I'm a Canadian outdoorsman from Calgary, Alberta. I'm lucky enough to be in one of the best places in the world to get out and experience the backcountry and outdoors.
This channel is all about taking you on those journeys and providing some tips, tricks, and gear recommendations for your own adventures.
drop one of the trekking poles, you get most of the benefit from just 1 go stoveless, no fuel, no stove, no pot and honestly just bring a couple windproof matches in a baggie instead of a lighter. the secondary benefit of going stoveless is that majority of freeze dried meals are unnecessarily heavy and you can carry calories much more efficiently in other ways. Admittedly the variety of meal you chose is pretty darn good at 5.6 calories/gram. anyway I don't even cold soak anymore these days, all you need are snacks tbh. go either bamboo or plastic for the spoon. I prefer bamboo. bring electrolytes. salstick tabs are the best i've found. keeping a good electrolyte balance allows your body to use water more efficiently meaning you can carry less water. dyneema tarp > any other shelter option in existence for weight or bulk plus they're fun to use. get a piece of polycryo for your ground sheet. depending on the season going without a sleeping pad is maybe possible otherwise the good ol' gossamer gear 1/8 inch pad is the way to go. learn to sleep on your back. skip the pillow. bunch together your extra clothes to support your head. glad to see the trowel and the bidet. I have seen lighter bidets on the market but I have the same you do and I also quite like it. solid choices. ziplocks for ditty stuff is correct. Filter is good but may be able to save weight attaching something like a sawyer micro to your water bottle. skip the toothpaste tabs. toothpaste is nothing but fine grit for polishing the tooth surface. that proceedure can definitely be skipped for a few days, bring a piece of floss instead, flossing is way more important. leave the soap at home, unnecessary and bad for the environment (yes even the biodegradable kinds). clothing is a pretty personal choice, no real notes to give about that. tent stake bag is not really necessary. the rain jacket might be unnecessary given you are in the dessert. even if it were to rain you wont melt if you get wet, being wet is only an issue if hypothermia is a possibility. I would replace the rain jacket with a wind jacket, they make some ridiculously light ones.
Question: did you bring along a cameraman or had to keep retracing your steps to set up a tripod, go back, walk a little, go back for the camera etc. ?
I'm looking at getting my first pack and was originally looking at the Durston Kakwa 55 (Waiting on restock for the Ultra200x version), but this is the first time I've heard of Atom Packs and definitely has peaked my interest. If you had to compare the two, which pack would be preferred?
As a dancer, with strong flexible feet, I used to wear my split soled jazz sneakers to work, because my feet felt too restricted in gym shoes for an 8 hour shift and it was making them weak. Now years later I've discovered barefoot shoes and I will never go back!
I carried 50 lbs in the Sangre De Cristes at 15 yo. The same weight, different gear the year before in the Appalachians including 16 meals that we never ate. My friend George carried 150 on D Day aged 17, counting his 2 chutes, weapons, basic gear, beacon transmitters and batteries. He weighed about a Buck Seventy then
That's a really impressive setup, Justin, especially when you're able to include a pillow and a wide rectangular pad rather than *just* chasing the most eye-catching base weight number. Any feel on how the Plex handles wind? Not just in terms of staying upright but rustling too...
Obviously I wouldn't recommend going bare feet when you have arch support soles, but there actually are a bunch of feet exercises you can do to strengthen your feet
Is there a reason your drone or mics aren't listed in the pack wizard list, but you have drone shots in the video and using a mic? Shouldn't that be included in your base weight? I feel like you excluded these to make sure your weight was below 5 pounds.
Most people won't be carrying a drone, camera, or mic so it's weird to put them in a gear list, so I don't find it useful to list the weights of those items. I'm not trying to base weight flex with the video, it's just a fun experiment. If you're curious, it all weighed about 0.7lbs but the camera was on my trekking pole and the drone and mic in my pant pockets.
Did I just see what I think I saw? Were you just feather sticking with your pink titanium spoon? That's it. I need a designated video just to see what that spoon can do.
... 12:12 Not a free standing tent ... OK gear for day hike with a maybe overnight stay,, but nowhere near a proper loadout for backpacking ..... this kind of super ultralight is unprepared ...
Plantar's sucked. Put me out of commission for a good year to. It was terrible. I would barely walk some days. This is why good foot wear is important. Mine was actually caused by those flat foot zero drop shoes with bad arch support. It is a touchy subject because too much support can cause plantar fasciitis and not enough can also cause it.. Really gotta find that perfect shoe and it is different for everyone. Thanks for the tips Justin.
Complaining about Zero pump noise and claiming that 2x is better not adding that is twice as noisy is not really objective don't You think? I dont know about your matress and inflation bag, but Zero Pump is lighter than bag in my case and somehow i dont have any problem with fully inflate my matress 24 times on one batery. Making statments what to avoid about gear you are not even using is just not reasonable at all.
If anyone hasn’t seen Chase mountains you should check it out. Also incredibly helpful. He has a whole set of workouts you can do to help strengthen your entire body for hiking and mountaineering
I ordered the Outdoor Vitals Tern Ultralight Merino Wool Hoodie for my Colorado Trail trip this month. After I pulled it out of the box, I removed the neck tag and tried it on. I immediately noticed a thumb size hole in the center of the chest, so I contacted Outdoor Vitals about them sending me a shirt with a hole in it. They replyed stating since I removed the tag they wouldn't warranty the product. If I wanted to pay and mail it to them I can have it repaired for a possible $20 charge. I paid full price, I should receive the entire shirt. Tayson Whittaker and Outdoor Vitals only want your money!
The one thing about barefoot style training is that, for people already with a disposition to knee/hip injuries, the lack of foot support may strengthen your feet, but at the sacrifice of inflaming joints. It can be a double edged sword.
Hey Justin! Have you considered checking out the Xero DIY sandals as a barefoot sandal option to wear in place of your mayfly’s? They look similarly light and minimal, yet more durable than your current camp sandals. I would love to watch you check them out and review them. Keep up the great content! 💪
I got to the point where my feet hurt and nothing else did so I went ultra minimal on shoes as much as I could slowly working up from walking to the store to going on Long walks then slowly added weight After getting used to some zeros or Merrell shoes the lone peaks felt like I was on clouds toughening up my feet seemed to help good Also add weight when you go for day hikes that's been my plan get used to carrying 10 more pounds than I'll carry normally and it seems easy if I have a long food and water carry it's normal then When rucking for training make a good portion of the weight water bottles if something Hurts you can drop 15-20 lbs by dumping out most of the water
I have seriously been doing a few of these to get ready for a trip. It was awesome to see what you do bc my man, you are a mountain goat haha. Thanks for the video Justin!
