A Minimalist Sleeping Bag Quiver

Ultralight means everything should do double-duty. So why take your insulating clothes off to sleep? Why not use them in combination with your bag? Problem is, most bags on the market have 'efficient cuts' to minimize internal space. This cuts down on the volume of air your body must heat up to stay warm, requiring less energy to sleep comfortably, longer, but doesn't allow enough space inside the bag to wear much puffy clothing, if any. Stupid, if you're a minimalist or ultralighter.

I look at a sleeping bag's temperature rating as it's average temperature it can be comfortably used at, not the minimum. Here's why:

I wear nearly all my layers when sleeping, including puffy clothes. I don't bring extra clothes, just wear the ones I'd be bringing anyway. I do this for two reasons: one is because I hate sleeping in only baselayers if it's anything other than a 'warm' night in summer. It's nice getting out of my bag and staying warm because I'm properly clothed, not freezing when I get up cuz I'm in just a baselayer. This minimizes clothing changes and internal shelter space needed for clothes. The second reason is because if I compliment the bag with warm clothes, I can take a lighter bag. Since I'm sleeping in clothing I'm taking anyway, I'm saving weight, not adding, by my clothing pulling double-duty.

Have you ever slept outside at -35F inside a -40 down bag & vapor barrier liner bag, then gotten up to pee in the middle of the night? If you did it right, you were in just a light baselayer, since you were sleeping inside a VBL bag. And since you were inside a VBL bag, that means that light baselayer was damp with moisture and there you are, standing out under the clear, star & aurora-filled sky, in wet long underwear. Hmmm... doesn't seem very alluring, does it? I froze my ass off, even after getting back in the bag & VBL, which was plenty warm for the temps. VBL clothing and insulated garments over the top, combined with a lighter bag, would have been much better.

Or how about another example that's a little less extreme in temperature and of a more common weather condition?
You wake up at two in the morning, having to pee, and it's blowing 30 mph sideways rain on the crest of the Alaska Range. Snow is accumulating less than 500 feet above you, so it's around freezing at your camp. You had been hiking in it for a few hours and were kind of damp and fairly chilled, so you ate dinner and went straight to bed. There's two other people crammed in your three person silnylon pyramid and everything is soaked from hiking... not much space to don shell layers without soaking your friends in the process.
   -do you go out and pee in your baselayer because you brought your warm bag?
   -or do you go out in your insulated layers because you brought your lighter bag?
I did the latter and even though I got a little wet, I was completely dry (bag included) when I woke up in the morning, not from being chilled, either. I slept very well and plenty warm. It either would have been miserable going outside in those conditions in just a baselayer or I would have had to put on other clothes to stay dry/warm.

I have wide shoulders and even a 62" shoulder girth can feel moderately confining. If I wear my insulating layers inside my bag, I need at least a 64" shoulder girth, if not more. For summer temps, 64 or 65 would be perfect, as insulating layers above freezing are fairly thin. Below freezing, especially below zero Fahrenheit, I would need a 66" girth to accommodate all that down.
Some would argue that without the warm layers to take up that space, I'd be cold, as there'd be so much internal volume to heat up. I'm not worried, though, as I am a side-sleeper and like to cocoon myself when I sleep, pulling the covers snug up against my body. Any extra would get pulled and scrunched up near my body, eliminating the excessive volume. Being a side-sleeper also means Big Agnes style bags don't work for me, as the face opening stays up at all times.
Plus, I am only looking to gain 5-10º of warmth from the down & synthetic clothing, and not even a heavy down parka, just midweight down/synthetic layers. Wearing too thick of clothing inside might negatively insulate you - it could trap too much heat in the clothing and not warm the bag. Could you get cold from this? Maybe. I don't know... I've heard both arguments. Either way, opt for a light bag, get an additional 5-10º of warmth from midweight clothing layers, and have a very versatile clothing-sleeping system.
Just make sure the inside shoulder girth of your bag is large enough to accept however much volume the insulated clothing takes up. Don't compress the down in your bag from the inside out.

