Too much stuff? Do I have the ultralight-itis?

What do I mean by that? Well let me explain.

I realized last night that much of my survival gear is based on my readings in books and online and purchased either impulsively or because I convinced myself I couldn't do without it (I'm VERY good at this). I also realized that this has led to my having a plehtora of stuff. Now for me I use all of this stuff when I camp or hike or at least try to so that I'm familiar with it and will know how to use it when the time comes that my life may depend on it. The desire to use all of it has led to a hiking pack which (in the rare case it's fully loaded) weighs 50-60 lbs. Had I been blending my 'this is nice to have' camping gear with hiking gear and with survival gear thinking of ALL of it as survival gear...as required? I think I may have been...my lust for gadgets and gear may be interfering with reality! The shock nearly killed me.

This led to my repacking my bags last night (for the zillionth time in the last 2 months). I realized that I don't need half of it to actually 'survive' or even to do many of the things I enjoy doing outdoors. Possibly much less than half. I started really thinking hard about each item before putting it back into my bag...I could commit to so few items that I ended up not packing anything.

I recalled the pyramid in the SAS Survival Guide. Of all the things needed for survival he puts 'kit' at the very tip...a tiny piece of the picture. I wondered just how many things I could do away with for the purpose of survival...which led me to wondering how much stuff I could do away with for hiking, camping, or for good. This became a very frustrating exercise and resulted in my dreaming of myself like Bear Grylls running wildly through the woods with nothing but a canteen a knife and a flint...and no clothes of course. I don't think it helped that I was watching Season 1 of Survivorman before going to bed and was able to see Les Stroud naked in at least one episode.

This morning my thoughts wandered to this topic again (as you can tell by this extremely verbose post) and I thought back to how I like to hike with as much gear as is practical so I know how to use it and realized that this was exactly the opposite of what I should be doing. Regardless if I realized it or not I was replacing equipment with skill. I should have been purposely taking only select items so I could practice doing without the luxury items (which, even if I couldn't admit it, is what they were).

Now I worry that I've caught the ultralight virus bug and that I really am going to be running around in the woods with very little equipment...taking things too far as it were. Concerned that when I get home I'm going to toss everything that won't fit in an 11 oz. backpack into the closet never to be seen again.

I've lost the fine balances I'd convinced myself I had!

Dave,

Don't worry, this is very normal. I guess that lot (most) of people get this after spending (to ) much time around here and getting more stuff and skills. I've had the exact same thing happening to me more then once...

My advise would be to calm down, chill for a couple of days, and then re-evaluate every kit you have and every situation what you would like to make your kit for.

Then just lay all your gear on the floor and think about every item and how it would help you to survive your scenarios. Don't be a pack-rat, but don't be a ultralighter either. Be reasonable for yourself.

Also, when in doubt: post it on ETS!

And of course...good luck!

From a relatively uninformed point-of-view, I offer the following: It sounds like in your quest to "cover all the bases" you have built a mighty fine 72-96 hour BOB. Which is great! Now, you should feel no shame in this. You were only doing what is natural. As a self-proclaimed gear junkie you have taken the first step towards recovery (readjustment). You realized and admitted what most others are probably afraid to personally admit. I am glad you posted this entry because it will allow me to re-examine my approach.

As a side note: I did read on ultralightbacking.com (or something like that) that a guy worked his pack to under 12 pounds for long hikes. Not sure how effective it is in the survival arena.

Group therapy is fun....

These days if you have the money, you can go very light. You can now backpack comfortably for a week with 10 Kg. On my wilderness survival challenge this summer we are taking about 5 kg for 5 days and I think we will live well (less the sleeping bags we do not have). Going Ultralight just costs money. Good gear that last may be heavier but cost less. Selection for the situation is far more important than weight.

I'd rather spend the money on more of your courses Bruce. That survival challenge sounds like fun!

Unfortunately a stolen car, a smashed up jeep, and Christmas has lowered the priority for such things financially.

Don't worry Jim. I'll carefully document my insanity for all to judge...I mean learn from

It seems to me from watching Survivor Man and Man vs. Wild that not only are you dealing with planned adventures to some extent, by two guys who stay within their skills. Les looked pretty freaked out in the Amazon, and I think it was so because he was somewhat out of his element. Same thing with Costa Rica. You see him with his axe in the Canadian woods, and he seems much more at ease and adept at dealing with what faces him.

I also think it's great to develop the skills to survive with nothing but your clothes and a big knife, but it is also not the way you want to live if you have to survive. If it comes down to surviving then you will want to do it with as much comfort as possible. Having gear and stores available makes it more comfortable.

Yes, it seems we get gadget oriented quickly when thinking ahead and how to solve a problem we might imagine in a given scenario, but more likely we will be put into a situation where we may not have the most ideal inventory with which to work. Then it is more a matter of figuring out how to make do with what we have at hand.

That is the dichotomy of thinking survival. Pre-emptive preparation is always apt to focus more towards unlimited gear selection. Once you are in it, though, the opportunities for accessorizing evaporate, and so the mind must focus on getting the task done.

If we can train ourselves into pre-emptively thinking about how to get through a given scenario using only what we might have on us day to day or what is readily available in the environment we might find ourselves, then we become less gadget dependent and better problem-solvers.

Somewhere in there is a happy balance. Survival zen can be achieved.

Hey Hacksaw,

I also think this is a natural pendulum swing for all of us. One blog post from Pablo a while back inspired me to start making lists of my gear and then on the last day take inventory what was used and what was not used. Then better decisions could be made in the future on priorities of gear to carry for that type of trip.

Since you have so much gear experience perhaps it is time to set some time aside to develop more survival skills to maintain that balance. Perhaps taking a primitive skills course following the ol' Mors Kochanski philosophy of "The more you know, the less you carry" would also help in deciding what is essential.

If you can't budget in a full blown primitive skills course (neither can I frankly) check out a few primitive skills books from your local library and take a local wilderness first aid course and/or a few Red Cross training classes. In my experience these are fairly affordable introductions to skill building and when practiced have been more empowering than any shiny piece of gear I own. Every time I want to buy a new piece of gear to replace an heavier older version I put that money aside for a future class. I realized I was starting to compensate for my lack of skill and experience with more gear. Since I own the "essential tools" my brain needs some upgrading before anything else. The skilled brain is the ultimate back-up tool for improvising a solution to any set-back (e.g. lost or stolen backpack containing most of your gear).

Good luck Hacksaw.! Your sincere candor on topics and willingness to provide examples improves the usefulness of this forum dramatically!

Cheers,
Logan.

Well said Benjammin!

Logan,

Primitive skills are something I'd considered silly but last night I was thinking about them again. These are skills that I'd almost never use except in a survival situation but the more I think about it, that's all the more reason to learn these things and practice them

I own several survival books that touch on this topic (including the infamous Bushcraft book by Mr. Kochanski)...I've always passed through these sections pretty quickly.

Wilderness first aid is on my to-do list but I'm waiting for my SAR group to run it instead of my paying for it. Unfortunately it's not required training in Alberta for SAR volunteers so I might have to wait a little while.

It's been a slow day at work today and I've been thinking about how I can solve the problem while keeping (and using) all of the gear (even if it's not all at once). Over the weekend I'm going to take Jim's advice and spread everything out (I've done this before with some success...until the DW makes me pack it up anyhow hehehe). I have a few ideas and over the weekend I think I'll have time to explore them...maybe even run out into the woods to test them.

Thanks for the encouraging words folks. I have a feeling there will be some really positive results come from this moment of doubt.

