PRESENTER PROFILE:

Presenter:  Andy Fox
Presentation:  Lightweight Backpacking: Enjoying the Wilderness Experience without Carrying a Heavy Pack (or Having to Eat Bugs)
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One famous wilderness skills instructor has said, “The more you know, the less you carry.” What gear can knowledge and skills replace? What are the advantages and disadvantages of specific gear choices? Is using a tarp a safe and realistic option? How can I lighten my pack without spending any money? Can I leave the GPS or compass at home? How can I bring my photography, fishing, or hunting gear on a trip and still carry a light pack? We’ll answer these questions and more. Bring a few questions of your own too!

Andy has been building shelters in the woods and trying to become a mountain man since his early teens, but his career writing software keeps interfering. He treks mainly in Ohio and West Virginia. His trips have included solo, winter and family trips with his young kids in the mountain wilderness areas of West Virginia. For this winter, one of his goals is to find out what it’s like to backpack on snowshoes in northern Minnesota at -40 degrees.