Ultralight Tip of the Week

[spelt with a t]

It does taste better, and I do it myself in areas I know well. I would never recommend a destination backpacker to fly in and do a trip in a new area and not treat their water. As Mike mentions, experience is key, and that includes not just judging the quality of the water in situ, but also knowing enough about the environment it came from to make as informed a decision as possible.

[Craig “Pisco” Gulley]

Mike,
I thought perhaps the only thing we differed on was how to potty in the woods, LOL but last weeks tip of timing your actions is the last thing I would want to do. my life is meeting after meeting, get on a plane, have a meeting, drive to next meeting. I certainly don't go into the woods to worry about spending a few extra minutes to eat or break down camp…. still what a fantastic collection of useful ideas and great art work

[Ron Cooper]

Ever since I bought your book, I have dropped 6 pounds from my skin-out weight. Thanks for the tips!

[Ivan Sharichev]

Please tell me what some online shop which provides delivery in Russia!

[Unknown abc]

Thanks for the tips, Mike!

I like this one because it solves for the excuse of 'oh I can't pack ahead of time because that would mean putting my sleeping bag and camping food in the pack and you can't leave it like that for long'. Well, one can still be that much closer.

Recently after a camping trip I reorganized my gear, which over my years of Scouting has grown to the total of 3 Rubbermaid tubs not including sleeping bags, pads and other items too big to go inside. From experience I was able to adopt something similar to what you recommend. I put all my most frequently needed stuff in the 'top-of-the-stack bin'. The rest is organized accordingly in order of priority. Works GREAT to not spend eternity packing.

[Pilate de Guerre]

Love these tips. I read "Lighten Up!" awhile back and it really got me in to lightweight backpacking. Thanks Mike.

[John L Collins]

Hi Ivan,

If you have a Kindle or other electronic reader you can get it that way. I actually got my copy of Mike's book specifically for my Kindle as my dear wife has really started putting her foot down about "more books and more camping gear and more Scouting stuff" in our house.

The cartoons are still great, the info is fantastic and you can also get Lighten Up and Lightweight Backpacking on the Kindle as well as a host of other interesting outdoor related titles.

Hope this helps.

John

[James Marco]

Mike, Your gear lists are excelent! Last week Hurricane Irene really hammered the High Peaks and Northville/Placid Trail forcing closures of the eastern trails. Hopefully, they will be opened back up by the end of the month. Till then the western regions are open.

[Ivan Sharichev]

O! its realy easy way! =) I did not think about it/ thanks!

[Ross Bleakney]

One of the things I have with my spreadsheet is a column for "amount". In other words, if I carry two pairs of (identical socks) then I will put two in that column. That makes it really easy to calculate weight. I just put in zero for stuff that I don't count. It's still on my spreadsheet, which means it can be included next time (e. g. winter stuff). Since my spreadsheet doubles as my checklist, I don't have to worry about forgetting something (the list has everything, even though the weight of everything isn't calculated). It's very easy to check something off, even when it isn't brought ("tent, over there, check; snow shoes, not bringing, check; etc.").

[Brad Bryant]

Just finished the book and it was great. Now I will get my scouts into bringing thier pack weight down…thanks Mike

[Mary D]

I also use the zeroes and ones in my spreadsheet. There's supposed to be a way to print the thing out (to use as a checklist) omitting the zero lines, but after being retired (and away from my Excel course books) for 11 years, I've forgotten!

[Elliott Wolin]

As much as I admire and try to follow Mike's tips, this may be one I disagree with, depending on one's definition of "stink."

If by "stink" one means not taking a full shower each day, not using perfume or after shave, and having a mortal fear of sweat drying on your body, then I agree.

But if one means ignoring personal hygiene to the point that one positively reeks with that sweet-sour overripe stench, then I have to disagree (I suspect we all have come across such a human chemical warfare device).

Being somewhat prone to rashes and skin afflictions I have to maintain a fairly high level of cleanliness while backpacking, so maybe I go overboard a bit. Even if I didn't I would never get to the point that it is extremely unpleasant to be anywhere but upwind of me.

[Keith Selbo]

What does stinking have to do with ultralight? I'd prefer this guy sticks to useful tips, and not subject us to his personal choice to let himself go when he's on the trail.

