Ounces or Pounds?

I've met people who were "serious" about cutting pack weight. They cut labels out of their clothing, trimmed the corners off maps, drilled holes in their tooth-brush - it was intense. They put a lot of time and effort into those few ounces that they saved. Sadly, they didn't put a whole lot of thought into it. If they're "serious" why were they still using a five pound synthetic sleeping bag, a seven pound backpack and a twelve pound tent?! Ok, I might be exaggerating a little but when it comes to making serious reductions in pack weight, you need to look at all of your gear as a whole. Eventually, trimming maps might make sense but ONLY after every other option has been exhausted.

The Big Three

To see the biggest return on your reward, begin with your backpack, sleeping bag and tent (shelter). These are three pieces of gear where you can cut pounds - not ounces. And it's also important that these three pieces of gear work together. You can't switch to an ultralight backpack before you upgrade your other gear because the old stuff simply won't fit and the pack won't be comfortable with all that weight in it.

On my PCT thru-hike, my backpack (a modified GoLite Speed), sleeping bag (a Nunatak Akula) and tent (custom, home-made) weighted less than three pounds. All three of those pieces are about as light as you can get with a good balance of quality. Even though I was hiking 2,658-miles that summer, I didn't need over-built bomb-proof gear. And you won't need it on a weekend, week-long or multi-thousand mile hike either. Take care of your gear, and it will take care of you.

While you will spend more for an ultralight sleeping bag, you will actually save money with many ultralight packs and (sometimes) shelters. Yes, some ultralight gear gets ridiculously expensive but by making an investment in this gear up front, you will be able to make progress without spending a fortune.

Remember - begin where you can cut pounds, not ounces. Then if you still want to go further, I'll share some tips and tricks later on to make smaller adjustments.

Julie wants a Puppy...

In a totally unrelated post, I think Julie is coming around to the idea of getting a puppy. Prayers are being answered.

Here, she shows me a picture of a "Golden Doodle" at the breakfast table. It's dark in the picture, but the face she's making is even cuter than the puppy.

Julie asked me what I'll blog about after the 30-day series on pack weight (I have 30 topics identified at this point). Maybe then we can blog about owning a puppy??

Brands - Good or bad?

In my previous post, "What to look for..." I talked about what I always look for in a piece of gear. Something I didn't mention was brand names. I'm not against them, but when it comes to gear, I find you can pay a lot of money for something with a fancy name that doesn't actually function well in the wilderness.

There are some great brands in the outdoor industry, for sure (and I do have my favorites). But it seems the companies that "make it big" and cross into the mainstream culture often lose focus and begin adding features (and weight) that don't matter in the outdoors.

Also, when shopping for gear, don't write off store brands too quickly. EMS and REI both make some great gear. If you look at the tags and compare apples to apples, they make some sleeping bags that are right up there with brands like Marmot and Mountain Hardwear, but they cost significantly less.

Do I believe you get what you pay for? Sometimes. But by really knowing what you're looking for, you'll be sure you have the right gear - with or without the fancy name brand.

What To Look for Every Time

It doesn't matter what I'm looking for - a new backpack, stove, tent, sleeping bag - I always look for the same three things. I want the piece of gear to be high quality, low weight and low cost.

Now if spend more than five minutes in EMS, REI or Adventure 16, you'll notice it's almost impossible to find one piece of gear with all three of those qualities.

If it's low cost and low weight - it's probably going to be low quality (think: disposable poncho). If it's high quality and low cost, it's going to weigh a lot and so on...

So the real question is - what's the perfect piece of gear for you? If you're going to be car camping with the kids and a dog, weight won't be an issue, so go for the over-built Coleman gear from Walmart. :)

But for the sake of cutting pack weight, I'm going to suggest you find balance between quality and cost. A lot of my gear is high quality but it's also pricey stuff. I love my Snowpeak Ti Spork (I've had it for ten years and have eaten literally gallons of Ben & Jerry's with it. We're close.) but it cost significantly more than a plastic spoon you could probably pick up for free at your local Wendy's (and that might come in a pack with a napkin, fork, knife, salt and pepper!).

