3 season gear list

[Mike Hopkins]

Here is my most recent gear list for me and my girlfriend. We typically do weekend trips in Eastern Ontario, the Adirondacks, and will probably do a five day trip on the coastal trail on Lake Superior. We have been backpacking for the past 8 years together, but have only decided to lighten our packs in the last few years, but it has been a slow process. We need a kick in the but to get our packs lighter. We already share a lot of items such as headlamp, knife, first aid and navigation items. My girl friend loves our tent and so we probably wont replace that as much as I would like to try a tarp tent. I use a tarp and net bivy that I made on solo trips. Another item that we probably wont part with is the water filter, I take aquamira tablets on solo trips.

Amber is thinking of getting the Gregory Jade 50 to replace her current 60 liter pack because it is on sale at MEC and is comparatively light.

Mikes's Ultralight Gear List

Base Weight Items: Weight (oz)
Pack: 26.6
MEC Alpinelite 30 23.0
Stuff Sack for Shelter 0.6
Mec Sil nylon linear bag 3

Shelter/Sleeping: 66.5
Backpacking light pro 60 quilt 10
Therm-a-rest prolite 3 Self-Inflatable Sleeping Pad regular 16
Hubba hubba fly and poles 40.5

Cooking: 32.7
Platypus 1L Water Bottle 0.9
MSR Hyperflow Filter 7.7
Bear bag Cord 35' 1.9
Fuel Bottle 12
Pot and lid 7.8
Pocket Rocket Stove 0.4
Camp Soap – Microdropper 0.5
Mini Bic Lighter 0.4
Spork and bowl 1

Extra Clothes: 28.1
Rain Jacket 12
TNF Down sweater 12.5
Fleece Cap 1.4
Light Socks 2.2

Miscellaneous: 8.1
Mesh Bag 0.4
Compass 2
Petzl E lite .9
Gerber LST .8
Personal Items (TP, Toothbrush) 2
First Aid & Repair (Deet, Medical Tape, Moleskin, ibprophen ect. 2
Total Base Weight (oz) 162
Total Base Weight (lbs) 10.1

Amber’s Ultralight Gear List

Base Weight Items: Weight (oz)
Pack: 65.6
Gregory Jade 50? 62
Stuff Sack for Shelter Items 0.6
Sil nylon pack liner 3.0

Shelter/Sleeping: 63
TNF Beeline Sleeping Bag 21
Thermy prolite 3 Sleeping Pad 16
Hubba Hubba Tent body and stakes 26

Cooking: 3
Platypus 1L bottle 0.9
Mini Bic Lighter 0.4
Spork and folding bowl 1

Extra Clothes: 33
Rain Jacket 22
Soft shell sweater? 8
Underwear 1.5
Light Hiker Socks – Low 2.2

Miscellaneous: 5
Personal Items (Contact Case,RX Pills, Contact Solution,Toothbrush, TP)5
Total Base Weight (oz) 173
Total Base Weight (lbs) 10.1

Any Suggestions are welcome, we are students so we don't have a ton of money to spend. I have cut off some unneeded features to my pack, but have also made some water bottle pockets for it as well. Thanks for all the help in advance!

[Spruce Goose]

What clothes are you wearing? I always carry something to cover my legs (usually a light snythetic base layer).

Do you both need a bowl, or could one of you eat out of the pot (or the bag you cook your food in, if that's how you roll)?

Any thoughts about using CCF pads instead of inflaters?

If I were Amber, I'd avoid a "softshell sweater" for 3 season use. Better off with something like you've got.

That tent is really the biggest thing that I see, but…

I personally prefer for everyone to have their own headlamp/flashlight, but that's just me. I guess I hike a more in the dark than most.

[Chris Gray]

Mike
—-
-No rain pants?
-You can save a few ounces by switching to a CCF pad.
-No Gloves?
-You could lose the camp soap and use nature's own
-No insulation for your legs?
-You could ditch the medical tape and moleskin and use duct tape for both applications.

