Ultralight gear for international travel?

I would also bring some way to sterilize your water. I dont know much about Asia, but where I travel I bring only one kind- usually chlorine. Dont mind the taste :)
Chemicals are usually the lightest and most fail-proof system which is why I like to use them. As I also have a stove, boiling is a backup system which I have used and adds no weight to your pack, assuming you were going to bring a stove anyway.
As Benjamin points out, LP's thorn tree is a great resource for international travel. Used it a ton. Just keep in mind, most of them are not going UL or even know what it is. I was criticized often for the use of a smaller pack and UL gear on that forum. No worries though!

Ben, are those weird fake "gladiators" still hanging around the Colosseum with their nonstop smoking and talking on cell phones?

Evanrussia, when were you in Tajikistan? My son was a military attache there for 18 months, came back just a year ago. He considered it one of the highlights of his career!

I second "the lighter the better," except the pack which does need to be sturdy enough to withstand the "TLC" (neither tender nor loving, ha ha) of the airlines and bus lines. 10 years ago I traveled through Europe for two three-month periods, with only one change of everything except socks (2 changes of those) and got along just fine. With quick-drying synthetic materials, judicious spot cleaning of outer clothes and a quick rinse of socks and undies every night, I stayed clean and presentable (I did hit a laundry about every 3 weeks). My pack coming out was definitely not lightweight (especially not with 3 bottles of wine and lots of souvenirs inside), but still light enough that I could carry it despite a bum knee! You want to start with the bare minimum, because you'll undoubtedly add souvenirs and other stuff as you go.

As much traveling as you two have done, you should be quite mentally prepared to go "minimaly extreme", as I'll call it.

For sleeping, I would strongly consider Nunatak quilts. They are the lowest weight I know of for the temperature rating, and compress well. The quality isn't surpassed, and rarely equaled (except by Western Mountaineering and Feathered Friends, which is heavier than WM).

http://www.nunatakusa.com

I would look into an Arc Edge for each of you. It's very lightweight (11 oz.) and will compress to "nothing" Will a true 40 degree F. bag suffice? Maybe both of you can fit under an Arc Specialist. I don't know, but maybe others on this site have tried it and can comment. Maybe one Arc Edge and one Arc Specialist would be sufficient if the above ideas are too extreme.

I think with the combined wisdom on this site, you could generate discussions for the best few options for your specific needs in the 4 major categories, in order to achieve extremely low weight and volume—pack, tent, sleeping bag, and sleeping pad.

Jim:

My pack for unsupported camping is 46L — Mountainsmith Ghost — same as Miguel’s I think — but alas no longer made. I can pack up to a week’s worth in there (3 seasons). IMO, the lightest weight pack that is still reasonably durable would be something made with Dyneema — something like this for example. Notice that it’s about half the weight of Rick Steve’s carry-on packs! The mesh pockets will be a concern though.

My pack for hosteling was 30L — I used it for my 7-month RTW trip last year, but have recently replaced it with this. I will be using my new pack for a 5-month Southeast Asia trip later this year.

MaryD:

I was in Rome back in 2001. The weird gladiators were there — and I expect they're still there. There were also a few touts roaming around selling fake stuff. But thankfully, I didn't see any 'Gypsy' children at all. Hopefully, they're gone for good — spending their time in school instead. Hope springs eternal…

Evan Chartier,
WOW! What a trip! You certainly show the way to simple, light travel. I’ll search and find the items you mention, see if they might work for us. How much of Africa did you travel?

Harry,
I think we are, as you say, “mentally ready to go minimally extreme.” We’re pretty flexible when need be. Last year we were to rendezvous with some friends at a place in the countryside in France. They were two days late. Our keys didn’t work. My wife was setting up our emergency bivouac of reflective blankets and silk sleep sacks when I decided the call of the wine cellar was too strong and just burgled the joint.

