Gearlist

[peter kvamme]

Here is my (almost complete) three season gearlist for the midwest. There are still a few things with estimated weights, either because I havent weighed them yet or because I actually dont own them yet.
I have been working toward ultralight for a while, but this spring will be the first time I actually commit to the whole deal. 13 lbs or so(not including any consumables, but including many optional things) might not be great, but as a beginner I feel pretty good about it.
Any comments appreciated.

Peter's Gear List

[Frank Perkins]

Hey Peter,

I see a lot of homemade gear on your list which means you're seriously committed. If you're looking for comments on where to lighten up then I'm sure you already see the glaring ounces of your bag and sleeping pad. I'm not sure what temp ranges you're planning for, but you might be able to drop a few ounces on the bag and definitely 1/2 if you went with another type of pad system.

More importantly though, where are the pics of your custom items? Share!

[Nia Schmald]

Good solid light weight list. If you separate worn/held from what's in your pack you're under 10 lbs.

A few things to consider? What temperatures are you expecting? You probably don't need both an insulated vest and jacket on the same trip. You might need some extra warmth for your legs, like some long johns. How about gloves? I usually carry some thin liners if nothing else.

Are the matches that you list waterproof? Good to have some kind of reliable backup to the lighter. A prefer a sparker so I don't have to decide how many matches to take. They are a bit of a pain to use though so I still take a bic.

Also, you can save some weight by repackaging the aqua mire in smaller bottles. I had both AM bottles break on me during a 2 week trip last summer, so I no longer trust them.

And as Frank said you could go with a gossamer gear 3/4 and save 7 ounces over the z-rest. And IMO have a more comfortable pad.

For a pack liner try a trash compactor bag.

[peter kvamme]

Thanks for the comments so far. I will try take some photos of my homemade gear to post tomorrow.

I have been thinking about cutting down my thermarest zrest, but havent yet because cutting is so permanent. Also, I am planning on sewing a quilt which will likely weigh around 12-16 oz.
I dont plan on taking both the insulated jacket and vest, maybe I should take one of them off the list. The bug bivy may not be taken on all trips either.
Long johns and glove liners are a good idea, but although this is a three season list it will mostly be warmer weather so I probably dont need to have them on the list.
And I know the AquaMira can be repackaged, but I am just transitioning from using a water filter and am afraid of messing it up. I hear the chemicals degrade if you dont use an opaque bottle, and that different bottles drip different size drops…

[peter kvamme]

windshirt-

insulated vest- Notice the pockets on this one, the only one I bothered to include pockets on.

insulated jacket
tarp and bivy- Sorry, these are both in their stuff sacks. They could be compressed more if I had smaller stuff sacks, but I dont think it matters. Tarp is just a flat 9' long tarp that is 10' wide tapering to 7', I think. Bivy is made of silnylon bottom, top is half sil (I know, not the best choice) and half noseeum.

pack- I couldnt get good photos of this, but it is a pretty simple pack. Compression along the sides, daisy chain on the straps for attaching water bottles, pocket inside to hold a small blue pad for back support… not too complicated, because I tried not to include anything I would not use.

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