Greater than 20 years in the past, Glen Van Peski started a quest to take much less and do extra, founding the corporate that’s Gossamer Gear as we speak. Like many people who’ve frolicked on path, he realized about extra than simply gear decisions and route planning alongside the way in which. His out of doors experiences taught him highly effective life classes—ones which will go towards the grain of in style thought, however which have been confirmed to alter lives for the higher. And people suggestions are actually accessible in e book kind.
Glen’s new memoir, take much less. do extra: Shocking Life Classes in Generosity, Gratitude, and Curiosity from an Ultralight Backpacker, covers methods people can remodel their lives, together with every part from suggestions for residing inside one’s monetary means to forging relationships via a lens of curiosity. It’s a must-read for many who search journey of their lives and who want to develop their neighborhood of connections, turn out to be unstuck of their circumstances, create extra of what they need in life, and be of assist and repair to others.
We caught up with Glen to be taught extra about his e book writing course of and the way he’s utilizing the e book’s proceeds to offer again to the wild locations all of us love. We hope it evokes you to take a look at his work and discover the bigger methods you can also take much less and do extra.
Gossamer Gear: What impressed you to put in writing this e book?
Glen: I grew to become associates quite a lot of years in the past with John Mackey, co-founder of Complete Meals Market. John is a really sturdy hiker—therefore his path identify, “Strider”—and does quite a lot of journeys yearly. He instructed me, should have been 10 years in the past now, that I ought to write a e book and he would write the ahead. I replied on the time that I believed there have been already nice books on ultralight backpacking, and didn’t suppose my two cents would add a lot. However on the subsequent journey, and yearly after, he would repeat the supply. I lastly figured that not too many individuals acquired the supply of a ahead written by John Mackey, and that I ought to benefit from the supply. So, I made a decision to put in writing a e book that wasn’t nearly gear and approach—though it does have one lesson dedicated to that. I’d as a substitute write a e book about how my half-century quest to lighten my base pack weight had helped train me classes on main a extra fulfilling life after I wasn’t on the path.
What does “take much less. do extra” imply to you?
Properly, in fact, the primary which means is that taking much less gear (and lighter gear) lets you do extra within the backcountry. However, it has so many extra layers than that. The e book presents 15 classes about making use of both take much less or do extra to all of life. For one instance, having a lighter pack on a backpacking journey reminds us how little or no we should be pleased. This can provide us new appreciation for the luxuries we take as a right in our on a regular basis lives, on the identical time permitting us to appreciate that we don’t want extra stuff to make us pleased. Having lighter packs on a visit creates margin, so we’re in a greater place to assist another person, by redistributing gear and even carrying two packs if want be. Equally, after we create margin in our lives—by placing apart a portion of our earnings to assist others, by not scheduling each final minute of the day, by consuming and resting to take care of vitality—we are able to use the margin to assist others that come throughout our paths.
What do you most hope readers take away from this e book?
Let’s be sincere, there’s nothing earth-shattering in my e book. I’ve not found any “new secrets and techniques” to residing a extra impactful, fulfilling life. However, what I do know is that all of us hear issues in several methods, and soak up issues at a timing in our life that makes us receptive to them. So, my hope is that via the phrases I’ve chosen and the tales I’ve instructed, that the timing will coincide for some folks, they usually can implement a few of the “take much less, do extra” classes to make some modifications and create a life with extra function, which means, and pleasure.
What made you select to donate all e book proceeds to the Pacific Crest Path Affiliation?
I’ve an extended historical past with the PCTA. Ever since I returned to the West Coast by using my bicycle throughout the nation in 1976, I’ve lived comparatively near the Pacific Crest Path, in California and now Oregon. When our oldest son Brian joined Boy Scouts, the capstone backpacking journey was per week within the Excessive Sierra on the PCT, and most of the coaching journeys have been on the southern parts of the path. When my buddy Learn Miller, the scoutmaster of our troop, determined to part hike the PCT in a 12 months, I made lots of these hikes with him. I frolicked on the PCTA board of administrators as a technique to give again, and offered at most of the PCTA conferences. And it was my involvement with the PCTA that led to the introduction to John Mackey, which is single-handedly accountable for an enormous majority of the goodness that has flowed into my life, straight and not directly. I’m blessed to be in a spot the place more cash gained’t make a distinction in my way of life. So, equally to by no means having taken a wage from Gossamer Gear, I made a decision to commit to creating no cash off the e book. And the PCTA appeared the pure option to obtain the income.
The place can folks discover your e book and what’s the easiest way they will observe together with any associated launch occasions?
I’ve been on quite a lot of podcasts, which might be discovered on my press web page, and folks can examine on upcoming in-person or digital occasions on the occasions web page. The e book itself might be bought from Gossamer Gear (the place the primary 100 orders will embrace signed bookplates), choose different web sites like Backpacking Mild or Litesmith, wherever books are bought on-line, or ordered out of your native bookstore. Individuals can obtain a pattern chapter and discover out extra concerning the e book on my web site’s e book web page. The e book is offered in hardcover, Kindle, or audio variations.
For anybody desirous to contribute extra to the PCTA for a personally inscribed copy of the e book, they will contact me with “SIGNED BOOK” as the topic, offering their identify, electronic mail, and mailing deal with, and writing the specified inscription within the message. I’ll give them particulars to ship me $40 by Venmo, and can personally inscribe their e book and mail it to them in a particular mailer envelope with an additional shock included.
Study the Shocking Classes of Taking Much less and Doing Extra
We hope Glen’s new e book helps you deepen your connection along with your favourite Gossamer Gear pack and begin planning your subsequent journey—whether or not on or off path.
We’d like to see the place you learn your copy and listen to what “take much less. do extra.” means to you! Share your ideas and adventures with us by tagging Gossamer Gear on social media (@gossamergear) and utilizing the hashtag #takelessdomore.
Hungry for extra insights from Glen? Take a look at a few of our different articles from him on the Mild Toes weblog:
