I love that Jupiter talks calmly and quietly, doesn't use clickbait titles and thumbnails, and he doesn't clap or shout at the start of every video. That bugs the hell out of me with other KZfaqrs. It make me feel like an imbecile. Jupiter treats his viewers like adults.

Wow, how refreshing. A gear review that is practical and isn't paid for by a company. Thank you

ok I'll drop my accordion, but the rest stays

I love how you just threw it "And I quit smoking" like it was as trivial as switching waterbottles xD

Yeah man in just two years I've gone from a heavy 65L pack to 25L. It makes a world of difference and you can really enjoy the hike.

"And then everything changed" in my head: "When the fire nation attacked"

Tarp camping is great. You wake up with a full stomach of protein rich spiders that made their way into your mouth while you slept. Also, while the bear is eating you, they won’t be as salty from having to open a frustrating wrapper. You will also lose weight from the mosquitoes draining your blood. It’s awesome.

I think this happens to everyone in all sorts of hobbies. I have done this in mtbiking, mountaineering, fishing and probably every other hobby I have gotten into. You live and you learn.

Glad to see another disciple of the Ziplock bag! They are great. Lightweight, disposable, and best of all--See Thru! so you can see where your stuff is.

Even though I researched gear for months for the PCT, I ultimately changed quite a few things while I was on trail. It was such a great feeling when I got one step closer to my more ideal setup :)

I've gone the other way. Ditched the tarp for a tent, but that's because I moved from England to Iceland and its very windy here, almost no tree cover and it rains a lot. That's why I like videos like yours, it's not what's about being right it's about what's right for the person.

Using a handheld light versus a headlight is ideal for those of us with three arms and 3 hands.

I enjoy your commentary, content and how you present things.

This awesome guy has found his joy and he is not done yet. Im so happy for him. There are many things one can learn from his backpacking experiences. Lastly, his narration is so soothing..lol.

6:40 - I love how the sunset becomes burning flames behind the tarp.

Good for you man. Feels like everyone goes through an evolution like this, we're all different and different things fit us.

You have a beautiful way of conveying the grace and openness it takes to grow as a hiker/human - thank you

This isn't even my final camping form! Love this. Just shows how we all grow in life. Start small, (Or big in this case) and then shed the layers and stuff as you get more comfortable proficient.

The way you present your information in this video is so clear and without ego or judgement. Thank you! For being human and sharing your perspective without implying that it should be my perspective too.

I enjoyed your thoughtful video, thanks! Continually re-evaluating your choices is the key to success in many ways! Regarding lining your pack with a plastic bag. - you didn't do this, but for others who might not think of it... NEVER store your water INSIDE the plastic bag! Many years ago I did. Half-way through the day, it started raining, and I remember thinking how glad I was that I had lined the pack with a plastic bag. When I stopped for the night, I found out just how watertight that bag was: the "sip top" on my MSR Dromedary bag had opened-up sometime during the day, and completely soaked my down sleeping bag, which was at the very bottom of the pack. That was over 30 years ago, and I still remember shivering all night, too cold to sleep, waiting what seemed like an eternity for the sun to come up! In addition to storing water outside the bag, I also ditched the sip top, and replaced it with a regular blue nalgene cap, to be sure it doesn't leak.

Hiking was a huge part of me quitting smoking... Congrats to you on that one brother!!

I like how you throw in “stopped smoking” randomly. The weight savings

That's very true - individual pouches for every possible kind of gear not just add the weight, but steal place in the back-pack, due to some amount of air left inside of them

I hike and camp for enjoyment rather than distance and setting land speed records. I'm kind of a mountain goat and have been backpacking with an old external frame pack since I was a kid. I like my amenities the older I get, but I like some of your items and ideas, like the Frog Toggs rainwear. Nothing wrong with that gear at all. And lightweight tarps. You can make great shelters in all sorts of configurations with those. Happy hiking!

Although I have quite a lot of long distance travelling myself, your thoughts about gear keep inspiring me, thanks!

I'm still hiking with dirt cheap windstopper jacket from some low quality fisherman store in town. I invested so much money in other gear, but I'm still not changing that jacket. Anyway, thank you for the idea to ditch multi-bagging. I'm gonna try it. I notice my stuff is never well packed, because the shapes of bags leave too much space in between and it has been driving me crazy.

