Back in 2003 I hung up my backpack for what I thought was gonna be for good. But recent weight loss and a painful ankle fixed by fusing got me back into the activity.

It's time to start a new gear list.

Online services, such as geargrams and WeighMyGear are less attractive to me for the reason that the online service back in '02, '03 has vanished, taking all my inputted weights with it, and I have no confidence that any of today's services won't do the same thing.

I'd like to find a Google Spreadsheet template to use for calc'ing weights, etc. Google Docs can be accessed anywhere there's an Internet connection.

If there isn't a good Google Spreadsheet template then OpenOffice would be my next choice as my Linux computer doesn't run Excel.

Geargrams.com is a great site. I'll look through my google docs tonight if you still need one... the boss says that google is an unauthorized site here at the office!!

Hi,
I'm the creator of GearGrams. I totally understand not wanting to trust your data with GearGrams or any other site. I just wanted to let you know that in GearGrams you can export your gear lists to a CSV file which can be imported into excel or any other spreadsheet program (or back into GearGrams). This is basically GearGram's version of a back up.

"[...] in GearGrams you can export your gear lists to a CSV file [...]"

Oh. Well. That's a whole 'nuther story. I'll check it out!

Aw, shoot, I thought that geargrams would be the cat's pajamas, but it seems optimized for a larger screen than my little Netbook has. I'm running Google Chrome under Ubuntu Linux on this little 'pooter, and the usual way to shrink a large page or image under Chrome is with Ctrl -, but the geargrams page refuses to shrink to make anything viewable except what appears to the the uppermost left corner of the app.

Also, clicking on the fields to make entries results in no response.

Phooey.

Here's the screenshot of what I see -- the whole thing, it's not cut off -- and you'll note that there are no scrollbars or any other way to bring offscreen stuff onscreen.

Edited by JackElliott on 04/13/2012 16:57:15 MDT.

I think you need the latest version of Adobe Flash installed in your browser.

I think that the "help" video munged up my browser. Closing the site and re-opening it gives me a sensible page.

I'm gonna start plugging in my gear's stats.

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AhPHXPc8r5IndE0ycm9WaFROMHVLYWZKck1vRWRyMlE

Spreadsheets are pretty easy to create if you tell me what you need I can work something up and email it to you.

Here is the gear list that I use. I have a few of these that I work from. For a particular trip I just make a copy of a summer or a winter gear list and make tweaks to it, this way I can keep a gear list from certain trips if I want rather than having once certain list. Anyway, if you would like, you are more than welcome to copy mine and just put in your information. Here is one of them:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0Aqh886ycFM9kdGowcXlydXNQcmJYS0E3LW40SGxMUnc#gid=0

As you can see, I like using some color and I feel like it is pretty dang detailed.

Hope it helps!

Stick

Edited by Stick on 04/14/2012 18:06:02 MDT.

Other Jack,

I, too, am re-entering the world of backpacking with newly-found ultralight aspiration. I have an OpenOffice template I'm working on that you'd be welcome to use/view/enjoy. It's a work in progress, for sure, but it's available if you want it. It's just a blank template with just basic formulas for consumables (just enter the length of your trip - in days - and it outputs your target food and fuel weights) and the standard fields for Base Weight/Pack Weight/TOOS Weight totals. Nothing fancy.

I'm happy to import it into docs.google if you prefer or I can email it to you as an attachment (just PM me with your email address).

Cheers,
aj

Arlyn, Chad, John, and Christopher -- many thanks for the offers! I've been plugging my gear into geargrams for the past two, three days (lots of weighing!) and I waited to respond to your offers to help to make sure that gg does what I need, and it does.

OTOH, maybe one-a you spreadsheet wizards has an awesomely nifty setup. What if I used gg's .csv export function to extract the data, and emailed the file to you, you could see how to set up an import filter for gg and populate your Open/LibreOffice template with the info.

It's probably nowhere near as exciting as it sounds.

There was a contest several years ago and those are all online to download.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/backpacking_light_gear_list_spreadsheets_2005.html

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/2005_trip_planning_spreadsheet_contest_winners.html