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Watch the video
"Lightweight Backpacking
Secrets Revealed" by Lynne Whelden Productions. Going light requires passion tempered
with knowledge.
Or
read these brief instructions:
The pack uses a soft pad as its "frame." Therma-Rest's
Z-Lite® (short) foam pad or their ProLite 3® (short) air mattress is what I
use but any relatively thin (meaning under 2" thick when folded) foam pad or
mattress will do. Lay the pack on the ground with shoulder straps facing down.
Place the pad inside the pack, filling the "back panel" area from top
to bottom and side to side. (With the Z-Lite®, "split" the accordion in half with an
equal number of panels on each half. A regular, unpleated foam pad can be rolled
into a hollow tube, inserted inside the pack and allowed to expand. In this
case, gear goes inside the hollow tube. Or it can be folded up and
inserted as a compact unit.) The pad will be held in place by the
following items . . .
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Into the bottom of your pack
first goes items likely to be wet, such as tarp and ground cloth. Next put
light but bulky items such as sleeping blanket/ bag and clothes stored in
large or extra-large waterproof stuff sacks (e.g., 8" x 18" or 10" x 21").
The objective is to construct a relatively light foundation or platform high
enough on which the heavy items will then ride. That is, you are raising
the center of gravity.
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The heaviest item in your pack will be the food
bag. At a maximum of two pounds of food a day, a five day load will weigh
ten pounds. For trips longer than 3 days use an extra-large stuff sack (10"
x 21"). Orient it vertically on top of your bulky bottom layer.
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On either
side of the food bag you can then stuff your water bottles, your rain gear
and your miscellaneous bag. Such a miscellaneous bag should be small and
made of see-thru mesh so you can quickly locate stuff inside. Items likely
to be needed throughout the day (e.g. iodine tablets, first aid items, camera
or whatever) should be put at the top of the food bag or the miscellaneous
bag.
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By following the lightweight backpacking principles explained in the video (no metal items, no cotton clothes, no food containing water), your
pack should weigh no more than 25 pounds with five days' food and a couple
quarts of water. THIS PACK RIDES MOST COMFORTABLY ON YOUR BACK WITH LOADS
UNDER 25 POUNDS.
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The pack has a capacity of about 3500 cubic inches.
CAUTION: SHARP OBJECTS CAN RIP THE FABRIC.
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In case of rain, pull a
garbage bag over the top of the pack. Rip two slits in the side of the
plastic bag and pull the shoulder straps through. Or you can get the
silicone coated nylon rain cover for a more permanent solution.
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Feel free
to experiment with the position of the foam pad (higher or lower) and the
position of the loaded stuff sacks. However, the fundamental principle is to
keep the pack's center of gravity as high as possible and as close to your
shoulder blades as possible. Remember to keep miscellaneous items, clothing
and food you'll likely need during the day near the top of the pack for easy
access.
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The various buckles at the top and bottom of the shoulder straps
allow for a custom fit. Experiment. Feel free to trim off excess length of
webbing.
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The hip belt (optional) inserts through the mesh "tunnel" of the
Katahdin's back panel and grips tightly to the Velcro® inside. The belt can
be raised or lowered (up or down your spine vertically) on the Velcro®
webbing for optimal position over hips.
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Above all, treat the pack
gently. After all, it's made of lightweight material. Use the haul loop
between the shoulder straps when picking up or setting down.
If the pack
just does not "feel right"...
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Check the weight. You should be carrying 30
pounds only because your survival depends on it. Otherwise, get the weight
back down to the mid to low 20s.
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If you're using the Z-Lite® foam pad,
remove more panels. I use 10 panels. Admittedly this is very thick and
thrusts the weight in the pack further away from your shoulders. There's no
reason why you can't use 8 or 6 or 4 panels, thereby bringing the center
of gravity much closer to your shoulders. As mentioned before, you could
also try rolling a standard foam pad like the RidgeRest® (short) into a
cylindrical shape, insert into your pack and load the gear inside the
"tube."
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Use the hip belt.
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Take your sleeping bag or blanket out of its
stuff sack and let it expand inside a larger sized garbage bag. Its loft may
help raise the center of gravity and thus move the weight "forward and
upward."
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Try to get used to the strange new feeling. Frameless packs will
never ride like your rigid internal or external pack.
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Keep experimenting
with the lifter and compression straps. There are infinite adjustment
combinations to be made.
If it still feels awkward and strange, give your
pack to someone else with a smile or return it in pristine, unused condition
for a refund. Contact me at www.LWgear.com/contact.html.
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