Introduction

My name is Edward Mjelde, I am a 24 year old recent college graduate from sunny San Diego, California.

This is my story about how I gave away and sold nearly all my possessions and left home with a backpack to walk coast-to-coast across the country following the 5,100 mile American Discovery Trail in pursuit of beauty, truth, and a life of risk and adventure.

My goal is to share the knowledge I have gathered from my adventure in hope that it will inspire people to take risks in order to chase their own dreams and aspirations.

I have dubbed my epic adventure as WalkUSA, ”A Walk to Discover America and its People”.

Catch a glimpse of what it’s like walking across America with the first video compilation of my adventure!

Current Article Summary

In this article I will be discussing lightweight backpacking and give tips on how you can reduce your pack weight by removing items you can do without, reducing the three heaviest backpacking systems, and considering dual use of equipment.

Previous Article Summary

In my previous article I explained the steps I took to prepare and educate myself about backpacking and share the incredible stories of the people who helped me figure out what to expect when attempting a trip across the country. Interested in some of the sources I used to learn lightweight backpacking techniques and philosophy?

Click Here to Check It Out!

Why go Lightweight?

There are many reasons to go lightweight, here are some that come to mind:

People may be turned off by the idea of backpacking due to negative thoughts about the burden of a heavy pack. When buying backpacking gear major outlets will encourage you to buy items as a “must have” in your backpacking kit, which are simply not necessary.

You have the ability to obtain all the benefits above while still traveling in safety and comfort, the secret is in learning a few skills and understanding optimal uses and limitations of the gear you carry.

What is Light Weight Backpacking?

Lightweight backpacking is about building the lightest and simplest backpacking system that is safely possible for a given trip.

In discussing the weight of a kit, backpacker’s use the term “base weight” to describe a bags weight with all equipment without counting in food, water, and fuel. In traditional backpacking its not uncommon to see base weights over 30 pounds. Lightweight base weights are below 20 pounds and ultralight kits are under 10 pounds.

Today there is an ongoing lightweight and ultralight movement that was largely popularized by climber Ray Jardine in the 90’s who laid the initial foundations for the techniques that lightweight backpackers use today. More recently, hikers like Andrew Surka and Ryan Jordan have dove even deeper into the discipline and philosophy, writing books and initiating discussion amongst groups of hikers who together are continuing to take lightweight backpacking down to a science.

There are a number of manufactures who are starting to come on board to supply lightweight and ultralight gear. Some larger suppliers for example are Golite and Gossamer Gear who develop lightweight and ultralight backpacking solutions and a wide variety of cottage manufactures like Zpacks who design and distribute lightweight tarps and backpacks.

Large box retailers are starting to catch on to the demand as well. REI is starting to introduce lighter gear, many that have been given the title of “ultralight”,  although much of their assortment is still embellished with comfort features that place the equipment away from the core of minimalist gear. However, it is a step in the direction and I wouldn’t be surprised to see further steps in the future.

Where To Begin?

Lose Items You Can Do Without

Do you need that camp chair? Do you need all that extra clothing? Do you need dishes and a full utensil kit? Do you know how to use all the items in your first-aid kit? Do you need that extra pair of shoes? Removing unnecessary gear is a great first step in lightening your backpacks load.

For example instead of carrying extra cloths, I take only what is necessary for the conditions I am expecting during my travels.

My clothing kit:

Smartwool Marino Wool Long Sleve  (12oz)

Kuhn Liberator Convertible Pants (12oz)

Ecofficio Give and Go Boxers (3oz)

(2 pairs) Darn Tough Marino Wool Socks (5.8oz)

Baseball Cap (3oz)

Arc’teryx Alpha SL Pull Over Rain Jacket  (13oz)

Marmot Preclip Full Zip Rain Pants (12oz)

Patagonia Houdini Wind Shirt            (3.5oz)

Total Weight                                                          64.3oz/4.02 pounds

This clothing system outlines all the clothing I bring, including what I wear, typcially for late winter/early spring weather. I have taken this clothing system into the 30’s and have been comfortable. In warmer weather I can travel with less. I carry a set of rain gear that is on the heavier side of things, but I enjoy being able to walk in comfort during storms. Depending on your needs, you may be able to reach a weight much less that what I have posted here.

