Reddit reviews Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardines Guide to Lightweight Hiking

It is mostly contained in the books I've read. I have been out of the backpacking scene for a while so I may be a bit rusty on the exact details and perhaps his methods have fallen out of favor. Some of his weight cutting techniques are a bit extreme by my taste such as only taking an umbrella and tarp instead of rain gear and tent. However, my father and I cut quite a bit of weight in our week long trips. We were starting with packs around 40 pounds and wearing big hiking boots and eventually got to around 20-25 pounds and would just wear a nice set of running or trail shoes.

Some of his books:

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Backpacking-Jardines-Lightweight-Hiking/dp/0963235931

http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Life-Jardines-Lightweight-Backpacking/dp/0963235974

This site mentions him and a quick Google search with his name and 'water filter' brings up quite a few references as well: http://www.the-ultralight-site.com/water-purification.html He's by no means an end-all authority but the ultralight backpacking he pioneered was pretty widely known.

So I was drafting a blog post on books this weekend. Copypasta:

Ultimate Hiker's Gear Guide - Andrew Skurka

Ultralight Backpacking Tips - Mike Clelland

Lightweight Backpacking and Camping - Ryan Jordan

Trail Life: Ray Jardine's Lighweight Bapackpacking

Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking

There are things you know you know... 1+1=2

There are things you know you don't know... square root of 1 is?

Then there are things you don't know you don't know... I wasn't even aware there was a hiking trail going from ME to CA.

Yeah, it can be hard finding out that 3rd one. As a college student have they taught you how to google?

I'm not joking: https://www.google.com/search?q=how+to+hike+the+pacific+crest+trail

> Any tidbit of advice

Yes, read the PCTA's FAQ which answers all your questions... https://www.pcta.org/discover-the-trail/thru-hiking-long-distance-hiking/thruhiker-faq/

Read Ray Jardine's book: https://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Backpacking-Jardines-Lightweight-Hiking/dp/0963235931

Read the 1000's of other books on how to backpack.

Watch the tons of hiking "movies". https://www.backpacker.com/stories/the-best-books-movies-about-thru-hiking (that is a tiny portion of all the content out there)

Read the dozens of posts on this very forum posting gear lists (aka "shakedown") for their upcoming thru hikes: https://www.reddit.com/r/PacificCrestTrail/search?q=shakedown&restrict_sr=1&t=year

Read this forum's sidebar of links. One of the most helpful ones are these annual surveys of thru hikers: https://www.halfwayanywhere.com/pacific-crest-trail/

I appreciate your enthusiasm. I'd first gear up the mind by browsing (amazon) Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival. And, Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking. I have personally gained allot from both of these books.

The first has some good info on survival techniques. How to think in survival situations. Building shelters, finding water, food etc...
Rays book focuses on a minimalist approach to back country camping. He does a lot of gear redesign. Using hi-tech materials and simplified gear to reduce unnecessary weight while allowing you to have a less burdensome back country camping experience.

If you are new at camping, wrap you hands around that idea and start off learning the basics while car camping. Get your gear setup. Dial it in. Give yourself a lesson or two to learn each time you go. Once you get the basics down, then move on to some more advanced stuff.

Learning edible plants is a great skill to have. Also remember, some plants can kill you! 20 miles deep in the woods, slightly dehydrated with a bad case of the runs, and a cold front coming in spells ugly. Just sayin.. please be safe.

I had the same question recently. Apparently you can get it in your local library. I personally wanted to own it.

The Trail Life version is (from what I’m told) an updated version of Beyond Backpacking. Which you can get USED for around $10.

Here:
Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardines Guide to Lightweight Hiking https://www.amazon.com/dp/0963235931/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_KECMDb5JW62JC

It’s worth getting. Even just for the first few chapters about Rays take on the compounding gear philosophy: lighter gear let’s you travel further which in turns changes your gear needs enabling you to carry less and in turn hike even further and more comfortably.

(Tbh IMO the book should be required reading for r/UL whether you agree with everything in there or not).

All the data says pepper spray is more effective than guns in bear attacks, so I'd lose that right quick. Second, read Ray Jardine, Justin Lichter, and Andrew Skurka.

http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Backpacking-Jardines-Lightweight-Hiking/dp/0963235931/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341345684&sr=8-2&keywords=ray+jardine

http://www.amazon.com/Trail-Tested-Thru-Hikers-Insights-Backpacking/dp/0984855009/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341345701&sr=1-1&keywords=trail+tested

http://www.amazon.com/The-Ultimate-Hikers-Gear-Guide/dp/1426209207/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1341345724&sr=1-1&keywords=andrew+skurka

You will find every suggestion we could come up with on here and more. Personally I find ponchos to be a shitty option, and sleeping bags and quilts are very nice. If you're on the Kenai, you will want a bugproof shelter, too.

This is the early edition I have, which is the one I'm referring to in terms of historical context. Years later he released an updated edition of it with some changes and a different title. If I remember right, it's less focused on PCT planning and more about taking his philosophy on any trail. Then years later he released a version of that one with color photographs and a few more updates and a new title. So it depends on if you want the version with historical interest or the one with more updated info or the one with updated info and color photographs.

I can't much comment on minimal bike touring, but I can suggest this book by Ray Jardine. It details his method for hiking the US triple crown (about 12,000 km) with something like a 10 pound base weight.



He suggests things like a tarp instead of a tent, a quilt instead of a sleeping bag, and dozens of other things. Might be worth a read for some ideas.