The purpose of this blog is just to present a few of my thoughts about backpacking and camping with a reduced load on your back.

As a guy who's passed  those years when I was fit enough, and stupid enough, to not care too much about my pack weight, I've been giving a lot of thought, and making considerable effort, to reduce the weight of my pack. Hence the title. Portable means:

 "able to be easily carried or moved, especially because being of a lighter and smaller version than usual" - (online Oxford Dictionary)

My other theme is affordability - I can't see the point of spending large amounts of money when you can get similar results (and sometimes better) for less. Of course, there are often trade-offs, and i like to puzzle through the pros and cons, and risks, with going too cheap (or light).

I would stress that everyone's approach to camping and hiking is different, and I do not wish to be didactic or moralising in my ideas - they are there for people to see, and consider, and then to make their own decisions. So please, no arguments, complaints or flaming.

I do a fair amount of bushwalking in my role leading expeditions for a school program. I'm not a hard-core adventurer - I haven't crossed the Simpson Desert or climbed K2 - so the ideas are aimed at weekenders and short expeditioners. Nor will I look at survival-style camping - there's no living off the land, sleeping in wombat burrows - type of stuff. It's just lightweight camping for middle of the road (track?) campers that want that type of thing.

I love my photography so there may be the occasional picture or video.

I hope you enjoy reading this blog and get some useful ideas from it.

Skibug




Keywords: Bushwalk, Camp, Hiking, Blog, Outdoors, Hike, Hiking equipment, ultralight, Australia, Camping gear