Daniel states;
" Right now my heaviest piece is my 1lb 9oz Golite Pinnacle pack. I may trade up for an MLD Burn to shave off 4-5oz."

You will drop more then 4-5oz going with the Burn, more like 12+ oz will be dropped/lowered depending on options selected.

@Benjamin Crowell:

I don't mind posting more. Hunting is one of the oldest reasons for being in the backcountry, and I try to encourage others to try it as much as I can.

WARNING - Don't read further if you are offended by meat eaters and their deeds - WARNING

> How does this whole process work? Remove the head and
> guts, then chop the carcass into 4 portions of ~100 lb
> each, and make 4 round trips to pack it all out?
> Or do you go with several other people, each of whom
> carries 100 lb of meat?

The old adage "there's more than one way to skin a cat" also applies to big game :) There are two basic methods used: the gutting method or the gutless method. The gutting method involves removal of all internal organs, while the gutless method does not. The gutting method's advantage is that in hot weather, the carcass will cool faster when it is opened up, preventing bacterial growth on the meat. The gutless method's advantage is that it can be faster and require less effort. Once the decision is made to gut it or not, the skinning and de-boning process begins. The skin is "peeled" off, revealing muscle (meat), fat and bone. Then, one quarter at a time (a quarter is a leg and all connected muscle), the bones are cut away from the meat and removed (that's a UL trick - bones are weight that is not necessary, so they're removed). The resulting meat is usually then packed out a quarter at a time. If you're lucky enough to have some buddies to help (I'm not), it can be packed out in one trip. If not, four trips out of the backcountry, and you've got yourself a freezer full of the most organic meat you can get! Backpack hunting is not an easy task, and I work out and hike all year long in order to do it. If you're not opposed to meat eating, I highly recommend trying it. There's no better sense of accomplishment, nor is there a better way to understand exactly what it takes to put meat on a plate, then to hunt with a backpack!

> Is there any way of caching the meat so that it won't get eaten by critters before you can come back for it?

Yes, if you need to cache, you put the meat into a special bag to keep the flies off and hang it in a tree.

> What area and season is this?

Elk hunting takes place mainly in the mountains of the western U.S. Seasons run from September into January. The seasons vary in length from a few days to a few weeks. The early seasons are usually for archers and the later ones are for riflemen.

I hope that answers your questions, and maybe even encourages you to give it a try sometime.

Regards,
Scott

Edited by cyclewacko on 06/30/2010 10:09:41 MDT.

A sled is very handy if there is enough snow on the ground.

I must admit that part of my load, when the wife comes, is our 6 pound 4 person bomber tent. It's very roomy for the 3 of us, has great bug protection, and has handled amazing rain storms in the past. Plus when the fly is off the whole top is no-see-um, providing great night time views. It's the price I pay for her happiness. As she says, "if i'm gonna have to p00p like a bear in the woods and not be able to shower, I better be able to sleep in a cozy tent!" And frankly, when momma's happy, we're all happy :)

When she's not coming, the weight will likely be replaced with a high power pellet gun for taking squirrel for evening deliciousness.

"You will drop more then 4-5oz going with the Burn, more like 12+ oz "

Thanks for the math check. I did see the base Burn was under 10oz. That pack looks great. Maybe they will list the weight with common options.

I have reduced my kit down to where the GoLite Pinnacle is way to big. I'll keep it for cold weather and Scout hiking where I need extra space.

My go-to tent when I'm with my wife and there's bugs (most of my trips) is my Moss Stargazer. 7-ish pounds, but absolutely perfect...the best 7 pounds I've ever carried...

I also like my First Need XL...I even take it on solo trips sometimes. Water comes out tasting better than tap, even with stagnant puddle water.

For winter trips over a week long, I employ an Arcteryx Bora 95. 9lbs, trimmed, with lid. I've though about swapping it for an ULA Catalyst or 60L CiloGear Dyneema Worksack, but it's one of those things...I've had it for seven years now, and after countless miles it's got just one hole (an errant trekking pole tip), a few scuffs, and a lot of my respect.

My Dad's North Face 30*F sleeping bag that must be 15+ yrs. old still kicks butt. It has lost some loft over the years and weighs a darned heavy 3-1/2lb. and only stuffs to about the size of a 10lb. bag of taters... yet the bag has kept me warm many a scout outing nights, and is still going strong!

Edited by edude on 06/30/2010 11:41:05 MDT.

Black Diamond CF trekking poles. Heavier than the other poles by a considerable margin, but they don't collapse at a bad time, and they have held up to lots of abuse at high speeds.

i carry some "heavy gear" for the comfort of my old back :

an exos 58 M : 2lb 6 oz after mods ( both + and - )
a neoair regular: 14oz

I carry a fleece sweater which I like to hike in when the weather is cool. I've tried every (lighter) alternative that I can think of but the fleece just can't be topped for the functionality that I need.

