMag.com.

Bikepacking Huayhuash Mountains

The Huayhuash Mountains in the Peruvian Andes are a famous, dry-season trekking route. Several friends decide to up the ante and bikepack this route during the raining season. While many groups have tried to bikepack this route most don’t succeed. This group was determined to have a different result and despite the setbacks and challenges the trip was a huge success.

Read the interview with PassionPort.com.

Photo of the Week

Hendrik Morkel takes this shot as the sun sets on his English adventure.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the photo immediately below, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

The MLD TrailStar pitched high in the English #Lake #District. | At the end of my #Lakeland #traverse I had another blue bird day with gorgeous sunshine. I decided to stay up in the #fells above #Windermere and have a leisurely evening #outdoors before heading back to #civilization the next morning! #England #LakeDistrict #ultralight #shelter #tarp #tent #gear #sun #hills #hiking #backpacking #backpackinglight #camping #MLD #trekking #TrailStar #hillwalking

A photo posted by Hendrik Morkel (@hendrikm) on Dec 12, 2014 at 7:50am PST

Skills

5 Essential Winter Survival Skills

It’s no surprise the margin for error in a winter expedition is much smaller than the summer. Inclement weather easily handled in the summer months can quickly compound even the smallest of setbacks. Having a solid foundation of winter survival skills can make a huge difference and help to successfully mitigate those challenges.

Read the list of 5 key survival skills as compiled by SectionHiker.

World Record Slackline

Alexander Schulz the new world record holder in slacklining recently set the record with his 100 m-high, 375 m-long slackline between two limestone pillars in the Chinese province of Guangxi. The trailer below is for the upcoming documentary which will follow Alexander’s journey and his pursuit of the record.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

Skills Short

Make your own environmentally-friendly Christmas tree – Forrest McCarthy describes a method to having (making) a “real” Christmas tree without cutting one down.

Gear

Ultralight Running Gear List

What do you need to run a 50 mile race? Well it obviously depends on the location, but for the North Face 50 Mile Championship Andrew Surka compiled this ultralight gear list. The race attracts the world’s best ultrarunners and is a grueling event that forges mental toughness and spurns those who do not prepare.

Read about Andrew’s gear list for the 50 miler.
Take a look at his fresh take on his 50 mile race.
And finally read about the deepest and most talented field ever.

La Sportiva Nepal Cube GTX Boots

Chris Brinlee Jr used these boots over the course of several months in varying locations testing the boots durability and warmth. Although not lightweight from the most stringent sense, these 31 oz boots are used by hikers and climbers all over the world and offer warmth and stability.

Read the full review on indefinitelywild.com.

Other Tidbits

#THISISHOWJESUSDIDIT – Hikers in Slovakia found a lake with ice so clear that you can see to the bottom.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

The CDT needs your help! – The CDT coalition coordinates with local, state, and federal governments to build the CDT, and needs your help to finish the last 32 miles.

How do you travel in the snow? – These winter stereotypes are a bit extreme yet entertaining. GearJunkie compiled a list of common methods for winter travel.

Fatbiking in the winter. Photo used with permission of gearjunkie.com.

Fake Bears and MTB – In the original version of this digest, we posted an almost-awesome video of a mountain biker being chase by a griz, but we learned later that ’twas a faked GoPro film. We got suckered! File it away under “xmastime is busytime, editorial fact-checking gives way to eggnog and … well, spending time out of the office in the beautiful fresh snow of Montana!” But check out THIS vid, which shows the awful trickery involved in faking this vid:

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

Winter Backpacking Checklist (Gear List): Ultralight Winter Snowcave Camping

A lightweight approach to traveling light in the winter on snowshoes.

2014 Update

Update: This article was originally published in January 2004, and was updated in December 2014. This update reflects changes that I’ve made since the original gear list was published, based on changes in my personal preferences and/or significant evolutions of material technology or design.

These changes have resulted in impactive benefits for me:

A simpler kit that requires less fiddling to use;
A warmer kit for less weight that reflects changes in choice and performance of materials in clothing and sleep systems;
A lighter pack – in fact, a pack that is about five pounds lighter today than it was ten years ago.

Of course, more experience gives me more confidence to use lighter gear. That realization shouldn’t be overlooked when analyzing your own progress as a lightweight backpacker over a period of years.