I'm also always on the look out for good deals on gear. I recently invested in a new winter tent (Nemo Tenshi). It's very high quality and low weight so you can be sure it wasn't cheap - but I got it on sale from EMS, so that made the price a little easier to justify and now that I'm married, I won't be using my Bibler bivy as much as I used to - so really, I bought the Tenshi for my wife... I don't know if she appreciated it as much as she should.

No matter what you're looking for, quality, weight and cost are the things you need to take into consideration. Ask yourself where your priorities are and what makes the most sense for what you want to do.

For good deals on quality gear, check out REI-outlet.com, Sierra Trading Post, eBay, and Campmor...

My philosophy on Ultralight Hiking

I wasn’t always an ultralight hiker. In fact, I did a Presidential traverse with my step-dad the summer before I was in 8th grade. It was a three-day hike and we didn’t weigh our packs until we came down off Mt. Washington and returned to Pinkham Notch. My pack at the end of the hike (so the food was eaten, water was gone) weighed 45 lbs. Now that may not sound like a while lot but that was almost 50% of my body weight! I still remember - my quads felt like they were on fire. Those early trips with a lot of weight make me appreciate my now-lighter-pack even more.

To me, ultralight is a way of being prepared, safe and comfortable with the lightest pack possible. It’s freedom to skip along the trail and enjoy Creation without being constantly reminded of all the stuff you’re lugging with you. I don’t know about you, but I go to the wilderness to get away from it all – not to bring it all with me.

I’ve hiked over 5,000-miles in all kinds of climates and all seasons and I can tell you that ultralight can be adapted, the principals applied and it can work in some form for just about any trip.

In this blog, I’m going to talk about some of the principals, tips and tricks I’ve learned over my 10+ years of ultralight hiking. To hopefully help you have more fun in the outdoors while being more comfortable and safer through the use of a lighter pack.

Backpacking can be categorized a few ways. For the purpose of this blog, we'll define ultralight as overnight backpacking with a sub-10lb pack. Only a few years ago, I met people who said that isn't possible (I can tell you for a fact, it is). In this blog, I’ll share my insight on clothing, gear and techniques. Even if you have no intention of EVER hiking overnight with 9lbs, the information here will help you find the weight that is right for you and make the most of your adventure. It’ll all things I’ve picked up along my thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail and Pacific Crest Trail along with countless other hikes and travels around the globe. I’m looking forward to this and welcome you to join in the discussion.

JMT Here we come!

Gunslinger (aka Leon), a good friend I met on my Appalachian Trail thru-hike in 2001 is going to thru-hike the John Muir Trail with his wife, Bri later this summer. They're going to take 20 days to hike the 215-trail from Yosemite to Mt. Whitney.

I hiked this length of trail in 2003 (it overlaps the Pacific Crest Trail) and have often said that I would love to go back and hike it again. To be able to hike even a section with Leon, Bri and Julie would be amazing.

Julie and I have hiked together (she's a fast walker) but never went backpacking before the wedding. We had our first over-night trip a few weekends ago and I think that may be a warm-up to hiking a section of the JMT. It's also when Miles will be on vacation, so taking off for a few days should be easy.

I'm getting excited. Going to start penciling out a packing list and making sure Julie is cool with this idea.

Let's go hiking!

Feeling a need to be Productive.

Well, Julie has been amazingly productive this week posting to her blog, launching and stocking her Etsy shop, working a few shifts at Anthropologie and tomorrow she'll be doing a photo shoot for Taylor Linens similar to the one that just appeared in Victoria Magazine.

And all I've done is keep up with my job at the Rock Church (we're getting into Strategic Planning Season for 2011) and sail in a Wednesday night regatta. Gosh - her list is way more impressive than mine. I mean look at it. She earned six links and I only have one!

So I've decided. I started a blog in 2008 and that was about it. I started it and never kept it up so I'm going to take another stab at it. And here it is. I know the challenge will be to keep the content fresh since I don't consider myself a "blogger" but maybe I could be. I guess this will be the test. Er, second attempt at a test.

