And the Light Shall Inherit the Earth

Yosemite National Park: Spring Backpacking

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The cook set is the next big-weight culprit. I use a Triad Titanium alcohol stove ($29.95; www.vargooutdoors.com) made by Vargo—it's hassle-free and does the job with ease. Without the benefit of a simmer mode, the Triad is not the choice for aspiring backcountry chefs, but it cranks out four cups of boiling water in about 15 minutes, which is perfect if you tend to rehydrate dinner along with a cup of tea. It burns denatured alcohol, which can be bought at any hardware store. Just pour in what you need and light. The kicker: It weighs one single, solitary ounce.

Stoves like the Triad, whose flame is exposed and easily extinguished by sudden wind gusts, also require a basic windscreen. Make one yourself by taking a disposable aluminum baking sheet and cutting it into strips, then fasten the strips together at the ends with paper clips, creating a circle. The resulting diameter should be big enough to accommodate your stove and cooking pot, plus a little room to spare. It should be high enough to block most of the flame from wind, but short enough to allow your pot handle to fit over the top. And don't forget to poke a pencil-sized hole along the bottom of the screen every three inches or so for ventilation.

To round out your kitchen, go with a lightweight cooking pot like the Evernew Slick Non-Stick Titanium Pot ($38.95). Choose from the 0.9- or 1.3-liter option and get cooking without fear of burning dinner. It has a rubber coating on the handle to prevent burns and your alcohol stove and windscreen conveniently stow inside when finished. All that remains is a Lexan spoon and mug, and a small bowl. I'm loving my Orikaso folding bowl ($3 to $5.50; www.orikaso.com). It's durable and crazy light, and its folding design makes it a dream to clean and pack away.

For nighttime illuminations, there's only one choice for me: the Petzl Tikka XP headlamp ($44.95). It has an intuitive switch that toggles between three brightness settings and a strobe; the wicked high beam will blast through the dark when you really need it. The sliding filter to disperse the light is an added bonus. The batteries do wear down a bit faster than some other headlamps, so be mindful of this before starting out on a trip.

At this point, the rest of your pack weight is made up of accessories, or "ditties." I recommend using a small ditty bag to hold your first-aid kit, dropper of chlorine bleach for water purification (the Center for Disease Control recommends one eighth of a teaspoon per gallon, so I use one or two drops per liter; otherwise, I always boil to purify), journal and pen, toiletries, multi-tool, needle and thread, liquid soap, toilet paper, sun block, bug repellent, and all the other small items you'll want to keep in one place. Keep the bag at the top of your pack for quick access (the first emergency run to the bathroom will make this common practice!). Keep all your food in a separate bag as well. Snacks in the outside pack pockets are a must, but meals should be kept in one place. If for no other reason, it's the ideal way to make sure you don't forget to stick your beef jerky in the bear bag at night (just toss your bear bag rope into the food bag during the day). I also keep about five feet of duct tape wrapped around each hiking pole for the innumerable times it will come in handy. Carry two one-liter water bottles in your outside pack pockets for easy access, and consider carrying a collapsible plastic water carrier as well, should you end up camping far from any water source. I keep a whistle dangling from one shoulder strap to scare away bears, and a small time piece attached to the other strap. The only piece of cotton amongst all my gear is a bandana attached to one shoulder strap to wipe my face. It's a small comfort item I really enjoy.

With these last items in place, your 20-pound backpack is almost finished. Now that you have adopted the lightweight philosophy, consider where you can afford to add weight back on, within reason. For instance, the Therm-a-Rest Trekker Chair ($29.95 to $34.95; www.thermarest.com) is a ten-ounce addition to my sleeping pad that converts it into a delightful camp chair. I consider this ten ounces well spent and am willing to invest in this benefit-to-weight tradeoff. Consider what additional items or adjustments to the above gear would improve your backcountry experience and incorporate them. Just don't go crazy, or before you know it you've added pounds back onto your back.

Before running out to build your dream lightweight pack, also remember that backpacking is a matter of more vs. less. The more gear and weight you have on your back and feet, the less miles you'll do, and the less comfortable you'll be. The less gear you burden yourself with, the more miles you'll be able to cover. No more staring at "the monkey" (your backpack) leaning against the tree, dreading to put it back on. It becomes an extension of you, not a hindrance. And that is the true essence of how gear should function.