Ultralight Hiking

12 Feb 2010 - Cliff

Trailhead

Like many hikers, I have discovered the joys of ultra light hiking. When I first started hiking, my Dad and I would load up basically everything we thought we could possibly need for however many days we thought we were going to be out. If it was more than three days, those packs could be unbelievably heavy. You came to appreciate the old external framed backpack, with everything from a sleeping bag to a frying pan hanging off, and a fishing rod in my hand. I think one year we even trekked in a shower.

As more and more people started to hike, a few of them started saying things like, “Why did I bring two jackets?” or “Do I need camp shoes and hiking boots both?” As I got older, my knees decided I needed to find a better way to do my hiking. Fortunately, a subculture has emerged in hiking; people who are interested in taking the lightest, most functional, and smallest gear possible. In addition, to the lightest gear, folks are also working on bringing the least amount of gear possible. It does not mean you walk off into the woods in shorts and a t-shirt with no water. What ultra light hiking espouses is matching your load out to the conditions. If I’m hiking in Denali, Alaska, you can bet my pack is going to be quite a bit heavier than if I’m just out for the day in Valley of Fire in Nevada. To get a better idea of what ultra light hiking is about; I will throw up some gear for comparison.

Footwear
Hiking Boots, What's not to love?The venerable hiking boot has been around for a long time. Moreover, for most of that time, you just wanted it warm, and waterproof. There have been many advances in breathable fabrics (like say, Gortex), but the basic form factor of the boot has stayed the same. And in some places like parts of Denali, it serves its function just fine. However, with the rethinking of hiking, many people realized that lowering weight, everywhere, can make hiking more enjoyable. There is an old saying that “Taking a pound off your feet is like taking five pounds out of your pack.” Given that you have to pick that foot up thousands of times over the course of a long hike, lighter is definitely better. Many hikers have gone to trail shoes- which are basically specially designed athletic shoes with good gripping treads. The extreme ultra light hikers are even known to hike in sandals. There are some advantages to have quick drying feet when you ford a stream, but I’m still a little conservative on having my feet covered. This is especially true with my tendency to stub my toes at every opportunity.

Clothing
Marmot Wind ShirtStaying comfortable in hot and cold weather sure has come a long way since I was a scout. For the most part we wore jeans and cottons shirts, with jackets. Today there are synthetic fabrics that wick away the moisture, keeping your warm and dry. They’re also quite light, and by layering them you can actually be warmer than you were with heavy jacket. Another nice thing about layering is that it allows you to adjust to the temperature as it changes. Get cold? Add layers. Warming up? Remove layers. There’s also interesting technology on staying dry in the rain. I’m currently testing breathable fabrics (lets water vapor out, but doesn’t let water droplets) versus waterproof fabrics with venting. The problem is that the breathable fabrics eventually “wet out” and have to be reconditioned. In addition, if you get enough water on the outside of the fabric, it can block the vapor, or if there is not enough of a temperature differential, the vapor does not pass fast enough to avoid overheating. Waterproof fabrics are great at keeping the water out- but they get hot. Strategic vents and zippers are supposed to help- I haven’t quite decided which one I like better. I do know that I carry multiple, light layers now, instead of that big heavy jacket and a sweatshirt.

Cookware
Snow Peak StoveDad and I used to haul the old Coleman stove out in the truck and leave it in the campsite. If we wanted a fire on the trail, we made a fire. If the old man was feeling like being amused, he’d have me rub sticks together to get a fire going. Fortunately as a scout I usually had a match or two for the times that it didn’t work right away. Nowadays it’s about super lightweight back packing stoves, and titanium cookware. Lighter than a paperback, stoves today can boil a cup or two of water in just a few minutes. There’s something particularly tasty about a hot meal after the end of a long hike. Also, there’s some debate between the campfire folks and the backpack stove folks about which one better applies to the Leave No Trace Principles. On the one hand, you’re impacting nature by building the fire, collecting the wood, leaving the ashes. On the other, your stove is of course manufactured with raw materials, and the fuel has to be refined, packaged, and distributed. I use the stove on the trail, and then when I am back in the designated campsites with fire pits, we build campfires. It is just much more fun to roast marshmallows, make smores, and tell ghost stories over a roaring fire.

Hiking has come a long way from the sixty pound pack and weighty boots slowing you down. With careful choice of the right gear, you can get out into the great outdoors and not feel like you are dragging the kitchen sink on your back!