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Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips by Mike Clelland!

I am friends with a lot of backpackers. I met a few through the internet, some randomly along the trail, others I’ve had the pleasure of working and guiding alongside. One of the most knowledgeable and accomplished of these is Mike Clelland!, a man who has spent thousands of nights in the backcountry ranging in territory from just outside his humble shack along the Tetons of Idaho to the glacier-strewn wilds of the Alaskan Wilderness.

Mike has a career history that spans quite the range. From drawing pictures on the Big Apple’s Madison Avenue scene to leading kids into the woods for weeks on end as a N.O.L.S. instructor he’s been there and done that. These two very different career paths can only merge in a select few ways. One of them is his passion for illustrating cute little backpackers and skiiers alongside the educational written word of his colleagues. He’s got his name listed on a handful of smart, witty, educational, and relevant book titles. Recently Mike struck out on his own and opted to pen not only the illustrations but the written tips of a new book entitled “Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips – 153 Amazing & Inexpensive Tips for Extremely Lightweight Camping”

 

Mike Clelland - Ultralight Backpackin' Tips

Buy this book from Backpacking Light and read it.  Mike’s ability to balance humor and sensitivity alongside rigorous weight-reduction is amazing.  Right-brainers and left-brainers alike will read this and find themselves both amused by the whimsy of each page as well as astounded by the practical wisdom contained within.

“Ultralight Backpackin’ Tips – 153 Amazing & Inexpensive Tips for Extremely Lightweight Camping”

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How Can a Gear List Work For You?

Like a good number of readers of this blog I enjoy going over my gearlists. Gear gets old and needs replacing, new gear needs trying out, gear that is redundant gets left at home – the reasons a gear list can change are countless. Having an up to date gear list typed, organized, and at the ready is key to trip planning. Particularly, having a gear list at the ready, printed and posted near your gear or near the area that you arrange your gear for a trip is extremely helpful in expediting the preparation process.

For the past few years I’ve gone backpacking nearly ever summer weekend. I typically work until late afternoon on Friday and want to be able to head out the door immediately when done so I often pack for a trip on Thursday evening. In order to make this go as smoothly and efficiently as possible I had the idea a couple years ago to print my gear list and tape it to my wall. For the past year my roommate and I both reference two lists taped to the wall of our kitchen – one contains everything you need for a summer backpacking trip, the other for a day trip splitboarding.

Since my roommate and I both have different brands of gear and since choices between brands or models of gear may vary from trip to trip I find a generic list to be most effective. The list is broken down into a few columns:

  • Category – an organizational column such as ‘clothing’, ‘packing’, ‘repair’, ‘electronics’, et al
  • Item – referring to item type, aka ‘map’, ‘pants’, ‘backpack’, ‘tarp’, etc
  • Worn – the weight of any item that is worn on your person
  • In Pack – the weight of any item not always worn but more typically found in your pack

Of the above columns if you were even more a minimalist you could simply list all your “items”, leaving off the category and weights. I appreciate the Category column however as it allows me to mentally group pieces of kit together in my head as I mentally check off the list.

I’ve posted a gear list to the wall of the kitchen because it has a large section of floor space onto which gear can be piled. All my gear is stored in bins adjacent to the kitchen in my garage and the bins are loosely organized similarly to the categories listed on the spreadsheet. For instance, to start I would pull the shelter bin down off the shelf and grab the most fitting shelter for my trip. Next I would pull the Cooking/Hydration bin down and find the necessary water bottle, utensil, stove, pot, water treatment, et al.

I find that the majority of the list is in my head and I can grab items willy-nilly from the bins, throwing them into a pile on the floor without looking at the list. Then, once I can’t think of any more items to grab I go to the list and read it from top to bottom, specifically resting my eyes on each line so as to not gloss any one item over. Once I come to a list item that I have not yet added to the pile I immediately go get it, add it to the pile and continue reading down the list. This attention to detail will seem silly and wasteful to some but to me it avoids something that I consider really wasteful and silly – – getting halfway to a trailhead and having to turn around because you realize you forgot your hiking shoes.

Use this list as a template by viewing the shared document entitled gearlist_generic_summer.ods.

