Hi everyone,

I will be hiking across the “Parc National de la Gaspesie” by the end of July, with my mom, for a 9-day trip. My budget is minimal, so I had to to work with what I already had to lighten my load. Here is my gear list, excluding what I will be wearing, food, water, and fuel:

- Backpack: MEC Alpinelite 45, long (modified)
- Tent: Exped Venus II (modified)
- Sleeping bag: MEC Emperor Penguin Windstopper Overbag
- Sleeping pad: Zotefoams blue, long
- Stove: MSR WhisperLite Internationale
- Stove repair kit: MSR WhisperLite Expedition Service Kit
- Fuel bottle: MSR 33oz
- Batteries: 8 Energizer e2 lithium AA
- Map: (modified)
- Spoon: GSI Tekk
- Pencil
- Notebook
- Compass: Suunto M-3DL NH Leader Baseplate
- Tape: Duct tape
- Headlamp: Petzl Myo 3
- Cookset: Snow Peak Mini Solo
- Matches: 2 boxes of Coghlan's Wind and Waterproof
- Water bag: Playtapus 2L
- Bottle: plastic bottle
- Water purifier: Pristine (small 2 bottle system)
- Camera: Cannon
- Bug repellent: Muskol
- First-aid kit (3 large pads, 2 large gauzes, bandages, alcohol, etc.)
- Small camping knife (victorinox)
- Razor: (modified)
- Toothbrush: (modified)
- Rope: Mammouth 2mm (10m long)
- Extra clothing: 1 t-shirt, 1 pants, 1 underwear, 1 long sleeves, 1 pair of sox, 1 waterproof cap, 1 raincoat (modified)

*Total weight: 17 lbs.*

A few days ago, I started packing my stuff and was discourage how heavy my pack was: All my gears were over 26 pounds, and felt I made an effort. Since I recently had a back injury, I reconsidered everything and took out a pair of scissors. I started cutting the inside of my backpack, where two closed nylon section where present, but I honestly couldn't find any other use than putting walking sticks. After discarding this, I took out two large plastic side loops and the whole frame; I tried my sleeping pad instead, as a frame, and it is working like a charm. For every items, I did cut all obnoxious tags. I took out little ropes on zippers and the tent. I excluded a solid pastic box for my stove repair kit, and simply put it all in a ziplock. I changed the lockable lid for the fuel bottle for an old one, being lighter. The plastic bottle is a light juice bottle. I took out unuseful plastic pieces of my Cannon. I cut my toothbrush and razor to 1/3 of their initial size.

So far, that's the best I could do. I'm having difficulty lowering the weight at this point. Some possible (but dreadful) ideas I had:

- Exclude the toothbrush, razor, plastic bottle, headlamp (with 4 batteries), pencil and notebook, and the stove repair kit, including the compass, since the trail is well marked and I could use the sun.

- Instead of using an overbag, I thought of using a thin layer of polar, since I will already be in a tent, on a sleeping pad, during summer.
-
Maybe taking off half of the insect repellent.

- The tent is the most heavest item, close to 6 pounds. Unfortunately, my mom really wants to sleep in a tent, and I obviously respect that.

That's about it. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Thanks a lot!

Edited by Fastjack on 07/15/2008 23:48:45 MDT.

> - Stove: MSR WhisperLite Internationale
> - Stove repair kit: MSR WhisperLite Expedition Service Kit
> - Fuel bottle: MSR 33oz
Replace the lot with a CampingGaz stove and one 450 g gas canister. Much lighter and you can buy canisters where you can't buy liquid fuel.

> - Batteries: 8 Energizer e2 lithium AA
What on earth for?

> - Headlamp: Petzl Myo 3
Heavy. Try a little Photon light, or a ReX rechargable.

> - Cookset: Snow Peak Mini Solo
One 1.5 L pot is enough, plus a couple of light plastic bowls (eg GSI, see reviews here)

> - Matches: 2 boxes of Coghlan's Wind and Waterproof
Trivial weight, but try a Bic lighter instead.

- Water bag: Playtapus 2L
- Bottle: plastic bottle
Take two 1.25 L fizzy mineral water bottles instead. They last very well. Wright about 35 g each.

> - Extra clothing: 1 t-shirt, 1 pants, 1 underwear, 1 long sleeves, 1 pair of sox, 1 waterproof cap, 1 raincoat (modified)
Take NO cotton clothing at all.
You don't mention the weight of the raincoat. Consider a light poncho from Au Vieux Campeur instead.

Yeah, the tent is a problem. But tents are expensive, as are packs and sleeping bags. One thing at a time.

Cheers