Glenn Charles

LIFE-STYLE | TRAVEL | AERIAL

207-631-9245

Photographer/Videographer specializing in Life Style, Travel, and Aerial Imagery.  FAA 107 Certified for sUAS flight operations throughout the US.  Fully insured.  Videography work is limited to Aerial productions.

Based in Maine (May-December) and SWFL (Jan - April). Available for travel year round.

Ultralight Trekking Trip

September 15, 2010  /  Glenn

For the trip that I just completed across the Grand Manan Channel and aroundGrand Manan, I wanted to try out an 'Ultra-Light' load that I had beenthinking about for months. My goal was to do a week long trip and have allof my gear fit into one Ikea bag. Not only would this lighten the loadconsiderably, but it would make loading and unloading the boat a cinch. Myselection of gear surpassed my wildest dreams and will certainly be one ofmy main forms of trekking. It made the daily ritual of unloading andloading the boat simple and painless while at the same time making the boatride much more like an unloaded one.

My ultra-light kit included:

- Bivvy/Stakes/Tarp/Rope Bag - Ultralamina Sleeping Bag - Neo Thermarest - 7 days of food including snacks, spice and oil kit: (Oats, Quinoa, Pasta, Cliff Bars, Peanut Butter, Tortillas, VIA Coffee) - Warm/Foul Clothing (Fleece Top, Fleece Bottoms, Arc'Teryx Gore Tex Jacket) - Arc'Teryx Shorts, extra Icebreaker wool top, fleece hat, ball cap - Paddling Clothes (Kokatat Dry Suit, Icebreaker wool top & bottom, Smart Wool Socks) - Reactor Stove with 1 can of gas - Night bag (things like my headlamp, bug net, knife, etc.) - Coffee Mug

The following is my standard paddling equipment that I consider mandatory onall trips and was not modified for the ultra-light trip. Note that thisgear is either on me or stays in the boat each night:

- PFD with safety gear - Kokatat Cag - Main paddle and spare paddle - Flares and emergency ditch kit - First aid kit - Repair kit - Map Case - Pump - Paddle leash

For this trip, I used a 10 liter dromedary that was filled 2/3 of the wayand placed behind my seat. This is the first time that I have used thislocation and I must say it made a world of difference in the boat loading.The other point to make is that on the trip out I had a front quarteringwind and my bow was loaded to lightly. As I would come up on the waves, thebow was riding quite high and thus influenced greatly by the winds. On anormal trip, the bow is fairly well loaded and I don't generally have thisproblem, however, with the ultra-light setup care must be given to theloading and weather conditions.