Vapor-barrier liners are necessary below +20F. The thickness of the sleeping bag and the temperature gradient between the inside of your bag and the outside air is thick/high enough that the warm moisture getting pushed out of your bag reaches the dew point before exiting the down and condenses, wetting out the down and freezing, if it's cold enough. Read more about VBLs and theory.

So, a 20º bag is smart because by adding a VBL at it's minimum comfort temperature (20), you extend it's range below it's temperature rating and keep the bag dry, exactly when you need to start using a VBL anyway. Add down clothing to the system, and you can take a 20º bag easily down to 5º, if not colder. (VBLs add about 10º of warmth and clothing 5-10º) While I said I don't like sleeping in just baselayers below freezing, I'd rather do that from 20-30º than try and make a 30 or 35º bag work down to 20º. VBLs are not necessary above 20, I'd much rather not use one if I don't have to, and clothing probably can't add more than 10º of warmth, reliably. That's a big word when you're far from home.

Could 20º be the ultimate sleeping bag rating? Comfortable from single digits up to the low thirties without shivering or sweating?

In conclusion, here's my idea of an extremely versatile sleeping bag quiver in which each bag is used for a 25-30º temperature range!
Also take note that it is composed of only three bags, which means I can afford to have all WM bags :)

30ºF & warmer
Western Mountaineering Caribou MF 35º
Block type down pockets keep the down in place and from shifting and leaving cold gaps. Wide girth accepts a puffy jacket to drop the rating to 30º or so. I'd go with a quilt for the weight savings, but I'm a sleeping bag guy. I like mummy bags, as they are mentally comforting and soothing since they seal up tight, which allows me to always get really good sleep. No VBL, so any additional warmth must come exclusively from clothing, which I'm only betting on 5º with the clothing I'd have in these temps.

5 to 30ºF
Western Mountaineering Alpinlite 20º long length
For 20-30º, just the bag & baselayer. Below it's 20º rating, down to about 10º, just add a VBL (it's needed anyway, so perfect!). Below 10º, add your insulated layers for temps down into the low single digits. Long length allows hoods on insulated clothing to be used and to wrap the bag up real tight around the face, down to blow-hole size.

-10 to 5ºF
Alpinlite & Caribou Combo
Sleep in the VBL & insulated clothing inside with Alpinlite with the Caribou draped over the top as a quilt. In Alaska, this is, strangely, a very rare temperature range. Usually, it's warmer or colder, since we pretty much just have summer & winter, with a three week spring and fall. If I were living in the Lower 48, I'd definitely opt for a 5 or 10º bag to use from -10 to 15 or 20 above, which would change the above bags.

-40 to -10ºF
Western Mountaineering Puma MF -25 long length
This ultra-warm bag can easily be taken down to or past -40 with VBL and insulated clothing. Big 66" shoulder girth accepts thicker clothes. Long length allows for booties & hooded clothing usage, plus wraps up & over head nicely.
I tried the Feathered Friends Peregrine and I liked everything but the hood/face opening. I couldn't get the hood to come down my forehead and the wide face opening is really challenging to cinch up to blow-hole size.

Coal Wood Glitter: The Third Time's A Charm

I had an idea, I planned, I tried, and now I finished.

90 miles through the Alaska Range, this time with Ed Plumb & Ann Farris.
Day 1: Suntrana to Cody Creek via Healy Creek (27 mi) & 10 hrs of sleep
Day 2: Cody Creek to Edgar Creek  via the Wood River (25 mi) & 8 hrs of sleep
Day 3: Edgar Creek to McKinley Village, aka 'Glitter Gulch' (10 mi hiking & 28 mi packrafting).
          First vehicle I thumbed it to picked us up.

