What’s your big four weigh/cost? Me- 2 lbs 8.4 oz/$773

[marcus hampton]

Here's my big four video. (Pack, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, and tent) That's my thru hiking setup, I often travel even lighter than what you see in that video by traveling critter style. Critter style is a style of backpacking I have been working on for the last several years. In the truest sense of the phrase, "critter style" means no sleeping bag, pad, or tent. It is similar to cowboy style but slightly more extreme. It also means using things like trash bags, duct tape, and cordage to improvise gear like nylon pack covers and store bought trekking pole connectors.

[And E]

6.55 lbs and ~$600

TarpTent Double Rainbow (2 lbs 9oz fully packed in original stuff sack with all included stakes and polycro footprint)

GoLite Jam 50 w/ two sections of zlite Sol; modified with linelocs/Glowire/roll top (29.8 oz)

Exped Synmat UL 7S (14.7 oz)

MYOG Karo Step down quilt (18.6oz)

[M B]

3.9
+/- 1 depending on trip and conditions

[James Reilly]

3.28lb. $965

Myog cuben tarp
Myog cuben bivy
Zpacks 20 degree bag
Klymit inertia torso
Arc Blast pack by Zpacks

[Trace Richardson]

4.61 lbs / $1400 ish

[marcus hampton]

If you didn't click on the video here's what you missed:

Pack- Black Diamond Verto 26. Weight 11 oz. Price $79.95.
Sleeping Bag- MH MTN Speed 32 degree. Weight 15.5 oz. Price $480.00.
Pad- Thermarest Z-light. Weight 9 oz. Price $39.95
Shelter- 6×9 tarp. Weight- 4.4 oz. Price $180.00.

[Brian Johns]

EDIT EDIT: Great video, Critter. I'd love to know more about "Critter-style camping," but I must say I also enjoyed your blustery summit vid, and the gear used unpacking vid. Keep up the great work.

Depends, but for three-season stuff:

(1) Zpacks Zero (Small Extended Collar 1,900 cu. in.) w/ mesh back pocket, WB pockets, 3/4" waist belt, Zimmerbuilt Shoulder Pocker: 9 oz.

(2) Zpacks Hexamid Tarp w/ Beak + MLD Serenity Old version (5.5 + 7.5 oz.) 13 oz. total.

(3) Enlightened Equipment Revolution X 40* w/ Overstuff 17 oz.

(4) TAR Neo Air Short (original model) 9 oz.

Total: 48 oz. and/or 3.0 lbs

Total Cost (to me; for above pieces): $625[I paid Zpacks $185 for the pack, a forum member $250 for the mid but also a zpacks cuben tub floor so I am allocating $200 to shelter, another forum member $60 for the Serenity, Tim Marshall $170 a while ago for the Rev X, and Backcountry or similar $70 for the Neo Air)

EDIT TO ADD: The above is just the latest and greatest fair weather combo. I have a GG Mariposa 2012, MLD Duomid, Zpacks floor (for less weight), Borah Bivy (7.0 oz.), Montbell ULSS No. 2 @ 27 oz., etc. that may be required, especially for shoulder seasons or expected inclimate weather.

[Dale Wambaugh]

Gossamer Gear Mariposa, 28oz, $30
SMD Gatewood Cape. 11oz, $135
Moonstone Delta Cirrus 32f mummy bag, 30oz, $20
Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite Small, 10oz, $6

70oz (4.375lbs) $191

[W I S N E R !]

I've obviously got other gear, but the "big 4" with them most miles on them are the following:

GoLite SL3: $100 (fly only, purchased on sale when they sold them separate back in the day), 26 oz.
EMS Mountainlight 20: $160, 32 ounces
GoLite Jam2: $65 (used), 19 ounces
Ridgerest 3/4: ~$30, 7 ounces.

