Pack it right
Labor Day weekend is approaching, one of the last summer breaks where you might get a chance to hit the road, load up your backpack and hit the trail. But if you’re doing some more serious backcountry stuff, those packs can get pretty big. And it’s imporant you know how to pack it right.
First things first: Bigger isn’t always better. And by bigger, I’m talking about weight. Don’t be that dude who has the monster pack loaded down like you’re in the Marine Corps. Those guys can slog it out with 90-pound packs because, well, they’re Marines. And the stuff they do is life or death. You don’t need all that gear, all that weight, all that bulk. Look for sleeping bags, tents, stoves and other gear specifically deisgned for backpackers. Skip the Dutch oven. I have a camp stove that weighs 3.5 ounces and cooks just fine. My tent uses aluminum poles, not graphite. No single thing in my pack weighs more than three pounds. And my pack, set for some backcountry action in the Colorado mountains, weighs just 31 pounds fully loaded. Other, more seasoned outdoorsmen go even lighter — much lighter. Bring what you need, skip the rest. Pack dehydrated meals. You get the idea.
Protect you back. There is an art to packing your backpack. It seems strange at first, but it makes all the difference in the world once the trek begins. Pack the lightest items toward the bottom of the pack and furthest from your body (stuff like clothing, sleeping bag, etc). Heavier items — cooking gear, water bladder, hatchet — should be higher on your pack and close to your back. It will make you feel top-heavy at first. But if you have a lot of weight away from your back or on the bottom, it will pull your upper body backward. To compensate, you’ll strain to remain upright and balanced. Eventually, this will wear you out. Definitely DON’T have a bunch of stufff dangling off the bottom or backside of your pack.
I’ve known this for awhile, but got a reminder a couple of years ago in New Mexico. My wife, her sister, two friends and myself had camped out on the flanks of Wheeler Peak, then summitted in the morning. When we got back to camp, all of us were tired. But we still had to pack up and trudge another five miles back to the trailhead. Too tired to care, I just started throwing stuff in my pack without regard to what should go where. I didn’t make it a quarter mile down the trail and I thought I was going to throw my back out. So I had to stop, repack it correctly, then continue on. Lesson learned.
Bob Doucette
Too wet to ride?
Rain bothers me. Why? Because riding a mountain bike on a muddy trail is ill-advised.
Yesterday I was dying to get on my bike and the rain had finally moved on out of the metro area, but all area trails were undoubtedly too wet too ride. So I decided to take a spin around Lake Hefner on the paved trails.
I had never ridden the lake trail that circles the lake, so I figured, ‘What the heck …’
I’ve got to say, it was a good workout and I’m a bit sore today. The nearly 10-mile trail wraps around the lake and is a surprisingly smooth and mostly uninterrupted trail.
It took me about 35 minutes to ride the whole thing.
Riding the dam section was almost the best part because of the scenery. Finishing my ride on the east side of the lake and looking back west across into the sunset was the best.
I’ve found a new outdoor pleasure.
Get outdoors.
Best,
Augie
Sharing a secret
I have debated sharing a favorite fishing hole with you, but I figure, what’s it going to hurt?
Lake Bixhoma in Bixby.
This gem is a tiny municipal lake that provides water for Bixby. I’m not going to help you with directions. You’re going to have to find it on your own.
Anyway, this is one of my favorite Bass fishing spots because of its proximity to my friends’ homes in Tulsa and its great fishing. What’s best is it gets very little traffic, so you feel many miles further from home than you really are.
In fact, yesterday (Sunday, Aug. 17) was the most crowded I have seen the lake in awhile. And the traffic? A couple of kayakers and maybe three or four fishing boats.
There are a few things to consider when going to this lake. There is no alcohol allowed. You must have a municipal license and you must have a municipal license for your boat. It is also a no wake lake. Perhaps these are the reasons the lake sees such little traffic.
Yesterday’s weather was great and following a full moon, we anticipated catching a lot of fish. I caught one; my buddy? Zero.
That was probably our worst day on that lake in memory.
Get outdoors.
Best,
Augie Frost