The Route:
About 95% of this route offers some sort of trail or path, whether it be ATV or game trails.
One 4500 ft pass and one 5400 ft pass. Lots of creek/river bed walking & thick brush (mostly alder & birch) in drainages up to 4000 feet.
The Yanert is swift glacial current, running at least 6 mph, with a top floating speed of 11 mph. It's mostly a class I-II float, with some hard & tight eddy lines that require precise paddling and a few class III bends and holes, almost all of which are avoidable.
I unintentionally danced with the Devil and ended up running two big wave trains, without a spray deck or PFD, that each led into a class III hole, but managed to stay dry & upright. Sorry Mom, but I guess I learned something from all those Roman Dial packrafting videos.

Trip Insight:
- It's a great route: walk past the old coal mines and up Healy Creek for 20-some miles, up & over Cody Pass & down Cody Creek to the Wood River, up it to Big Grizzly Creek & the pass to Edgar Creek, then follow Edgar Creek to the Yanert, float out the Yanert to Revine Creek (5 hrs) and hike back to the Parks Highway at McKinley Village. It's very straight-forward and easy to follow.
- As you can see in the video, we used the GPS a lot, but that's only because we forgot the maps in the truck. I also had a mental image burnt into my brain after two years of planning. We found that it's perfect for someone looking to 'go bigger' with their backcountry adventures, but still have some sort of path to follow and information about the route, with not too big of terrain and modest safety hazards.
- I typically don't eat that much during the day, but like a big meal at night. It replaces what I burned during the day and helps me sleep at night. But, if it's cold, windy, & wet, I need a lot more calories during the day.
- Ultralight is great, but if it's nasty weather, it may be best to either have extra time to wait it out or bring the extra food it will take (calorically) to keep on truckin'. Extra time might be nice to catch up on sleep or rest sore muscles/feet from all the mileage you probably were doing because you are going ultralight.
- I took my pack off three times each day and never sat down the first two days, until we made camp. We averaged between 2.5 & 3 mph hiking, depending on the brush intensity. Continuing to hike and not taking more than a few minute breaks was actually nicer than stopping and resting, as it kept my body in motion.
- I dipped a liter bottle in small creeks for water, without filtering, and found that every creek tastes different, depending on the rock and minerals deposited into the water. It kept me in touch with the environment in a way I've never experienced before.

The Gear:
19 lbs including boat & paddle, not including worn & consumables
Six Moon Designs Comet backpack (& 2 webbing straps to tie to packraft)
Marmot Hydrogen sleeping bag & torso size blue foam
Patagonia wool 2 zip-t & wool socks (for sleeping, in silnylon bag)
GoLite Shangri-La 3 & 6 Y-stakes (to sleep 3 people)
Ti pot, Cat stove, pot grabber, spoon, windscreen, & matches (to cook inside shelter)
Bear spray, knife, & firestarter
Rab eVent jacket & OR PacLite pants
Montbell Thermawrap Vest & Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody
Alpacka Yukon Yak (also to sleep on)
AquaBound Manta Ray paddle (also shelter support)

