Customer Reviews

Beyond Backpacking: Ray Jardine's Guide to Lightweight Hiking

5 star:		(40)
4 star:		(9)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Jardine expertly conveys a wealth of information on how to lose pounds from your pack, keep food from bears and generally enjoy your time in the backcountry. I'd go so far as to say, I likely would not have completed my PCT throughhike without this book.

Though most of the book is condensed wisdom, some of Jardine's suggestions struck me as dubious. For example:

1) Suggesting people will get used to giardia is irresponsible. Some may, some may not. Sitting on a porcelain throne is no way to spend your hike.

2) Quilts are cold and drafty. The bottoms of sleeping bags, where the insulation is compressed, do provide a function: they keep the cold air out.

3) Taking your own silverware to a restaurant is dubious. There are many ways to get digestive tract illness, dirty silverware at a restaurant is just one and not the most likely.

4) People taking help from trail angels are not parasites. (Though people expecting help from trail angels may be.)

5) Many people need to eat for comfort as well as nutrition. I don't recommend Ray's trail menu unless you are not fond of eating.

6) Recommending stealth camping as a tactic to avoid bears was also irresponsible. Many people do not take bear canisters, get nervous when bears stalk their camp and then try hanging their food, which the bears happily eat. This is driving the Rangers nuts as bears increasingly become habituated to people food, making the bears potentially dangerous.

7) Do not count on vibrational harmony keeping mosquitoes away. Odds are, most bugs haven't read Jardine's book and don't know you are in vibrational harmony with them. Use DEET.

Still anyone hiking should benefit from this book. Just don't let Mr. Jardine do all the thinking for you.

Most beginning backpackers buy what looks like the best equipment using ads in magazines, recommendations of store personnel, and suggestions from friends who occasionally hike. I did the same, and found myself overloaded with goods, out a lot of money, and struggling on the trail. I couldn't help think that there must be a better way. I looked through several books on backpacking before going out and overlooked this one because of the title. I thought the title, Beyond Backpacking, suggested a text for experienced backpackers - not me. After an initial arduous struggle, I read and bought the book. Beyond Backpacking is the answer to easy and economical backpacking - and it is more relevant to beginners.

Ray's book covers the basics of backpacking without any hype and dispels many of its myths. Important items, such as footwear, clothing, backpacks, food, cooking utensils and tents, are covered in unexpected detail and clarity. For example, I thought the best shoes for backpacking were the sturdiest, thickest full-grained leather with gore-tex liners. Ray jokingly mocks the boot advertisements and explains why a lightweight pair of trail sneakers works better. Another good example, with clothing, is the selection of socks. He uses and recommends thin nylon socks because they are durable, inexpensive, somewhat breathable, and easy to hand wash and dry. I think I unknowingly wasted about $15 bucks on each pair of smartwool socks.

Ray's writing is clear and easy to follow. Each subject is covered very thoroughly. Beginners, like myself, may want to skim through some sections to gain some basic knowledge and understanding. More advanced backpackers may want to read sections more thoroughly and compare their knowledge and experience with his. Mr. Jardine provides his C.V.; listing some of his hikes, trail experience, and manufacturing experience. He qualifies as an expert and, in the text, usually points out where others' views differ.

As a person, I am very critical. Under most circumstances I would not give a book a five star rating. This one gets it because it is well written, covers the subject thoroughly, and, if I would have been smart enough to read this book before shopping for gear, I would have saved several times its cost, been more comfortable on the trail, and traveled farther and easier. My only criticism of the book is the misleading title. What is "Beyond backpacking"? Kayaking? Bicycle touring? Astral projection? Virtual camping? I overlooked this book when starting out because of the title. This book is a worthwhile investment for the beginning backpacker and may also appeal to the experienced backpacker unfamiliar with the lighter less expensive approach to enjoying the outdoors.

Jardine is a VERY experienced hiker, backpacker, and climber; he's done it all, many times. In this book he basically says, "here's how I do it, you may want to do that too."

