Questionnaire - UL Backpacking

These questions help us get to know and connect with each other.

1. Your name:
   Karl Riters
2. How long have you been backpacking? or What level of backpacking experience do you have (beginner, experienced, very experienced)?
   Over 30 years; Very Experienced
3. What were/are your backpack weights?
   
   • Last trip:10.5-pounds: 4-Wilderness Trip: Cache La Poudre, Commanche Peak, Neota, Rawah -- 2016
   • Heaviest:50-pounds in prior years
4. What is your purpose in reducing your backpack weight?
   To be able to enjoy backpacking in my seventies.
5. What do you want to learn from this course?
   Expand my ultralight backpacking knowledge by participating in teaching the course.
6. What backpacking trips have you gone on? (where, when)
   
   • Recent years:
     • PWV Wilderness Ranger: Arapaho Roosevelt NF – 2005 - 2018
     • 100-miles in two weeks through 4-Wilderness Areas patrolled by Poudre Wilderness Volunteers: theCache La Poudre, Comanche Peak, Neota, and Rawah -- 2016
     • 160-miles solo in two weeks on the Collegiate Loop of the Colorado Trail -- 2016
     • 70-miles in one week through 3-Wilderness Areas patrolled by Poudre Wilderness Volunteers: the Rawah, Neota, and Comanche Peak -- 2015
     • Solo backpacked Wind River Mountains in Wyoming for a week -- 2015
     • 500-mile Colorado Trail thru-hike with Paul -- 2014
     • Isle Royal National Park on Lake Superior, Grand Canyon south rim down to Colorado River, short trips on USFS Canyon Lakes Ranger District trails near Fort Collins.
   • Years ago:
     • 5-days in Wind River Mountains WY, eight 5-day wilderness canoeing trips in US and Canadian Boundary Waters, 1-3 day trips in Alaska, Smoky Mountains, Tetons, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain National Park.
7. What is your Ultralight backpacking experience? (your story in 1-word to 1-paragraph)
   • Ultralight Instructor: PWV -- 2015, 2016, 2018
   • Began UL with thru-hiking 500-mile Colorado Trail in 2014 with backpack base weight of 10.5 pounds
8. What is your notable backpacking training? (course/instructor; where, when)
   
   • PWV Ultralight Backpacking Class in 2012 taught by PWV instructors Paul Randolph & David Fanning.
9. Do you have a picture of yourself?
   
   End of Colorado Trail, 2014