Below is my gear list for late spring/summer/early fall. I mostly hike in North Georgia, and I welcome your comments/suggestions. I did sell my 1p tent recently for a 2p, as my wife and daughter have been coming along on many of my hikes this year.

Tarptent Double Rainbow 45.6 oz (w/stakes and poles)
Tyvek groundsheet 7.3 oz
Klymit Inertia x-frame 11.4 oz (w/pump)
Cacoon hyperlite inflatable pillow 2.8 oz
50' Lawson glowire 1.2 oz
Penny stove 0.6 oz (w/penny)
1.2L Backcountry Ti pot 6.2 oz (w/MYOG polycarbonate lid)
MYOG aluminum windscreen/pot support 1.6 oz (including 3 Ti stakes)
S2S collapsible silicone mug 2.3 oz
Denatured alcohol 9 oz (enough for 2-3 days)
Ti spork 0.6 oz
Petzl zipka headlamp 2.5 oz
First aid kit 1.9 oz
MSR packtowel 1.4 oz
JRB Hudson River quilt, long 21.5 oz
Fire steel 1.5 oz
Extra Smartwool socks 2.5 oz
Osprey Talon 44 s/m 38 oz
MYOG silnyl pack cover 1.8 oz
Marmot Mica jacket 6.2 oz
Aqua Mira 2.8 oz
1L collapsible Nalgene canteen 1.5 oz
Handkerchief 1.8 oz
1.8L Platypus 'Big Zip' 5.5 oz
MYOG Reflectix envelope 0.6 oz (to hold 'freezer bag' meals)
Cream bug repellant 1.6 oz
Tootpaste/brush 1.2 oz
Dishsoap 1.4 oz (for personal hygiene, etc.)
Toilet paper wrapped around pole repair tube 0.7 oz
Potty trowel 3.0 oz

Total weight (minus food/water) 186 oz (11 lbs 10 oz)

Thank you in advance for your feedback!

Edited by Ware4 on 05/06/2012 07:16:55 MDT.

It looks good, there is not too much to trim without changing philosphy by going to a tarp or cookless, or even more minimal. I think you have hit the full comfort no sacrifices compared to other Backpackers level of UL quite well. your list looks quite similar to mine. A few things you could look at reducing weight on are:

Tyvek Ground Sheet - You could go without or just use polycro window insulation and save 4-5 oz. The conveniece factor of Tyvek might be worth it though.

Platypus Big Zip: 5.5 oz is a lot of weight for a water bladder. I know it has the easy refilable mouth but you definately are adding ounces for convenience. Switching to a wide mouth gatorade bottle at about 1.5 ozs saves you 4 oz but gives up 1 L in total water capacity. If you need more capciticy I would add another soft bottle or bring a larger soft bottle. You would still would have a backup container in case one leaks and have the convenience of a wide mouth for refilling

Aquimira - That seems like a lot of aquamira for a 3 day trip. You could repackage it into a smaller bottle and save an oz or two.

Handkerchief and Pack Towel -- For me this is an either or. I only bring one of them.

Trowel - could use a tent peg or find a rock instead. Again a convenince item that you may want to keep.

Petzal Light -- If you don't hike at night one of the key chain lights may be sufficient for you for camp chores and in the tent.

Also your fuel shouldn't be included in base pack weight, only the weight of the container that holds it.

+1 Greg F's suggestions.

Do you split part of the tent weight with your wife/daughter?

There are lighter pack options at that volume and with your base weight.

Would love to see details on the MYOG polycarbonate pot lid.

Really, though, this looks like a pretty dialed-in list for your needs.

To be honest, most of these recommendations are reconfirming the opportunities that were nagging the back of my mind....That is:

The Tyvek ground sheet isn't just heavy, it's also a bit bulky compared to a lot of the items in my pack. I was in the basement yesterday eyeballing the window insulator kits that have been sitting there since I moved from Illinois (pretty much unheard of here in Georgia). None of them are cut large enough, so I may see if I can find one at Home Depot, or just pick one up off of Amazon, cut for a patio door.

