Hikers have considerable differences in their shelter preferences. Before spending a lot of money on expensive gear, especially a shelter, it is wise to decide what you expect from it. One gauge of being a real “gear-head” is when the square footage of your accumulated tents, tarps and bivys equal or exceed the square footage of your house or apartment.
Another remarkable difference in gear choices can be seen by the colors chosen. I like all my colors to blend in with the environment, so that stealth camping and hiking is always an option. This ability to be hidden is a safety issue. The aesthetic issue is to allow other hikers a perception of solitude. Also, bright colors have been proven to attract bears. However, some people feel that earthy colors are dark and depressing, and prefer to use yellow, blue and red. It is definitely recommended to have some bright colors during hunting season. White is a dangerous color to wear during deer season, even in small amounts or as underclothing. A flash of white looks like the tail of a deer to inexperienced hunters.
Partners
Weight can be saved if your adventure includes a partner. Before you try to recruit a partner, perhaps some issues should be addressed. Not everyone enjoys a long-term hiking partnership. Many concessions must be made to keep both parties happy, including matters relating to budget, town stops, length of hiking day, mileage, and routing. Are you a person who needs solitude, or do you become rejuvenated with human interaction? Is your journey a time to get away from it all, or do you want it filled with company and socializing? Will daily decisions initiate power struggles? It is hard enough to get along with a close friend or lover for long periods on the trail. Be cautious of hooking up with a stranger or someone you know only through correspondence, and know exactly what their actual backpacking experience includes. Honestly talk over your expectations before a commitment is made. You will see the best and the worst in your partner, so be prepared for a variety of moods.
During a long distance hike, a partner might decide to go home, or break off to solo on his or her own. If so, would you continue? How would you adapt your equipment? Could you get by with what you have? Keeping the possibility of a split in mind as the equipment is assembled can alleviate problems later. Especially with shelters and sleep systems, knowing the degree of the commitment to the partnership is important. Because there is always the chance of illness or injury, having an alternative plan is wise.
No matter how committed to the partnership, you may become separated for a day or two. When hiking with a partner, divide the shelter so that if you become separated that evening, each person will have something to use. One person could take the ground cloth, the other the tarp. Each should have guy lines to rig a shelter. With a double wall tent, one can take the fly, the other can take the tent. In case of rain, the floor of the tent can be used to shed rain (turn it upside down). Stakes are not a problem, since there are always rocks and roots, or limbs to tie off to.
When sharing a shelter, sometimes partners decide over the course of a long trip that they need more room. As the weeks pass, the small ultralight tarp needs replacing with one just a bit larger. That might be taken into account before you purchase any gear. The one and a half person tent might seem big enough at first, but later it could be too stuffy and confining.
Some couples share one large sleeping bag. Other ultralight couples use one regular bag, unzipping it quilt style. They sew some extra fabric on both sides of the bag (silnylon in one particular case) giving it more width, which helps to keep the other one from "stealing" the whole thing during the night. Another couple I met each had their own bags because in cold weather it actually was warmer to zip up alone, instead of snuggling under a quilt. Rainmaker and I tried sharing a double bag once, but we both slept restlessly and it just didn’t work for us.
Some hikers will cook breakfast every morning without fail. For others, cleaning the pot just isn't worth the trouble, preferring to have an extra half hour's sleep, and a Pop-Tart as they pack up for the day. There are hikers who will stop and cook during the day. Then, in camp at day's end, some make coffee upon arriving, others holding off until they cook supper just before bed. If you and your partner have different styles, try to recognize it before the trip and develop a cooking system accordingly. If you are new hikers, and unsure of your preferences, being patient and understanding with each other should allow most differences to be resolved. It is better to talk things out right away than letting them fester.
Food is an amazingly troublesome area for partnerships. Rainmaker and I always cook separately, carrying our own stoves and pots. Since they are small and ultralight, the versatility for us is worth the effort. We both use soda can stoves, which will nest in any pot. It is the weight of the fuel that is the consideration. Less fuel is needed with one stove, so perhaps a larger stove, made from two 25.5-ounce beer cans would be your choice for group cooking.
If you cook together, perhaps it will just be the evening meal. It is wise to carry your own personal food and snacks. Beware of the person who doesn’t carry enough, and asks you for handouts. If they go hungry a couple days, the next time they will resupply decently. This sounds very hard-hearted, but unless they are children, this lesson is well deserved.
Some partners divide weight evenly, down to the last pound. With other couples, the guy may be expected to carry the bulk of the weight. When this happens, the partnership can be put under strain, especially if the woman doesn't pack lightly. As an ultralighter, you should be able to carry your own personal gear. Maps could be shared, but it is good for each person to have a set of data sheets. The shelter weight can be divided. With cook systems, it depends on how elaborate it is. Each person should have a flexible cup for dipping water in dry areas. Other things that couples can share are tubes of toothpaste, containers of dental floss, a comb, a water sack, repair and emergency kits. However, if each one carries his or her own hygiene and medical supplies, the partner's supplies could be thought of as back up. When resupplying, always check with each other before making purchases, to avoid running out.
I would carry my own toilet paper, sanitation kit, purification chemicals, insect repellent and Ibuprofen. If you become separated from your partner for a couple hours, these items need to be handy at a moment's notice.
Packs
A backpack is considered one of the Big Three, the other two being the sleeping bag and the shelter. These three items are all necessary, and the items where the most weight can be shaved.
There are three types of packs, the external frame, the internal frame, and a non-frame rucksack-style pack. Each one will be discussed in more detail later, but right now I just want to mention size and components.