Gearlist Generic Summer
Gearlist Generic Summer
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Memorial Day Splitboarding

Having enjoyed a nice Saturday and Sunday relaxing but not having gotten out for anything epic (I know, I know, a potential waste of a three-day weekend) upon awaking on Monday morning I looked at my phone to see a text message announcing the automatic weather station at Bridger Bowl (now closed for the season) was announcing 6+ inches of fresh snow and that the previous 36 hours had been below freezing. This is the stuff that spring skiing dreams are made of so three of us quickly compiled our gear and were in the car headed North about an hour later.

The road travels nearly all the way to the base of the mountains and in a typical year would be completely snow-free at this time of the season. But this has not been a typical season and there was over six inches of slushy white stuff all the way into the parking lot. In typical Bozeman fashion there were dozens of cars there and skiiers and snowboarders dotted the face of the mountains, seen through patches of fog. We sipped our last drops of coffee, donned our boots, boards, and skins, and headed upward. The base of the mountains was just high enough in elevation and temperatures just low enough that it was snowing on us (and fortunately not raining). The temps were enough and the activity of skinning is steamy enough that we opted to skin in our base layers rather than rain shells and although the base layers were getting wet it was much more comfortable than the sauna created by a rain jacket.

Mike and Mason skinning at Bridger Bowl, Memorial Day 2011
Mike and Mason skinning at Bridger Bowl, Memorial Day 2011

The skin track was well-defined as there have been people skiing up in these parts everyday since the resort closed in early April.  The precipitation has been full-on for the past week and new snow has been hitting the mountains like a deluge.  The new snow of this day was perfect however as it came during a low temperature period that reached way down low in elevation allowing for a beautiful, creamy layer of snow that was upwards of 18″ in depth up high.  This was not without problems however as it was sitting atop a very defined layer of hard, crusty snow that had little to no adhesion to the dense, heavy stuff sitting atop it.  Wet avalanche activity was very prominent.

Many feet of snow still atop the Bridgers.
Many feet of snow still atop the Bridgers.

We gained the top of the Bridger Range in good time and with lots of energy.  The snow continued to fall and without much discussion we headed to a point slightly south along the crest called The Nose.  It provides for great fall-line skiing that’s not so steep that the wet avalanches would limit our descent and that also is home to a good quantity of trees which help ease the deception of skiing in foggy conditions with no point of reference between the snow and the sky.

Mason atop The Ridge
Mason atop The Ridge

The first turns were made in only a few inches of fresh snow.  Wind must have moved most of the freshies downward off the ridge and into the trees because after the first half dozen turns we quickly moved into calf-deep, heavy powder that was an absolute delight to ride.  We played leap-frog, taking turns skiing and watching.  We were riding in terrain that is in-bounds at a ski resort but given the resort closed almost two months ago this terrain is now considered avalanche-prone.  Mason is a former ski patroller and Mike and I are avid backcountry skiiers and the propensity for a wet slide to push one of us down the hill gave us caution.  We came to the choke at “Exit Chute” toward the bottom of The Nose and Mason opted to ski it very cautiously.  Small slides were pushing off his skis as he made his way through the choke.  I went next and opted to ski directly toward the chute and then away and left to a parallel chute.  In doing so I pushed off a massive slide of avalanche debris that although moving very slowly would have taken a skiier for a ride.  Mike, who was above me communicated the activity to me and I communicated it to Mason who was below.  Everyone was safe as we knew where each other were located and were able to communicate effectively.


Mason shot a short video of our day’s trip.
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2011 Bike Week

May is National Bike Month here in the States (but I’d recommend celebrating it anywhere in the world) and this week (May 16th – 20th) is officially designated as Bike Week. I sit on the Bozeman Area Bicycle Advisory Board and we plan a whole host of events in Bozeman throughout the week. Each morning cyclists gather at various local coffee shops for free coffee and breakfast goodies on their way to work. Also, in the afternoons and evenings of each week there are other cycling-related events such as maintenance clinics, cycling movies, kids bike rodeos and more. Do you commute by bicycle or walking year-round? During the summer? Occasionally? Never? Let me know, and get out there and get healthy!

