Wind River / Maroon Bells for newbie

[Michael Ray]

Heading off for my second major trip in a few days. Mostly want advice on whether I should take one of the other few pieces of clothing I own instead of something I've chosen. I have a Cap 3 & Cap 4 1/4 zip tops, Cap 3 bottoms and should I take a balaclava instead of a beanie?

PACK – SHELTER – SLEEPING
GoLite Pinnacle L 28.7
Compactor trashbag 2.5
NeoAir Small 9.3
Pad pump / pillow 5.7
MYOG LDPE tarptent 20
REI Sub Kilo Men's Reg 29
Compression bag 2.3
Blue CCF pad 8.6
CLOTHING
NB Fugu jacket 13.3
BPL Cocoon pants 10.7
MH Beanie 0.8
MH Lightweight gloves 1.2
Injini performance crew socks 0 2.2
Bridgedale lightweight crew socks (sleep) 2
Champion DuoDry long-sleeve shirt (sleep) 6.6
RR Adventure shirt 0 7.9
BPL Thorofare pants 0 4
Cap 2 pants (sleep) 4.7
SA Adventure hat 0 3.1
BPL headnet & bag 0.5
DriDucks 9.7
Inov8 315 0 20.8
COOKING / WATER
Super Cat 0.3
AL flashing windscreen 1.3
Mini Bic & firesteel 0.6
AL Scout cookpot & lid 5.5
Plastic spoon 0.1
Padded envelope cozy 0.9
2 1L drink bottles 3
Bandanna 0.7
Dropper bottle of bleach 0.8
Frontier Pro filter 2.3
48' nylon rope w/ carabiner 3.1
Dry sack & Opsak 2.5
MISC ITEMS
Camera & filter & extra batts 16.1
Tripod 1.6
Trowel 2
First aid kit 1.7
Compass 0.8
Small pocket knife w/ scissors 0.8
Energizer headlamp 3
Trekking poles 0 21
Watch 0.8
Towel 0.7
Chapstick 0.4
Bug spray 1.1
Toothbrush & paste 0.8
Hand sanitizer 1.3
Maps 3.2
Bible, Journal, Cards & Pencil 7.6
Clip-on Sunglasses & case 1.6
Ditty bag 0.4

TOTAL (lbs) 13.79 3.69

I'm actually pretty happy with this list since in reality I lost 5 pounds from my first trip last summer in the Smokies. I'm gaining back 26 oz in cold weather gear for this high elevation trip though.

I'm also trying to convert to a Heine pot, but can't get a windscreen that doesn't kill my stove efficiency for some reason (testing indoors). Boils fine with no screen and can't reach a boil with the same fuel regardless of height or diameter of screen used.

[Mary D]

2.3 oz. compression bag for a down sleeping bag? You can get a 13 L Sea-to-Summit dry bag for 1.5 oz. or a pricier Granite Gear 13L cuben fiber dry bag for 3/4 ounce. You don't need a compression sack for a down bag and probably shouldn't use it (I'm horribly paranoid about overcompressing my down bag, considering the $$$ invested!). If you check your pack liner daily and patch any holes, you don't even need a stuff sack for your sleeping bag–just squash it into the bottom of the pack liner. I use a dry bag for mine only because I gave up on the pack liner (got tired of pushing stuff down in the pack only to have it pop right back out at me).

Your reading/journal could be cut considerably, too. I suspect that most of the weight is from your Bible. I took an old pocket Bible (already falling apart) and cut it apart. (It isn't the physical book that is sacred but what's in it.) I take whatever Bible book I'm currently reading, plus a section of Psalms, inside a quart ziplock bag. Total weight is 0.5 oz. Pencil plus part of a small notebook (enough for rough journal notes) is 1.2 oz. I must admit that I rely more and more on my camera plus rough notes and do most of the writing after the trip. Your mileage, of course, may vary. At least get a notebook with lightweight paper and minimal binding.

I personally wonder about the DriDucks since daily thunderstorms are the norm in both areas to which you are going. At least test them (or any other rain gear) in the shower for 30-45 minutes and seal any seams that leak. Good idea to test your tent under the hose, too. A couple of years ago I discovered a place I'd missed when seam sealing that was right over my head!

I personally would take the balaclava instead of the beanie, but since you have the puffy jacket and pants, you certainly don't need a heavier base layer.

[Michael Ray]

I might try to nix the comp bag. I never liked the feel of my pack just stuffing the Sub Kilo in the bottom but now I just removed the back pad and am rolling a CCF pad inside so I may not be able to feel as much difference.

Pocket NT Bible and Rite in the Rain journal (I went with the larger 374-M) are about the same size & weight actually.

I'm really more concerned with whether I should take one of the Capilene layers I have in place of something else and getting a windscreen that will work well with my SuperCat and a Heine pot so I can nix the wide pot. Being an engineer, the latter has been both puzzling and frustrating.

[Michael Ray]

Security was a breeze – didn't even have to open my backpack with all my homemade needle stakes. Now waiting for my overbooked flight to Denver. Plane just arrived.

[Mary D]

Good luck on your trip! I hope we get a trip report!

[Michael Ray]

TR is in the works. Wind Rivers portion is just about done.

[Michael Ray]

Trip reports with video links are up.

Some notes on the gear: 1) I did take the compression bag so I could fit all the food on my outbound flight (I didn't check anything). I did end up using it 2 other times I think for good reasons. 2) I never used my puffy clothing except the last night when I lay outside looking at the sky. Would have liked to sleep out there but didn't have enough foot insulation to do that without my bag. Of course, you never know when the puffies may be needed in the Rockies so you need them for any trip over a couple days. 3) Since I ended up using my DriDucks jacket to shield the foot of my bag from any possible condensation as I rolled around, I would take my Cap 3 shirt to sleep in next time. 4) I never used my headnet or DEET. The skeeters were certainly there, but just a major annoyance at times. I'm sure the permethrin-soaked clothing helped. 5) I did end up taking my new SuperCat and Heine pot instead of the Scout pot (which was really about 3 oz with a lid I'd made). Total weight for my new pot, lid, windscreen, stove, fuel bottle, firesteel & BIC was 4.2 oz. 6) Again I never used my Frontier Pro filter. I'd finish a liter around 4 hours when the next liter was ready. 7) Will look into getting an Ursack. Lots of places with lodgepoles have no good hanging limbs.

[Michael Ray]

Added a video of my gear changes from last summer

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