Topic

Simplicity


Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #1217322
    Stephan Guyenet
    Member

    @guyenet

    I love simplicity on the trail. Having less gear is not just about weight for me, it’s also about being able to enjoy my surroundings without having to fumble with my gear all day. The less I have between myself and my surroundings, the more connected I feel.

    One of the things I’ve done recently is stopped cooking on trips less than 5 days. It’s so liberating to me not to have to cook and clean in the backcountry, plus I lose the weight of cookware. Another thing that’s helped a lot is organizing everything carefully in stuff sacks.

    Does anyone else have ideas about how to simplify on the trail? I’m not a hard-core minimalist and I do like to have gear to handle any reasonable situation comfortably. I usually bring a tarp, quilt, foam pad, bug netting, minimal clothing (including one insulating piece for most of my body) and raingear, first aid and other emergency supplies (duct tape, rope, knife, etc), and miscellany like sunscreen and poop trowel.

    #1346702
    EndoftheTrail
    BPL Member

    @ben2world-2

    Leaving cells, iPOD’s, PDA’s, etc. will go a long way to simplicity.

    For those who always bring their cameras, lenses, tripods, etc. — leaving ALL of them at home from time to time can help focus more on appreciating the scenery, rather than always looking for the next Kodak moment.

    #1346703
    John Chan
    Member

    @ouroboros

    I like backpacking simple because it simply means I take less (weight).

    For the up-coming ice climbing season though…

    with a pulk sled I’m not afraid of taking some extra TENS of pounds in “creature comforts” like a Honda EU1000is portable generator, 5 gallons of 92 oct, Coleman Pro Cat catalytic heater, boot dryers, 2 100 W lamps, various rechargers, a 20 lb propane tank (full)… “creature comforts” to hardy Northerners @ -30 F, “borderline necessities” for others.

    …my ode to lightweight winter camping… a Golite Hex 3 and a 32 F bag (Arc Ghost).

    #1346704
    Anonymous
    Inactive

    What No Wide Screen HDTV? How un-civilized…

    #1346705
    John Chan
    Member

    @ouroboros

    Nope, entertainment is provided courtesy of the solar radiation hitting the atmosphere.

    #1346706
    Channing Sze
    Member

    @eeyore

    I love simplicity on the trail.

    not just the trail, simplicity at home, at work, in life in general, can be rewarding too.

    #1346767
    larry savage
    Spectator

    @pyeyo

    Locale: pacific northwest

    A recent cover of Real Simple magazine said “ten things you need to keep your life simple”. I didn’t get much further.

    #1346797
    Terry Bauer
    Member

    @flyman10

    Stephen – you mentioned no cooking. What menu do you have for this? I might try the same thing.

    Terry

    #1346801
    Craig Shelley
    Member

    @craig_shelley

    Locale: Rocky Mountains

    As I thought about this, it was from a different perspective. I think going on backpacks alone leads to simplicity.

    It is easy to make decisions. The lack of conversation focuses your attention on your surroundings. Sounds. Sights. You’re quieter and, I think, see more wildlife as a result. I frequently don’t bother to cook (at least for 3-season backpacking, in winter hot food and especially beverages are a treat and you need to at least get water from ice or snow). I never use a tent when I solo.

    However, I don’t like leaving the camera. I like to look for shapes, textures, interesting lighting, record water sounds, birds, animals, etc. My camera lets me record these sights and sounds.

    Ultimately, I guess all of us are individuals and simplicity means very different things to each of us.

    Craig Shelley

    #1346821
    Stephan Guyenet
    Member

    @guyenet

    Terry- I bring whole wheat pitas, almond butter, prunes, dried figs and mixed nuts. It’s healthy and complete. If I ate meat, I’d bring jerky. I actually don’t miss cooking at all. I usually supplement with fresh foods I find in the backcountry: mushrooms and greens in the spring and summer, and mushrooms and berries in the fall. Just be careful which mushrooms you eat raw.

    Craig- I agree, going solo makes a trip much simpler. I’ve been doing that lately as well.

    #1347652
    Stephan Guyenet
    Member

    @guyenet

    Here’s another idea. What is one of the things we spend the most time fiddling with during the day while on the trail? Water purification/filtration. We either have to pump, mix solutions and wait 30 min, or both, several times a day. Some of us also have to stop and fumble through our packs every time we want a drink. Or maybe that’s just me.

    So here’s my new lightweight, hassle-free, instant gratification system: a 2L platypus big zip with a seychelle filter spliced in-line.

