Where are you going? What's the weather? That's important?

It looks good, but you have 4 different shirts. That seems like a lot. For my 3 night, 4 day trip to Yosemite, I'm bringing the clothes I'm wearing and one silk long sleeve shirt to sleep in. And there are people here who would call that extra shirt a luxury.

What's the shovel for? You can dig a cat hole with your tent stake, or a stick.

Is it necessary to carry 2L of water? I don't use a steripen, but doesn't it take like 1 minute to purify water. 2L is only needed if water sources are few and far between, or it's really hot. 1L would be ~2lbs dropped.

2.4 oz is a lot of bug spray. Maybe consider treating your clothes with permithrin and bringing less(or repackaging in a smaller container). Or buy 100% DEET and use less.

Hand soap and sanitizer? Bring sanitizer. Clean your hand with water and then sanitize. Or wash with soap and drop the sanitizer.

You could buy lighter titanium shepards hook stakes and save weight. They work fine with a tent like the DR as long as the ground isn't super rocky and it's not hurricane type weather. Probably save an ounce.

Can you fit the NeoAir in the DR stuff sack? Or another? I keep mine with my quilt, away from sharp stuff.

Mike C! would have you drop the TP (I bring it) and drop the knife for a .1oz straight razor.

Can your camera fit in your pocket?

Edited by jrmacd on 08/02/2009 22:13:58 MDT.

"Lighter camera. There is one that weighs like 4 oz."

This one im willing to make an exception for its the Lumix zs3. Wide angle, 12x zoom, leica lenses, takes amazing pictures.

"How about a monocular instead of binocs."

Im thinking i might not need binocs at all with 12x zoom but im not sure if i want to waste batteries looking at things on a 3" LCD screen.


"Skip the case and put it in a baggie."

Like a zip loc bag?



"You sure these weights below are right ?? My silk tops and bottoms weigh 10oz"

They should be. I bought special super light long underwear from Brazil. They look sort of like nylons without the feet. Very light. The hat is a microdome hat and I was surprised it even registered let alone 0.8 oz. But if my platy is off like you say, these might too. It was a cheap $35 digital scale.


"Skip the camping stool"

Im thinking this might be nice to have to give my legs a rest every now and that and keep my pants clean and dry. I dont know if thats worth 18oz though.


What do you think the best way to reach 8# base is?

What do you think the best way to reach 8# base is?

Check out Alan Dixon's 9lb "full comfort" gear list. Pretty cool.

"Where are you going? What's the weather? That's important?"

Glacier national park. The weather looks to be pretty cold so far. Everything is below freezing at night and around 60 during the day. Im betting it will get into the mid 80s while we are there though.

"It looks good, but you have 4 different shirts. That seems like a lot. For my 3 night, 4 day trip to Yosemite, I'm bringing the clothes I'm wearing and one silk long sleeve shirt to sleep in. And there are people here who would call that extra shirt a luxury."

Yeah good call. I will take a few shirts out of there. My concern is that the lightest shirt is black and will make me warm. Not sure how big of a factor that is though.



"Is it necessary to carry 2L of water? I don't use a steripen, but doesn't it take like 1 minute to purify water. 2L is only needed if water sources are few and far between, or it's really hot. 1L would be ~2lbs dropped."

Im not familiar with the area so I will probably carry two just because I sweat a lot and go through water very fast. I can adjust as I go though. One part of my hike crosses like 5 rivers a day. I will probably carry 1L for that portion.



"2.4 oz is a lot of bug spray. Maybe consider treating your clothes with permithrin and bringing less(or repackaging in a smaller container). Or buy 100% DEET and use less."

The ultrathon is supposed to be amazing but its pricy. I would empty some out to make it lighter but it costs so much I just cant seem to do it.


"Hand soap and sanitizer? Bring sanitizer. Clean your hand with water and then sanitize. Or wash with soap and drop the sanitizer."

