Analyze my 2010 Gear List

No suggestions from me – it looks great.

Nice way to 'jump in'!

Firstly, it would be nice to include a LINK so folks don’t have to go looking for it. :)

For ‘normal’ 3-season — you can probably lose the balaclava.

"For 'normal' 3-season — you can probably lose the balaclava."

Not in the mountains on the Island. I also think it would be part of his sleep system (i.e. using a quilt) but I could be wrong.

David:

Juston didn't specify hiking location, but given everything else, I think it'll be within the Lower 48. Yeah, maybe the balaclava is part of his sleep system, but I think a simple beanie will suffice. Subjective though.

My Bad – I thought Justin was from Vancouver Island – must have the Olympics on my mind.

Great list….that's quite an impressive MLD binge. Hopefully you're happy with the bivy/tarp setup if you've never used something like this before. Dito with the vapor barrier quilt.

Here's my suggestions:

1) Consider sewing some fabric into your pack to create a simple pad sleeve (0.5oz) and then take two pieces of closed cell foam pad (1.5oz) and hinge them (zip ties, tape, keychain rings etc) to create a back pad that effectively folds open to create a larger pad that is roughly 20" x 20". Now you can ditch the regular length NeoAir and grab a small NeoAir. The end result is a 3oz overall savings plus you get more structure in your pack and you have a pad that can also be used as a perfect sit pad. I have done this with my MLD pack as you can read/see here:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=28982

2) Get Bender from Kookabay to make you a pillow out of lighter 30D nylon and you'll save 0.4oz.

3) 4.75oz for guylines and stakes seems high. I'm not sure where the weight is coming from but some 1/16 or 1/32" spectra cord would likely save you quite a bit of guyline weight and perhaps you could buy some lighter stakes.

4) Potentially missing stuff: fire starting, rain gear, bughead net or deet, bear bag system, camera, toothbrush, soap, compass, food sack etc.

This is petty, but… Why a pot AND a mug? Is this a solo list? If so you could get a single <1L hybrid pot/mug thing and shave 4 oz or so. I'll happily pimp MLD's 850mL pot/mug thing. Can the 900mL Snow Peak work as a mug, and you could leave the actual double-walled mug at home?

Thanks for the input thus far guys. I'll hit the clothing subject real quick before I move on. The thing with clothing and what I take and what I don't take is very dependent on weather. I never take the same things. The balaclava is part of my sleep system when it starts to get colder, but I don't always take it. I'll be removing it from my gear list.

I've been backpacking for years. I'm still using the same systems I was previously using… tarp, bivy, ect, i'm just using better and lighter versions now. This hasn't been a real hard transition… except financially. Haha! Ron keeps taking my money! :D

I guess I would be bold enough to say I knew what I was doing… but I was doing it all heavy. I'm trying to learn how to do it light now. So far i'm happy with the results.

Ben,

Sorry about the link. I wasn't sure how to post it.

I do most of my hiking in Alaska. However, I'm willing to hike just about anywhere. I've been invited by a few people to come out… including by you Ben. I'm very much looking forward to it. You'll have to out here sometime as well. Thom Darrah has also been super kind and has invited me to come out and experience "big miles" which scares me after my recent knee surgery. LOL I'll give it a shot. If I can't keep up, i'm sure we could sit and talk about gear for days at a time. haha!

Dan,

1. I'm gonna look into that. I will admit that I value my sleep on the trail. If it's still comfy and I can sleep and save weight all at the same time, I'm all for it. I'll take a good look at. Thanks!

2. Last time I talked to Ben, he was out of that particular material. I had to go with the 1.3 oz pillow. :(

3. I use 6 titanium shepherd hooks and about 25ft of 3mm guyline. I might have added it wrong, i'll weigh it again tomorrow to check on that. It does seem sorta high.

4. Kinda touched on clothing in a previous post, but I never take rain gear unless I know it's going to rain. Getting a little wet never bothered me. The Montane Featherlite Smock should provide ample protection in a light rain, and if it really starts coming down… well that's when a tarp comes in handy. Sometimes you just get wet. Bug net and deet… never used them before. Most of my hiking is in Alaska. Mosquitoes are a problem sometimes. I stick near the water and the wind keeps them away. You learn real quick where not to stop for a rest. You will get eaten alive!!! Never used a bear bag system in my life. I just hang my entire pack when below the tree line. I just left my camera out by mistake. It's a Canon G11. I'll get the weight and update shortly. Toiletries… nope. Only if I know it's going to be more than a week away from home. I only get to do that a few times a year. Most of my trips are 3 or 4 days in length. I'm able to use a compass… in fact i've won a few navigation competitions in college. However, I usually know where i'm at and have no need for it. I might carry one a half dozen times per year. I find it easier to study my terrain beforehand and use nature to tell me which way I need to go If I were to ever become lost. I've never been lost, but i'm sure it's not a good feeling. I've never used a food sack either. I just throw it loosely in my pack.

Thanks for your input and i'll be looking into that sleep system.

Dean,

This is a "solo" list. However, I often take ill equipped hikers who depend on me for certain things. I don't mind as long as I know in advance… don't like being surprised. ha! :D

To answer your question, I could use the SP900 as a pot/mug combo if I really wanted to. I love my SP450 because it's double walled and keeps my coffee so warm and nice. :D I love my coffee. If I were to go solo, it's no big deal to use the SP900 and a pot/mug combo. However, if it were for multiple people, I doubt they would like me drinking out of the same pot we were cooking from. Tell them to bring their own right? haha I'm with you, but it's hard for me to find anyone to go with. Most of my friends are not the outdoor type. I take what I can get. I enjoy the companionship.

My next pot will be the MLD 850. I just hate to switch right now since I have the Caldera Cone Ti-Tri system for the SP900. The SP900 has a lot of life left in it.

I've rambled a bit here but what I will do is just take the SP900 on solo adventures and add the SP450 when it's more than myself that i'm taking care of. Thanks for the advice. Simple yes, but it's the simple things that we sometimes overlook. Cheers Mate.

I use 6 titanium shepherd hooks and about 25ft of 3mm guyline. I might have added it wrong, i’ll weigh it again tomorrow to check on that. It does seem sorta high.

I’m sure your scale is correct, that 3mm stuff is just heavy. I have the same stuff as it came with my Duomid, and while it’s great for winter when it’s cold, wet, frozen and my fingers are numb, it seems a crime to invest in the Grace Solo and then have guylines that increase the weight by ~%50.

So, chop of the the linelocks, saving an oz.(based on Ron saying you can save an oz by cutting the 8 linelocs off a Duomid) Ditch the 3mm cord and buy 1mm BPL Nano Aircore with the tensioners. 25ft of guyline + 6 tensioners would be .55 oz! Throw in 1.3 oz of stakes. And you’ve dropped your tarp weight under 5oz by losing the linelocs. So you’re looking at maybe 6.25oz for your shelter + line + stakes, or a 38% reduction in weight. So as not to be a BPL pimp, you can also buy 1mm line and micro tensioners here.

James,

Thanks for the advice. That's a change I will definitely make. Just gotta do my research and make the best choice. I saw that MLD will replace the tensioners for free if you lose one or whatever. That's a nice little added bonus. Any thoughts?

Why does everyone use stakes for their tarps?

It seems to me that if you're getting into cuben, it'd make more sense to ditch the pegs and use sticks, rocks or trees.

Personally stakes are nice for ease of use, but having to clean them, keep track of them and carry them is a pain.

"Why does everyone use stakes for their tarps?"

Stakes have become a very fast solution, especially when there are no trees, bushes, or similar objects to tie to. I don't intend to move 30-pound rocks over to my campsite so that I can tie to them.

Stakes are particularly effective when they are long and of small diameter, since they will penetrate fairly hard ground.

–B.G.–

Fair enough.

I camp in the bush, so am surrounded by trees, rocks and sticks.
If I too was only camping above the treeline, I'd probably carry stakes too.

…

>>>With a clothing total of under 8 oz. and no rain gear or insulation layers, I'm not sure why you've listed this as a 3 season gear list. For Alaska, I would say this is a 1 season gear list and even then, you are counting on really nice weather.<<<

There are certain things I take and do not take dependent on weather and geography. It is always changing. I could lie and list the lightest things I own, but that's not always what I carry. The items in my gear list are items I always take. At least i'm trying to refine it to that. Do people actually always wear the same things and take the same gear? Some might, but I don't. I hope that explains my thought process a little better. Cheers! :)