A Boy and his Dog...

Click To Play

Darah and I had dinner at her friends' house last night. They couple is amazing, but their son and dog totally stole the night. It was a lot of fun to watch them play together and to see Bella "give kisses" meaning she would totally cover his face with dog spit. He thought it was hilarious...

My work buddy

Click To Play

Switching Gears

I got used to the 6am wake up call from the front desk, the need to jump out of bed and shower before jogging to that day's breakfast meeting... going zero to sixty in no time flat. I was used to functioning on only a few hours of sleep and budgeting my time down to the minute, having all meals and transportation planned well in advance. Now it's back to the real world and I feel like I'm in a fog.

Part of it may be the cold, overcast weather we've been having in San Diego but this is time of transition isn't easy. I need to do something to get going again after such an action-packed few weeks.

Any suggestions?

-BW

So not what my friends have in mind...

As we flew through the mountains from Kingston to Ocho Rios and then along the shore to Montego Bay, I kept thinking, "this is not what my friends picture when they hear I work as the assistant to a Senior Pastor."

God hooked me up. Big time.

And it isn't about the travel. It isn't about my job. It isn't about my relationships or house or possessions. I know He could take all of that away tomorrow and I would still be blessed to have my relationship with Him through his son, Jesus Christ.

Yes, I was there.

A lot of my friends have commented that I'm in very few of the Miles Ahead Jamaica pictures. That's probably because I was either behind the camera or running around too fast for the shutter to catch me.

There are a few rare instances where I stopped for a picture. I'll post them as I find them.

To see all of the pictures, check out www.MilesAhead.tv

-BW

Just to give you an idea...

I met Papa San in Belize back in Feb. Jamaica was the first time I actually saw him perform and the energy was amazing. Check out the crowd's reaction... and look for Miles and Robert grovin' on stage.

But they’re dancing!

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to move…” Ok, so I may have gotten myself in a little bit of trouble with the Palau Security Team, but the crowd shots, footage of Papa San and finally capturing Miles and Robert Levey dancing on the side of the stage was totally worth it. Video footage to follow shortly…

Do you see what I see?

At the Miami Airport, Miles asked me what I saw Sunday night when we visited the Luis Palau Festival in Kingston, Jamaica. Without thinking twice about it I answered, “us in five to ten years.”

Miles Ahead pulled an impressive crowd of around 45,000 people in Montego Bay on Saturday evening. On Sunday evening in Kingston, the Palau Association had a crowd of around 90,000. While their crowd was about twice the size of the Mo Bay festival, the city was also about 10 times the size.

LP is planning on coming to San Diego around 2010. The Rock will be the main church to support the effort. Miles Ahead is planning on staffing the event for the Palau Association so that our people can learn their method and implement it in other cities around the world. It will be an impressive partnership for the Lord.

This is such a pivotal time in the leadership of both the Rock Church and Miles Ahead. It is amazing that while both organizations are functioning and even functioning well, the feeling that a “tip” is just around the corner can’t be denied. I took a Strengths Finder Assessment almost a year ago and this is one of the things it said about me:

Brad is a Maxmimizer. He is interested in taking something that works and figures out ways to make the most of it. He may not be particularly interested in fixing things that are broken. Ask him for help when you need to uncover best practices. If you do not have someone around you who regularly focuses on your strengths, spend more time with a Maximizer. He is naturally inquisitive about excellence and will help you hone in on what you do best.

Bottom line – this work is what God hard wired me to do. I love my job and while I’m sure the title will change and I’ll grow to take on even more responsibility over the next few years, it is SO exciting know with absolute certainty that this is what God made me to do.

A sigh of relief

The past two weeks have served as total affirmation that this is where I’m meant to be right now. While this job is not at all what my friends imagine when I tell them I work at a church as the assistant to the Senior Pastor, it really is the greatest challenge I’ve been faced with and gives me the greatest pride, sense of purpose and overall fulfillment.

