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ENLIGHTENMENT

By Niko Geronimo



"The Mountains remain the same, so as climbers get better equipment, beta, training, breakthroughs through psychological barriers, and as techniques evolve, you have to do things in better style." -Jim Donini, alpinist



EXTRANEOUS EQUIPMENT


The buzzword for hikers, trekkers, backpackers, mountaineers and outdoors folk then was “Bombproof”. Gear manufacturers each had claims about having the most durable backpack, the most storm-proof tents, the most waterproof jackets, the warmest bags, the hottest output stoves, the toughest boots. You were guaranteed protection from anything except a run-in with a saltwater crocodile, an intensity 10 earthquake or a nuclear strike.



And all that gear barely fits inside a pack with a volume of 90 liters (5400 cubic inches). It would have weighed as much as 30 kg (65 lbs) full, about half your body weight. You could probably lug that up the slopes for a full six hours, covering an approximate distance of say, five to ten kilometers before you promptly drop on your wobbly knees, with a compressed spine, a full two inches shorter, sore shoulders and an aching back that stays with you the whole week to remind you of your hellish experience.



Your mind would have been imprinted with two things: one, the pain whose memory would haunt you the next time someone asks you if you want to climb. And two, nothing else…just the pain. You wouldn’t even know how much you enjoyed the trip or how beautiful was the place you visited.



FRESH THREADS


Today, we climbers in catalogs and websites with scaled-down backpacks, about half of what it used to be. Today’s tents are ultralight solo bivouac sacks or single-pole affairs. We’ve learned to chuck out those clunky high-impact boots that wear out the trails and weigh us down. We’ve re-learned the virtues of running shoes, trailrunners that is. The new buzz words are LEDs, titatinium and Softshells.



LEDs or light emitting diodes are rapidly taking over from Xenon and halogen bulbs in our head lamps. Since they don’t need filaments to make light, they don’t overheat and your headlamps won’t need replacement bulbs. And they use so much less power that battery life has increased dramatically from a mere seven hours to as much as 120 to 150 hours. Bulk has been radically cut down as well. The smallest LED headlamp I’ve seen is a tad bit smaller than a box of matches.



Titanium has taken over from where lightweight aluminum left off-providing stronger tensile strength, which means its less prone to cracking when bent, at the same light weight. It’s in our tent poles, in our stoves, in our cooksets and trekking poles, it’s even in my spork!



A Softshell replaces the traditional concept of layering with a hardshell waterproof/breathable jacket over an insulating layer over a wicking base layer. Instead you have a highly water-resistant, highly breathable softshell over your base layer good for marginal weather between short, light drizzles and snapping cold spells. These softshells are often thin-layered fleece jackets with a water-resistant outer layer of nylon fabric or a windproof membrane, which means they can handle most things the weather comes up with except a full-on storm. Recently, some companies have come out with softshells that are actually waterproof. And they’re highly compressible, one brand makes a jacket that you can actually stuff in your mouth. Though why you would want to do that is beyond me.



But all that jazz about all that gear is not what light packing is all about.



WHO WOULD’VE THOUGHT OF SUCH A THING?


The sport mountaineering carried with it the need to lug heavy stuff up the mountain. In the early years, mountaineering in the European Alps was a backyard thing that involved fairly light loads. Next explored and climbed were the high peaks of the South American Andes which were half a world away and required more loads. Last to fall were the peaks of the Himalayas. By then the loads were enormous, requiring Sherpa trains in expedition-style sieges of the Central Asian summits. One of the earliest American expeditions to K2 in the Karakoram required tons of equipment and supplies to be carried by 300 Pakistani porters! That expedition failed to reach the summit of K2 showing even with a large entourage resembling a small army geared up for an invasion and occupation of the mountainscape, there is simply no guarantee of success.



Naysayers predicted Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler would perish in the attempt to summitted Mount Everest without the use of bottled oxygen or suffer permanent brain damage. Messner countered he they would do it ‘By Fair Means,’ implying the others had done the feat by less than fair means. In 1978, Messner and Habeler proved their point with minimal gear and Sherpa support on a formidable new route. Later Messner would crush all doubts by being the first to summit all of the worlds 8000m peaks without oxygen with minimal gear and Sherpa support and many times solo.