Choosing fibers that are naturally antibacterial, like Marino wool, can help minimalize odor. Clothing can also be cleaned along your travels if water is present. Choosing fast drying clothing makes this especially easy.

I have had some say to me “Traveling with one pair of boxers, that is disgusting!”. I argue that it is not, because I take the liberty to remain hygienic and to clean my cloths while I travel. Rinsing your cloths with just water, no soap, does a fairly good job at washing away the daily grime.

Leaving behind extra clothing is just one way to reduce your pack weight. Look at what you are carrying and identify unnecessary items, this is a great place to start in reducing the overall weight of your backpack.

Reduce The Big Three
There are three main systems that lightweight backpackers reduce in order to make the most substantial improvement in their pack weight. These are your shelter system, sleeping system, and backpack.

Shelter System

Do you need the double wall shelter on a three day trip with mostly sunshine and possibly a medium rain storm? Probably not.

Many lightweight backpackers decided to use tarps instead of fully enclosed tents. I enjoy tarps because they are more lightweight, consume less space inside my backpack, and produce better views than a fully enclosed tent which allows me to connect deeper with the area around me.

When using tarps as a shelter there are a few skills that are required in order to be prepared when you hit the trail such as practice in pitching the tarp, knowledge of a few knots, and proper campsite selection.

There are many articles online on these topics that can be brought up with a  simple Google search and if you stay tuned to my series I’ll be covering this information. If you would like to know more about various light weight shelter options check out the following article I wrote which describes some of the popular choices that are available.

Click Here To Check It Out

Sleeping System

To reduce the weight of the sleeping system you may consider a down sleeping bag instead of heaver synthetic alternatives. Down is typically warmer, more compact, and lighter. One drawback is that they lose their loft when wet and can be hard to dry out. However, this draw back is starting to be reduced as new types of down, such as Downtek,  become water resistant.

You may also consider using a quilt instead of a mummy bag to save weight. The logic is that when laying on the underside of the insulation of a sleeping bag you compress the material which loses its ability to trap the bodies head. Essentially the underside of a mummy bag becomes deadweight, a quilt covers only the top of the body to save from carrying the extra weight.

To insulate the underside of the body and to keep the ground from stealing your precious body heat, insulated foam or lightweight blow up pads can be used. There are many different options that come in different sizes and weights, and I believe that it is truly up to the user preferences on what system they choose. I personally use a Neoair ThermoRest blow-up (16oz) and couldn’t be happier with my sleep. The pad has last me beyond a thru-hike and still continues to serve me without any problems.

Backpack

Once when you start omitting unnecessary items and reducing items weights, you will start to find that you need less space and less support in your backpack. No longer do you need to haul a 6-pound- bomb-proof back with hip belt stabilizers, lifter straps, and sternum straps.

In fact, if you get your pack weight down enough (base weight below 15 pounds) you may be able to find it comfortable using a bag that has no support system, where instead you can use your sleeping pad in what they call a “virtual frame “. However be weary, loads that exceed 20 pounds without a frame can become uncomfortable.

Before making a selection on your backpack understand what you will be carrying first. A rule of thumb is to avoid buying a pack that is under 16oz, frame or frameless. A bag that is at comes in at this weight may be impractical for carrying proper amounts of food and that its fabrics may not have the seam strength that is durable enough to take practical loads.

I use the Gossamer Gear Gorilla Ultralight Backpack, which I find very comfortable.  It has a total of 46L capacity and weighs in at 28oz.

Dual Use

Another important aspect of lightweight backpacking is considering what items you can take that serve more than one purpose to save weight.