The level and quality of work completed and people I’m working with blows me away each and every day. In Jamaica, we were pushed to the edge. We were tired. We were in unfamiliar places working with new people and unproven technology, facing issues we’d never dealt with before. Yet, time and again my co-workers rose to the occasion. Recalling the Rock’s response to the 2007 Wildfires, my pride in this organization, it’s vision, people and purpose is renewed once again. I am proud to be called a part of this team.

This pride is in no way limited to those on the ground in Jamaica. We could not have done what God called us to do abroad if it weren’t for the hard work, support and efforts of those who were called to stay back and keep the operations of the Rock rolling smoothly. It could not have been easy functioning on so many people out of the office but they did it and were critical to the entire effort.

I pray we return home refreshed, renewed and that God uses the evangelistic efforts abroad to remind us why we were called to this place and that we continue to seek His Will for our lives and our work…

Thank you, Rock family.

They never would have guessed…

“You know Brad, I used to think you were very Caucasian. That all changed tonight.” That is what one of the Rock’s African American employees said to me after she saw me dancing in the middle of a crowd of Jamaica women and most importantly – being able to keep up with them! It was the final set of the Miles Ahead Festival on Saturday night in Montego Bay. Papa San was performing and what can I said, it made me feel like dancing!

Miles was on stage and also pointed me out to the security team, our production guys and his daughter. Rumor has it, his daughter shot some video, but I haven’t seen the footage… That’s the kind of thing that will probably surface years from now when I’m a best-selling author, world-renowned speaker and the executive pastor of a mega church.

The funniest part is that while I have a good time at work, I do take it seriously and apparently my work style and office image doesn’t lead one to think I have any rhythm or even one left and one right foot. So many people came up and said something to me about it. As a Senior VP who also had rhythm, my Dad would have been proud.

Does anyone know when the Rock’s Hip Hop Ministry is holding their next auditions? ;)

This about sums it up.

This is me, behind Miles on my cell phone probably talking with one of three people – the Festival Director, Productions Director or Marketing and Communications Director (I’m the good looking one getting off the bus). That was my life in Jamaica. Can you blame me for taking full advantage of my ability to work poolside in Jamaica whenever nobody was looking?

My buddy.

This little guy was at the clinic with his sister. They were both SO cute (I took this shot). I wanted to take them home with me.

But if my family says I'm not allowed to get a puppy, I'm sure they wouldn't approve of my adopting a human child. Hmm.

Visiting the Mo Bay Locations

Today was simply amazing. I traveled with Miles and a team of people to visit the main sites around Montego Bay and see what Miles Ahead volunteers have been doing over the past few days. We checked out Farm School where the team built a wall to keep out intruders. In the past, men from the community would sneak into the girls’ bathroom and there was a serious risk of rape. Older children would also come on campus and steal money from the younger boys. This wall will stand to protect these kids for generations to come. The team also totally renovated the bathrooms, installing lights, cleaning and painting everything and upgrading all of the plumbing, giving the school flush toilets for the first time.

After that, we headed to St. John’s Church where a large medical facility was established. Miles Ahead brought over $5 million worth of medical equipment, care and pharmaceuticals. We heard story after story about lives being changed and some literally being save. One patient had a tooth infection that spread to his jaw. They were able to operate and literally save this mans’ life. The doctors said if the infection were allowed another 48-hours to spread, he would have died. There were also some really cute kids at the clinic that I was able to play with (I took the above photo of one of them…).



After the Med Clinic, we met up with the Street Evangelism team for a while and finally checked in with Flankers School where Miles Ahead was able to do a total facelift by painting the entire building and redoing some old murals.

I was tired today, having been on the road (and in the air) for over a week. But when I see what everyone else has been doing and the amazing things God has done in this city, I am excited, and feel honored to be able to do the work I do.

Miles told me towards the end of the tour that we could go home tomorrow and this trip would have been worth it. I totally agree.

… But the crusade is going to Rock, so I think we’ll stick around for a few more days. ;)

Tomorrow we have a number of VIP events including a meeting with the Mayor of Montego Bay, a meeting with “the Queen’s Representative” and dinner with major donors who have made this work possible.