Is one better than the other for all around use? ie. Can I wash my pot out with hand sanitizer?


"You could buy lighter titanium shepards hook stakes and save weight. They work fine with a tent like the DR as long as the ground isn't super rocky and it's not hurricane type weather. Probably save an ounce."

I will check those out. Thanks.



"Can you fit the NeoAir in the DR stuff sack? Or another? I keep mine with my quilt, away from sharp stuff. "


Good call! I can put that into the DR stuff sack and use it to compress the tent down. That will eliminate my compression sack. I like it!


"Mike C! would have you drop the TP (I bring it) and drop the knife for a .1oz straight razor."

Im too domesticated to risk getting p00p on my hands to save an ounce. The TP goes with me for sure. And I dont know where I would keep my razor so that it wouldnt poke holes in my gear. Suggestions?


"Can your camera fit in your pocket?"

It can but it wouldnt be comfortable at all. I dont like stuff in my pockets. Its a pretty expensive camera too so Id be ok carrying an extra ounce of pouch to protect it and keep it secure.

One thing I've certainly picked up here is to minimize stuff sacks. I always used them to keep things organized. Then I found it's even easier to stay organized if I bring less gear.

Is one better than the other for all around use? ie. Can I wash my pot out with hand sanitizer?

I just rinse my pot when I actually eat out of it. It's not like the food is in there long enough to stick to the sides. As far as germs, I'm boiling water in it, so that kills those. But now I eat Mountain House singles, which I eat out of the bag, so the pot never gets dirty. If you want soap, and you're using something concentrated like Dr. Bronners, get something like the BPL micro droppers. I use them for my baking soda toothpaste, sanitizer, and DEET.

The ultrathon is supposed to be amazing but its pricy. I would empty some out to make it lighter but it costs so much I just cant seem to do it.

I don't know the mosquito situation in GNP. I was in Desolation Wilderness in the Sierra's 3 weeks ago. Mosquitos were awful. I had a headnet + permethrin treated clothes and .1 oz of REI Jungle Juice (99.8% DEET). I wish I'd just brought the 2 oz spray of the Jungle Juice, as I got bit all up in the morning. If skeeters are really bad, the extra 2oz are worth it. When I go to Yosemite this week, I'll at least have the spray in the car, so if the rangers say the mosquitos are out, I can bring it.

And I dont know where I would keep my razor so that it wouldnt poke holes in my gear. Suggestions?

Put a piece of duct tape over the blade.

It can but it wouldnt be comfortable at all. I dont like stuff in my pockets. Its a pretty expensive camera too so Id be ok carrying an extra ounce of pouch to protect it and keep it secure

Me too. I carry a case myself, just suggesting ways to drop a couple ounces.

I hear the mosquitos are pretty bad there. I just dont know if I should bring my mosquito net or go buy a noseeum net.


When you cook in your pot, what do you usually make? I was thinking rice and instant potatos would make a great energy packed meal that doesnt weigh much and takes up little space. But I dont think my esbit tabs can actually cook food. I think I might be limited to keep on boiling.

The whole range of the central Sierra Mt. seem to be hit hard with flying "WNV" winged meanies!

I was in the Ebbetts Pass (Hwy 4) area several weeks ago, and planning on same this weekend. You stop for a map-check, water break, etc. and your swarmed!

Must be the late rains we had, and the last few weeks of storms.

I did not take enough bug goop! Going to bring both clothing spray & DEET! May even throw in my head net.

Boy! Am I glad I hike in REI Sahara long-sleeve shirts and ALWAYS in long pants.

TIP! I sewed on an extra sleeve button just below the shoulder to have a second height to raise my sleeve. Do like the under-arm zippers.

John-

If you are looking to get a new tent to lighten your load I would be willing to purchase your TT Double Rainbow. PM me if you are interested.

