My backpack weighs nearly half as much as I do. It’s nearly as big as I am. It is stuffed to full capacity, strapped on tight. Inside are all the essentials: 0 degree Marmot [Marmot.com] sleeping bag, sleeping pad, first aid kit, tooth brush, headlamp, extra layers of clothing, and enough Mountain House meals and Clif Bars to keep me fueled for days. Everything else needed is strapped onto my husband, Ben’s, back.  We’re a team. We’ve got a system.

100 lbs of girl

Ben laughed the first time we loaded up my Gregory backpack and cinched me into it. It’s huge. I’m tiny. It’s funny, really. I weigh a whopping 100 lbs. I’m little and blonde and most people wouldn’t expect me to be able to rough it in the backcountry with a huge pack full of gear on my back. Ben ends up carrying more than I do, but that’s alright – he’s bigger and stronger than I am. I still pull my weight and I love breaking stereotypes. And the end result is always worth the struggle and sweat.

Backcountry Bliss!