Sounds like my first bike tour. Started with premium stuff. Ended up with no electronics or solar, cheap water bottles, no cooking, and my entire shelter/sleep kit replaced for 50 dollars at Walmart....all more durable and usable.

6:12 I’m guessing you can only safely tarp camp in mild climates with minimal wildlife. Here, we can have 30 below wind chills, severe convective activity, black widows, brown recluse, rattlesnakes, mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, etc. Not good when camping open air in the woods. Bring your rifle and a bite kit. The only place I’ve ever slept open-air is on a beach on Lake Superior, but there were 10 of us and a fire.

I like your honest and direct message, that seems to make sense to me to travel light with practical stuff and making hiking camping more enjoyable trip

:-) That is what everybody goes through, who does it many years. I remember my first biketrip here across Europe. The bike was loaded to the max. Now it is a third. But one thing I learned in all that years is, that one should come to an end with optimizing at a certain point, because some things are indispensable. It is always possible to take a lighter and lighter sleepingbag for example: shorter, less zippers, better downs... But what is sleeping under the stars without a cozy night. Thanks for that video :-) !

Great vid! I followed the same path starting with tons of gear and now carry pretty much clothing/sleeping bag only. Don't need gear, need resourcefulness.

What a great video! I love seeing your evolution and you are inspiring me to lighten my pack! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Just went camping with a 19kg packed backpack - I thought it would be a good idea to bring the kitchen sink!

Name of your channel bring me here and I am military veteran now in pension with destroyed leg from land mine and listen your video remember 2 years from now when stole my little car and MY ALL MY DEAR ALL HIKING GEAR and after that I dont go in nature and dont bay new gear my pension is small and going in medicine for my leg to avoide amputation ! It is nice that you realy enjoy nature and hiking and Wish you great time , new adventure and maybe one day I will again go out in nature and enjoy animals and peace because I have Ptsp too !! Regards aand sending You my Love and respect from CRoatia , Europa .....R

wise words, I used to carry a ton of gear because i didn't know any different,.I got into bush crafting and realised that nature has a habit of providing things that you don't need to carry or pay for. kudos to you sir.

Drop 5 more lbs by ditching the backpack for a stick and tie your plastic bag to it (hobo style) 😎

Thank you for sharing your journey. I'd been on a similar one going back 20 year. You're far beyond me though. At some point, I realized that the weight savings in other parts of my kit allowed me to cary a wool blanket. I love it, but would probably never use it on a through hike. It's a cool hybrid between ultralight and bushcraft though.

2011: Long pants 2014: Knee length shorts 2015: Thigh length shorts 2019: Booty shorts

That’s some serious outside the box thinking 🤔 I’m impressed

This is so true , people change but learn .

I use native Bearers, and Mules to carry my trunks, why do without civilised luxuries.

Tarp camping, where bugs wake you up in the middle of the night as they crawl over your face. And while you do sleep for short periods the biting bugs have their fill. you still need a ground sheet, a bug net is essential in most places, so get a tent! The best compromise I found was the Tarptent tents. Henry Shires re-popularized tarp camping and he designs them.

Love this advice! I'm applying the ultralight minimalist paradigm to my ....pack burros! Can't carry weight on my feet and back but my previously wild burros can and they deserve to carry the lightest weight possible for MY a$$ lol. Thank you for helping me change the pack burro culture of bringing every human comfort possible cause the donkeys are carrying the load!

Not exactly ultralight packing, but I remember being on field exersises in fair weather, many years ago in the Marines. A matter of it being tired in the evening, looking at a particular piece of comfortable looking ground, lying upon it uncovered, and closing my eyes.

I really enjoyed your video. Thanks for this from a fellow "I like to change my gear and experience different settings to keep what I like the most in life" adventurer!

I like your philosophy of evaluating things

Thanks for sharing, buddy. I tend to keep my hikes to one and two day sections but all of your points were very well stated. Thank you.

That is good info. I know when I started I carried enough crap to go to the moon. I have fail back, but still need to cut more.

It was a scorching hot day in Glen Etive, Scottish Highlands and I thought "Bugger the tent, I'll just sleep under the flysheet". It lasted about 45 minutes after the sun went down and the midges came out! I spent the rest of the night suffocating in the car with all the windows closed.