Context

Seasons: Winter, Early Spring
Length of Trip: 3-Day Weekend

The gear list provided below is one example of how a lightweight backpacker might select equipment for a 3-day weekend outing in temperate mountain ranges in the winter. Inherent assumptions in this list include:

Several feet of unconsolidated snowcover on the ground;
Overnight low temperatures of zero to fifteen degrees;
Daytime highs not above freezing;

Relatively flat terrain free of avalanche risk.

Inside a makeshift winter snowcave built adjacent to a forest of shallow snow (snowpack is only about 5 feet deep). First, a trench is built, then a lattice of dead wood is laid in an arch fashion over the trench. The final step: pile a layer of snow across the lattice several inches (at least 8-12″) thick. The result: a warm, insulating shelter that is easy and quick to build.

Gear Notes

This list focuses on camping inside a snow cave. With enough snow cover, snow caves are the fastest, warmest types of snow shelters available. Properly built, a snow cave gives you the flexibility to use three-season gear to remain warm, which can save a tremendous amount of weight. However, this approach requires an exceptional level of skill in locating a site for, and properly building, a snow cave. In addition, snow caves can be wet enough to warrant the use of a highly water-resistant sleeping bag shell or bivy sack if you are using a down sleeping bag. Finally, digging a snow cave is wet business: waterproof raingear, or all-synthetic insulating clothing, may be warranted. An important disclaimer: if you are caught with an equipment kit like this and are unable to build a snow cave, or you build one improperly, you will subject yourself to severe risk of hypothermia if conditions are extremely cold. In context, it is important to note what constitutes an improperly built snow cave. Primarily, a properly built snow cave is one that is just large enough for the number of occupants (less volume to maintain a thermal mini-climate), has thick enough walls for proper insulation (generally, considered to be two feet), has a properly located entrance (below the level of the ground surface so warmed air doesn’t escape), and proper blocking of the entrance (with packs, a hung jacket, etc. to minimize cold air exchange).

In a snow cave, conditions are very damp. They tend to be quite humid, gear has no ability to dry, and dripping walls tend to get sleeping gear wet.

In 2004, when this list was originally published, I wrote:

Consequently, I have selected synthetic insulation in my clothing and sleeping bag, and have added a water resistant bivy sack to shed some of the external moisture. I have specified an insulated clothing and sleep system that will allow me to survive a night outside the snow cave, if a cave cannot be built. This system has been used to comfortably sleep at winter temperatures down to minus 10 degrees F outside of a tent. If the risk of spending a night in the open is very small, and you are a competent snow cave builder, I recommend that you save further weight with a lighter sleeping bag. I have spent nights down to zero degrees using the clothing specified in this list in combination with a two-pound synthetic bag rated to 40 degrees F (Integral Designs Andromeda Strain).

With advances in the moisture resistance of down, and the increase in breathability of water-resistant fabrics, I’m more inclined to go with a down bag with a highly water-resistant shell on it, and to skip the bivy sack (unless I know there is a very high likelihood of being caught in the open outside the shelter of a snow cave in stormy conditions).

In addition, the 2004 list included a white gas stove, as originally written:

I have elected to bring a white gas stove over a canister or alcohol stove, for its improved efficiency in melting snow. Snow cave environments are usually warm enough such that both white gas and alcohol stoves work well; however, a white gas stove has the power to melt several liters of snow quickly, and if I need to melt snow while still traveling at midday, and conditions are cold, I appreciate the power of a white gas system.

Significant advances in both inverted canister (i.e., liquid-feed) and integrated canister stoves have been made since then, and they now occupy standard spots on my winter gear list. In particular, my favorite solo winter stove is the MSR WindBoiler – a tiny little thing that has enough juice to rapidly deliver hot water from snow for a hot drink or meal in an emergency. Because it boils a small volume so rapidly, it’s a successful stove for a solo traveler, even in very cold conditions. In the warmth of a snow cave, or even an 18-inch deep “snow pit” out in the open, the warmth of the stove maintains plenty of thermal feedback to keep the canister from freezing and slowing down the boil.

