My Wife and I are going to be spending 7 days in the Whites.

Our trip date is from July 21st to July 28th. I am looking for tips on whether or not we need to add more gear. Specifically if we need to bring rain pants or more insulating layers.

This is our list:

Me--

Shelter:
---
BA Seedhouse SL2 Body - 19 oz
Tent Fly - 16.63 oz
Stuff sack for tent - 1.38 oz

Total - 2.23 Lbs
---------------------------------

Sleeping;
--
Lafuma Pro 650 35* Down - 24.63 oz
POE Ether - 16.75

Total - 2.59 Lbs
----------------------------------

Clothing:
--
Icebreaker 250 Long Sleeve (worn)
Zip Off Pants (worn)

Extra Pair Socks - 2.75 oz
Lightweight Long Underwear (for sleeping) - 6 oz
Liner Socks (for sleeping) - .75 oz
Montbell UL Down Parka - 9 oz
Light Fleece Hat - 1.13 oz
Light Fleece Gloves - 1.38 oz
Marmot Ion Wind Shirt - 5.12 oz
Marmot Precip Rain Jacket - 12.38 0z

Total: 2.41 Lbs
---------------------------------

Cooking:
--
MSR Pocket Rocket Stove - 3.5 oz
K-Mart Grease Pot - 3.63 oz
LMF Spork x2 - .8 oz
Empty Fuel canister - 4 oz

Total: .75 lbs
----------------------------------

Hygiene: (I carry our pack towel and some Bronners)
Total: 1.5 oz
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Misc:
--
Matches in small ziplock
DEET repackaged
Bear Bag setup (Bag, Rope, Biner)
Compass
Duct Tape
Head Lamp
Map
Mini Bic
Mini Swiss Army Knife
Water Purification Tabs (10)
Alosak

Total: .58 Lbs
--------------------------------

Camara Stuff:
--
HP Sd1100 - 5.25 oz
Tripod - 4.5 oz

Total: .61 Lbs
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Hydration:
--
MSR Drom Bag - 4.75 oz
MSR Hydration Kit - 2.00 oz
Vit Water Bottle for Powdered Drink - 1 oz

Total: .49 Lbs (I know this is too much but the MSR is works and I can't justify another $30 for something I already have.)
---------------------------------

Pack:
--
Osprey Talon 44 - 31.5 oz
Liner Bag - 1 oz

Total: 2.03 Lbs
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Base Weight - 11.77 Lbs
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Her--

Shelter:
--
Tent Poles - 13.25
Tent Stakes - 3.00

Total: 1.02 Lbs
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Sleeping:
--
Lafuma Pro 650 35* Down - 24.63
Big Agnes Air Core - 21.00

Total 2.85 Lbs
----------------------------------------

Clothing:
--
Ice Breaker 250 Long Sleeve (worn)
Zip off Pants (worn)

Extra Pair Socks - 2.75
Polartec Fleece - 11.75
Cuddle Dudes lightweight long underwear (for sleeping)- 9.5
Liner Socks (for sleeping) .75
Marmot Precip Rain Jacket - 12.38
Light Fleece Hat - 1.13
Light Fleece Gloves - 1.38

Total: 2.48 Lbs
---------------------------------
First Aid Kit:
--
full kit - 2.85 oz
---------------------------------

Hygiene:
--
Full Hygiene - 5.35 oz
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Misc (headlamp and lighter):
--
Total - 1.39 oz
----------------------------------
Hydration:
--
2Lt Camelbak - 7.75 oz
Steripen Classic - 7.50 oz

Total - .95 Lbs
-----------------------------------

Pack
--
Osprey Talon 33 - 28 oz
Pack Liner - 1 oz

Total - 1.81 Lbs
-------------------------------------
Base Weight - 9.71 Lbs
-------------------------------------

Thanks for the help,

--scott

Edited by DrDystopia on 06/28/2009 01:53:03 MDT.

Your insulation looks fine both in regards to your sleeping bags and your clothing. Your MB UL Inner and her fleece will be plenty to wear around camp for insulation.

