first attempt

[Andrew Nitkin]

Hey, I've been a long time lurker but this is my first time posting. I'm planning my gear for this summer and I thought I could run it by everyone to see how it works. I dont have the weight for certain items so I just guestimated. Those items have a * before them I cant measure them since I'm at school and they are at home three hours away.

Category Item Weight (oz) Weight (oz)
Backpack Osprey Exos 58 40.00
Backpack Pack Cover 5.00
Clothes Carried *Columbia Omni-Dry T-Shirt 4.00
Clothes Carried Frogg Togg Jacket 6.00
Clothes Carried Frogg Togg Pants 6.00
Clothes Carried Patagonia Down Sweater Vest 7.00
Clothes Carried *REI CoolMax Liner Sock 1.00
Clothes Carried *SmartWool Hiking Socks 1.50
Clothes Carried *Smartwool Microweight Bottoms 4.00
Clothes Carried *Smartwool Microweight Top 5.00
Clothes Worn Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking poles 16.00
Clothes Worn *Columbia Omni-Dry T-Shirt 4.00
Clothes Worn *Columbia Silver Ridge II Pants 30" Medium 7.00
Clothes Worn *Hat 4.00
Clothes Worn *REI CoolMax Liner Sock 1.00
Clothes Worn SALOMON Men's 3D Fastpacker Mid GTX Hiki 33.00
Clothes Worn *SmartWool Hiking Socks 1.50
Cook Gear Bandana 1.00
Cook Gear Snow Peak Giga Power Stove 3.75
Cook Gear *Fuel canister 7oz
Cook Gear Snow Peak Trek 900 Titanium 6.00
Cook Gear Titanium Spork 0.60
Misc. 3L Platypus Hoser 4.00
Misc. Bic mini lighter 0.50
Misc. Gerber EVO Jr. Serrated Locking Knife 1.80
Misc. MSR Dromlite 6L 5.70
Misc. MSR MiniWorks EX 14.50
Misc. Nalgene 6.20
Misc. Petzl Tikka Plus 3.20
Misc. 2x ZPacks Stuff Sacks 1.00
Misc. Sea to Summit 13L ultra-sil bear bag 1.40
sanitation hand sanitizer 1.00
sanitation *Toilet paper 4.00
sanitation toothbrush 1.00
sanitation toothpaste 1.00
Shelter MSR Hubba Tent 47.00
Sleeping Gear North Face Beeline 30 22.00
Sleeping Gear Therarest Stuff Sack Pillow 2.00
Sleeping Gear Thermarest Neoair regular 14.00

total worn: 66.5oz (4.1lbs)
total w/o worn: 228.15 (14.2bs)
total: 294.65oz (17.9lbs)

with ideas below: 247.65 (15.4lbs)

some thoughts:
I have always used a filter and I know I can switch to chlorine tablets for losing about 14oz

I was considering changing to a tarp tent with a bug bivy. I was looking at the MLD serenity with the solo spinntex tarp. the full loadout is about 17oz which will save me 30oz

I was thinking of selling my current sleeping bag and getting either a montbell UL spiral down 3 which should be more comfortable. The northface leave me no room for movement. The mont bell is 19oz which will save me 3oz. I have also thought of getting the JRB shenandoah for the middle of summer which is 15oz.

I also need to put together a new first aid kit since i misplaced my old one that was probably about 2oz

[Tad Englund]

Andrew, here's my take:

