[pct-l] Pack weight?

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In case your all unfamiliar, the National Geographic Channel has replicated
the film "Up" with real life balloon lift of a whole house...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=esiUcTsif5I&feature=player_embedded


I'm sure with some careful considerations and a lot of planning, ya'lls
plans to lighten your load with balloons is completely feasible...

I'd Pay to see it...LoL


On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 4:32 PM, Ken Powers <ken at gottawalk.com> wrote:

> I wonder what the bear who drug down this air bag would think when it bit
> into it?
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "'Sourdough' Foster" <athruhiker2006 at yahoo.com>
> To: "Kevin Cook" <hikelite at gmail.com>; "Timothy Nye" <timpnye at gmail.com>
> Cc: <pct-l at backcountry.net>
> Sent: Thursday, March 10, 2011 2:45 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Pack weight?
>
>
> WoW....and thinking of the backpacking multipurpose philosophy a bit more,
> you
> could use a longer cord and suspend your food 100' in the air at night
> avoiding
> any and all bear encounters, loss of food and/or having to carry a
> canister.
> Hmmm :-) Wonder if the Ranger would still write you a fine cause it wasn't
> in a
> canister?? LOL
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> ________________________________
> From: Kevin Cook <hikelite at gmail.com>
> To: Timothy Nye <timpnye at gmail.com>
> Cc: pct-l at backcountry.net
> Sent: Thu, March 10, 2011 4:53:12 PM
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Pack weight?
>
> Just calibrate your balloon to suspend your base weight. You can at least
> carry your food and water ;)
> How will you refill the hydrogen you cooked with at town?
>
> My concern would be the balloon blowing around.
>
> You did bring to mind another benefit this might provide. For a nobo hiker,
> the balloon could provide shade since the Sun is usually at your back.
>
> I know this was all in jest, but now I'm curious. Has anyone tried this? I
> did a quick search and can;t find anything. I wonder what the problems are.
> Maybe changing elevation causes issues? Would helium escape (hydrogen would
> make me nervous)?
>
> On Thu, Mar 10, 2011 at 10:59 AM, Timothy Nye <timpnye at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > >
> > > Ron,
> > >
> >
> > The preferable approach is the Gourmet pack lightening / stove fuel
> > combination system.
> >
> > I've purchased a surplus weather balloon which I've inflated with
> hydrogen
> > and attached at the top of my pack with about six inches clearance. The
> > amount of hydogen used is calibrated to offset the weight of the pack.
> The
> > balloon is fitted with a valve and a flexible length of tubing that I've
> > hooked up to the fire ring of an old Coleman camp stove. The beauty of
> > this
> > approach is that as your pack gets lighter with the consumption of your
> > food
> > the then excess hydrogen is utilized to cook your meals. Of course, no
> one
> > has to worry about fuel spills causing wildfires either. I've submitted a
> > prototype to backpackinglight.com for a review and expect to soon bask
> in
> > the resulting fame and fortune.
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