> "Skip the camping stool"
> Im thinking this might be nice to have to give my legs a rest

This is where Backpacking Light has a big focus: on all those items the shops want to sell you but which are quite emphatically NOT needed.
Make no mistake: by the end of the day I like to give my legs a rest too. I do that by reclining on my air mat while I cook dinner. No extra weight involved.

Cheers

> > I dont know where I would keep my razor so that it wouldnt poke holes in my gear.
> Put a piece of duct tape over the blade.

Better still: wrap a bit of stiff card around the blade and then put duct tape over that. Keeps the blade clean. You can even put a drop of olive oil or something on the inside of the cardboard to stop any rusting.

Cheers

Another good razor knife storage gadget is a one-inch piece of clear hydration tubing. You just poke the blade in until it sticks, and the tubing is clear so that you can see that it is a sharp blade. You don't want to have to go feeling around for these things.
--B.G.--

If you are unwilling unable to leave many items at home, the only other option would be to buy some new gear.

I would vote for a backpack. A comfier backpack that is lighter than your Deuter would be very worthwile having.

"Skip the camping stool"

Im thinking this might be nice to have to give my legs a rest every now and that and keep my pants clean and dry. I dont know if thats worth 18oz though.

How about carrying a sit mat. It can be carried in an outside pocket and used whenever you want. It can double up as a cozy for a dehydrated meal or mobile insulation in your sleeping bag.

You need to go weigh that Exos on a digital scale. Your 58 is more than 2 lbs 4 oz, heck your 46 weighs more than that, closer to 2 lbs 5 oz (Just like mine did before I started taking things off).

John -

If your total pack weight is 20 lbs or under and you are uncomfortable with that, you probaby have a poorly fitted pack.

I've tried rigid frame packs (with lots of padding) that are less comfortable than my frameless packs simply because they don't fit properly.

A 13 pound base weight is not bad and you should be able to find a pack that works with that even if it means the pack adds a couple of pounds. Dropping a few pounds is always good but may not solve your problem if you don't have a pack that fits.

You mentioned you are between a medium and a large and that may be the problem. I'm the same and have had a hard time finding light weight packs that fit really well.

Packs are like shoes... just because one person swears by a particular brand doesn't mean it will work for you... try as many as you can until you find a winner (take them home and fill them with your gear).

"Hand soap and sanitizer? Bring sanitizer. Clean your hand with water and then sanitize. Or wash with soap and drop the sanitizer."

Respectfully a better idea is to get .5 oz of hand soap flakes (these are thin sheets of soap that you use one of each time you wash your hands), and a small (1 oz) sanitizer dispenser (there is one for sale here at BPL that is Benzelkonium Chloride (sp?) and won't dry out your hands like alchohol does). It is a BAD idea to rinse your hands and use sterilizer. It is not effective enough to replace handwashing (so say the medical journals).

Dump out the extra bug spray into a container you can store it in. Last time I went to the optomotrist I got a 1 o.z. spray bottle of glass cleaner for my glasses. Since I didn't use it in a year, I emptied it, let it dry, and put 100% DEET in it. There are 1/2 oz bottles available as well.

You mentioned using your camera instead of the binoculars, but were concerned about batteries. How many batteries can you bring and still be under the weight of the binocs?

Instead of a stool, I use a Z-rest sit pad which extends my sleeping pad at night and helps with my frameless day packs too. CCF pads are great on breaks, with a big tree or a river boulder for a back rest. For a lighter option, a nice square of tyvek will keep your bottom clean and dry and can double as a doormat for your shelter-- something to kneel on while crawling in.

I think you can find a better pack than the Flash 30 that isn't terribly heavy. The cottage makers will get you the lightest. I use a GoLite Peak which is 27oz/770g and has lots of padding. You could "operate" on it and drop the weight a bunch. There are many others. Seek and you shall find :)


Ignore the sub-5-pounders-- they live in another dimension :) It's a lovely goal to aspire to, but then there is the reality of hard ground, foul weather, bugs and all the rest.