amaruq
Trail Wise!
Call me Little Spoon
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Post by amaruq on May 26, 2016 6:09:01 GMT -8
On the topic of bags, I used both ziplock sandwich baggies and roll-top stuff sacks. The ziplocks to keep small items together: teabags, fire-starters, TP, spare batteries, etc. The stuff sacks contain entire sets of gear: sleeping system, kitchen, shelter, clothing.
Some see this as waste weight, but for me it's an organizational thing. Plus the water resistance doesn't hurt.
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Post by Coolkat on May 26, 2016 6:18:51 GMT -8
Some see this as waste weight, but for me it's an organizational thing. Plus the water resistance doesn't hurt. This!! |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 7:00:54 GMT -8
The stuff sacks contain entire sets of gear: sleeping system, kitchen, shelter, clothing. *the light bulb comes on* - So, pull out the orange kitchen, the yellow house, the green wardrobe. Thank you for sharing. I just stood looking at them on the shelf yesterday and couldn't justify the expense. But, this makes sense. |
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reuben
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Gonna need more Camels at the next refugio...
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Post by reuben on May 26, 2016 7:19:30 GMT -8
Stuff sacks for me. Color coded to contents. Kitchen, FAK, etc. The food sack may have ziplocs in it to keep from poking holes in the oatmeal packets, etc., and for slightly better organization.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 8:01:43 GMT -8
It's not an adventure until something goes wrong. - Yvon Chouinard
@reuben, I've quoted this to my family all week and laughed. Of course, I probably won't be laughing when it goes adventuresomely wrong. haa!
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reuben
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Post by reuben on May 26, 2016 9:08:03 GMT -8
Yeah, well, he was with Doug Tompkins when Doug died recently. Sorta puts a new spin on it. I just met them a few days before. But the video 180 South is well worth viewing. You can get it from amazon. |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 9:37:18 GMT -8
Sorta puts a new spin on it. Ugh. So sad. Didn't mean to make light - I didn't research the quote. Sorry... |
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reuben
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Post by reuben on May 26, 2016 9:49:18 GMT -8
No problem. There's nothing for either you or I to be sorry for. Those guys operated like that (not always well prepared) for decades - 50 years or so. They knew the risks they took.
The quote is still true, but has a touch of irony and sadness to it now. Maybe the lesson to be learned, if there is one, is to be prepared (equipment, skills, backup/bailout plan), but don't let something unexpected cause you to get in a funk and ruin your trip. My own recent trip down there didn't go as I planned, but that was part of the adventure. I just took the opportunities as they arose. Taking advantage of one opportunity sometimes means letting other opportunities go.
I still recommend 180 South, which was filmed a few years ago - well before Doug died. Yvon and Doug are really just bit players in the movie, although their original 1969(?) trip is what inspired it.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 11:34:15 GMT -8
Maybe the lesson to be learned, if there is one, is to be prepared (equipment, skills, backup/bailout plan), but don't let something unexpected cause you to get in a funk and ruin your trip. I agree! I am actually considering enrolling in Backpacker's wilderness survival (online) course. I think REI offers one too. I will add this to my watch list - I'm interested. Thanks for the backstory. |
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 11:36:59 GMT -8
"The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life."
wow.
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reuben
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Post by reuben on May 26, 2016 12:53:29 GMT -8
"The hardest thing in the world is to simplify your life." Yeah, that's been one of my goals the past 5 or so years. I'm making progress, but I have a wife and other obligations, so there's only so much I can do. Still, I simplify what I can. Unfortunately, my engineering brain + ADD make it rather difficult. Try it. Simplify. Hopefully you'll have some success. If you can keep your life simple in the early stages I suspect it's much easier than trying to simplify a complicated life in your later years. If you're smart/lucky like rebeccad, you marry a backpacker and give your kids no choice. I mean, how smart is that? Watch the movie. If you can't find it, I have both the original Mountain of Storms, and the semi-sequel, 180 South. Others here will probably recommend that you read books by Richard Proenke and others (I agree). As for classes, I'm not sure how useful online courses are. Wilderness survival online? What's that? How to make your way through a twitter argument? NOLS partners with REI and others for various classes. There's a two day minimal first aid class, and a longer one that lasts a week. If there's an REI near you check to see what classes they're offering - many are not affiliated with NOLS. But the bottom line is that you just have to get out there and figure it out. There are people here who have been backpacking for decades and are still fine tuning their approach - age has its drawbacks. If you can get together with others in your area they can help as well. Like here in the forum, though, you have to figure out which advice works for you - your needs, wants, skills, desires. Maybe you'll come up with a solution that no one suggested. Article |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 26, 2016 14:37:30 GMT -8
Wilderness survival online? What's that? How to make your way through a twitter argument? Hahaha! This is true. My nearest REI is almost an hour away. I will look into what they offer. I leave tomorrow morning for my first official (overnight) backpacking hike. I already know that I am headed out 10X's more prepared than before I found this forum, and all of you! Your advice has been so valuable. I too want to simplify my life. I've been chewing on it awhile. I will look back to this convo and read the books & watch the movies. You're awesome! |
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