When I was a teen, we backpacked with really none of these sophisticated gears, it was a canvas backpack covered with plastic and dry food that wood last 2-3 days. we slept under the stars, (no tent/tarp) with log fire to keep animals away. tied plastic covers around shoes to keep leeches away..... but this way of being, I realise is only possible if you trek often and are comfortable when close to nature. The longer the breaks between treks , the harder it gets to do without "camping luxuries" like stove for coffee, sleeping bags, tents,Goggles etc etc. But I certainly feel, that I enjoyed those hikes far more than now- may be it was the youth, may be the lack of expectations..cant really say.

excellent content man, definitely inspiring for shedding weight for back country climbing

I really enjoyed watching this video. Nice background (with the alligator :D), nice personality and voice, clear and inspiring message, no annoying music. 9/10

Hammock camping is the best of both worlds, plus you have a chair 😎

i don't camp/hike much, but when I do I make sure to bring even less so the bear doesn't have to waste time with extra things and just be done with me 😀

to compare with tent, disadvantages under the tarp probably bugs and flies, advantages you can jump out faster if you noticed alligator nearby passing, in a places like on the end of video

I tihnk the hike your own hike mantra also very much carries over into 'make your own camp'. My kids and I camp frequently and we all do it differently. My daughter prefers to hammock camp, My son likes an itty bitty tent, I like something w/a little space. Of course all of that is negotiable depedning on the where, the weather, etc. Keeping in mind he is based in Fla. and I believe is in AZ currently. I'm not sure I would tarp camp down there unless it was in the 'winter'...

I LOVE your positivity and your approach ! a big thx from france

Quitting smoking is a win in a lot of categories

I’ve dropped a bunch of items as well. When you’re hiking into the double digit miles every pound counts.

The basic gear I carry hasn't changed much since the 70's I'd rather bare the weight than be without. How I carry it has changed due the updated military surplus available. That sure looks like the everglades. Maybe off of 41 or in the national park? If so maybe I'll see you on a trail one day.

Do bugs and rodents not bother you when you tarp tent? How do you sleep comfortably on the ground?

I find it a constant tinker, and I enjoy that.

I leave my phone off, and leave the powerbank at home. If you are going with companions, let them stress over the trip photos.

Solar panels are essential for those who lives in the wilderness their entire life

Well the stop smoking thing was the biggest change you made that was the most beneficial. Good job!!

Great video! One thing I disagree with is the solar panel - for sure that thing youv´ve used back then is useless. But nowadays there are some pretty lightweight (

good luck on your journey to being Gandhi

I love how he just threw in stopping smoking.

Hey dude, your story is the opposite of mine. I used to carry little.. Only a day pack, military poncho for a tent, also i never carry a stove.. I prefer to make a fire. But as i married to my beloved wife, I've to change my set up. Now i've carry big 60-70liter backpack, tent, sleeping pad, stove, cooking set, sleeping bag, etc-etc.. Although my wife never complain anything but as a husband and as a man, i have to make sure that she is comfortable and enjoy our jurney. But hey man, nice set up nice video. Sorry for my bad english.

In my 20's and 30's I was open to all types of hikes, backpacking and camping. Loved it all. Then as 20+ years went by, I found a nice, cheap motel was really, realy nice.

I enjoyed your transformation. Thank you for sharing.

same here for many of these: plastic bags not stuff stacks, smaller streamlined pack, quilt over sleeping bag, stoveless, and water bottles vs bladders.

the Marie Condo of going for a walk. The particulars are very helpful, and the underlying principle of lightening is, well, the principle of taking off...taking off to take off! Thank-you for this...a sort of Thoreauvian reminiscence.

Tarp camping in FL! I don’t know how you do it, the bugs are bad year round. Great job.

Congrats on not smoking anymore. That's awesome, man!

Been watching your videos and others about backpacking all day. Went on a long hike today with my hammock and now I want to go overnight, I’m getting really interested in this. Your videos are great, I see myself becoming an avid backpacker one day

One item I quickly discarded from my backpack was my high dollar filtration system for water. I replaced it with a simple homemade system. I now carry coffee filters, a funnel, and water purification tablets. I simply pour stream water into the coffee filter lined funnel which flows into my drinking water container. I add a water purification tablet. 1/2 hour later, I have safe drinking water.

That's sort some! I have a suggestion though. When your pack is on your back the pack is raised a little above your shoulders. And so is the back part of your cloak raised above your shoulders also when it covers your pack? If so, I wonder if rain, if it falls, run into the neck of your cloak. So I was wondering if you might possible insist on a hood, or even just a collar. This way, even if a raised part of your cloak doesn't completely run the water off, it still doesn't run into your cloak at the neck. Or maybe even a fatter section around the neck. Something that insures water doesn't pour into your cloak. I'm super interested in owning a good cloak and yours seems really cool so once it's perfect perfect, I want it! Great setup thus far though!

As I get older, the more I realize I want an RV.

I was really considering purchasing a solar panel...but after watching your video, I'm reconsidering. Thank you for all the tips!

This guy the whole video: This isnt even my final form.

i could be at a 5lb base weight if i didnt pack for comfort at around 10lbs.. worth it to me in any case

"SOLAR CHARGER WHAT FUN" OMG CLASSIC. THANKS FOR THE LAUGH.

I've watched a lot of videos on lightweight packing and this is the best one. Thanks bro 👍

Haha going back to get stuff on trail…I remember leaving my water filter reservoir on top of a mountain 5 miles back. The filter was useless without it, but I wasn’t hiking 10 miles to not advance at all 😜 that filter was then something I ditched for chemical treatment

I doubt I'll ever adopt all of your current kit, but that's not your point at all. You're simply encouraging us all to experiment, and hike our own hikes. I will say that I've definitely pared almost 10 pounds off my base weight with the tips you and others have provided!

I'm not as minimalist as you, but I whole-heartedly endorse the overarching message of your video to try new things and be open to change. Taking the leap to "cowboy camping", I found that I really like it, and now, as long as the mossies aren't bad, I just bring a 10 oz. poncho tarp in case it rains instead of my 2 lb tent and 13 oz rain jacket. I'm still experimentig, and I'm sure my pack will look different next year and in years to come and always different depending on where and when I am hiking.

Thank you for taking your time to post this. I love the passion and the gratitude of learning. Thanks brother. Light speed and more adventures your way!

Cool video! Yeah check out the thrift stores for equipment and clothing people have ditched there and you benefit!

I use a two garbage bag packing method. The first bag holds the tarp and bug bivy and my cook kit. Stuff that can be wet from rain or dew. This goes in the bottom of my pack. The second bag holds my sleeping bag pad food and clothes. Stuff that has to stay dry. This goes in second. On top I put my day food and first aid kit and rain gear. Side pockets two Gatorade bottles. In the rear pocket is the map snacks and other stuff for the day if the day is dry. On wet days my rain gear and umbrella are on the outside to be handy.

reminds me of the first time buying canadian tire fishing line cause it was really cheap but very stiff and lousy fishing line , i upgraded to the 5 $ fishing line and OMG ! what a wonderful difference that made

I learn so much from you. I'm heading out tomorrow.

My headtorch weighs 47g including case and battery. The lightest of those little hand held torches are about half that. I'm not sure how the battery life compares. The head torch uses the little batteries that look like a coin, so with spare batteries I guess they would even out. Another thing I like is that those coin batteries will keep for years. Interesting video anyway, as you say it's fun to think how you can reduce weight. I remember my early back packing days carrying 70lb for 3 weeks high in the mountains!

Of course you are free to do as you please out backpacking, and there is a definite learning curve to the sport. I have been BP for 40 years and have constantly lightened and improved my gear, mostly in northern climates, perhaps for that reason, I think you may be going a bit too light. Though every tip was worth considering, there still has to be a comfort factor, a reasonable weight limit, and consideration for age and physical limits.

The ONE change that you made that is HUGE... Quit smoking. Backpacking will now be the reason for a longer, healthier life - all just because of that ONE change. Heck, with cigarettes costing what they do, now you can pay for all that cool gear.

Most excellent video!!!! Wish I would've come across this sooner 🙄 haha good advice . I just feel the same about my new tent 🙄

Great ideas and nice philosophy at the end. You’re hiking your own hike and giving us ideas for hiking ours.

I appreciate the honesty here.

Light boots helps too. They say a pound on your feet is like five on your back. I've actually hill walked in trainers (sneakers).

I’m not buying cold food and tarp camping. You have fun with that I will carry a couple extra pounds to enjoy my backpacking