Page 3 of 5 FirstFirst 12345 LastLast
Results 41 to 60 of 89

Thread: packing for old timers

  1. #41

    Default

    Solo backpacking I strip it down. Lotsa info on a minimalist pack out there.


  2. #42
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    North Florida
    Posts
    44,846

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by madmax View Post
    oh man. I couldn't even contemplate that visual. I imagine it was similar to Garret getting my full moon at the last camp.
    Do you want me to post the picture?
    Can't Means Won't

    My Youtube Channel

  3. #43

    Default

    older folks need more comforts it,s not like when were 18 to say 35,yrs old
    reminds me of the song by little feat(old folks boogie) the mind make promises that the body
    can,t fill.

  4. #44
    Alaska, The Madness! 1stimestar's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2010
    Location
    Little cabin in the woods, middle of Alaska.
    Posts
    5,248

    Default

    I've done a lot of backpacking. I've measured things by ounce. I'm a minimalist by nature so this came pretty easy to me. But the older I get, the lighter my pack must be but the more I like the little comforts that a back packer can not afford in weight. Hence my canoe purchase last year... I'm so looking forward to this summer.
    Why do I live in Alaska? Because I can.

    Alaska, the Madness! Bloggity Stories of the North Country

    "Building Codes, Alaskans don't need no stinking Building Codes." Sourdough

    Yes, I have wifi in my outhouse!

  5. #45
    Senior Member Desert Rat!'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Mojave Desert
    Posts
    555

    Default

    Hiking!! no more than about a mile from my vehicle. let my 4WD do the heavy lifting

  6. #46

    Default

    I always take my light weight jungle hammock with bug net and rain cover when I am alone. keeps me off the ground (snakes in Florida most of the year) and keeps the mosquitos and No-see-ums out. I also have a detachable waist pack that my wife can manage that is a basic/bare essential version of my full pack. I also use it when I want to go do some exploring without taking my camp apart and repacking everything. IMG_20150506_121919.jpg. I am setup more for the longer term than day tripping and weekends. Great hobby if nothing else. I can't stress how important it is to actually practice hiking with the pack on. Don't just assume that you will be able to handle it. I wasn't. I weighed my pack and then used bench weights in another pack to train. A trick I discovered was to wrap the edges of the weights with pipe insulation and secure it with duct tape. It keeps the weights from rattling and provides some padding. It was pretty sad at first. After about 3 blocks with a full load I was ready to call a cab!! I also started on a level, paved road and then graduated to uneven terrain.

  7. #47
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    SE/SW Wisconsin
    Posts
    26,866

    Default

    Bigskipper
    Hunter63 saying Hey and Welcome.
    There is an intro section at ....may want to stop in and say Hello.
    http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...-Introductions
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
    Evoking the 50 year old rule...
    First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
    Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27

  8. #48
    2%er Erratus Animus's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Louisiana, USA
    Posts
    376
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    I am not the big 5 0 yet but just 6 years away however a lifetime of adventure and stupidity have left me wondering why the mind says yes and the body says OH HELL NO! I was searching just today for a nice canoe on craigslist but also have over the years evolved into a minimalist system that works for me. Yes Rick being older and having a good job does help get better gear but I try to make as much of my gear as possible so its more specific to what I actually carry. I wont skimp in the sleep system nor on the use of a 1000D cordura coated tarp I made for wintertime so I can have a fire under it. Everything else seems to find its place and has been weeded out. Infact when I reflect back on it I would wager there were visual stages of learning I could point to as I continued to evolve.

    Crash I have the same setup and with just a tarp it is great and very comfortable. If you ever want sleep near the fire you can lay a wool blanket or treated canvas over the bivy.
    Its the bits between birth and death that define a life well lived.

  9. #49
    Banned
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Texas, but travel widely
    Posts
    1,077

    Default

    Everyone's idea of non-essential gear is different. There is one transplant from Canada who has lived here in North Texas for many years and in his late 60's. He will often take a great cedar strip canoe that is very light but has a cargo capacity of about 800 lbs. But he packs very little gear, not even a chair just a pad that doubles as an assist at one person loading the 17' canoe on the overhead racks of his truck to prevent it from getting scratched. Personally I want some weight so the wind does not blow my boat all over the water, but he loaded in and out very fast also that helps when you are older and a learned skill. So some jugs of water are an easier solution just drain at takeout or if you need to pull canoe over a log jam or portage around it.

    Edit: found photo of Expat Canadian minimalist in his Cedar Strip Canoe shirtless paddling down Texas "Colorado" river below Austin between Webberville and Bastrop. As I recall he was using an iPad + solar panel to do some international day trading and communicating to wife and also daughter in California so, a relative minimalist... BTW google Webberville and you might see a photo of my friends paddling, Marc McCord et al.
    CS_Canoe2.jpg

    He started out with a good looking wooden single blade paddle but then someone talked him into trying a cheap Mohawk double bladed 9' aluminum and plastic oar/paddle, possible to buy wooden 9' double blades but very expensive. Also Bending Branches makes some good shorter wood ones, very nice and light but need to be refinished every few years, not as extremely expensive, good if not a lot of rocks and rapids/riffles. I obsess about these details..., Aluminum dry box, not an ice chest BTW.