Other important changes since 2004 (strike-outs indicate what was originally written):

~~I have selected wide mouth water bottles for their ability to resist freezing in the opening, and the wide mouth caps are easy to handle with gloves or mittens.~~ I’ve seen (and experienced) enough failures of Nalgene Cantenes in the field that I am hard pressed to recommend them. However, aside from using hard-sided bottles, they still seem to be the “best of what’s available” for soft-sided wide-mouth bottles, and have enough durability to at least last for short trips…
~~I’ve chosen a hybrid LED headlamp with a high-power (1-watt) LED to give me the flexibility of navigating after dark, not an uncommon occurrence in the winter.~~ There are so many good LED headlamp options that I can’t cover them all here, but the age of hybrids is over. I’ve simply selected a high-performing, bright, 1-LED lamp that can be fueled by lithium batteries for cold weather performance.
The clothing system has been simplified to three layers for the torso and two layers for the legs. This assumes two states of being in cold, foul weather: moving hard (traveling) or being still (camping). If your level of fitness is below that which might be required to stay warm on the move by moving fast, an extra traveling layer should be considered.

Some examples of brands and models/styles are listed below for reference only. They neither represent an endorsement of that particular product nor a suggestion that the product listed is the best choice in the context of any particular situation.

Changes from 2004 to 2014 are indicated by ~~strike~~ (2004) and bold (2014).

