What's your idea of a minimalist camping trip?

Corey

OverCamping Specialist
I am old enough and have enough money I don't have to suffer with a sore back, crap food, or no chair.
What is the point of hard work if not to enjoy it.

However that said I am doing my best to scale back to the least yet best solution I can find for each thing like a chair, stove, table, fridge and such.
Sounds almost like I said that :D

I use to do the minimalist thing eons ago, and would see how far I could get around the Wonderland Trail on Mt. Rainier for close to a week at a time back in the 80s.

As I age I appreciate nice gear and a comfy place to sleep, and with arthritis setting in (I must be getting old) my current setup lets me camp in comfort and not have a sore back when it is time to go back to work.
 

Honu

lost on the mainland
Like I say do things when you are young :)

No way would I be able to do the things I did 30 years ago today :)
And not be sore cramped up or just flat out not do it :)
 
Yep. My tent, stove, pad, sleeping bag and fuel weigh less than nine pounds. This is why I have a hard time understanding people who talk about minimalist camping out of a full sized truck. That doesn't compute in my brain.

I agree 100%.

Minimalist camping in a tiny tent, a spork for cutlery, and a butane single burner stove and no table... meanwhile having a 40lbs (dry) 12V fridge and a 6000lb truck. What a joke.

If I'm going minimalist, my transportation is not powered by gas.
 

AA1PR

Disabled Explorer
hammock [either HH expedition asym or homebrew] lightweight MSR pocketrocket, Ti cookware etc, sleeping pad, freeze dried food, headlamp, one of several sleeping bag [wx dependent] water & I am good to go
 

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
I used to backpack, use a messkit and single-burner Svea, live off the land thing.

Then I used to do long distance motorcycle rides and check into the Iron Butt Motel (sleep on picnic benches in all my gear).

Not anymore.
I sold the Conqueror Compact a few months ago and had a big teardrop built. No ladders or canvas... ...just park and relax.
Good living is the best revenge.

As for roughing-it now, sometimes we have domestic wine with our steaks.
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
Working as the buyer for a high end outdoor store, I hear it all the time. People talk about going ultra-light and the suffering that goes along with it. That's no longer the case.

My sub 10 pound backcountry kit includes a 15 degree down bag, a 10,000 BTU stove, a sleeping pad boasting 3" of plush comfort, a tent that's dry and cozy, and other creature comforts. It all cost less than a set of tires for an SUV.

To me, minimalist camping is a means to an end. I'm no stranger to luxury camping complete with fridge, RTT, circus tent, tables, chairs, movies on the laptop, yada, yada. However, that scenario always involves two things: A road, which sort of negates the "backcountry" aspect of the trip. Lots of camp labor loading, unloading, cleaning, stowing, cooking, fidgiting, etc.
 

Hilldweller

SE Expedition Society
I forgot to mention that my move to luxury camping was precipitated by the stern admonition from physicians...
 

Vince1

Adventurer
I'm becomming more with Bill on this one. When younger, I used to go out with nothing but a knife, an often (stupidly) by myself. After losing half a toe on one adventure, I slowly began to add equipment to my pack. Now married with children, minimalist includes a refrigerator, toilet, and yes, even hot shower. Somebody please shoot me when I finally buy an RV.
 

Christophe Noel

Expedition Leader
Okay, this is what I'm talking about. There is an unfortunate, and inaccurate, correlation between going with the "minimum" and being miserable or unsafe.

Here's what happens. Guys go out into the wilds equipped with a stick and a pair of crossed fingers. They hate it. They should. However, the pendulum doesn't have to swing to the other extreme. The alternative doesn't have to ALWAYS be a 7,000 pound rolling Holiday Inn Express. For one thing, you can't take that rolling beast into wilderness areas, or other places not road serviced.

I met a guy about two months ago who said, "I used to backpack and travel by canoe when I was younger and more fit, but now I just camp out of my Land Cruiser." That guy was 35 years old!!!!

It's very possible to go without a fridge, without cast iron, without a laptop and still be comfy, dry, warm, well fed and happy.
 
...It's very possible to go without a fridge, without cast iron, without a laptop and still be comfy, dry, warm, well fed and happy.

Amen! :ylsmoke: I still do ultra simple "cooler only" trips, no cooking at all. And I don't think I've ever taken a laptop. And I give my friends grief for facebooking on the trail.

"... driving down EP202..." man, what would your FB'ing friends do without that info? :rolleyes:
 
My sub 10 pound backcountry kit includes a 15 degree down bag, a 10,000 BTU stove, a sleeping pad boasting 3" of plush comfort, a tent that's dry and cozy, and other creature comforts. It all cost less than a set of tires for an SUV.

I'd love to see the details on this setup. I frankly, can't believe you can have a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad and all the rest of it at less than 10 pounds.

My Thermarest Basecamp is only 2" thick, and is 3.5 lbs by itself. And I have a small, minimalist, high performance tent, weighs 4lbs. That leaves 2.5lb for a sleeping bag which is pretty optimistic, and I still haven't eaten yet.

I don't think I've ever seen a "tent" that weighs less than 3lbs. A 2" down sleeping pad is about 2lbs, and a -15F down mummy bag is 4lbs. That leaves you 1lb for a stove, fuel, cutlery and utensils. You still don't have any spare clothes, outerwear, food, water, etc.
 

AxeAngel

Expedition Leader
I'd love to see the details on this setup. I frankly, can't believe you can have a tent, sleeping bag and sleeping pad and all the rest of it at less than 10 pounds.

My Thermarest Basecamp is only 2" thick, and is 3.5 lbs by itself. And I have a small, minimalist, high performance tent, weighs 4lbs. That leaves 2.5lb for a sleeping bag which is pretty optimistic, and I still haven't eaten yet.

I don't think I've ever seen a "tent" that weighs less than 3lbs. A 2" down sleeping pad is about 2lbs, and a -15F down mummy bag is 4lbs. That leaves you 1lb for a stove, fuel, cutlery and utensils. You still don't have any spare clothes, outerwear, food, water, etc.

His is +15F mummy bag, which you can get to be 2lbs. I wouldnt be surprised to find a bivy in the 3-4lb range. You could get the short sleeping pads(body only). There are some minimalist stoves that are less than a lb without fuel

I guess some caveats are needed when someone says i have all thie gear and it only weighs ten lbs. It can be done but its not a "tent" or a full body pad, etc.

-Sam
 
Well, if it's positive 15, then it's easier. Still, I'm seeing about 2.5lbs. Lightest 1 man tent is almost 3 pounds. Not sure if I'd call any 1 man tent "cozy". Well, I guess it could be cozy if you consider the word to mean "constricting". It's a good thing your gear is minimalist, because the vestibule is pretty small. ;) A bivy is not a tent. I can't find any 3" thick "short" pads, so let's assume a 2" thick down inflatable.

Big Agnes Seedhouse 1: 3 lbs with footprint. NB: This thing is also ultralight and not very durable.
MEC Merlin Down Mummy: 2.3 lbs
Exped Downmat 7: 2 lbs
GSI Soloist: 0.5lbs
MSR Superfly stove: 0.3lbs
Fuel Cannister: 0.5lbs
Petzl Tikka Headlamp: 0.2lbs

8.8lbs. Huh. Yeah, alright, it's possible but that is REALLY minimalist. You still don't have any water yet, or food. You're going to have to eat freeze-dried. And if it rains, you'll be hating life. It's still missing a lot of stuff too. First aid. Knife. Some sort of firewood making device. Fire starter. TP.

My setup is closer to 20lbs, and I have a much roomier tent and can at least cook "real" food.
 

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