“Stupid light”: light is not necessarily right, lighter not necessarily better

[JacquesL]

"Stupid light": Why light is not necessarily right, and why lighter is not necessarily better
by Andrew Skurka

http://andrewskurka.com/2012/stupid-light-not-always-right-or-better/

I went "stupid light" by:

   1. Not taking gear and supplies that were necessary given the conditions, and
   2. Taking gear and supplies that were too light.

"Stupid light" decisions undermined my efficiency by compromising my comfort or safety. For example, I intentionally left behind rain pants during a thru-hike of the Colorado Trail, which resulted in uncomfortable soakings by afternoon thunderstorms. To avoid becoming hypothermic — a serious safety concern — my hiking partner and I had to pitch our shelter mid-day to escape the storms and warm up. Rain pants would have allowed me to hike in the rain — and, at 6 oz, I barely would have noticed them in my pack.

My efficiency was also undermined by "stupid light" gear and supplies that lacked adequate:

    * Functionality, e.g. when I used titanium skewer stakes I lost time looking for campsites with firm ground because they don't hold well in soft ground;
    * Reliability, e.g. when I used goose down insulation in wet climates, I lost time drying my sleeping bag and parka in the sunshine or at the laundromat to restore its loft and warmth;
    * Durability, e.g. when I used a backpack made of delicate material, I lost time stitching tears and holes, and was forced to take circuitous routes to avoid bushwhacking;
    * Ease of use, e.g. when I used thin, knot-prone, and slippery guyline cord I lost time fiddling with rat nests and retying knots that had slipped;
    * Versatility, e.g. when I used a fully-enclosed tarptent, I sometimes lost time carrying bug netting and a floor that wasn't warranted by seasonal conditions; and,
    * Time-effectiveness, e.g. when Roman Dial and I shared one 900ml pot on a trip in Alaska, each meal took twice as long as it should have. Afterwards, Roman called the pot, "gram wise and hour foolish."

Not carrying what I needed = "stupid light"
...
Fleece clothing is often poo-poo'd because "puffy" clothing (insulated with goose down or synthetic fill) is much warmer for the weight. But in prolonged wet environments, I will inevitably get wet. And a wet puffy is cold and uncomfortable, regardless of the insulation type. The warmth of fleece is less effected: it retains less moisture and its loft is less effected. I longed for a fleece mid-layer to sandwich between my active layer and rain shell during the Alaska-Yukon Expedition, during which numerous storms overwhelmed my rain gear.
...

6 onces : 170 g pour le surpantalon de pluie.
Intéressant à noter que les pôlaires ont certes une moindre efficacité pour leur poids que des vêtements ouatinés, mais elles perdent peu par temps très mouillé, quand les couches imperméables ont percé.

J'avais appliqué le même principe de précaution lors de ma première descente de Loire en kayak : pas de duvet, qui en cas de chavirage et de sac étanche crevé n'aurait pas permis le repos nocturne : j'avais un sursac Gore-Tex de la Bundeswehr et un sac en pôlaire épaisse de l'armée suisse : bien moins à perdre en conditions dégradées, bien plus facile à essorer. En kayak on est moins limité par le poids qu'à pieds.