Backpacking Gear Ideas
I once paid $20 for a bivy sack. In case you don't know, a
bivy sack, or bivouac sack, is a minimalist shelter for backpackers,
climbers and other outdoor adventurists. It is basically a bag
that you sleep inside of. $20 is also about the cheapest you'll
ever see one sold for. They are more often in the $200 range.
This one was cheap, because it was more or less just plastic.
Plastic! I realized I could just make one, so I taped together
two large garbage bags and I had a four-ounce 7-foot long bivy
sack. Like all bivy sacks, it got a bit damp inside after a night
in it, but it made a great cheap and light shelter. The one I
bought was 7 ounces, and most are closer to two pounds. I think
it's time for a mass-produced lightweight, disposable (one weekend
of use maybe?) bivy sack.
Other Backpacking Gear Ideas
Lightweight backpack. I threw away an old backpack,
but kept the frame. It was a tough frame, and when I tied a large
duffel bag to it, the whole thing weighed less than two pounds.
Why aren't there packs out there this light? Just because nobody
has done it yet. The idea is simple. Cut out the extras, and
have a large sack attached to a light frame.
Sleeping pad/bivy combo. Basically, a sleeping pad
that is covered. The point here is that it would be lighter than
carrying a bivy sack and a sleeping bag pad (less material for
the sack, since it wouldn't have to go under the pad). A sleeping
bag might be incorporated into it too, with the insulation primarily
on top, since it is normally crushed underneath, making it of
little insulating value. I think the whole contraption could
be under two pounds for summer use.
Attachable sleeping pads. Sleeping bag pads insulate
you from the ground and provide comfort. They only do this at
the points of contact, which amount to less than 20% of surface
area. In other words, there is a lot of extra pad, and therefore
extra weight. The invention to resolve this problem would involve
small pads that attached to your clothing at the hips, shoulders,
knees, etc. They would only need to be a few inches wide, and
velcro might work for attaching, as long as the total weight
of the system was under the 10 ounces or so that closed-cell
foam pads normally weigh.
All-mesh backpack. A mesh backpack would be light,
even after accounting for six or seven plastic bags to keep the
contents dry and organized. It would also allow you to see the
contents, saving you time and trouble when looking for things.
Pole-less tent. In place of poles, there would be two
inflatable sleeves that criss-cross over the top of a dome-style
tent. Rigidity could be insufficient for windy nights, but it's
worth a try.
See the sidebar for links to pages with more backpacking gear
ideas.
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