Any "Lightweight" Campers?

[bga]

Any \"Lightweight\" Campers?

I consider myself a Lightweight camper since I can trek out on a 3 day trip with only my backpack and my ATV.

I was just wondering if there was anyone else that camped/hiked this way. I also do the "Jones's" style of camping aswell, but thats only when we take the trucks.

 

[84gmcjimmy]

Re: Any \"Lightweight\" Campers?

I have never had the courage to hike/camp alone for a few days so no. And if my mom and sister were interested we probably would. But we don't have an ATV, just good hiking shoes /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[Pookster]

Re: Any \"Lightweight\" Campers?

ATV? well, that certainly does help you in many areas.

1. Less food
2. Less water

I find it hard to do ultralight- What primarily bogs me down is bedding equipment- thermarest, sleeping bag. in the summer, I can pack lighter, but in the winter, the tent/pad/bag combo is already at like 15lbs or so. Summer I can drop that lower, but I still need a pad, and i try not to skimp too much on the shelter side- Some folks get by with just a tarp, and I'd do that if I *had* to, but I prefer to have a tent floor, and something thats waterproof.

But then waht about cooking? Ok, you can just eat protein bars, use tablets to purify water, and so on, but I prefer real food, and filtered (then purified) water, and that adds extra weight.

Then tools- /forums/images/graemlins/hack.gif /forums/images/graemlins/weld.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grind.gif

Then a shovel, first aid, and... voila, lotsa weight.

 

[behemoth]

Re: Any \"Lightweight\" Campers?

We used to backpack Daniel Boone N.F. in eastern Kentucky - Red River Gorge specificly. We'd park the car and hit the trails. We had a secluded site to camp at but it was an hour's hike into the forest. /forums/images/graemlins/1zhelp.gif Didn't have an ATV - besides - these trails were beyond the capability of ATV's anyway - too many obstacles (downed trees, tight boulder formations, cliffs, water falls, etc.) /forums/images/graemlins/yikes.gif I haven't camped like that since my knee blew out. (25 years ago) /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif We basicly carried everything we'd need for three days. The neat thing was - you could be out there for a week and not see another human being, except for maybe a forest ranger. /forums/images/graemlins/peace.gif Now - you can't hike there without seeing focking beer cans and garbage spewn everywhere. /forums/images/graemlins/angryfire.gif

I still do a solo K5 campout about once a year. I can carry LOTS of "survival gear" in that (ribeye's, bacon-n-eggs, Heineken, etc.). /forums/images/graemlins/bow.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif /forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif

Mike

 

[bga]

Re: Any \"Lightweight\" Campers?

I hear ya Pookster, ultralight camping doesn't leave a lot of room for extra stuff. To be honest, I can't remember ever going on an ultralight trip without camping near a water source, so I have never had to worry about that. My purifier kit weighs in at 6 oz. and it's really tiny, so it doesn't cause any problems. The only downside to it is that it takes quite a while to fill up a gallon collapsable jug to take back to the camp for the night.

As far as gear goes I got almost everything I own from eBay. Everything was new, and dirt cheap. My Tent is a 1 man Bivy Shelter type, with the only pain being the single pole that I am forced to strap to the outside of my pack (broke it four times last year alone). The bag is a +5 that is also very light, and packs up to about the size of a two liter bottle, except only half the length.

My small camp stove and other gear is also from eBay and compact and lightweight. I carry 3 days worth of food (I'm 6'2" 240lbs, so I eat good...) in the form of "New Age" MRE's. I also get these from eBay, usually around $20-$40 per case. I very seldom carry anything that would need to stay cold on hiking trips, but I eat good on the ATV trips. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

All my gear ended up costing me around $250.00, much less than the $1400.00 many hardcore ultralights pay for top notch gear. If your in the market check eBay, just check the gear on another website to see if it's worth it.

 

[Pookster]

Re: Any \"Lightweight\" Campers?

I tell ya, I dunno about them bivies. I love the concept, but I hate the practice- the ultralight weight factor really appeals, but if stuck at an area for a while due to weather conditions... your stuck. No where to turn, no stretching out.. nada. I've found some nice 2 man pup tents with ground sheet that weighed in a 3 lbs. it aint gonna hold up in a hurricane but its big enough to offer some freedom.

Nothing I have is "ultralight"- Its mostly midweight- I do a lot more fall/winter camping, and as such, I need more rugged equipment. You think summer ultralight is expensive, try winter ultralight! A good 2-3 person tent is 400 bucks.
Snow shoes, 100-200, poles, clothing, face masks....

Then for added fun, you cant use propane, isobutane is questionable. I usually use white gas year round- its a little bit more bulky, and not as quick to use, but it is pretty darn reliable (aka, you will know if your fuel is leaking out accidentally, rather than just slowly leaking away), and it burns in pretty much all conditions (sometimes you need a little heat paste, but if your good, you dont need it.)

 

[Pookster]

Re: Any \"Lightweight\" Campers?

Forgot to ask- Which filter are you using?