Database for Gear

Don't know if this is what you are looking for but if you go to backpacking.net and go to the featured article at the bottom of it there are some links. Try the gear weight calculator. You have to weigh and enter your gear but it works in grams and ounces and is very easy to use.

There was an excel competition here a couple years ago with free downloads of several gearlist databases. Do a search for it.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/backpacking_light_gear_list_spreadsheets_2005.html

I made a really simple one with an OpenOffice spreadsheet. In the first sheet I separated all of my gear into different categories, weighed them in grams, and had the spreadsheet convert it to ounces. In the second sheet I had the same categories but left the spaces in between blank so I could use it to add up the gear for specific trips. I just copy the gear I'm taking from the 'Source' sheet into the 'Pack' sheet. I have totals at the bottom of the sheet for base weight, weight worn, and FSO, all in grams, oz, and lbs.
I've even started working on another sheet for nutrition, with weights (g and oz), calories, fat, cal/oz, etc.
It really isn't a big deal to do it. The little summation button at the top saves you a lot of M5+N5+…

Adam

I think the most common approach is to use excel (or some other spreadsheet). If you are sharing a list between a few folks there are a number of web services that give shared spreadsheets like google docs and zoho.

I keep pointers to a number of interesting gearlists… many of which are spreadsheets.

There are some custom gear list programs… but I haven’t found any that are as flexible as a generic spreadsheet… nor ones that run on as many platforms. In particular, I like to have a second on my gear list where I enter the conditions, and that the spreadsheet customizes the list.

BTW: Something that I am about to start working on a publicly accessible database of gear data hosted in http://www.freebase.com/. Data in freebase can be accessed via an web api… so it’s pretty easy to build web powered applications which make use of the data stored in freebase. If anyone is particularly interested in working on a shared database, drop me a note.

–mark

I spent quite a bit of time making mine in Excel 2007. It shows you the group-weights of your sleep system, shelter system, Cooking, etc, and also gives you a total weight in ounces and then converted to lbs. It also shows estimated trip weights (2.5 days, 3.5 days, 4.5 days, etc) that include your estimated food weight and average water carried. I also have separate tabs for Spring/Fall list, Summer list, the list when I go with my wife and bring a tent, etc.

If anyone wants this just send me an e-mail at splproductions AT yahoo DOT com.

You can look at a pdf preview of my spreadsheet on my forum profile. I built it for a 2 person trip including gear and food weights for 12 days, but this could be modified.

I made it on a mac.

fairly simple to build, I really have no experience, I kind of took inspiration from models on andrew skurka`s website, just with my own touches

If your gear list isn’t in google docs, then just upload and share it. Easy peasy. my gear list where the source is google docs.

I put together a gear database that is totally overkill. You'll need Filemaker 12 to run it on your computer, but it runs on either an iPad or iPhone with the free Filemaker GO app.

You can download the database from my website at http://www.apexweb.com.

Scott