The Lean Approach to Wilderness Travel

by on November 29, 2011

Eric Ries coined the term “lean startup” in the context of entrepreneurship, but most folks think it’s about running a business with as little overhead as possible.

Nothing could be further from the truth, or more damaging to the entrepreneur that is assuming that zero overhead is the key to success.

It’s not in business, and it’s not in backpacking. We’ll get to trekking in a minute.

One of Eric’s great philosophies is that of doing rather than just planning.

At some point, you have to get to market with a product that doesn’t have to be perfect, because your customers may hate it anyways.

And, at some point, you have to take a walk.

The amount of time people spend spreadsheeting, buying gear, testing gear, returning gear, weighing gear, cutting tags off of gear, weighing gear again, finding the right stuff sacks for the gear, packing their gear, unpacking their gear, repacking their gear, and then repeating this whole process in preparation for a walk borders on insanity.

“But this is my thru-hike!”
“But I’m going to Alaska!”
“But I’m…”
“But I’m…”
“But I’m…”

Yeah, I know. Been there. I get it.

But at some point you have to be honest with yourself.

Maybe it’s a waste of time?

When I packed for a recent traverse across the Beartooths, I ordered a pack from Joe which arrived a few days before I left and thought, “huh, let’s give it a shot”. Then, without a spreadsheet, or plan, or a pack load test, or the right stuff sacks, I went through the shed and pulled out a bunch of gear I hadn’t used in a while, threw in a firestarting kit and a pot, and called it good.

Ten days later, after a snowy and wet August trek, I ended my hike remarkably happy.

Now, I have to admit – I wouldn’t take that exact kit again – I made notes and modifications and remembered the pain caused by some of the items – and made sure my next kit was much better optimized for the foul conditions of high mountains.

This is what Eric calls a “pivot”: act, assess, change, go. The pivot is the change-go piece.

Analytical backpackers might do better to spreadsheet less, walk more, and pivot.

Spreadsheeting is interesting, pivoting means you have some amount of intelligence, but trust me when I tell ya: walking is where it’s at.

Here’s my list of best pivots from 2011:

  1. Closing the backpackinglight.com gear shop. This pivot left me facing our membership community again. What a joy! Working on new products for them behind the scenes has interjected new excitement into my daily work.
  2. Working from a home office again. I love my view of the Bridger Mountains from my house, the smell of hot chili cooking in the slow cooker, the sound of Stephanie coaching the dog, and the scratching of Chase’s pencil as he does his homework.
  3. Watching fewer fiction movies and more documentaries about social and environmental activism, humanitarian projects, etc. I like the feeling of being more connected to the planet.
  4. Packing for all of my trips this year using a paper, rather than an electronic, gear list.
  5. Sleeping in a tarp again, in the deep of winter.

What pivots have you made this year?

  • http://korpijaakko.wordpress.com/ Korpijaakko

    My pivots are of couse quite different:
    - In winter I did a complete spreadsheet about gear and food’s nutritional values for the first time ever. I feel that this was highly necessary to get most out of a relatively expensive learning possibility. Now I know more.
    - In summer I bought a packraft. It was expensive but I haven’t regretted. I took it for a challenging white water trip with inadequate experience and skills. I haven’t regretted. I now have a lot more skills.
    - Then again, in the autumn I have done several hiking trips and not a single spreadsheet. I know enough allready.
    - And I’ve spent still increasing amount of time in the wild. And I still like it.

  • David Noll

    Isn’t it interesting how many things come full circle?

  • CaptainObvious

    I must say two things things here.  First, every time I see anything from you, it is pimped with a push to buy something, sign up for something, or otherwise full of in-your-face undesirable marketing.  Pretty classless if you ask me and that’s no to say you shouldn’t be compensated for your knowledge and experience…but boy do you take it to the extreme.  Second, I’m starting to think you’re a hypocrate of your own advice which is doing little but confuse those that found you creditable at one time and entirely supported you.  You leave comments on blogs for other people literally mocking frameless packs, yet your entire arguement is the “less is more” mentality which ultimately leads to the fact that frames aren’t needed when equipment and related weight is thoughtfully considered.  With BPL being a shell of what it once was, with no shop, no podcasts, a paired down staff, editoral comments coming from sparce areas, and almost the whole customer experience shelved – what’s the point anymore?  Just leave the forums open (lifetime members should have paid for all of your server and bandwidth issues by now) and call yourself a wilderness guide and be done with it.  At one time, you led this industry – you were an innovator.  When you talked, people listened.  Now, it’s like you’re going through a mid-life crisis where you’re liking revisting a conversation I have no doubt you and Alan Dixon had at one time where he told you that an idea such as BPL would never sustain you over a full time conventional job.  He’s still plugging away at the EPA and you’re essentially panhandling.  Course, BPL sure seemed like it could have worked – if it were run better – and if you had invested a little more time instead of always looking out for your personal interests.  And say again these two phrases in the same sentence again ”thru-hike” and “been there”.  Really Ryan – you’ve been there?  REALLY?  What have you ever thru-hiked, and to be fair, please don’t count the 2-10 day retreats we all take or your FAILED Alaska expediion.  You haven’t been there.