Clothing Worn
FUNCTION	STYLE	EXAMPLE	WEIGHT
thin hat	thermal headwear for active conditions	thin PowerStretch balaclava	1.5 oz
active shirt	bicomponent ~~wind~~ shirt	~~Rab V-Trail Top~~ Patagonia R 0.5 Hoody – lighter, more breathable	~~12.0 oz~~ 8.5 oz
underwear	trim-fitting support shorts, boxer-style	Nike Spandex Running Short Tights	3.0 oz
active pants	soft shell stretchwoven long pants	~~Arc’Teryx Gamma MX~~ Patagonia Simple Guide Pants – lighter, more breathable	~~18.0 oz~~ 15.2 oz
gloves	~~windproof~~ waterproof, insulated gloves	~~Cloudveil Icefloe Gloves~~ Arc’Teryx Beta AR Gloves (warmer, waterproof)	~~5.0 oz~~ 7.2 oz
snow socks	ultralight thin, ski-style sock	Smartwool Ultralight Ski Socks	4.0 oz
gaiters	~~breathable gaiters~~	~~Outdoor Research Flex-Tex~~ none – not needed with overboots (see below)	~~4.5 oz ~~0.0 oz~~~~
boots	insulated snow boots	~~Baffin Tundra~~ Inov-8 Roclite 286 GTX Boots + Forty Below LIght Energy TR Overboots – lighter and warmer system	~~48.0 oz~~ 42.0 oz
Other Items Worn / Carried
FUNCTION	STYLE	EXAMPLE	WEIGHT
ski poles	~~one piece~~ adjustable, carbon fiber, with snow baskets	~~Stix X1 with Nordic handles~~ Black Diamond Razor Carbon with snow baskets – more durable for long term use	~~8.0 oz~~ 21.0 oz
snowshoes	large deck model for deep snow	Northern Lites Backcountry 30″	43.0 oz
whistle	pealess whistle on Spectra cord	Fox 40 Mini Whistle, AirCore Plus lanyard	1.0 oz
watch	compass / altimeter watch	~~Suunto S6~~ Casio Pro-Trek PRG-270B – easier to use, esp. with gloves on	~~1.3 oz~~ 2.1 oz
Other Clothing
FUNCTION	STYLE	EXAMPLE	WEIGHT
storm jacket	~~soft shell stretchwoven~~ hardshell jacket	~~Cloudveil Icefloe~~ Patagonia M10 – lighter, less restrictive	~~20.0 oz~~ 8.1 oz
insulating jacket	~~synthetic~~ down high loft insulating, hooded pullover	~~Integral Designs Dolomitti Parka~~ Feathered Friends Helios Hooded Jacket with Pertex Endurance Shell – lighter, warmer	~~23.0 oz~~ 19.0 oz
insulating pants	synthetic high loft insulating pants with side-zips	~~Integral Designs Denali Pants~~ Patagonia DAS Pants – lighter	~~20.0 oz~~ 15.3 oz
warm hat	wool beanie cap	PossumDown Beanie	1.5 oz
warm mitts	~~insulated~~ mitts	~~Integral Designs Down Mitts~~ MLD eVENT mitten shells to go over gloves, extra pair of dry fleece glove liners – same weight, more versatile system with less duplicity	5.0 oz
Sleep System
FUNCTION	STYLE	EXAMPLE	WEIGHT
snow shovel	suitable for digging a snow cave	SnowClaw Backcountry Snow Shovel	5.4 oz
bivy sack	~~waterproof bottom, breathable top~~ none	~~Bozeman Mountain Works Quantum X Bivy~~ Gossamer Gear Polycro Ground Cloth	~~6.5 oz~~ 2.0 oz
sleeping bag	~~synthetic~~ down, rated to 10 °F	~~Integral Designs North Twin PrimaLoft sleeping bag~~ Englightened Equipment 10 °F winter quilt – lighter	23.0 oz
sleeping pad	full length ~~closed cell foam~~ inflatable pad	Cascade Designs ~~Ridge Rest~~ NeoAir Xtherm Sleeping Pad, Full Length – warmer, more comfortable	~~14.0 oz~~ 15.0 oz
sleeping pad	~~torso sized inflatable mattress~~ – not needed	~~Bozeman Mountain Works ComfortLite~~	~~10.0 oz~~ 0.0 oz
Packing
FUNCTION	STYLE	EXAMPLE	WEIGHT
backpack	backpack with 30-lb carry capacity	~~Granite Gear Vapor Trail~~ Hyperlite Mountain Gear Porter 4400 – more comfortable, simpler, better snow and water shedding with less water absorption	~~32.0 oz~~ 34.0 oz
stuff sack	~~250 ci~~ 700 ci for clothing	~~Bozeman Mountain Works SpinSack~~ Hyperlite Mountain Gear XL Cuben Fiber	~~0.25 oz~~ 0.5 oz
stuff sack	~~250 ci~~ 700 ci for clothing	~~Bozeman Mountain Works SpinSack~~ Hyperlite Mountain Gear XL Cuben Fiber	~~0.25 oz~~ 0.5 oz
stuff sack	~~500 ci for sleeping gear~~ 700 ci for sleeping gear	~~Bozeman Mountain Works SpinSack~~ Hyperlite Mountain Gear XL Cuben Fiber	~~0.25 oz~~ 0.5 oz
Cooking and Water
FUNCTION	STYLE	EXAMPLE	WEIGHT
stove	~~white gas~~ inverted canister	MSR ~~SimmerLite with pump and windscreen~~ WindBoiler – faster, easier to use	~~11.0 oz~~ 15.3 oz
fuel container	~~titanium~~ 8 oz net canister	~~MSR Titan Fuel Bottle, 0.6L~~ (empty weight of canister)	3.5 oz
~~cook pot~~	~~2L cookpot (large enough for melting snow)~~ 1L pot included above in stove weight	~~AntiGravityGear 2L Pot with lid & cozy~~	~~8.0 oz~~ 0.0 oz
~~drinking mug~~	~~16+ oz capacity drinking mug~~	~~Snow Peak 21 oz titanium mug~~ Stove pot works great as an insulated drinking mug	~~2.8 oz~~ 0.0 oz
utensil	spork	~~Vargo titanium spork~~ Light My Fire Titanium Spork	~~0.5 oz~~ 0.6 oz
lighting	matches & 2 lighters	Bic lighters (2) & storm matches in 4″ x 7″ Aloksak	1.5 oz
water bottles	1.5L soft bottles with wide mouth lids	Two 48-oz Nalgene Cantenes	5.0 oz
food storage	waterproof bag	12″ x 15″ Aloksak	2.0 oz
Other Essentials
FUNCTION	STYLE	EXAMPLE	WEIGHT
maps	custom printed on waterproof paper	National Geographic Topo!	2.0 oz
light	LED headlamp, suitable for nightime navigation	~~Princeton Tec Yukon HL with lithium AA batteries~~ Fenix HL22 – lighter	~~7.0 oz~~ 3.0 oz
first aid	minor wound care & meds	assorted wound & blister care and medicines	2.0 oz
firestarting	emergency firestarting – waterproof	Sparklite & firestarter in 4″x7″ Aloksak	1.0 oz
sunglasses	100% UV blocking, plastic lenses/frames	~~Julbo~~ Native Dash SS – lighter, more comfortable	~~1.0 oz~~ 0.5 oz
goggles	lightweight ski goggles for blizzard travel	Bolle Zoopla	3.0 oz
anti-fog	for glasses & goggle care	anti-fog balm, cleaning cloth	1.0 oz
sunscreen	100% UV blocking, waterproof, paste	Dermatone	1.0 oz
personal hygiene	assorted toiletries	toothbrush, soap, toilet paper, non-alcohol hand gel, in 4″ x 7″ Aloksak	2.0 oz
Consumables
FUNCTION	STYLE	EXAMPLE	WEIGHT
fuel	~~white gas~~ canister fuel, 2.5 days	6 3 oz / day	~~15 oz~~ 8 oz
food	2.5 days	32 oz / day	80 oz
water	average carried	1.5 quarts	48 oz

