What article would you send to a total newb?

[Mitchell Ebbott]

I've come up against this problem a few times now, and I'm wondering what the hivemind has to say.

Most of my friends know I'm into backpacking, so if they're going to try it out they generally come to me for advice. Sometimes it's a trip I'm organizing, sometimes it's with some guided group, or sometimes it's just a family trip they want to try out. I generally tell them to weigh their stuff and put it on LighterPack.com, then send me the list and I'll help them out. But it's also helpful to send them an article or blog post that explains the basics of lightweight backpacking — multiple use gear, leaving luxuries at home, packing for the conditions, the "big three" (or four), and other foundational principles along with easy-to-implement examples.

There are a lot of "Lightweight 101" options out there, and none of them are perfect or comprehensive. Not everybody is a gear nerd like me who wants to spend hours browsing the BPL archives and forums or reading through an entire book like Skurka's gear guide.

So, hivemind: if you could send one article, and only one, to your friend who is totally new to backpacking and wants to start out right, what would you send them?

[Dale Wambaugh]

Short and sweet:
https://dalesjournal.wordpress.com/2015/03/12/ultralight-backpacking-basics/

[No Limu, just Doug]

Is that your blog Dale? That is a great overview article, nicely done.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Yeah, that's my blog. Learned it all here, no joke.

[Bob Moulder]

Hey, Dale: Very nice and succinct overview!

Who knew? Is it possible to put a link to your blog in a signature? Lots of other good stuff in there.

That and Mike Clelland's video will go a long way toward introducing folks quickly to basic UL concepts. We know there's ultimately a lot more to it than that, but, as with any other topic, there's no need to eat the entire enchilada in one big bite. :^)

[Paul Wagner]

We have a site dedicated to encouraging people to go backpacking. Tons of info…no commercial activity at all:

https://sites.google.com/site/backpackthesierra/home

[Link .]

Look it over and take your pick:
General info for you to look at
Mike Clelland(NOLs instructor and author, his books are very good),he has some great free videos on lightening up be sure to watch(his clothing system,the entire contents of his pack,water treatment and part 1 and 2 on the dinky stuff for ideas),this is an article he wrote The fastest way to backpack weight loss ,this is pmags Lightweight Backpacking 101 and The Frugal Backpacker – The $300 Gear Challenge .These are some other articles and videos for you to check out

Backpacking for Cheap: Gear for the Gearless

Backpacking Checklist (Gear List): 3-Season, 3-Day

Lightweight Backpacking 101: An Introductory Manual for Lightening Your Load Today (1st Edition – August 2001)

Cheap Ultralight Gear List

Oregon Field Guide: Ultralight Hiking

Lightweight Testimony: Lighter, Farther, Faster
Jamie Shortt talks about his progression and shows his gear list for each stage, Lightweight Testimony: My Journey into Lightweight Backpacking
CleverHiker Light weight Basics
CleverHiker Trail Skills

Andrew Skurka has a very good website with trips and gear lists for you to check out, here is a talk he gave at google
Ultimate Hiking Gear & Skills Clinic
His book is worth checking out also
The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide: Tools & Techniques to Hit the Trail
You can get little repackaging containers(like the ones you see in Mike Clelland uses in his videos) many places including your local stores and pharmacy but here are some examples
USPLASTICS
USPLASTICS
Ultralight Designs
GossamerGear
MountainLaurelDesigns
You could make toothpaste dots like Mike C. shows or there are Archtek Toothpaste Tablets so only bring exactly what you need in a snack size bag for any given trip instead of a whole tube and THESE are good for little thing like pills, toothpaste tablets ect. so you are not packing a whole bottle(you can also get them very cheap at most pharmacies) .

[Brian Lewis]

Serendipitously, a family friend asked me for some basic advice and ideas on getting started.
I sent her to pmags too; there are certainly other fine references, but Paul puts out a lot of stuff that makes sense to me and is freely available.

The particular article I sent her to, however, was this one:

http://www.pmags.com/backpacking-a-beginners-primer

[Anonymous]

I liked Andy Skurka's hour long youtube presentation he did for Google. He's a pretty funny and charismatic speaker while delivering a good presentation.

If someone's a total newb to a subject I'm not sure how much they'll absorb until they try it. So I'd identify a 1-2 pager first, then an indepth resource if they actually care.

[Stephen M]

Something from golf digest ;-)

[Mitchell Ebbott]

Thanks for all the input! I ended up going with the one-two punch of PMags articles—the Beginner's Primer plus Lightweight 101. The primer is great for total noobs to know what to bring so they don't die, but I felt that even brand new hikers could use a little more on lightweight techniques. The Lightweight 101 article fills that void nicely. It hits the major points, gives easy-to-try examples, and doesn't get bogged down in minutiae.

Paul, my boonie hat is off to you!

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