Hi everyone,
I am constantly amazed by this pack- and thought I'd post my gear list for it.
All this fits, and still leaves room for food and water. I use some MLD belt pockets for compass, knife and bandana etc, but really, this pack is incredible when you think about it!!



Golite Ion gear list, 3 season


Ion 244
ID Siltarp2 385
Stakes 100
Rab Top Bag 499
Thermarest W Prolite 3 554
Six Moon Designs Serentiy 213
ID Silcape 140
Windshirt Golite 88
Windpants Montane 115
Beanie 87
Hagloffs LIM Primaloft jersey 248
Sundries (1st aid, cord etc) 250
Kitchen 555

Total 3478 gram / 7.7 lbs

Everything minus food and water

Post your lists !!!!

Edited by fredfoto on 06/03/2009 02:00:34 MDT.

No sleeping pad?

I'm glad to see more and more traffic on the GoLite Ion! I use that as my primary 3 season pack now.

I'm able to camp quite comfortably on the Ion's volume. I do have pockets added to mine to make it a little more versatile. I kill a little of the Ion's zen with the additions but the pack is a lot more practical with the additions.

I usually end up in the 7 - 7.5 lb range for packed gear and 2 lbs per day in food. I could go lighter by compromising on some of the comfort and convenience items but at a total carried weight in the 10lb range I'm a sucker for a comfy pillow and a simple stove. :)

WM Caribou 1.25
Thermarest PL3 Short 0.81
MLD Grace Duo 0.49
MLD Serenity 0.50
Pillow 0.44
4 needle, 4 hook, 2 g-hog 0.29
Golite Ion with Mods 0.63
Etowah Raincover 0.14
Stake bag 0.02
Camera case 0.09
Food Bag 0.07
Granite Gear Envelope 0.04
Trash bag 0.05
MSR Hyperflow 0.50
Snowpeak Fuel 0.44
MSR 2.5L bladder 0.31
Snowpeak 600 Mug 0.19
Snowpeak Stove 0.12
Lighter - MiniBIC x 2 0.05
Insulation pouch 0.03
BPL Ti long spoon 0.02
Digital Camera 0.33
Gerber LST knife 0.10
Bear Bag line and rock bag 0.08
Petzl e-Lite 0.06
First Aid Kit 0.06
Mirror 0.03
Mini whistle 0.02
ZRest Sit Pad 0.13
Mini compass 0.02
Fire Starter (4) 0.07
Mini-LED 0.01
Wet Wipes 0.06
Dr. Bronners (small dropper) 0.03
Sunscreen 0.03
Towel - MSR Small 0.04
Eye drops 0.03
Spare contacts 0.02
Toothpaste 0.02
Toothbrush 0.02
Deodorant wipe 0.01

don - great gear list, are you using the sit pad inside the pack as a "frame"?

Yes, I use the PL3 as a frame. I have the best results if I roll out all of the air, close the valve then make the tube inside of the pack. It gives structure more than anything. At these weights I'm not particularly concerned about load transfer to my hips.

I keep the hip belt because it keeps the pack from flopping around when I'm climbing steep sections and it holds my camera case nicely.

2 questions for you guys about packing the ion.

1) How many days worth of food do you typically have room for?

2) Do you pack your food at the bottom or do pack your sleeping bag on bottom and then the food on top of that?

Thanks!

I can do three nights with mine but remember that I have the mesh pockets added to the outside of mine. With that much food I'm packed pretty tight and have to be very judicious about what I bring (no pillow for example).

I typically pack the Ion in this order:

* sleeping pad rolled as described above
* sleeping bag
* Food and other relatively dense items
* Remaining gear goes on top and in the pockets.

Simple, simple!

Re: no sleeping pad?

John, I think you'll notice the Thermarest Womens Prolite 3 is listed.

cheers,
fred

Heres a quick idea to add capacity to an Ion. I sewed two compression straps onto the top of the lid (about 1 ounce). If I need extra space I just put my misc. gear in a small stuff sack and strap it to the top. I tried this on a two day trip in the Lost Creek Wilderness and had no problems with it. I was afraid it would be top heavy but it worked just fine.

Luke

I'll post a list in a couple weeks after the first trip. I'll be removing most the "zen" as don put it. The dyneema-x and grossgrain is in the mail from thru-hiker to make a roll top and the lycra mesh is also in the mail for adding 3 outside mesh pockets. I'll be adding a good roll top with a cinch strap with a couple optional clips for hooking straps to hold a bear can on top, I'll also be adding an elastic cord system across the back to dry clothes, hang stuff or cinch it tighter... With my present gear I can just barely fit 2 days of food and 2L of water, but the seams are bursting... granted I haven't got around to sewing my solo tarp either, the spinnaker is in the mail with the rest of the fabrics... The point of the multitude of mods is too make it capable of holding a weeks worth of food for a section J and possibly a section k hike along the PCT this summer.