Weight Summary
(1)	Total Weight Worn or Carried	~~9.33~~ 9.28 lb
(2)	Total Base Weight in Pack	~~15.53~~ 11.41 lb
(3)	Total Weight of Consumables	~~8.94~~ 8.50 lb
(4)	Total Initial Pack Weight (2) + (3)	~~24.47~~ 19.91 lb
(5)	Full Skin Out Weight (1) + (2) + (3)	~~33.70~~ 29.24 lb

Berghaus Vapourlight Hypertherm FZ Jacket Review

The Vapourlight Hypertherm Jacket is an incredibly versatile jacket which can be worn in reverse to accommodate multiple weather conditions. It is ideal for a hiker who wants to leverage one piece of gear.

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Beyond Our Boundaries: Episode 20

Follow the story of a family of five as they backpack over 2000 miles from Georgia to Maine.

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Clinker: A story of hardship and triumph on the AT

Cheryl McCormick at age 63 decides to conquer one of the most famous thru-hikes, the Appalachian Trail. Her story inspires us all and reminds us to chase our dreams.

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Lightweight Backpacking News: Digest No. 5

Backpacking Light has scoured the web and will now bring you salient backpacking news stories, gear releases, and trip reports.

Introduction

Expeditions & Trips

McCarron to Ride the Rio Santa Cruz

Leon McCarron, an adventurer and filmmaker from Ireland, is traveling by horseback along the Rio Santa Cruz from the Atlantic Ocean to the Patagonian ice cap – a thousand-mile journey that should take him about a month. Leon is a fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and has a handful of impressive human-powered expeditions under his belt already, including a crazy and beautiful traverse of the Arabian Desert, which was featured in the award-winning film “Into the Empty Quarter” with Alastair Humphreys.

Follow Leon’s Rio Santa Cruz journey online at his blog: leonmccarron.com

Watch the film Into the Empty Quarter online

Read Leon’s epic book The Road Headed West: A Cycling Adventure Through North America

Leon McCarron press photo. Used with permission of leonmccarron.com

2015 Bob Marshall Wilderness Open Details Announced

BPL member and contributing author, Dave Chenault announced the details about the 2015 Bob Marshall Open on his site. The Open is not a race but it is an opportunity to travel through some of the most rugged country in the lower 48. The posting was received with enthusiasm as BPL members and visitors to Dave’s site began commenting and posting to share their approval and excitement.

Read about the details on Dave’s site: bedrockandparadox.com

Read BPL forum posts: backpackinglight.com

Bob Marshall Wilderness used with permission of Dave Chenault.

Expedition Shorts

WASHINGTON POST REPORTER EXPLORES PATAGONIA – After years of trying to make this journey happen, Erin Williams and her husband plan 20 day expedition in the mass of wilderness compromising Argentina and Chile – Patagonia. It was an escape from the mainstream world filled with distractions and very devoid of nature. At the end they were ready to stay a while longer and soak in the beauty. Read more at the washingtonpost.com RUSSIAN EXPLORES SEARCH MYSTERIOUS CRATER – Russian explores descended into a mysterious crater in Siberia to search for clues as to its origin. The crater which was discovered in July is 54 feet deep. The crater had not stabilized until recently when it froze allowing for its exploration. Scientists hope to use the data and measurements collected to determine what caused its formation. Read more and view pictures at nationalgeographic.com MOOTHEW EXPLORES ROYAL ARCH ROUTE – Moothew on Vimeo just posted a video from his trip on the Royal Arch Route: IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good. Royal Arch Route from moothew on Vimeo. CELEBRATE THE CLASS OF 2014 – Summit Photos of 166 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hikers from the 2014 Season at appalachiantrials.com. TRAIL SHOW TELLS THE LATEST ON THE TRANS-ADIRONDACK ROUTE – Learn about the Trans-Adirondack Route on the latest episode of The Trail Show. ANTARCTIC EXPLORER’S NOTEBOOK FOUND IN MELTING ICE – Century-old notebook from Robert Falcon Scott’s legendary Antarctic Expedition found in the melting ice. Maybe one small benefit of global warming? Maybe?