Bozeman Bike Week - Rockford Coffee
Bozeman Bike Week - Rockford Coffee
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Getting “MoreBadasser” with Xtracycle

Recently Xtracycle Bikes put the call out for submittals for a contest they were calling Morebadasser. They were deliberately open-ended in their definition for what the contest would entail…

…we are calling on those that can emulate the concept of morebadasser in video format to noodle on and create a short (15-30sec) video of why Xtracycles are the kings at badasserness.

Anyone who has been reading this blog or who follows my Twitter feed knows I spend a fair amount of time riding bicycles and a fair amount of that time is spent hauling stuff on bicycles. I entered a couple videos into the contest, one was of a bunch of my friends helping me do a bike move and the other was a friend and I racing a cyclocross race. Both of these videos featured the beautiful FreeRadical kits from Xtracycle.

They didn’t get many entries to the contest – two to be exact – both from me, but I have it on good word that I probably would have won anyway because my cyclocross video was just that much morebadasser than anything that could have gotten entered.

The idea behind MoreBadasser is stated in the phrase, “If you have to ask, you ain’t.” It is prominently displayed on an embroidered hat alongside a graphic of a longtail cargo bike. Check one out for yourself at the morebadasser.com website.

Morebadasser

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Even Good Trips Must Come to an End

Dana, Mark, Mike, Sam, and Eric
Dana, Mark, Mike, Sam, and Eric

All trips must eventually come to an end as this one pictured did.  Dana, Mark, Mike, Sam, and Eric spent the better part of a week on the Box Canyon and Upsidedown Trails in the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness in September 2009.  We hiked, camped, fished, climbed mountains, read, relaxed, had campfires, talked, and generally enjoyed each other’s company. Like all good things though it eventually had to come to an end. We’re a good bunch of planners though so we made sure to have beers stashed at the car for trip’s end.

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Things Are Warming Up

Adam skins across the creek.
Adam skins across the creek.

The chickadees can be heard calling out to potential mates with their mating call, the once pristine piles of snow in town have been reduced to hunks of dirty, gritty ice, and the snow line is visibly moving upward from the valley toward the mountain tops.  For those willing to walk the ski season is far from over however.  With the intense snow fall of March there is still a very, very deep snowpack in the high country.  Getting there provides for some adventure however as you can see in the photo here.

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Learning to Packraft

Ryan Jordan, Andrew Skura, packrafting the Yellowstone River
Jordan shouts instructions to Skurka on the Yellowstone River.

In October 2008 a group of backpackers descended upon Bozeman to partake in Backpacking Light’s Wilderness Trekking III.  The weather in Southwest Montana was changing from summer to fall and the rivers were at their lowest as they awaited the snows of winter to replenish their supplies.  Andrew Skurka was in attendance for WTIII but before we headed off to attempt a traverse of the Absaroka-Beartooth he and I plied Ryan Jordan to get us into some packrafts so that we might learn the trade.

We worked in the Backpacking Light offices all morning but in the early afternoon we piled ourselves and a few Alpacka Rafts into two cars and headed Eastward into Paradise Valley and the Yellowstone River.  Ryan has floated the Yellowstone in packrafts, driftboats, full size rafts, inner tubes, pool toys, and who knows what all else countless times and he picked a quick section of river that would provide a good place for Andy and I get a feel for the boats and perhaps play in a riffle or two.  It grew colder and colder as the day progressed but we knew there was hot coffee and good food awaiting us at the Pine Creek Cafe at journey’s end so we just bucked up and floated.  I remember the river being extremely low due to the season and there was a fair bit of butt-dragging in sections but for the most part we had a comfortable float.

I’m now a pretty decent packrafter, having learned enough maneuvers to navigate decent sections of rapids as well as the ability to right my boat after a spill.  Skurka, having now used packrafts to trek some huge Alaska waters has probably entered the near-expert category in the PR world.  More and more people are discovering what the addition of a packraft (or bicycle, et al) can do for your ability to go farther in your journeys.  I travel light and the addition of another couple pieces of gear greatly extends my possibilities for exploration.

