take less. do more.
the surprising ways that humility, generosity and service can enrich your life.
The smell of pine sap warmed by the sun. The feel of duff, soft and welcoming, fragrant beneath your feet. The sound of a stream, swollen now with ice-melt as it tumbles alongside the trail, promising to quench your thirst and soak your tired feet. The tender caress of the morning sun on a cool day as it warms through your puffy, delighting your bones. Spending time in nature, away from all the tensions and pressures of daily life, often restores us to ourselves. For legendary ultralight backpacker and gear designer, Glen Van Peski, the person towards whom countless hikers turn for ultralight advice, being in the backcountry helps him transform into a better version of himself— the person he wants to be on his best days, one attuned to those around him and aligned with his highest purpose.
After more than forty years in the backcountry and on cross-country bike treks, as well as designing lightweight gear to help others do the same, this guiding beacon of an outdoorsman has come to realize a revolutionary truth. The trigger creating his yearned-for transformation inside himself isn’t simply the sensory bounty provided by nature—the glint of the sun off an alpine lake, say, or the majesty of a falcon as its soars overhead—though those are glorious gifts in and of themselves. No, what turns the key to deep knowing, budding wisdom, and abiding life satisfaction, he’s found, is what we make of those experiences.
When he returns to his daily life, little moments from his time in the backcountry stay with him like spikey seed pods that have stowed away on his socks and shoelaces. When he gets home, he discovers those tag-a-long bits of wisdom, and they in turn shift his outlook towards perspectives we all know make for happier humans. Ideas like gratitude, selflessness, minimalism, and humility. Glen did not go into nature hoping to find any particular lesson, but the insights he’s picked up have become gifts he wants to share with anyone who is curious.
The most amazing realization he discovered, though, is that these lessons are available to anyone at all, not just those who spend time in the wilds. The lessons he gleaned, most on the trail but many while simply walking through the ins and outs of daily life, provide guidance and perspective to anyone who wants them. Sure, only ultralight backpackers know the particular discomfort of a night in the forest when the weather turns foul and your small tarp isn’t sufficient to keep you dry. But all of us know what it’s like to have a difficult night, to experience pain and to worry the darkness will never end, and then to feel the magnificent glory of relief when the worst passes— or, for the backpacker, when he finally climbs into a real bed again with clean sheets and a fluffy pillow after days of hardship. Coming face-to-face with lack and discomfort allows us to better recognize the amazing abundance that surrounds us almost all the time.
Sign up for the newsletter to get notified when the book is available!
the surprising ways that humility, generosity and service can enrich your life.
The smell of pine sap warmed by the sun. The feel of duff, soft and welcoming, fragrant beneath your feet. The sound of a stream, swollen now with ice-melt as it tumbles alongside the trail, promising to quench your thirst and soak your tired feet. The tender caress of the morning sun on a cool day as it warms through your puffy, delighting your bones. Spending time in nature, away from all the tensions and pressures of daily life, often restores us to ourselves. For legendary ultralight backpacker and gear designer, Glen Van Peski, the person towards whom countless hikers turn for ultralight advice, being in the backcountry helps him transform into a better version of himself— the person he wants to be on his best days, one attuned to those around him and aligned with his highest purpose.
After more than forty years in the backcountry and on cross-country bike treks, as well as designing lightweight gear to help others do the same, this guiding beacon of an outdoorsman has come to realize a revolutionary truth. The trigger creating his yearned-for transformation inside himself isn’t simply the sensory bounty provided by nature—the glint of the sun off an alpine lake, say, or the majesty of a falcon as its soars overhead—though those are glorious gifts in and of themselves. No, what turns the key to deep knowing, budding wisdom, and abiding life satisfaction, he’s found, is what we make of those experiences.
When he returns to his daily life, little moments from his time in the backcountry stay with him like spikey seed pods that have stowed away on his socks and shoelaces. When he gets home, he discovers those tag-a-long bits of wisdom, and they in turn shift his outlook towards perspectives we all know make for happier humans. Ideas like gratitude, selflessness, minimalism, and humility. Glen did not go into nature hoping to find any particular lesson, but the insights he’s picked up have become gifts he wants to share with anyone who is curious.
The most amazing realization he discovered, though, is that these lessons are available to anyone at all, not just those who spend time in the wilds. The lessons he gleaned, most on the trail but many while simply walking through the ins and outs of daily life, provide guidance and perspective to anyone who wants them. Sure, only ultralight backpackers know the particular discomfort of a night in the forest when the weather turns foul and your small tarp isn’t sufficient to keep you dry. But all of us know what it’s like to have a difficult night, to experience pain and to worry the darkness will never end, and then to feel the magnificent glory of relief when the worst passes— or, for the backpacker, when he finally climbs into a real bed again with clean sheets and a fluffy pillow after days of hardship. Coming face-to-face with lack and discomfort allows us to better recognize the amazing abundance that surrounds us almost all the time.
Sign up for the newsletter to get notified when the book is available!