Rockies gear list

[John Devitt]

I posted a geat list prior to a section hike on the CT. I have since lightned up a bit and wanted to know where the forum sees areas/item that are able to be left out to gain further weight reductions. I am trying to see some gear to purchase some more up to date lighter items. My goal is to be prepared for some harsh weather, as it can go to extreeme here in Colorado. Thanks in advance!
Regards,
John

COOK KIT 7.5 oz
Rei .9L Ti uncoated pot 4oz
Pot Cozy 1oz
Jet Boil Spoon .5oz
MRE Spoon cut down .25oz
Pepsi Alcohol Stove .5oz
Fuel Measure .25oz
Bowl (cut down “warm delights” for baking & oatmeal) .25oz
MYOG windscreen .25oz
MYOG baking heat diffuser .25oz
Mini Bic Lighter .25oz

SHELTER 33.5 oz (2lbs 1.5oz)
Golite Hut 17.5oz
Tyvek Ground Cloth 8oz
Easton long stakes .5oz (6ea 3oz)
Golite “Y” Stakes .5oz (4ea 5oz) *skewer Ti stakes*

SLEEPING 61.5oz (3lbs 15.5oz)
Sleeping Bag 32oz (+15 TO 25 Range depending on weather)
Thermarest Pro-4 Pad 24oz (can't afford neoair/maybe foam)
Silk wt shirt 5.5oz

WEARING/ON ME 79.5 oz (4lbs 15.5oz)
REI Sahara Pants 14oz *BPL pants 4oz*
T-Shirt 6oz
Hat 3oz
Socks 3.5oz
Shoes 28oz
Hiking Poles 19oz *carbon fiber are lighter*
Emergency Kit 3oz
Chapstick .25oz *use spf 30 & use as sunblock too*
Data Book 2.75oz

CLOTHING 61.5oz (3 lbs 15.5oz)
SW Hiker Socks 3.5oz (2ea 7oz) *get lighter ones*
Underwear 2oz
Moon Stone cirrus jacket(primaloft) 17oz *MB Parka*
Moon Stone Cirrus pants(primaloft) 12.5oz *lighter*
Military Glove Liners 100% wool 2oz
SW beanie 2oz
Lt wt zip neck 7oz
Mid wt bottoms 6.5oz
Golite Virga..8oz
Golite reed pants 5.5oz
Rain Mitts 2oz (great for foul weather)

GEAR 52.25 oz (3lbs 4.24oz)
Water Filter (wet) w/bleach & scoop 15 oz *too heavy*
6L Platypus tank 3oz
Headlamp w/o batteries 1.75oz
Pinch Light .5oz
Spyderco ladybug knife .5oz
Bic full size lighter 1oz
16oz nalgene wide mouth w/cozy 3oz *Replaced with propel drink bottle w/cozy 2oz
BPL mini droppers(full) .5oz (2ea 1oz)
Platypus 2L+ Bladders 1.25oz (2ea 2.5oz)
Platypus hose lapel clip .25oz
Platypus hydration hose 2.5oz
Med pill cup .25oz
8oz water bottle (fuel storage) (empty) .75oz
Bandana 1oz
Camp towel (half) 1.75oz (could live w/o it)
Bug head net 1oz
50’ triptease cord 1.5oz
Flint steel & striker 1.25oz *loose striker*
2 person E-blanket 3oz *smaller size*
Rite in Rain notebook 2oz
Rite in Rain Pen 1oz *weigh pencil & sharpner*
Compass 1.5oz
Metal match case (full) 1oz
Sunscreen stick 1.5oz *lose – use spf chapstick*
First Aid Kit 2 – 4oz
Pack cover 3oz (could use a garbage bag)
GG Vapor Trail Pack 31oz

TOTAL W/O WATER, FUEL, AND FOOD: 295.75OZ (18LBS 7.75OZ)

[P ritch]

If I missed it I'll blame my middle-aged eyes, but I didn't see your pack anywhere.

[James Byrnes]

Two spoons? Four fire sources?(mini bic, full-size bic, match case, flint.) Matches age and too heavy. Large Bic 1oz too heavy. Keep mini bic .41 oz. Find small fire steel .25oz and drop striker just use your knife. Replace some of your stakes with Ti skewers .25 oz ea, if you replaced just four you save 1 oz weight. Try Mylar turkey roasting bags .5 oz ea in pack for sleeping bag and cloths. They are tough waterproof inexpensive, less wt than 3oz pack cover. Most full size chap sticks weight .35 oz and can provide sunscreen as well, so loose the heavy sun stick. Puffy pant replace with light fleece (8-9oz). One person E-blanket 1.82oz instead of 2 person( it is a just-in-case item:) Replace one 2L bladder with a 1L .8oz.