But, we don’t know much about current ultralight gear. As far as I can tell it’s now possible to be reasonably comfortable with gear that weighs no more than bivouac gear, which while being workable is NOT comfortable.

Never heard of nunatak, but will now go to their site. Thanks for the tip. I did use a WM bag during a summer long trip in EU with my youngest son about ten years ago, but it was way too hot for conditions. Our other gear on that trip was also over kill. Wound up shipping it home.

During the last few years, maybe more than a few, our travel, while extensive, has been of the hotel and rented holiday flat variety. The trip we’re planning now is the kind of thing I haven’t done in more years than I want to count.

Benjamin,
Thanks for the specific info, I had not seen that bag in Eagle Creek’s lineup. Is it new?

I now understand what you mean about Dyneema. I went to the sites of MLD, ULA and Six Moons, companies I didn’t know existed. Also Googled Dyneema.

To All,
Thanks. Since I posted my question I’ve received much very helpful info and leads to finding gear for beyond what I see at REI. Also glad to see these small manufacturers finding a place in today’s biz environment.

Now I have to dig deeper.

James,
Yeah it was really a great trip, and I will probably go lighter next time as well. I was hitching from the middle east through Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. Hope to go back soon to hit the western sub-saharan side. Would also like to plan a thru-hike from Cape Town up to Tangier (like Ffyona Campbell) or possibly the Sea of Galilee (french couple did it). Met a guy who rode his bike from Norway to Cape Town, although I met him in Malawi so he didnt make it all the way yet. Should be there in the next few months though. Would like to do that as well, hopefully in the next few years. Anyway…
Let me know if I can help ya!
Evan
Update: Let me also recommend that you try making your own gear. Depending on the environment you can make a really light (say 1 pound) down sleeping quilt for 150 bucks with the kit from Thru-hiker.com If you like the bag idea, put down another piece of uninsulated fabric to close the quilt- insulating the bottom wont do you any good anyway (not sure if you already knew this?) I didnt till just a few weeks ago! Let me know how I can help.

"I was hitching from the middle east through Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and South Africa. "

I'd love to do something like that. I'll be sure to pick your brain when the time comes…

I highly recommend it! Feel free to shoot me any questions. I did have to fly over Egypt and Sudan due to problems getting a visa (will have to be next trip). Anywhere else I would be happy to share whatever you want to know :)
Evan

Hey Evan,

All I can say is: WOW!!! What a trip!

You say you were hitching. Who mostly gave you rides? Did you go through areas where you took malaria medication? Did you…

Hmm. I have a bunch of questions for you, but I think they are off topic. I not very familiar with how forums work, but I get the impression that each thread is supposed to be on one topic. Is that correct? If so, may I send you a private message?

Cheers,

Jim

Jim,
Yeah, now that I am talking about it makes me want to go back! Oh well. Got back a month ago already but I have only 3 weeks till the next adventure! PCT 2010 oo yeah!
I usually just walked around till someone gave me a ride. Sometimes I didnt have to walk at all and someone picked me up, other times I had to walk 20+ Km. Depends on the day and remoteness of the area I guess. Sometimes I had to chip in for the ride, sometimes not. Sometimes they even bought me food! What cool people there are in this world. Can't thank them enough either.

You can send me a PM if you would like, or e-mail me at evanchartier@gmail.com, or start a new thread so that others can view the info and give input as well. What ever you feel will help you the most!
Looking forward to hearing from ya.
Evan

Evan,

OK I'll start this here.

I’m a working writer, my wife a photographer. At any given time we have a few projects in work. To give you an idea of where I’m going with my question, one of my projects now under consideration by a publisher is titled: At Home On Our Planet. This book is focused on my personal philosophy of travel and some of my experiences in over thirty years of international travel.

I’ve met a hundred backpackers on the road. But until I logged in here I had no idea there were folks traveling internationally with minimal ultralight gear. From my perspective, minimal gear is a philosophical statement as much as a functional solution, and has to do with placing as few barriers as possible between the traveler and the terrain, and the people he meets along the way. In the responses I have received to my initial gear question I have heard from people who are traveling not only ultralight, but consciously, fearlessly and with an open heart. I think there might be a book here; one focused on the people’s experiences.

