Porcupine Mountains: Getting Ready and Getting Heavy

I'm getting ready for a short solo hike through the Porcupine Mountains. As it stands, I'll be hiking roughly 40 some miles in 5 days. Usually that's not an issue but it can be tough with elevation changes on uneven ground while carrying the equivalent of a 6 year-old on your back.

Ever since the first time I backpacked, I naturally gravitated towards an ultralight style. My 3-season setup evolved into a 17 pound setup (without food), which is feather-like when compared to the 35 pounder I hiked with the first time I ever went out. Here's a pic of an older, heavier, pack:


A shopped point & shoot photo of a middle weight pack, ready to go, from three years ago. I use a smaller backpack now and the blue hydration pack has since been totally abandoned along with a number of other items. The white bag is holding garbage from the past couple days I am packing out.

I'm adding on a couple pounds.  I used to carry a film SLR with a single zoom lens which weighed no more than 3 pounds. I transitioned (involuntarily) to a digital point & shoot weighing not much more than 5 ounces. Now I've gone back to 7-8 pounds of photography equipment, which is a lot in comparison to my other gear.

Crappy photo of everything I'll be needing to live in the woods next week, minus my footwear and a couple days of food. New toy is a Garmin eTrex HCx GPS, near the bottom right, which Cathy gave to me for my birthday. Six ounces and I can confirm orientation, location, and track unmarked trails.

Despite still having a relatively light load with all the photo junk, I suspect it's still heavier than necessary. Hopefully this hike will enlighten me and I'll see some new angles to lighten up.


Random photo from Maunawili Falls in Oahu. You could jump into the little pool down below, it was fun.