Total: spoon .5
Bic and match case 2oz
no striker, smaller flint 1oz
change stakes 1 oz
loose pack cover 2oz
loose sun stick 1.5 oz
change pants 9oz
one person E blanket 1.2oz
change to 1L bladder .45oz
Total savings 18.65oz.

I like the honesty of your list. You count every item….not just assumed to be carried in a pocket some where.

[John Devitt]

LOL…I did forget to list my pack! I uses a GG Vapor trail that weight 31oz in the small size.

I have edited the orgional list to show the pack, and reflect the weight change.
Thank you for catching that!
Regards,
John

[John Devitt]

James,
Thank you for the insight you provided.

two spoons: I use the MRE Spoon as a measure for trail cooking & the Jet Boil spoon to eat with. The mre spoon is really cut down and difficult to eat with.

Flame: Yeah, I agree that I am over kill on this. I have had Bics break, melt when trying to light HEET on cold mtn mornings. That is the reason for the 2 bics. Concider the flint steel striker gone.

Stakes: I will trade out some of my stakes for the skewer type. The soil is rocky here and it helps to have an assortment to choose from.

Sun stick: Thak rocks. I did not even think of that. Great dual purpose and lighter way to go.

Pack cover: Sounds like a great option! I will give it a go.

Pants: I do have a pair of Patagonia fleece pants that weight 10oz. I like the puff pants for three reasons:
1. Warmer than fleece
2. Snow does not stick to them
3. Dries fast and primaloft keeps insulation when wet.
I realized that they do come with a higher weight, even after I removed the belt,ankle scuff fabric, and side zips. I do not like seeing the weight of these on the list, but I do hike in the Rockies, and an we just had an Artic blast that lasted 3 days. Temps dropped overnight and the wind was hard with a wicked bite. I would hate to on a trail should that occur.

E-Blanket: I will swap it out. I had the 2 person version because I that a small pack even if just out day hiking with the kids, or myself.

Bladders: I did substitute a 1l for a 2l once. I like the flexibility that two 2+l plats provide. Once above tree line, water is scare, and some streeches without water can be 15 miles or so. Another factor fo me was that cattle graze "open range" so some smaller sources are not the best. I drink a lot, 1l every 5 miles on average, so I want to be able to select my camp based on the distance between water sources. Back East, on the AT, water or resupply from a town isn't a problem, but it is a little different here.

Please feel free to give any additional inputs that you can. I am always willing to learn a better way of doing things. Thanks again, I am going in used some of your suggestions.
Regards,
John

[Mary D]

In addition to items already mentioned, I noticed a few:

There are lighter puffy jacket and pants. Look at Montbell UL Thermawrap or BPL Cocoon. You can be just as warm for half the weight. I also hike in the Rockies (yes, snow and cold, even blizzard conditions, can happen any time!) but find that Capilene 4 base layer pants (basically fleece) under my rain pants are more than sufficient to keep my legs warm. It would probably be more ideal if I had a lighter base layer for when I'm moving and the puffy pants to put over them (but under the rain pants) in camp, but I've gotten along fine with the Capilene 4. Yes, the fabric on the puffies I mentioned is undoubtedly lighter than yours, but don't you layer them under your rain jacket and rain pants anyway?

You do not need to take any more clothing than you would wear all at one time in the most extreme conditions (which in the Rockies can be pretty extreme!). The exception, of course, is extra socks. Some people include their sleeping bag in this equation, but I don't–unless it's pouring rain and hail, I'd rather spend my waking camp time outside my shelter.

Water filter–yours is really heavy–there are chlorine dioxide tablets (practically weightless) or there are lighter filters. How many Platy bottles you take depends on water availability along your route, of course. But why two hoses?

That's a really heavy rain jacket; there are many lighter ones that do keep the rain out.

What I see missing: How do you keep your sleeping bag and insulating clothing dry? A pack cover doesn't keep heavy rain from running down your back and soaking into the back of the pack, and it is useless if you slip while fording a stream (something that happens to most of us eventually). I didn't see anything about dry bags (which I use) or a waterproof pack liner (which most people use) or plastic bags. I didn't see stuff sacks listed, either, but they're not waterproof so are mostly extra unneeded weight (although it's nice to have one to keep your little tiny items from getting lost in the bottom of the pack)

[John Devitt]

Mary,
Thanks for taking the time to help me out!

Montbell UL Thermawrap or BPL Cocoon: I went to the Boulder MB store, and was not impressed with the thermawraps there. The have no more loft that a G.I. issue field jackt liner. The BPL just come just is out of my price range. I do hae a WM flight at 10oz, but I prefer to not have my sleeping bag and insulation layer both being down. I do understand what you are talking about with the pants. When hiking, lighter insulation under the "reeds" goes a long way in keeping me warm. Duely noted.

