sizing down the load for winter…

[Kyle Purcell]

It is finally getting a little cold here in central Arkansas. Because of this is it obviously harder to go backpacking in a UL style. I was wondering what are some ways that you can compensate for this (if any).

One place that I am really interested in getting some feedback is in the area of food. I find that as all my other gear gets lighter and smaller, food still is one place that I have trouble adapting to a lightweight style of backpacking.

Ultimately what I want to do might be unpractical. I want to be able to backpack with my summer bag (a Marmot Kompressor) in the winter. In my area of Arkansas it shouldn't be too hard because nights below freezing are not the norm, and days below freezing are even more rare. However, I still do need more clothes to stay warm.

My usual gear is a DIY lightweight bivy (which takes up almost no room in the pack), an alcohol stove, either a heiney or MSR titan pot, a ti spork by snow peak, lighter, fire starter, knife, etc, and WM Highlight and Marmot trails for my sleep system. Any ideas on lightening this would also be welcomed.

Again, food is my main concern in this thread, but other ideas for lightening up a winter backpacking load are appreciated.

[EndoftheTrail]

What clothing do you pack? Comparison shop for the lightest and most compact insulation that will meet your warmth requirement. High fill power down is one obvious choice, but look at synthetic insulation as well — such as Polarguard Delta, Primaloft, or MontBell's Exceloft jackets. Pick light weight and packable shell jackets also.

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