In the late 60’s rock climbing legends Royal Robbins (founder of Royal Robbins outdoor wear), Yvon Chouinard (founder of Black Diamond Equipment and owner of Patagonia) and Tom Frost (co-founder of Black Diamond) considered the use of superfluous tools in rock climbing as cheating and unethical, articulating the ethics of less environmental impact and greater simplicity. In a manifesto they wrote, “Siege tactics, bolt ladders, bat hooks…plus a guaranteed rescue diminish rather than enhance a climb. Even now, existing technology and techniques are so powerful that almost any climb imaginable can be realized, and the fear of the unknown reduced to a rote exercise…It is the style of the climb rather than the attainment of the summit which is the measure of success…Given the vital importance of style we suggest that the keynote is simplicity. The fewer the gadgets between the climber and the climb, the greater the chance to attain the desired communication with oneself --- and nature.”



Ray Jardine, a former NASA scientist, hiked the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), a meandering and punishing 4,320 km trail along the US West coast taking 18 weeks to finish in the classic backpacking style. After four and a half months of pain, he came to the realization that there had to be a better way, a better Style of doing things.



An inspiration came to him when a little old lady by the name of Emma “Grandma” Gatewood hiked the Appalacian Trail three times beginning at age 65 using a duffel bag for a pack, a shower curtain for shelter and Keds sneakers.



Jardine started making his own gear making them lighter than most available branded models, paring down the heaviest pieces of gear to their absolute minimum without compromising their functionality. When he did the PCT again, he clocked 45 days faster, a full month and a half off!



Thus was born the Ray-Way, a system of interlocking principles and philosophies, techniques and gear that got the base weight down to at least about half (excluding food, fuel and water). And when a company called Go-Lite started making lighter equipment with Jardine’s designs, it touched off a radical switch in thinking among the outdoor gear companies.



ZEN AND THE ART OF MOUNTAIN CLIMBING


Light packing is about the essence of the climb. It’s about being unencumbered, getting away from it all, leaving behind all that is superfluous and non-essential. According to Mark Newcomb, “It’s about the freedom to pursue surprisingly serious and substantial mountaineering objectives unhindered by porter loads of gear and unburdened by needless accoutrements.”



When we climb, we don’t pack everything out including the kitchen sink. That would be nice if you actually enjoy six-course meals nightly for dinner. You might as well pack your disco ball and have a party while you’re at it. Not so great if you're the type that enjoys finding the hidden corners because you can find them.



It is also about going back to basics, to the roots and rediscovering what is important in our human existence. When we climb, we accept our rightful place in the natural order of things - That we were not genetically designed to sit behind a desk on the 23rd floor of a high-rise mesmerized by the empty flashing of blogs on the computer monitor and remote-controlled by e-mail and voice mail. Rather, we are nomads made to roam the face of the earth.



Light packing takes us back to the edge of our existence It helps us in the search for our niche in the broader scheme of life. It is a profound realization that eludes many people --- that the comforts of modern urban life are somehow less important than the style or manner of how we live our lives.



It is also less expensive and economical. The less we realize we need, the more we save for more important things. An expensive polar expedition-worthy tent would cost significantly more than what we would actually need in tropical weather. Imagine the smile on your loved one’s face when we get for them a small gift for an anniversary that you could not have afforded if you had bought that unnecessary piece of equipment that would have been closet junk. It also saves us on trips to the doctor whose costs could be even more crippling.



Light packing is also lighter on the environment. We buy less, therefore the demands on our natural resources is less, leaving more for future use. We bring less packaging along therefore less chances of accidentally leaving litter. We buy trail runners that have shallower lugs that contribute less to trail erosion. Bear in mind that a greatly disproportionate fraction of synthetic materials used in making our gear are by-products of the oil industry, creating more demand for them contributes to Global Warming.



The comfort of the lighter loads enables us to hike faster and longer. Giving us time to do more on our trips and enables us to enjoy more the quality of the experience. With an old-school load we get to our camp later, crankier and more tired. If we get to the peak earlier with a light pack, we would have time to enjoy the beautiful sunset.




THE APPROACH


The approach to light packing is more than being just minimalist in what you pack. Nor should we fall for the merchandising trap of gear makers to get us to buy anything labeled “Ultralight”. It demands of us to know what the hell we are doing, to be competent in all the skills, to be on top of our game and to have good judgment.



Learning to pack light can be full of small dilemmas. An obvious first step is to scale down on your pack to one that’s 40 liters in volume (2400 cubic inches) to force yourself to take only the barest of essentials. Much like going on a diet when you count your calories, all the ounces you cut can sum up to a few pounds off your pack. Be ruthless in assessing what you really need to bring along. When you do, it becomes apparent we used hardly half of the gear we packed in the first place.



