Want Safer, More Comfortable Backpacking?
Contrary to what many think, ultralight backpacking is not
just about the freedom to hike more miles or to take your
whole pack up the mountain with you. It is also about
comfort and safety. Backpackers with heavy loads work too
hard and threaten their joints too much. Challenges may add
to the experience, but why suffer more than is necessary?
The Disadvantages Of Traditional Backpacking
Lack Of FreedomYou can't easily take a side trip up that hill, just to see
what is there. If you do it without your pack, you have to
go back the same way to get your pack.
It's A HasslePutting on and taking off your heavy pack quickly becomes a
chore. You start leaving it on even during rest stops, just
so you don't have to deal with it.
It's TiringBackpacking is clearly more tiring with a heavy pack, and
you probably won't enjoy yourself as much when you are
tired.
More InjuriesSprained ankles, blistered feet, sore muscles, and back and
knee problems are just some of the common consequences of
too much weight on your back.
SlownessMore weight equals slower progress, which means less access
to wild places (you can't go as far on your four-day trip),
or it means less time to for enjoyable activities, like a
swim in a mountain lake, or a relaxing evening in camp.
More DangerousMore injuries, and the inability to move quickly when a
storm is coming or an emergency requires you to get to a
road, means that backpacking can actually be more dangerous
with a heavy load. Add to that the possibility of bad
decisions due to tiredness.
The Ultralight Backpacking Alternative
Done the right way, ultralight backpacking gives you more
freedom, more comfort, more safety, more enjoyment and less
suffering than traditional backpacking. It allows you to
move faster, but notice that I say "allows." It doesn't
require it. It just gives you the option. That's more
freedom.
I have yet to meet or hear about a person who has tried
lightweight backpacking for a while, and then gone back to a
heavy load. I'm not saying it is for everyone. Bad ankles
may require heavy hiking boots, and bad habits may require a
big pack to satisfy them. But even a backpacker who needs a
pillow and big rectangular sleeping bag, can find these in
lighter forms.
You just can't understand the sense of liberation felt by a
convert to ultralight backpacking, until you try it
yourself. When I, with my eleven-pound pack, walk past
overloaded backpackers struggling up steep trails, I
remembered being in their place, and I know I am enjoying
myself more now.
Misconceptions About Ultralight Backpacking
Lighweight Backpacking Means SacrificeNot so. Bring your favorite camera! A lighter load means you
can stop to use it more easily. If you leave behind the
things you don't need, and bring a lighter backpack, tent,
and sleeping bag, you can more easily bring that telephoto
lense or whatever is really important to you.
Lighweight Backpacking Is Less SafeThe opposite! Bring all the safety items; a sleeping bag,
first aid kit, shelter, water purification, etc. Just bring
lighter versions. A light load makes you less likely to lose
your balance and fall, or to otherwise injure yourself. It
also means faster response to iffy situations.
A note about safety:It is lagely a matter of knowledge and experience. A trained
survivalist will always be safer backpacking with no shelter
than a neophyte with the best tent. Learn a little about how
to use you equipment properly, or to read the sky for comimg
storms, and you can go lighter and safer.
Lightweight Backpacking Is Less ComfortableIs it less comfortable to have 18 pounds on your back than
50? Is it less comfortable to have an ultralight sleeping
bag if it keeps you just as warm? I stopped getting blisters
(totally) when I started using running shoes instead of
hiking boots. Cut the weight on your back by twenty-five
pounds, and you can add back a heavier coat, if that is what
you need to be comfortable.
Lightweight Backpacking Is ExpensiveUltralight sleeping bags are expensive. Almost everything
else needed for ultralight backpacking can be found for the
same price or cheaper than traditional gear. There are many
sub-three-pound backpacks under a hundred dollars, for
example.
Bottom Line:Try it. The first time you are fifteen miles into the day,
and you realize that you can easily run up that hill-just to
see what is there, you'll know you made the right decision.
About the Author
Steve Gillman is a long-time backpacker, and advocate of
going light. His advice and stories can be found at
http://www.TheUltralightBackpackingSite.com