Had a talk with a retired ranger at Glacier last month that made me rethink my whole packing list

I was stopped at a backcountry permit office in West Glacier waiting for a walk-up slot. This old ranger, must have been 70-something, saw me stuffing a 65-liter pack full of gear like I was prepping for a month on Everest. He just laughed and said 'you know I did the Highline Trail in 1982 with a 20-pound frameless pack and a wool blanket.' At first I thought he was just one of those 'back in my day' guys. But he pulled out photos from his truck showing himself and his wife doing 50-mile loops with nothing but dried beans and a tarp. It hit me different because I realized I was carrying 15 pounds of 'what if' gear that I never touch. I dropped my pack weight from 38 pounds to 26 on my next trip out and honestly didn't miss a thing. Has anyone else had an old timer totally change how you see your gear loadout?

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nathan8511d ago

Buddy of mine had a similar wake up call when he ran into an old Forest Service guy near Yellowstone. The guy told him he did a two week trip with nothing but a tarp, a metal cup, and half a pound of granola. My buddy dropped 10 pounds from his pack after that talk and never looked back.