For a month-long or longer solo trip, would you ever consider taking 3 packs? If so, what 3rd pack would you choose?
And triple carrying is a great excuse to just enjoy the walks. You get two rest walks to enjoy the woods .Hmmm. Very enlightening. Now that I'm well entrenched in seniordom, I'm thinking lightening my gear is not the only thing I need to do to extend my trips. Honestly, I think I've been carrying too big of a load with the canoe. Adding a modest size pack and increasing my food capacity might kill both birds with the same rock.
recped goes as heavy as a survivalist. Never heard of carrying 2 tents for one person.
As I get older my pack keeps getting lighter. It is the only way I can keep backpacking.
We rarely portage on western rivers, but my gear pile is shrinking.
I don't carry "two" tents......
I carry...
The POD (which is pretty much trashed now) a 9'x9' floorless shelter (Sierra Designs)
Marmot Sanctom - 2 person / 3 season tent
Outdoor Research - Bivy
Lightweight mesh only bug tent (cheap one that MSR bought out and quadrupled the price!)
Tarp that can be used as a shelter (sometimes two tarps!)
....Depends on what you consider to be a "tent" but you could call it 5 different "shelters".
Most trips I do have very few portages, even those that do tend to be mostly all located in a short stretch with 90% of the trip portage free. I also try to plan for camps at the portages even better if they coincide with a layover day. On my solo trips I'm on a non-schedule, usually have a full food supply for an extra week if I feel like it so there is rarely a need to rush portages.