Back to Basics

With all her gear in a denim bag draped over her shoulder, Emma Gatewood, (Grandma Gatewood) a slight 71 year old mother of 11, hiked the AT three times. In the process, she was the first person man or women to have hiked it twice.

In her bag she carried a light wool blanket, plastic curtain for rain protection and miscellaneous supplies. In all, she seldom carried 20 pounds and usually carried no more than 15 pounds, this includes her gear, food and water.

Clearly, Grandma Gatewood proves that gear alone doesn't make a successful hike.

So in an age of $300 backpacks with space age suspension systems designed to carry the heaviest loads, what have we learned?

... those items designed to make life easy while we're doing nothing, hinder us when we're working our hardest.

Walk into any outdoor supplier and you'll find it difficult to resist all those wonderful items designed to make our hike safer, more comfortable and more enjoyable. It does not take too long once you're on the trail to realize that those items designed to make life easy while we're doing nothing, hinder us when we're working our hardest.

By then it's too late. You've already invested hundreds of dollars. Now you're on the trail staring at the few feet of trail in front of you for hours as you struggle to reach the top of a mountain that seems to go on forever. Are we having fun yet?

Since we're carving so much stuff. It's probably good we've got it. We're so tired after a few miles lugging it, we need setup camp early to recover. With so much camp time, we might as well be comfortable. And the cycle goes on.

So, how do we go light? "Shed the pounds". Unfortunately that's often easier said than done. Fortunately there are numerous websites and books available to help ease the process (see my links page).

... the real beauty of a lightweight pack isn't the added miles you can hike during the day, but the ease and enjoyment you'll get out of hiking them.

Once you've gone through the process of lightening your pack. You discover that the real beauty of a lightweight pack isn't the added miles you can hike during the day, but the ease and enjoyment you'll get out of hiking them.

In the years since I finished hiking the PCT, I devoted a lot of time and energy putting together a line of Ultralight gear that reflects some of the lessons learned during my hike. The new gear, including packs and tents, can be found at Six Moon Designs. Drop in a pay us a visit! Hopefully you'll find something interesting and useful.