Gear List for Review

You've got all the basis, so here's my comments:

1. The knife. I take it that its a multi tool. Here's a question – when was the last time you used the featured on it besides the knife? I carry a small, single lock blade that might weigh an oz.
2. I'm not going to harp on you for the TP, but Mike C! will.
3. The Patagonia fleece Jacket – you can get a puffy (syn or down) jacket for 14 oz that is much warmer and a better investment of those oz.
4. Compass: a Silva Polaris or Ranger is 1 oz.
5. Remember, pounds before ozs. You know your shelter, pack and sleeping system are the easiest place to cut. Any anything by Henry is fantastic. I have a double rainbow myself and love it.

What kind of weather do you have in TX?

Obviously as you mention, the pack is a good place to cut weight. A frameless pack should come in around 20 ounces or so, shaving 34 oz right there.

Dropping the stove to Esbit would save you another 3 oz and going to a single 850ml pot like that of made by MLD would drop 3 oz.

Raingear and fleece I will leave alone because of your budget constraints but there are lighter options.

Water filtration – needed where you hike? Going to Aqua Mira would save you about 8 oz for a week trek.

Two 1L platypus bottles are about 1.25 oz total.

Repackage your insect repellent into small containers (BPL has some for sale) and drop a couple of oz there as well.

Your first aid is heavy – you should be able to repackage to around the 2 oz mark.

Do you need a compass AND a GPS?

A Gerber LST knife is under 2 oz – do you need a multitool?

So you could drop about 4.5 lbs from your base weight just with these changes…..

Texas is HOT. I don't mind hiking in July though, I have been out in over 95 degree weather. That is why I have the 3.0L platypus.
Right about the gerber, it is a multitool and the only time I use it is to open a can of tuna or chili. I have been carrying it since I was in the Army so it would be a hard habit to break.
The easiest place to cut would be on the pack, but right now, I HAVE to get a new sleeping system and shelter/tent so that is where I am focued.
Good to hear about Henry, he seems like a great guy from all the posts.
Do you like the double rainbow? Worth the investment?

Lots of good advice you have so far. One thing that might be useful is to tell us more about the environment you hike in. From my understanding Texas can vary from wet and humid, to very dry and arid. Also for shelter advice it would be helpful to know if you use trekking poles or not.

Here are a few things you can do cheap.

You could replace the Marmot Precip Jacket with the Marmot Essence (6.4oz size M) that is on sale at REI or you could get the DriDucks suit and use the jacket (5.1oz in a very large S) that is $15 here.

Replace the Filter with Aquamira drops or tablets. I use the drops repackaged in mini dropper bottles They only weigh 1.1oz and cost would be around $18 for bottles and the drops.

You could save some weight by going to a regular platypus.

Repackage the Insect Repellent in a mini dropper bottle

Make your own first aid kit. I take a kit that has 8 Advil in a “button” ziplock, 2 Benadryl in a “button” ziplock l, 2 Immodium in a “button” ziplock, 3 Feet of Leukotape P wrapped around a straw, a safety pin, a single use neosporen, a single use super glue, an alcohol prep pad, and a blister pad all in a medium ziplock bag. It weighs 0.7oz

You could replace that mini maglite with something lighter. I like headlamps better than flashlights, but there are lots of good lights less than 3oz.

I would replace that compass with something lighter. I use a 1.3oz Sunnto M-2 but there are a lot of nice compasses out there in that weight range.

I am not going to tell you not to take the GPS, but they are not needed in many places.

Replace the Multi-Tool with a Mini Gerber LST (0.6oz), Spyderco Ladybug (0.6oz), or Swiss Army Classic (0.8oz).

I take toilet paper, but 2.5oz of toilet paper is A LOT! That is almost a whole roll!

I kinda figured that about your Gerber.

I love the DR. It is my go-to shelter for all times here in MN when I'm with another person and there is no snow on the ground. The real trick, like all single-wall shelters, is to make sure you have adequate ventilation. This really means leaving the mesh doors open (and rolled up) and opening one side of at least one of the vestibules and rolling it up. Then you hope for a light breeze and face the open side into the breeze. Also, sleep with your head on the end with the open vestibule/door.

Now, when it rains, of course the vestibules need to be closed. That can turn the place into a condensation machine, but that really can't be avoided. Unless you have bugs out, still leave the mesh doors open.

I haven't had the thing in a windy storm, but it can take rain just fine. I use a beat up tyvek ground sheet under mine.

14 oz is alot for shorts. My REI Sahara shorts weigh half that much.

The Kelty is way too heavy. You could save 30 oz. by switching to a frameless pack

Tarptent 40 oz.? Thats not exactly lightweight. I am sure you could lower the weight of shelter by more than a pound.

You could shave the weight of your cook kit by switching to a alcohol stove and smaller pot.

The Mini Mag is rather heavy switch to a lighter weight and more usefull headlamp. My Energizer LED Headlight weighs in at only 1.2 oz. and probably puts out as much or more light than the non LED Mini-Mag.

You could easily cut the weight of your FAK in half.

Miltary Compass? My Brunton Classic weighs only 1.1 oz.

Life Gear Glow Stick with Whistle w/batteries 1.00. Buy a regual whistle. I like the Fox 40 Micro and Acme Tornado. Both weigh less than a 1/2 oz.

"Gerber 8.00" I am guessing its a multi tool w/ pliers. When Backpacking pliers are almost completely useless. I know from expierence I carried a pair for 10 days straight on the AT and never used them. If you like a multi tool consider a Swiss Army knife. Perhaps a Camper, Tinker or Hiker. All three will give you plenty of usefull tools in a lightweight and compact package.

You have two insect repellents. Typo?

Joseph

If there is anyone in your home familiar with a sewing machine you can sew your own SUL pack. My version weighs 9.7 ounces and holds all the gear that I had in a 2 pound 7 ounce pack by a well known manufacturer.

Look at "Make Your Own Gear: Five Yards to SuperUltraLight
Part 4 – Pack", by Jay Ham, in the MYOG articles.

Check out http://www.whiteboxstoves.com

At just a little over 2 ounces you get a stove that will easily boil 2 cups of water and needs no pot stand. I use an MSR .85 liter titanium kettle as a cookpot.

If you use a fuel for the alcohol stove such as Everclear (pure grain alcohol) you get a three-fer! 1. fuel for the stove, 2. emergency anticeptic and 3. mixed in the right proportions with the beverage of your choice a nightcap before turning in.

I am currently looking at the Bilgy Light Weight Tarp Shelter. Weights are 1 pound 9 ounces for a single and 2 pounds 4 ounces for a double. They have floors and bug screens. They are available as kits at http://www.questoutfitters.com/patterns-tent,sleeping%20bag-cart.htm#Tent/Sleeping%20Bag%20Patterns and must be seam sealed after sewing.

Happy Hiking!

Newton

Party On ! 2010

since you said you use your knife as a can opener, look for a victorinox bantam or the bantam Alox. the only difference is that the bantam alox is slightly lighter, a few dollars more, and doesn't come with tweezers or a toothpick. both are about an ounce.

REI still has a few Fenix E01 flashlights in their outlet store. its just as bright as an 2 AA original maglight, and only weighs .75 oz if you use a lithium battery. You will also get 4-5 times the life out of one AAA in a fenix than you will get with 2 AA in an original maglight

use a coffee filter to pre-filter your water, and use purification tablets, or get a steripen if its in the budget.