Let's Hike!
October 7, 2013 12:13 AM Subscribe
Tom Fassbender hiked the John Muir Trail solo and he's written about it on his blog, fordsbasement.
via
I've been trying to wait for someone else to post here so I wouldn't double up, but apparently that's not working. This trip report is amazingly thorough, and his breakdown of the food he carried is both fantastic and indispensable advice.
This is a great post, jabo.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:14 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
This is a great post, jabo.
posted by Literaryhero at 5:14 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
My sister has wanted to hike the John Muir Trail for quite awhile, and looking through that blog, I can see why. I'm not really an ultra-light camper. I try to save weight where I can, but I like my comforts too. After trying to pack our food into those bear barrels for several hiking trips this summer, I can definitely appreciate his accomplishment in packing that all into a barrel.
posted by jamincan at 6:04 AM on October 7, 2013
posted by jamincan at 6:04 AM on October 7, 2013
...although he did say that he lived on a bag of Fritos for a day and a half. 30lbs is very light for a 14 day trip, probably excessively so. A strong adult male can comfortably carry 40 with no problem and in my mind it's not worth going less if it means a huge sacrifice on creature comforts (a one-litre tetrapack of wine can really take the edge off, for instance). But, everyone is different. I'd rather carry more food than less (I'm usually around 40lbs for a 4-5 day solo, though not really minimal) because if you get stuck out for a night or 3 you'd be glad you did.
Having said that, I'm interested in and heading towards going much lighter and this will be a very interesting read - I've only just skimmed. I bought a titanium solo potset this summer and it's incredible how light they are. That goes for everything these days - tents, bags, shoes, packs, stoves. Everything is becoming much better designed and integrated. Expensive, too - when I bought the potset the girl at the checkout tried to go check the actual price because she couldn't fathom spending $60 on two metal containers. It's expensive to go outside!
I'm amazed at the detail of this blog. It seems like at least as much effort as actually doing the hike. Nice post.
posted by jimmythefish at 8:03 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Having said that, I'm interested in and heading towards going much lighter and this will be a very interesting read - I've only just skimmed. I bought a titanium solo potset this summer and it's incredible how light they are. That goes for everything these days - tents, bags, shoes, packs, stoves. Everything is becoming much better designed and integrated. Expensive, too - when I bought the potset the girl at the checkout tried to go check the actual price because she couldn't fathom spending $60 on two metal containers. It's expensive to go outside!
I'm amazed at the detail of this blog. It seems like at least as much effort as actually doing the hike. Nice post.
posted by jimmythefish at 8:03 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
I can definitely appreciate his accomplishment in packing that all into a barrel.
posted by jamincan at 6:04 AM on October 7 [+] [!]
Eponysterical win.
posted by jimmythefish at 8:08 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by jamincan at 6:04 AM on October 7 [+] [!]
Eponysterical win.
posted by jimmythefish at 8:08 AM on October 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
30lbs is very light for a 14 day trip, probably excessively so.
It is, but it also looks like he resupplied his food halfway through at the Muir Trail Ranch. 30 lbs with food was about the "norm" when I did this trail last year, that's basically a ~15lb base weight pack. There were some super ambitious kids with 9-10 lb packs. 15 lbs goes a long ways with todays gear weight, I had all the creature comforts I'd need for a long hike (except for the tetrapack of wine, though I did trade some solar charges for a bottle of whiskey..).
posted by still at 8:23 AM on October 7, 2013
It is, but it also looks like he resupplied his food halfway through at the Muir Trail Ranch. 30 lbs with food was about the "norm" when I did this trail last year, that's basically a ~15lb base weight pack. There were some super ambitious kids with 9-10 lb packs. 15 lbs goes a long ways with todays gear weight, I had all the creature comforts I'd need for a long hike (except for the tetrapack of wine, though I did trade some solar charges for a bottle of whiskey..).
posted by still at 8:23 AM on October 7, 2013
It is, but it also looks like he resupplied his food halfway through at the Muir Trail Ranch.
Ah, missed that.
posted by jimmythefish at 8:30 AM on October 7, 2013
Ah, missed that.
posted by jimmythefish at 8:30 AM on October 7, 2013
There were some super ambitious kids with 9-10 lb packs.
