Of course you’re probably laughing at me now because you know I brought my fair share of camera gear too. All my gear combined (including food and water) weighed in around 7 pounds. Then I had my DSLR which weighs 6 pounds. I’m glad I brought it though because all the footage from my GoPro was lost due to a memory card error 🙁 That’s why you never heard the update on how my night was. So here it is:
I was very comfortable except for my feet. My feet were freezing. It was sprinkling rain/sleet for a good portion of the evening and the wind was really whipping (I had some pretty funny footage of me trying to set up my tent in the strong wind. I thought I had a pretty protected spot, but halfway through tent setup, I was doubting my choice). The conditions combined with the great ventilation in my tent let a lot of cool air in. I put my shoes back on and that helped a little, but my feet were far from comfortable the whole night. I ended up wearing the down jacket, which kept my upper body at a very comfortable temperature. I used my backpack as a sleeping pad/pillow, which was perfect with the foam on the back of the backpack. It also insulated me well from the ground.
If I had to do it again (which I will) I’d bring an empty water bottle and fill it as needed and purify the water with the SteriPen water purifier I have. It would be much lighter that way. I was looking at the satellite view of the area before I left and didn’t see any small ponds, but once I was hiking around, there were plenty. I’d ditch the fruit drink, and bring dried cranberries or something like that for breakfast. I also cheated a little (I feel like) because it was only an overnight trip. I went roughly 11 miles total. I think it was a good distance for me based on the forecast and my experience, but the true lightweight challenge comes on a longer trip. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the time from work to enjoy a longer trip. There will be longer trips in the future, though.
Lastly, I’m very interested in hearing your thoughts. I certainly made several mistakes on this trip. It wouldn’t be nearly as much fun or as rewarding if I didn’t learn something new while I was out there. Time outside is time well spent, and that’s why I do it. I’m sure I’ll continue to learn from you as well……..or at least that’s my hope 🙂 Happy trails!
Chris Martin
