I’m very passionate about ultralight backpacking and as such my friends and acquaintances who find themselves interested in finding ways to lighten their pack are often asking advice or looking to borrow gear. Since I have both ample advice and gear to give out I enjoy being able to lend a hand or an opinion when it’s solicited.
I have a friend here in Bozeman who is an ice climber, backcountry skiier, and backpacker. She recently got sick and tired of toting huge loads miles into the backcountry in order to attempt a remote peak and has since begun the process of refining and re-thinking what she carries on long approaches. She is a realist however, and understands camping comfort when the situation allows it. This approach has proven to her that carrying less of something can mean more of something else so she’s trying to find that magical balance between a comfortable load and a comfortable lifestyle.
Last evening she came over to my house to look at my alcohol stove collection. She, a friend, and two dogs will be trekking into the Wilderness around Jackson, Wyoming and they will have a Snowpeak 900mL pot and the associated Caldera Cone and “Coke can” stove from Trail Designs to match.
Lend out and teach a friend to use a piece of UL gear and you just might find a new partner for your next trip into the backcountry!
