You might be surprised when Ryan is back and posts his gear list. There is still some fluff on his list and he may leave enough behind to bring his stuff under 5 pounds. Also the final gear weigh-in my come up lighter than the weights posted.

It would not take much to drop under the 5 pound mark.

Edited by bfornshell on 12/20/2005 20:33:08 MST.

Hey Ryan F
I know. I've read every last one of the msgs on this forum at least once.

I guess Bill F. will just have to go Sub 4# over the winter some time to show em how it's done.
I really liked your list better any way. Just because it didn't meet the masses, is was still very doable.
This is just the biggest and most complex set of msgs in a single forum on a page that I've ever seen.

I would have loved to have seen the report from your list. It would have been, yeah, I survived, BUT...

Besides, your list was a minimalist approach, where the sub 6# was a shot down version of what really happens when majority rules.

Too bad!

None of you need worry. I've already changed the list, will post those changes before I leave. I actually think RyanF's list was too heavy.

Did a dry run on the clothing and sleep gear in this last cold snap ;)

More later :)
Ryan

Edited by ryan on 12/20/2005 20:34:08 MST.

Aaron: I was trying to answer your comment and lost my post. Anyway, Ryan has made a comment about his final (today anyway) list and it seems it will be lighter.

One thing about the challenge I think, was that the gear taken was available and not "one of" home made gear.

I could DROP another 17.5oz by only replacing 4 items on the list with my home made items.
1- My Cuben fiber Pack (2.5oz)
2/4 - my Cuben fiber VB: socks (0.22oz), pants (2.0oz) and shirt/jacket (2.5oz)

I also think my Poly-Tube Down Air Mattress would be much warmer, more comfortable, and lighter than the pads (at 9.4oz) on the list.

Is any of my SUL weight gear ready for prime time, not without some real good testing. Would I go out with it, yes.

My Cocoon Pullover and Pants, I hope will get to me about the first of the year. This is an item where some weight might be saved in a future version. Cocoon 2, The Sequel, Polarguard Delta??/Cuben?? or some insulation/fiber not yet developed or that I know about.

What I think is important about Ryan's list is that it shows up several areas where new lighter gear is possible with just a little effort or need (someone to buy it).

Edited by bfornshell on 12/20/2005 21:00:46 MST.

We shall all of us be entertained. 4#, 5#, or 6.

But I hope that people will be more than tourists and actually get out and try out their own Winter SUL solutions. They may find it not so very easy to dial in.

As for a sub 5 lb. pack---it would appear that half the battle (or more) is creating a Winter trip appropriate to such a base weight(and gearlist), with all the limitations that implies.The means will be dictating the ends. To a much, much greater degree than for the other 3 seasons.

But It may well prove that the Ultimate Ryan Jordan Winter SUL gearlist will prove to be a good core to build and adapt upon for greater versatility and for more sustained ventures.

Edited by kdesign on 12/21/2005 22:06:00 MST.

any updates on when?

final gearlist...

I don't think RJ is off on the SUL Winter Stomp yet-- no final announcements or news of live RSS feeds yet. Hopefully the weather is cooperating in the Bozeman hinterlands. Weather would have been perfect in my neck of the woods --- the snow is both bountiful and bottomless and up high, the temperatures be cold and colder.

News would be appreciated. ¡Salud!

Just a quick update: mountain temperatures have been in the teens+ here since Christmas, and I'm waiting for the cold to return (lows of zero or lower) before doing this trek.

?

Edited by ryanf on 02/06/2006 13:44:20 MST.

some news please

I can't believe I read the whole thing....

Now I gotta go to the gym :)

Does anyone know what the status is on Ryan's Winter Sul trip?

Ryan is returning from a backpacking trip in Utah (for the university there) today. AFAIK he has not had weather conditions to do the SUL trip in MT yet.

Hello Carol,

if the conditions are right will he still go?

I hope so!

Here are some thoughts about the Winter SUL excercise (with benefit of hindsight, of course)

* There is definitely benefit in a good discussion involving a lot of options ... there were many more ideas presented than any one person is likely to think of alone

* But isn't the benefit severely limited when the result is a kit that works for conditions so narrowly defined that they have not happened in almost 3 months of waiting? Talk about the inverse of the 80/20 "rule"! It's looking like this kit was designed for conditions that occur(ed) <5% of this winter (so far). Wouldn't it be a more effective promo of wintertime packing light if we presented a kit that would be usable more than half the time .... with suggestions on what could be left behind based on weather forecast the morning of departure?

* Lastly, rather than a goal of 5lbs in winter, maybe next year we could try "How light have you gone in Winter in __________. Fill in the blank (MT, MN, OH, ME, CO ... where ever we can find someone with the interest and budget)

Jim writes:

>> But isn't the benefit severely limited when the result is a kit that works for conditions so narrowly defined that they have not happened in almost 3 months of waiting?

I agree. It sort of ended up as a case of the gear determining the trip rather than the other way around.

Still, I think it was an extremely productive (and fun!) exercise. The ideas for stove design, footwear, VB clothing, etc. that this spawned were fascinating.

Cheers,

-Mike

Did I miss something? Congrats, M.

Yes, I think the whole 30 page thread was a fascinating exercise. It helped me reduce my Winter kit
quite a bit----adjusting for somewhat milder Winter conditions. Along with my relatively light ski set-up, I'm just about the lightest thing in the NW backcountry.

Thanks, Kevin. You've got sharp eyes!

It seems the BMW skunkworks needed someone to sweep up all the tufts of 1200 fill-power Eider Down and shards of nano-eVENT lying around.... ;-)

Seriously, I can't say anything at the moment. But, I suppose Carol or Ryan may comment in due time.

"It seems the BMW skunkworks" Interesting word. Amusing how words and ideas migrate around until the orgin is lost.