Just another hiker who enters the Blogosphere…I’m a native German – so please excuse my straightforward and little rough english – and do currently live in Munich close to the Alps.
I’m a gear fanatic and count the ounces and grams of each item I take with me in my backpack. My favourite hikes are in the Alps, especially the GTA (Grande Traversata delli Alpi) and the VA (Via Alpina).
If at some point my time allows longer hikes than the usual 2-3 weeks ones I do yearly I would like to hike the CDT (Continental Divide Trail), PCT (Pacific Crest Trail) and AT (Appalachian Trail) in the US.
In one of the upcoming years I’m gonna try to squeeze the TGO Challenge into my tight schedule. This is not only a hike across Scotland but also a social event with lots of fun!
Even so this blog is mainly devoted to lightweight gear the most important thing is not the gear! It is to get out there, enjoy nature and have fun!!
Lighthiker's World 
#1 by Folko on February 12, 2012 - 16:29
Hallo Roman
Ich Antworte hier mal auf deinen Gästebucheintrag– Danke.
Dieses Jahr beginne ich auch in Hendaye- ich bin mal gespannt ob mir die Strecken nicht zu “nur” hügelig sind- ich mag ja das Alpine.
Ich werde Anfang Juni starten- vielleicht laufen wir uns über den Weg:-)
Deine Tipps werde ich auf der HP nutzen.
Ich denke schon das die Tracks von Mario65 genau sind- warum nicht.
Smartphone als GPS…. kenne ich mich gar nicht aus- außer den üblichen Kritikpunkten- Laufzeit etc.
Fürs Garmin spricht auf alle Fälle das es kostenfreie Karten gibt — http://topopirineos.blogspot.com/ — dort gibt es auch eine mobile Version-
keine Ahnung ob und für welche Smartphones diese zu nutzen ist- musst du vielleicht mal ausprobieren. Der HRP ist auf der Karte eingetragen.
Gruß Folko
#2 by John Hayes on August 15, 2010 - 16:50
Great blog and full of really useful information. I’m planning a walk on the E4 from Tarifa in Spain to Budapest (see E4longdistancewalk.com) and I’m struggling to put together the minimum amount of light weight gear. Interested in all the stuff about the Iphone. I thinking about getting something like the SatMap Active 10 but it would be great if the Iphone could do a similiar job, even if I took some backup power.
#3 by lighthiker on August 16, 2010 - 09:27
First of all good luck with your upcoming trip. Sounds like a gorgeous idea! In terms of the iPhone the obvious benefit is that it is able to handle multiple tasks whereas the Satmap is GPS only but does that very good. So my advice would be looking at it from a usage point. Is the E4 trail in general marked well enough that you would need a GPS only occasionaly for checking your current position and the rest is map reading (=iPhone) or do you depend frequently on it in order to find your way bushwacking cross country (=Satmap)? Second factor would be map avalability for the countries you cross for both units. Yes, you will suffer more from power drainage using the iPhone but solutions do exist.
#4 by Charlie on June 13, 2010 - 16:16
Hi Roman,
Great blog we are carefully watching and waiting for tips on the key products we have missed! You certainly have us all hooked at AOS Banbury. 🙂
#5 by Ralph Alcorn on July 29, 2009 - 01:49
Anyone who lists Ken and Marcia Powers in their hiking heros really knows hikers!
Nice Outdoor Gear Show reports.
#6 by Luc on June 7, 2009 - 01:18
Hallo,
Ich habe mit sehr viel Interesse deine Seiten gelesen. Ganz toll! And I’m very impressed by your English, your trips and effort in light weight gear. For me also a reason to start my own blog.
So keep exploring, learning and writing about it.
Live and enjoy.
Viele Grüsse von eine weite Nachbarn….:)
Luc
#7 by labola8 on May 9, 2009 - 13:43
Hi, lighthiker!
I´m labola8 from mountaingadgets.blogspot.com. I’ve seen that you’ve added me into your blog links, thank you very much for that. But you’ve written “Iñaki Ochoa de Olza” as the writer of the blog, and he’s not: he was one of the best alpinists in Spain and he died last year at Annapurna (he’ve already archieved 12 8000 peaks!), and so I made him a little tribute, remembering him at my blog. I just wanted to let you know that!
Thank you again, you’ve got a great blog!
labola8
#8 by lighthiker on May 11, 2009 - 08:45
Hi Labola8,
thanks for informing me that Iñaki is not the author of your blog. I’ve updated the link accordingly.