A popular example is the Poncho tarp, a tarp tent that can also be used as rain gear. Also, many people who use tarp tents also use their trekking poles to pitch their tarps so they do not have to carry poles. Some people like to use emergency Mylar blankets as ground sheets for their tarps as well (though some complain of its sound and durability).

Conclusion

Having a lighter backpack can help lead to a more wholesome experience while backpacking. To reduce your backpack it is important to limit the unnecessary items that you carry, reduce the weight of your shelter, sleeping, and backpack systems, and consider the dual use of the items you carry. Using these tips you can dramatically reduce the weight of your backpack. Through knowing your gear and it’s limitations you can safely travel lighter without reducing your comfort or safety.

The UEV-440 is a true Jack of all trades; it offers the maneuverability and capability of a camper trailer as well as caravan benefits such as a hard roof, sides and floor. The 440 has a number of sleeping arrangements, you can simply fold out the front & side for 2x double beds, fold out one side for 1x double bed and 1x single, or to escape adverse conditions 2x single beds are always instantly available without any setup at all.

With luxuries such as a diesel hot water system, shower, fridge/freezer, full kitchen complete with cutlery and crockery and even a flat screen DVD player enjoy roughing it in luxury in this unique off-road camper.

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Conqueror

Introduction

Catch a glimpse of what it’s like walking across America with the first video compilation of my adventure!

My name is Edward Mjelde, I am a 24 year old recent college graduate from sunny San Diego, California.

This is my story about how I gave away and sold nearly all my possessions and left home with a backpack to walk coast-to-coast across the country following the 5,100 mile American Discovery Trail in pursuit of beauty, truth, and a life of risk and adventure.

My goal is to share the stories I have gathered from my adventure in hope that it will inspire people to take risks in order to chase their own dreams and aspirations.

I have dubbed my epic adventure as WalkUSA, ”A Walk to Discover America and its People”.

Article Summary

In this article I explain the steps I took to prepare and educate myself about my journey and share the incredible stories of the people who helped me figure it out. I will share how I prepared myself with primary information, expert knowledge, and provide the process I went through in preparing my guide book and maps.

Previous Article

In my last article I introduced myself and shared the story on how I came up with my cross-country backpacking adventure, I explained how I physically prepared for my journey, and delivered some tips that helped me achieve my fitness goals that might work for you.

Feel free to catch up and read it by clicking here: WalkUSA’s Adventure Series: Physical Training

The Plan

In the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but think “Dude, why in the world did I tell people I was going to walk across the USA!?” I really had no clue on what walking across the country would really be like!

Fortunately, obstacles like this get me excited, I love challenges. The moment the idea hit I began to surmount the problems. The silence in my room was broken from typing and tapping away on my computer keyboard, conducting a grand symphony of information. Google searching, Wikipedia reading, Article hunting and Blog sniffing, I tunneled my way through the information on a quest to get a snapshot of the big picture.

Primary Information

Immediately, I knew I needed the insight on others who have walked across America in order to get an understanding of what a long trip like this would be like. In my Google searches I came across three names that stuck out to me, George Throop, Peter Jenkins, and Jonah Boyer. These are the incredible people have helped me understand what I might encounter during my own walk and have added inspiration in my own adventure. Primary information about my walk across the country came from reading Peter Jenkins books and through following George Throop’s and Jonah Boyer’s adventures.

George Throop

George Throop is a cross-country walker who has just finished his journey last year after over three years on the road, and he still continues to walk.  He walks in honor of his mother who died from cancer. His goal is to inspire others to live a healthily lifestyle and promotes that you can start by walking just 20 minutes a day. View the video above to hear his story.

You can also view George Throop’s Website by clicking here: EnjoyTheWalk

Peter Jenkins

Peter Jenkins is a popular travel author who has inspired many people to get out and explore.  A Walk Across America was the first book he wrote as an account of his cross-country adventure in his 20s.