Gear Insight:
- Denatured alchohol is great, but up at 4500 feet on Big Grizzly Creek was the first time I've ever had problems with the cat stove. Even nestled behind some rocks, it took almost 10 lights before it stayed burning and boiled water. Every time I set the pot on the stove, it would go out. Sensitive to the wind?
- Having the liter bottle cinched to my backpack shoulder strap with an orange ski strap was fantastic. I stayed more hydrated than I ever have in my life, as the water was right there to drink and monitor how much I had or needed for the next stretch. If I was hiking along a creek, I'd dump it out and carry an empty bottle, as I could dip whenever I was thirsty.
- The Rab Latok Alpine Jacket with eVent fabric doubled as a wind & rain jacket. It was so breathable, I only took it off for one mile! While hiking into the driving rain, however, it did wet out, but conditions were pretty gnarly and I'm not disappointed, especially when I compare its performance to all the other waterproof/breathable fabrics I've used.
- We had to stop hiking the second night (in the driving rain) not because we were tired or it was late or too nasty of weather, but because my gloves were saturated and after three hours, my hands finally got too cold. Couple that with the conditions and time and it was a mighty fine opportunity to pitch the shelter and hit the hay. Take home message: bring shell gloves/mitts or a way to keep hands dry (& warm).
- The GoLite Shangri-La 3 slept all three of us with just enough space to sprawl out, except for the driving rain night, when we had to hunker in a little to keep away from the wet nylon. Plenty strong and storm-worthy.
- We slept on our packrafts, which created a huge dry area, allowing us to lay out gear and clothes next to our bags and keep it all dry. The 2011 boats are even bigger than previous models, with the long tail, and work really nicely.
- 100% humidity, being showered by dripping condensation all night, and a very wet insulated jacket couldn't wet-out my Marmot Hydrogen 30 degree down bag. While it was unsettling to see the clumpy balls of down when I got into the bag, it was completely dry by morning, while being warm all night.
- As nice as the 2011 Alpackas are to sleep on, they're equally bad to sit in. The boat has an overall narrower design, which smashed my hips to the point of pain during and after the float. Both feet were crammed in the bow, one in front of the other as there wasn't enough room to wedge them side by side. The narrow dimensions also make the boat slightly tippier side to side, compared to the previous model. However, the tail is amazing. As Roman pointed out, it completely prevents bandersnatching. If you have an old boat, send it in to Sheri and have a tail installed.
- I'm a hiker and I like to go light, so carrying 7-10 lbs of floating gear is not cool unless there's enough floating to make it worth while or the route just isn't possible without it. But, if I am going to carry a boat, etc, I'm taking the biggest boat I can, as they are so much more stable and float through skinny water better, plus being idyllically spacious. Sure, it weighs a little more, but so not as much as the whole floating gear compared to my basepack weight.
- Last trip, I carried my trekking poles the entire time. This time, I left them at home. Never once did I miss them, because in my hand, instead, was my DSLR. With my hands free, I took 1200 photos in three days and even had the camera put away for 4 hours during the driving rain and 6 hours the next day while packrafting. The DSLR allows me to get shots that are straight-up impossible to get with a point and shoot, plus the quality is far superior. And since it's in my hand all day long, it doesn't weigh down my pack.

As I learned last year when J.R. & I attempted this trip, I may be out of school, but the education continues.

Looking Back: Cowboy Camping

A photo from 2005, when I led a winter backpacking trip to the Superior Hiking Trail in Minnesota and back when people still used film in cameras. We slept out the last night on trail, high up on a massive cliff overlooking Bean Lake, under the stars and, then later, an unexpected layer of wet snow. Waking up at three in the morning, shivering from our damp & no-longer-warm-enough sleeping bags, we packed up and hiked back to the car, amidst the falling snow. I love sleeping outside, under the stars, with no shelter more than any other form of camping, but waking up wet and cold isn't fun. But were we disappointed with this experience? No... we woke up in the early morning and re-warmed ourselves with the 4 mile hike out in the dark, while the falling snow shimmered in front of our headlamps.

Season & Temperature Based Sleep System

When I'm not out with my dogs or testing things like this out, this is what I do.
It sure makes it easy for packing up each time a trip rolls around.

Insulation for Moving & Sleeping

Here's something I've contemplated for some time and may have finally come to a conclusion...

On the Arctic 1000, they each brought 17 oz of (lightly) insulated clothes in a pullover hoody and pull-on pants, coupling that with a 24 oz two-person quilt, which obviously couldn't have been too warm.

Sleeping bags are, without question, far more efficient at trapping heat than clothes, especially per ounce of weight. (think mitten philosophy)

So, on each trip, I believe it is important to decide whether to bring insulated clothing and/or a warmer sleeping bag. Where as you can wear the clothing and not have to be in the bag (moving in cold weather, in camp, after a river swim, etc), it is far less efficient for the weight than a warmer sleeping bag. However, one must be laying or sitting in a sleeping bag to use its warmth, meaning you can't be moving and probably not doing too much around camp, as you wouldn't be able to get too close to a fire or get up to do anything if sitting in a bag.

