My plans for my major summer backpacking trip have yet to solidify. As I study maps of the area I plan to visit, I keep changing my route wanting to see it all. One thing keeps coming up. No matter which route I take or how many days I plan to stay out. Everything I will need I must carry in my pack.
Over the years I have gone through several phases on what to carry. When I first started backpacking, back pack stoves were basically unheard of in my area. I did not know a single person that had one. We cooked over an open fire, carried relatively heavy equipment. Dehydrated food was not very tasteful. But I carried a relatively light pack, with just the bare essentials.
As the years went by, my equipment changed. I also added a stove and water filter. Dehydrated food quality improved. While I essentially carried more gear, the weight of the pack remained about the same.
Along the time line I married a wonderful lady, and our family came into being. While my son was still quite young, I remember taking him back packing with me. I also remember the 80 lbs. weight of the pack I carried. I no longer carried just the essentials. I also carried the 'just in case', and extra items that would make for a good experience for my son.
Later, when my son was in the BSA, and going on outings, I was invited along by the Scout Master to help out. Again, my pack contained extra stuff, 'just in case' some scout had problems. While it did not weigh 80 lbs. It did weigh 60 lbs. Then came the extended trip into the Wind Rivers of Wyoming. For this trip, my son and I made some gear changes, and I decide that all the 'just in case' stuff that I had carried, and never used, would not be making the trip. As a result, my pack weighed 34 lbs.
After my son aged out of scouting, and my professional life became quite demanding. I found that extended trips became nearly impossible to plan, and a simple over-night trip was about all I could manage. During this time, my eight year old daughter asked if she could join me on my over-night trips. Suddenly my pack went back to the 60 lbs range. As I carried extra gear, 'just in case', so that my daughter could have a good experience.
My daughter and I have been backpacking for almost 15 years now, and my pack has slowly diminished back to the 45 lbs. range. While we split gear, I still have a tendency to carry the majority of the gear to lighten her load, but she is always pushing back to let me know that I can quit protecting her.
She is now in college, and our trips have become harder to orchestrate. So I have started to solo hike. I have added a satellite phone, gps, and solar charger to the pack as safety devices. This has added some weight, but not a significant amount. What I have found is that I take more 'just in case' gear again, because I do not have someone else to rely upon for help. To reduce that weight I have invested heavily in ultralight gear. I now worry about ounces. I check the weight of stoves, bags, filters, etc. before purchasing. I have been able to keep the weight in the 45 lbs. range by doing so.
I have become a gear head. I still probably carry too much gear, but each solo trip trims unused gear from my pack. I hear of backpackers that go for a week (or more) with a sub 20 lbs. pack and I do not know how they do it. The area that I pack in is extremely remote, high altitude (above 10,000 ft), and on my last trip, I did not see another person for the entire trip. The weather can change from sunny to snow, 80° F to 20° F in a matter of hours (if not minutes). I must carry gear for all conditions, so I will continue to carry 45 lbs. and dream of a lighter pack. Happy trails....
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