Newbie’s UL Gear List….Unconventional?

[Nathanial Eady]

I'm just getting into UL backpacking and I just weighed out my current gear list. I barely make it under 10 lbs. but I keep a couple key luxuries (inflatable air mattress & H20 proof backpack). Love it or hate it? Sock it to me.

(Helpfully edited by Roger Caffin to fix incorrectly sized image.)

[Mike Clelland]

Okay – I scrutinized your list….

Two Big questions:
Where are you gunna go camping? And what time of year?

Also – – – Are there lots of bugs? Is there dependable water? Do you need any kind of bug shelter?

1) Ditch the water filter. 15 ounces?!?!? Take Potable-Aqua of KLEAR-Water.

2) Hide the car keys and house keys in your car. Liberate yourself!

3) Toilet paper?!? You'll be fine without it.

here's a link:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/toilet_paper_free.html

4) Two pair of underwear? You'll be fine with just one. My personal record is 35 days, without changing my undies!

5) 1 ounce bic lighter? THe tiny kind is only 1/2 ounce! The tiny (and cute) version is available at most gas stations.

6) You have SIX separate stuff sacks listed. You could easily go down to just one, for your food. You already have a waterproof pack, so you are all set!

7) Ditch the camel-back (9 oz). Replace it with a 1.2 ounce 1.5 liter platypus. Or, just a soda bottle. Do you REALLY need both a gator-aid bottle AND a Camel back?

Also – Be aware, you do NOT truly NEED a hydration tube system. THis is purly a "want" item. Campers went out for most of history without 'em. And – THey are surprisingly heavy.

(also, platypus does have a hydration tube attachment, so if you really WANT it…)

8) Ditch the gerber multi tool. What do you need it for, really? A single edge razor weighs 0.1 oz.

9) Do you need the bivi with such a warm sleeping bag and a full tarp? (saving 6.8)

10) Do you need the BAG liner with such a warm sleeping bag and a full tarp? (saving 10)

When totaling up the list above it comes to ruffly 50 ounces of extraneous stuff that you could EASILY liberate from your list. That's over 3 pounds!

ALSO:
=====

Are you going stove-less? I don't see any cook gear.

.

[Nathanial Eady]

First off, thanks to Roger for fixing the image size. Missed that.

Mike,

I live on Cali's Central Coast and do most of my backpacking in either the Los Padres NF or Ventana Wilderness (Big Sur). The area gets very little (unforcasted) rain, as a result there are very few reliable water sources.

As a result I'm having a hard time ditching the water pump. I like to carry it not only for the filtration purposes but it helps with H2O extraction from dribbling springs, rain puddles, etc. Sometimes its just too hard in this area to find a deep enough water source to fill a platypus.

The bag liner is an "ouch" 10 oz and I rarely need it for warmth. It's primary source is to keep my down bag clean. Any lighter liner options would be well received.

The repetitive stuff sacks are ridiculous, good call.

I eat only cold food, no stove. But on longer trips I think the savings in carrying dehydrated food (Top Ramen) more than makes up for the weight of a stove. I'd probably use my trusty MSR pocket rocket in those instances.

My Ptarmigan bivy has an attached bug screen which works great. No need for anything additional to that in my neck of the woods.

[Ken Helwig]

I too own a Gatewood Cape. I would lose the bivy. No need for that if you are hiking the central coast. Rain is pretty much a winter thing here. If you are using the bivy to keep your outer bag clean, I'd still reconsider. A groundsheet under you sleeping pad does the trick. Gossamer gear has plenty of them. An idea….Why not get the bug shelter from Six Moon Designs. I have it and love it! Not only do you have a bug net, but a bathtub floor for 7 ounces. If you want to use a filter and not chemicals, then Platypus makes a gravity filter that seems to be pretty nice and is alot lighter than your filter. Also MSR has their new one out there too, and weighs much less than your present filter.

Just some thoughts

[Mike Clelland]

[BAG LINER?]
Oh c'mon – you can go without a bag liner! Like, how dirty can your bag get, really? Put on clean socks before you go to bed. And, when you get home, Just hang it on a clothes-line for the afternoon. Ditch it!

[WATER PUMP?]
And the water pump. You should ditch it! It's a FULL POUND! I have gone 30 days in the deserts of southern utah, and I've never taken a pump. You'll do fine without it. No foolin'… The one thing I do take in the desert is a little cup to dip into the puddles and seeps. Cut off the bottom of a little soda bottle (0.3 oz, the lightest!)

Is the water cloudy? Ahh, so what. Or, just take a hanky and pour the water into the water-bottle thru the hanky as a simple filter. (and a hanky cut in half works fine). Or, better yet, use your mosquito head-net! (see below)

For desert hiking, just take a second platypus as an extra vessel.

[BIVY?]
Now – A simple mosquito head-net weights 0.4 oz, and you could wear that at night. Are there any bugs to deal with, really? Thus, you ditch the bivi-sack.

Subtract:
– 16 oz water pump
– 10 oz bag liner
– 6.8 oz bivy
(total ditched) 32.8 oz

ADD:
+ 0.6 oz / Klear water (repackaged in dropper bottle)
+ 0.3 oz / plastic cup
+ 0.4 oz / mosquito head-net

(total added) = 1.3 oz

[Roger Caffin]

Despite what Mike C says, I reckon you need a bag liner! But a silk one (8 mm silk) weighs less than 140 g (5 oz), and these can be made or bought.

Water treatment is up to the individual, but a bit of silicone rubber tubing fitted into a PET bottle cap can make a suction pump. Weighs little for the tube and cap.

One change of underwear? Yes, for trips longer than 3 – 4 days imho. Dunno what Mike's smelt like after 35 days … :-)

Cheers

[Bob Ellenberg]

An Amigo Pro is much lighter. Get the Filter Link that connects to a Platapus (9.6g), screw it on to a 20 oz. soda bottle and squeeze it to suck water out of a crevice.

[Craig Burton]

Yikes! Over 4 lbs of clothing with little insulation value? OK, I realize that your shoes are included in that weight; but many people on here carry 3-layer active-wear, camp insulation, and footwear all for under 4 lbs.

I also agree that the bag liner isn't necessary. If the weather is warm and dry enough not to require rain/insulation wear, then you definitely won't need a bag liner.

Ditch the filter, or go with a lighter gravity filter as others have suggested.

Also, house keys can always stay in the car :)

A lighter pad (or no pad like most of my summer trips) is a good place to start too. Many people here like the GG Nightlight for about 3oz, and I added it to some of my summer gearlists and enjoy it too!

Overall, it looks pretty good for a "newbie" — much better than my transition! You'll learn to ditch, or find lighter options for, some of the "necessities" as you move forward; and you should be sub-10 in no time. Although, you may already be there for a base pack weight — I'm too lazy to do the math right now.

Edit: just realized your base pack weight already is sub-10. Great start! But I think you can do a lot better with some of the suggestions here.

[Mike Clelland]

I smelled horrible after 35 days!

And I didn't use a sleeping bag liner!

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