Fresh out of college he hiked across America with his dog Cooper, an Alaskan Malamute. He started in New York and hiked his way down to New Orleans, met and married his wife, and then turned north to finish in Florence, Oregon.

Peter Jenkins still travels and writes, in fact he just finished a two year trip across America in an antique station wagon and plans to share his adventure in another book.

Jonah Boyer

Jonah was 19 years old when he started his adventure across the country which he titled “DudeTrek”. He just recently completed the American Discovery Trail (ADT) and is now planning on hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). I found out about Jonah after he had just started his hike on the ADT. I actually started WalkUSA while he was still continuing his adventure. Along the trail I would hear about him from those he encountered, read notes he lift in trail journals, and even stayed in the same houses with people who have invited him in along his travels.

If you want to learn about this young mans incredible adventure you can checkout his website by clicking here: dudetrek.com

Expert Knowledge

Following the stories about others was very inspirational and gave me drive, however I also knew I had to start acquiring the skills that would allow me to feel prepared and thrive during my adventure. The following three books are the titles that have helped me understand backpacking and survival principles.

SAS Survival Handbook

The SAS Survival Handbook is a compressive survival book and digital application (Android and Apple) which details how to survive in dangerous situations. The book includes many photos and examples, is fun to read, and  covers various topics. After reading the SAS Survival Handbook I felt much more prepared to take on problems I may encounter. I understood prevention, the signs of trouble, and had greater ability to recognize quickly my best survival options.

The Advanced Backpacer: A Handbook of Year Round Long Distance Hiking

The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide by Andrew Skurka provides an overview of backpacking systems. He is thorough in describing the advantages and disadvantages of gear in clear language and charts. It’s a quick read loaded with information and also a great reference guide. When it came to selecting gear and knowing options this book was one of my greatest resources.

Andrew Skurka is an amazing long distance backpacker and a huge inspiration. Check out his website by clicking here: Andrew Skurka’s Website

Fixing Your Feet: Prevention and Treatments for Athletes

Before leaving on my trip I did my due diligence to figure out what the main cause of hikers failing to complete their long distance goals. I found that overwhelming numbers of hikers quit because of foot related issues. Fixing Your Feet is a comprehensive look into foot care starting with the premise that prevention is the number one goal. I credit this book in helping me make great decisions for selecting foot related purchases and teaching prevention and first aid. Due to this book I have had zero foot related issues.

Preparing the Trail Guide

Many long distance trails have guides. Before leaving on my trip I prepared the guide book for my hike along the ADT using advice that I have gathered from backpacking experts. I did not know exactly what to expect during my journey, so I made every effort to provide myself with tools that I could use to make the planning process during my traveling be more effortless. The following video is the planning model that I used for my trip.

During my first month of walking I found my planning very helpful, however as I gained more confidence and knowledge of the trail-life I found that I could have been prepared doing less. With that said, I would never consider my planning process a waste of time, going through this extensive planning required a deeper look into the trail to identify problem spots which were much easier to solve at home with access to a computer. There are many ways to approach the planning process, the intent of this video is to help show one way of going about it and hopefully spark ideas.

Maps

Having a map and compass, and more importantly knowing how to use them, has saved me many times from getting into sticky situations.

Map Sources

Some great sources for online maps come from Google, USGS (http://www.usgs.gov/), and MyTopo (http://www.mytopo.com/). If it is important to have detailed information of the area you are traveling I recommend using 1:24,000 scale maps which are available on USGS and MyTopo.  I also highly recommend using map resources at libraries, ranger stations, and state/national park websites. Finding resources from these providers usually creates less hassle then having to find maps from other resources and may also alert you about trail conditions.

Digital Apps

There are also a number of great apps for both Apple and Android, one of my favorite is Backpacker GPS Trails. Although it can run a little slow at times, it has the ability to overlay two different types of maps to reveal more detailed information about an area. You can also upload coordinate files to their website so trip plans can be pulled up on multiple devices easily. Maps can also be save for offline viewing, however it is limited in storage.