I hadn't thought about repackaging the Aqua Mira, though it makes sense...I'm carrying enough to purify 30 gallons on a long weekend trip...I had thought about repackaging other things, like the bug lotion, which I am carrying way too much of...I'll probably shave some ounces here.

The dreaded pack towel...it came in handy on one trip (crossing a freezing stream last November and dried everyone's feet). That's really the only reason that it's survived this long in the pack. The bandana does double duty as my water prefilter. I think it may be time to say 'thanks for the memories' and 'goodbye'.

The potty trowel has never been used. Ever. There's always been a better alternative. I have to finally admit that if I really needed one, I'd probably be willing to find a stick to dig with.

The Big Zip Platypus and the Pack. I have to admit that I am aware of lighter alternatives to both of these. I love the way the pack fits, and the Platy has always treated me well. I think that I would be willing to replace both, but not until I tried a friends' and confirmed that they are equally comfortable/convenient. I have access to a GoLite Jam (friend's pack), and I will definitely give it a try (easy pound to loose). Any recommendations on the bladder?

Fuel: I counted the fuel...guess it's a consumable, but I always carry it. So 'base weight' would actually be 8oz or so less, as I carry it in one of those 8.8 oz plastic water bottles they set on your seat in the first class cabin on Delta. They're just the right size for me, so I always stick them in my carry on when I get off. I pity the flight attendant that tries to take them from me.

And no, I do not make the womenfolk carry any of the tent, it's my concession to being the husband/father. I may not hunt on the trail, or even gather berries, but I carry the tent and I carry their food.

Regarding the pot lid, pic attached as requested. This Ti pot came with one of those 'frying pan' lids, which is bulky and heavy and never used. I made this one from some 3/32" thick polycarbonate that I bought at the hardware store. Just cut it out, drill 4 small steam holes, and attach a piece of cord for the lifter. Works swell.

Henry recommends going without a groundsheet for his tent floors.

From http://www.tarptent.com/faq.html:

"It depends on the conditions you expect to encounter and your style of camping. The sewn-in flooring is remarkably tough and does not usually require a separate groundsheet. We just never see floors come back for repair. Tyvek groundsheets are very tough and great for sleeping out or taking a break but generally heavier than you need just for floor protection. For use on very rocky ground and desert conditions where puncture wounds are possible, a light--2 mil plastic is fine--floor protector will do the job."

Ground sheet
I don't use one either with the Tarptents ((I have several...) but keep two things in mind ;
1) Make sure you can walk barefooted over the site, if you cannot remove sharp objects or chose a different location.
2) don't have the floor taut , this is the reason for the "floating floor"
you need a bit of tension on the floor to get the bathtub up but too much is not a good thing..
(silnylon can stretch over an object, for example someone posted that he had his mat punctured by a rock but the floor on his TT wasn't, however it can't do that if it is already on max tension.)
Now if either 1 or 2 is not realistic for you, then use a groundsheet.
Franco

I would just take a walmart space blanket for groundsheet, its about 2 oz vs the heavy tyvek you have.

silicone mug is heavy. I carry styrofoam coffee cups inside of pot for safe keeping. 0.1 oz each.

i would rather have waterproof matches and cottonballs/vaseline than a heavy firesteel for a fire backup.

toothpaste/brush can be half the weight
Thats a lot of soap for a couple days.
Potty trowel??? Take a heavy duty ~0.6 oz stake and use it to dig with, and pitch the tent with.
1L aquafina bottle would save 0.75 oz

you could easily drop about a lb I think.

Edited by livingontheroad on 05/06/2012 22:18:49 MDT.

If keeping the Osprey Talon pack, you can strip/modify about .5 pounds from that also and that does not include taking out the internal frame.