ultralight

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Overnight backcountry backpacking/hiking in the spirit of taking less and doing more. Ask yourself: do I really need that?

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Tip #2 Comfortable and safe are vital! (self.ultralight)

submitted 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) by miles to c/ultralight

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Comfortable and safe are vital! Anyone can go out into the mountains with a tiny amount of gear and suffer — you need to be warm, well-fed and ready to deal with safety issues. Ultralight camping should be delightful, not stressful. The challenge is to succeed with only the gear that’s absolutely needed.

The first-aid kit is a good metaphor for your lightweight camping mind-set. It would be foolish to travel without one, right? But what is truly required? What can you effectively improvise? There is a blurry line between TOO heavy and TOO light. You can still go out in the backcountry with a very light pack and be comfortable and safe (see tip 55).

Excerpt from Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips by Mike Clelland

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

So what's in your first aid kit?

I actually beefed mine up in some ways (and pared it down in others) from a pre-made kit. I focused on things that are most likely to screw me up, like abrasions, blisters, thorns, and repetitive stress injuries, and altitude sickness. So I have a lot of ibuprofen and Tylenol, leukotape on release papers, good small scissors and tweezers, and blister bandages and band aids. Being a woman, I also packed meds for UTI and yeast infections, totally not included in any med kit commercially. Gloves? Gone. Irrigation syringe? Gone. Useless plastic tweezers? Gone.

[–] miles 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I actually beefed mine up in some ways (and pared it down in others)

That sounds right, adapating it to your actual needs! 😀

About 5 years ago my first aid kit was a gallon ziploc my partner prepared. It had boxes of band-aids, bottles of pills, bags of lozenges, multiple packs of moleskin, a fabric bandage, rolls of tape, a roll of antacid, etc. Whenever we would go on a hike, short or long, we’d pack it automatically. It weighed well over a lb and after reviewing it critically I realized there was lots of duplication and that I didn’t know what some of it was even for. I’ve managed to downsize that thing to a quart-size ziploc for use as a couple, but when I go solo I carry 20 ibuprofen, 3 Sudafed, 2 Loperamide and tweezers in a tiny baggie. I also carry a patch or 2 of leukotape, a needle, floss and mini scissors and one Ibuprofen PM per night. In the last 3 years I’ve used all of it at least once except the Sudafed and Loperamide (🤞). Additional risk mitigation is choosing the right trips at the right time of year and appropriate preparation.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Mine comes in at about 250g fully loaded, which will suffice for two people for three days of harsh luck. I could probably still reduce it a bit but I also don't want to think too hard about modifying it when we hike with friends; and I have given stuff away on the trail before.

[–] miles 1 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Mine comes in at about 250g fully loaded

As always Andrew Skurka has a well-researched and reasonable take on first aid kits, it’s the one thing he refuses to list a weight for.

I have given stuff away on the trail before.

Same here! I’ve given away leukotape, ibuprofen, ibuprofen PM, floss and needle and repair tape and gotten ibuprofen donated to me when I was suffering in the Sierra.

[–] Joe_Moose 2 points 1 year ago

hmmmm. I should probably get some decent tweezers and scissors. I also need to replace my benadryl. It got wet and I never refilled it.

Thank you for posting this list. I'm comforted to know that I was already doing most of what was listed here, but worried that I left out a few essentials.