    It weighs about 6 oz total, probably a couple oz more than the lightest purification system possible, but still much lighter than your average dude’s system. Plus, it couldn’t get any easier: scoop dirty water into platy, suck. Plus, with the hose I don’t have to put my pack down and rummage through it to get water. The flow is good; it’s even fluid enough to use as a gravity filter.

    #1347656
    Bill Fornshell
    BPL Member

    @bfornshell

    Locale: Southern Texas

    Try looking in the Make Your Own Forum
    3.6oz Gravity Water Filter

    #1347665
    Douglas Frick
    BPL Member

    @otter

    Locale: Wyoming

    >a 2L platypus big zip with a seychelle filter spliced in-line.

    That, along with a small in-line UV sterilizer, would really make my day.

    #1347666
    Ryan Faulkner
    Spectator

    @ryanf

    Camelbak inline filter

    you guys might be interested in this.

    it is not platypus, but still cool

    ***EDIT***

    sorry the camelbak site is weird. the web adress dose not change when you go to dfferent pages on the site. so my link takes you to the home site

    click the link then…
    go to
    1. Military
    2. Accessories
    3. Tactical Components
    4. Hydrolink In-Line Micro filter

    #1347701
    Stephan Guyenet
    Member

    @guyenet

    Wow, that looks pretty cool. Expensive though. I wonder how much it weighs and how many gallons it filters. The filter pore size is smaller than the Seychelle. I’d be willing to bet it’s sturdier and better quality than the Seychelle filter.

    #1347729
    Anonymous
    Guest

    Sechelle is aimed at cyst removal. That’s why its pore size is larger. Bacteria can get through the Seychelle; viruses through any mechanical barrier filter. If viruses are anticipated, also employ either UV-C or a chemical means of purification.

    #1347774
    Rick Dreher
    BPL Member

    @halfturbo

    Locale: Northernish California

    Looks like it’s also available directly from Innova:

    http://www.innovapurewater.com/html/products/biological_products_list.htm

    #1347802
    Stephan Guyenet
    Member

    @guyenet

    Huh, that’s odd. Doesn’t Seychelle claim their filter removes 99.9 % of bacteria?

    I wonder how much that innova filter weighs.

    #1348669
    Michael Wands
    Member

    @walksoftly

    Locale: Piney Woods

    Has anyone tried one of these?

    Once my Safewater Anywhere filter bottle wore out, I hunted for a satifacory replacement. Found the frontier straw in a little shop in Colorado and have used it twice with a 7-11 Big Gulp Bottle (Yum). Seems to work OK, but haven’t seen any discussion anywhere on this product. Is there something I’m missing?

    Weighs only a few ounces or a 20-Gallon life. Would think this is ideal for a weekend out if water is prefiltered through a bandana.

    #1348670
    paul johnson
    Member

    @pj

    Locale: LazyBoy in my Den - miss the forest

    keep in mind that the Frontier filter is primarily a cyst/spore filter aimed more at protozoan (and larger organisms) removal, not bacteria or viruses.

    if you suspect bacterial or viral contaminants then you will want to employ either a chemical (e.g. AquaMira) or UV-C method of purification either instead of or in conjunction with the filter.

    basically, retaining filtration as the second step in purification, in the case of the Frontier filter or a “drink-on-the-go” in-line filter (other filters would normally be the first step in a two-step purification process), with the chem. and UV-C means of purification is only necessary if certain larger parasites (e.g. certain tape worms) are suspected to be present in the water which chems & UV-C are largely ineffective against at the dosage levels used by the hiker.

    #1348672
    Michael Wands
    Member

    @walksoftly

    Locale: Piney Woods

    Thank you, Paul. That is very insightful.

    I really haven’t worried about virus contamination since Peru.

    I hike in areas where there is a lot of agricultural run-off that Aqua Mira will not handle. I know that there are cooties in the water, but also worry about chemicals and try to filter them out. My old Sweetwater does a fine job, but it is soooo very heavy.

    #1348673
    Douglas Frick
    BPL Member

    @otter

    Locale: Wyoming

    > Has anyone tried one of these?

    There is a recent thread on this item at:

    http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/xdpy/forum_thread/1937/index.html

Viewing 22 posts - 1 through 22 (of 22 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting

A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!

Get the Newsletter

Get our free Handbook and Receive our weekly newsletter to see what's new at Backpacking Light!

Gear Research & Discovery Tools


Loading...