For those who are seeking to find hiking trails around where they live I recommend the app AllTrails. It can be used to find a wide variety of hikes. One of my favorite features about it is that it compiles a lot of information about the trails including reviews, pictures, difficulty, and even may include map coordinates to the trailhead, very useful.

Survival Note: Not all phones connect to GPS without a working phone signal, if you are expecting to use your phone as a navigation tool consult your providers network map in order to see if you will be in service.

Next Article

Be sure to keep your eyes open for my next article where I will be sharing what gear I will be using during my next 2,700 miles of my coast-to-coast hike. I hope to share how you can choose and organize gear for trips of your own, large or small. Till next time, “Cheers!”.

Every once in awhile we need a reminder of these simple but good camping tips

Catch a glimpse of what it’s like walking across America with the first video compilation of my adventure!

Introduction

My name is Edward Mjelde, I am a 24 year old recent college graduate from sunny San Diego, California.

This is my story about how I gave away and sold nearly all my possessions and left home with a backpack to walk coast-to-coast across the country following the 5,100 mile American Discovery Trail in pursuit of beauty, truth, and a life of risk and adventure.

My goal is to share the stories I have gathered from my adventure in hope that it will inspire people to take risks in order to chase their own dreams and aspirations.

I have dubbed my epic adventure as WalkUSA, ”A Walk to Discover America and its People”.

Summary: In this article I introduce myself and share the story on how I came up with this cross-country backpacking adventure, explain how I physically prepared for my journey, and at the bottom share some tips that helped me achieve my fitness goals that might work for you.

Welcome to the adventure!

The Birth of The Idea

I had announced it November 2011 to my friends and family, I had decided I was going to walk across America after college. At first my mom didn’t believe me, my dad thought I was crazy, and some of my friends rolled their eyes, gave me a face palm salute, and said “Good luck!”.

They hadn’t yet seen the fire I had burning in my eyes.

This idea to walk across the continent was born inside me on a rainy day while I was in a state of primordially ooze, stressed and weary eyed, after I had just finished a late night/early morning college paper. I was feeling a bit overworked in life managing over 20 units in college, running my own college marketing organization, and working the graveyard as a server at the local Denny’s Diner.

I was awakened that night when I was sitting at my desk chair starring at my computer screen with a wide drooling mouth totally burnt out, knowing I had more to go. I sat there and must have had my eyes glued on the glowing computer screen for over ten minutes, the screen saver had come on. It started to float through images at the most melancholy pace that I felt my heart dip and slowly carve at my chest.

I was feeling the feels while starring in front of me with a cow’s gaze at the images tumbling in front of my eyes. America’s heartland, mountains, rivers, oceans, cities, and towns were the subject of my attention.

I loved where I was in California, but my heart started to make increasing scoops at my chest, I knew what it meant, my heart has told me this for quite a while… I really wanted to experience more.

It dawned upon me that it was a priority that I take the trip I have always dreamt about.

“Priority”… When I had this epiphany my eyes widened, my heart started beating madly, my head started running, and I knew the idea had hit.

I had already dreamt about traveling by foot, at one point I moved all my belongings into a storage unit and lived out of my car in order to try and save money in hope that I could make a journey happen. I set up a cot on the beach and spent my nights sleeping beneath the stars. I took showers at 24 hour fitness, hung out at the local coffee shops, and at nights listened to the waves crash against the cliffs just missing me in its spray. I fell in love.

School and life got in the way of my previous attempts but with graduation around the corner I knew it was time to get my plans in gear again.

The Need To Start Training

I will never forget leaving my apartment on a warm morning with tight jeans and my old unfitted backpack. I had stuffed it to the rim with a mixed batch of thrown together gear and way too much food than I needed for my two-day-40-mile practice walk from the door step of my apartment in to a nearby mountain.

I had been already telling people that I was going to hike across America after college, when they asked how I was going to do it I would say “I have no idea, but I am going to find out.”.