I see this conundrum as being similar to using some sort of stove (denatured alcohol or butane) or campfires to cook. If mileage is your priority, bring the insulated clothing, as it is far more versatile and can be worn while moving. Campfires require a lot of time searching for fuel (wood) and sitting around & tending them while waiting to cook. Stoves are much more straight-forward and time-efficient, although heavier, like the clothing option.

One other thought... Have you ever put a cold-weather glove inside a mitten shell and wear that system when your hands were cold? It doesn't keep your hands nearly as warm as a mitten! I think this is similar to the potential situation of being too heavily clothed inside a sleeping bag. There is no shared warmth (without significant production of heat, i.e., exertion) between body parts and throughout the bag because clothing isolates body heat instead of sharing it with the rest of the body (like a sleeping bag), so one becomes cold, even thought they are aptly insulated.

Here's what I wrote after a trip during the summer of 2010:

Sleeping bags are not necessary for travel during summer in Alaska’s backcountry. Clothing applicable to the current weather conditions is sufficient for sleeping when combined with a light bivy bag, in the proper shelter. We used our clothing, coupled with 6.5 oz silnylon bivy bags, and slept on our inflated packrafts under a GoLite Hex 3. The packrafts fit well in the hexagonal teepee shelter, which seemingly holds heat well. We were able to sleep for a full 8+ hours, most of which was almost too warm. Being too warm can pose problematic, though, as one would become damp from sweat and then cool far too much to remain comfortable. Sleeping bags, however, provide a great amount of comfort and security, which can also be lighter and more practical than sleeping in clothing only. After wearing clothing all day, in all weather conditions, the clothing can be damp and sleep can be challenging. We found the system of bringing just enough clothes for the conditions and a slightly lighter sleeping bag than appropriate for the conditions was the most effective and lightest technique when used together, as a sleeping system. This is the same findings and methodology that many adventurers on light and extended backcountry trips have agreed upon and found to be most effective.

High mileage each day? More insulated clothing, lighter sleeping bag.

Not as mileage oriented or ounce-counting? You're on the wrong blog.

Long Overdue: Jan-Oct 2010

Too many photos to post here, so I put them on an online gallery.

Click here to see photos from adventures I've had so far in 2010.
It's been a fun time, as you'll see.

Thoughts from the Crest of the Alaska Range

On this last trip into the Alaska Range, I didn't bring a hat. A visor to shade the sun, but no hat. Not a light one, not a warm one. Instead, I used the hoods on my lightweight wool longsleeve baselayer hoody, wind jacket, insulated puff jacket, and rain jacket to keep my head warm and dry. It is super convenient because a hat needs to be either worn or stowed, while a hood is flipped on or off and is always there. Never once did I wish I had brought any sort of hat.

While I brought two trekking poles, I found myself carrying them the majority of the time and only using both for brief periods (uphill) or a specific instance, like stream crossing. In fact, they aggravated me more than anything, having to carry them for miles to have them ready if I wished, instead of stowing them in my pack. If I'm just going to pack them away, why not just leave them at home? When I did use the poles, I found one pole to be more than sufficient and actually preferable to two poles. The only time two were actually useful is when I was hiking very steep uphills and using the poles to catapult across streams. Maybe I'll just become a better hiker and guess what? My feet were already wet, so why bother trying to keep them dry? One pole. Decision made.

In heavy rains, a solid rain jacket is well worth its weight for comfort and dryness, although a super light shell that is truly waterproof and breathable can serve double duty as a shell and wind jacket, plus bug protection.

No matter what, bring two pair of wool socks. My one pair stayed wet for three days straight and neoprene river socks are not comfortable to sleep in.

Instead of bringing camp footwear, bring bread bags to slip over sleep socks to keep them dry when running out to pee in already wet shoes.

One shared sleeping bag is plenty large enough for a couple to share. I'd like to make a lightweight synthetic quilt for summer use. If sharing, use a bag rated to the temperatures you'll experience, as there is some inefficiency in sharing a bag versus zipping up and cinching down to blow hole size.

