VIDEO: Get the Gear
"I love [my boots] with a passion that borders on the indecent...When you're way to hell and gone out there, you're nearly as dependent upon your equipment as is a mountain climber. You will love a sleeping bag that keeps you snug in a camp swept by a freak cold front; you will hate a raincoat that soaks through; you will cherish a tent that holds up through a howling storm; you will despise a cookstove that won't light in the rain, or that coughs and sputters in the cold. We're not just talking things here, we're talking serious relationships." - Hank Burchard, "Winter in the
Woods," Washington Post. Jan 3, 1986.
In the long-distance hiking world, there is such a huge emphasis on "ultralight" backpacking. And while there is definitely truth to the idea, it seems like people can get so carried away with it. Sub-10 lb. base weight...really? Is that necessary? Even though distance hiked per day directly corresponds with packweight, it's not a race to get to the end or even to the next resupply. There is literally so much lightweight gear out there someone could spend thousands and thousands of dollars just to shave a few ounces off their base weight. I admit that I did get a little bit sucked into it all, but I was able to keep myself in check and not go too crazy. In fact, I don't even know how much my pack weighs exactly, and I don't want to. I'm going to carry what I'm going to carry and that's that. Why should it matter exactly how much it weighs? I would rather be overly prepared than lack something that could be critical. As long as my pack is comfortable and doesn't cause any injuries, that is good enough for me.
"I love [my boots] with a passion that borders on the indecent...When you're way to hell and gone out there, you're nearly as dependent upon your equipment as is a mountain climber. You will love a sleeping bag that keeps you snug in a camp swept by a freak cold front; you will hate a raincoat that soaks through; you will cherish a tent that holds up through a howling storm; you will despise a cookstove that won't light in the rain, or that coughs and sputters in the cold. We're not just talking things here, we're talking serious relationships." - Hank Burchard, "Winter in the
Woods," Washington Post. Jan 3, 1986.
In the long-distance hiking world, there is such a huge emphasis on "ultralight" backpacking. And while there is definitely truth to the idea, it seems like people can get so carried away with it. Sub-10 lb. base weight...really? Is that necessary? Even though distance hiked per day directly corresponds with packweight, it's not a race to get to the end or even to the next resupply. There is literally so much lightweight gear out there someone could spend thousands and thousands of dollars just to shave a few ounces off their base weight. I admit that I did get a little bit sucked into it all, but I was able to keep myself in check and not go too crazy. In fact, I don't even know how much my pack weighs exactly, and I don't want to. I'm going to carry what I'm going to carry and that's that. Why should it matter exactly how much it weighs? I would rather be overly prepared than lack something that could be critical. As long as my pack is comfortable and doesn't cause any injuries, that is good enough for me.
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