Packing light involves not only carrying lightweight gear but also paring off every little bit from your gear to make it even lighter. I have had the pleasure of performing an ‘operation’ on my Gore-Tex jacket knifing off the powder skirt, rolldown hood flap and water bottle pockets without affecting its waterproofness.



Careful and meticulous planning is absolutely crucial and pivotal. We should know the conditions we are to face and pack accordingly. If you choose to leave that sleeping bag at home, layer-up all your clothes when you go to sleep. How much food and supplies do you actually, ACTUALLY need? Planning less complicated and easier to cook meals can save you on fuel and water requirements. You’ll need just one stove instead of two, and maybe just one team cook pot instead of a whole set.



Forget the inflatable pad. Replace it with a soft quarter-inch thick closed-cell foam pad that when folded lengthwise approximates the size of your pack’s back padding and frame. This way you can leave the pack’s frame and padding, and still have a Ÿ length pad. If it’s not really going to rain and you’re not really that squeamish of bugs, consider leaving the tent at home and just bring a tarp for your bivouac.



Remember that the concept of packing light may compromise your safety margin. Ultimately, it's up to you to decide what you need to bring to protect yourself, so don't skimp too much if you are unfamiliar with the terrain or unsure of the weather.



Just as importantly, we should know our own limits. Being able to go faster doesn’t translate to the ability to achieve the most radical goals overnight. And going too fast in the trail might lead to accidents. We wouldn’t want you to go flying off a cliff just because you went too fast. So hold back, enjoy your surroundings.




THE MANTRA


The ideal of light packing is To Do More With Less. In these days when lighter, tougher more functional gear is available to us, we may be tempted into going for the hardest, fastest, firstest, extremest. Question is will it be relevant for future generations of climbers or will it be a cautionary tale?



Packing light, we may be able to view the world in newer dimensions. Maybe we may see that there is something worthwhile doing out there, some greater purpose than pure enjoyment. When we are not too distracted with gear, we might just be tempted to look within ourselves and realize other possibilities.



The essence of the climb and the soul of light packing will forever be summed up in the words of Victor Saunders on his failed yet visionary two-man winter ascent of Nanga Parbat:



If you are not hungry, you have too much food. If you are not cold and afraid, you have too much gear. If you are not drop-dead tired, you have too much rest. If you are not lonely, you have too much company. If you get up your climb, it was too easy anyway.







Pack Light! Published 2003

By: Ramon Vizmanos ’99, Niko Geronimo’97 and Kerwin Nicolas ‘93





Ultra Light backpaking is a belief and practiced since time and memoriam. It may sound a little scientific but it helps a lot saving energy and a solution to your cranky back and knees. Packing light is also stepping light at the trail and you maybe doing it already unknowingly. It minimizes backpack bulk to enjoy more the trip negotiating through an impenetrable forest and the lighter the weight the faster you go. Climbing newbies may find it strange but the idea is as good as stuffing your clothes into a plastic bag and voila! - You have a pillow instead of bringing one! We did not want to confuse a climber of what to bring and not to bring so we listed almost everything with substitutes and divided it into 5 major groups: Essentials, Clothes, Toiletries, Group Items and Optional items.




1. ESSENTIALS:



  • Money

Leave those bulky wallets at home, place the money instead in a tiny resealable plastic bag that are available on groceries or plastic shops. Sometimes bringing ATM or credit cards may help. Spend or leave all those coins you have before the climb.



  • Folding Knife

Choose a model that suits your needs and at least must have a knife of course, a scissor and can opener would do fine. Leave the mammoth ones.



  • Backpack

Climbers are comfortable carrying a 90+ liter pack on a major climb. Light packers prefer a 42-65 liter packs good enough for 5 days. Take off items on your pack you are not using – shove it sleeves, extra ladder locks, cord lock and cut short long spindrift collar strings. Using a 42-liter pack for 5 days may stress the pack and it takes some time stuffing equipment in it. Backpack size may vary on the type of climb and duration and use your left brain here - If you’re a big guy, you have big clothes, big appetite, a big tent - therefore:__________



  • Cellular Phone

Yes! Texting while climbing can be interesting. sample text: “hi! m hir @ mt pulag! sna ur hir 2. mis u.”



  • Flashlight, extra bulb and Batteries

Manufacturers came up with compact designs like Petzl Zipka. Local imitation products are also available but its not as reliable compared to these ones. Try using rechargeable batteries. It’s only draw back with this kind of batteries (mostly nickel metal hydride) easily drains it power easily on cold climate but it’s cheaper in the long run if you recharge it on your neighbor’s house.