Roman Dial seems to be focusing almost exclusively on packrafting as of late and he and some other AK boys are really pushing the envelope of these crafts as whitewater boats.  Dave Chenault has been exploring ski, boat, and bike combination trips in Northwestern Montana and I expect more goodness to come from him.  Down in the Tetons Forrest McCarthy has been showcasing packrafting for quite some time and has proven himself a worthy figurehead in the sport.  Packrafts, skis, bicycles, and backpacks.  Purists be damned, there is exploring to be done and I don’t want to be limited by a lack of tools!

Andy and Ryan packing up
Andy and Ryan packing up. Â And yes, Ryan used to own a badass Ford Tempo.Â
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Initial Thoughts – Brooks-Range Mountaineering Cirro Jacket

Last Sunday afternoon was a prime example of why I have chosen to live in Southwest Montana. The snow has continued to fall every few days in the beautiful mountainsides of our fair ecosystem as is considered normal for March in these parts. The sun rose as usual during the 0700 hour on Sunday morning and my roomate, myself, and visiting friend from the Pacific Northwest prepared our backcountry ski and splitboard gear for an afternoon trip up the local bc ski zone on Mount Ellis.

I was trying out a fair bit of gear that was new to me on this journey and as such was traveling with one of the lightest kits I’ve ever had the fortune to carry while splitboarding.  The items I took along that are new to me:

I’ve agreed to wear, test, and review the Cirro Jacket from Brooks-Range.  I have been a fan of their line of avalanche-safety gear for a number of  years and when asked to review their apparel I jumped at the chance given their track-record with the rest of their product line.

Brooks-Range Cirro Jacket

The Cirro Jacket is a typical mid-weight puffy coat that appears a good solution for a couple different activities.  It’s stylish enough to be seen in for an après ski beverage on the streets of Park City but more importantly, functional enough to weather-out a squall atop a cloudy peak while preparing to “drop in heavy like a powder gangster”.

The jacket is constructed to the standards of today’s lightweight, synthetic puffy jacket but differs itself with some durability aspects.  It is constructed of the proven combination of Primaloft insulation with a Pertex outer.  Primaloft is in my opinion the synthetic insulation that reigns supreme over this competitive market.  In other synthetic puffies I’ve owned Primaloft has proven itself and retained it’s “loft” for the longest-time over other synthetic materials.  Pertex has also made a name for itself with a number of shell-offerings that fair well in shedding light precip necessary to protect the insulative qualities of the Primaloft.  It is also a superior fabric choice for blocking heat-sapping wind while still allowing acceptable levels of breathability.

The use of Primaloft and Pertex is becoming commonplace for this type of garment (and for good reason) so a company building new gear needs to set itself apart from its competition through a few techniques; design-innovation, durability, and aesthetics (to name but a few).  Brooks-Range has met the fabric requirements to compete in this market and has also met the design and aesthetic requirements.  My initial thoughts having now worn the garment during two days of use under circumstances that I would consider to be average for the type of athlete considering the purchase of this garment (i.e. nothing extreme nor epic).  The areas a garment like this can be beefed up to extend it’s life are the zippers, seams, and stretchy elastic bits.

I was immediately taken by the choice of zipper Brooks-Range chose to apply to the Cirrus Jacket.  It is a multi-directional zip that strikes a good balance between durability and weight.  Too light a zipper and it will fail (as has so frustratingly happened to other garments I own), too heavy and it’s simply overkill.  The elastic at the cuffs and the tightening system at the waist both proved functional at keeping snow out while digging a snow study pit and also kept warmth in while lunching atop the summit.  The sewing of the seams at a glance appears quality but only a lengthy review over the first few months of wearing this piece will this be proven or disproven.

The Cirrus is very lightweight and I sense it will be a perfect choice for springtime splitboarding pursuits.  During the dead of winter it would probably not provide enough warming capabilities to act as my emergency insulation but during spring it, combined with my softshell and hardshell are more than enough for maintaining thermal regulation during rest stops or during an especially cold or windy descent.

I look forward to continue testing (and just plaing enjoying) this and the other items I mentioned above.  I will go into more detail regarding the Brooks-Range Cirrus Jacket in time but for now take this initial review for what it’s worth if you are in the market for such a garment.

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