Gear List – 12 day hike into the Wind River Altiplano

[Daniel Weeks]

This is the link to an equipment list I've prepared for a hike in the Wind River Mountains the last two weeks of August this year.
I'm 63 years old and in good shape.

http://lighterpack.com/r/6uvigx

The issues I'm concerned with are:

Pack: The Osprey 85L vs. Hyperlight Ice Pack 4000. I already own the Osprey 85L pack which is 3 pounds heavier than the Hyperlight Ice Pack 4000. It is however, extremely comfortable. With the pack loaded correctly, I'm barely aware of the load, which I attribute to the luxurious suspension. ( which weighs extra). Can the Ice Pack be as comfortable? Last year I did a shorter version of this trip with a GoLite Jam 2 and a 25 lbs load. The pack is light, but it was painful compared to the Osprey. I don't want to spend another 350 dollars to save three pounds but end up in agony.

Food: Most of the hike is above 9500 ft. and in the past when I get to that altitude, I have not much appetite. The rule of thumb '2 lbs per day', is more than twice what I feel comfortable with. Glorious trout live in these mountain lakes that I count on catching, and I have a bit of a Winter battery pack formed around my waist, so I will hardly be lacking for food.

Tent: The Big Agnes 2 is a bit heavy compared to ultralights, but its self standing and fast to set up. Often, stakes won't go into rock. Mosquitoes are still abundant this time of year. The extra space is necessary for a pack this big.

GPS plus batteries: Too much weight. I feel challenged to use just the compass and topo maps.

Bear Spray: Skip it. The chances are remote, and any way at my age, an epitaph that reads: 'Et by Grizzly' is better than a nursing home.

Camera: The camera weight is extravagant, but the GX7 is converted to infrared which makes incredible photos of the mountains, from which I paint oil landscapes; the primary excuse to make this hike.

Clothes: I've found that in The Winds, I wear the rain gear pretty much all the time – it rains quite a bit, and the mosquitos can't bite through it.

Nothing on the list is written in stone; any helpful comments or suggestions are welcomed!

[Link .]

General info for you to look at if you haven't already
Mike Clelland(NOLs instructor and author, his books are very good),he has some great free videos on lightening up be sure to watch(his clothing system,the entire contents of his pack,water treatment and part 1 and 2 on the dinky stuff for ideas),this is an article he wrote The fastest way to backpack weight loss ,this is pmags Lightweight Backpacking 101 and The Frugal Backpacker – The $300 Gear Challenge .These are some other articles and videos for you to check out

Backpacking for Cheap: Gear for the Gearless

Backpacking Checklist (Gear List): 3-Season, 3-Day

Lightweight Backpacking 101: An Introductory Manual for Lightening Your Load Today (1st Edition – August 2001)

Cheap Ultralight Gear List

Oregon Field Guide: Ultralight Hiking

Lightweight Testimony: Lighter, Farther, Faster
Jamie Shortt talks about his progression and shows his gear list for each stage, Lightweight Testimony: My Journey into Lightweight Backpacking
CleverHiker Light weight Basics
CleverHiker Trail Skills

Andrew Skurka has a very good website with trips and gear lists for you to check out, here is a talk he gave at google
Ultimate Hiking Gear & Skills Clinic
His book is worth checking out also
The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide: Tools & Techniques to Hit the Trail
You can get little repackaging containers(like the ones you see in Mike Clelland uses in his videos) many places including your local stores and pharmacy but here are some examples
USPLASTICS
USPLASTICS
Ultralight Designs
GossamerGear
MountainLaurelDesigns
You could make toothpaste dots like Mike C. shows or there are Archtek Toothpaste Tablets so only bring exactly what you need in a snack size bag for any given trip instead of a whole tube and THESE are good for little thing like pills, toothpaste tablets ect. so you are not packing a whole bottle(you can also get them very cheap at most pharmacies) .

[Dave P]

There's a way to trim off 1 lbs off the Osprey, but it hurts the resale value.

I wouldn't worry about buying a new backpack until everything else is trimmed down first.

[Dave P]

Sleeping bag: 10F? How cold does it get up there? Not very often one sees something below 20F sleeping bag on a 3 season gear list. 36 oz is a lot of weight, especially considering it is about the same weight as your tent.

Shelter: You're carrying a trekking pole or hiking staff. Have you considered something like a Tarptent? Or something like a tipi or pyramid? Bivy and a tarp might work too.

If you are worried about bugs, many of the floorless shelters have an innenet with bathtub floors available (10 oz).

I understand you prefer free-standing tents, just listing the alternatives.

Stakes: How many, and what are they? We can help you with being able to tent or tarp above the treelines if we know the options.

Stove: Try a small canister stove from Fire Maple or BRS. They are only $10-$20 and weighs only about 1 oz. A 900mL wide-bottomed pot is about 5 to 6 oz.

http://www.fire-maple.com/en/productsinfo.aspx?pid=2

http://www.gearbest.com/camping/pp_116350.html

BRS has aluminum threading which wears more quickly. Fire Maple has brass threading which lasts longer.

Pack: One can shave off about 1 to 1.5 pounds off the Aether by trimming out the unnecessary eg. excess webbings, lid, hydration pouch and so on and still retain the suspension. I would wait for another member to come along first to provide more options. Not everyone likes a hacked up backpack.

Pack cover: Use a compactor bag as a pack liner to keep your gears dry. Weighs only 0.15 oz. If you are worried about wear and tear, bring two. Use polycro or window shrink as your ground cover– only 1 to 2 oz.

Compression sack: Is this for the sleeping bag? Mine is only about 1 oz.

First aid: What's in it and why you need each of the item? Would be curious what's in there.

Ice Axe: What are you using it for? I recently got a flier in the inbox about Corsea Ice Axe for 7.2 oz. It meets the UIAA and CE requirement, but apparently the company doesn't recommends it for highly technical attempts like ice-climbing. There are probably better alternatives on the market other more experienced BPLers can recommend.

[Daniel Weeks]

Thank you everyone for your enlightened comments and suggestions.
I'm currently watching the Andrew Skurka videos on his web site which
remind me how far off the track I've gotten in the past year.
I have much study to do before the trip.
I'll report when I have a better list – thanks again!

[Author]

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