Simplicity

[balzaccom]

Hey guys---I'm trying to keep this place alive! Here's another post from our blog:

In this world of mass materialism, there is something very calming about the process of backpacking. After all, if you are going to have to carry it all on your back...it's a good idea to pare down the material goods to a bare minimum. Weight is, after all, your enemy. And while we do take along a few minor luxuries, in general we like to think that we keep things pretty simple.

So what are the basics for food, water, shelter and clothing for a week in the Sierra in the summer? A tent and sleeping bag for shelter. A change of underwear and socks. A water pump and a few plastic soda bottles for water. And tiny gas stove, aluminum pot, and plastic cups and bowls are the kitchen. Add the food to eat, and you are good to go. Everything you need will fit in a medium sized suitcase--maybe even a small one.

That's the STUFF. But that's only half the story. The other half of the story is what you do with it.

There is a kind of rhythm to backpacking. Each of us hikes to our own cadence, and at our own pace. Doing that for a few hours is certainly a good way to get rid of any urban anxiety you may bring to the trail. And we've camped together now for 35 years. That means that when we stop, we have a very clear idea of what needs to get done. The tent gets set up, and the bags and pads installed inside. Somebody usually needs to pump some water. So those items are always the first to come out of the pack.

M usually likes a quick rinse in the local body of water--to freshen up. P usually waits for that, and fishes instead. After that, we have time to set up the kitchen and decide what we're going to eat that night. But there is relatively little that really needs doing, and what does need doing is relatively simple and easy to do.

Which means that there's not a lot of wasted motion, or unnecessary fretting. Colin Fletcher compares it to a kind of feeling of Zen...at peace with the world, each action following the previous one simply and directly. The first day on the trail it all comes back. And by the second day, you really wonder why the rest of your life is so complicated. By day three, you can't remember the rest of your life.

Which is, after all, why we backpack at all!

[orion]

weight is not neccessarily your enemy, it's just weight. nothing wrong with a light pack, but its not the only option, depends on what you want to do.

light works for the hike-camp-hike-camp-hike-camp model.
heavier is reasonable if you intend to set up base camps and day hike.

there's books. field guides to birds, trees, flowers, mammals, insects, geology, etc. are nice to have on hand sometimes. i don't think my retention on these subjects would be as good without lugging these up from time to time. Sierra Nevada Natural History is the catch-all reference book. if you are hiking most of the day, you're not going to pull out the books every time you see something curious, but if your just hanging out for the day getting to know the nooks and crannies of a particular place they can be handy.

there's the hammock and the trailboat, the two most comfortable places you can find in the wilderness. the hammock might be a nap, it is also a meditation. cruise a lake in a trailboat and you will know it. also, there are no mosquitoes in the middle of the lake, once you dispatch the followers, also a nap. consider snorkel gear once the lakes warm up, to see the trout on their own terms.

cameras, gps, solar charger, binoculars, tripod, sketchpad and colors, music, etc., not to mention the food and wine. the list is heavier than one person can carry. if it is possible, i'd give it a go. suffering is relative, it depends on what your bones will hold. often i carry for others too. the most important question before you pack some thing is: will you actually use it? i'm about done humping trailboats to frozen lakes myself.

probably the best thing to bring up is time on your hands, it is weightless.

[balzaccom]

ha!

Good response Orion. And while some of the stuff you bring has no interest for me...I've been known to pack telescope to look at the stars...and i never leave home without my fly fishing gear.

Loved your last line--time being the ultimate luxury. And even more so during the holidays!