My gear list

[Luke Smith]

Here's my current gear list:

Contrail tarptent: 1 lb 12.8 ounces
WM Caribou: 1 lb 4 ounces
Thermarest prolite 4: 1 lb
REI Flash 65: 3lbs 2 ounces
Vargo jet-ti stove: 2.7 ounces
Vargo ti .9L kettle: 4 ounces
Giga power stove canister:9.6 ounces
spork: 1 ounce
full set Under armor long underwear: 9.8 ounces
Under armor Reg underwear: 2.8 ounces
Smart wool socks: 2.8 ounces
Buff headwear: 3 ounces
Homemade down booties: 3 ounces
stuff sacks (2): 2.5 ounces
Marmot rain jacket/wind breaker: 11.6 ounces
Homemade foam latex pillow: 9.3 ounces
Cocoon mummyliner: 4 ounces
Granite gear pack cover: 5.5 ounces
camelbak water bladder: 6.9 ounces
Outdoor products treking poles: 1 lb 2.4 ounces
misc small items, first aid headlight etc.: 10.7 ounces

total= 13 lbs 14.6 ounces

[John Brochu]

Where, when do you hike? What are your goals for this gear list? What's your budget?

I'll just pick at what I see to be the easy stuff and assuming 3 season extended weekend type stuff in the lower 48…

* You should be able to lose about 16oz on a new pack suitable for roughly a 10 pound base weight. Think SMD, ULA, or GoLite.

* 3/4 length air mattress will save ~ 4oz or a CCF pad saves more if your so inclined

* Drop the pillow or get a Kookabay pillow and save 8oz to 9oz

* Down booties? Is this a 3 season list?

* Get 2 cuben fiber stuff sacks save 2oz

* Switch the pack cover to a plastic liner and save 3.5oz

* Switch camelback bladder for Platypus and save several ounces

* There are several 3 season warm hats available at 1.5oz

* mummy liner? Nix and save 4oz

[Luke Smith]

I do most of my hiking in Georgia in the fall/spring, but sometimes late fall or early spring, thats why i have a mummy liner, down booties, warm hat etc. As for a budget, its pretty tight right now so i will look for the cheaper things first. Thanks for the Ideas though.

Luke

[Brad Rogers]

First off for cheap you can get a lexan spoon or spork and save some weight. Mine weighs 0.35oz and cost me $0.75 in 2005.

I don’t think a 4oz mummy liner will add any significant warmth although with only a 35* rated bag I can see why you need all you can get. You already are sleeping in long underwear for some warmth and to keep your bag clean.

For where you and I hike, I wouldn’t ditch the pack cover, but I would replace that one to save a few ounces. If you can sew you can make your own for cheap, but also check out the ones from Mountain Laurel Designs, Gossamer Gear and Z-Packs, they would more than cut that weight in half. Personally I use a pack liner and cover because it rains so much here.

Replace the Camelback with a platypus or Gatoraide bottles. What kind of water treatment are you using?

That is super heavy for a pillow. If you can’t rig one up with your sleeping bag stuff sack, raingear, etc, then I’d get the KookaBay one.

You could trade in your canister stove and canister for a Caldera Cone.

For some more expensive options you could replace your rain jacket with a Marmot Essence (6.4oz in M) that is on clearance at REI or for the cheap route you could go with a Dri Ducks jacket (5.1oz) if you only use it for on trail use.

You could replace your pack with a Gossamer Gear Gorilla or Mariposa Plus, or a ULA Circuit or Ohm and save some weight.

Items missing:

Do you not wear rain pants at all? It rains a lot in Georgia/Tennessee/North Carolina

Gloves?

Also I bet you could save some weight with the Misc Small Items. You would be surprised how much weight is in the little stuff.

[CW]

Ditch the pack cover for a liner. You can get cheap ones here or at Gossamer Gear. You can also use trash compactor bags.

I've never worn a pair of rain pants. Over half of the year I don't carry a rain jacket either.

[Brad Rogers]

What do you do when it is like this weekend when I am going backpacking? I will have snow at the upper elevations but for the first few miles the forecast is 37* and rain. I did a trip last year over New Years when it was in the 30's and raining for 4 days straight.

Also – I use a pack cover as part of my Blaze Orange in the fall. I wish we didn't have to do that, but unfortunately we do.

[CW]

When it's below 40 during the day (like today) I wear a softshell pant and definitely bring out the hard shell jacket. I usually bring a jacket when it gets to 50 or so. Above that I sweat too much under it for it to be worth wearing when I'm moving.

Disclaimer: You can get hypothermia being wet at these temps and what works for me may not work for you. Be smart about your gear.

[David Lutz]

Sorry to sidetrack things, but I'd like to know more about your homemade down booties, if you don't mind.

Thanks!

[Luke Smith]

Thanks for the ideas guy! I am ordering some gloves, and i have water resistant pants, but no water proof ones.

About the down booties, we made 2 pairs of them out of 2 ounces of down and some ripstop nylon. They are only for sleeping in though, as they have the same ripstop nylon on the bottom of the bootie as well. I tried them out the other day in my back yard, in a 35 degree bag, it got down to about 39 i think and my feet stayed warm. See the pic below. We were thinking about selling a few pairs, but im not sure how many.

also, they now have elastic on the tops and come with stuff sack also made out of ripstop nylon.

[Brad Rogers]

Nice! I might be interested if you sell a few pairs. I have a very similar set of "Down Socks" made by Sierra Designs that I use for winter trips (below 20* for me) I only paid $7 at a REI sale but they weigh 6.3oz and I would love to get a lighter option.

As for gloves I really like the Mountain Hardwear Powerstretch gloves (1.4oz) but also like a pair of light gloves from Lands End of all places, they are the Thermacheck 100 Gloves (100 wt fleece) and they only weigh an ounce even.

I use a ULA Rain Wrap (3.1oz) in the summer but use Golite Reed Rainpants (5.6oz) in cooler weather. Since Golite discontinued the Reeds, I don't know what rainpants to recommend to people. I know Montane has a light pair.

[Joseph Morrison]

I believe the easiest way to shave some weight would be to get a lighter pack. I think you can find something in the 1 1/2 lb. range for under $100. The Golite Jam or Granite Gear Virga for example. The GG Virga will shave nearly a pound from your weight. BTW I got my Granite Gear Virga for $60 shipped from Backcountry.com outlet a year or so ago. Plus it has a lifetime warranty!

If you have a 35 degree bag there isnt going to be any true winter trips so I see no need in having such a warm pad like the Prolite 4. You could save 1/2 lb. by switching to a 3/4 CCF pad.

I think a sleeping bag liner is nothing but an annoyance for the little bit of insulation it provides. 4 ounces of clothing would do more to keep you warm.

The pillows awfully heavy! Use what you allready have, a stuff sack full of clothing for example. I use my shoes under my sleeping pad as a pillow.

Your hydration bladder could be replaced by two Platypus 1L bottle and you could save a few oz.. Or you couls go with a few plastic water or gatorade bottles which costs only a few dollars.

Your stove, canister and pot are over a pound. You could cut a few oz. off of that by switching to a alcohol stove. This will cost very little as you can make the stove and windscreen yourself.

My Snowpeak Ti spork is only 0.6 oz. and I feel it is kinda heavy. What are you using?

If you list what your misc. items are and the weight we might be able to save you a few more oz..

Joseph

[Luke Smith]

Thanks for the help. I have a plastic spork (light my fire) and didnt really know where it was, so i guessed the weight, maybe i guessed to much…

Luke

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