  • Whistle and Dogtag

If you are alone and fell on a ravine and you broke a leg and your alive and don’t have a whistle - your screams will kill you eventually. The dogtag will help identify your body. Try using a referees whistle.



  • Duct Tape

Include it as one of your best friends in your repair kit. Remove the inner cardboard and flatten or stick it to a walking stick. Aside from being used in kidnappings, it is very handy in fixing stuffs. i.e.: boots, tent, water containers etc.



  • Lighter

Bring at least 3 if you’re traveling alone and have it waterproofed and place one in your cookset, survival kit and windbreaker or on different parts of you gear. Having done this puts you the advantage at the time you need it when the situation gets soaking wet.



  • Earth pad

The bulkiest item a climber has. Choose a thinner one or if you can afford an inflatable pad… spoil yourself. If you don’t want to bring any of these to minimize bulk: use your pack as sleeping pad.



  • Tying Strings

Bring made of nylon. A material of so many uses: clothesline, for repairing, guylines and if you want to hang yourself…



  • Spoon and Fork

Leave the fork if you brought a folding knife. Or bring a spork. Or choose a spoon made of aluminum or titanium. Plastics spoons are light but it’s easily broken and it’s hard eating using the head only. You may also drill holes onto the handle if you want to.



  • Aluminum or Plastic Drinking Cup and Mess Kit

Leave it if you are bringing the group’s cookset. Bring a trail water container instead or might as well eat and drink from the cookset if you felt tasting food leftovers in your water.



  • Trail Food

Do not forget this item because it may serve as your regular meal when a situation needs one specially when you get lazy cooking.



  • Sleeping Bag

Backpackers will dispute bringing thinner types or bulky ones but it’s up to the climber what kind of comfort does he/she need – a good night sleep with an exhausted trek or a spirited trek with arctic nightmares at night. Ultra light packers bring plastics or thermal blankets instead of sleeping bags. Some don’t bring at all on a tropical setting.



  • Water Containers

Collapsible containers are sold in many sizes if you can afford one. Use a 1.5 - liter Coca-cola soft drink container if you felt saving money. The plastic bottle can be flattened after you use it but it’s as sturdy again re-using it. On a hot day, some climbers may drink up to 3 liters of trail water and if you know water is surely available on your way to your campsite, don’t bring more than you consume during the trek unless you are sharing it.



  • First Aid Kit/ Personal Medicines

Place it in a resealable plastic bag and leave those pouches. Cut the corners of tablets and capsules so it won’t punch holes of the plastic. The kit includes Triangular bandages, Pain Relievers, Insect Repellent, Anti-Diarrhea, your lovers’ laminated photos, Anti-Skin Allergy Tablet or Ointment, Prescription Medicine (if any) and Chili powder for hypothermia (stick it to the victim’s eyes so he wont be able to sleep)





2. CLOTHES:


  • Trekking Shorts

Bring a light but tough one. Use it going up and descending. Substitute cycling shorts instead of undies to prevent “had-had” . Example no. 1: On a 5-day climb, bring at least 2 shorts and undies. You may do some laundry on spare time during trek so climbing buddies wont complain of the smell your in.



  • Undies

Follow example no. 1.



  • T- Shirts or Trekking Shirt.

Local manufacturers came up with intelligent buys - light and quick dry. Most local climbers still feel cotton as their best friend even it retains moisture because its soft and cool to the skin on a hot weather. Follow the same system like we did in the shorts. It may sound risky if the weather is too cold and you bought only a pair of clothes but when a typhoon arrives always remember: it’s your brains will do most of your survival.



  • Socks

On a multi day climb, some climbers change their socks every 2 hours to prevent moisture eating the foot’s skin. Some climbers can tolerate 4 days with only a pair of wet ordinary socks but it’s up to the needs of the climber.



  • Trekking pants

A good substitute for shorts. It’s also a good warmer during sleep. Choose a quick-dry fabric.



  • Bush Hat or Sombrero

Some climbers don’t bring this at all but it really helps on a scorching trek. Others are contented bringing shades. Ultra-light packers just pick fallen large leaves along the way.



  • Sandals

Ultra light packers don’t bring any and they enjoy barefoot at campsites but it will be troublesome when your boots got busted. On a local setting, we can bring “pambahay” sandals. So it will be really light and by the way, rafter sandals do stinks on climbs.



  • Climbing Shoes

Another argument: a high cut or low cut boot? Which is safer? - Doesn’t matter, as long it is functioning. Your feet will go on walking even your mind tells you to stop. Buy your boots wisely.



