Since spring is approaching (slowly) I have been researching some new teqniques that will enable me to go SUL (with a cooking system!), spring to fall.

view gear list

There are a lot of things on this list I need to buy to break the SUL barrier, but I know that I wont have it all this year so until then I will simply read off the "Function" column and improvise the "Example" with gear I already own when packing for a trip.

Please feel free to comment,

Evan

Edited by sharalds on 01/31/2009 08:56:09 MST.

A good gear list, particularly for a start. One thing, not affecting pack weight, that stood out as an error was the shoe weight. That weight is for only one shoe in an 8.5 or 9. My Terroc 330's list as 11.5oz, but in a 10.5 just one weights 13.3oz. That's what comes of being obsessive and having a gram/ounce digital scale on my desk. Good luck with the 1oz pad under the quilt. Have you actually tried it? I often use a Nightlight torso at 3.5oz and that's pushing it.

Thanks for correcting me on the shoes. I wear a size 13.

I said 1.5 oz. for sleeping pad I meant for it to only close off the gap below me (cutting it to about 8in. wide - and leaving it as long as it comes) when using the quilt (since it does'nt wrap all the way around), not a comfort item.
My primary "sleeping pad" will be just leaves, pine needles, and boughs underneath me.

Edited by edude on 01/30/2009 17:48:13 MST.

Evan, Looks like a lot of great specialized choices. Since you say there are a lot of items you need to buy I would caution against building a gear list of items that are not available. I dont think your tarp or bivy are available (both critical items). Also make sure you understand the limitations of the pro 90 quilt. This quilt states it has 1/2" loft, loft isnt everything, but 1/2" is still 1/2". Maybe some owners can speculate on temps, but I'll toss out 40 degrees min in the bivy+themawrap+warm hat.

If you are only going for warmer nights then I would drop the surplus gloves. Your combined glove weight is more then your pack. I'd also drop the sleeping socks. Warmer nights in a synthetic bag. I use the "next days" socks to sleep in...this way they are already on my feet and ready to hike...also means they have had a day to dry out. This all assumes you have extra hiking socks, which I dont see (-3 oz gloves, -1.5 oz for socks, possibly)

I own a virga jacket and wisp windshirt, but I dont find that I need both. If using my ponchtarp I take the wisp, if using a regular tarp I take the virga. I dont seem to have a big issue with the breathability of the virga, it works fine for me as a wind jacket. (-3 oz for wisp)

Gaitors, unless in snow I wouldnt take'm. If you are going to be in subfreezing temps then I'd take a beefier bag. (-4.5 oz)

I dont see a stove? Are you going to cook on a fire? This requires locations where campfires are permitted and it requires skill, easy if dry, much harder if it rains. I would at least add some esbit tabs. Use rocks to prop up the mug and put a tab underneath. Also the tab will work great as a firestarter.

Pad is 1.5 oz...this isnt much of a pad. Leaves are fine for warmer nights, but again this requires additional time and skill in locating sites with thick forest layers. Your pad also needs to be your frame for your pack. I'm concerned a 1.5 oz will not be enough structure for 15 lb pack (gear+food+water) especially if it is 8" wide (not sure how this will work).

I'd recommend dropping gloves, wisp, gators (saving 10.5 oz) and use this to add a lower rated bag and 3/8" trimmed closed cell pad (golite ultra 20 and GG thinlight trimmed to 40" adding 6-7 oz). You would actually come out several ounces lighter and be able to tackle much colder conditions and your pack should ride better.

Again you have an incredible list, but one that also requires some special skills and the time to emply them: packing a frameless, setting up a tarp, fire building, camp selection, etc.

Good luck, Jamie

Edited by jshortt on 01/31/2009 08:39:31 MST.

>"but one that also requires some special skills and the time to emply them: packing a frameless, setting up a tarp, fire building, camp selection, etc."

Skills I have already:

1.builiding good cooking fire, check.
2.setting up atarp properly, check.
3.camp selection, check.

I think that I will take your sugg. of removing those items and replacing them with a better sleeping bag and sleeping pad.

What do you mean by >"I dont think your tarp or bivy are available (both critical items)."?

Cheers

Who was it that replaced the PDF link with an active one?

Thanks!

-Evan

What do you mean by >"I dont think your tarp or bivy are available (both critical items)."?

The tarp and bivy are both out of stock on this site...and have been for porbably a year or more. I'm guessing sometime in 09 we might see some new tarps and bivy show up, but no BMW's for now.

