Thinking About Our Journey to Ultralight Backpacking

You can't stand on the street and watch the sun go down over these peaks. You can't drive here, and I'm pretty sure its a no fly zone. A sunset like this only happens in the backcountry, miles away from buzzing streets and city lights. You have to hike so many miles to get to it, enduring the elements that nature might surprise you with. This is why I love backpacking... setting your eyes on something you have to earn is much more gratifying than scrolling through magazines or books about it.

There's something marvelous that happens when you reach a pass you've been staring up at for days, and finally peek over the other side. It's something you had to fight to see....it's something you have to see for yourself to experience and appreciate the beauty of. So what are you waiting for? Yes, I know its hard. Its really heard. It's hard to not shower for several days. It's hard to walk at a constant incline for miles at a time, fighting fatigue, altitude, and carrying everything you need for survival on your back. It's most definitely hard.

But some people make it harder. The first time we went backpacking, we just piled all our stuff in our bags. Boy, were they heavy. We had no idea what we were doing. We needed shelter, so we packed a tent (6 lbs). We needed sleeping bags, so we packed those (3 lbs each). We needed sleeping pads, so we packed THREE of those, because we needed extra cushioning to be comfortable (6 lbs). We needed extra big backpacks to carry all of this stuff (4 lbs each). We also were told to carry at least 2 liters of water at all times in case of...well, I really don't know what (4 lbs). Off we went, with our TWO changes of clothes, our Pots, and a pan, and some other stuff that just happen to fit into our enormous bags. When you add in food, I'm sure they weighed 40lbs +.

That was our first trip, and it would have been our last, had we not desperately turned to the good 'ol www for help. We went 14 miles that first day. We couldn't really walk (painlessly) well the next day. Sam's knees were killing him, and I had bruises from the shoulder straps and hip belts.  There had to be a solution, because we loved the outdoors, and we were not about to stop exploring them. We contemplated becoming long distance day hikers (with no shelter, sleeping bags, etc, to carry, it seemed like a fitting option). No. It wasn't good enough. That's how we stumbled across Ultra LIGHTweight Backpacking. We now want to share that journey with others.