For someone that has been going lightly in the wilderness for a long time, jeez I’ve carried some heavy loads in 2016.

For the February / March traverse of southwest Tasmania, I started with forty-two pounds (19 kg); twenty-eight (12.7 kg) of which were food.

On the recent hike along Colorado’s Sangre de Cristo crest, I came out of the gate hauling thirty-four pounds (15.4 kg).

And, finally, for the Badlands Traverse, I began my journey toting forty-four pounds (20 kg); roughly twenty-six (11.8 kg) of which were H2O.

Therefore, from this day forward, I hereby dub 2016, “the year of the Big Carry.”