    On the same trip this old timer took the opposite approach and packed so much gear that he needed to stand up much of the way to avoid rocks and logs. But his two large Dutch ovens cooked great pot roasts and deserts at the same time, enough first aid equipment to set up a military MASH unit or at least triage... That is a 5 day cooler you see there!

    loaded_Canoe.jpg
    Last edited by TXyakr; 08-06-2015 at 11:16 AM. Reason: photo of old timer in Cedar Strip Canoe

  10. #50
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    58,832

    Default

    For those of us that have bad shoulders or are just old: One method I use to remove my pack, especially if it's heavy, is to toss a line over a tree limb. I slip one end through the top handle on my pack and tie a loop in the other end about two feet off the ground. I slip one foot in the loop and step down. This pulls up on the pack and takes all the pressure off me so I can just slip the pack off. Then I can lower it to the ground. to saddle up I just reverse the process. I've also been known to sit straddle of a log to remove my pack. Less stress on the shoulders is a great thing.

  11. #51
    Senior Member Wise Old Owl's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Paoli, PA
    Posts
    1,183

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    And where have you been? We've stated numerous times it's a bug in the vBulletin software. Hopefully, when Chris loads the next version that will be resolved.
    No don't there is much better software out there - VBulletin is not keeping up anymore.

    Quote Originally Posted by Rick View Post
    For those of us that have bad shoulders or are just old: One method I use to remove my pack, especially if it's heavy, is to toss a line over a tree limb. I slip one end through the top handle on my pack and tie a loop in the other end about two feet off the ground. I slip one foot in the loop and step down. This pulls up on the pack and takes all the pressure off me so I can just slip the pack off. Then I can lower it to the ground. to saddle up I just reverse the process. I've also been known to sit straddle of a log to remove my pack. Less stress on the shoulders is a great thing.
    Wow even I would not share that! You need a lighte.r pack or a goat. I prefer a donkey.

    Guests can not see images in the messages. Please register in the forum.
    “There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag … We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language … and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”

    Theodore Roosevelt 1907

  12. #52
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    58,832

    Default

    I share everything. I have a cold. Want it? As for the bug (forum, not cold) that seems to be the only one. Everything else works well. We accept your thanks for that.

  13. #53
    Banned
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Location
    Texas, but travel widely
    Posts
    1,077

    Default

    When you have space for your labrador retriever in your canoe it is not over loaded:
    LabRetriverCanoe.jpg

  14. #54
    Senior Member hunter63's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    SE/SW Wisconsin
    Posts
    26,866

    Default

    I got my lab a 18ft boat....he had a bad habit of diving overboard out of the canoe.... after ducks.....at about 100#....
    Geezer Squad....Charter Member #1
    Evoking the 50 year old rule...
    First 50 years...worried about the small stuff...second 50 years....Not so much
    Member Wahoo Killer knives club....#27

  15. #55
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    58,832

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by TX
    When you have space for your labrador retriever in your canoe it is not over loaded:


    Sadly, that isn't true about guns. Sometimes all it takes is one to tip it over.

    Here's a funny for you...I was reading an article that was pro-gun and lamenting some politicians' opinions. Then the author referenced that he had lost all his guns in a terrible canoe accident. I don't think I've ever heard or read of that happening except on this forum and that started a few years ago. I guess we're trend setters. LOL.

  16. #56
    Junior Member Stever60's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    North Alabama
    Posts
    27

    Default

    I don't feel so bad . . . I keep eyeballing a big wheeled garden cart.

  17. #57
    Administrator Rick's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2007
    Location
    Central Indiana
    Posts
    58,832

    Default

    I'm actually working on a cart. I'm waiting for some parts to come in so I can finish it then I'm going to post a thread on it. Some home brew engineering.

  18. #58
    Junior Member Stever60's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2015
    Location
    North Alabama
    Posts
    27

    Default

    Look forward to seeing it. I seriously have considered something I can pull by hand but also robust enough to pull behind a 4-wheeler. I live within a mile of all trail walking to good fishing and piddling on a river. Would be nice to dual purpose something - use it gardening but also tow on trail locally.

    My days of 120 pounds of stuff on my back are long over . . . and I have the knees to prove it.

  19. #59

    Default

    I am 61 & can still pack 60 lb pack all day long, problem is I sometimes forget where I am going. Good thing my wife comes along she still has her memory & her looks.

  20. #60
    Super Moderator crashdive123's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    North Florida
    Posts
    44,846

    Default

    Now that right there is funny - I don't care who you are.

    Welcome to the forum.
    Can't Means Won't

    My Youtube Channel

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •