Koolau Summit Trail 8-day thru hike by Chase Norton--Chapter 2: Preparation

Chapter 2: Preparation

My desires to backpack the entire summit of the Koolau Mountains could be manifested in a variety of ways. I decided early on that I did not want stash food and water and attempting to make the entire trip fully self-contained. This would mean collecting water only from natural sources only the trail and carrying 9 days of food from day 1. In order to make this possible I had to: 1) Learn all of my water sources along the trail and my water consumption needs; 2) Learn to reduce my pack weight and bulk to allow for the food; 3) Learn how to make meals that required little water and little bulk that provided enough calories to keep me going. 

Conversion of a typical backpacker to an ultra light weight backpacker

When I first began backpacking in 2008, I went out and purchased every bit of conceivable gear one could think of for a trip. Solar powered battery chargers, collapsible sinks, and a stainless steel trowel are just some of the many absurdities. I was going into the wild right? I needed every comfort of home to come with me, right? It did not matter the weight of my pack. What mattered was my comfort at the campsite. Over the course of next 4 years, I would learn just how wrong I was in my assumptions.

There are really two types of backpackers: hikers and campers. I was the 65 lb pack heavy camper type that hated every step on the trail and thought every minute at the site would be heaven. Lucky for me, my friend Chappy subscribed to a strange theory of lightweight packing or minimalist packing. While his pack would be considered heavy by my current standards, it was significantly lighter than anything I could dream up at the time. So, ‘small’ jokes came here and there from him on my gear and slowly I started to listen to some of the comments. I started to search out ways to lighten everything I was carrying. Fortunately I found the forum Backpacking Light, a community of people that embody the spirit of ultra light backpacking.

First, I dropped the unnecessary items mentioned above. But this was not enough. My pack was still heavy and it seemed all I was dropping was comfort at camp. So I dug more and read more. I allowed it to become an obsession and strived to figure out how these guys go out on multiple night trips with a sub 10 lb pack. I went through 8 different packs, 3 different shelter setups, 4 different sleep systems and many many different small items. I care to not comment on the amount of money wasted, but the knowledge I gained during the process is invaluable. I would focus on one piece of gear, say my shelter. I would research for months over forums for the perfect shelter that would withstand the elements experienced on the summit. Finally, I would pull the trigger, make the purchase, wait by the mail, and then test the item up on the summit until I understood it fully. Often, the item did not meet my needs or did not perform on the summit well. So I would eventually sell the item for discounted price and start again. This process, while tiring, led me to gear that I not only understand completely but I can proudly and loudly state WHY I am using that exact shelter or that exact pack. I can tell you why it works for my conditions and importantly I can rely and trust my gear on a level very few can. This carried the pursuit down to even understanding the fabric used for gear and now I own a sewing machine to make the modifications I need to allow the gear to perform at its best or make my own (MYOG) when there is no gear made which meets my needs.

The transition from a 65 lb pack to 7.8 lb pack carried across the summit had to also occur in my head. It consisted of two main changes. First, I had to learn to embrace the outdoors as much as I embraced being outdoors. To understand that just because I am muddy and dirty does not mean I need a shower or to clean myself. We are all too coddled as it is with showers, soap and the common desire to wear a new clean set of clothes. I learned to embrace sleeping on the ground and getting as close as possible to nature. When I say sleeping on the ground I mean exactly that, not in a tent separated from nature but a part of it. Waking up with ants on you and your stuff was once unthinkable, but now I just smile and get out of bed. This mental toughening was vital to my transition. Be proud of your stink! Be proud of your muddy clothes! It’s ok, and it’s not going to hurt you. This is important as I went to a tarp setup, dropped all extra clothes, and left the soap at home.

Second is the acceptance that less is more when at camp. Why do I go into the woods? To bring all the comforts of home? Doubtful, otherwise I would just stay home. I laid all my gear out and looked at each piece asking myself what I could go without. Then I would go out on a trip without the items and see how things went. Guess what? The trip went better than before! I was not dragged down on the trail but also at camp things were orderly, neat and extremely simple. I had to learn to embrace those nights without the electronics and distractions and learn to allow myself to accept silence. Slowly, I started to see this crossing over into my normal life. I began to throw out all unnecessary items in my home until I am now left with 1 plate, 1 glass, 1 towel, 1 of everything that I need and nothing else. This is something I came to be proud of as I am the same person on the trail as I am in normal life.

Water

Water is often the heaviest thing in your pack at 2.2 lbs /liter, but it is also one of the most essential items. This created a clear problem for reducing my pack weight. So about three years ago I started to push the limits of dehydration on my body beginning with relatively safe steps. First, I removed that camelback straw! How could I monitor my consumption and control my urges when I have a straw right next to my mouth connected to a water reservoir I could not see! Not to mention the fact that those things are awkward, heavy and hard to clean. Next, I would redo a hike and bring 1L less water. Taking note of exactly how much I drank on each and every trip. When did I feel the urge to chug and when was I just flying through the trail without thoughts of water? What were the differences in conditions between those moments? I learned to identify the effects of dehydration on my body and mind. I slow down, I rest more often, I get out of breathe more easily, I hallucinate, but I learned how to keep hiking under these conditions throughout the years.

I began to look at every day hike as a new time to test myself and discover new limits. After 2 years of pushing myself on day hikes, I began to test these limits on backpacking trips and was able to complete the Pupukea to Waikane section on ~3.5Ls over three days. I learned that often I wake up in the middle of the night dying of thirst but while around the camp at night I was fine. This taught me to limit my water consumption while awake at camp because I would need that water for my nightly chugs. I learned that it is best to allow my breathing to return to normal before I begin to drink water or else I would drink too much. I had to know how much water would get me a certain distance in specific terrain in order to plan my water consumption on a trip. I had to know how long my body could go without water and how to properly ration so I could continue to hike at a speed that will get me to the end.

Meals

Meals were a hard choice because water must be considered. Often, people think that those freeze-dried, expensive, and over-salted mountain house meals are best. If you ask any long distance backpacker for a list of their foods I promise you there will be zero store bought freeze dried meals. I have an added dislike because of the ridiculous amount of water required for each meal. So I went to the grocery store and just walked around for a couple of hours looking at the calorie to weight ratio with emphasis on simplicity and a requirement for little or no water needed. For my needs, lunch needs to be made in a few minutes or less - and dinner in under 10 minutes. I had to learn that the main function of food is as fuel, not as an enjoyment on the trail. If it can provide enjoyment then that is a plus, but the main concern is to provide my body with the needed fuel to continue moving. I would buy the ingredients for a backpacking meal I’d thought of and go home and test it out with the exact gear I was going to use on the trail. I would repeat this and see how many nights it took till mentally I did not want that meal anymore and make note of it. I began to look at the ingredients of those overpriced mountain houses and realized that with very little effort I could make my own and it would require significantly less water and could be modified for my own tastes. I have learned that without much trouble I can eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner for up to 12 days without really minding. The secret is to provide very little but intense changes every so often (i.e., a chinese hot mustard packet one day and sweet and sour the next).