You could drop your windshirt since you can just wear your rain jacket if you require a windproof layer.

Rainpants in the summer are not necessary. It depends on what clothing you're going to hike and sleep in. If you're hiking in shorts and have long underwear to sleep in you will be fine provided you don't mind slipping into damp shorts in the morning.

My own system now is I hike in shorts and use a 0.8oz cuben fiber rain skirt to keep my shorts dry. When I get to camp I put my long underwear on then I can slip my dry shorts over them which is nice if I'm sharing a shelter with other people. You could make your own light cheap rain skirt out of a garbage bag or get a fairly cheap one from ULA that weighs about 3 ounces.

But anyway, before I went to the rain skirt system I hiked in the summer without rain pants a lot in the Whites.

>>>Hydration:
--
MSR Drom Bag - 4.75 oz
MSR Hydration Kit - 2.00 oz
Vit Water Bottle for Powdered Drink - 1 oz

Total: .49 Lbs (I know this is too much but the MSR is works and I can't justify another $30 for something I already have.)<<<


I'm assuming the drom bag/hydration kit is some kind of water bag with a hydration tube?

If you're willing to do without that convenience for just a couple of bucks you can get (2) 1 liter spring water bottles and then use a zip lock for powdered drink mix and drop 5 ounces or so.

I would suggest putting your list into a spreadsheet form to make it more readable for yourself and the community. Unless I missed it, I didn't see an insulating layer for your wife. Here is a nice format: http://www.backpackinglight.com/backpackinglight/forums/gear_lists/a43940ed7befc292427e7ffa7bf76d37.pdf and of course, if you didn't find it, these are other gear lists: http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/user_gear_list_index.html

What are the expected lows for the trip during that time frame? That would help frame how much insulation you need to bring.

One last suggestion is that your sleeping bag and insulating layer are both down. Make sure you have in a waterproof container otherwise you'll have no insulating layers if it wets out. I'm not sure if it's standard practice, but I have seen lists where at least one form of insulation is synthetic.

I think you got all you need to not die. Rain protection is nice even if you are just walking through a cloud all day.

Scott,
Pretty solid list, would lose the rain pants IF your hiking pants are quick drying.

Would not bring bear bag, campsites in the Whites have bear boxes.

Would opt for rain shell and leave the wind shell at home, personal preference on this one.

Enjoy your trip
Jim

Good list. Even though I have posted on other threads that my Golite Wisp windshirt is my favorite gear, you could get along without it and also the rain pants. I have actually carried rain pants, but not used them while hiking so that I would have them dry to wear in camp. or to bed if cold. (Golite Reed) That said I have hiked across the Presidentials on a windy July day wearing rain pants as a substutue for long pants . I have also stood on Mt Washington on a 70 degree cloudless July day. The skirt is a great idea to keep your shorts dry. As a long sleeve shirt which is all you need for warmth on an average day, I use a light weight long underwear top.
At this site you should reference NH, others have written about the White Mountains somewhere out west (Arizona??)
A knowledgeable White Mt. hiker, member of the Dartmouth Outing Club, has a nice web site to help you plan; hikethewhites.com
In the following photos note what people were wearing at the the start of the day and what was worn as the weather cleared traversing the Presidentials one day mid-July.

http://outdoors.webshots.com/album/560021386KlKVXU

Edited by rambler on 06/28/2009 19:24:01 MDT.

Thanks for all the great info.

I did not realize they had boxes at all the camps. It will be great not having to hang a bag.

I will have to get a rain wrap. This is a much better option then rain pants.

I will probably leave the wind shirt at home, I was thinking it would be nice for hot windy days above treeline but I think wind and hot are mutually exclusive.

thnks again,

Edit:

After looking at the AMC site it looks like Liberty Springs, Garfield, and Guyot do not have Bear Boxes. Looks like I will be bringing the bag after all.

--scott

Edited by DrDystopia on 06/29/2009 13:04:16 MDT.

Yeah in general I believe the majority of campsites in the Whites do not have bear boxes although I have seen more recently.

Mice are the main culprits. Hang your food. Leave zippers open if any on your pack.