Ultralight Tip of the Week

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Mike, your eat-on-the-trail suggestion is what I do in bear country to keep food smells off gear as much as possible… and away from "camp".

[Warren Greer]

Funny, I saw those rings and thought, "man, there's no need for that thing" and so I cut em' all off with a good pair of dykes. Based on the responses here, either we're all normal or…… ! Got two copies on the way, one for me and one for my hikin' buddy. This book looks fun. Can't wait for it. Mike, thanks. And lookin' forward to Thursdays like I used to for Tuesdays, like when the four-part PCT story was debutting. Really enjoyed that for sure.

[Bob Gross]

On a few shelters, you can use two trekking poles with the tips up and together. However, some shelters do not have a pocket to hold the two tips together. That is what the ring is for. A small ring won't make it, but a big ring will. The plastic ring holds the two pointy tips together.

–B.G.–

[James Marco]

Ultraligh Backpakin' Tips had me laughing at every page turn. Either the text or the pics were getting to me… a really good little book.

But, I don't think the butt slide is for me. Somehow, the image evoked of a 60 year old man sliding down a hilloc with pants waving in one hand and shouting "YIPEE" sounded a bit undignified. But what the hey, ya' only go around once.

YIPEE….

[Einstein X]

I don't find that my transition from hiking to camp or vice versa is faster with my UL pack. As a good UL hiker most of my gear is multi-use, this means that if it's raining I'm hiking in my tarp and I actually sleep inside my backpack since it doubles as a full size bivi! I own a full size Exped Auriga tent, which as Exped mentions on their site, literally sets up in two minutes. I fiddle a bit longer with my poncho before it is setup as lean-to or A-frame. I also find it faster to pull tent, mat and sleeping bag out of a traditional pack then taking my virtual frame mat from the bivi-bag-pack; taking the guy lines from the pack which in hiking mode function as pack compression strap; taking all the stuff out of the pack, taking the filling (which are spare clothes) from the shoulder straps and hip belts, turning the backpack inside out and putting mat and sleeping bag inside the bivi in sleep mode. Going from camp to hiking is just as cumbersome, since all the multi-use gear has to switch back from camping to hiking mode again.

Don't get me wrong though: I love my gear and wouldn't want to have it differently, but for me it does take more time to transition from hiking mode to camp mode with my UL kit then with my old traditional gear.

Eins

[Jason Elsworth]

"taking the guy lines from the pack which in hiking mode function as pack compression strap" Great idea.

The Exped Bivy Poncho on your kit list also looks interesting.

[Einstein X]

<>

Jason, actually my posted gear list on this site is not up-to-date anymore. My Exped poncho was replaced by the Go Lite poncho, most important reason was that the Exped weighs twice as much. I also like that the Go Lite is longer, so it covers better as a tarp. I do like the double sided buttons on the Exped though, so that it can be used as poncho, which I actually did on one or two occasions.

Cheers, Eins

[Mike Clelland]

Just so y'know, my definition of "traditional" backpacking is based on my work at NOLS. That usually means elaborate tents and equally elaborate cooking for both dinner in the evening and breakfast in the morning.

And – My definition of ULTRA-light backpacking usually involves no shelter at all (except as my pillow) because I'll almost always sleep out under the stars.

So – there is a profound difference between these two skills, at least from my set of experiences.

Peace,
Mike C!

[Thomas Trebisky]

Tip 31 hits the heart of what I have realized about going light. My goal now is to be comfortable on the trail, not comfortable in camp! This is not a "gear revelation", but a "mindset revelation".
I want a copy of the book when/if it becomes available, this is good stuff.

[Mike Clelland]

The book is NOW available!

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/clelland_ultralight_backpackin_tips.html

[Manfred]

Mike,

I tried to order right away, but it it is still showing as "Out of Stock"

Manfred

[Josh Newkirk]

Yeah I just ordered one off amazon cause bpl is out of stock.

[Sam Haraldson]

There are more books on order. I was expecting them yesterday so please sign up for a stock-alert to receive an email when they're back in stock.

[Mary D]

Thank you, thank you, MikeC!, for your tip #89 on the plastic bags for feet. I now know that I am not alone in preferring this method, and that (unlike the opinion of some) I am neither silly nor stupid!

