LightBackpacking.com

All the new, constantly changing gear is enough to make John Muir turn over in his grave. After all, he apparently carried a rucksack, some hard biscuits and little else.

Today, we go lightweight or ultralight and we go fast. And electronics are getting to be a big part of the lightweight backpacking experience, including GPS devices and digital cameras.

I have one more to add: the new .55 ounce, 1.62 inch by 1.07 inch Apple 1GB iPod Shuffle. It holds 240 songs or you can use it to play audible books. Works on both Mac’s and PC’s with iTunes 2.0.3, a free dowload at Apple. Just clip it anywhere on your clothes or pack, plug in the ear buds and you’re ready to go.

On the trail, you may love the quiet, only drowned out by the sounds of nature. On the other hand, you might enjoy a little jazz, some classical or the songs of the humpback whales as you stroll through the backcountry.

But on rainy, snowy or short fall and winter days when you could spend 12 hours or more in your tent, this is a handy device to have as you’re lying wide awake for hours. That’s exactly what happened to me several years ago in the Ohlone Wilderness in the San Francisco Bay Area. It started pouring at 2:30 p.m. and was snowing by 2 a.m. We were in the tents about 15 hours.

If you’re a real purist, perhaps you could justify the iPod by loading an audible book such as The Yosemite by John Muir. Or just add your favorite music and relax. I’ve used the original iPod shuffle for exercise and for backpacking trips the past two years because it is extremely light and can hang around your neck on a lanyard.

Another Lightweight option is Apple’s iPod Nano, which weighs 1.41 ounces and 3.5 inches high by 1.6 inches wide by .26 inches thick. The Nano also holds up to 25,000 digital photos (the 8 gigabyte version).

Be light. Be safe. Be one with the pack

Technorati Tags: Amazon Apple Link, GPS, iPod, iPod Nano, Lightweight backpacking