Backpack Osprey Exos 58 40.00= no comment- personal choice
Backpack Pack Cover 5.00= no need, use a pack liner (trash compactor bag)
Clothes Carried *Columbia Omni-Dry T-Shirt 4.00= Ok
Clothes Carried Frogg Togg Jacket 6.00= Ok
Clothes Carried Frogg Togg Pants 6.00= Ok
Clothes Carried Patagonia Down Sweater Vest 7.00= Ok
Clothes Carried *REI CoolMax Liner Sock 1.00= no need you are already wearing a pair
Clothes Carried *SmartWool Hiking Socks 1.50=Ok
Clothes Carried *Smartwool Microweight Bottoms 4.00= Ok
Clothes Carried *Smartwool Microweight Top 5.00= Ok
Clothes Worn Black Diamond Alpine Carbon Cork Trekking poles 16.00= get lighter ones and save 8 oz
Clothes Worn *Columbia Omni-Dry T-Shirt 4.00= wear your microweight top instead of carrying it and loose this one
Clothes Worn *Columbia Silver Ridge II Pants 30" Medium 7.00= Ok
Clothes Worn *Hat 4.00= find a lighter hat
Clothes Worn *REI CoolMax Liner Sock 1.00= ok, I don't use/need liners
Clothes Worn SALOMON Men's 3D Fastpacker Mid GTX Hiki 33.00= get a lighter pair of trail runners and save 8 oz
Clothes Worn *SmartWool Hiking Socks 1.50= ok
Cook Gear Bandana 1.00= ok
Cook Gear Snow Peak Giga Power Stove 3.75= ok
Cook Gear *Fuel canister 7oz= ok
Cook Gear Snow Peak Trek 900 Titanium 6.00= are you by yourself- you could go smaller
Cook Gear Titanium Spork 0.60= ok
Misc. 3L Platypus Hoser 4.00= go with used Gatorade bottles or get a 2L platy, or not, personal choice
Misc. Bic mini lighter 0.50= ok
Misc. Gerber EVO Jr. Serrated Locking Knife 1.80= could go lighter, like .7 oz
Misc. MSR Dromlite 6L 5.70= NO NEED! get rid of it
Misc. MSR MiniWorks EX 14.50= get a SteriPen or AquaMira
Misc. Nalgene 6.20= NO NEED! get rid of
Misc. Petzl Tikka Plus 3.20= can go lighter
Misc. 2x ZPacks Stuff Sacks 1.00= no need
Misc. Sea to Summit 13L ultra-sil bear bag 1.40= Ok if you need it
sanitation hand sanitizer 1.00= ok
sanitation *Toilet paper 4.00= how long are you going out for? This is way too much for a short weekend
sanitation toothbrush 1.00= ok
sanitation toothpaste 1.00= how many set of teeth do you have?
Shelter MSR Hubba Tent 47.00= as you said get a tarp and bug cover
Sleeping Gear North Face Beeline 30 22.00= I like WM bags
Sleeping Gear Therarest Stuff Sack Pillow 2.00= personal chioce
Sleeping Gear Thermarest Neoair regular 14.00= ok

Just my ideas

[Brad Rogers]

First off, welcome to BPL. It would help to have a little more information about where you will be hiking (Southeast, Northwest, Sierras, etc) and what type of trips you do (overnighter/weekend, one/two weeks, thru hike, etc) as that will help everyone give better more specific information.

I’ll point out a few areas that I see where you could save a little weight.

Pack Cover – five ounces is a lot for a pack cover. It isn’t much but you should be able to get one for under three ounces no problem. You might also be able to get away without one if you use a pack liner.

Clothing Carried-I guess the smartwool stuff is for sleeping, but why the Colombia shirt too? I would ditch it. Also for the sleeping clothing you might be able to find something lighter. I use a now discontinued Golite Silkweight top (2.2oz) and BPL UL Merino bottoms (3.6oz).

Clothing Worn- I am just going to put in a little plug here for switching to trail runners. Most people that try them never go back to boots. They would also probably let you lose the liner socks.

Water storage- Not knowing where you will be hiking it is hard to say, but that seems like a lot of water storage (too much for many places)and a whole lot of weight. I would get rid of the nalgene fist off, if you like using bottles as I do, Gatoraide or Water Bottles are much lighter and plenty tough. I would also either drop the Dromlite or the Platy.

Filter – I recommend replacing the filter with repackaged Aquamira. Once you put it in mini dropper bottles it only weighs 1.1oz.

Sanitation: You might repackage the hand sanitizer in a mini dropper bottle (0.55oz total), and try and find a lighter toothbrush/toothpaste combo. You should be able to get this down to around an ounce. Four ounces of toilet paper is nearly a whole roll. Do you really need that much?

