packing for old timers

[madmax]

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

[crashdive123]

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?

[hayshaker]

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.

[1stimestar]

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.

[Desert Rat!]

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

[Bigskipper]

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.

[hunter63]

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

[Erratus Animus]

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.

[TXyakr]

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

[Rick]

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.

[Wise Old Owl]

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.

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.

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[Rick]

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.

[TXyakr]

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

[hunter63]

I got my lab a 18ft boat....he had a bad habit of diving overboard out of the canoe.... after ducks.....at about 100#....

[Rick]

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.

[Stever60]

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

[Rick]

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.

[Stever60]

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.

[ShirleyDadams]

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.

[crashdive123]

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

Welcome to the forum.