junglecarbine:

I went on my first backpack trip in 1958. Or was it 1959? Memory is the first thing to go. I don't know if I've gotten any wiser, maybe I've just gotten lazy. There are a few things that I do now that I didn't use to to do.

First I have cut the weight of my pack in half. I started by getting a smaller lighter pack and filling it with ultralight gear. And now I just take less stuff.

I prepackage my food. Put one day of food in a Zip Lok storage bag. I have several ready to go now and I just have to put the right number of bags in the pack. That's how I avoid taking too much food.

Also, I limit my trips to 3 or 4 nights. I can stay out longer than that by planning my hunts so that I return to base camp every four or five days. So I can take less food and fuel.

I also use lists. That prevents me from forgetting essential things and it also prevents me from taking stuff that I won't use.

I determine what's essential by my own experience. "Essential" has a different definition for each person and you can only determine what's essential for you by getting out and doing it a bunch of times. I have found that I have to be comfortable in the day and I have to sleep well to be sharp as a hunter. My definition of essential is defined as follows:
1. Self-contained survival while maintaining minimum comfort to remain sharp.
2. Making a clean quick kill.
3. Field dressing the elk.
4. Hauling the elk out.

KC


Wind in my hair, Sun on my face, I gazed at the wide open spaces, And I was at home.