What works the best for your “BIG 3” SUL?

If I was building an SUL kit, I’d go with a Poncho/tarp (Mountain Laurel Designs, Six Moon Designs, or Golite) a JRB Quilt with headhole (appropriately temperarture rated) for a sleep/insulation combo, and the thinnest torso lengh sleeping pad you could stand. Or just your pack as a torso pad if you can handle it. Throw in a Simblissity style half bug net for buggy conditions. If zpacks were available right now I’d get the most mininal cuben blast 18. Since they’re not, an MLD Revelation or (more affordably) a Gossamer Gear Murmur

I’m not SUL, but if I had to be, or me personally, I’d go with anMLD Pro Poncho Tarp (~9oz) combined with a Alpinlite bug shelter (9oz)when conditions warranted, a 21 oz Jacks R Better No Sniveler (25-30 degrees covers broadest range), an MLD Revelation (~6oz) if I had the money and GG Murmur(~7.5oz) if I had a budget. For a sleeping pad, (Big 3+1), I’d stick with my short NeoAir (9.5oz) as sleep is important.

I could go with lighter bug protection(like a headnet or a Simblissity) but I’ve tried sleeping with a mosquito swarm buzzing 2″ from my face and it wasn’t fun. I figure going with a multi-use poncho/tarp and quilt allows me those induldges

Blast 16 3.9oz
Warbonnet traveler 11.4oz
MacCat spinnaker 11.9oz
25° top quilt 15.9oz

(big 4: nightlite pad 3.8oz)

Blast 26 – 7.9 oz.

MLD Cuben Poncho/Tarp – 4.1 oz.

Custom (Thanks Mom!) Cuben/Momentum Bivy – 2.81 oz.

Custom (Tim Marshall) Cuben/Down quilt – 11.01 oz.

Not sure what temperatures and weather we are considering here… but the three lightest I can think of would be similar to Steven Evans':

Cuben pack by Mark Henley – 1 oz
MLD Cuben Poncho/Tarp – 4.1 oz
Cuben/Momentum Bivy – 2.8 oz
Homemade/wearable quilt – 12? weight depends on what temp you are going for

Deviating from the topic a little bit…

Then you could go with a modified nightlight torso for a sleep pad(holes throughout removes 0.12 ounces) – 3.38 oz

Add a pillow if you want (Flexair Dual Compartment) – 1.0 oz

Someone just posted a cook kit they made – 1.3 oz

Couple Patys – 2 oz

That comes to about 28 ouncs if I estimated correctly… then just add some accessories and you're in business

GoLite Poncho/Tarp /w 8x five-foot TripTease and 8x Zpacks minibiners
Zpacks Z1
MLD Superlight Bivy /w Zpacks minibiner and Tyvek bottom
Montbell U.L. Down Inner Parka
Montbell U.L. Themrawrap pants

Linky: http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=p1BeDPszxH2kGOKJUT5fTOQ

BackpackingLight Vapr Quantum bivy sack 7 oz
Gossamer Gear NightLight sleeping pad (torso) 4 oz
Zpacks Z1 6 oz
Mountain Laurel Designs poncho tarp 9 oz
Jack R Better No Sniveller 21 oz

1. Homemade pack (similar to a Golite Ion): 6 oz.
2. Western Mountaineering Summerlite (6'6") 21 oz.
3. Oware Cattarp 1.1 : 8 oz. w/stakes and guylines

Total: 2 lbs 3 oz.
Add my Ti Goat Ptarmigan bivy for real bad weather and it's still only 2 lbs 9.5 oz.

Backpacking?
No…more like strolling through the park on the way to a Sunday picnic.

MLD Ark Pack (L) 15oz

GG SpinnTwinn Tarp 9.2 oz

WM Highlite (modified) 16 oz

That's 2.51 lbs

Don't forget my 14oz Neo-Air (Reg)

Maybe this should be the BIG 4????

GoLite Ion (Modified) 7.75 oz
GoLite Poncho/Tarp W/Spectra lines 10.75 oz
VAPR Bivy Sack 6.70 oz
FlexAir dual chambered pillow 0.98 oz
1.6 lb total
Sleep in
Montbell U.L. Down Inner jacket 7.4 oz
Montbell U.L. Themrawrap pants 7.4 oz
Or if cold add
Mountainsmith Wisp 1 lb, 3 oz
about 3 lb Total

while not SUL here's what I'm rockin' :)

-SMD traveler pack w/stays (32oz I know…but VERY comfy)

-SMD gatewood cape (11oz) & SMD serenity nettent (7oz)In the right climate i just bring the nettent…

-WM caribou MF (35F 19oz)

plus sleep pad

-Thermarest neo-air short… mine weights 9.3oz

Not SUL but I am working on a setup for a 6 mo AT hike

Pack
Quest 4400 CI kit pack – 10-12oz
Will add a Cuben top flap and pouch and some loops etc for more storage.

Shelter
10×10 Tarp – 18 oz w/ stakes and a Bug tent in the summer and a bivy in the winter – 6 oz
(Tarp could be cuben at about half that but I am concerned about 6 mo durability. Large for various setups, like a normal setup similar to Brawney's. — Down the page.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKOuOIky2A0

or set it up as a low tetra, Forrester or Arrowhead setup for wind)

Sleep
Montbell #3 UL SS long 30dF – 26oz or
Summer Climasheild 2.5 quilt – 12 oz
Both for colder weather + layers
Short Prolite 09 pad – 11 oz
Full length blue pad for winter 4 oz

Neoair would be nice.

The big 3 above could be somewhat smaller and lighter
but for an extended haul I think it will work.

I have a smaller pack, actually a hydration pack that is really tiny, and I can cram a 2 day summer hikiing setup into that with everything, including a small cook set, emer gear, hygene, h20 setup, medical etc.

Total with food and 2 quarts of H20 weighs 12.5#.

The big 3 in that rig are a quilt-12oz, Prorest Pad-11oz, Emer blanket ground sheet-1.5oz, bivy-7oz, campmor extended poncho tarp-9oz.

-Gossomer Gear Murmur-SUL and simple 7.4 oz
-SMD Wild Oasis-"WickedLite" as they say, palace for one 13 oz
JRB No Sniveller-UL, love the dual funtion=) 21oz

Total- 2.6 lbs

When I was doing SUL I was pretty happy with the performance and weight of my big three:

GG Whisper Pack 4oz
Ghost Blanket 16oz
GG Spinnshelter 11oz + a headnet for bugs

The Spinnshelter provided enough protection that I didn't need a bivy… even in bad storms. What didn't work so well was a balloonbed which seemed fine originally but then I kept having problems with the balloons deflating overnight.

I have mostly shifted back to a lightweight style. This summer that means:

Ghost 16oz
The One 19oz
ULA Ohm 22oz

If I was intend on getting down to SUL weights I would most likely do

Ghost 16oz
GG Whisper 4oz
Gatewood Cape 11oz

Of course, the whisper is no longer available, but there are numerous 4-8oz frameless packs which could work as well as the whisper. I have no experience with anything else so I can suggest alternatives. Because I am a side sleeper I would most likely go with the short neoair pad.

–mark