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Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking (Falcon Guide)
by
Short, to the point, and humorously illustrated by famed outdoor illustrator Mike Clelland, this book presents everything hikers and backpackers need to be safe, comfortable, and well-fed while carrying a very small and lightweight pack.
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Start your review of Lighten Up!: A Complete Handbook for Light and Ultralight Backpacking (Falcon Guide)
Good intro to lightweight hiking. I learned some things like:
-instant hummus powder exists! makes a good hiking snack
-you can put food in freezer safe bags then pour boiling water directly in for an easy meal.
-good ways to test shoes in the store before you buy
-the PCT method for hanging food from a tree. Genius!
Hilarious illustrations as well.
-instant hummus powder exists! makes a good hiking snack
-you can put food in freezer safe bags then pour boiling water directly in for an easy meal.
-good ways to test shoes in the store before you buy
-the PCT method for hanging food from a tree. Genius!
Hilarious illustrations as well.
I've read a ton of backpacking books lately. This book is the shortest, and hits all of the major points. It's also more practical than the others. Trail Life or Beyond Backpacking are more wishy washy. This book is practical.
...more
A light and cheerful introduction to the art of “light and ultra-light backpacking”. A breeze to read with some interesting advice here and there. Must buy? No. Buying regrets? None.
Jun 22, 2007
Peter
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
backpackers curious about lightening their load
Shelves:
own
A great introduction to lightweight backpacking. It is nowhere near a complete guide to subject, but it was not intended to be complete. It is easy to read and with many great illustrations. If you know nothing about lightweight backpacking but are curious to learn you should check out this book. If you want to go more in-depth with lightweight backpacking you should read Lightweight Backpacking & Camping.
Really fun read, and excellent info, including superb illustrations. You can always learn something by reading about cutting down on weight.
This book was invaluable for my trip to Norway, even though it was mostly a series of day hikes interspersed with car rides, instead of a full backpacking trip. As a complete novice, this book gave me tons of solid tips as to what to bring, how to pack it and how to make the most of what I had with me.
Short and simple intro to ultralight backpacking. I've been doing a lot of research and browsing r/ultralight on reddit but it can be overwhelming. While this book is over 10 years old, I still think it's worth a read and I was able to borrow a digital copy from library.
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I am not an ultralight backpacker, nor am I likely to become one any time soon, but I really enjoyed this short little book. Plus some of the advice is surprisingly useful when it comes to packing airline luggage or the trunk of a car for family vacations.
Изключително практична!
Good intro into backpacking, even if you're not going for light or ultra-light. Though, if you're looking for more than an intro, I don't think this will be your book.
...more
Definitely out of date in a few areas, but still a really good primer.
Many useful ideas
Focused book helpful in planning a more enjoyable hike. Will help any hiker lighten their load whether all of the suggestions are used or not.
Focused book helpful in planning a more enjoyable hike. Will help any hiker lighten their load whether all of the suggestions are used or not.
Excellent overview of how to lighten your backpacking load. Funny yet useful illustration and short, to the point text makes this book a great read.
This might have been fine as a first book about lightweight backpacking, but it's just far too simple and shallow. The illustrations are humorous and the book touches on important points regarding lightweight backpacking (take clothing layers that can all be worn at once for flexibility in different temperatures; maintaining safe temperatures while reducing weight; reduce unused gear, etc) but doesn't get into any details about the things that backpackers looking to get lightweight gear have to
...more
This book was an easy read and a good primer for the various gear options when going on an overnight backpacking trip. While other, more thorough guides are available, this small book gave a handy overview of the various options available. The focus of the book was on packing light compared to traditional hiking techniques. For each category, the pros and cons of each gear selection were considered. Included humorous helpful illustrations. Ultimately, each hiker will need to develop their own ge
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I admire the author's willingness to put out his message in such a little book, but it is an effective medium for its contents, and I think this book is about the best way possible to introduce a moderately experienced outdoorsman to lightweight backpacking. Nicely done!
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I bought this thinking I might pickup a few ideas for lightening up my pack... which I did (thought I haven't gotten it out on the trail)... but it's got me interested in the idea of ultralight backpacking...
It's informational, and the illustrations are funny. ...more
It's informational, and the illustrations are funny. ...more
I really enjoy the drawings that accompany this book's useful and fun tips for lighter weight backpacking.
...more
Wow, I didn't realize how seriously some backpackers take their pack weight.
Great ideas in the book about packing it in and taking it out. ...more
Great ideas in the book about packing it in and taking it out. ...more
Fast, fun read with humorous line drawings. Great primer for light backpacking. Made me want to get out and do some overnight hiking.
Apparently you don't need to take everything you own when you go backpacking. In fact, backpacking CAN be cheap!
...more
May 08, 2014
Lloyd Fassett
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reference-and-photography
Lightweight backpacking is like writing well because you only take what you need.
Informative, concise, and easy to read.
The best introduction to making your pack lighter. Don't be fooled into thinking it is shallow because it is short. This is concentrated stuff. I learn something new every time I read it.
...more
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