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Edited by MerlinMissile on 10/17/2010 23:23:57 MDT.

Hey there-
How long term are we talking? Months? Years? Unknown?
Toothpaste- I would go without completely, using either a. nothing (its really flossing and brush motion you want), Ecodent powder/baking soda, or Dr. Bronners. Feel free to switch it up too. Can take a small travel toothpaste too- my dentist reccomended brushing with fluorine once every 2 weeks.
Intended environments/weather?
Sounds like you are going to have a blast
Evan

A few quick thoughts after glancing at your kit...

1) You aren't really going light at all from the looks of it.
- One quick idea is that you could save weight by only relying on canned good when you had to.
2) A 5" fixed blade isn't legal for carry in all areas. Not even here in Texas.
3) You might have trouble finding 123A batteries in some parts of the world. Even in the U.S. they aren't that prevalent and some Surefire lights are reported to really chew through them. I'd stick with AA's and try to keep all my electronics using the same battery type when possible. On a similar note do you really need a headlamp and a hand light? You can always wrap the headlamps strap around your hand or belt... for a back up a button cell light that you don't really plan to ever use might be a better choice.
4) Civilian water storage solutions are often lighter and sometimes more durable than their military counter parts. Also the milk jug doesn't collapse well as a secondary container and can only really be used for storing water. For instance, even an unused nalgene bottle can be crammed full of stuff for extra storage space.

Edited by veriest1 on 10/08/2010 04:38:54 MDT.

list canceled. delete thread plz

Edited by MerlinMissile on 10/17/2010 23:24:30 MDT.

list canceled. delete thread plz

Edited by MerlinMissile on 10/17/2010 23:25:04 MDT.

Hmm... I was under the impression that it was 4 inches for a fixed blade and 5 for a folder. Good to know but, I'm curious, was this law recently changed to be 5 inches across the board?

I was told 4 inches by the Dallas DA 5 or 6 years ago....

I apologize for the double post, however, this is a topic I've been interested in for a while now and haven't had a whole lot of time to really look at your list. Now I do and would like to get some of your thoughts as well. I'll warn you that I'm a minimalist in most aspects of life, not just backpacking.

Have you seen Don Rearic's website? If not I suggest you google him. There's lots of interesting reading on his website, particularly the parts about his experience as a homeless man.

My personal take on your list is that a smaller fixed blade is easier to explain away and won't scare as many people. Something like a Benchmade Nimravus Cub or Esee RC-3 is what I'd go with.

I'd probably drop the headlamp and retain the regular flashlight on such a trip because trekking poles would pretty much be out of the question anyway and I'd want to save on weight and space. If I need hands free I'll hold it with my mouth or turn it on high and stand it up on end... not as effective as the headlamp but still adequate in my opinion. My experience with the Fenix L2D has been good. I like it because it takes AA batteries, has decent battery life on the lower settings, and has survived to function after quite a few impacts. Have you been trained in how to use your flashlight for self defense? If not, and you have the intention of using it should the situation arise then I'd look into some lessons. It isn't a difficult thing to use but some practice could go a long ways.

I noticed that all of your fire starters are dependent upon being dry. I think I'd carry a couple of mini bics and a small fire steel. If not I'd still carry the fire steel since it makes for something to do even if you aren't well versed with it - you can always practice when you're bored!

Are you carrying all of these clothes or are these what you're wearing too? If it's carry I'd think you'd be able to cut down on some things here. If it's the clothes you're wearing too then I'd still think long and hard about all of them. Particularly the second pair of pants and second shirt. It seems people have traveled with a lot less, that is, the clothes on their back and some extra socks.

The pack I've been eying for such a trip is the Golite Pinnacle. This may not work for your weights though. Do you have any idea how much all this gear is going to weigh? How much food you're going to be carrying? The amount of water you have the capacity to carry is significant in and of itself.

I like my flat tarps for the simplicity, weight, and size (both coverage and packing size) however for such a long trip I'd probably choose a tarp tent of some sort. Possibly the original and a silnylon or cuben fiber poncho tarp as a back up shelter and backup rain gear. I'd want to be able to implement it into my primary shelter for more room on days where I'm lounging in/around the tent.

I'm sure you'll have to check this load into baggage to travel so some of the smaller essential gear and a backup shelter/rain gear in a light weight "peak bag" (a dry bag with straps possibly) might be in order. I figure I'd use it for my sleeping and clothing normally but reallocating your gear for flight would be a good idea since you never know when they're going to lose something.

Those are some things to think about anyway, if you haven't already, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts on these subjects.

Edited by veriest1 on 10/09/2010 00:16:26 MDT.

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Edited by MerlinMissile on 10/17/2010 23:25:37 MDT.

That looks like a nice knife. I'd still carry something smaller and around the size of the two knives I mentioned but the classic lines are a good idea.

As far as the light for self defense I was referring to the body of the light and not the bulb... as in using it as a fist load and using the ends to bash whatever attacked you.

If you decide to go with a different pack Golite and ULA make packs with suspension that should save you some weight at a reasonable price.

For little money you could save some ounces by using a pack liner instead of a pack cover. I think they're more effective too.

It still looks like this load will be awfully heavy but you shouldn't have to carry a full load of water all the time. Any idea how much weight the food will add?