[pct-l] Thoughts on ultra-lite and Scouting

[Charlie Thorpe <charliethorpe@worldnet.att.net>]

Hello All -

I just sent an email message about backpacking (lightweight vs. 
ultra-lite for newbie backpackers) to a Scouting friend.  It just 
occured to me that there are some folks on this list that could have 
some interesting advice to offer on this subject.  The message that I 
sent is copied below...any comments or suggestions would be welcome. 
I think that it would be most informative if any discussion could be 
done in public on the list.

Thanks!

- Charlie II  AT (MEGA'93)
              PCT (Mex@Can'95)
          Chipping away at the CDT

***< copy of message follows >***

Hello XXX -

>Hi Charlie:  I'm presenting a Backpacking 101 session at our Councils
>annual Show-An-Do (a day-long adult leader training program) and was
>very impressed with your program on a similar session at Powder Horn.
>While this is an introductory program, I would like to share your ultra
>light weight approach to emphasize the lighter is better idea.  Can you
>e-mail me your typical equipment list including how its generally
>organized on your pack (stuff sack for......).  Would appreciate if its
>not too much trouble.  Thanks.   XXX

Wow...I didn't know anybody was still using the Show-An-Do training! 
I always liked that training event...it offered a good "first look" 
at a number of outdoor topics for the newbie leaders.  Somehow, it 
just doesn't seem that Scoutmastership Fundamentals Phase Three 
covers the same important skills with the same level of fun for 
attendees who are completely new to backpacking.

On to your basic backpacking session...I just gotta throw in my two 
cents worth of overall backpacking training theory for a Scouting 
setting!

Remember that it is REALLY easy to overwhelm a newby backpacker. 
There can be a LOT of gear involved with the sport.  IMHO, many of us 
gearheads enjoy backpacking just because it gives us a good excuse to 
play with all the neat toys <g>.

Somewhere in your area's series of training events there needs to be 
a good matter-of-fact (no hocus-pocus or "gotta be an expert to 
understand the lingo") demonstration of a simple, practical, and 
relatively inexpensive way to do the following on a weekend overnight 
backpacking trip:

select food (simple every-day supermarket stuff that anyone can buy locally)
organize a pack (folks can't select a pack until they understand what 
goes in one)
protect a hiker from the elements (layering, with easily available layers)
keep from getting lost (light, map, compass, gps, ask questions 
beforehand, etc.)
cook food (suggest teaching backpacking stoves first, then fires later)
get shelter (tent or group shelter)

We experienced backpackers usually get all excited about our closets 
full of neat stuff and try to show too many of our favorite toys to 
the newbies...the new folks either get confused or wind up thinking 
that they need to run out and buy a BUNCH of neat stuff (long before 
they know which neat stuff is good for them!).  Everybody needs to 
find their own "comfort zone" as they learn backpacking.  This 
comfort zone slowly changes over time as the newby backpacker becomes 
more and more experienced...learning enough to ask good questions, 
having a chance to actually get caught in a dandy storm, etc.

"Show-An-Do" can be a good start at this introductory training (a LOT 
more is needed).

The gear style that I showed a little of at PH is really more 
"lightweight" instead of "ultra-lite".  My lightweight pack weighed 
in the 20's with 4 days worth of food and a quart of water.  A truly 
"ultra-lite" pack would be in the teens for the same trail distance 
covered.

Remember the "theory" part of my presentation at Powder Horn:

(skills + gear) attitude = (goals + fun) safety

In words, the left side of the "equation" is saying that we CAN 
replace gear with skills as we strive to get lighter packs.  The key 
is that the skills need to be real solid outdoor experience in the 
target backcountry...not just book arm-chair experience or fun 
outdoor wishes <g>.

Be sure to offer my highly biased opinion that lightweight 
backpacking is a good "goal" for a person getting into the 
sport...NOT a way to start!  I think that "lightweight" can be a 
great high-end target for an aggressive backpacking 
skills-development program in a senior Scout unit (age 14 and up...I 
am not so sure that backpacking should be a big part of a Scouting 
program for the younger crowd).  IMHO, what we are now calling 
"ultra-lite" almost always falls outside of what we should be using 
for outdoor program in Scouting.

True "ultra-lite" backpacking is a special sport-within-a-sport.  It 
tends to be mostly attractive to distance hikers.  We distance hikers 
usually just do two things during our normal backpacking day - hike 
(with breaks) and sleep.  No hanging around the camp site, no fishing 
(or bird watching or climbing, etc.), and no late nights (up with the 
sun, down with the sun <g>).  Where resupply tends to be a fixed 
distance apart, the ultra-lite folks can keep their food/mile weight 
down by covering huge miles each day (40-45!) and they have to always 
be willing/ready to head for lower elevations when hiking at altitude 
(ultra-lite shelter might not be comfortable in hi-altitude storms).

Ultra-lite hiking is a complete hiking "system" that includes 
pre-hike conditioning, running shoes for most trails, specialized 
equipment, careful planning, careful skills development, lotsa 
outdoor experience, a very very positive attitude and...a bit of 
luck.  I am afraid that most of our youth move through a typical 
unit's program way too fast to become expert enough to safely use 
ultra-lite backpacking techniques.  We Scouters have much more time 
(years!) to develop these skills and to build up the inventory of 
specialized equipment, but we would be setting the wrong example if 
we were teaching "lightweight" to the kids and then doing 
"ultra-lite" ourselves in front of them.

It can also be argued that ultra-lite techniques cut the margin of 
safety down to a level that is unacceptable in a Scouting setting. 
We are about growing kids...we take in completely green newbies 
(youth and adult) and teach them outdoor skills as part of a much 
larger growth environment that includes youth leadership.  By 
definition, our Scouts are inexperienced outdoorsmen who are being 
led by other (slightly less) inexperienced outdoorsmen...NOT a good 
setting for cutting safety margins <VBG>!

I will post my list of stuff in my lightweight pack in the next 
message.  I know that you just asked for the list...I couldn't resist 
the chance to wax poetic about a topic that I think we really need to 
be careful with as we do backpacking training within Scouting <g>.

Good luck with your training...those newby Scouting outdoorsmen/women 
are DEFINITELY worth the effort!

YiV,

- Charlie

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