Ultralight Winter Travel: The Ultimate Guide to Lightweight Winter Camping, Hiking, and Backpacking

by Justin Lichter, Shawn Forry

Overview

The key to winter travel is knowing how to travel as light as possible. The Ultralight series is perfect for both beginner and experts alike as Justin Lichter and Shawn Forry, the first ever winter thru-hikers of the Pacific Crest Trail, use their knowledge to form the most comprehensive companion for traveling farther with less weight. Ultralight Winter Travel focuses on all of the skills and techniques that winter adventurists would want at their fingertips while in the outdoors. Perfect for winter travelers from beginner to advanced, this book contains:

• Worst-case-scenario advice you’d want handy if stuck in a precarious situation.
• Topics like: how to predict weather patterns, how to keep your pack light without sacrificing the essentials, how to repair or replace gear with limited materials, and how to deal with the elements when you don’t have a lot of gear

The book is formatted to make learning easy and user-friendly. Readers will be able to adapt their surroundings to the techniques shown in the book and safely overcome challenges that which may otherwise have turned them back.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493026111
Publisher:	Falcon Guides
Publication date:	12/01/2017
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	256
File size:	28 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Justin Lichter, also known as Trauma, has hiked over 40,000 miles and recently completed the first winter thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. He has hiked many of the major long trails in the United States and worldwide. He has written articles for Backpacker Magazine, Trail Runner Magazine, SectionHiker.com, and the Adventure Journal and has helped design products that have won Backpacker Magazine Editor’s Choice Awards and Outside Magazine Gear of the Year Awards. He is the author of FalconGuide’s Trail Tested and Ultralight Survival Kit. Lichter lives in the heart of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Truckee, CA and works as a ski patroller during the winter.

Having completed the Triple Crown of hiking (Appalachian Trail, Pacific Crest Trail, and Continental Divide Trail) by age 25, Shawn Forry has continued to refine the limitations of ultralight travel, having logged more than 25,000mi of wilderness experience. Having guided dogsledding tours in the Northwoods of MN in temps below -45F, he also holds the unsupported speed record of the Colorado Trail, covering the 465mi in just over 10 days. In collaboration with Justin Lichter, Forry has pioneered routes across the world including the spine of the Himalaya and Southern Alps of New Zealand. Together in 2014/15 they became the first individuals to traverse the 2650mi Pacific Crest Trail during winter, a trip the New York Times dubbed “the most daring expedition since Lewis and Clark,” and lending to an induction to the California Outdoors Hall of Fame. Forry is the Program Director for Outward Bound California having spent over a decade inspiring youth in the pursuit of leadership and character development. Based in the Tahoe region, he enjoys nordic and alpine skiing, alpine climbing, cycling, and the occasional crossword.

Table of Contents

Introduction vii

Chapter 1 Background and Travel Considerations

Goals of the Trip 1

Mental Preparation 1

Safety 4

Winter and Snow Conditions 4

Minimal Daylight Hours 10

Terrain 10

Mode of Travel 11

Other Factors 11

Groups and Group Dynamics 12

Chapter 2 Winter Camping Gear

Clothing and Equipment 15

Shelters 18

Cooking and Stoves 41

Sleep Systems 52

Water Treatment and Hydration 67

Backpacks 74

Electronics 88

Outdoor Attire 89

Chapter 3 Modes of Travel

Hiking 112

Snowshoeing 122

Skiing 127

Crampons and Ice Axes 160

Poles 163

Other Gear 166

Chapter 4 Winter Camping and Travel: Techniques and Tips

Campsite Selection 172

Shelters: Tricks and Tips 176

Sleeping Warm 181

Getting Moving 183

Chapter 5 Safety

Decision Making 211

Weather Forecasting 214

Orienteering, Navigation, and Signaling 216

Winter First Aid and Ultralight Winter first-Aid Kit 221

Avalanche Considerations 227

Accessing and Assessing Snow Bridges and Ice 239

Rescue and Signaling 243

Building Fires 244

Chapter 6 Gear Malfunctions and Backcountry Repairs

Repairing Equipment 251

Appendix A Winter Grab and Go Gear Checklist 259

Appendix B Gear List from Our Winter Pacific Crest Trail Trip 261

Index 275

About the Authors 280