Shelter: I like your idea of the bug shelter/tarp combo. I use the Gossamer Gear SpinnShelter and Alpinlite Bug Tent combo and it weighs in around 22.3oz with stakes and guylines.

Sleeping Gear: If you don’t like the Beeline, many people do like the Mont Bell bags. I have some Mont Bell gear but have never tried their bags. I would ditch the stuff sack pillow and use one of the stuff sacks you are already carrying. You can always cover the outside with an extra piece of clothing if it doesn’t feel good against the skin.

[Dean F.]

I think the most important stuff has been addressed:

#1 That 6L dromedary jumped out at me. Wow. That's a lot of water. Are you in Arizona? Most non-desert hikers here carry at most 2L total, and treat as they go.

#2 I think pack liners make more theoretical sense than pack covers. Pack covers have to be put on and taken off all the time. They cover pockets that you may want quick access to. Also, they are exposed to brush, rocks, etc. on the outside of the pack, so they have to be made more durable (i.e. heavier).

The rest is nitpicking. That's not a bad setup, given that you already recognize some areas for improvement, like the Hubba. Non-fanatical trail runners will weigh as little as 24oz/pair, but there are lighter ones out there if you want to get a bit fanatical. Shaving more weight will swiftly start costing you more $/oz.

Is this a solo list?

[Andrew Nitkin]

thanks for the advice. this gear list is for the new england area and some slight changes when I go to the colorado rocky mountains.

in response to tad,

sounds like a good idea to shed that weight.

should I just use one pair of sock liners for the entire trip? I usually switch them every day to make sure I start out with a completely dry pair even though they are quick dry. I switch out the wools socks if they get wet.

I could probably get by with a snowpeak 700
I'll consider new trekking poles, but thats going to be one of my last priorities.

I could probably get rid of the extra shirt, however I wear the one when hiking and like to put on clothes (the smartwools) that I wasnt sweating in during the day when I sleep.

the hat was an estimate and I probably have one of the columbia quick dry ultralight hats around my house somewhere.

I could probably switch to trailrunners and I'll look into it when it gets warm enough to start up the shoulder season weekend day hikes. When I do that I'll switch to lighter socks.

I could probably get rid of the dromlite but I like to have a receptacle for the water pump that I can use as a camp kitchen sink. its also difficult to pump into the platypus. I'll figure that out though if I switch to tablets.

TP was just a random guess number. its more or less depending on the trip but I tend to err on more than less.

for the toothbrush/toothpaste i would probaby just use a toothbrush with a cut handle and some baking soda

[Tad Englund]

Andrew:

>should I just use one pair of sock liners for the entire trip?<

Yes

>I usually switch them every day to make sure I start out with a completely dry pair even though they are quick dry.<

They are quick dry for a reason, if they need to be cleaned you can wash them at night and they will dry out in your bag overnight-

>I switch out the wools socks if they get wet.<

If they get wet, wear them until they dry- that is why you should wear very breathable trail runners. Keep your extra pair for sleeping socks, always have a clean dry pair to sleep in, it will keep your warmer. You can always wear your sleep socks the next day and wash your other pair before you head out for the day- they will be dry and clean to sleep in. I keep my sleep socks for only sleeping and wash my wool socks at the end of the day and if they are still damp in the morning, its no big deal they will be dry in 15 minutes of walking.

>I could probably get by with a snowpeak 700>

good

>I'll consider new trekking poles, but thats going to be one of my last priorities.<

Keep an eye on the gear swap

>I could probably get rid of the extra shirt, however I wear the one when hiking and like to put on clothes (the smartwools) that I wasnt sweating in during the day when I sleep.<

I understand, I like to sleep clean also, but you can get by with one shirt- wash it out when you get to camp and it will /should be dry by morning or if damp you can wear it dry.

