bowhunterh
i am going to west virginia in the spring to hike the north fork mountain trail i was wondering if any one had any ideas on light weight supplies i could take with me i needs to be very light.
Answer
If you're serious about going ultralight there's no better introduction than reading Dan Ladigin's book, "Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking" http://www.amazon.com/Lighten-Up-Complete-Ultralight-Backpacking/dp/0762737344/
Most ultralight backpackers reduce weight by choosing frameless packs that weigh less than 2-3 lbs and sometimes as little as a few ounces. My old Golite pack weighs a pound while my wife's handmade Ray Jardine backpack weighs a mere 9 ounces and both of those hold about 3000 cu in of gear each. Some popular packs include the Gossamer Gear G4 http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/G4-Standard.html
the ULA Conduit http://www.ula-equipment.com/conduit.htm and the Granite Gear Vapor Trail http://www.granitegear.com/products/backpacks/ultralight/vaportrail.html
With such light packs one has to limit one's pack weight and size. Sleeping bags are getting lighter and pack smaller, and while down is an option and does both those things well, it's not the best for general use and requires some effort to keep it dry, because once wet, down is nearly useless, which is why I always recommend synthetic insulation. Personally I've sewed my own Ray Jardine sleeping quilts from his kits for myself and my family. A quilt doesn't have a bottom and we lay right on the foam pad, though there is a foot box. So far I've never been warmer compared to my former North Face Cat's Meow mummy sleeping bag. You can find down quilts out there at extreme prices, but there's really no synthetic quilts being manufactured today. http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Quilt-Kit/index.htm
Next comes shelter, and it's really up to you. A two pound single person tent is only twice as heavy as a one pound UL tarp made of silnylon. I've used both and only as my kids got larger did we switch to a tarp full time, though sleeping under the stars is our preferred method, or a lean-to set up if there's a breeze. Some people also like hammocks.
http://www.tarptent.com/
http://www.the-ultralight-site.com/backpacking-tarps.html
http://www.ryanjordan.com/photos/arctic_1000/imgp1357800.html
http://www.thru-hiker.com/workshop.asp?subcat=3&cid=4
http://www.ray-way.com/tarp-nettent/pitch/index.shtml
http://hennessyhammock.com/
And once you've got the big three taken care of the rest is gravy, which I cook with an alcohol stove from Minibull, though making your own is supposedly easy enough. http://www.minibulldesign.com/fs2.htm
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/falk-catstove/index.html
http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/catstoveinstrt.shtml
http://art.simon.tripod.com/Stoves/
And the final tip I'll offer is to toss out your heavy leather boots and try on some nice lightweight hiking shoes or running shoes. http://www.the-ultralight-site.com/hikingshoes.html
If you're serious about going ultralight there's no better introduction than reading Dan Ladigin's book, "Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking" http://www.amazon.com/Lighten-Up-Complete-Ultralight-Backpacking/dp/0762737344/
Most ultralight backpackers reduce weight by choosing frameless packs that weigh less than 2-3 lbs and sometimes as little as a few ounces. My old Golite pack weighs a pound while my wife's handmade Ray Jardine backpack weighs a mere 9 ounces and both of those hold about 3000 cu in of gear each. Some popular packs include the Gossamer Gear G4 http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/G4-Standard.html
the ULA Conduit http://www.ula-equipment.com/conduit.htm and the Granite Gear Vapor Trail http://www.granitegear.com/products/backpacks/ultralight/vaportrail.html
With such light packs one has to limit one's pack weight and size. Sleeping bags are getting lighter and pack smaller, and while down is an option and does both those things well, it's not the best for general use and requires some effort to keep it dry, because once wet, down is nearly useless, which is why I always recommend synthetic insulation. Personally I've sewed my own Ray Jardine sleeping quilts from his kits for myself and my family. A quilt doesn't have a bottom and we lay right on the foam pad, though there is a foot box. So far I've never been warmer compared to my former North Face Cat's Meow mummy sleeping bag. You can find down quilts out there at extreme prices, but there's really no synthetic quilts being manufactured today. http://www.rayjardine.com/ray-way/Quilt-Kit/index.htm
Next comes shelter, and it's really up to you. A two pound single person tent is only twice as heavy as a one pound UL tarp made of silnylon. I've used both and only as my kids got larger did we switch to a tarp full time, though sleeping under the stars is our preferred method, or a lean-to set up if there's a breeze. Some people also like hammocks.
http://www.tarptent.com/
http://www.the-ultralight-site.com/backpacking-tarps.html
http://www.ryanjordan.com/photos/arctic_1000/imgp1357800.html
http://www.thru-hiker.com/workshop.asp?subcat=3&cid=4
http://www.ray-way.com/tarp-nettent/pitch/index.shtml
http://hennessyhammock.com/
And once you've got the big three taken care of the rest is gravy, which I cook with an alcohol stove from Minibull, though making your own is supposedly easy enough. http://www.minibulldesign.com/fs2.htm
http://www.backpacking.net/makegear/falk-catstove/index.html
http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/catstoveinstrt.shtml
http://art.simon.tripod.com/Stoves/
And the final tip I'll offer is to toss out your heavy leather boots and try on some nice lightweight hiking shoes or running shoes. http://www.the-ultralight-site.com/hikingshoes.html
Does anyone know where I can find a free sewing/quilting pattern for a backpack for teenagers?
Nancy M
I want to quilt/sew a full size backpack for our kids school--not the little kiddie size ones that are for younger children.
Answer
Wild Ginger has a software program that is free called "Wild Things" - you tell it how big you want and it prints pattern pieces on your printer - you just tape them together. There is a backpack with a flap, as well as a zippered messenger bag, called a shoulder bag on their descriptions. I've used this program to make matchy halloween bags. I'm just a satisfied dedicated customer - no affiliation...
I did a search for "backpack" on craftster.org, and got like 20 pages of homemade backpacks that people have made there. I think what might be most helpful for you might be the messenger bag tutorials below, with double straps instead of one - the straps would attach at the top and bottom. It is not that hard to do and doesn't require a pattern.
Wild Ginger has a software program that is free called "Wild Things" - you tell it how big you want and it prints pattern pieces on your printer - you just tape them together. There is a backpack with a flap, as well as a zippered messenger bag, called a shoulder bag on their descriptions. I've used this program to make matchy halloween bags. I'm just a satisfied dedicated customer - no affiliation...
I did a search for "backpack" on craftster.org, and got like 20 pages of homemade backpacks that people have made there. I think what might be most helpful for you might be the messenger bag tutorials below, with double straps instead of one - the straps would attach at the top and bottom. It is not that hard to do and doesn't require a pattern.
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Title Post: what should i take backpacking with me?
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