Total: 5.25 pounds, $355

[Matthew Stenger]

Quilt: Revelation 30 – 21.75 oz, $150 (used)
Sleeping Pad: NeoAir Xtherm Large – 20 oz, $170 (new with discount)
Tent: Tarptent Notch, seamed sealed, with MSR groundhogs – 28.5 oz, $220 (used)
Pack: HMG Windrider 2400 Tall – 30 oz, $175 (new with discout)

TOTAL: 100.25 oz (6.27 pounds), $715

[Edward Jursek]

Big 4 for my summer set-up for 2014:

Zimmerbuilt Quickstep, 9oz, $110 (Gear Swap Forum)
Gatewood Cape, 12oz, $65 (Gear Swap Forum)
Zpacks 30degree cuben quilt, 15oz, $300 (Gear Swap Forum)
NeoAir Short, 8oz, $150 (REI, to return if leaks)

2.75lbs/$625

[Aaron D]

70oz/4.3lbs. $827

Everything purchased new.

ZPacks hexamid twin
EE Revelation
GG Gorilla
Thermarest Ridgerest wide

I feel like there are no further "upgrades" here. I am extremely content with this setup. Shelter works for 2 persons.

[Daniel Pittman]

Pack: REI Flash 18 11oz/312g $25
Shelter: ZPacks 8.5' square tarp 6.35oz/180g $240
Pad: Exped SynMat UL7 medium 16oz/454g $165
Quilt: JRB Sierra Sniveller 24oz/680g $270

Total: 57.35oz/1626g $700

There should be some guy-lines, tent stakes, and a bug bivy, but I don't have those numbers at hand. Probably less than another hundred, and still under 4.5 lbs.

Edit: Tyvek groundsheet pretty light and free

[Steve Meier]

Grand Trunk Nano 7 hammock w/whoopie slings and tree straps: 10.4 oz, $80
Virga Gear Wraith cuben tarp: 5.8 oz, $275 (don't really remember)
Te-Wa Breeze underquilt: 10.5 oz, $135
Katabatic Gear Palisade LW top quilt: 23 oz. of pure delight, $475
ULA CDT in cuben: 21 oz., $235

Total: 71 oz (4.4 lbs), $1200 new

[Anton Solovyev]

Obviously, it all depends on the season: last April in Utah I carried Marmot Helium 15F bag and was glad I did, I was cold on one 20 degree night. Other times I might carry a 40F Marmot Atom.

My shelter is MLD Duomid. I have tried tarps and after one windy night in Utah without a shelter no more tarps for me.

The big four is actually five or even six for me, hard to do without a ground cloth (Tyvek) or stakes.

I have tried frameless packs and had to reject them. Sometime I have to carry 4-6 kilograms of water and GoLite Jam killed me. So, it's Osprey Exos 58 for me.

Weights in metric units:

MLD Duomid 610g
8 Stakes 104g
Marmot Helium 950g
Marmot Atom 650g
Z-pad shortened 210g
Tyvek ground cloth 180g
Osprey Exos 58 w/o lid 1080g
When bugs are out, Raven bivy 250g

I am going to order an inner net for MLD as well, had to deal with bugs on West Coast Trail, don't want that again.

[Aaron Sorensen]

Home made quilt $250 19 ounces

1/8" Pad 24" X 72" $15 3.5 ounces

Home made Bivy $50 4.5 ounces

Homemade Pack $35 10.6 ounces

Total $350 2 lbs 5.6 ounces

[Marko Botsaris]

Since (I believe) the OP is not bothering with stakes, lines or groundsheet (maybe you put them in you pocket and therefore they don't "count") I will not bother either – though I appreciate those of you who did.

Stuff I use:

GG G6 Pack 3.7 oz $89.99
WM Hilite Bag (35F) 16 oz ~ $250
Cut down thin ridge rest pad 5 oz price – meh, pretty sure I got this for free somewhere.

The above I have owned and used for 10 or more years.

Zpacks pocket tarp 3.1 oz $185

Just got this.

