Local backpackers to gather for show-and-tell

Sisters backpacker Paula Berry is hosting a get-together for local backpackers next week at Sisters Athletic Club.

"This is just an informal chance for all of us who like to backpack to meet and share ideas and stories and to learn about the latest in lightweight backpacking technology," said Berry. "I would also like to invite people who are thinking about backpacking and want to learn more.

"A 50-pound pack is not necessary these days, although it's definitely up to the individual hiker," she said. "Now it's all about ounces."

Berry, who often covers more than 20 miles a day on the trail, has learned ways to pare down the weight she carries.

"Anything that is not necessary or is duplicated never makes it onto the trail. Every ounce matters," she said. Some lightweight backpackers even go so far as to cut the handle off their toothbrush.

Berry hopes that everyone who enjoys backpacking, or who is just interested in learning about the sport, will show up at next week's gathering.

"I am also encouraging people to bring their own equipment, so others can learn by seeing what is being used on the trail today," she said. "I'm hoping to make this into kind of a show-and-tell opportunity for everyone to learn new things."

The first known single-season hike of the entire 2,650-mile Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), from Mexico to Canada was competed in 1980, and that hiker carried an 80-pound pack. Today's technology, however, has permanently changed the sport.

Still, last summer Berry hiked all of the Oregon and Washington portions of the PCT and sometimes encountered hikers carrying 50-pound packs.

"That's a bit old school," she said. "My experience is that a lot of hikers haven't discovered the lighter-weight equipment yet and are so happy to learn how to pare down their packs."

With careful shopping and planning, Berry averages a 15-pound base weight, exclusive of food and water. Some hikers carry even less.

"People have different priorities as to where they want their weight," she says. "A few pounds make a huge difference."

She explains that more weight translates to slower speed. A slower pace, in turn, necessitates more time and, hence, more food - which slows the hiker even more.

"It's a vicious cycle," she says.

Berry's empty pack weighs only one pound. One luxury she takes that many of today's ultralight hikers forego is her three-pound tent. She carries a 1.2-pound sleeping bag, the Ten Essentials, an 11-ounce down jacket, a one-ounce wind breaker, and a tiny stove.

She says that some hikers even dispense with the stove. One hiker she met last year was subsisting solely on dry ramen. Another carried a jar of peanut butter, a honey bear filled with honey, and a loaf of bread.

Sometimes hikers discover the plus-side of lightweight packing a little late in the game. Strewn along several miles of one stretch of the PCT last summer, Berry encountered discarded pots, unused fuel canisters, large amounts of food, and finally a stove.

Berry hopes that next week's meeting will help future hikers avoid finding themselves in situations like that.

"This is also a chance to meet new friends from the area who share an interest in backpacking," she said. "We plan to share ideas about gear, equipment websites, hiking philosophy, and more. Hopefully, we'll have a chance to share some interesting trail stories, too."

The backpacking show-and-tell will be held on Wednesday, March 21, at 6:45 p.m. at Sisters Athletic Club at the east end of town. Everyone is invited. For more information, call Paula Berry, whose trail and business name is "Isabella," at 541-549-4842.