2 3 4 5 Copyright © 2011 by Mike Clelland! ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, except as may be expressly permitted in writing from the publisher. Requests for permission should be addressed to Globe Pequot Press, Attn: Rights and Permissions Department, P.O. Box 480, Guilford, CT 06437. FalconGuides is an imprint of Globe Pequot Press. Falcon, FalconGuides, and Outfit Your Mind are registered trademarks of Morris Book Publishing, LLC. Illustrations: Mike Clelland! Project editor: Julie Marsh Layout: Joanna Beyer Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available on file. ISBN 978-0-7627-9604-5 The author and Globe Pequot Press assume no liability for accidents happening to, or injuries sustained by, readers who engage in the activities described in this book. 6 Contents Copyright Acknowledgments The Manifesto 1. Get a scale 2. Comfortable and safe are vital! 3. Scrutinize everything! 4. Make your own stuff, and making it out of trash is always best! 5. It’s okay to be nerdy 6. Try something new every time you go camping 7. Simply take less stuff! 8. Know the difference between wants and needs 9. Cut stuff off your gear 10. Document your gear Basic Starting Points 11. Know the lingo 12. THE MODEL TRIP, our example expedition 13. Get Lighten Up! by Don Ladigin 14. Don’t expect specific gear recommendations 15. Most of the pack weight is in a few items 16. Never say, “It’s only a couple of ounces” 17. Never EVER guess the weight of something 18. Create a spreadsheet 19. Some items weigh zero! 20. There’s no such thing as “just in case” 21. Think in systems 22. Learn to sew 23. Teammates help lighten the load The All-important Mind-set 7 24. The human factor 25. Appreciate the wilderness 26. Take care of your equipment 27. Don’t lose anything! 28. Define success 29. Learn from your mistakes 30. Is going ultralight more expensive? 31. What does in camp really mean? 32. Be present on the trail (a simple exercise) 33. Ditch the watch, wallet, money, cell phone, iPod, and car keys! 34. It’s okay to stink! 35. Make a friend of the night 36. Sew your headlamp right onto your hat 37. Mosquitoes and karma 38. Take a little test trip 39. Break the 5-pound base weight: going SUL (Ryan Jordan) 40. Cross the line—go out too light 41. Have a GO-box ready 42. An overnighter doesn’t have to be perfect 43. Share your UL skills with friends 44. Practice Leave No Trace (LNT) camping 45. Pick up other people’s trash Decision Making 46. Simplify decision making with the UL pack 47. How to make decisions in teams Gear 48. Down vs. synthetic 49. Upper-body clothing 50. Lower-body clothing 51. The humble bandana 52. I went camping with no stuff sacks! 8 53. What! No knife? 54. Make your own toothpaste dots 55. Prepare a simple first-aid kit 56. Carry a simple repair kit 57. Trim your maps 58. Multitask with the mosquito head net 59. Collect cute little bottles 60. Select your luxury item Comprehensive Gear List 61. Everything you might ever need Backpack Tips 62. The backpack as a foundation 63. Packing the backpack 64. Pack up with a buddy Travel Techniques 65. Choose bold routes 66. Trekking poles (Glen Van Peski) 67. Find your traveling speed 68. Start hikin’ early! 69. Quit hikin’ late! 70. Eat dinner on the trail 71. Eat breakfast on the trail 72. Napping is a skill 73. Hike a 20-mile day 74. Take a break! 75. The art of off-trail travel 76. Scrambling is much easier with a dinky pack 77. Traveling on snow as a skill 78. No car shuttle? Use your thumb! Feet 9 79. Wear lightweight hiking shoes 80. Lace ’em nice ‘n’ loose 81. Do you need gaiters? 82. Prevent blisters before you need to treat ’em 83. Thwart blisters with Hydropel 84. Upgrade your foot beds 85. How many socks? 86. Sleeping socks 87. It’s okay to have wet feet! 88. Wear neoprene socks for soggy hiking 89. Plastic bags on your feet in wet conditions Camping Tips 90. The joys of the tarp & bivy combo 91. Staking out your tarp 92. Stealth camping as a skill Sleeping as a Skill 93. Find the ideal sleeping spot 94. Employ the LATS technique of weather prediction 95. It’s okay to sleep under the stars 96. Sleeping bags, quilts, & bivy sacks—what’s the difference? 97. The essential sleeping pad 98. Sleep warm with minimal gear 99. Wear it all to bed 100. The humble pillow Water 101. How much water should be on your back? 102. What’s the lightest tool for carrying water? 103. Filling a water bottle 104. Add electrolytes when you need ’em 105. Should you drink untreated water? 10