A word of caution before you approach this book: it is not for novices or people approaching hiking/ backpacking with initial enthusiasm and expecting an uplifting and nicely illustrated book. Jardine's tone is often critical of established hiking practices. Some of his own suggestions will seem extreme or absurd to a novice. You need to have gone to a few overnight hikes before you can start to understand, let alone agree with, Jardine.

Pros:
Tried and true strategies from an experienced expert. As an experienced hiker, I agree with Jardine in most of the book, even if I do not practice similarly. The most useful advice is on ruthlessly cutting down the weight of your pack and gear. Also very useful are his insights on "stealth" camping, water purification, trail food, footwear, dealing with bears and bugs, etc. He even covers the use of ice axes! The book is a relatively large compendium of thought provoking ideas.

Cons:
You must know where Jardine's coming from in this book: 100-day long continuous hikes of the Pacific Crest Trail and other mega-hikes. This type of outdoor activity does not appeal to me, and I bet most of us won't be doing it either (got time to take a 100-day vacation? wanna spend it all in the woods?). Here are a couple of examples of how the mega-hike mentality skews the usefulness of the advice in this book. Jardine pushes for cutting down on pack weight. However, he mentions how he lugs along many gallons of watter on long and dry trail stretches, and as we all know, water is about the heaviest bulk in your pack. Also, he says, don't stuff your down bag in the sack, it will lose its loft. Of course it will, if you hike 100 days non-stop!!! But if I go for a weekend overnight, I certainly want the lightest and smallest package, which means a tightly stuffed down bag. Jardine also lashes out against the supposedly low nutritional value of dehydrated bag-meals, which may also contain additives like MSG. If I hiked 100 days non-stop, I would also care about this. However, on the occasional overnight hike, I want a tasty, no-hassle warm meal, that is also light to carry, and dehydrated does it for me. In addition, the consistent insistence on making your own gear is a tad bit extreme; there are plenty of lightweight options in outdoor shops nowadays.

Overall: read this book. My cons section is longer than the pro's since I did not list all the good ideas Jardine has :) He is very passionate about hiking and very experienced; his writing is biased, yet his ideas are useful and interesting.

Like Ray Jardine, I learned my camping and backpacking skills in Scouts. Like Ray, I was so prepared for any contingency that I could hardly lift my pack. Unlike Ray, I didn't figure it out for myself--I had to read his book.

Ray's basic theory is that if you pack light enough, you can travel 2 or 3 times further with the same energy. Although inspired by long-distance hiking, the techniques and ideas can make short trips more enjoyable.

I haven't tried everything in his book yet, but everything I have tried has worked. Ray's innovative challenge to conventional backpack thinking is nothing short of revolutionary.

In this book, Ray Jarnine puts forth a total reinvention of the culture of backpacking around the principle that "less is more". The author offers many clever techniques for drastically reducing packweigt and then argues that this can lead you to travel faster, enjoy your trip much more let alone save big bucks. Furthermore Jardine argues, that less overmarketed gear allows for fewer distractions and a more effective connection with the outside world.

My experience experimenting with the "Ray Way" during a long distance hike was overwhelmingly positive. The running shoes, the super light homemade backpack and the tarp which are the three pillars of the Ray Way allowed me to cut several kg of my packweight. There are two caveats on the flip side. Since I did most of my hiking in moderate wheather, I really do wonder how packing so sparsely would work in colder and wetter conditions. Also regarding the switch from bulky hiking boots to running shoes, I recommend taking Ray's advice and building balance, ankle stength and reducing packweight before throwing any boots away.

Finally, it must be emphasized that this book totally goes against the status quo. Be ready before you start reading it. It turns the culture of hiking completely on its head. Yet this book also presents some dramatically innovative and thought provoking ideas. For walkers that are open to trying something new and also for those that would like to think more about the philosophy behind spending time outside, this book is a must read.

The reason this book is rated 4 out of 5 despite the innovative content is because the author can a get a little carried away into discussion of hiking philosophy that occasionall sounds like "a little too much". This is a liability and detracts from the overall credibility of the book.

This book is the most phenomenal book on outdoor travel that I have ever seen. I was under the very mistaken impression that backpacking involved huge investments in money, and a great deal of suffering. I found out how wrong I was. After reading this book I did a backpacking trip with 8 pounds of gear (excluding food and water), and it was by far the most enjoyable backpacking trip I have ever done. It made the trip seem like a plesant stroll in the wilderness rather then hours of labor under a huge pack. It is often misunderstood that Jardine recomends these methods in order to go faster. I believe that he recomends these methods because they are more fun, easier, and less expensive. Speed it merely a pleasant by-product, because carrying an 8 pound pack isn't hard work! I read the "Pacific Crest Trail Hikers Handbook", which is essentially the first edition of this book. In "Beyond Backpacking", Jardine simply added some more information and removed the info specific to the Pacific Crest Trail itself. Either version is highly recomended. I spent hundreds of dollars on unecessary, heavy gear.This book would have saved me a lot of money, had I bought it sooner.

Ray Jardine was a radical backpacker when Beyond Backpacking was written, or so it seems.
Beyond Backpacking is a great book which covers a varied range of topics - from equipment to food to trail hazards. It offers great advice and tips about backpacking in different conditions and dealing with trail life. The focus of the book is ultra light backpacking, hiking with only the lightest equipment you need. Yet Jardine preaches the entire book against being part of the Western world, including but not limited to endless rants and scowls at manufactures and modern food. This tends to be annoying at first and gets boring later on.
I must warn you not to take anything for granted. Jardine states a lot of "facts" in his book, some of which are untrue, others are not confirmed. Pick and choose as you go - when Jardine wrote this book he worked two-three months every year. While he has to cut and save you can hike in more comfort and struggle with less logistics by spending more money.
Before taking in kind of action influenced by this book I suggest that you (a) figure out what really fits your own hike (AKA Hike your own hike, not Ray Jardine's hike) and (b) search the internet about ultra light backpacking. Jardine simply does not discuss any cons that any of his techniques and methods might hold - while quite a lot of hikers have homepages discussing the pros and cons of certain lightweight techniques.
Beyond Backpacking is an important and inspirational read. Just remember that the situation of gear nowadays is different to five years ago, and most importantly do not to take anything written for granted - do your research before hiking

I have backpacked most of my life using traditional methods and traditional gear. A few years ago, I heard about a man by the name of Ray Jardine who was developing radical new ideas and methods to enable people to travel into the wilderness with very lightweight equipment. After reading his book "Beyond Backpacking" I experimented with virtually every idea in the book and found them all to be extremely useful, efficient, and safe. In short, Ray's methods allowed me to enjoy the outdoors at a level that I had never before experienced.

The book is very well organized, clearly written, and presents ideas in such a way that makes one wonder "Why didn't I think of that before?" This is a must read for both experienced and beginning adventurers and is already a classic among experienced backpackers.

When I was a boy scout, me and many of my fellow scouts completed the wilderness survival merit badge. Armed with only a swiss army knife, and a knowledge of edible plants, we had to survive in the wild for a number of days. I don't know how many scouts, outdoor students and military personnel undergo this type of training, but it really teaches you what is important to bring with you on a camping trip. After undergoing this type of training, you are never the same. No matter what anyone says, you know what is important and what isn't in the wild. Most backpackers quickly come to an understanding about pack weight too. I think there has been an unspoken understanding among most experienced backpackers that the ideal is to feel like you are on a day hike, but still provide the basics. It just feels different to carry less and to be more into nature, less weighted down. It really has nothing to do with covering more miles. I think Ray Jardine talks about miles because it is an objective measure of what you can do if you carry less--you can also walk fewer miles and enjoy them more. Most backpackers care more about the journey than the destination. Communing with nature is not a religious cult, it's why we go backpacking in the first place. So, I think Ray Jardine is not saying anything that any experienced backpacker doesn't know when it comes to being as light as possible. I see Mr. Jardine's contribution more in field-testing certain methods in certain terrains, and in thinking deeply about how things are done. For example, before I read his book, I would just camp in any old place- preferably one that looked like a campsite. Reading about, and thinking about campsite selection makes this whole process a lot more rational and sensible. The value of this book for me is that it stimulates thought about things I never really thought about before. I think it accomplishes its purpose if it gets you to think. I think this book should be read really critically, not accepting any of it until you field test it for yourself, and observe closely how well it works for you. I would be especially leery of the nutrition bits. Anyone who wants to think about nutrition should first figure out what their body needs when it is backpacking, and then figure out the best way of meeting those needs. To figure out your needs, you first need to understand a little biochemistry/physiology: what nutrients are used for what purpose in your body, and when are they used up? Some people take multi-vitamins with them on backpacking trips--this has always seemed a little excessive to me based on my understanding of the physiology of vitamin metabolism. You should also watch yourself--what foods do you crave? When do you feel full or hungry? When does a meal on the trail feel complete? Another valuable thing about this book, which I have yet to try myself, is the home-made gear ideas. A lot of the ideas look really good, and I am anxious to learn to sew after reading this book. If you are an inexperienced backpacker, you should definitely read this book to find out what every experienced backpacker knows. If you are inexperienced, you shouldn't even attempt the PCT without the training suggested in the book or its substantial equivalent. Anyone who is experienced will have an appreciation of the magnitude of the mental and physical training required for a trek of this length. If you are an experienced backpacker, you can get a lot of ideas that are worthy of being tested to see if they agree with you. I think almost anyone who reads this book will think of at least two ways they can make their backpacking technique better, or shave at least a pound or two off of the weight they carry. If you haven't invested in any gear yet, you can probably save a significant percentage off the cost of equipping yourself, if you are willing to make it yourself. Making your own gear will probably give you a sense of pride about it, (judging by the home-made gear pages on the web) and plus, you'll know how to fix it if it breaks. This book can give you some ideas on that too. Other innovations are on the web. Many serious backpackers have often felt like modern technology which makes things lighter has trickled down to backpacking too slowly, and that manufacturers have not been responsive to backpackers' needs. This is changing now with the ultralight "movement", which Ray Jardine, among others, is partially responsible for. So I am willing to forgive any tirades in the book. I would consider this book a "must read" if you are interested in deepening your backpacking technique. I have read on the web on people's web pages, over an over again, how backpackers have read this book, and it has stimulated them to try things out, and get out more, and get more out of getting out. Things they previously thought were obstacles to their going backpacking, they learned to overcome. There really are things to learn about backpacking. We haven't figured them all out yet, but this book makes a very important contribution along the way.

Ray Jardine has written my favorite book on backpacking. I was expecting a nutty, opinionated rant. What I found instead was an incredibly positive, articulate and informative book. I've been backpacking regularly for years but I can honestly say that this book taught me a lot and opened my eyes more than once. It's not critical of other backpacking styles and it doesn't create fears- it dispels them. After reading this book, I was so hyped up by his positive attitude and deep love for the outdoors that it made me want to get out even more. He points out that we've been taught to fear the outdoors by equipment manufacturers who want us to buy all their bombproof, leadweight gear to deal with improbable situations on the trail. Much of this gear is not optimally functional and comes between us and the outdoor experience. He liberates us by teaching us to make our own gear and modify what we've bought.

He deals with many aspects of backpacking not even touched upon by larger books like "Complete Walker IV". "Beyond backpacking" is largely dedicated to backpacking practice, rather than just a long gear list. That's exactly why I learned so much even after having read two books by Chris Townsend and one by Colin Fletcher.

If you go into this book having decided that lightweight backpacking is a fad, you're not going to like it. This book is not a fad, however, and Jardine doesn't even use the trendy word "ultralight". After reading this book, my pack went from 25 pounds to 10 and my daily mileage has doubled with no extra effort. The numbers are just numbers to me though, the important thing is that I feel my new backpacking style has brought me closer to what I go outdoors to enjoy.

He does have some 'mystical' moments that might not appeal to some, but I just see it as him expressing his great love of the outdoors. If it bothers you, just ignore those passages. He also comes to a few conclusions I disagree with, but these were minor. The book might be a bit too advanced for someone just getting started.

Overall, an extremely liberating and encouraging book! I highly recommend it!