Going Lighter....
- Thread starter Neil1
- Start date
The Volvic Ice Tea plastik bottles from the super market are cheaper, and compared with two military canteens they also save around 400g!
Lists like the one I wrote down are interesting, if you have to replace something, or for beginners, who have the choice.
But of course: When people become old, it could be a good idea to sell all equipment and to buy some lighter stuff.
What does the best bomb proof equipment help me, if I can't carry it?
What's in my list isn't very expensive.
The Decathlon stuff is really cheap.
Lists like the one I wrote down are interesting, if you have to replace something, or for beginners, who have the choice.
But of course: When people become old, it could be a good idea to sell all equipment and to buy some lighter stuff.
What does the best bomb proof equipment help me, if I can't carry it?
What's in my list isn't very expensive.
The Decathlon stuff is really cheap.
It occurs to me that I posted this in the wrong thread.
It really belongs here:
https://bushcraftuk.com/community/index.php?threads/looking-for-a-light-rucksack.149416/
Nice to know that someone liked it, even though the wording makes it seem a bit anomalous.
Age, eh?
IMHO, I say opinion.. rambling after taking medication would be closer.
The biggest obstacle facing any bushcrafter on the path to lightness is vanity.
Put simply (and I'm guilty of this as well) we want to look a certain way, a romantic image you could say. Sat around the campfire mumbling "It will be a cold day in hell before I buy an Orange rucksack no matter how light it is." The word Traditional gets thrown around a lot at this point, the versatility of the wool blanket, the strength of canvas, durability of cast iron, optimum axe size etc. Whilst all sage words we often overlook that rubberised cotton has been around since 1823, the first gas lighter was 1830 and Aluminium cookware was widely in use by 1890 long before stainless steel.
There is no shortage of weight saving ideas or lighter gear, but rather a lack of willingness to adopt it. We do not want to give up our axes even though many are seldom used. We don't want to give up the heavy bush shirts even though they are a pig to hike in. The wife jokes about burying me with my boots on but times & attitudes change, who knows? A year from now I could be loving some Dirty Girl gaiters. My LK-35 pack is already on borrowed time
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The biggest obstacle facing any bushcrafter on the path to lightness is vanity.
Put simply (and I'm guilty of this as well) we want to look a certain way, a romantic image you could say. Sat around the campfire mumbling "It will be a cold day in hell before I buy an Orange rucksack no matter how light it is." The word Traditional gets thrown around a lot at this point, the versatility of the wool blanket, the strength of canvas, durability of cast iron, optimum axe size etc. Whilst all sage words we often overlook that rubberised cotton has been around since 1823, the first gas lighter was 1830 and Aluminium cookware was widely in use by 1890 long before stainless steel.
There is no shortage of weight saving ideas or lighter gear, but rather a lack of willingness to adopt it. We do not want to give up our axes even though many are seldom used. We don't want to give up the heavy bush shirts even though they are a pig to hike in. The wife jokes about burying me with my boots on but times & attitudes change, who knows? A year from now I could be loving some Dirty Girl gaiters. My LK-35 pack is already on borrowed time
.
Yup, nailed it.
But I hate seeing blobs of dayglo yellow and red when I'm out, spoiling my view. I am courteous enough to wear earth tones so that I can't be seen and don't spoil other's views. I would be very thankful if those attired in bright colours would extend to me the same consideration. But they seem to be unable to think about that.
I fully understand those colours when traversing Everest in case of emergency and one needs to be seen, but when just going for a walk somewhere in the home counties?
The point is, that they are so stupid that they could get lost in a private garden.
You can buy a lot of this clothing at www.idiots-equipment.com
You can buy a lot of this clothing at www.idiots-equipment.com
As someone who wears a lot of primary colours (not dayglo) while out in the wilderness of Wales, I make absolutely no apology for it.
I am courteous enough to wear bright colours in order to be seen so others may avoid me. I would be very thankful if those attired in muted colours and camouflage would extend to me the same consideration (so I may be able to avoid them). I fully understand those colours when fighting in the jungles of Vietnam, but when just going for a walk somewhere in South Wales?
I hope this reads as playful teasing, I mean no offence, I just wanted to point out 'different strokes for different folks' as they say....
To be honest , chances are that ,if you bump into anyone in the same sort of environment , maybe the woods , the mountain or whatever , you have something in common with them.