#9 by ccorbridge on April 19, 2009 - 14:28
Nice site! And thanks for linking to me at boomer’s backpacking light. I linked back. I do most of my hiking in and around Northern California. Would love to see the Alps someday. My NeoAir is going to Hawaii with me next week, for a beach trial. Still no real trail time though. I’ll take it into the Kalmiopsis Wilderness of Southern Oregon in late May on my annual fishing\backpacking opener. Hope you get a chance to come stateside someday. Carol
#10 by Robin on April 16, 2009 - 12:39
Roman,
I’ve been backpacking for many years, recently – for no particular reason, I’ve decided to start my own website/blog on hiking. I was thinking about writing a review on the NeoAir and was looking around and came across your blog. Excellent work!!
I’m wondering if it is OK with you if I use an excerpt from your blog in my mine (I will reference your site of course!)?
http://www.backpackbasecamp.com/basecamp/blogengine.net/
Enjoy your hikes in the Alps!!
robin
#11 by lighthiker on April 16, 2009 - 12:52
Hi Robin,
no problem using some of my content on your website as long as it is not used for commercial purposes and you make a reference to my blog as the source. The blog is licensed under Creative Commons 3.0:
#12 by Clyde on March 16, 2009 - 00:11
Contact information would be helpful. Don’t see any way to ask a question or make a comment that isn’t related to a post.
#13 by lighthiker on March 16, 2009 - 08:52
Hi Clyde,
I had a contact button implemented at the start of the blog but quickly found out that a. people did not use it very much and rather prefer to comment directly on the relevant postings and b. spammer liked the feature very much so I removed it.
I get to see each comment and it is o.k. to post something in the about section or if it is something specific and unrelated to a posting I reply to your mailaddress directly.
#14 by Mousepotato on March 10, 2009 - 15:24
Hi Roman
Great blog. I’m a Brit living in Berlin for a while and missing the wild camping trips in Wales and the Lakes. Is there’s anywhere I can hike and camp in Brandenburg? Unfortunately my German is not very good so I’m struggling to find info on other German sites.
Cheers.
#15 by lighthiker on March 10, 2009 - 15:56
Hi Andy,
Martin Traut is another (German) lightweight blogger and lives in Berlin. Most likely he can advice about trips in Brandenburg if you are interested. You can reach his blog at:
http://theotherface.wordpress.com/
#16 by Yudi on February 28, 2009 - 05:00
Nice blog…though it’s very hard for us to find gears you named here in Indonesia..but still, we can learn lots.
cheers
yudi
#17 by Don Meredith on January 12, 2009 - 20:27
Nice website and welcome back. I’ve done a little traveling in your region of Germany. I was specifically in Immenstadt an hour or two south of you. That’s a gorgeous part of the globe year around. I’m in South Carolina. Keep up the good work.
#18 by lighthiker on January 1, 2009 - 18:48
Hallo Michael,
ist erledigt. Glueckwunsch zur eigenen Domain und noch viel Spass beim bloggen in 2009!
#19 by mountainzones on December 30, 2008 - 13:57
Hallo,
der Magic Mountainzones Blog ist neu designed und auf eine eigene Domain umgezogen.
Bitte ändere den Link damit Dein toller Blog weiter aktuell ist.
Die neue Adresse lautet: http://www.mountainzones.com
Vielen Dank & einen guten Rutsch!
Michael
#20 by schmidt on December 1, 2008 - 08:34
Super geile Seite weiter so
#21 by Satch73 on September 25, 2008 - 09:32
Sehr informativer & gut geschriebener Blog. Toll !
Keep up the good work !
Cheers,
Satch
#22 by Frank on August 4, 2008 - 02:16
Hi Roman,
Surprised it has taken me so long to find your excellent blog. – well done on putting together such excellent information.
Will be adding you to my “must see” sites.
(have you ever thought of adding feedburner email subscription? – find it a handy way to keep updated)
Cheers from Oz and let me know if you are ever planning to come “down under”
Frank
#23 by Simon Kramer on June 27, 2008 - 15:38
Lieber lighthiker, wir trafen uns in Forni di Sopra. Bin froh, dass es Dich gibt. Wir mussten Arta Terme abbrchen, weil meine Frau Rückenprobleme infolge eines fast Sturzes bekam. Nächstes Jahr also. Bis dann die Walliser Alpen. Wir hoffen, es sei Dir gut gegangen.
Es wäre schön, wenn Du Dich per e-mail oder life bei uns melden würdest. Herzlich, Evi und Simon
#24 by Martin on May 23, 2008 - 14:38
Sorry wegen der Namensverwechslung. War nicht bös gemeint.
😉
Hätte ja sein können, das deine Seite zweisprachig ist. Aber geht auch so halbwegs mit dem Verständnis.
