Cheapest UL Gear List Challenge

[J R]

Dirt cheap -serviceable but not fabulous- backpacks can be made with an XL stuff sack, and some thru-hiker premade shoulder straps… depnding on the size and material of the stuff sack, youve got a bag between 2-3000ci, weight of about 5-10oz, and a cost of about $20. Less if your a good scrounger, like if you pull shoulder straps off of a $2 bookbag from the thrift store.

A Ray-Way type quilt can be made easily skills wise, and if you source your own materials you can make it for about $25-35. About 24oz give or take depending on how its made. Or that MajorSurplus bag for $25…. Or split the difference and “edit” that MajorSurplus bag into a quilt with the help of a seamripper, some scissors, a needle, and a few yards of thread.

A Tyvek Poncho/Tarp from Goodling Outdoor covers your rain gear and your shelter. Im not sure on the weight here, but its gotta be less than 1lbs, and costs $50. You could probably make one for much less.

USGI Surplus sleep mat, $5

A $10 sportshell

WalMart/Athletic Wear track suit – $25 about 1.5lbs

Walmart fleece sweat shirt – $6 (on clearance unfortunatly, Im sure they will have something similar again) about 8oz

Socks (nylon) – $5 each pair

Hollowtop Tire Sandals – $5 or less. Not super easy to make, but they come with a 50,000 mile warranty :)

Pepsi Can Stove – free

Walmart Greasepot – $6

TacoBell Spork – Free

1 liter water bottle – $1.50 or so.

Mora knife 4oz or so – $9 or less – I know there are lighter knives, but for the price, you will not find a better quality knife. It is also fixed blade, which in the event of an emergency situation is HIGHLY desireable.

25ft 550 cord w/ inner core lines- $3

Toss in Vicks coathanger stakes… under 2 oz total. Free.

That list is about $180 or so… and under 10lbs, easily.

Im not sure I missed anything of major significance but I might have. Oh Well.

[Michael Neal]

regarding the $25 sleeping bag, do you think it would be servicable at 20 degrees with a space blanket in reserve for a vapor barrier and a chemical body warmer just in case?

[Michael Freyman]

The local Lowe’s Home Improvement has the Gerber Ultralight LST for $9.98. Mine weighs in at .5 oz.

.1 oz less than manufacturer’s spec.

[Stephen Eggleston]

How about this:

Outdoor Products Dragonfly External Frame Youth Pack $39.97 on sale, regular price is $50

Outdoor Products Pinnacle Internal Frame Pack $39.97 on sale, regular price is $60

Euerka! Getaway 2500 Daypack $38.42 regular price

Certainly not free, but thats about 6-7 hours of work at minimum wage!!

[Douglas Frick]

>The local Lowe’s Home Improvement has the Gerber Ultralight LST for $9.98. Mine weighs in at .5 oz.

That looks nice; I may pick one up. But you can get an ultra-cheap knife at most swap meets and military surplus stores. Mine is a made-in-China stainless steel 1.5″ half-serrated blade (0.6 oz, $2).

[Vick Hines]

How many seasons and where is our target. Much of the country can claim a 30 degree bag as 3 season. I’m in Central Texas and it hasn’t gotten below 32 for more than 4-5 days in the last two winters.

If you insist on 20 degrees, most of the ultralight sleeping rigs go out the window – regardless of cost.

[J R]

Where?

Jim Colten sort of set the stage with 20deg in MN… however I would agree that 3 season is MOST places does not generally dip into subfreezing, so I dont see much need to define 3 season much below 30degF.

[Vick Hines]

Yeah,
Isn’t Deluth the coldest place in the lower 48? Ice out by July 4? Ice fishing in August? Get than man an igloo!

[Michael Neal]

Swiss Gear Hiking Staff $9.95 Wal-Mart, 2 poles for $20.

[Jim Colten]

Jim Colten has no problem with the group defining a three season min temp target at 30F … that would be a four season temp where he was born (south of interstate 10).

As for Duluth … Duluth ain’t particularily cold. If you want cold in MN, go to International Falls, Tower or Embarrass …. especially Embarrass.

[Douglas Frick]

>Swiss Gear Hiking Staff $9.95 Wal-Mart, 2 poles for $20.

Those look decent; do you know the weight? I can’t find the weight on the ‘net.

But sticks are free…and a bamboo pole ($0, 13 oz) makes a great staff. I’ve used one for several years.

[Michael Neal]

http://site283.webhost4life.com/afmservices/trailgear/falk-sleeping-bag.htm

here is a cheap way to make a sleeping bag, although it seems a bit sketchy to me

[Anonymous]

The Wal-mart/Swiss Gear poles I have weigh 12oz and 11.9oz.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Looks like a Pop Tart for a grizzly :)

I had thought much the same about using one of the Adventure Medical emergency bivvies and a 40F bag like a Lafuma 600. I’d expect it to be sweaty. Might be okay in a desert/low humidity area.