Regardless of what they are wearing.
Quite possibly , what you have in common is a deep respect , love and admiration for Nature and all its beauty.
Regardless of what they are wearing.
Quite possibly , what you have in common is a deep respect , love and admiration for Nature and all its beauty.
To be honest , chances are that ,if you bump into anyone in the same sort of environment , maybe the woods , the mountain or whatever , you have something in common with them.
Regardless of what they are wearing.
Quite possibly , what you have in common is a deep respect , love and admiration for Nature and all its beauty.
I entirely agree, it's just my crippling social anxiety means I still don't want a surprise face to face meeting with them...
A lot of my clothes are brown, grey, green, black, etc. Especially my trousers and outer jackets. However I often like to wear bright T-shirts and shirts. Bright colours make me smile, especially primary colours red/yellow/blue, I wear them everyday and they keep me cheerful.
When I'm sat in the woods under a tarp, making a brew or whittling, the last thing I want is for people to surprise me. I also don't want to surprise anyone else, or for anybody to think I'm a Walt or Rambo. I would personally find it disconcerting to come across anyone (except maybe a twitcher) who was trying to blend in too much. Therefore some of my kit is bright enough to be seen so nobody could think I'm trying to conceal myself.
Happily I find splashes of colour mean most people avoid me or at least are not startled by me/do not startle me. For this having people think I'm an idiot is a very small price to pay.
I do not believe in a dress code for the outdoors ( or civilization either, in fact)
Nothing wrong wearing bright colours. Or dull ones!
The benefit wearing bright colours is if the worst of the worst happens, you will be found easier.
The material and cut of the garments is hugely important though.
Nothing wrong wearing bright colours. Or dull ones!
The benefit wearing bright colours is if the worst of the worst happens, you will be found easier.
The material and cut of the garments is hugely important though.
Reminds me of Peter Kay's slimming world quotes when the whole "going light" topic is brought up.
Its the same in the bike and car world, light weight wheel nuts, magnesium this that and the other. Mostly its only in the interests of the company flogging the kit rather than the buyer.
Its the same in the bike and car world, light weight wheel nuts, magnesium this that and the other. Mostly its only in the interests of the company flogging the kit rather than the buyer.
Yet strangely the flash of a Kingfisher or the bright flowers of nature are wonderful things?
Get over it.
I’m surprised no-one has yet mentioned the most obvious way of going lighter and that for many of us would be knocking chips, beer and pies on the head for a week or two.
This doesn’t involve buying expensive titanium or rucksacks with all the longevity of a Lidl carrier bag that sets you back £200, but does have the added bonuses of cash saved and improved fitness and health.
Will I be doing it? Nah, probably not.....
This doesn’t involve buying expensive titanium or rucksacks with all the longevity of a Lidl carrier bag that sets you back £200, but does have the added bonuses of cash saved and improved fitness and health.
Will I be doing it? Nah, probably not.....
i do rather wonder if the choices of equipment and dress of the 'average' bushcrafter are overly influenced by images of Ray Mears - without understanding that a) his gear is being lugged about by a 4X4, and b) that he sells this stuff on his website, so he wears it for 30 seconds of filming and then gets rid before he melts...
i've seen bushcrafters carrying larger and heavier rucksacks for two nights a Km from their car in summer* than i would carry to walk 70 miles over 5 days in winter - and oddly, none of my stuff falls apart upon exposure to rain, but it does weigh a fifth (as an example of the difference in weight between a backpacking Tarp and some massive canvas thing that soaks up rain to the point that it has its own gravitational field) of what some carry.
*i recall once meeting some blokes doing a bushcraft weekend in mid-wales who were doing their second kit carry - they set up camp less than 500m from the car and one of them was carrying a cauldron. yes, a cauldron - i bet it weighed 40lb and took two days to boil a pint of water...
i've seen bushcrafters carrying larger and heavier rucksacks for two nights a Km from their car in summer* than i would carry to walk 70 miles over 5 days in winter - and oddly, none of my stuff falls apart upon exposure to rain, but it does weigh a fifth (as an example of the difference in weight between a backpacking Tarp and some massive canvas thing that soaks up rain to the point that it has its own gravitational field) of what some carry.
*i recall once meeting some blokes doing a bushcraft weekend in mid-wales who were doing their second kit carry - they set up camp less than 500m from the car and one of them was carrying a cauldron. yes, a cauldron - i bet it weighed 40lb and took two days to boil a pint of water...