>I could probably switch to trailrunners<

This should not be an option

>I could probably get rid of the dromlite but I like to have a receptacle for the water pump that I can use as a camp kitchen sink.its also difficult to pump into the platypus. I'll figure that out though if I switch to tablets.<

With tablets you only need the platy. You can also get an adapter for the platy. The dromlite is way to heavy, use your pot as the kitchen sink. You need to let it go without looking back

>TP was just a random guess number. its more or less depending on the trip but I tend to err on more than less.<

Error on the "less" side, there are plenty of things to use in the wild.

>for the toothbrush/toothpaste i would probaby just use a toothbrush with a cut handle and some baking soda<

Baking soda is a great way to save weight- repackage it into a dropper bottle and you can spray it on your toothbrush

[C C]

I think is it very important to carry a camera, I go out on many adventures and I would never do so without a camera.

[Mike Clelland]

I made some notes. You should formalize your list a little more. I foresee you adding things and not being super accurate. The spreadsheet list is an amazing way to quantify your gear.

For instance, you have no SOAP but you list 4 ounces of Toilet Paper. And 4 ounces of TP is a LOT.

Also – you list a "Misc. Nalgene 6.20 oz" and I am not sure what you mean. Make sure you have a very real NEED for any item listed.

For water vessels, You listed:

---

Misc. 3L Platypus Hoser 4.00
Misc. MSR Dromlite 6L 5.70
Misc. Nalgene 6.20

---

That's 10 liters of water!

And they weight 17.9 ounces empty. A 1.5 liter soda bottle weighs less than 2 ounces (and it's free!) You save OVER a pound.

And if you are in the "colorado rocky mountains" you can get by with less than 2 liters.

====================

Backpack Osprey Exos 58 40.00 – WOW, that's too HEAVY. Start by getting a lighter pack.

Backpack Pack Cover 5.00 – NIX – replace with simple pack LINER plastic bag.

Clothes Carried Frogg Togg Jacket 6.00 – good

Clothes Carried Frogg Togg Pants 6.00 – good, but these tare very easily

Cook Gear Bandana 1.00 – cut it in HALF!

Cook Gear Snow Peak Giga Power Stove 3.75
Cook Gear *Fuel canister 7oz
– – – Switch to Alcohol stove, and save a LOT of weight – – –

Misc. 3L Platypus Hoser 4.00 – The 3 liter with HOZE must weigh more than 4 ounces. WHy do you need so much water?

Misc. Gerber EVO Jr. Serrated Locking Knife 1.80 – Replace with a single edge razor blade saving 1.7 ounces.

Misc. MSR Dromlite 6L 5.70 – Good Grief, are you crossing the Mojave in July?????? No way, get rid of this!

Misc. MSR MiniWorks EX 14.50 – NIX – this is almost a pound! Where are you planning to hike? In the sewers of Bombay? Use aqua mira drops, and save 13.5 ounces.

Misc. Nalgene 6.20 – What?!?!? More water bottles? Just so you know, it is the "traditional" hiker that carries the Nalgene bottle, NOT the light weight hiker, NIX it.

Misc. Petzl Tikka Plus 3.20 – Get a petzl e+lite, it is less than one ounce.

Misc. 2x ZPacks Stuff Sacks 1.00 – Be very careful about stuff sacks, you need fewer than you think.

sanitation *Toilet paper 4.00 You can NIX this, and the weight becomes ZERO!

Shelter MSR Hubba Tent 47.00 – Take a tarp instead and save over 40 ounces!

Sleeping Gear Therarest Stuff Sack Pillow 2.00 – A pillow stuff sack? THis is a joke, right. Nix it. You will survive just fine!

[John Brochu]

>>>thanks for the advice. this gear list is for the new england area and some slight changes when I go to the colorado rocky mountains.<<<

Two 1 liter recycled soda/water bottles will be perfectly fine for hiking in NE and weigh 3.3oz combined.

>>>for the toothbrush/toothpaste i would probaby just use a toothbrush with a cut handle and some baking soda<<<

If you look around you can find tooth powder which tastes better than baking soda. A little bit dumped into the tiniest dropper bottle (with the dropper adapter removed) lasts 10 days and weighs very little.

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