How to Adventure I: Theory and a Baseline

Field Notes II.XIV: Establishing baselines of training and gear for backpacking and adventure

Welcome to Field Notes!

In Field Notes I have shown you a lot of photos, written about many of my trips, and made experiential films of them. Part of the goal has always been to inspire you, reader and viewer, to get out more into the wild and seek adventures of your own.

Now I realize that what may be of even more benefit is a description of my philosophy and methods. This is not intended as a step-by-step guide. Instead, we will cover some abstract motivations, theory, and approaches. We’ll take a look at my gear, the reasoning behind my choices, and my future intentions. I’ll describe some of my training and review its efficacy in the real world. And, we will discuss choosing destinations and planning for trips.

This new series is just and idea and undoubtedly will change over time. I have learned a lot through experience, but I am very much learning as I go along. For now, let’s not waste time!

Let’s go!

Theory

Here are some general truths for most of us. We are tired. Many of us have families. Most of us work full time jobs and are not independently wealthy. We don’t have huge resources to invest in gear and our free time is limited and valuable. So, is a life of adventure even achievable? I encounter all of these pressures, yet I think it absolutely is.

If you are in any way interested in outdoor exploration and adventure, by backpacking or any other mode, it is critical that you figure out a purpose. You need a ‘WHY’ for what you are doing. Otherwise, you will question yourself about the importance of going on these adventures. They can easily be seen as ‘fun time,’ ‘getaway time,’ or ‘mini vacations.’ If you’re like me, it is very hard to justify spending precious time and even a little bit of limited finances on only yourself, just for fun.

After long days of working, home making, and all of the modern day stresses, we need a calling. Adventure is difficult, uncomfortable work. Without a solid reason why, that couch and television are much too appealing in the limited free time that we do have. This part is critical. We cannot allow ourselves to become people who USED to do great things. We must tune out the siren’s call of comfort and push ourselves to actively seek adventure. But, to do this we must have our reasons.

We know adventure is different than recreation. This work is soul searching. It is foraging for the profound truths that civilization has lost in the brush. These trips are perspective shifting journeys, life changing, and defining of the nature of life and reality. Now more than ever, the world needs adventurers and the wisdom they discover!

Purposes can change over time. They also do not need to be crystal clear. We are just looking for a higher calling to help pull us out of the door. When my kids were younger I had a very strong desire to introduce them to nature, off of the beaten path. That goal allowed me to spend the extra energy to plan and go on some pretty great camping trips with them.

Now, most of my trips are solo journeys. My purpose has changed into sharing the impact nature has on me through artistic photography and writing. I want to use art as a motivating force to protect these wild places. That goal is so strong and focused in me that I am constantly planning ahead for the next adventure.

There is a nagging part of your soul that whispers for you to experience more in the limited time you have here on earth. I know, because I hear the same whisper. It is time we start defining who is whispering, and what those words are!

Baseline

On many levels, we need to find a baseline of where we are in order to estimate our capabilities and measure improvement. It is not enough to just think we can do something, believe in ourselves, and hope for the best.

I have become fascinated with the idea of thru-hiking some of America’s long trails- The Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail. It is a lofty dream at this point. Much more achievable is a shorter long trail. I hope to thru-hike South Carolina’s 77 mile Foothills Trail later this spring, as a start.

For the Foothills Trail, in the time frame I want to accomplish it in, I would need to backpack a little over 15 miles per day. I’ve trained physically almost my entire adult life. I’ve carried heavy packs up mountains. I BELIEVE I can do this. But, have I ever tried it and tested it? Nope. Will the accumulation of fatigue over 4 or 5 days lead to stress fractures or joint problems? Right now I cannot answer that.

So, I’ve now begun to establish a baseline. I rucked 10 miles with a 40 pound pack and no hip belt, just to see if I could. Then, the next day, I did 6 more miles to see how I tolerated it when sore from the previous day. I know I can do this, at least.

The key with a baseline is to measure. We don’t need to get into the weeds and start chasing numbers, but we need a way to quantify progress. Lets figure out what we can do right now, write it down, and then seek to improve on it.

Now, lets consider a baseline of gear. Here is a snapshot of the things I carried on the majority of my backpacking trips through 2023-

Click this image for a detailed description of the specific items in each category.

That is A LOT of weight! Consider that it doesn’t even include food, water, or the clothing I wore. And, some areas require a heavy bear canister for food that I didn’t include in the list. Regardless, this stuff is now measured and forms a baseline.

In thinking about my future goals for exploration, I have a couple of conclusions-

1. I am physically capable of carrying this weight over shorter durations and lower miles, but would need a much lighter system for longer trips.

2. My camera gear is incredibly heavy. But, because it relates to my purpose (see Theory above), it is a priority. Therefore, I need to focus on lightening everything else as much as possible first.

Ultralight backpacking is a thing, and is something I’m learning a lot more about now. This involves a shift in mindset that is more challenging that I expected. I come from a more ‘tactical’ frame of reference, where things need to be rugged and strong before light, ‘two is one, one is none,’ and the just-in-case can be highly important.

I also thought that a little extra gear (within reason) was fine because I was strong enough and could simply get stronger. What I did not factor in is the cumulative effect of the stress on the body over a period of days, weeks, or even months in the form of shin splints, stress fractures, ligament strains, etc.

And again, let us refer back to the purpose of what I’m doing. As I review my gear things need to be necessary, light, or get left behind.

First, knowledge weighs nothing. So, if I can learn a technique that prevents me from carrying an extra piece of gear, I’m going to do that. Also, by planning and studying the land and environment, I can more accurately carry an appropriate level of water and clothing, without extra.

Some of the top-of-the-line ultralight equipment can get very expensive. Guess what doesn’t cost more money? Stuff I already have. With the snapshot of my pack above in mind, there are numerous areas where I can save a lot of weight for a minimal cost. In fact, by the time this is published I will have already replaced several items on this list and tested them on a backpacking overnight. I will share updated breakdowns of my pack in future issues to illustrate these changes.

My approach will be this- start with what I have, because it works on some level. Smaller, cheaper upgrades are possible. I will start with them, while learning and planning for bigger upgrades in the future.

We can take a much closer look at the gear changes I have done and plan to do in the future. For now, we are looking at baselines so that we know where we are and can measure progress.

I realize that while we are discussing adventure in general, I am referencing a very specific niche in backpacking. My hope is that with this principle-based approach, these concepts will be easily translatable to whatever your choice of adventure consists of.

This issue of Field Notes has been sort of a test of interest and a new type of post. I think it has a lot of value and I’d like to write more of these in the future. My thought is that, in addition to reading my stories and seeing my photography, you would like to learn some of the process to help get out and explore on your own. But, let me know what you think.

Also, I know that there are at least a few of you out there with much more extensive experience than I have. I WELCOME any feedback and suggestions on how to improve, either with ultralight backpacking or photography or the combination of the two. I am willing to test out new ideas and write about them (with proper attribution) in future issues. Lets discuss!

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