My question is: would you be interested in being interviewed and having your story included in such a book?

It's cool with me whether the answer is yes or no. Many people prefer their privacy. If you are at all interested I can direct you to some of my work and we can see where it goes. Thanks again for your helpful responses.

Best regards,

Jim

Jim,
Sounds like you do some really interesting things. The book "At Home On Our Planet" is something very interesting to me- I would love to read it!
Logging in on BPL is really an experience huh. There are so many people here with so many interesting things to say, it is overwhelming. UL gear and travel is very philosophical, but that is a whole other discussion which can take a long time to go over :)
Taking gear is used to have a sense of safety and possibly comfort from different elements, be that the weather, people, animals, etc. Each person needs to find what he/she wants the trip to be about and plan the gear accordingly. I feel that the UL technique is the best for me and what I want to do.
I would definitely be interested in being interviewed for your book, or even just in having a conversation about life. Each person has such a story its always great to hear another's. Always up for that! I dont have much privacy, nor do I intend to. There are no questions I would not answer, or at least I havent heard them yet.
The difficulty at the moment will probably be finding the time to do all of this right before I hit the trail. Not sure what scope you are planning on taking this. Feel free to contact me any way you like, or continue writing here and I'll write ya back!
Looking forward to talking with you.
Evan

I agree with Benjamin about avoiding jeans, but I find merino much better suited to traveling than synthetic baselayers (t-shirts, underwear). Although it's marginally heavier and slower to dry (and expensive), the anti-odor properties really are amazing. Which means you don't need to rely on washing absolutely every day, or having spare sets.

I only use the lightest weight merino though, and only for next to skin tops + underwear, synthetic makes sense for everything else (pants, warmer mid layers etc).

Regarding UL gear and travel in general, I think they're an excellent match. However I've found a few things that work for strictly hiking, but not so much for traveling:
– full length foam pads (if it's cold enough that you need a full length pad of course). Fine strapped to the outside of your bag in the wilderness, but not compact enough for general travel. Inflatable pads definitely have the winning advantage of compactness, even if they are also more expensive+heavier+able to be punctured. Although some folks find them more comfortable too ;) Torso length 3/8" foam pads hide inside a frameless pack OK though.

– top loading packs. When all I'm doing is walking all day, and my pack is totally unloaded/loaded in the same order at the end of each day, top loaders are fine. I've found panel loaders much better for travel though, so much easier to quickly get at anything in the pack. Maybe I just need to get better at packing a top loader for travel though, it sounds like Miguel gets on just fine with his top loading Jam. It's a pity there are very few UL panel loading packs (the SMD Traveler is the only one I know of).

– mesh pack pockets (eg those on MLD packs). I don't really like having all my day gear clearly visible… You can just not put anything in them unless you're hiking of course.

– tiny (550ml) pot for cook in the bag meals. Works fine for hiking, but when traveling I can't rely on restocking cook-in-the-bag freeze dried food, and I get sick of convenience foods anyway. So a slightly larger pot is handy for some basic cooking. Also, I use a canister stove, but I wonder if alcohol stoves could be problematic?

– no spare footwear. My shoes invariably get absolutely filthy and soaking wet with mud etc, and they often are looking pretty battered, and dousings with SeamGrip don't improve appearances. They smell like an old wet dog too. Maybe that's less of a problem on drier ground, but at least in New Zealand I've found I really have to have some other lightweight footwear ((when not just hiking).

I forgot:

– shelters which need trekking poles. I don't walk with one, but normally carry one for my tarp (on the outside of my pack). These are just a pain to travel with. MLD sells a carbon fiber pole which can be used as a substitute which would be packable, but I miss the adjustable height and stiffness of the hiking pole, so for me this is another reason to switch to a tent while traveling. Once you add up poles, pegs and bivy bags, a UL tent isn't much heavier than tarping anyway, even solo.