[David Ure]

"What does stinking have to do with ultralight? I'd prefer this guy sticks to useful tips, and not subject us to his personal choice to let himself go when he's on the trail."

This IS a useful tip. Don't bring soap and other smelly toiletries – it is okay to stink.

[Rod Lawlor]

Those clean shirts start to get pretty heavy when you're out for more than five or six days!

[Ross Bleakney]

Yeah, that is why this is an ultralight tip. Don't bring a "camp shirt" or other niceties, even if it means you will be stinky. Of course, like everything else, you can always bring the camp shirt — the point is, don't assume that bringing a camp shirt is standard. Depending on where you hike, you can sometimes jump in a lake, which helps reduce the stinkyness quite a bit.

I would say that I clean my hands and feet quite a bit. My hands for hygiene reasons, and my feet to prevent blisters. I've found that it doesn't take much dirt (which somehow sneaks in through the gaiters) to cause blisters.

[Dale Wambaugh]

It's pretty easy to wear you windshirt or other top while cleaning your base layers if they are that bad. Use a gallon zip lock for your sponge bath sink and a "washing machine" for socks and base layers.

Use very little soap, as the rinsing is the hard part. Of course your wash water should be dumped well away from any water source.

[Mike Clelland]

The reason i wrote that tip, saying it's okay to be stinky, is because of some of the gear lists I've looked at on this site.

A lot of people will take special sleeping clothes, or several t-shirts into the mountains with them. I just wanted to point out that (from my experience) these items are un-necessary, you'll be fine without them.

Some people will add things like special camp buckets, towels and wash cloths to their list. These might be niceties that can be enjoyed, but they aren't needed.

So, I added this tip to the book as a way to give people permission to leave that extra t-shirt at home.

[Dale Wambaugh]

So much for getting Paris Hilton on the trail. You really need to foster some diversity, Mike :)

[James Marco]

Mike, yeah, you stink! I love this tip, and, I must admit to being downright bad smelling sometimes.

Extra clothing weighs a lot. I almost never bring any. My concession is midweight long johns for sleeping in. On a few occasions, I have needed to wear these, too. Solution? As you say, "Dont carry it!"

How do I stay reasonbly clean? Well, In the ADK's there is a LOT of water, and not too many people. A pot of warm water, a bandana, and a drop of soap will get me reasonably clean, when I start smelling myself. If I must, I can do my base layer or pants, too. All while wearing long johns, of course. I would not do this in town, but it IS the woods, right? Nobody takes offense. 'Corse, I never see anyone, either… Maybe because of the smell before I wash up? Hmmmm . . .

[Anonymous]

Regardless of what Mike says about TP, he's onto something here, IMO. Wash the hairy regions when they start to really reek or get uncomfortable, and as for the rest, it's usually pretty mild, so get over it. You're not gazing into some young chick's eyes over cocktails; you're out in the boonies. Nobody's keeping score. My 2 cents.

[George Matthews]

excellent tip – your book is fantastic!

[Thomas Burns]

>Regardless of what Mike says about TP, he's onto something here, IMO. Wash the hairy regions when they start to really reek or get uncomfortable, and as for the rest, it's usually pretty mild, so get over it.

+1 on this. Furthermore, before longer hikes, trim the hairy regions short so that they don't absorb so much stink. A bit 'o baking soda helps, as well (and it's useful for a number of other purposes).

On longer hikes, the only other clothes I carry is a spare pair of sock liners and a a set of seam-sealed Tyvek pants and top (available from US Plastics), and I only wear them on laundry day and occasionally in the rain.

Stink away, my friends. It's the real smell of humanity, not the artificial, chemically induced stench necessitated by the close quarters of industrialized civilization. That's what, in part, you're on the trail to get away from.

Stargazer

[David Ure]

">Regardless of what Mike says about TP, he's onto something here, IMO. Wash the hairy regions when they start to really reek or get uncomfortable, and as for the rest, it's usually pretty mild, so get over it.

+1 on this. Furthermore, before longer hikes, trim the hairy regions short so that they don't absorb so much stink. A bit 'o baking soda helps, as well (and it's useful for a number of other purposes)."

What the….?

You mean, you guys don't shave your hariy parts before heading out?

[Author]

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