By: Jeff Garmire
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Fastpacking is the ever-elusive time period for transferring quicker and lighter. It’s taking your glamorous backpacking gear setup and whittling it right down to the necessities with out dropping the enjoyment of an journey. Whereas it’s best carried out by way of your individual expertise, there may be additionally all the time one thing to be gleaned from the experiences of others.
I went from a full freighter dimension pack to a sub five-pound base weight to do the John Muir Path quickest recognized time (FKT). Whereas I actually wouldn’t suggest going that excessive, there are a variety of issues I’ve realized in my experiments with effectivity, breaking data, and discovering the bounds of having fun with an journey.
Beneath, I’ve shared seven tricks to take into account when shifting to fastpacking.
1. Get a smaller pack.
This isn’t a advice to leap instantly from a 60-liter pack right down to a 30-liter backpack, however begin working your approach down. Should you give your self much less area to “pack your fears,” then you’re extra apt to pack strategically. It took me three totally different backpacks over 4 years to settle right into a dimension that was simply large enough to hold the necessities and an additional factor or two that improved my expertise.
Talking from expertise, in case you purchase a much bigger pack, you’ll fill it up. Set a wholesome restrict on the room you permit your self. That is greatest carried out by making an attempt a smaller backpack on an in a single day journey first. Fill it to the brim with every little thing you possibly can match, after which make an observation of all of the stuff you didn’t use if you get again to the automobile.
2. Make notes and reassess.
On the finish of a visit, be aware every little thing you didn’t use in your pack. Then, decide the issues on that record that you simply don’t count on to ever want on the path. This may very well be an excessive amount of rest room paper, clothes, a whole bottle of Advil, a big tube of sunscreen or toothpaste, an exterior battery that was overkill in the course of the journey, or perhaps a thicker coat than the climate required.
The burden financial savings could seem trivial and small at first, however over a few journeys, it’s straightforward to save lots of a number of kilos by merely eliminating the “fluff” in your gear record. In my journey to fastpacking, I discovered that 99% of the time, I used to be merely carrying rain pants and by no means bothering to put on them. Now, even in wet climate, I carry a light-weight rain skirt.
3. Minimize down the “Massive 3.”
The very first thing I did after I transitioned from a conventional thru-hiker to a peak bagger and aspiring FKT-setter was to chop down the heaviest gadgets in my pack. I switched to a single-wall tent, acquired an ultralight quilt, and began utilizing a smaller pack.
The middle of a gear package is these three heaviest gadgets, and by merely reducing over a pound off of every, I used to be transferring quicker and feeling more energizing on the high-altitude climbs of Colorado. The lighter gear is extra compact, packable, and even multi-use. In its simplicity is flexibility.
4. Study to make use of your gadgets in a number of methods.
Discovering methods to make use of gear in many alternative methods is the important thing to effectivity, weight financial savings, and packing much less. As soon as I assumed by way of the gear I used to be taking into the mountains on the weekends, I noticed there have been some ways to make use of the gadgets in my pack.
For instance, if the temperature dropped whereas I used to be on the market, I may wrap up in my quilt. How a lot totally different from a down jacket is a down sleeping bag in any case? With a little bit experimentation, I may wrap up within the “cloak” and depart the thicker puffy jacket at residence in change for one thing lighter.
Kate Brown and Heather “Anish” Anderson have additionally used this methodology to set data on the Appalachian Path, Pacific Crest Path, and Arizona Path. Why solely make use of a sleeping bag for sleeping? It’s one thing you’ll already be carrying, and a fantastic supply of heat and insulation tucked away in your pack.
5. Enhance your effectivity.
Within the identify fastpacking, velocity is implied. However that doesn’t merely imply the velocity you’re transferring. If it takes ten minutes to dig out a snack from the underside of your pack and repack all of it earlier than you possibly can really sit down for a break, that’s time wasted. A lesson I realized on my first thru-hike was to worth, treasure, and respect the alternatives to relaxation. Messing round to seek out issues solely eats into the time you would be sitting, consuming, and even swimming.
The largest factor I attempt to do now could be maintain all of the meals I’m going to eat through the day both on the prime of my pack or on the surface of it. I put the whole day’s price of trash within the water bottle holders and take a look at by no means to need to dig one thing out of the underside of the pack. If it might rain, my rain gear is on the surface of the pack. It makes relaxation breaks extra restful and pleasing whereas additionally making climbing extra environment friendly.
6. Depart pointless clothes at residence.
Clothes is the best factor to overpack. Burdened by “what if” statements, the additional layers can add up. Residing in Montana, it is without doubt one of the hardest issues for me to beat. However, merely packing for the anticipated climate and understanding I’ve a number of multi-use gadgets to get me by way of any chilly temperatures makes it much less anxiousness scary.
My rain jacket can double as a windbreaker, and an additional pair of socks can double as a second pair of gloves. It’s a problem to seek out the clothes that you simply put on, take pleasure in, and worth, and depart the pointless gadgets at residence (see tip 2).
7. Discover your consolation zone.
Essentially the most private of tips about the record is studying about your self and the way you reply to totally different environments. I do very effectively within the chilly and might convey fewer layers than many hikers. However, within the warmth, I’ve to throw in a second or third pair of socks as a result of I sweat so much, and my toes bear the brunt of the harm.
Packing the occasional third pair of socks is one thing I worth and it contributes to extra enjoyment than shaving off the couple additional ounces of weight. Discover the issues that you simply worth, and don’t hesitate to convey them with you.
Take Notes Over Time to Grow to be a Higher Fastpacker
Every of the above ideas is a suggestion for the methods to enhance, reduce down weight, and transfer extra successfully by way of an surroundings. The true coronary heart of fastpacking is to go additional, see extra, and achieve this in a protected and rewarding approach. So, discover what works for you on the market and maintain notes of the issues that work and don’t work alongside the journey to turning into a fastpacker.
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Jeff “Legend” Garmire has accomplished the Calendar 12 months Triple Crown and Nice Western Loop, completed the Nolans 14 in 59 hours, climbed all of the Colorado 14ers, and broke the Arizona Path self-supported FKT, Pinhoti Path self-supported FKT, Lengthy Path unsupported FKT, John Muir Path report, and Colorado Path unsupported FKT, amongst others. Study extra about his adventures at: freeoutside.com.
