Any ounce weenies here?

[Roving Rich]

Now why on earth would i want to walk 1000k with no resupply ! I'd love to be capable of doing it cross country living of my "bushcraft skills" but frankly there is NO chance of that happening. I don't have the skills to provide all of my food yet.

I do admire the ultralight idea, and apply parts of it too bushcraft - For me its a good point to aim for - as I know i will fall short (and put the axe in..) I have cut the handle of my toothbrush and razor down, ditched my wash bag in favour of a nylon "prog bag"...no stuff sac for the sleeping bag, no tent -tarp instead, ligher weight clothes and only one change... The biggest difference to me was changing to a smaller rucsack so i couldn't fit it all in - hence can't carry a load of extra kit (I find 35l ideal).
Water can generaly be precured and purified, so I carry less. But irefuse to live off dehydrated food, so this adds a bulk of weight to my pack Still light enough for everthing I undertake ATM.

Cheers
Rich

 

[Zodiak]

If hiking I normally take 15Kg of kit for 4 day 80-100Km jaunts in the summer plus water in two 58 pattern bottles and a 4 litre "US" one.

I only carry a cut down trangia, to cook and eat from, only one spoon, one 2*AA torch and a mini lite for backup, and a very small wash kit etc...

I don't carry any luxuries plates, bowls, saws, knives, books, booze, food with any liquid in it.

I make a point of taking on water each evening preferablt from a building if one is nearby but if not it gets strained, boiled and steritabed to death in the bottle.

I also try to avoid high sugar foods such as nutrigrain and mars bars because they require more water to metabolise.

I know that seems a bit spartan, but I would rather be able to move comfortably all day at a resonable pace and look back at where I have been. Come teh evening all I normally want to do is cook eat, clean up my kit, prepare my water for next day and go to bed

 

[Quercus Robur]

Seems to me we are talking about (at least)two different things here. I use the ultralight (or light as possible within my budget) approach - tarp, bivi, unframed rucsac etc - because I go on journeys. I don't try to cover a ridiculous mileage, it merely seems pointless to carry too much kit. On the other hand, if I were living in the woods for the same length of time I would probably take more stuff because my days would be spent foraging, shelter-building or whatever.

I eat real food. I can do this as my rucsac is not overburdened with extras that I "might" need. If I see anything along the way, I add it to my stock.

Realistically, can you go on a" bushcraft journey" in the UK - private land owners, no right to gather/forage unless from public spaces/hedgerows/coast etc., most hunting illegal, fishing rights jealously guarded, few really "remote" areas (unless you head uphill, where open moorland doesn't always lend itself to bushcrafting), and, of course - no open fires! Of course, we all happily ignore these "rules" from time to time, but apart from those playing soldiers for whom the "stealth" element is an attraction, I wonder whether it is genuinely possible to walk out of your front door, kitted up, and walk a couple of hundred miles in a truely self-sufficent style?

 

[Zodiak]

Seems to me we are talking about (at least)two different things here.

I agree. I don't look on distance expeditions as Bushcrafting, its normally either training for explorer scouts or occasionaly with mates for the fun of it.

Bushcrafting for me is normally within 500m of my car

 

[hammock monkey]

i found chris townsends book on backpacking really helpful when i was buying kit, and it struck me how much overlap there is between a 'bushcraft walk' and ultralight backpacking.

i'm surprised that mr townsend doesnt try a more bushcrafting approach - his philosophy is near identical to most bushcrafters.
i guess the hardcore side of bushcraft / survival is the ultimate in ultralight trekking - its the need for speed with the latter that changes things, ie no time to make a shelter etc.
id love to see a discussion between a a bushcraft Don and u/l trekker, mears and townsend would be ideal - i'm certain there would be a good bit of knowlegde that each could swap. maybe he'd be a good guy to interview for the magazine?
if you get a chance to check out chris's book - do so, seems like a top bloke, and has a lot of great advice. my favourite being from a podcast (when asked for advice on setting up a tent)
:
'the ideal place is one where you have a beautiful view'

 

[Jodie]

Where's this podcast?

I'd be rubbish as an ultralight anything. I like to sling something in
my bag for ballast even if I'm just pootling around London - the horror
of an empty bag, I might need something

I'm sure that if I was going to be away from home, and not staying
in a place with Corby trouser presses for example, for any time I'd
add in everything that I thought might make me more comfortable
in the longer term

But I might have a rethink as I learn more, of course.

Bill Bryson's "A walk in the woods" has a very funny bit about buying
kit - he and a friend walked part of the Appalachian Trail.

Jo

 

[Tengu]

Ive got that book, its very amusing

 

[Jodie]

Although I bought that book to read on a train journey I've discovered
it's usually best not to read Bryson in public in case I get a fit of the
giggles

Chris Townsend appears to be podcasting all over the web:
http://www.google.co.uk/search?hl=en&q="Chris+Townsend"+podcast&meta=

18 minutes later... edit
Just been listening to a bit - apparently he has a couple of pairs
of "technical pants"...

 

[hammock monkey]

technical pants?
must be some kind of go-go gadget pants...i'll be getting myself a pair of them beauties, i'll put a review up

i think its backpacking.co.uk (sounds like you've already found it anyway)
he does lack a bit of humour, but if i'd spent my life being asked about the subtle differences between velco cuffs i'd be just the same, poor fella.

i think bill bryson's 'short history...' is about the most inspirational book i've ever read, awesome stuff

 

[dommyracer]

One of the reasons that I got into learning 'bushcraft' is so I could go on solo treks and carry less stuff.

I'm not really into wafer thin titanium pots and gossamer packs, but being able to utilise surroundings to make a tarp into a more solid structure piqued my interest, along with ideas on foraging food, shellfish etc.

 

[QDanT]

I'm with Red on this one, I have cut my kit down in the past, but doing without the spare wheel on the bonnet got me wondering what I would do if I got a flat...


Down to about 4000Kg at the moment, if I leave the trailer behind!

I do like my comforts...

LS

I suppose I could leave one trailer behind

 

[wentworth]

I'm an ultralighter. All my gear, incliding homemade rucksack, quilt, down-filled hammock, tarp, clothing etc, hovers around the 4kg mark.
I don't try to cover massive distances. Thats not my primary focus. My focus is to enjoy the bush and to be able to forget that I'm even carrying a pack containing 3 lites of water.

 

[SowthEfrikan]

LOL yes - nothing like having to carry water to make you throw away needless weight.