My Journey to Freedom and Ultralight Backpacking Read Free

think I will love it all.
    Until then I will be wondering.
       It took a lot of emotional energy to write those lines. They come back to me unexpectedly during difficult times on the trail. Pressing the outer limits of my abilities, and when I have done that, to press further. It amazes me what inner strength can be summoned, and I am forced to wonder, are there really any limits?
       As I started assembling my gear for this two-month journey I soon realized Rainmaker would have to be asked for his advice. He never boasts or brags and his wealth of knowledge is not revealed unless requested. He has hiked the European Alps solo, forced to stay in his tent for three days while stranded by a snowstorm, reading by candlelight, listening to the avalanches nearby. He has cooked supper in Denali Park, Alaska, while watching a pair of grizzlies playing and roughhousing just a hundred and fifty yards away. All over Europe and the United States, Rainmaker has gathered a wealth of knowledge. He will share it willingly, but only if I asked.
       My gear for this first long journey finally assembled, included:
A North Face synthetic, youth sleeping bag, rated for 20 degrees which weighed 2 pounds, and a Z-rest sleeping pad, cut to a length of 36 inches, weighed 8 ounces.
       Rainmaker showed me his esbit stove, and I bought one just like it. It uses solid fuel tablets, and is the size of a stack of playing cards. Twenty-four hexamine tablets, a lighter, some matches, a 20-ounce capacity aluminum pot with lid (found at a garage sale), aluminum foil windscreen, plastic cup and spoon together weighed in at 16 ounces. That was my cooking system.
       To carry water I used four 32-ounce capacity plastic soda bottles (6 ounces) and one 20-ounce capacity plastic sports bottle (1 ounce).
   My external backpack weighed 2 pounds, 14 ounces and my silnylon pack cover weighed 2 ounces.
   The Murphy bag (basically a repair kit), and medical bag were 8 ounces. It included a pack pin and ring, safety pins, electrical tape, needle and thread, a couple rubber bands, Imodium (anti-diarrhea tablets), sunscreen, Ibuprofen, Neosporin, a one ounce bottle of rubbing alcohol, and cotton balls.
   My personal hygiene kit with toothbrush, toothpaste, dental floss, lotion, comb, toilet paper and trowel weighed 6 ounces.
   Tyvek ground cloth, and aluminum stakes together weighed 17 ounces. The tyvek was my part of the shelter that we brought. The new, two-person tent I made, the Lakota, weighed 2 pounds, 2 ounces. Rainmaker carried it.
    The Lakota tent Rainmaker and I designed together. It has a 5x7 foot floor, a front and rear vestibule, and Velcro closures. There is over 30 feet of Velcro on this ultralight tent. It was our home for 9 weeks.
      The clothes I brought included a pair of full-length Lycra pants, and some nylon shorts for town weighing 11 ounces (for both). I had two pairs of 100% nylon socks, a pair of heavy socks, undergarments, and nylon scarf all weighing only 6 ounces total. I carried three shirts, a 100% silk long sleeve shirt for 3 ounces, another 100% polyester sports-shirt that also weighed 3 ounces, and a pullover sweater (30% wool, 70% acrylic) that weighed 8 ounces. I felt well prepared.
      Some kid size, knit, stretch gloves; a pair of waterproof gloves used for kitchen work, a balaclava, and small fleece mittens weighed about 5 ounces. My sandals were a whopping 7 ounces. I made some silnylon gaiters that registered 1 ounce on the scale. I had a blue rain jacket, black rain pants, and a mosquito head net. Combined weight was 11 ounces.
      I started the hike wearing tights, 100% nylon shorts, nylon socks, and Jordache long sleeve shirt totaling 14 ounces. My broad brimmed cap weighed 2 ounces. I left Sonora Pass carrying a fanny pack, with a compass, mosquito repellent, and a disposable camera. That weighed 8 ounces. Some anti-bacterial towelettes and a bandana were 8 more ounces. Then, my hiking poles were 18