I guess regionally it makes a difference, and also hiking in a group can really cut down on your weight through sharing. I'm on Vancouver Island, and used to hike a lot in the Rockies when we were in Calgary. I'd have a really hard time getting down that light safely.
Here you typically want bear spray and an air horn for wolves (overkill maybe, but there's a lot of wolves on northern Vancouver Island), which is a pound alone. Are they carrying a water filter? What does their med kit look like? Sleeping under a tarp, too, probably, which you could probably do in parts of California and southwestern BC in the summer but not in places where you can get snowed on at night.
The little things add up and it's both comfort and safety that you're sacrificing. Redundancy is always comforting. I carry two of the most critical things (lighters), spare batteries for the headlamp, two MSR pocket-rocket stoves if it may be cold (when I lived in Alberta) to be anal - plus it's nice to heat up a bevvy with one stove and make dinner (water for dinner usually) with the other. Also, repair stuff - a small roll of duct tape and twist ties. Emergency beacon/GPS is also a possibility. Not much, but again it adds up.
I'll bet with 9-10 lbs you're going without a lot of that stuff.
posted by jimmythefish at 8:55 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
I guess regionally it makes a difference, and also hiking in a group can really cut down on your weight through sharing. I'm on Vancouver Island, and used to hike a lot in the Rockies when we were in Calgary. I'd have a really hard time getting down that light safely.
Here you typically want bear spray and an air horn for wolves (overkill maybe, but there's a lot of wolves on northern Vancouver Island), which is a pound alone. Are they carrying a water filter? What does their med kit look like? Sleeping under a tarp, too, probably, which you could probably do in parts of California and southwestern BC in the summer but not in places where you can get snowed on at night.
The little things add up and it's both comfort and safety that you're sacrificing. Redundancy is always comforting. I carry two of the most critical things (lighters), spare batteries for the headlamp, two MSR pocket-rocket stoves if it may be cold (when I lived in Alberta) to be anal - plus it's nice to heat up a bevvy with one stove and make dinner (water for dinner usually) with the other. Also, repair stuff - a small roll of duct tape and twist ties. Emergency beacon/GPS is also a possibility. Not much, but again it adds up.
I'll bet with 9-10 lbs you're going without a lot of that stuff.
posted by jimmythefish at 8:55 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
There were some super ambitious kids with 9-10 lb packs.
They're called "ultralighters" (UL), and it's not just kids. Once you get into the mindset, the payoff in load-lightening makes up for the loss in creature comforts.
posted by IAmBroom at 9:13 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
They're called "ultralighters" (UL), and it's not just kids. Once you get into the mindset, the payoff in load-lightening makes up for the loss in creature comforts.
posted by IAmBroom at 9:13 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
The Muir trail is awesome and I want to do it someday. I walked across America two years ago--3200 miles. And I concur with a lot of Fassbender's advice. The Fly Creek tent is a machine.
posted by 3200 at 1:58 PM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by 3200 at 1:58 PM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Too many people.
What, every day this guy passed dozens of people?
Its some of the most crenallated and feature rich terrain in the world. But its also halfway between two huge metropolises.
I am envious of the beauty. It scorns even our High Cascades here in Western Oregon. But I relish the notion, however risky, that I could walk the same distance here and experience actual solitude.
But those are crazy gorgeous places that trail takes you.
Maybe the permitting system is working or it would be much more overrun.
posted by Colonel Panic at 4:52 PM on October 7, 2013
What, every day this guy passed dozens of people?
Its some of the most crenallated and feature rich terrain in the world. But its also halfway between two huge metropolises.
I am envious of the beauty. It scorns even our High Cascades here in Western Oregon. But I relish the notion, however risky, that I could walk the same distance here and experience actual solitude.
But those are crazy gorgeous places that trail takes you.
Maybe the permitting system is working or it would be much more overrun.
posted by Colonel Panic at 4:52 PM on October 7, 2013
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I like this guy. I am also very envious. One of the major compromises I had to make in moving to Malaysia was to give up hiking. I know there is hiking available here, but the heat just ruins it for me.
posted by Literaryhero at 4:11 AM on October 7, 2013 [1 favorite]