I'm new at this, but I'll attempt to put my gear list here as an image. Bear with me, I don't know if it will work or not. Any suggestions for reducing weight, or on the other hand increasing comfort will be appreciated. This is for a one week trip on the Pacific Crest Trail in Washington state. Almost all of the gear I have used for some time, but the ProLite ThermoRest Pad is something I plan to purchase before the trip. If it works as planned we will be going from Sevens Pass to Snoqualmie Pass.

see the attached. Sorry it didn't get in on the first page.
Clothing
Rain Jacket DriDucks 0.4 6.0 170
Rain pants 0.4 6.0 170
UV Shirt long sleeve Titanium 0.7 11.0 312
Insulation Jacket MontBell Down 0.6 9.0 255
Base layer top Glacier's Edge 0.5 8.0 227
Base layer bottom Doufold 0.4 7.0 198
Socks Extra Smart Wool Hikers 0.1 1.6 45
Gloves Synthetic Wal-Mart 0.1 1.6 45
Bandana Carolina Mft. 0.1 1.1 30

Total 3.2 51.3 1452.9

Total without food. 13.3
Food for 7 days (18meals) 6.0

Sorry about the formatting. For some reason I could not add an image to this "reply"

I'm going to get a Packa soon. I feel it is a far better solution than my current GTX PacLite parka. Faster to deploy from pack cover to full cover, keeps pack harness dry and, with its huge pit zips and back ventilation from the pack bottom, is well ventilated.

I also consider my down sweater a "must" in the Sierra Nevada and the Rockies because I'll usually be above 8,000 ft. and into cold nights and mornings. That down sweater and long johns are a great way to increase sleeping bag warmth (if you don't have an ultra slim bag that would be too restrictive).

Some ideas from my perspective:

1. Carry a pealess whistle on-person.

2. I like to carry a knife capable of easily baton-splitting wood and making fuzzsticks, should an emergency need for dry wood arise.

3. Did I miss water treatment/filter?

4. I think 50' of paracord only weighs 2 oz. (There are even thinner/lighter options, but I don't trust them to not abrade the bark of branches and kill the branch.)

5. I use a 0.9 oz 2 cup Ziploc plastic bowl as my eating dish and drinking mug.

6. You might try a Ridgerest (8-9 oz) torso-length pad before the Prolite. I have both, and the only difference I notice between the two is that the Prolite seems a little less warm and it is more prone to slide downhill on sloped sites.

Edited by AndyF on 03/02/2011 09:26:18 MST.

Eric. I'm not familiar with a "Packa" and Google returned too many hits to find what I might be looking for.

Andy, the Ridge Rest (9 oz) you are referring to: is that the closed cell foam one? If so that is what I have been using and I had thought the ProLite would be much more comfortable because it inflates. But you said you don't find much difference in comfort. Hmmm Maybe I'll save the $ and stick with my Ridge Rest pad.

Probably a typo for Parka.

Yes, that's the one. You could buy the Prolite from somewhere with a liberal return policy to see if it's any improvement for you. You might want to try a Neoair, although I have not tried it.

I did forget the water filter. I always feel fine with iodine and have for some years. But, I will be hiking with 3 other people and in the past when I have hiked with them I carry the water filter and they carry some odds and ends that might also be community use gear. (trowel, popcorn, camera, gps, binos, etc)

This is the Packa:
http://www.thepacka.com/

www.thepacka.com

Now that parka has been mentioned.....In addition to my Dri-Ducks rain jacket I often take a lightweight Marmot wind jacket (w/hood) because it only weighs a few ounces and it is more versatile (warm for it's wt. Water resistant. Quite breathable, easy to store).

thanks for the Packa link. It is an interesting concept. Living in the Pacific Northwest we are always trying to figure out new ways to deal with wet weather.