Photo of the Week

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the photo immediately below, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good. High Country guides takes to the Desolation Wilderness in California for tenkara fishing, brook trout, and stunning scenery.

Catching #brooktrout in the lake Lois drainage #california #sierras #tenkara #fishing #flyfishing #ultralight #ultralightbackpacking #backpackinglight #DesolationWilderness #hiking #highcountryguides A photo posted by Troy Meadows (@high_country_guides) on Nov 11, 2014 at 9:50am PST

Skills

Budgeting Time in the Mountains

Planning a backcountry adventure requires that you know at least a little bit about your route – its topography, terrain, and season govern the amount of time that you’ll spend traveling, biking, paddling, or skiing it. AMGA-certified mountain guide Donny Roth offers his perspective for estimating travel times while backcountry skiing in the mountains. Check it out – it’s good, solid skills, and the drawings are epic.

Learn More at Backcountry Magazine

Skills Shorts

NEWS FLASH: TREKKING POLES MAKE HIKING EASIER – In all seriousness though, trekking poles are often overlooked when planning an expedition. Trekking poles can make a big difference when hiking by improve your endurance and your safety. The are a great piece of gear and can be used to pitch your shelter. Indefinitelywild explores there many uses.

MAKE YOUR OWN MANLY AX HANDLE – Art of Manliness explores the best way to carve your own ax handle from a log.

Gear

Products Using PrimaLoft Performance Down Blend now Hitting Stores

PrimaLoft announced in January at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market 2014 that it has blended synthetic fibers with water-resistant goose down to create a hybrid blend that is now showing up in products this fall. Keep your eyes peeled as performance reviews start to trickle out.

Learn More at Primaloft.com
Read about this technology in Sports Illustrated
On the Market: the Under Armour Men’s ColdGear Infrared Turing Jacket featuring PrimaLoft Performance Down Blend insulation in a trim-fitting, ultralight insulating jacket with a reflective lining

Patagonia & Yerdle Team Up to Put Used Gear to Good Use

Through its $20 Million & Change investment fund, Patagonia is investing in Yerdle, a mobile app where people give away things they no longer need, earning “Yerdle Credits” to use in shopping for what they want. Yerdle makes it easy to save money and reduce waste. Do you have unused camping and hiking gear? Consider “Yerdling it…” Learn more at Yerdle.com | Download the Yerdle App in iTunes

MSR WindBoiler vs. Jetboil Sol

It’s all about performance in wind. The fundamental differences in design between the WindBoiler and the Jetboil can be simply distilled: how exposed is the burner to wind? The MSR? Not so much. The Jetboil? Oops. The WindBoiler is destined to become … dare we say it … king of the Alpine? At high winds, a few ounces simply don’t matter. Hikin’ Jim breaks it down at his fantastic blog Adventures in Stoving.

Gear Shorts

HAMMOCK GIFT GUIDE – Gearjunkie.com published a Hammock Gift Guide that doesn’t go into great detail or exclusively focus on ultralight gear, but gives a nice peek into hammock camping gear.

SECTION HIKER DOWN JACKET REVIEW – BS Alert? A blogger may have sipped a bit of marketing Kool-Aid during his review of the Big Agnes Third Pitch Hooded Down Jacket Review when it control-cee-and-veed from the BA catalog copy about “revolutionary” tubes of down.

PETE AND CO. RELEASE THEIR NEW WINTER JACKET – Looking for a winter-worthy down jacket at the bleeding edge of high performance? Check out the K-Series Yukon from Pete and Co. if you have extra coin and are serious about expedition-worthy gear that isn’t made in China, actually holds up to extremes, and can be customized just for you.

PALEO BACKPACKING MEALS – The Jolly Green Giant takes a look at Paleo Meals for Backpacking.

Other News: Tidbits

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

TRAILSIDE GAMES HAS A GAME FOR YOU – Trailside Games has a stocking-stuffer (assuming you have a stocking that big enough to hold the outdoors) for you this season: “Backcountry: The Game.”