Amber

---

-CCF pad?
-No rain pants?
-No leg insulation?
-No warm hat?
-No gloves?
-Rain jacket is double the weight of lightweight options (Precip, Mica etc)
-No headlamp?

Both
—-
-Consider ditching one bowl and one of you can eat out of the pot.
-Sunscreen?

Also the clothes that you choose to wear may also effect what you put in your pack.

[Mike Hopkins]

We both wear either a long sleeve or short sleeve light weight poly pro top depending on the season. We always wear long light weight pants no matter what the season. In cooler temps during early spring or late fall we wear mid weight longjohns under these pants. Amber will usually bring a synthetic insulation jacket similar to mine during these trips, I will in courage her to bring it for our warmer trips as well. We don't use rain pants because our pants dry plenty fast. Sun screen is included in the random personal items, i just forgot to list it. A warm toque and gloves come on are colder trips as well, forgot to list those, I bring a toque on almost every trip because my quilt doesn't have a hood.
I like the idea of one of us using the pot and the other using the bag to eat our food out of. I will also consider bringing a small LED key chain type light as a back up. CCF pads are an idea I have tried to stay away from, I enjoy a good nights sleep and we both already have prolights, I could probably go with the short version however. For the price it may be worth trying though, any recommendations on what to go with? Also anyone have recommendations for a pack for Amber? Unfortunately a new rain jacket for her isn't a top priority right now, but maybe in the summer it will be. Thanks for all the input!

[Spruce Goose]

>>We don't use rain pants because our pants dry plenty fast.<<

I'm with you for warm weather stuff. I'm not a rain paints guy, either.

>>CCF pads are an idea I have tried to stay away from…For the price it may be worth trying though, any recommendations…?<<

Thermarest Ridgerest, GG ThinLight, generic blue foam.

>>Also anyone have recommendations for a pack for Amber?<<

With that base weight, I'd personally go with a lighter pack. Along the same volume (and price) as the Jade, you could get something like the ULA Conduit or Ohm, GG Mariposa Plus, SMD Swift, or Granite Gear Virga…among others. All of them are significantly lighter than the Jade…but possibly less supportive, particularly if pack weight creeps up due to longer (or dryer) trips.

[Mike Hopkins]

Sorry I forgot to mention that Amber really wants a pack with a frame. I was also thinking the osprey exos 48 would work, the ULA ohm might also work. Thanks for the suggestions!

[Sean Walashek]

I wouldn't switch to duct tape for first aid. Ambers jacket is a heavier one, you could trim almost a pound off it without sacrificing function, as well as the softshell sweater, maybe unnecessary, you could add a montbell jacket or something similar for the same weight and lots more warmth. If you are comfy in your quilt I wouldn't change it but I found I could get pretty cold in my cocoon quilt. You could myog a 2 person ray way quilt to be cozier and lash your pads together for less weight, added snuggles. For a pack I believe in getting one that feels great, even if it means adding a couple ounces. If a frame is essential you may consider a gg gorilla for her. With those saving you could bring an extra headlamp for each of you, add gloves, and pj's. Being cold is never fun.

If you look at the workings as an entire system, rather than item by item, you will be able to see where the most weight can be cut for the least amount of money.

[Andy F]

If you could use an open fire, you could drop the stove, fuel, and filter, but still carry Aquamira as a backup.

Add a whistle and second firestarting method (firesteel).

[Roger Caffin]

> We don't use rain pants because our pants dry plenty fast.
DANGEROUS!
The purpose of rain pants is not to keep your pants dry! It is to prevent you from suffering hypothermia when the rain is combined with a cold wind. The same applies to a rain jacket, btw.
You won't die from being wet; in heavy rain you will get wet anyhow. You can't stay dry! You can die from hypothermia.

All this is moot if you are only walking in fine warm weather. Clothing for the conditions.

> I bring a toque on almost every trip because my quilt doesn't have a hood.
A warm head is crucial.

Cheers

[Trevor Greenwood]

> We don't use rain pants because our pants dry plenty fast.
DANGEROUS!
You will die from hypothermia.

