When I was a boy I would go fishing with my dad (I still do but this story is from when I was young). I asked my dad how dirty the water in the river was. We were well upstream from the city and he told me that a person could likely drink the water straight from the river without an issue...15 minutes later he unzipped and pissed where he stood. I hadn't thought about it until today.

Thanks for sharing Jim. Really nice photos.

Yes, very nice photos!

I completely agree with Hiker Jim, getting some lighter gear definately helps this old hiker up the hill! However, when it comes to the silly extremes some people go to to save an ounce, they are pushing the bounds of good sense. As someone else said, you can get by without certain gear for 99 trips and on that 100th outing you get caught in a whiteout blizzard and pay with your life.
The idea of replacing a knife with a razor blade is really ignorant. If you think all you ever need a knife for is to open the foil package on a freeze dried meal, you are not very well informed. You cannot make fuzz sticks, and shelters with a razor blade!
Some of the extreme lightweight hikers are only hiking high traffic trails and count on others to bail them out or they stay out of trouble because they are on "highway trails". If your hiking goal is to carry less, cover 30 miles a day, you are not really taking the time to enjoy the wilderness and the experience.
As for BK magazine, I gave up on it years ago, their content is really bias toward one way of thinking, not necessarily correct either.

I will say, out west here there are lots of trails to great places to see and to camp, often they form a loop so you don't have to cover the same ground twice. If you only go in a mile, you can certainly beat the crowd and you should be able to carry about anything. Most of the weekend trips I take are on the 10-15 mile range so I can enjoy the countryside more and enjoy camping out with what I can comfortably carry. I would never hike without a map, compass, knife and water. In Arizona we usually have to carry water for the entire trip, just isn't much water available in some areas.

Well said. That's exactly the balance I'm trying to strike. My poor tired knees don't take all that weight like they used to. I'm trying to pare down the weight intelligently. No leaching off of others or razor blades instead of knives here.

Loops are great, aren't they?

Actually, this jogs my memory. One of the reasons I'll do 10+ miles/day with a full pack is that we do have some water here in California. A lot of the time, I will plan my hikes around known water points with camp sites. If the next camp site with a water point is 14 miles, guess how far I'll probably plan to go that day?
On a quick overnighter (come in on a Friday after work, exit Saturday afternoon), I can carry all the water I need, but if I'm going out for the full weekend or a three day weekend, no way. I've got to find some water or I'll be staggering. It's often hot and dry here (not quite AZ, but hot and dry enough), and consuming 1.5 gallons per day just for drinking is commonplace. Then add in hygiene, cooking, and dish washing, and you're up to at least two gallons a day in hot weather. 2 gallons = 16+lbs/day. 3 days = 48+ lbs of just water. Add in at least 20 lbs of gear, and I'm pushing 70 lbs. There's no way I can carry that for even one day, let alone 3.

"...look at RVers, UGH..."


Hey, I resemble that remark

"...I must have missed that issue..."

If I recall correctly, it was not long after Dorn took over as editor. Must have been at least six or seven years ago, give or take a few years...