By Tom Claycomb III
You’d think it’d be an easy gig to write for a magazine that only has a due date once every two months but not so if you’re an outdoor writer in Idaho. There’s so much to do here that you could easily write two per week and some weeks more if you had time. The problem is selecting which of the 2,000,000 topics to write about!
This issue let’s briefly cover backpacking. If you’ve never backpacked, you’ve gotta try it. Some people are intimidated because they hear of people doing 25-50 mile hikes. You don’t have to go that far; in fact, I’d suggest that you only go one mile on your first trip so you can test out your gear, see what works/doesn’t work and what else you need. Decide why you’re going. I do it to get in the backcountry to hunt or fish.
I teach a lot of outdoor seminars around the country. I always talk for 45 minutes and then answer questions for 15 minutes, but in my backpacking seminars they always want me to talk for 15 minutes and then show them what gear they’ll need. So, let’s go over the basic items needed for backpacking.
Backpackers have two enemies:
I splurge a little on weight on my tents. I like the little dome tents. That way I have a little room and can keep a few items in the tent. The really small tents make me feel like a bear taco! I take a lighter sleeping bag and wear base layers to stay warm. There’s a lot of inflatable sleeping pads now. Take a 5×7 tarp to lay on the inside of your tent.
I like a powerful flashlight in case of a bear encounter; a dinky one to read by; and a headlamp. I just found some lightweight solar charged lights from SOLIGHT that I’m about to test.
You’ll want a filtered water bottle. Also, a small coffee pot to heat river water for your coffee, dried meals, and oatmeal. Motel coffee packs work great for carrying coffee. I carry backpacking forks/spoons and of course 1-2 knives. A backpacking chair is a luxury instead of sitting on the dirt.
Meals: Flavored oatmeal for breakfast (with wild huckleberries in season); peanut butter sandwiches and Cheetos for lunch; and then I splurge and eat a nice backpacking meal for dinner. You’ll be burning a lot of energy so I take some candy. Can anyone please find me some Zero candy bars? And if my daughter goes, we’ve got to take S’mores.
You can go all out and buy expensive cookware OR… pick up items at Goodwill/garage sales. You’ll want a plastic coffee cup and an Army kit/Boy Scout mess kit to cook and eat out of. Maybe a plastic plate. I take a half roll of paper towels for TP, cleaning dishes, and taking a freezing river bath.
Fire gear: Take waterproof matches and 2-3 Bic lighters. If it’s wet you can break one over wet wood. There’s plenty of fire-starting items but test them first. I once taught some survival skills at the Nazarene summer youth camp up in Cascade. I ran to the store and bought a pile of fire starter items. I had to teach, if I think about it, 8-10 groups on how to build a fire. Gee, nearly had to have a gallon of gas to ignite the fire starters.
If you have perishables or drinks that you want chilled, you can build a rock ring in the river under a tree so the river runs through and keeps your food cold. One year, me and my companions Shawn and Will had a pile of fish we put in a ring to eat the next morning. River otters found them and had a feast.
Take three pairs of hiking socks. One to sleep in and the other two to alternate wearing and washing. Due to weight, I only take one change of clothes, raincoat, and light jacket. I wear hiking boots and take a pair of river sandals to wade and fish. So much more to cover but I’m out of room.
Christian Tip #8 – I just started trying this, but I think it could be a huge deal. The other day a company wanted me to get them a big media blast. I soon had a camera crew and four hunts lined up with another one of their shooters. I’d prayed about being a good witness but when the woman – a pro staff member / hunter – showed up, she was flashy, worked for a lot of the big-name companies, etc., and I didn’t see how I could ever be a witness.
We hunted all day and then had a night hunt to do. We stopped to grab a bite on the way. I still didn’t have a clue how I’d be a witness, but she’d heard that I’d been married for 40 years. Suddenly she asked me what the secret to being married is. God had showed up. Then I got to go all out and share for 45 minutes hardcore.
I told Katy let’s start praying every morning/night: What if people couldn’t be in our presence for more than an hour without seeing Jesus? That’d be cool, huh? Maybe that’s how it ought to be. I took a neighbor fishing a few days later. While driving to the lake I about said something and suddenly remembered the prayer Katy and I had prayed that morning. Then I about did something that made me stop again and ponder. God called to my remembrance my prayer, and that reminded me I had to watch my words and actions to be a good witness to my neighbor.
I’m not there yet. But shouldn’t that be our goal? I’ve got a lot of fine-tuning to do if I want to live that kind of life. Time is short. Let’s try to accomplish that goal.
For more information about anything in this column, contact Tom at tomclaycomb3rd@gmail.com.