Roger, I think the whole thing about rain pants is a little over the top. Is it dangerous to hike in grizzly country, to hike up glaciers, to cross deep rivers? Yep, yep, and yep. But with a little common sense ya just might survive. If it is very cold, windy, and wet set up your shelter and get into dry clothes and your bag = problem solved.

I have been hiking without rain pants for well over a decade mostly in Montana, Idaho, Colorado, and Wyoming. Have I hiked in cold, windy and wet conditions? Yes. Am I dead from hypothermia? Obviously not.

[Joseph Scalia]

I usually carry rain pants because they are also your back up pants and extra insulation for nighttime sleeping if needed.

[Mike Hopkins]

Thanks for the help and the concern folks. I didn't think the rain pants would have been such a big issue. I have been leaving rain pants at home for a good 5 years now and haven't had any problems yet. I can assure you I am aware of hypothermia and no how to avoid it, thanks for the concern though. Here is a slightly updated list, including what I take on solo trips.
Amber’s Ultralight Gear List
( 2.5 Days, -1 to 20 C)
Base Weight Items: Weight (oz)
Pack: 40.6?
Osprey exos 46? 37
Stuff Sack for Shelter 0.6
Sil nylon pack liner 3.0
Shelter/Sleeping: 63
TNF Beeline Sleeping Bag 21
Thermy prolite 3 Sleeping Pad 16
Hubba Hubba Tent body and stakes 26
Cooking: 3
Platypus 1L bottle 0.9
Mini Bic Lighter 0.4
Spork and folding bowl 1
Extra Clothes: 25
Rain Jacket 12
Permaloft sweater 10
Underwear 1.5
Light Hiker Socks 2.2
Miscellaneous: 5
Personal Items: 4.5
Spare LED light .5
Total Base Weight (oz) 137.6
Total Base Weight (lbs) 8.6

Mikes's Ultralight Gear List
2.5 days with amber or solo
Base Weight Items: Weight (oz)
Pack: 26.6
MEC Alpinelite 30: 23.0
Stuff Sack for Shelter: 0.6
Mec Sil nylon linear bag: 3
Shelter/Sleeping: 66.5/34.0
Backpacking light pro 60 quilt: 10
prolite 3 Self-Inflatable Sleeping Pad/foam pad 16/ 11
Hubbahubba fly and poles/Myog tarp and bug bivy 40.5/ 13

Cooking: 36.7/ 21
Platypus 1L Water Bottle 0.9/ 1.8
MSR Hyperflow Filter/tablets 7.7 / .45
Bear bag Cord 35' 1.9
Fuel Bottle 7
Pot and lid 7.8
Pocket Rocket Stove 0.4
Mini Bic Lighter 0.4
Spork .5
Extra Clothes: 27.1
Rain Jacket 12
TNF Down sweater 12.5
Fleece Cap 1.4
Light Hiker Socks 1.25
Miscellaneous: 6.7
Ziplock bag 0.2
Key chain compass/ thermometer .3
Petzl E lite .9
Gerber LST .8
Personal Items (TP, Toothbrush) 2
First Aid & Repair 1.5

Total Base Weight (oz) 154.1/115.3
Total Base Weight (lbs) 9.65/7.2

I think I am slowly getting there. The biggest place for improvement is unfortunately the tent, which Amber loves. If anyone has any ideas on how to make this lighter I would really appreciate it, I am pretty handy with a sewing machine, so let the ideas fly. Still haven't found Amber a new pack either, but we have narrowed it down to the exos 47, Arcteryx axios 48, or Gregory jade 50. We could realistically get here something smaller for most of our trips, because they are 3 day weekend trips in the summer in Eastern Ontario and the Adirondack high peaks, but we also do a weeklong trip at least once a year as well. Any other suggestions are more then welcome. I will probably be upgrading to a MLD Prophet this summer, so keeping that it mind let me know what I can do to improve!

[John Whynot]

>>Adirondack high peaks
Don't forget the bear canister if you're in the eastern High Peaks area…

[Mike Hopkins]

Yup, the bear canister comes, but since it isn't a regular item, I didn't put it down on the list. Thanks though.

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