| I was backpacking in the Sleeping Bear
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| | and that only because I threw in some
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| Dunes. It was March, so when I made it
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| | canned food. I was going light, but I
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| through the woods and over the dunes, I'd
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| | knew the forests here and felt
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| have miles of beach to myself. It was an
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| | comfortable with my abilities.My down
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| over-nighter, a chance to test new
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| | sleeping bag was a 17-ounce Western
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| ultralight backpacking equipment. I hiked
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| | Mountaineering HighLite. It was the first
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| the wooded hills quickly, enjoying the
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| | time I would use it below freezing (It
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| cold air.Halfway through the forest, I
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| | hit 25 degrees fahrenheit that night).
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| stopped to cook noodles. The cheap
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| | Fortunately, it wasn't too windy.At the
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| 3-ounce pot was from a dollar store, and
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| | edge of the forest, behind the dunes, I
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| it worked fine. I was happy, because from
| |
| | set up my small tarp. I piled pine
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| the catalog descriptions, the expensive
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| | needles and dead bracken ferns under it,
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| titanium pots are all heavier, probably
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| | finishing just as it became dark. This
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| because they're too thick and with too
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| | made a warm mattress, and I slept well,
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| many gadgets.I had to use a small
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| | listening to the coyotes, and to the
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| twig-fire when my homemade alcohol stove
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| | waves pushing ice around in the lake.In
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| didn't provide enough heat. I later
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| | the morning I was happy to see only a
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| learned that isopropyl alcohol doesn't
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| | dusting of snow. My one-pound sleeping
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| burn as hot as the alcohol used for a gas
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| | bag had been warmer than my three-pounder
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| additive, but the twigs worked in any
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| | - and I thought that was light. I poured
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| case.Backpacking On The BeachAfter
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| | alcohol in the cut-off bottom of a pepsi
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| eating, I hiked to Lake Michigan, and sat
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| | can (my 1/2-ounce backpacking stove) and
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| up on a large sand dune. I watched the
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| | made tea. After some crackers I was soon
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| waves push ice up onto the empty beach.
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| | hiking in my mostly-dry shoes, along the
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| Coyotes began to howl in the distance,
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| | Lake Michigan shoreline.Backpacking
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| and the clouds rolled in. I was on the
| |
| | Lessons LearnedI ended my trip that
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| beach looking for petoskey stones when
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| | afternoon, with a hike to the village of
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| the snow began. Backpacking in March has
| |
| | Empire, seven miles away. I was mostly
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| its risks.I was in running shoes, and it
| |
| | satisfied. Only two problems: My tarp was
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| would be below freezing that night. In
| |
| | too small, and the alcohol I brought was
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| northern Michigan, March is definitely
| |
| | the wrong type.After backpacking in
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| part of winter. My feet stayed warm while
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| | Michigan for years, I know it well. I
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| I hiked, but I hadn't planned on them
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| | know where to find dead grass and bracken
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| getting wet. At least I had a pair of
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| | ferns, for example, to make a warm
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| warm, dry socks for sleeping.Ultralight
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| | mattress in a few minutes. Knowledge,
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| Backpacking EquipmentIt was the first
| |
| | obviously, can be as valuable as
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| time I used my GoLite Breeze backpack,
| |
| | expensive backpacking gear.Steve Gillman
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| which weighed only 13 ounces. I was
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| | is a long-time backpacker, and advocate
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| hiking with about nine pounds on my back,
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| | of ultralight backpacking.
|