#25 by lighthiker on May 22, 2008 - 20:27
Hallo Martin,
danke für die “Blumen” auch wenn ich nicht Klaus bin (das ist der Name meines Wanderfreundes). 😉 Eine deutsche Version gibt es leider nicht. Wäre zwar einfacher und schneller, gleich alles auf deutsch zu schreiben, aber dann hätte ich sicher nur eine weit geringere Leserschaft.
#26 by Martin on May 22, 2008 - 19:33
Hi Klaus,
klasse Seite hast du hier! Steige gerade erst so richtig ein ins Thema UL. Bin echt beeindruckt von den ganzen Infos hier. Sag mal ist die Seite ausschließlich auf englisch, oder gibt’s auch eine deutsche Version?
Mach weiter so.
#27 by mountaingoat on March 10, 2008 - 10:48
Roman, I could talk to you all night about hiking the AT. It’s my favourite place on the planet, though it is very, very hard. I literally think about my experiences there, and the great people I got to know, every single day. I want to hike it at least two more times in my life. But the more I read about these Alpine long hikes, the more curious I get…
By the way, your English is great — and I should know. I’m an EFL teacher.
#28 by Carsten Jost on November 20, 2007 - 11:30
HI Roman,
you’ve got an awesome blog here!
Whenever I visit your blog I seem to find ultralight
stories and gear I didn’t know before. This is rather
interesting as I really try to follow what’s going on out there.
I’m still in the process of finding out what to do in 2008.
I might give the PCT a second try which I had to leave
last year after herniating a disc or…who knows do a
thruhike of the Via Alpina?!
Please send me an email as I’d like to ask you a couple
of more questions.
CU
Carsten
#29 by lighthiker on March 16, 2007 - 18:05
Hi Andy,
thanks for your kind mentioning. I will check your site!
Cheers,
Roman
#30 by Andy Davison on March 16, 2007 - 16:54
Hi Roman,
like the blog and have just added a link from my site.
http://furtech.typepad.com/links/2007/02/outdoors_blogs.html
Our type of kit has always been crticised for being heavy, but my contention is that for a system for use over a wide range of conditions and activity levels, without changing layers, it is actually very light. The pit zips add a bit of weight but are very effective.
It is designed for mountaineering.
Cheers, Andy Davison.
#31 by BG on February 28, 2007 - 15:21
Hi Roman
Yours is a good blog – I like it a lot.
Thanks for the sticking me on your list.
Stef
#32 by lighthiker on February 22, 2007 - 03:07
Duncan,
in terms of multimedia usage in a blog you are definately my “giant”.
Roman
#33 by Duncan on February 21, 2007 - 23:50
Danke, Roman.
As I’ve had problems in the past with taking Scots “funny money” south of the border, I’ve little problem with the Euro. Personally, I think the UK govt is being influenced by the people who trade in currency, and the US who see a combined Europe as a threat. But it is only money.
Keep up the good work, and don’t be surprised if a ‘clustermap’ appears on my blog 🙂
I have no problems with “standing on the shoulders of giants”.
Duncan
#34 by Chris - Hikewales.co.uk on February 20, 2007 - 20:31
Just noticed that I have had a mention – well thank you!
Chris
#35 by Chris - Hikewales.co.uk on February 20, 2007 - 20:19
Looking forward to following your blog Roman, lots of great content already!
Love what you are doing with the stoves. I have been using the White Box stove by Bill Ballowe for lunchtime brews and love it – I think I’ll use it on my next overnighter.
Good luck!
Chris
#36 by Klaus on February 20, 2007 - 12:23
hi blog-o-mane-orofskaja,
hatteste ja schon immer vor, nun also hast du dich aufgerappelt…schön gestaltet !
warum du diesen nick hast, weiss nur ich 🙂
dein (GTA) und VA kumpel
#37 by lighthiker on February 19, 2007 - 23:59
John,
thanks for your encouraging wishes! Added you to my blogroll.
Duncan,
2 Euros…looks like the UK is finally moving closer to the continent and getting rid of the Pound…;-) And no doubt..I AM the guy from Munich who reads your blog frequently and enjoys it.
Roman
#38 by Duncan on February 19, 2007 - 22:54
Munich? Ahha, I conclude that you are the Bavarian that has been visiting my blog recently, and I claim my 2 Euro!
😉
#39 by johnhee on February 19, 2007 - 19:19
Hi Roman – and welcome to the party. Best of luck with the blog – you’ve already got some good ideas on layout and format.
I’ll add a link via my blog next time I edit it.