Hacksaw my friend; I think we have all been here a few times.
This is only my opinion and not meant as criticism in any way, but the only way to fully be comfortable with what you carry is to get out there more in the field and learn the hard way. I spend a lot of time in the field, sometimes because I want to, sometimes because the Army makes me. I always carry a special note book with me EVERY time I hit the field either on my own or with the Military called my “lessons learned” note book. Every time I find a better/ easier more efficient way of doing things or an item of gear I wished I had taken or wished I left behind I write it down and then transfer it to a file on my computer when I gets home. By doing this I am 95 % comfortable with the balance between what I need to have and what is nice to have. Every single time I go out I learn something new about what works and what doesn’t with my gear. The other 5 % I have spoken of is my realization that I will never be 100% happy with all my gear all the time as every new item that gets put on the shelf in stores has the potential of replacing something that I am carrying now, making me think there is something new I need to buy and to test (I no longer fight this force, instead I accept it ) I know living in a condo downtown doesn’t allow you the same opportunities as some people to test your gear as much as you would like before getting into the field but you will most likely drive yourself crazy packing/repacking your gear until you can test it outside more. The first time I headed to the field in Alberta this time of year just after being posted here in 2000 and forgot to bring Vaseline to prevent my boot laces from freezing together and my hands from chapping is a mistake I will never make again. It is also an experience that I could never have learned until I got out there and found out how painful chapped, cracked hands are after a week in -30 weather trying to untie boot laces. Now one of my winter survival items is a small squeeze tube of Vaseline. I also learned the hard way to dump my camelbak because there is no way this time of year to prevent it from freezing. The bottom line is that the more you get out and use your gear, the easier it will become to decide what is needed or just nice to have and what to add or take from your gear to achieve that (ALMOST) perfect balance.

P.S. Although some of these primitive skills/survival skills courses appear to be a big benefit, The most valuable lessons you can learn will be from the things you experience on your own. Be it sleeping on your balcony to test a new sleep system like you did or stomping around a backyard practicing how to light a fire in the rain the best teacher you will have will be yourself. Don’t let a lot of these so called experts fool you. I just came off a 4 day survival skills course a few months ago with the Military and was embarrassed by how little the instructor actually knew. As an example, I started practicing with sparking tools by lighting my fireplace at home, and then I progressed to lighting small controlled fires in my back yard with natural tinder in all sorts of weather. Once I was comfortable with that I took it hunting and continued playing with the skills there. I didn’t need to spend big money for some self proclaimed survival expert to teach me the same thing. Don’t sell yourself short, you will be amazed at what you can learn all on your own.

Hi Hacksaw,

Reading your post and the replies is just like looking in the mirror for me, I think we all suffer from "Gearitis" but actually want to be as unencumbered in the field as possible.

I have seen many of your gear lists and if you do succumb to the ultralight bug feel free to PM me, as I am sure I can help you lighten your load.

You are just going through a phase; go browse through the MEC catalog and it will pass.

Mike

I have 5 or 6 of everything but I find myself using the same items over and over. A lot of my excess gear is now finding permanent homes in car kits, BOB, etc., or going to live with friends who need it.

When I saw your big list I thought: he's got four cups. I stopped counting at four knives, but I like knives so I was willing to let them slide. Four cups . . . the mind boggles. What I am saying is that there were redundancies in items that may not be critical to mission success. I can see a spare blade (although that could be a scalpel in a PSK), and three methods of lighting a fire, but two stoves? Fire is my stove back-up.

Pack up all the things you think are nice to have. Then go for a ten-hour hike with a few thousand feet (or meters!) of ups and downs. If you can find a rocky trail with lots of bugs and do all this during a torrential rainstorm, you will add fine nuances to your experience. At the end of your hike, look at the extras and ask if they are still worth it. Some will be. Even when I get my base load down in the 10-15 pound range I always have a book to read and usually a little fine bourbon.

Have fun. I occasionally pack up loads even when I'm not going anywhere, and LS isn't talking dirty when she tells people I am in the basement "playing with my gear."

