Today I met Evan. Evan has circular glasses, volunteers
at the local raptor center and loves all things Iceland. If Evan told me he had
been a guest on the “Portlandia” TV series, I would definitely believe him.
Like me, Evan plans on thru-hiking the Pacific Crest Trail; beginning at the
end of April in El Campo, CA and hiking until the end of September to complete
the trail in Manning Park, British Columbia.
As I have discovered, many backpackers,
especially thru-hikers choose to hike “ultralite”. According to the prolite
gear, ultralite is defined as backpacking with a base weight (the weight of
your pack excluding food, fuel and water) under ten pounds. For many
backpackers, obtaining ultralite status supersedes comfort on the trail.
Within minutes of meeting Evan, it became
pretty clear that he considered himself “ultralite”. I enjoyed getting to learn
about the ways in which Evan cut weight in his pack. Instead of the small 3oz
pocket rocket backpacking stove I am using while I hike, Evan informed that he
made a stove out of an empty can of catfood weighing in at less than 1oz! Rather
than the bulky steripen water filtration system I hope to utilize on the trail,
Evan plans to ‘purify’ his water with drops o’ bleach. While I plan to haul a
phone, a camera AND and an ipod (not to mention a travel size ukulele and a portable sound
system...yes this hike will involve music, dancing and random bouts of debauchery),
Evan is bringing the ‘all purpose iphone’. Finally, in place of my heavy NorthFace
backpack that I received as a Christmas present from my German grandmother
before I hit puberty in 2003, Evan will carry what I can only imagine as being
a VERY lightweight Ultralite Adventure Equipment backpack.
Evan has definitely outdone me in achieving
the ultralite backpacker status. Nevertheless, I am quite proud of the fact that
I managed to make a waterproof tyvek rain-jacket out of one of those sexy
disposable hooded coveralls you see house painters wearing. I got the idea from
the fabulous Education Coordinator at Nearby Nature (also a former thru-hiker).
When purchasing the coveralls, the frazzled looking man at the paint supply store
somehow knew that I was not using these to paint my house. He shot an annoyed glance
in my direction and blurted out to another employee re-stalking shelves on the
other end of the store, “ Gee, I have seen so many people like her come in here
to buy those outfits for their goonie costumes”. Anyways, despite accidentally
purchasing the uni-suit in size XXXL, I managed to create a lightweight jacket that
should provide some rain protection! In case you are interested, I have
included a link to the website that guided me through the process. Making a Tyvek Rainjacket!!
While Evan’s philosophy on the trail may be
far removed from my own, I could tell by the hurried manner in which he talked
that like me, Evan is as anxious to start this epic adventure as I am. Thirty-seven
more days to enjoy my comfortable bed and regular showers (among many other
things).
I leave you today, with a quote that I received in a birthday card from my friend and fellow backpacker Anna Hankins.
“Just as a white summer cloud, in harmony with heaven and earth freely floats on the blue sky from horizon to horizon
following the breath of the atmosphere-in the same way the pilgrim abandons
herself to the breath of the greater life that leads her beyond the farthest
horizons to an aim which is already present within her though yet hidden from
her sight” –Lama Govinda
Cheers my dears!
The Honey Bear
