I remember showing up on my first backpack in 1998 with a 45-pound pack stuffed with every conceivable backpacking gadget and implement – such things as those orange spades used to dig toilet holes. The shear pain of all that weight, plus having so many different items in my pack sent me in search of [...]
Just because you have escaped the city doesn’t mean you want to escape basic personal care on the trail. Actually, flossing and brushing can be refreshing when you’re covered with trail dust. My floss, toothpaste and brush weigh in at 1 ounce. You could go lighter by eliminating the brush and using your finger. But [...]
Lightweight condiments in small sizes can lighten you load.
When I Googled "Sierra Cup history", as part of this post on the Evernew Titanium Sierra Cup (1.6 ounces) , I came across the following article on Giardia from the Sierra Club website I thought was worth sharing.
I own four stoves and just saw three more showcased in the August Backpacker Magazine I would love to have. If I haven’t said it before, I’ll say it now: you can never have too much equipment. Especially if you’re a lightweight gear head. I’m one…and proud of it. Sure, you can buy just one [...]
Hopefully my headline using "wing" and "feather" won't make you groan too much. I couldn't resist. Over at BackpackingLight.com, I logged into The G Spot forum discussion on the lightest stoves and came across the recommendation for the Titanium Esbit Wing Stove, a mere .046 ounces. Like its giant cousin (the 3 ounce Esbit Pocket [...]
I recently responded to a forum thread at BackpackingLight.com regarding the best lightweight options for purifying water . I suggested trying the SteriPEN and the Sweetwater Anywhere in-line filter (4.5 ounces), both of which I own and use. In another response to the question posed, Carl Kinney recalled a Backpacker Magazine article that suggested three [...]
In the UseNet Backcountry group, I just came across a Los Angeles Times article supplied by happywhenhiking in spokane. The idea that going deeper in lake water will yield less bacteria is called into question. There is an on-going debate on many outdoor forums about whether you need to filter water in many places. And [...]
At 3.5 ounces and only $9.95, the Esbit Pocket Stove is a great lightweight stove. The stove is fueled by non-toxic odorless, smokeless, non-explosive Esbit tablets that burn for 12 minutes, weigh a half ounce and cost about 75 cents each. They come 12 to a package. The solid fuel and stove has been around [...]