Total: 1 lb 11.8 oz

cost ~ $525 (face it kids, I'm older, and have more inflation behind me)

Oooh, I win, I'm the lightest! ***insert giant ironic smiley here ***

I only do this as a lark nowadays, and only for overnights (maybe 2 nights). In which case the weight hardly matters. Unfortunately I'm usually alone with no one to be impressed – or to laugh at me which is %95 more likely in the *real* world.

Also I have drunk water from an old wagon track. Does that count?

[marcus hampton]

I've been backpacking critter style for several years.

Sleeping bag- Mylar blanket. 2 oz. $4.99
Shelter- Natural. Free.
pack- Near weightless.
pad- pile of debris. Free (although I have been stung)

[Lance Stalnaker]

Warbonnet Blackbird Hammock 24.1 oz
Hammockgear cuben tarp 5.2 oz
Hammockgear phoenix underquilt 13.1 oz
hammockgear top quilt 15 oz
Gossamer Gear Mariposa 27.6 oz

Total weight-5.3#

cost-$1000

A comfy night sleep above ground-priceless

[Justin Baker]

pack: ula ohm 2.0 – $200, 29 oz
bag: western mountaineering summerlite – $300, 19 oz
pad: thermarest z-lite (cut down to barely torso size) – $30, 5 oz
shelter: sil nylon tarp- $70, 15 oz

total is $600 and 68 ounces (4.25 pounds)

[Marko Botsaris]

"Sleeping bag- Mylar blanket. 2 oz. $4.99
Shelter- Natural. Free.
pack- Near weightless. Free
pad- pile of debris. Free (although I have been stung)"

Sir, you dare mock this serious discussion?

But seriously mine would be more like 3.5 if I was going for a "real" trip.

[D S]

1. ZimmerBuilt Quickstep (full retail) $149.00 9oz

2. EE Enigma 30*, reg/wide (full retail) $215.00 17oz

3. MLD cuben Monk tarp (used gear swap) $110.00 5oz

4. KookaBay custom short pad (used gear swap) $40.00 7oz

so that's $514.00 for 38 ounces or 2lbs 6oz

Couch

[Bob Bankhead]

for PCT and CT in July, Aug, and Sept. Camping at altitudes up to 12,000 feet.

PACK – Six Moon Designs Traveler ….. 31 oz……$175 (no longer available)

SHELTER: Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape ….11 oz….$125

PAD: zLite 20×72 ……..14 oz……$20 from forum member

BAG: Western Mountaineering Hooded Aspen …25°F ….32 oz….$300 (bought 15 years ago; current model is the Sycamore MF)

Total: 5 lbs 8 ounces
Cost: $620

If you bought the very same items today, the cost would be $815

NOTE: To be realistic, I need to add the weight of the following items which are needed to make the various systems work. Note that I don't usually carry the net tent (7 oz) for the shelter.

6 tent stakes plus lines = 4 oz.
Heatsheet 60×96 inch ground cloth = 3.1 oz.
dedicated sleeping socks = 2.8 oz.
2 36×1 inch webbing straps with buckles for use with pack's daisy chain = 2 oz.
eVent compression dry bag for sleeping bag = 5.2 oz.

That adds another 17.1 ounces and about $80, making the realistic total 6 lbs, 9 ounces at a cost of $700 (for me) or $885 if bought today.

I can cut a pound off both my pack and my sleeping bag, and 4 ounces off my shelter,but the cost is almost $1500. I can just as easily save 2 pounds by carrying one liter less water and carrying the gear that has proven itself over thousands of miles and many years.

YMMV

[marcus hampton]

lol, Mark Millonas. Here's a slight intro.

Here's the video of my bear encounter. http://youtu.be/KBbxBBtxvz8

[Marko Botsaris]

Did that bear bite you? Have you noticed excessive hair growth and a desire to eat grubs? If so you may have become (or are developing into)a werebear – a sufficient explanation for "critter style" I believe.

Edit: In your video you seem, like Beorn (another famous werebear) in the hobbit, to have several dog minions – yet another sign. Largish sideburns, check.

Those two dogs looked so comfy it made me want to curl up on a rung somewhere.

[Author]

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