I still need to build a Tyvek bivy and try it.

[J R]

another option….

dump the tyvek poncho/tarp, and carry a tube tent,an emergency poncho from Coghlans, and a garbage bag (the garbage bag is cut into “Colin’s Kilt”.)

Not sure on the weight, but you can find all 3 items (if you look around) for less than $10.

That saves $40 from my original list… so thats a gear cost of roughly $140. and the weight might go up, but its still under 10lbs, so Id argue that for purposes, its an insignificant weight increase.

dump the grease pot and replace with a tin can with bailing wire handle. saves $6, and the one I made a minute ago weighs roughly the same as my GreasePot…

Using the Majorsurplus sleeping bag as the price point, and editing the above items on the list, Ive got a base gear price of $115.

[J R]

Another list mod…

24x12inch Nylon stuff sack from Gomberg Kites – $7. 2700ci

1-1.5inch nylon webbing, stitched to the bag to make a shoulder strap (approx $1)

$8for the pack….

Reviewing the list….

$112

Getting there.

Anyone got anything better?

[Vick Hines]

Joe,
Use a Heineken can instead of tin and drop to 0.8 or so.

We could use emergency ponchos, but face it, they shred instantly. Can we reasonably go that far? I’ve rescued folks in the Smokies who tried to get by with them on the trail and got soaked. How about 3-4 mil drip cloth turned into a cloak as demonstrated in several posts and links? It could serve as either rain gear or ground sheet.

RE: bag
You bet. You described my first UL pack, circa 1974. Add tie-down patches and mount a small stuff sack on top in a ‘T’ shape for more capacity. Worked for me.

[J R]

The Heine can works, but $$$ is my number 1 priority, and I was trying to keep people like Scouts (though not exclusivly) in mind. Is there a cheap, non alcohol, can that will help cut weight and be less than $5?

The Drop cloth idea is probably better than the emergency poncho. Pro-rating the cost of 3mil poly drop cloth gives a very full poncho/cloak for well under 3 dollars (per person)

[Vick Hines]

Get radical and use a Sterno can. ONly holds a cup, weighs only 0.3 oz. Works great. Available empty from friendly caterers or full from any supermarket.

[J R]

Is an 8oz cook cup big enough for cooking?

[Joshua Mitchell]

“The Drop cloth idea is probably better than the emergency poncho. Pro-rating the cost of 3mil poly drop cloth gives a very full poncho/cloak for well under 3 dollars (per person)”

Especially if you teach them Pierre’s brilliant technique (which is what I think Vick is getting at)

“Is an 8oz cook cup big enough for cooking?”
Yes, f you get them to buy into freezer bag cooking.

[Vick Hines]

Carol Crooker had a great idea: screw a small alligator clip to a Microlight so it clips on a hat brim or visor. Trouble is, you can’t adjust it up or down, and if you aren’t wearing a hat or cap, you have to clip it to your eyebrow. Ouch!

For 0.2 oz, you can put elastic on a folded and stitched piece of webbing and clip the light to the fold. It will swivel up and down just like the big guys. Take a 3″ strip of 3/4″ webbing (or anything else, really), fold it double, stitch 3/4″ from the fold, run elastic through a double-slot tensioner to provide the headband adjustment, stitch the end of the elastic to the remaining legs of the webbing which spread out against your forehead. A patch of fleece will make it more comfortable. Just clip the light to the fold and move it up and down to your heart’s content. With a fleece backing, this rig will weigh 0.2 alone and 0.4 with the Microlight and gator clip attached. Not too shabby. With $3 Microlight knockoffs, its about as cheap as they come, too.

[Vick Hines]

>Is an 8 oz cup big enough for cooking?>

Is for me. I’ve used that sized “pot” for 9 months at a time.

It takes some getting used to, and it’s pretty much limited to boiling water for ‘bag and set’, so obviously, it isn’t for everyone.

Soda cans crater easily, are not very efficient, and not very stable. For scouts, the pot that comes in the standard mess kit is pretty good. Carry the pot and the cup and leave the rest at home except for car camping.

Otherwise, the Walmart grease pot is the next choice. Trouble is, you need a pot lifter unless you add a bail to the pot. It is also hard to clean that reinforcing groove around the inside, and that is a concern when camping with kids. I would cut the rim off and use a 19 gauge stainless wire bail through double holes on each side. The 19 gauge wire is stiff enough for pouring.

[Vick Hines]

Karen’s World has directions for making a blanket or waterproof cloak that will work as a poncho AND a tarp.

Karen’s Homepage

She also has lots of fun kid stuff for the scouters.

[Anonymous]

Vick here’s another tried and tested idea. Glue a small button size piece of Velcro to hold the micro light to your hat brim or visor.

Regards,

[Author]

Posts