That's exactly it. I don't need all those things...I just want to always have them near me. It's a problem in more ways than one.

Hi Hacksaw,

It can be difficult getting the right balance between what would be called essential items and what would be nice to carry for additional comfort in a survival situation. An example would a piece of kit such as the tent. Now many would consider this piece of kit to be in the 'Camping' arena and not strictly a 'Survival' piece of kit. This could be because the military don't generally issue tents as a piece of survival gear. But then when have the military ever known anything about camping and being comfortable at the same time. Being comfortable is also essential in a survival situation, something that military survival courses don't really want to acknowledge. The military top brass then wonder why so many of their troops are suffering cold weather injuries during combat operations.

I guess it all depends on the weather conditions and terrain you are expecting to encounter when deciding to include a tent in a Survival kit or BOB. For Example, in a survival situation is it more prudent to carry an additional couple of pounds over the distances you are expecting to cover or expending a great deal of time and energy creating a A frame shelter every evening (if of course the materials are even available). There is nothing wrong at all by including a good tent, stove and sleeping bag system in your pack despite what other survival experts say in their publications. I think you're on the right road with your list, all that is required is to reduce the duplication to reduce the weight of your pack. This will happen naturally when you become confident that your primary individual kit items begin to display reliability out in the wilderness and a fall back kit item isn't required for the insurance or the peace of mind.

Here is a list of my winter kit list (just under 40lbs being useful down to about -10C for 3-4 days)




Outdoor Trekking List for 3-4-Season

Carrying System
Rucksack Lowe Alpine Contour Crossbow 50 1400 3 5/16
Rucksack Water System Platipus 1.8 110 4/16
Total 1510 3 5/16
Tent System
Tent Lightwave ZR0 Cylq with Scandium Poles 1300 2 14/16
Misc Items Alpkit Trekking Poles 300 11/16
Total 1600 3 8/16

Sleeping System
Sleeping Bag Alpkit 200 combined with the Alpkit Phantom 450 1
Sleeping Mat Exped Downmat 9 Air Mattress 1090 2 6/16
Sleeping Bag Liner LiveVenture Silk 120 4/16
Pillow Thermarest pillow/stuff sac 50 2/16
Bivi Bag NA 0 0
Total 1710 3 12/16

Cooking System and Water Purifying System
Stove Optimus Crux 90 3/16
Fuel Bottle / Misc Adaptors NA 0 0
Cooking Pot Alpkit Mytimug 127 4/16
Fry Pan NA 0 0
Kettle Primus Tea/Coffee Kettle 160 6/16
Double Walled Mug Double Walled Ti Mug 450ml Snow Peak 116 4/16
Water Bottle / Carrier Sigg Aluminium 1 litre + Insulated Cover 160 6/16
Thermal Flask Thermos 500ml 300 11/16
Misc Items 1 Firesteel + Waterproof matches + Emergency Esbit Tabs + Tinder + Silva Lighter 80 3/16
Knife Helle Odel 124 4/16
Fork Spoon Folding titanium Spork + Wooden Spoon with shortened handle 50 2/16
Windshield Aluminium Folded 60 2/16
Water Treatment Steripen with 4 lithium AA cells 200 7/16
Total 1467 3 4/16