  • http://www.trailsherpa.com Trail Sherpa

    Very insightful post Ryan.  I am addressing some of the same decisions over here at Trail Sherpa as you have this year.  Who doesn’t want their business to be all things to all people?  But the reality is that some times the better business is the one that is more focused on passions rather than the revenue verticals.

    We’ve joined 1% for the Planet, I’ve made Netflix documentaries my white noise rather than iTunes while working from home, and we’ve said no to a few really interesting projects.  It feels good, and I suspect that we are watching many of the same documentaries, those focused on the real problems like conservation, health care, fresh water, and the economic challenges facing our country.  I too feel more connected.

    Google’s mantra of fail fast, fail smart seems to echo the notion of pivots too.  It seems to work pretty well for them!

    My pivots:
    1. Shorter work schedule (30 hrs a week) = more time wearing my Dad hat
    2. I’m saying no to new projects to focus on the ones that focus on my passions for hiking and food
    3. I’ve made myself and my young company more accountable to the environment by changing my spending, eating, and preservation habits
    4. I’ve become a student again by exploring documentaries and biographies more than the time fillers I had been consuming

    Great post Ryan.

  • Tony

    Hi Ryan,
     
    Thanks for another great post.
     
    My pivots for 2011 are.
     
    The most important pivot for the year for me was, being cancer free for twelve months and recovering enough so I can do most things I want to, like going backpacking.
     
    Reaching backpacking nirvana, I was bushwalking with out noticing that I had a pack on my back (thanks to BPL, Roger C, Ryan, Will and all of the others).
     
    Starting to do some trips that I have been on my to do list for a very long time, like climbing Australia’s ten highest peaks in one day and then repeating same trip in winter on snowshoes (but over two days).
     
    Doing the Rees-Dart Track in New Zealand two weeks ago, this trip rekindled my life long ambition to go mountain climbing, I have already stated to plan to do this, and to do this while I can.
     
    Getting a year older and realizing I have one year to go before I retire and how fast that year will go, major lifestyle changes on the way.
     
     

  • leadfoot

    Great post, Ryan. Recently I took that walk without much planning and grabbed a tarp for the first time and slept in the woods, reconnecting with everything I love about being outside. Since then, I am looking at my ‘things’ and beginning to minimalize my life. 

  • Sisyphus

    Check out “If A Tree Falls”

    Super sick documentary on some members of the Earth Liberation Front. Provokes some really good thought on radical environmentalism.

    My pivot:
    Switching from my packrat mentality of “someday i might have a use for this”
    to a far more minimal approach.

    And I will have to say, BPL has definitely spurred some of this change. A tiny daypack and a homemade tarp on a 40 hour break from the city sounds about perfect.

  • http://www.facebook.com/stamati.anagnostou Stamati Anagnostou

    This post brings a lot to mind.  In the life of a twenty-something pivots seem to be the order of the day, with a steady trajectory being somewhat of an elusive beast.  When I turn now, where will that take me?  Which step is the right step?  Am I doing the right thing?  And really, these questions probably never go away.  That being said, I have a few pivots that stand out:

    1. Refunding my ticket to Japan so I can stay in the States.  Lost some money on that, but there’s too much opportunity here.  I got to hike part of the Wonderland, spend a few days in the Rattlesnake with the MCC, and get a kick-ass internship in NH instead.
    2. Hitching rides last minute from Bozeman to Seattle to remake a friendship.
    3.Acknowledging that I probably don’t have the makings of an epic outdoorsman like an RJ or Skurka.  I’ll focus on what I know I’m good at now while still pursuing ever greater wilderness experiences and jobs I LOVE.

  • Alan

    Ryan, I swing by here for a visit every month or so.  As usual I am inspired by your writing.  I just wanted to take a second to say thanks and please, keep it up.  Alan

  • JRS

    Ryan,
    Spot on.

    To pivot, or not to be.  That is the question.

    Personal pivots this year? 

    Renewing some way-too-long dormant friendships, the marrow of life.

    Pivot on, like there’s no tomorrow.

  • Kim

    I envy your office view. As a past Bozemanite I miss the ease to which one could find themselves miles away from anything. I appreciate your words “At some point, you have to get to market with a product that doesn’t have to be perfect, because your customers may hate it anyways.” 
    We did just that last year with our backpacking food and have been blessed with thumbs up and thumbs down. It has given us clarity in our companies mission. 
    So we enter this year with refined pivot points. I look forward to following your blog

  • Moba

     

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    It’s an app for the iphone thought mainly for outdoor activities.
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  • http://www.campingtentsdepot.com/ J. Harp

    There is no place to enjoy camping than the wilderness. Alaska is a very popular destination. Just don’t forget to bring year electronic gear as well as your camping gears and
    camping tents    . When is the best time of the year to go camping in Alaska?