It was spring break and I was ready to get my feet wet again and rediscover what backpacking was all about. I wanted to find what it took to walk 20 miles a day, so I planned this walk to build that perspective.

The first day was invigorating, winding myself on backcountry roads, discovering places I hadn’t known existed. By the end of the first day my legs were overworked and in pain, but I had achieved my goal of walking 20 miles and landed myself in a baseball park for the night to sleep.  I remember optimistically thinking, “What a success!”.

The following morning, I woke up to discover my legs no longer worked. I tried to get up but my muscles were so tight that every movement brought pain down to the core of my bones. I tried stretching, and it helped, but it didn’t help on beating the pain. I had 20 more miles to walk till I could go home, but I could only put in less than 10 painstaking sloppy-foot-pride-filled miles before I called my friend and had to ask her to pick me up, I had been defeated.

It was easy to see that if I was going to do this I would need to get in shape.

Working Out

I didn’t waste time, I knew I had to get to work on my body. I had been to the gyms before and I realized it wasn’t for me. I needed something I can do easily, on my own time, that didn’t require having to drive somewhere to get it done. I decided to try out P-90X, an intense home workout program which requires about one and a half hours of devotion everyday for 90 days with the promise of getting amazing results.

The results were truly phenomenal; the work outs were long and strenuous, but easy to do. The only work out gear I used included a pull up bar and 4 sets of weights up to 25 pounds. I feel my results are a true testimony that you may not have to get a gym pass to get your body in amazing shape.

After a month of P-90X I started including running and sprint training into my work out. I went from not being able to run a mile, to managing one with over a 10 min mile time, to my quickest single mile in my life clocking in at 5:51 seconds.

I loved incorporating running into my regiment and decided to make the leap to train for a half marathon. In January 2013 I completed the Carlsbad Half Marathon in just over 2 hours before I left for my walk in March 2013.

I became physically prepared to take on America.

Tips on Achieving Fitness Goals

Some people have found my results to be inspiring and have asked if I had any tips on getting in shape. From my experience  I offer these words of advice:

Find a workout program that works for you. We all have different fitness goals and there are many ways to achieve them. For me gyms were too much of a hassle to get to during my day, working out at home was a solution which allowed me to avoid excuses.

Keep records on what you are doing. You don’t know what to do if you don’t know what you have already done. Keeping detailed records allows you to create goals.

Example: “ I did 20 push-ups last week, this week I am increasing to 25”.

Reward yourself with something you like. You might find that it’s fun to reward yourself to keep motivation high. Find rewards that keep you energized and only reward yourself when you deserve it. For me I enjoyed a happy helping of beer “typically a training no-no, but lets be honest” ,fresh fruit smoothies, and lox asiago cheese bagels .

Keep at it. No workout program was a success in just one day. Even if you just do small things everyday, the work you put in can amount to grand results.

Create a larger goal. There is an old quote by Daniel Burnham, an amazing architect and city planner:

“Make no little plans; they have no magic to stir men’s blood and probably will themselves not be realized. Make big plans.”

Find something that you can aspire to. It can be a bet with a friend on who can do more push-ups at the end of the month or a future organized run you can participate in. Anything that is big enough and meaningful enough to get you going and keep you motivated.

Start. You can’t get there unless you take the, often painful, steps of beginning. The first days may be challenging but as you stick with it, it becomes routine, it truly does get easier, and you start to see results.

Our bodies are all different, but my experience shows that it may be possible to change your fitness level in a matter of months. I challenge everyone to reach towards their highest goals and to persist in finding joy in getting around life’s many challenges.

NEXT ARTICLE:

Be sure to keep your eyes open for my next article where I will be sharing how I planned my hike. My hope is that it may shed some light on how you can plan your own hikes, large or small. Till next time, “Cheers!”.

Check out the Next Article in this series: WalkUSA’s Adventure Series: Planning