Met a guy on the PCT near Crater Lake who changed my whole packing list

Last summer I was hiking the Oregon section and camped next to this older fella who had the lightest pack I've ever seen. He told me he ditched his tent for a simple tarp and groundsheet years ago and never looked back. Showed me how he set it up in under 2 minutes using only trekking poles. Got me thinking - what's the one thing you guys carry that you're pretty sure you could leave behind?

3 comments

3 Comments

patricia31727d ago

Wait, wouldn't a tarp mean you have to be way more careful about where you camp? Like, no more setting up anywhere flat and dry, you gotta think about wind and rain and bugs way more. I guess if you're in the desert that's less of a problem though.

finleyw9927d ago

That three season tarp I picked up last year weighs just over a pound, which is less than half my old tent. But yeah, you're right about having to be more picky with spots. I spent one night on a ridge where the wind shifted at 2 AM and woke up with the tarp flapping in my face because I didn't stake it low enough. What kind of anchor system are you using for rocky ground though? I've been using those lightweight aluminum stakes but they bend like crazy in packed dirt. Tried the heavier titanium ones last trip and they held way better in that hard desert soil.

rose_hart14d ago

Yeah, the titanium ones are worth the extra money for hard ground. They don't bend and they actually hold in place, which saves you from that middle of the night panic. It's like how a good pair of boots lasts ten years but people keep buying cheap ones that fall apart every season. You pay more up front or you pay over time with frustration. And that wind shift thing, happens to everyone at least once, teaches you real quick about pitching low and using every stake hole.