The larger the pack, the more it will weigh. I guess that’s pretty obvious, but taken a step farther, it means the more hardware you have on a larger pack, the heavier it gets. A backpack’s purpose is simply to corral your gear into one container, and allow you to carry it down the trail. One guy purportedly skipped the pack, and carried his gear in a five-gallon bucket. Then, in camp, this bucket was his campstool.
Silnylon fabric weighs 1.1 to 1.3 ounces per square yard; 400-denier pack cloth weighs 8 ounces per square yard. Ten feet of nylon webbing, just one inch wide, weighs nearly 2 ounces. Each zipper, pocket, or buckle adds weight. A basic pack, with few peripherals, is not only less expensive, but lighter.
How does one determine the correct size? As an ultralighter, you shouldn’t need anything over 3,250 cubic inches. If you are a small person, nearly every piece of your gear will be smaller and a pack of only 2,500 cubic inches may work. Volume is going to be critical in keeping weight down, so a smaller pack is beneficial. Carrying a smaller pack will prevent a person from bringing all the extra things that just get thrown in because there is space. The pack I made for my Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2002 was 2,280 cubic inches. It lasted the entire trail, and was large enough to hold winter gear, and up to 6 days of food. To keep my pack weight and pack volume low, I never carry anything that is too big for me. Every superfluous inch of fabric is trimmed off.
I feel that a pack needs a hip belt. Additional food and water may increase the total, finished pack weight to over 35 pounds, a little too much to be suspended just from the shoulders. Also, hip belts help stabilize the load when you are scrambling over rocks. A hip belt can be bought or made, and added to just about any pack, even daypacks with a 2000 cubic inch capacity. Before you go through the trouble of adding a hip belt to a day back, check the structure. I wouldn't use any daypacks with heavy plastic moldings or lengthy metal zippers that could break and leave gear exposed.
For several hundred miles some of us have tested fanny packs as a substitute hip belt. They were kept fully stuffed, worn backwards, and used to support the weight of a pack heavily laden with food. It was tolerable, as long as the fanny pack was full. The belt did tend to bite into my skin when cinched tight enough to support the weight because the fanny pack belt had no padding.
Pack covers and/or plastic garbage bags used as interior pack liners are highly recommended for essential gear such as sleep systems and food items that must be kept dry. The pack cover should have a way to clip it securely to the pack itself, in case of strong winds. Gale force wind has a way of getting behind the cover, working it loose, and sending it sailing away. Garbage bags used on the outside of the pack are fine for awhile, although they can not be secured well, or fitted as snugly. They eventually tear, and must be replaced, sometimes in a town with poor supplies. If you chose to use a garbage bag for a while, buy the heaviest brand available. Most long distance hikers get a pack cover made of fabric. Silnylon pack covers weigh as little as 1.5 ounces.
Previously, external packs were considered to be standard equipment. The metal frame has a pack suspended from it, with a hip belt and shoulder straps attached by way of adjustable pins. It used to be all you could get, except for an army-type rucksack.
Today, youth groups use external packs for several reasons. The metal frames are very durable; some external frame packs are still in use after over 25 years, and 8,000 trail miles. Various and unusual loads can be attached by using stuff sacks and cinch straps. I have seen kettles strapped to them as well as huge loads of bedding and footwear. The adjustable torso length works well for growing kids because the securing pins can attach the belts and straps in any number of holes drilled in the vertical bars for that purpose.
Some adults prefer the external frame because it carries heavy loads so well, transferring weight to the hips. The frame holds the pack slightly away from the back giving better ventilation. An external frame can be leaned against a tree as a backrest. They are easy to pack even when empty because they retain their shape. If the pack fabric wears out, a new pack can be sewn. If the straps or belt become worn, they can be replaced simply by buying a new set, and attaching at the proper points with the easily removable pins and rings.
Several ways to lighten an external frame include cutting off extra loops, and straps. If the pack has sentimental value, I recommend removing it, and letting a skilled seamstress remake it in a lighter fabric, eliminating zippers wherever possible. I remade a pack for Rainmaker out of silnylon, maintaining the exact measurements. The pack weighs only 8 ounces, instead of 24 ounces previously with his original pack. The frame, original hip belt and shoulder straps were kept.
Another way to lighten the external frame pack is to use a "packless" system, described previously in Chapter Three. In preparation for the Pacific Crest Trail in 2001, I removed the pack from my external frame, made some special stuff sacks, and cinched them directly onto the frame. There are instructions for making this type stuff sack in the “Make Your Own Gear” section in Chapter 8.
I have never owned a bona fide internal frame pack, having gone straight from an external to a non-frame. After trying on some internal frame packs, comparing weights and features, I came to several conclusions.
The hips belts are very well padded. If the torso length is correct, the belt rides comfortably. They are pretty, come with load lift straps, compression straps, and special compartments. However, looking at the weights and the prices was enough to turn me away.
Many packs have a top cover that is removable and can be worn on day hikes. This component alone is about a pound, and overkill for any ultralighting system. If you have an internal pack that you love and it has such a lid system, removing the top portion is an excellent way to lighten the pack.
Backpacker magazine does a yearly gear guide. If you check internal pack stats, you will see that for a pack in the 3500-4500 cubic inch range, weights run nearly 4.5 pounds and more. This is a lot of weight just for the pack. Most internal packs have a much greater capacity, but as already discussed, this weight is wasted because we don't plan to fill this space.
If you decide to go shopping for an internal frame pack, do not let yourself be talked into a heavy, larger pack because the clerk has no experience in ultralight gear. Remember that most of them gain a commission on their sales, and it is their duty to sell you the largest pack possible so that you will buy even more gear to fill it.