Hi Evan,
I’m sure we could have an engaging conversation. Where are you located? Right now, until the end of the month, I’m in SoCal. If you’re in the area we could get together for coffee. After that I expect to be in SE Asia, but I use SKYPE to talk everywhere.

Thanks for your interest in being interviewed. Any book is a lengthy project, usually a year or two from concept to completion. Interview sounds so official, what it really amounts to is a brief conversation, you telling your stories about your travels. Then, with your permission, I would put a few lines about you, along with brief comments about others, into a formal proposal for a publisher. When, and if, I get a positive response from a publisher, I would contact you again for a longer more detailed conversation. And that’s about it, until the book is published and you get a copy, and appropriate credit.
If you want you can go to my website and see some of my work. Please don’t be put off by the fact that some of my books are on guns; that’s just something I know a bit about. There are also few chapters for one of my novels there. But the ones to really look at are: A Pilgrim’s Path, and I’m With You. Those are two travel related books and reflect the tone and feeling I most often write in. As an aside, I also write for magazines and newspapers, mostly travel related material. The portion of A Pilgrim’s Path that is on my site has profiles of a few other travelers and will give best you a sense of how I approach personal profiles, and how I intend to approach this project.

After talking a look at some of my work, let me know your phone number and I’ll give you a call.

Cheers,

Jim

http://www.jamesmorganayres.com

Hello Adrian,

Thanks! Much good info in your post.

I can relate to your comments about top loaders vs panel loaders; I’ve used both, and after much experience (not ultralight) I’ve come to prefer top loaders – for a variety of reasons, but that’s probably a topic for another thread.

Like you, I don’t like the idea of the net pockets for travel – although I've never used them. In addition to displaying all your gear, which I prefer to not do, my guess is that the net will catch on luggage racks and every other protuberance to be found on buses and in tight spaces.

Underwear: have you ever tried silk? Yeah, I know, silk sounds kind of foo foo for us guys. But there are a number of companies making silk boxers for men. I find them more comfortable than synthetics by a country mile and just as fast to dry.

Convenience foods? You mean people actually eat that stuff? When traveling we just forage (buy) fresh food along the way. For the wilderness, we forage wild foods and take food we have dehydrated ourselves. Last year during a long walk in EU we foraged figs, grapes, tomatoes, chicory, watercress and other things from the side of canals, and often the edges of farms. And yes, we always ask permission before taking anything from private property. Doing so usually results in an invitation, which we invariably accept, and to which we contribute the things we have with us – often a bottle of local wine.

How are things in New Zealand? Any trouble holding on? You being upside down there down under.

Cheers,

Jim

Jim,
I didnt see that you replied on this post as well as the e-mail! Anyway, I sent you an e-mail I hope you get it. Great work by the way.
Looking forward to talkin'
Evan

Its nice to hear you are setting out for an international travel.Once I came across a site,http://www.travelsideas.com/, related travel idea and travel accessories and many more information.I think it may help you.

I think some gear lists are in order! That's the way we would handle a backcountry trip.

Also, as far as tougher packs, I think the GoLite fabrics would hold up well for a six month trip if the bags aren't being checked. Look at the Peak model for a reasonable size for travel. It has compression straps and a hook-and-loop system to shrink the pack down for smaller loads.

If you are checking packs, I think putting them inside a duffel bag is the way to go. Osprey makes one that is 8000 cubic inches and $29: http://www.rei.com/product/728446.

As I read through the posts, it struck me that a nesting pot-and-bowl cook kit would be nice. They are too heavy for hiking, but would be very handy for traveling. You could round it off with a fabric "collapsible sink" and a small cutting board– just a polyethylene sheet from a cooking store. With that, a canister stove, a small knife and a little olive oil, I could cook up feasts in a campground. A Swiss Army knife with corkscrew and can opener would be very handy.