  • Rain Jacket or Windbreaker

NEVER forget this one. On a tropical country and you enjoy a wet and cold climb, you don’t really need wind breakers with Gore-tex technology. Do the traditional layering. Don’t forget that we go outdoors so we can savor the climate as long as we can take it. Most gore-tex are bulky, heavy and expensive. Again, it’s up to the climber who wishes to feed his needs. Try checking out “Ukay-ukay” shops near you for good deals!





3. TOILETRIES:


  • Toilet Paper

Leave the inside carton at home because you don’t need it. Always make sure this is waterproofed.



  • Face Towel or Scarf

You may also use your triangular bandage as head gear with “libag ng mukha” visible on it. Apologize if ever you’ll gonna use it to an injured climber.



  • Toothpaste and Toothbrush

You may cut you toothbrush handle if you can hack brushing in style. You may pull some of its bristles too. Do the same to your hairbrush or comb. For your toothpaste, place a small amount (good for your trip) in a tiny resealable plastic. Do not share your toothbrush with others unless you are really good friends.



  • Alcohol (Isopropyl)

I remember a friend spent four 150ml containers in 5 days against a limatik campaign in Mt. Halcon by pouring it on every part involved. Save weight and resources by sticking only a droplet on a limatik because they’re not drunkards.



  • Nail cutter

Cut your fingernails before you climb, so you can leave the nail cutter behind or leave it if you know to cut your fingernails with your scissors in your folding knife. Try it!





4. GROUP ITEMS


  • Map and Compass – you may cut map edges and leave the compass alone. Bring pencil instead of ball point pen. But if you already know the trail(s) you can leave it too.



  • Group Food

Dried food are still the lightest available and if you have pre-cooked food, place it in resealable plastic bags and leave your mother’s hard-case plastic ware. You can place inside a cookset or mess kit to avoid crushing inside a pack. Always plan your meals and know when are you gonna consume it so you will know when it gets spoiled. Sorry about not recycling film canisters but place the spices in tiny resealable plastics. Film canisters do contain nitrate residue – an ingredient that makes lead. We’ve tried placing the contents form a popular canned tuna in a resealable plastic bag and it didn’t spoil for 4 days on a hot weather climb. Leave the can at home or before the trek and always experiment first before a major climb.



  • Cookset – Use the top lid as your mess kit. If you can afford titanium cooksets- get it.



  • Bolo or Machete – Mostly heavy, leave it if the trail is already established. If you guys know where to buy a light weight bolo let us know.



  • Ground Sheet – For tents and instant shelters. Choose a size made for your needs.



  • Trowel – Leave it if you carry a bolo already. Bring at least 1 for every 7 people or improvise - a tent peg?



  • Stove and Fuel - Bring butane stoves if you can afford one. Heard of the stove made of softdrink cans? Honestly speaking, it is the cheapest and lightest material one can have but it might be bothersome with a typhoon going on.



  • Tent Body, Fly Sheet, Poles and Pegs – Bring only 1 stuff sack. Choose tents poles and pegs made of aluminum. You may peg a tent too by using your toothbrush, spoon, backpack, boots filled with stones, somebody’s pegs, branches, grass or anything heavy and cute.



  • UPM Flag – Your lover may have forgotten you but don’t forget who you are.





5. OPTIONAL ITEMS


  • Camera and Film or Digital Camera



  • Candles – you know what type to bring.



  • Umbrella – Are you sure?



  • Stool - Use your pack instead while resting or better, use someone else’ stool.



  • Mirror - carry a small one for vanity reasons, it may serve as a visual signal if you got lost alone.



  • Biodegradable Soap - If you want to bring it just remember to wash at least 10 meters or farther from water sources.



  • Walking sticks - Yes! You might consider it as an essential if you are pitching an a-type tent with your groundsheet. Use it too as probe on a river and spanking.



  • Others (it’s up to you!)




Anything that works for ultra-light backpackers might not work for you but it won’t hurt to try all of this. Take off all labels, hard case plastics (not for eggs) and patches that you find annoying, double or triple your waterproofing specially on cameras and cell phones, pack everything inside (even tent poles), gather all the items that you normally bring that you omitted and weigh it. The result: you may have spent time on this lousy belief for lessening a few ounce or grams lighter but It will guarantee it made your pack smaller from it’s original size! You can bring more food or frisbee or a frozen beer in can to meet your usual weight load! But why the hell go through all of this if you are going to replace a weight you took off with another item…?



Three words. “Mountaineering is fun”

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