Thanks! Food was the big one where I overpacked. I had two freeze dried meals, a bunch of summer sausage, a package of precooked, shelf stable chicken, trail mix and three Pro Bars. For one night overnight I probably only needed one freeze dried meal (serves three, but I ate the whole thing), the sausage (lunches) and one or maybe two Pro Bars. I have a small insulated bottle I'll probably pack next time. Initially it'll just be water, but I have some instant coffee I'd envisioned making in my compact stove pot, but that means having to wash it. If I can keep it to just boiling water it will make packing up easier. So making my coffee in my insulated bottle will let me carry it with me. Next time I'll bring a book to read. I killed a little time watching videos on my iPod, but out in the woods it would have been nice to quietly sit and read. I also want to figure out something for camp shoes that are lightweight and pack well. It would be nice to get out of the hiking boots once I'm set up somewhere.
If you are looking for a book to read on a trek, I would highly recommend Candice Millard's The River of Doubt. It's about Teddy Roosevelt's trip down the amazon after he lost his bid for the presidency on the Bull Moose ticket. An awesome account of an awesome man. After his humiliating election defeat in 1912, Roosevelt set his sights on the most punishing physical challenge he could find, the first descent of an unmapped, rapids-choked tributary of the Amazon. Together with his son Kermit and Brazil’s most famous explorer, Cândido Mariano da Silva Rondon, Roosevelt accomplished a feat so great that many at the time refused to believe it. In the process, he changed the map of the western hemisphere forever.The River of Doubt—it is a black, uncharted tributary of the Amazon that snakes through one of the most treacherous jungles in the world. Indians armed with poison-tipped arrows haunt its shadows; piranhas glide through its waters; boulder-strewn rapids turn the river into a roiling cauldron.
Thanks! I hadn't given much thought to books to read while out, and that looks perfect.
Consider reading Ray Jardine. Some of his suggestions are so obvious and helpful. He taught me how to go in the woods for 3-4 nights with a 30-40# pack. Here's my fave: http://www.amazon.com/Beyond-Backpacking-Jardines-Lightweight-Hiking/dp/0963235931/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8 I don't use hiking boots any more. Haven't in years. Of course, I am just into pleasant hiking in forests. I am not a mountaineer. For me, I haven't needed them. Also consider traditional mud for your coffee. Grounds in hot water are pretty good in the back country. You may prefer instant. It's a matter of choice. For something else to do, read one of Stephen Forster's books and they will give you a perspective on how some have adapted indigenous spiritual practices to modern times: