efelker wrote:
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Thought he could survive eating tree bark and cooking rock soup -- French Pressed coffee, oven roasted asparagus, cherries jubilee, not exactly what I'd expect to find in a rucksack. Hey Ray -- those aren't Birkenstock sandals you're wearing when you are mountain climbing?
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ROTFL...actually I greatly differentiate between backpack camping cooking and TM camping cooking.
Most of my 14er climbing is
day-hiking using the TM as a base camp so I travel very light (food source just a couple of power bars). And so I can have the fancy food at the end of the day when I get back. My day pack is much higher tech than a rucksack though...it's basically a small internal-frame backpack with dozens of compartments. Inside it I always carry full emergency gear (water filter, 1st aid kit, all purpose tool, bug repellent & sunscreen, whistle, space blanket, extra glasses, toilet paper, etc.) And extra clothes and, most importantly, a 3/4 gallon Camelbak hydration bladder. Not much food...2 power bars to eat and one if caught in an emergency.
When I actually backpack camp (overnight away from the TM), then all food is the fancy freeze-dried stuff in foil pouches...and I carry a much larger 4000 cu in internal frame pack. Boil water over a tiny single burner stove, pour into pouch, wait 5 minutes, then eat. Mountain House brand foods are quite tasty!
Nope, no Birkenstocks on the trails. Too rocky, too dangerous so I use full fledged lightweight hiking boots. In camp though...out come my Earth Shoe sandals.
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I'd love to have the finesse and stamina to be doing what you're doing.
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Actually you could quite easily: just eat less and exercise a whole lot more. Age isn't the factor: I'm 54 and there are 60, 70 and even 80 year olds climbing these mountains.
P.S. "Rucksacks" have gone the way of the Dodo Bird. Everything today has frames and stays and suspension systems and bladder compartments.