Hoses: LOL…that was a typo on my part. Thank you for pointing it out so I could correct it. I only take one.

Rain jacket: I concur! I have been eyeing the Golite Virga for about the last 6 months now. I will try to pick one up at the wharehouse sale this winter.

Bags,
I do use dry bag for clothes & sleeping bag. I just included their weight into the sleeping bag's weight on the list.

Note: I use a 30degf bag, so I kinda of like the puffy insulation as a safe gaurd for staying warm.

Thank again Mary!
Regards,
John

[David Ure]

John – not sure on your size, but backcountry.com is selling the OR Zealot for a smidge over $100. Paclite and about 8 oz.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

The Thermawrap parka uses signficantly warmer insulation than the Thermawrap jkt (80g/m2 vs 50g/m2). Maybe give this a shot.

Thoughts:

1) 11oz for sleeping clothes? Is there any of your other clothes that you can sleep in? This kinda stuff really adds up.

2) REI Sahara pants (14oz) are heavy. Consider BPL Thorofare pants (4oz).

3) 3.5oz is a lot for a pair of socks. Mine are about 1/2 that.

4) 'Databook' and 'notebook'?

5) 18oz is an awful lot for a raincoat. I have a 'heavy' North Face rain jkt which weighs 12oz that I take when things are really looking dicey. If the forecast is good I take my 5.9oz DriDuck jkt.

6) You gotta axe that water filter….15oz is crazy.

7) Go with a RidgeRest if you can't afford a NeoAir right now. That'll save nearly a pound.

[Mary D]

For all it looks so flimsy and unsubstantial, I have found the Montbell UL Thermawrap jacket to be cozy warm in at well below freezing worn over a base layer top and shirt and under a rain jacket. Or, as suggested, you could try the warmer parka. From a few comments you've made, I'm wondering if you leave off your rain gear when it's cold and windy but not raining? The rain gear on top makes a lot of difference!

I missed your extra sleeping clothes. I sleep in my base layer. When outside, I have something on over it, so the base layer stays clean enough to protect the sleeping bag. As I mentioned earlier, you should have no more clothing than you would wear all at the same time in the worst conditions you might encounter, except for that extra pair of socks. I do take a 1.8 oz. pair of fleece sleeping socks; that's my one luxury item.

Carbon fiber trekking poles are another item that could reduce your weight by close to half a pound.

Your list interests me because I grew up backpacking and horsepacking in the Colorado Rockies, and I try to backpack in Colorado or Wyoming (my native state) every summer, the last two summers in the Wind Rivers. I therefore backpack for at least a week a year under conditions very similar to yours–prepared for blizzard conditions with temps in the teens at any time of year. I barely missed one of those last summer because my dog got sick and I had to go back out. Otherwise the storm would have hit when I was at 11,000 feet. I would never go up there without being prepared for weather like that, but I know you can do it lighter.

I did find another possible missing item–you list your headlamp without batteries but I didn't see any batteries listed. You might consider a lighter headlamp like the Petzl e+light (1 oz. with batteries).

EDIT: Have you read the articles here on backpacking in cold, sustained rain? They are very useful for coping techniques on staying warm and dry with lightweight gear. The one complaint I have is that cooking in the vestibule and eating in the tent are fine in Scotland and New Zealand, but not such a great idea in bear country.

[John Devitt]

David,
Thank you for the tip. I will check it out.
Regards,
John

[John Devitt]

Mary,
Thanks for your additional inputs and for pointing out he batteries I forgot. Boy this list look perfect when I posted it, but I am greatful for the benifit of other's experieces.
Maybe the MB Parka will work. I am looking at some patterns & kits at Thru-hiker. I found a local seamstress who is willing to make a jacket based on a provided pattern. I have some primaloft & fabric from a quilt I made long ago, that is not being used anymore.
I do use my rain gear for warmth, over my other clothes. I feel that I need to state that I have been hiking for 27 year now, and do have a solid skill & knowledge set. I am making the switch to UL and wanted to foster ideas that will help me shift better from my current, what I feel, is LW.
I have not seen carbon fiber hiking poles. That sounds like a heck of a way to lose weight. Are they adjustable? I do use a tarp, so I do need that feature.
I checked out the headlamp you suggested, and it will save weight. I did see reviews that it isn't well suited for any low light hiking, if it is required.
Reading…oh yeah! I spend a lot of time on here reading the articles and researching the old forum posts to help my transition to UL, which would be very helpful at 40 something.
Thanks & Regards,
John

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