Hi everyone, my name is Will McCaffrey. I’m a 29-year-old undergrad student living in San Diego, California. The title of this site is not who I currently am, but rather who I hope to become: a minimalist backpacker.
Define minimalist backpacking
For anyone who is new to backpacking, minimalist backpacking is a term that refers to base weight. Imagine a backpack fully loaded for a trip, not including consumables or worn items. To clarify, consumables refer to food, water, hygiene products, and fuel. Worn items include clothing, shoes, and trekking poles.
In general, there are four backpacking styles defined by base weight: minimalist (or superlight), ultralight, lightweight, and traditional. Minimalist is under 5 pounds, ultralight is 10 pounds, lightweight is 20 pounds, and traditional is typically 30+ pounds.
Full disclosure – I’m not a thru hiker
In case the following information is important: I’m not a thru hiker. At the present time, my focus is improving my backpacking skills and gaining experience. If you would prefer to get advice from more seasoned backpackers, I completely understand!
Wait, wait, wait, who the heck is Will McCaffrey?
I grew up in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was a beautiful place to grow up, but I never really felt like I fit in. I was a a nervous kid with a severe case of childhood asthma. Without brilliance, swag, or outstanding athletic ability, I didn’t feel as though I had much to offer the world.
Then in my freshman year of high school, I decided to attend The Kiski School located in the mountains of western Pennsylvania. During my time there, I discovered and fell in love with running cross country and hiking. This was the first time I felt truly accepted and in control of my own life.
When I was 18-years-old, I moved to New York City to attend an acting conservatory. During my time there, I realized I didn’t want to be an actor. At 20-years-old, I packed my bags and drove to Los Angeles to launch a career in television. By the end of the first year, I landed a full-time Production Assistant job working for HBO. During the the next 7 years, I worked on 12 major network shows. I met an incredible group of friends as well as my girlfriend. With their help, I reconnected with my passion for hiking and camping. This led me to find work on shows including Amazon’s World’s Toughest Race: Eco-Challenge Fiji, hosted by Bear Grylls.
If you had a cool job working in TV, then why are you in school?
My life changed in March of 2020. The production I was working on shut down due to the Covid-19 pandemic. After a few months, I realized that life as a television producer wasn’t fulfilling to me anymore. This was my best chance to make a radical life change. So I did something unexpected; I signed up for community college classes. All of a sudden, I fell in love with learning again. A year into my studies, I took another leap of faith and moved to the beautiful city of San Diego, California.
What started this quest to become a minimalist backpacker?
The first time I ever had an extremely light backpack for a camping trip, it was a complete accident. My siblings and I wanted to do a quick overnight camping trip outside of Charleston, South Carolina. I purchased a cheap flight from San Diego that didn’t include a carry on or checked bag. So I loaded up my backpack with only the essentials. Surprisingly, the base weight was just over 7 pounds.
The obsession was born
This was my light bulb moment. Despite containing almost too much food and water for one night, my pack weighed under 15 pounds. As a result, it was so comfortable! More significantly, it didn’t feel like anything was missing. That night, my siblings and I had an enjoyable time camping. We had our fill of food and water, and enjoyed a spectacular sunset over Lake Moultrie. The next day, we returned to Charleston unscathed and feeling refreshed.
Ever since I felt the freedom of a light pack on that trip, I have been working hard to drop my base weight. Currently, I have a 3-season setup with a 6-pound base weight. I have yet to push below a 5-pound base weight.
The call to action
I believe anyone can be an ultralight or minimalist backpacker. If you’re up for it, I would love for you to join me on this journey. Together, we can improve our skills as backpackers as we chase that ever elusive sub-5-pound base weight. Your support and feedback will be appreciated and invaluable on this journey. Hopefully, you’ll learn something along the way as well.
Thanks for reading,
Will McCaffrey