I cut the foam back support out of my GoLite Pinnacle, since I already use my light sleeping pad as back support. Turns out, it was a great idea. Weight saved and still just as comfortable.

Here's a thought... I've tried to cut nearly every single ounce off my hiking gear that is practical and still comfortable. Then, I throw in TEN POUNDS of packrafting gear. Hmmm... Maybe more thought regarding floating or crossing rivers for the route is necessary.

The denatured alcohol stove I made from a Fancy Feast cat food can boils two cups of water in five minutes or less and weighs almost nothing at 0.3 oz. Super simple and nothing to break. Thank you, Andrew Skurka!

A pair of super light long underwear bottoms is nice for sleeping and wearing if it's cold during the day and while packrafting on rainy days.

The long sleeves with thumb holes on my wool hoody worked well in keeping my hands warm in cool, damp, & windy weather, since I didn't bring gloves, either.

Loksaks are great for anything needing to stay dry, including TP, and are the lightest, reliable option.

Sharing is a great way to save weight and after having a group member lose a $100 knife and realizing I never even pulled mine out of my hipbelt pocket, it makes sense to share things between group members - like one knife.

The GoLite Hex 3 floorless shelter is great - in winds, rain, some bugs, etc. It's a little difficult to set up the hexagonal shape perfectly, but it offers a lot of interior space for spreading out gear and hanging out with the entire group in nasty weather. I've also yet to have any problems with mosquitoes in the floorless shelter, as they tend to stay up in the peak, where all the heat (and carbon dioxide concentration?) is. It can even be carefully set up with two paddles (shown above), allowing utilization of the entire area inside the shelter.

I use short Outdoor Research Flex-Tex gaiters to keep debris out of my sneakers. I see them as a necessity.

Beefy, durable trekking pants that can take abuse are so nice for bushwhacking and hiking in rocks, plus they tend to be wind resistant, coupling well with a wind jacket or double-duty light shell.

Spoons kick spork ass anyday. Period. Those teeth just don't clean up pots very well.

One large, main dry bag is all that's necessary for keeping gear dry, instead of messing with multiple bags and playing Tetris to fit them in to your backpack.

Using a superlight bivy helps keep your sleeping bag dry and allows a person to use a slightly lighter bag for the current temperatures and helps protect the sleeping bag from dirt, water, and physical abuse.

Last, but not least, nothing is better than a Nutty Bar covered in creamy peanut butter and Nutella. Not a Snickers, Whatchamacallit, or a Sindawg. Nothing.

The Education Continues...

So, the Coal, Wood, Glitter trip may not have worked out for various reasons as I'll explain below, but the time wasn't a complete flop. What JR & I learned in 4.5 days and 1500 miles of driving through Alaska is impressive, I think.
Here's my take on it all...

Before starting a big trip, do extensive research on the feasibility and safety of the route, including land ownership and activity (mining?), and talk to someone who’s done the route already and get their opinion and notes. Otherwise, do a scouting trip prior to the main trip, or just keep things simple according to what information is available.

Bikes are extremely beneficial to use for backcountry travel in nearly all mountainous environments, but they extremely complicate the trip to the point where they may not be practical for more than one night’s worth of travel, as they are very fragile and mechanically complicated. Breakages occur far too frequently for practical application of mountain bikes on extended backcountry travel, in my opinion. See Eric Parson's accounts of their Lost Coast, Wrangell Mountains, and 2010 AMWC trips, regarding the catastrophic failures they had. However, bikes were apparently built better back in the day when Roman Dial did his Hellbiking across the Alaska Range.

When going on a trip, plan for all possible types of recreation. For example, if going on a biking and packrafting trip, also bring hiking gear in case your plans change. On the attempted route, bikes proved to be impractical, but the route could have been hiked and packrafted in the time we had available. Unfortunately, we did not have quite the appropriate hiking gear to attempt the route without bikes, since we were originally planning on carrying all our gear on the bikes. This prevented the route from being accomplished, all together.