For those of us who live where there's a Fred Meyer store, the larger size plastic bags in the bulk health foods section work better than bread bags, IMHO. They're the same weight plastic (quite a bit heavier than produce bags) but don't have the hard-to-clean pleats in the ends that bread bags have. I've always asked if I can take a few extra and the clerks haven't objected. 2 pair are 0.6 oz. and $0.00. For those in other parts of the country, check the plastic bags in your local store's bulk section (the bags have to be heavy enough to hold several pounds of bulk almonds or jelly beans).

I swear my feet get wetter hiking through a dew-soaked meadow than they do fording a stream! It feels that way, anyway!

OK, I had to heap on some praise after my critical remarks on last week's hint, but I really do greatly appreciate this one!

[Tony Wong]

Recommend using UPS plastic bags and cutting them down to "sock" size.

They are free and tough enough to be used repeatedly without getting worn down and full of holes.

They work great for me and have kept my feet warm and "dry".

(Dry is relative in this case because the plastic bag is a vapor barrier and traps foot sweat. While hiking, I find I am warm, but stopping for a prolonged time, I can get a minor chill from the sweaty, damp sock).

-Tony

[Sam Haraldson]

I just received these books and have put them back in stock. Happy reading, BPL'ers.

[Diane Pinkers]

So, I expect to be hiking at the end of the month, in what may be sloppy or wet snow conditions. My current boots are Inov-8 boots with Gore-tex linings. Gore-tex can fail eventually to be water proof. Would you use the plastic bags as a vapor barrier even in Gore-tex boots?

[Mike Clelland]

REPLY to Diane:

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The reason to wear plastic bags is to help make your feet feel a little bit warmer. Even if you have gore-tex shoes, full immersion up above your ankles in a stream will make your feet totally wet.

And, wearing plastic bags in a camp setting will definitely make your feet warmer.

[Diane Pinkers]

Oh, yeah, I knew it was to make your feet feel warmer. I certainly wasn't thinking it would keep my feet dry in the event of a deeper stream crossing, that would be silly.

I guess it was a question of having plastic under a (possibly) breathable liner, vs. having it under more permeable shoes as is often advocated on this list. I wasn't sure if I'd have to be dumping water build-up out of my boots that might be otherwise evaporated off. If my boots don't dry out for three days, I'd have to be wearing plastic bags on my feet the whole time—I definitely get cold feet easily. I'm a little surprised that having the vapor barrier doesn't lead to trench foot eventually.

Then again, if the Gore-tex liner is failing, time to get new boots! Possibly a good time to switch to more breathable runners.

[Paul Magnanti]

My friends and I have called the bread bag liners "BagTex". :)

A poor man's VBL that works well in a pinch. I've used them for ski touring during particularly cold and nasty weather.

Long live dirtbagging!

[Brian Austin]

Not sure others do this, but I put a bag on my bare foot then my sock then another bag. Keeps my socks dry and my feet warmer. NOTE: I have sweaty feet. Feels kinda funny for 5 minutes, but then the vapor content of the inner bag and my foot equalize and its fine.

[Mike Clelland]

Reply to Brien:

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Yeah! I like the sound of that system!

That seems like it would work GREAT!

[Eric Blumensaadt]

AHA! Now that you've recommended light neoprene diver's socks I feel a bit vindicated.

For over a decade I've been using them over a pair of thin polypro liner socks to keep my feltpac liners dry in winter. I've also used them with my leather 3 pin backcountry boots.

I take 3 pair of polypro liner socks to insure that I've always got a clean pair on week long winter trips.

[Curry]

#80 loose laces – For easy adjustment to laces, just use a pair of the small, spring barrel-type lace-locks that runners and triathletes use. just push down the spring end, thread your laces through the opening and then either tie them off to the front of your laces at the bite in the lace well or cut them off to fit so that you have just enough bitter ends to provide enough room to put yout shoes on or off. you can then "reeve" your laces in and out through the lace lock to adjuct without retying, etc like you have to if you just tie your shoe by the old-fashioned bow-loop method.

#84 – footbeds. best over the counter orhtotic is Superfeet. They are relatively cheap, lightweight and highly durable and last a long time. BTW, the things that come with most shoes are just psuedo-carboard type junk that do nothing for support, cushioning or stability, so it's just wasted weight. After countless marathons, half-ironmans and ironman and several pricey pairs of custom orthotics, i still use Superfeet in my trailrunners and other hiking shoes or other athletic shoes for gym work or events other than intense long distance endurance sports.

[nanook ofthenorth]

Really enjoying the series… but is there any way this could update with the rest of the website on Tuesday lol?

[Author]

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