I'd recommend going to Mountain Laurel Designs. Similar items are available on that website. Great gear, but it will take some time to get them made.

Jamie

Changes made.

Cheers

1. You'll need more than 4 stakes. 6 at the least, and 8 for all the points. I am all for carrying stakes in summer for tarp camping.

2. Have you slept on just the plastizone pad? Remember, you'll spend about 1/3 of your time on that pad.

3. If you are in northern idaho, the water should be really clean. And you'll be nimble enough to travel to a good spring. Leave the coffee filters behind. The bandana will do the same thing. Or, a bug head-net.

4. 26 oz per day of food is a smidge high for 3 days. You could easily and safely go down to 24 oz per day (or even 22) and be fine for a short trip. Be careful not to take too much - you other numbers are impressivly LOW, and the food should be too.

5. Why 3.5 days of food? In essence, that's enough for 4 nights out, if you plan to start in the afternoon, and finish early in the day. Again, be careful to keep the food weigh low to match your gear weights.

Beyond that, It looks really nice!

Edited by mikeclelland on 01/31/2009 19:55:22 MST.

3.5 days (and 4 nights) as shown below...

start:
1/4 day
THURS
leave the road head after NOON
*
night A
*
day 1 - FRI
*
night B
*
day 2 - SAT
*
night C
*
day 3 - SUN
*
night D
*
Final:
MON
1/4 day (return to car by NOON)

Thanks, Mike, I always look forward to reading your posts!

I have slept on cold concrete and the ground w/o a sleeping pad at all (when i forgot it on a canoeing trip) lol, (although I find this very uncomfortable), so im sure the skimpy foam will be just fine.

Nixxing the coffe filters!

I am going to reduce it to 24 oz. per day, but thats as far as im going down, just to remain comfortable and content in the backcountry.

are you sure I cant get away with only 4 stakes?
I've pitched tarps w/o any stakes using rocks, deadman anchors, roots, bushes, and trees (oh, and native stakes that i wittled)

-Evan

24 oz is 1.5 pound per person per day. A good number!

Also - I am Not sure of the configuration of the tarps particular tie-outs, but a tarp will need to protect you in a storm.



Sure - you can get by with minimal stakes in low elevation, but it gets more complicated in alpine terrain above tree line. I'VE TAKE ZERO stakes and been just fine, but I now find I like them for a truly drim tight wrinkle free shelter. I made a set from titanium wire (VERY light)...

M!

Panel size or Number of stakes? More Impostant? Never save weight on tent stakes or guy lines!

Edited by Creachen on 01/31/2009 22:11:40 MST.

But if you are hiking below treeline, trees can be a reliable soursce for ridgeline "staking", right?

I have decided to add an alcohol stove system to this list to make it more flexible.

http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/ministove.shtml

This is the stove I will be using, it'll just be homemade.

Anyway, my Question is, how much does HEET weigh per fl. Oz.?

Thanks,
Evan

Hey Evan-

I am pretty sure that as far as insect repellent goes, DEET is where it is at. I have heard concerns over directly applying Peremethrin to your skin, but that multiple studies have confirmed the harmlessness of DEET. Peremethrin is generally used, and considered safe, as a chemical to treate your clothing. I think that insect repellents work by making you invisible to the creepies and the crawlies and most importantly the blood suckers (though I have no idea how), so your peremethrin-treated clothes mask those parts of your body and the DEET finishes the job by cloaking your exposed limbs. Just a few drops will suffice, so you can keep your container. However, DEET has been known to melt certain plastics, so if you have extra BPL droppers laying around, you might want to use those.

Best of luck!

Jed

The stuff i meant to say just couldnt remember the name of it used in Go-Ready spray bottles was Picaridin.

I have decided to discontinue use of 100% DEET because it irritates my skin and i dont like the smell.

-Evan

I discontinued the use of 100% DEET when it turned the handles of my trekking poles sticky. As in melted them.

Last summer I toke two pieces of plastic and sprayed DEET on one and Go-Ready on the other (and circled the to-be-affected area with permanent marker and labeled them), then set them both in the sun for a week. When I checked on it, the structural integrity of the DEET sheet was severly damaged!

updates made to list and alcohal stove system included, but base weight is STILL SUL!

Goodnight everyone...or i mean good morning if you are East of the Pacific time zone, lol.

-Evan

Edited by edude on 02/01/2009 00:10:01 MST.