Packrafts were made for Alaskan rivers and backcountry travel. However, paddling on lakes without current for more than just a simple and short crossing is slow and strenuous, especially if there are headwinds, which is normally the case. Stick to current, mostly rivers, above class I, to make it interesting and appropriate for using a packraft.

Sleeping on packrafts allows for a simpler and more comfortable approach to packraft/raftpack camping, if executed properly. When sleeping on a packraft right side up (floating style), the raft should be inflated to 4-5 inflation bags worth of air to allow for a soft mattress and the highest amount of comfort. I used a Llama, although I am only 6' tall, and I slept very comfortably by laying inside the boat, with my head on the stern and feet propped up on the bow, almost similar to a hammock. Sleeping on the packraft upside down provides a soft, flat surface that is elevated off the ground, almost comparable to a quality cot. The raft should be deflated some (from full inflation) and lie flat on the ground when laying atop it (just soft enough to flatten out the upturned bow and stern). Remember that an inflated raft is more puncture resistant than a deflated raft used as a ground sheet. Be extremely cognizant of your campsite selection as to reduce the amount of abrasion on the raft as much as possible. Putting a sleeping pad on the floor greatly increases the thermal efficiency of the set-up and will allow more comfortable, longer lasting sleep in both raft scenarios. I could feel a significant difference between laying on the pad and off of it, where my feet happened to be. The two inflated packrafts were used inside of a GoLite Hex 3 shelter (one Llama & one Yak). Although it was tight, there was still enough room to set shoes, etc, between the rafts and have room for backpacks near the head and feet of the hexagonal shelter.

Sleeping bags are not necessary for travel during summer in Alaska’s backcountry. Clothing applicable to the current weather conditions is sufficient for sleeping when combined with a light bivy bag, in the proper shelter. We used our clothing, coupled with 6.5 oz ripstop/silnylon bivy bags, and slept on our packrafts under a GoLite Hex 3. The packrafts fit well in the hexagonal teepee shelter, which seemingly holds heat well. We were able to sleep for a full 8+ hours, most of which was almost too warm. Being too warm can pose problematic, though, as one would become damp from sweat and then cool far too much to remain comfortable. Sleeping bags, however, provide a great amount of comfort and security, which can also be lighter and more practical than sleeping in clothing only. After wearing clothing all day, in all weather conditions, the clothing can be damp and sleep can be challenging. We found the system of bringing just enough clothes for the conditions and a slightly lighter sleeping bag than appropriate for the conditions was the most effective and lightest technique when used together, as a sleeping system. This is the same findings and methodology that many adventurers on light and extended backcountry trips have agreed upon and found to be most effective.

Prior to going on an extended backcountry trip, test every piece of gear, system, and technique you will be using on the trip in a smaller-scale version of the same difficulty as the trip to be attempted. This is mandatory to evaluate the most practical and effective gear and techniques for accomplishing the goal to minimize problems and increase efficiency.

It has been commonly found that the standard u-shaped seat in packrafts puts pressure on the sciatic nerve in the hips/butt and causes legs to ‘fall asleep.’ I inflated a 2.5L platypus bag bottle and placed it in a drysack, strapped to the back/bottom of the u-shaped seat. This gave support from directly underneath my butt and decreased pressure on the sciatic nerve, completely eliminating the dead leg problem. Bottom line: I found that a flat or slightly contoured/flat seat is ten-fold more comfortable than the standard seat in packrafts and it eliminated the problem of my legs falling painfully asleep after only 45 minutes of paddling.

Sufficient rest/sleep is one of the most critical aspects of a trip to be able to perform at a competent and safe level, especially when in remote regions on a backcountry adventure.

Running a larger packraft than what is the ‘proper’ fit is very beneficial for increased flotation, stability, room, and I personally think the larger boats track better. However, one must adjust for the increased length by putting gear or an inflated dry bag under the deck in the bow or moving the seat forward and modifying the deck to compensate for the adjusted sitting position. Do this, and you'll be far better off than the standard fit model if you plan on running any larger whitewater. See Roman Dial's blog for modifications.