I also have a Large NeoAir that displaces my short NeoAir when I know I'll be staying in one place for a while (basecamping). When I'm on the move the short pad wins but I really like the Large NeoAir and would like to take it on all my trips but it packs large and is twice the weight of my short NeoAir... definitely conflicted on this one.

BD carbon poles, I'll have to +1 that, they appear to be as close to bombroof as possible for trekking poles

they do double duty in the winter for snowshoeing as well- just swap out baskets

Neoair- my base weight for my solo hikes (it's more when my wife and I go :) ) is around the six lb mark, I could give up the neo air to get close to the 5# mark, but am having a real problem even considering it- that pad has really spoiled me rotten :)

"I question though, the strength of polyester vs nylon. I thought it was nylon that was stronger in tensile strength, perhaps exactly because it can stretch."

Dunno - certainly the elastic nature of nylon can help dissipate forces much like a crumple zone in a car. The manufacturer of the tent I use employs shockcord on the guys exactly for that purpose. From memory, the polyester that hilleberg use has higher tensile strength than the nylon they use.

The point I meant to make was that one of the oft touted benfits of the wonder fabric (silnylon) is high tear strength. Hilelberg in particular bang on about it but I can imagine that any tent with a significant sized hole in the fly is going to have issues/require patching to avoid the tear spreading. What matters in the field is that the material doesn't pull apart to start with (because after a rip occurs you're going to have to do something about it no matter what the tear strength eg. just to keep out water if nothing else) and this simply requires "adequate tensile strength" (assuming you can keep sharp things away from your tent).

"Just out of curiosity, what are the compromises that you find with Tarptents?"

1. It's hard for me to see them before purchasing.

2. I like the Scarp and the Moment, but both have aspects of "canopy near or in your face" and in the case of the Moment I would like to wait until there's some kind of 2nd layer (drip deflector) I gather Henry is contemplating post his TGO Challenge "research".

3. The floors are silly - I don't want to have to add daubs of silicon to stop from sliding around

4. Re scarp in particular, there are reports of the optional pole attachments being fiddly.

5. A colour other than grey (yellow would be good for safety/visbility) would be nice

All these things are arguably niggles -- those tents do look nice.

Edited by stu_m on 06/30/2010 22:41:22 MDT.

I just wanted to pop my head in and say nice thread. hunting, nylon vs. polyester, heavy vs light gear talk. all done in a respectful manner. And I learned some new stuff.
cool

You have illuminated one of the core principles of UL hiking: you have choices. You have complete control over the weight of the gear you take and a 50 pound pack is not a given. Being aware of the weight of each item, its performance and function, multiple use items, and taking only what is truly used, allows the freedom to add those leaden favorites. You can dial in your system to just about any weight you like.

The first thing that came to mind was photographic equipment. There were times, many years ago, when I had a "freighter" pack frame with 45 pounds of 4x5 view camera and accessories. I REALLY enjoy my pocket-sized digital image maker now.

I've known geologists and other researchers who carried nasty loads of equipment, samples or specimens. I'll bet that the scientific community were among the early adopters of UL principles and equipment.

"The first thing that came to mind was photographic equipment. There were times, many years ago, when I had a "freighter" pack frame with 45 pounds of 4x5 view camera and accessories."

For my next trip, I have my photographic equipment load down to 40 pounds, so I guess that is modern progress.

--B.G.--

I guess it does come down to priorities and choices... while my pack and tent aren't lightweight I do make a point of using food that is as light as possible (almost exclusively dehydrated even for short trips, despite the taste and expense).

"...of using food that is as light as possible (almost exclusively dehydrated even for short trips, despite the taste and expense)."

I find dehydrated food to be relatively cheap as well. If prepared properly, I find the taste good enough. Dehydrated food simply does not spoil in any short term.

Freeze dried food is fairly expensive, so I use very little or none.

I use a food dehydrator that is about 30 years old now, and it still works fine.

--B.G.--

"I've tried every (lighter) alternative that I can think of but the fleece just can't be topped "

Mike, sell me your down puffs if you aren't using them :)

Fleece is one of those items that work so well in certain conditions that it is "worth" the weight. Like any other UL gear, seeking the best performance for the weight still makes sense, eschewing heavier fabrics, pockets, heavier zippers, etc. IMHO, a fleece should be light and fluffy, made for a middle layer with Lycra bound cuffs, drawstring waist, and no pockets.

I think where fleece fails is when the manufacturers attempt to make an all-in-one garment, making it dense or windproof and adding all kinds of pockets and zippers. I think pit zips are a waste in a fleece as it should breath well anyway. A rain shell needs the venting as it can capture the moisture.

I have light high loft fleece garments that come close to some of the thinner down jackets for real warmth. They are much more breathable and usable in the wettest conditions when paired with my windshirt or shell. They are excellent for extending the range of my sleeping bag too.


My favorites: Patagonia Synchilla, vintage Russell (just like Synchilla), and Power Stretch. REI turns out a decent one once in a while. 200 weight is my choice; 300 weight stufftips the scale to more efficiency from fiber/down based garments.