Backcountry The Game- AT Promo from Trailside Games on Vimeo.

JOB OPPORTUNITY IN THE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY – Hyperlite Mountain Gear is looking to hire a Marketing Manager. Live in Maine…surrounded by Cuben Fiber…c’mon, what’s not to love?

ANDREW SURKA HOSTS REDIT AMA – Reddit fan? Join Skurka at a Reddit AMA on December 6.

OUTPADDLE THE APOCALYPSE WITH THE APLACKALYPSE – Gear Junkie reviews Alpacka’s new white water raft, the Alpackalypse.

Alpackalypse packraft in action. Used with permission from GearJunkie.com.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

JEREMY COLLINS DRAWS HIS OWN STORY – Jeremy was happy and had a wonderful life but he wanted more…He wanted to live adventurous and experience things outside the bonds of society. This trailer shows his journey.

GOBBLING ON THE TRAIL – It’s not too late to celebrate Thanksgiving on the trail with these great recipes.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t see the video immediately below, or see a “Sorry…” message in the video player, just click this link to refresh the page, and you’ll be good.

BANFF FILM FESTIVAL TRAILER – Alastair Humphrey’s Film chosen for Banff Film Festival. Trailer below:

In the Forums

BIKING THE JOHN MUIR TRAIL – Bored? Grab some popcorn and help solve the First World Problem of whether or not we should be able to Mountain Bike the John Muir Trail.

BPL MEMBERS SHARE BACKPACKING TIPS – Looking for some tips to improve your backpacking experience? This forum has tips on for everyone. Learn how to stay hydrated during your drive out from the trailhead, to how much chocolate you should bring on a trip, to the best packing tips.

THE BEST MOUNTAINEERING GEAR AS TOLD BY BPL MEMBERS – Hanging from a ledge and wondering if you have the right gear? Don’t let this be you! Read what gear you should bring before you go mountaineering.

BEST WAYS TO KEEP YOUR HANDS WARM – Keeping your hands warm in the winter is obviously important but it can be hard to find the balance between promoting warmth and causing sweat. Read these tips for keeping those fingers working.

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Introduction

Top Stories

Niagara Falls Finally Climbed

Lindsey Vonn

Cold Water Surfing

Top Stories Shorts

Expeditions

Iditarod Trail Invitational

Sub-Arctic Snow Biking

Expedition Shorts

Photo of the Week

Skills

Navigation Skills That Will Save Your Life

Becoming an Adventurer

Skills Shorts

Gear

Gear List for Backcountry Nordic Skiing

Gear’s Evolution

Gear Shorts

People

Interview with Moe Witschard

People Shorts

Introduction: That Other Ultralight

Building an Ultralight Hunt

35 pounds: The debate begins

Conclusion: What’s next

Introduction

Top Stories

Hiking PCT in Winter

First Solo-Summit of Denali

El Capitan’s Dawn Wall

Top Stories Shorts

Expeditions

Wabakimi Provincial Park

Hiking in Kauai

Expedition Shorts

Photo of the Week

Skills

Reclaim Your Vision

Sleeping in a Bivy

Skills Shorts

Gear

Looking for a New House?

Nordic Skates Revamped

Gear Shorts

People

Chat with Chris Figenshau

Interview with Jon Muir

People Shorts

Sonim XP7 Ultra-Rugged Smartphone

Features / Claimed Specs:

Glove Usability

Battery Life in Cold Temperatures

Operation in Cold Temperatures

Summary

Fenix HL22 Single-AA Headlamp

Casio Pathfinder PRG-270

Introduction

Top Stories

Climbing El Capitan Via the Dawn Wall

Why the Founder of Patagonia Opposes Dams

Icebergs of Antarctica

Top Stories Shorts

Expeditions

BikePacking and Packrafting the Wrangells

How Much Does it Cost to Climb Mt. Everest?

Expedition Shorts

Photo of the Week

Skills

How to Face Uncertainty and Adversity on Your Backpacking Adventures

How to Take Photos in the Winter

Skills Shorts

People

Interview with Rosie Swale-Pope

An Unbreakable Spirit for Adventure

People Shorts

Introduction

Summary Table: Staff Favorites

Doug Johnson

Suluk46 Tica Ice Tool