2014 Linville Gorge, NC 4-25 thru 4-27

[litetrek]

I agree about the speed comment. My hiking buddy of many years died about 18 months ago. The guy I've been going with lately hasn't learned that you don't have to do 10 mile days to have a good time. In fact, doing 10 mile days keeps you from having a good time. I slept great the first night out. The second night my calves and thighs were in knots. I vote for sleeping great instead.

[litetrek]

Wonderful report there. That was an intense sounding workout. The 2 nights you slept, you must have been out like a light.

For help to lighten your load, 2 things:

1) post individually, every item you took, for this group to assist you, and,

2) put the items you took and didn't use(except first-aid) aside in a separate pile and reevaluate if it's a necessary item or comfort item. This will help a little to NOT take extra weight.

Can't wait to see the pics.

Check out my post in general hammock talk named "Whats in my pack" and rip away! I've been backpacking for over 40 years so its hard to reduce weight.

[litetrek]

Some trip pics in no particular order. Sorry that there are none of my hammock setup!

[WV]

Nice pics. Glad to see the current state of Shortoff and Spence bridge-less. Love the panorama - makes that rough old gorge look like the promised wasteland.

[litetrek]

Check out my post in general hammock talk named "Whats in my pack" and rip away! I've been backpacking for over 40 years so its hard to reduce weight.

NEVER MIND ... the moderator in that forum declared it not hammock related and removed it.

[litetrek]

Nice pics. Glad to see the current state of Shortoff and Spence bridge-less. Love the panorama - makes that rough old gorge look like the promised wasteland.

The pictures don't do it justice. The flowers were beautiful but we didn't get any pictures of those.

[Tehghost132]

Very nice. I hope to be there myself in about a week!

[Floridahanger]

Absolutely beautiful.
I agree with the panoramic pic. It makes you glad to be alive and in the gorge. I hope to make it up there sometime this year.

If your comfortable with your gear and cannot remove any items, then to lighten the load, you would have to get lighter replacements.

The easiest place for some is to replace the backpack itself for a lighter one. I've heard some say it reduced their weight by a few pounds just there. Clothing and shoes/boots would be another place and then hammock and insulation, yet another. Your DIY is probably plenty lighter than your Clark and go with down rather than synthetic.

In the weight reduction, money is usually the issue. Then there is the body weight. If you can't get your gear lighter, try to get youself lighter(and stronger). (my problem as well)

If you don't mind multi-use items, try to replace 2 or 3 items with 1 of comparable quality to do them all. Ounces = pounds.

Good luck and thanks for the wonderful pics of the gorge.

[WVadvrider]

Love the Linville Gorge area

[litetrek]

Absolutely beautiful.
I agree with the panoramic pic. It makes you glad to be alive and in the gorge. I hope to make it up there sometime this year.

If your comfortable with your gear and cannot remove any items, then to lighten the load, you would have to get lighter replacements.

The easiest place for some is to replace the backpack itself for a lighter one. I've heard some say it reduced their weight by a few pounds just there. Clothing and shoes/boots would be another place and then hammock and insulation, yet another. Your DIY is probably plenty lighter than your Clark and go with down rather than synthetic.

In the weight reduction, money is usually the issue. Then there is the body weight. If you can't get your gear lighter, try to get youself lighter(and stronger). (my problem as well)

If you don't mind multi-use items, try to replace 2 or 3 items with 1 of comparable quality to do them all. Ounces = pounds.

Good luck and thanks for the wonderful pics of the gorge.

My pack is the heaviest item that could be improved. It's a Gregory Baltoro and it weighs almost 6 pounds I think. It is extremely comfortable, but the weight eventually saps your endurance. I just bought it used from a friend and have used it one time. The volume is good but the weight is up there. I never can fit my stuff into my rei ridge line which is 2 lbs lighter. The clark and the two quilts are a lot of bulk. The quilts equal just about the same weight as my old synthetic sleeping bag, but the clark weighs about double what my tent did. I need to work out something since a pack weighing the upper 30's is too much for me right now. I don't carry a lot of extra stuff. I could drop the camera, gps and cell phone and save maybe a pound. I enjoy having camp shoes and I use some foam flip flops which is the lightest thing I've found. I don't really need them but they really are nice to have. The only clothing item I didn't use was a pair of dry ducks rain pants and they only weigh a few ounces. You're right about body weight...it's the cheapest way to reduce your load. I'm working on that!