Why Most People Flounder When they Start Lightweight Backpacking
When I started the process of lightening my pack, I floundered – I spent an inordinate amount of time and money guessing my way through a framework that was broken. It looked like this:
- I realized that my pack was too heavy.
- I went to an outdoor specialty shop seeking help, or worse, shopped at online retailers for stuff that looked better than what I had.
- I purchased hundreds of dollars of new gear.
- I went backpacking with the new gear.
- I realized the new gear didn’t really keep the promises it made to me for a lighter pack and a more satisfying outdoor experience.
- I came home and my pack was still heavy.
- I went back to #2 and repeated the process.
Sigh.
There had to be a better way.
Over time, I invested countless hours into developing a cautious, intentional, careful, and methodical approach to lightening my pack, learning lightweight backpacking skills, and developing the solid foundations required to have a safe, comfortable, and satisfying experience with less weight in the wilderness.
Core Principles of Lightweight Backpacking
Eventually, I settled into a core framework that has been the foundation of my writing, instruction, clinics, seminars, and schools for more nearly two decades:
- Take inventory;
- Simplify;
- Limit contingencies;
- Value core function;
- Consider multiple use;
- Build systems;
- Develop your skills.
Member Exclusive
A Premium or Unlimited Membership* is required to view the rest of this article.
* A Basic Membership is required to view Member Q&A events
Discussion
Become a member to post in the forums.
Companion forum thread to: Ultralight Backpacking: Core Principles & Philosophy
Ultralight Backpacking: Core Principles is a 13-minute video screencast presentation that provides a critical foundation for efficiently becoming a skilled ultralight backpacker. The core principles presented herein should be considered wherever you are in your journey on lightening up, and are as applicable to me even today, after decades of “working on my pack weight”, as they were to me more than 25 years ago when I started this journey.
Become a member to post in the forums.