Being a resident of the Middle Tanana Valley in Interior Alaska, I’ve gotten used to the warm, dry weather and getting wet during a float, especially when day-boating, isn’t an issue, thus resulting in rain gear being sufficient in order to stay dry (at least to a degree). However, south of the Alaska Range (mostly around Anchorage and south onto the Kenai Peninsula), weather can often be cool and wet for days, plus much of the water is glacier-fed and cold. I’ve found this is where spray tops and dry suits would be beneficial to stay dry and comfortably warm.

Febreeze is a god-send for water shoes that go through the wet-dry process, which really can cause a nasty funk.

Denali National Park is apparently the only place in Alaska with a real population of brown or grizzly bears. I’ve seen some incredibly wild areas of Alaska, including the Kenai Peninsula, and Denali is the only place where I’ve seen a real habitation, although the salmon weren’t ‘running.’ I’d love to see otherwise, but have yet to.

An inflatable floor for the packraft is a huge advantage for running whitewater. After doing some shallow water butt-boating with and (unfortunately) without a 2.5 inch thick inflatable sleeping pad floor, I’ve come to love carrying the extra 11.5 oz for the benefits it offers. Not only does it stiffen and stabilize the boat, but it flattens the bottom of the boat and eliminates the sag created by your weight directly below the seat which can cause some serious dragging that is completely avoidable. Also, it raises you up in the boat, allowing for better vision on the water. This means a higher center of gravity, which is acceptable because it doesn’t give you the buried in the boat type feeling you get when only sitting on the stock inflatable seat. I like being up higher and feel more capable and responsive because of it. The inflatable floor principle is exactly why a flat-bottomed jet boat performs better than a v-hull in shallow water boating. Your packraft will be flatter & stiffer, with less drag & better visibility. Well worth the weight.

Fleece is awesome under a spray top, drysuit, or just rain gear for insulation. It’s soft, gives that under-the-covers type comfort, and retains its loft well, plus it’s fairly warm for its weight when layered under a waterproof layer. I’d much rather run a fleece under my spray top or drysuit than an ultralight, thin poly fill jacket, exclusively for the comfort, even if it is an ounce or two heaver. How much is that comfort worth to you? Only hiking and no boating? Then, I prefer to carry synthetic insulated jackets any day.

I took the handles off my titanium 1L pot and found it to be more user-friendly than with the handles on. The flip-out handles would often get in the way when packing and were more of a nuisance. The titanium loses heat incredibly fast and if just moving the pot from a fire or off the stove to the ground, handles are best left at home. Melting snow and pouring food, etc? Maybe think otherwise.

When trying to go fast and light, a butane stove is absolutely worth the weight for its sheer speed of use. While denatured alcohol ‘cat stoves’ are far simpler in design and fairly fast, plus super light, they are more finicky and complicated in their use, super susceptible to wind, and slower than butane, which is functionally simple in the can and burner, with not a whole lot to break or have problems with (above freezing). I like simplicity, but simplicity in function can be more important than simplicity in design, depending on the application. How often have you heard of a high-quality butane stove breaking or not working?

As a professional photographer, I know what good picture quality is and I’m quite the snob about it. I also know that a big and heavy SLR is best carried in a backpack, exactly where it can’t take photos. This is why I’ve come to love my new Sony Cybershot TX-5 because it’s waterproof and takes awesome quality photos, plus has amazing features that make it a true 2010 camera, unlike some of the other waterproofs that you’d swear were from 1998. Not only do I take way more photos with it, but at ¾” thick, I can store it in the front pocket of pants or napoleon pocket on a jacket, and also strap it to my helmet with a Gorillapod for taking 780p video while packrafting. Get one. You’ll love it.

This is what I've learned in less than one week of adventure travelling.

I may be out of school, but the education continues.