Edited by rooinater on 06/03/2009 13:21:05 MDT.

the Ion definitely teaches some discipline w/ weight and volume :)

here's my 4 day/3 night list (Rocky Mtns)

Ion- duh :) it is customized (flap pocket, side/rear pockets w/ bungi cord) 11.9
pack liner
sleeping bag-Marmot Atom converted to quilt 1.2
pillow-FlexAir med 0.8
pad- NeoAir med 12.7
bivy- MLD superlight (2010- a wee bigger to accommodate thicker pads) 6.9
poncho/tarp- Integral Designs 9.1
stakes/guys 2.4
Montbell ex light jacket (large) 6.0
Pat Cap 4 bottom (med) 6.2
Darn Tough socks 2.3
Smartwool glove liners 1.4
Pat R1 balaclava 1.9
Pat Houdini windshirt 4.2
stove- Wetfire ti Esbit stove 0.4
windscreen- MYOG ti that will burn wood w/ two stakes added from above 0.9
pot- SP 450 w/ custom ti lid 2.7
matches- mini bic 0.4
food sack/bear hang- MLD Spintex sack, ULD rope/mini s biner 1.4
water bottles- Platypus 1 liter, 1/2 liter 1.6
treatment- 24 Micropur tabs 0.5
1st aid kit 1.3
repair kit 0.4
compass- Silva Ranger 0.8
maps- USGS cut to size 1.0
light- Petzel e-lite headlamp 0.9
notebook/pen- 8 pages riteinrain, sharpie ultrafine 0.5
sunscreen 0.3
bug dope 0.2
tooth brush/powder, Dr B soap, MSR Nano towel 1.0
TP 0.5
camera- Olympus FE-360 4.3
"tripod"- Stick Pic 0.4

clothes/items worn stetson hat, Pat 1 crew ls, Mtn Hardware shorts, darn tough socks, Buf, Montbell stretch gaiters, shoes- vary, knife "kit- fallkniven wm1 neck carry w/ sheath, spectra line, small firesteel, whistle, photon light, K&M matchsafe w/ sparklite& 6 tinder tabs, Garmin Foretrex 401, sunglasses, BD carbon trekking poles

base weight is right at 6.5 lbs; w/ full water/food loadout 14.5

Thought I'd bump this thread to see if anyone has any more updates

I'm amazed you can fit SO much stuff into your Ions, I'm seriously impressed. I use mine as a lightweight daysack

I'm a lightweight backpacker, not UL, I read stuff for inspiration and to improve my stuff bit by bit

My wild camping overnighter last weekend with the dog meant my Jam was full!

no update on my gear list, but did recently get back from a 4 day/3 night trip- Ion performed great and was nice to hike w/ such a svelte pack :)

Don't have exact weights for all of my gear right now, so I will just list it without the weight. Usually end up at about 9.5 lbs with food and water.

Golite Ion w/ lycra front pocket and Gossamer hip pockets
Thermarest prolite xs
Marmot Hydrogen
Big Agnes Fly Creek 1 tent
BPL flex air pillow
Backcountry 700 titanium pot
UL caldera cone
Esbit graham cracker stove
Petzl e-lite
Jason Klass Frontier Pro gravity filter w/ aquamira tabs
Granite Gear event sil dry sack as a pack liner/ bear bag
Mini bic x2
Kelty triptease 50ft
Golite Wisp jacket
Spyderco Ladybug knife
TP
First Aid Kit
MSR paclite xs towel
32oz Gatoraide bottle
Duct tape
Fox 40 whistle

^ is your Ion modified? curious as your carrying a fairly "traditional" tent and sleeping bag

tia

It is modified slightly. I took the lycra mesh hydration sleeve from another pack and sewed it to the outside of the ion to make a large almost full-length front pocket. I also added the gossamer gear hipbelt pockets for smaller items. I roll the prolite into the pack, add the fly creek against the back, then stuff the sleeping bag w/o stuff sack into the bottom( varies on the weather, if its raining I have to stuff it into the granite gear roll top sack). Food bag goes into the middle of the pack, then smaller items on top. I use the added front stretch pocket for gravity filter, platypus, and rain gear. It all fits, barely! I think I'm about to order a MLD Burn to replace my ion.

Edited by brian2o0o on 09/07/2010 19:34:33 MDT.

thanks

I'm contemplating a Burn as well- a very nicely refined "Ion" :)