For the past few weeks, I’ve been watching YouTube videos on backpacking. My first trip last month was a bit of a fiasco, with my sleeping bag and tent strapped to the back of my pack, but I proved that I was willing to make it happen, and quickly upgraded to a larger pack. It fits my gear and makes me happy. But even this has tended toward the large side, and for my second trip, I still found I had brought too much, so now I’m gleaning the wisdom of the interwebz for ideas, tips, and suggestions.
Learning about ultralight backpacking is pretty overwhelming. My pack last time weighed in around 26-30 pounds, and I’m fairly certain it was even more the first time. One YouTuber revealed that his setup was 13 pounds. Holy crap.
But this is how you learn. It’s hard to know what you can go without until you’ve at least tried. And if you think this is some cheesy lead-in to an analogy about getting rid of stuff in your normal life, you’re absolutely correct, but I’m also still talking about backpacking. I was really afraid of looking like an idiot at first, but really what mattered was just going and making it happen. And only after this was I able to reevaluate, change some gear, and omit other gear entirely.
It has been interesting to learn how many new forms of shelter exist for backpacking. There are tent systems that use trekking poles for support, hammocks, tents that use nothing but ropes for support, even tents that are basically just sleeping bags that are waterproof. So if I thought the expensive ultralight tent I want was light, there are options that go even further. A person could go crazy thinking about this. I’m still of the opinion that I would prefer the standard self-supported tent, since I like to setup camp and take small hikes from there using my poles, don’t particularly care for hammocks, and prefer camping in the open (especially above tree line when weather permits), so this seems to be the best option for me. But it has a price not only in dollars but also in weight and space.
Ultralight philosophy is very clever. Funny enough, it takes greater skill to go on less, and some of these people are very impressive. And now for the cheesy transition.
Getting rid of things is hard. In fact, so much in our society these days is free, it takes no time at all to get a whole box of swag to store away. It’s also common to hold on to things “just in case” (such as whole extra microwaves), just like with backpacking. For example, both times I’ve gone backpacking, I have not used my Windburner stove. These trips were one-nighters, and I simply wasn’t hungry enough to make one of those dehydrated meals, which typically give you 800 calories. So the next time I plan a one-nighter, I will probably leave the stove behind. Ditto the “emergency” stuff like matches and a fire-striker. When you have adequate shelter, warm clothes, a zero-degree bag, what really do you need those for? And if you have a SPOT beacon, half of your medical kit can be left, too. When you’re only 2.5 hours from the trailhead, it just seems silly to have too many of these things.
I keep a pair of old shoes around for working on my car, but the last time I worked on my car, I actually forgot about them. When I remembered, I didn’t bother to change. Really, my normal shoes worked just fine, though they could use a little dusting off now. It’s one of those things where it’s not hurting anybody in the closet, but it’s also not serving a real purpose, either. Sure, it’s just one pair of shoes, but you multiply this over all the objects in your house and it adds up. Tools, kitchen utensils, movies, games, camping gear, seasonal decorations, you name it. One thing here or there, backups for this and that, and you may find yourself shouldering a heavy burden.
Of course, ultralight backpacking, when it doesn’t involve skill, often involves large sums of money to try out expensive equipment. Discouraging to newbie schmucks like myself is the fact that even these ultra-experienced backpackers seem to always be trying new things to optimize, and that can get really expensive. The closest analogy I can get to this is how throwing some things out is a bit of a privilege if you don’t have to worry about the cost of buying them again. It’s a bit more precarious if you don’t have the money.
Anyway, ultralight philosophy is compelling. At a certain point, though, I may just throw in the towel and say, “I don’t really care. Some of this takes up space and I’m fine with that”. After all, it’s been a lot of fun, but it’s dangerous to take any hobby more seriously than you’ve proven yourself committed to. You take these things are far as you’re interested in taking them. If you’re doing it just to be a social media personality, you’re doing it for the wrong reasons.