Uncle Ray initially prompted us to "carry less by knowing more". I suppose this does remain the ideal and the standard to which we should all aspire. He does go and ruin it a little by offering tempting little breadcrumbs of kit, that we have seen him use on his shows, for sale in his store. Is it any wonder that, quite often, we end up toting an over-heavy pack into the wilderness? Being self-disciplined and realistic have enabled me to get a bit closer to the lightweight ideal but I still probably carry too much 'stuff'!
So, what is the minimum that we should carry into the woods to enable us to be definitely safe and probably comfortable?
A knife
A saw
A tarp
A sleeping bag
A mat
A pot or Crusader cup-type thing
A first aid kit
A firesteel
Waterproofs ( I can't stand ponchos - they snag on everything, never seem to cover your pack in the way you want and flap around in the wind. Sorry!)
A warm hat
A warm layer
A torch or headtorch
A Millbank bag
A water bottle
Some food
- all packed into a rucksack of some description.
Have I missed anything? The above does only really work in woodland and is obviously season dependent but, in theory, it should be enough for someone to be safe, warm, nourished, hydrated and therefore happy. And - to get back to the initial idea posited in Neil's original post - it should be pretty light...
So, what is the minimum that we should carry into the woods to enable us to be definitely safe and probably comfortable?
A knife
A saw
A tarp
A sleeping bag
A mat
A pot or Crusader cup-type thing
A first aid kit
A firesteel
Waterproofs ( I can't stand ponchos - they snag on everything, never seem to cover your pack in the way you want and flap around in the wind. Sorry!)
A warm hat
A warm layer
A torch or headtorch
A Millbank bag
A water bottle
Some food
- all packed into a rucksack of some description.
Have I missed anything? The above does only really work in woodland and is obviously season dependent but, in theory, it should be enough for someone to be safe, warm, nourished, hydrated and therefore happy. And - to get back to the initial idea posited in Neil's original post - it should be pretty light...
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I rarely do missions solely on-foot so weight is less on an issue. Always use some sort of vehicle to do the donkey work when covering distance, a kayak or canoe, bike and trailer, or 4x4. Often this gets me where I need to be or at most requiring less than a mile walk with the gear to set up camp.
IMHO, I say opinion.. rambling after taking medication would be closer.
The biggest obstacle facing any bushcrafter on the path to lightness is vanity.
Put simply (and I'm guilty of this as well) we want to look a certain way, a romantic image you could say. Sat around the campfire mumbling "It will be a cold day in hell before I buy an Orange rucksack no matter how light it is." The word Traditional gets thrown around a lot at this point, the versatility of the wool blanket, the strength of canvas, durability of cast iron, optimum axe size etc. Whilst all sage words we often overlook that rubberised cotton has been around since 1823, the first gas lighter was 1830 and Aluminium cookware was widely in use by 1890 long before stainless steel.
There is no shortage of weight saving ideas or lighter gear, but rather a lack of willingness to adopt it. We do not want to give up our axes even though many are seldom used. We don't want to give up the heavy bush shirts even though they are a pig to hike in. The wife jokes about burying me with my boots on but times & attitudes change, who knows? A year from now I could be loving some Dirty Girl gaiters. My LK-35 pack is already on borrowed time
.
It's certainly the thing that strikes me when reading comments about kit on this website, as opposed to hiking ones. Yes, there are people who like old school packs, canvas tents, etc, but must hikers are really into trimming weight, even if they are not gram counters.
You would never see someone suggest an LK35, never mind a Lavvu etc on a hiking website, because they are so heavy. There is certainly a bias towards canvas, leather 0r just straightforward surplus, even though it's often far too heavy and uncomfortable compared with civilian counterparts for not much different money. Someone will always suggest a surplus or Snugpak sleeping bag, even though they are synthetic, whereas you would think people would go for down since it's a more natural product, so it's slightly inconsistent.
I understand the difference approach (perhaps bushcraft is more static), although there is often a great deal of overlap, but to be honest, I do wonder if it is in part a reaction to anything seen as a bit fancy. Stuff doesn't have to be Gucci to be a bit more comfortable!
BTW - I love the idea of someone bushcrafting with a cauldron - it's got a real Hogworts vibe to it!
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