Clothing System
Waterproof Shell
WS Jacket Berghaus Goretex XCR 800 1 12/16
WS Overtrousers Sprayway Hydrolite Over Trousers 280 10/16
WS Hat Berghaus Goretex XCR + Fleecy Liner 90 3/16
WS Gaiters Goretex 250 9/16
WS Socks Gore Bikeware Goretex 80 3/16
WS Gloves Outdoor Design Winterflex Guide Gloves 200 7/16
1700 3 12/16
Thermal Clothing Layering System Dry Change
Thermal Layer 0 0
Thermal Jacket (Soft Shell) Marmot Windstopper 1/2 Zip pullover 430 15/16
Thermal Base Layer Howies Merino Wool Long John 120 4/16
Thermal Gloves Wollen Mits 120 4/16
Socks Dry Change Woolen/Silk Socks Thurlo 100 4/16
Thermal Hat Dry Change Outdoor Designs Windstopper 50 2/16
Thermal Down Jacket Dry Change Alpkit Fantom 800 1 12/16
Trousers Dry Change Columbia Sportsware OmniDry 220 8/16
Teeshirt Dry Change Howick Luxury Blend Crew Neck Jumper (70% Merino Wool/30% Silk) 200 7/16
Dry Sack for Dry Change Outdoor Designs Medium 80 3/16
2120 4 11/16
Clothing Total 3820 8 7/16

Lighting System
Head Torch 0 0
General Purpose Torch Fenix L2D White Cree 3Watt LED + Head Band with 2 Lithium AA Cells + Diffuser 125 4/16
Spare Batteries NA 0 0
Solar Charger NA 0 0
Battery Charger NA 0 0
Total 125 4/16

Navigation
Compass Silva Ranger 3 + Spare Button Compass kept in survival case 40 1/16
Small Notepad Write in Rain 50 2/16
Pen Fisher Space Pen 50 2/16
Map OS map of Area 75 3/16
Map Case Ortlieb Waterproof 100 4/16
Total 315 11/16

Personal Hygeine Kit
Toothbrush + Toothpaste + Washcloth
Soap and Lightweight Towel and shaving kit. 175 6/16

First Aid Kit
LifeVenture + Additional Items 200 7/16

Additional Items
Camera Lightweight Digital 10.2MP with Lifeventure Case 180 6/16
Sunglasses and Case Bolle with Berghaus case 100 4/16
Mobile Phone Seimens A65 80 3/16
GPS Garmin Etrex Camo 200 7/16
Multitool Leatherman Charge Ti 260 9/16
Total 820

Consumables Number of Days 3

Rations 900 gms / Day 900 2
Total Food 2700 5 15/16
Fuel IsoButane/Propane Gas Cartridge 450 gms 645 1 7/16
Water 1.8 Litres 1800 3 15/16


Total Weight (kg) 17.147

Total Weight (Ibs) 37.72 37 12/16

OK, this was too long to quote in entirety, but NICE list! Thanks. Where are you living that you've got this list? Since I'm kind of recent to Michigan (with limited winter camping), I might be stealing this list and holding my supplies to it. Thanks! It looks pretty similar to most of what I have, but def. some weather-specific stuff.

Don't think about it. Pack what you know you NEED, put that in part of your kit. Put the stuff you will REALLY WANT or provides you with a safety margin on what you need. Can you put these two parts of your kit together and still have it be manageable?

Add a little bit of last ditch stuff in a pocket.

Take it for a test drive.

Yep, the zen moment for me usually comes after I assess my needs beforehand, then go through boxes and bags of gear looking for those things which I feel will be of the greatest benefit if TSHTF in the particular situation. It is really just tailoring my EDC to what is anticipated. The further I get away from my civilized routine, the more likely I am to have to depend on more stuff, and to adapt to new conditions.

My normal routine has me travelling in very familiar surroundings, with a low expectation of risk, and a vast knowledge of the items of opportunity available to me and the possible conditions I would face should something go wrong and I have to switch to survival mode. As I move away from my routine, I have to re-evaluate my needs and re-equip/re-orient myself to capitalize on different sets of opportunities. Logic dictates that I cannot equip and prepare for every and any conceivable outcome, but I can, with a set minimum of preparation, be ready to face all but the absolute worst possibilities with reasonable assurance of being able to react positively.

Practice using the tools and supplies you value, then learn to do it with less, or to adapt elements from the environment to meet the same need, even if will not be as efficient. Knowing what needs to be done, then doing it, then doing it under less ideal conditions is how you get good at surviving.