Category: Backpacking Project

The Backpacking Project – Gear

The goal? Transform the formerly sedentary man rediscovering the outdoors into a backpacker.

When? This year.

Where? An overnight short distance trip in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, West Virginia, or New York.

The subject? Male, age 48, 6 feet 2 inches tall, approximately 300 pounds and dropping. Medical concerns are bilateral knee replacements, occasional back trouble, and poor coordination/balance. Limited hiking experience.

Now that the conditions of the project are out there, its time to discuss equipment – what I have and what I need.

Clothing: I should be set here, but here’s what I plan on wearing on the trail:
– Cabela’s “Guidewear” pants
– synthetic underwear
– Columbia fisherman’s shirt
– baseball cap
– Merino wool socks
– Asolo hiking boots
– Crocs as camp shoes

Hiking poles – I have a set of aluminum poles.

Backpack – I have an Outdoor Products internal framed backpack, but its clearly too small for me and too small for what I plan to do. I don’t want to have to load my gear onto the backs of people I hike with – that defeats the purpose of this project.

Sleeping bag – its a six pound Columbia bag, far too heavy. Its fine for bike touring and car camping but I need something lighter.

Sleeping pad – I have a piece of foam.

Tent – I have a Columbia “Lost Lake” two man freestanding tent. It weighs seven pounds, again too heavy. If I am unable to secure a lighter weight tent I may need to restrict my backpacking to locations with shelters. A hammock is a poor idea in light of my weight.

Stove – MSR Pocket Rocket, which uses fuel in canisters.

Cookwear and utensils – Coleman, but lightweight.

Suggestions on improvements to any or all of the above are welcome.

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The Backpacking Project

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My childhood heroes were outdoorsmen. Lewis and Clark, John James Audubon, Daniel Boone, the various men and women in Jack London’s stories…. Later, as a formerly sedentary man rediscovering the outdoors, I thrilled to the exploits and writing of John Muir, Nessmuck, and more Appalachian Trail hikers than I can remember.

But while I could read about them, I never thought I could emulate them. My back was in such bad shape I never thought I could carry a backpack. Yes, I can ride a bike and have the bike carry my gear, but that’s not quite the same, and while “bikepacking” is wonderful, its restrictive compared to backpacking.

The shape I was in prevented me from carrying weight on my back, and that shape was the letter “S.” The photo to the right is from my first metric century bike ride, in Delaware in June 2007. I’m a little older, a little heavier, and a lot more straightened out since my knee replacement. I’m also a little wiser, and less likely to be discouraged. So, since I have friends who keep telling me I can backpack and they want me to go with them, I thought I’d take a test hike with a loaded pack. So yesterday I headed out.

The location was Warwick County Park. The distance, two miles. The pack is an Outdoor Products “Skyline” model, a sort of entry level interior framed pack. I partly filled it with clothes, a couple of water bottles, camera, batteries, and a couple of Pop-tarts. I pulled on the pack, grabbed my hiking poles, and headed out.

The experience wasn’t quite what I expected. People with scoliosis have horrible posture unless they work at it. I slouch too much. I’m too “head forward”, and on a climb I really look like I’m leaning into the hill. The weight of the pack seemed to straighten me out a bit. I felt I slouched less. Because I was alone I don’t have a decent photo of the pack on me, so I can’t show how it fit or ask if I was wearing it correctly. That will have to wait until I’m hiking with somebody.

At the end of the two miles I felt tired and I had some slight feeling of strain in my shoulders, upper back, and

middle back. But not a great deal of strain. And I feel tired but mobile this morning. I think I might be able to backpack after all. While I may never hike the Appalachian Trail in its entirety, I feel confident I can get to the point short distance overnight and three day trips are possible. I will keep you informed how I’m progressing on this project to turn me into a backpacker. See you on the trail!

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