New England (5 Night Max)

-look into ankle or dress socks for your 2nd pair and save around an ounce.
-A dri-ducks jacket would save you around 2.85oz– a $2 poncho would save you even more and is about as breathable as you can get.

-nix the cover. You have a liner. save 0.8oz
-nix the clothes stuff sack. You have a liner. Save 0.17oz

-Nix the Caldra keg. Look into a SP 600 (2.8oz), fancy feast stove (0.3oz), MYOG windscreen (0.5oz). Total weight 3.6oz. Save 3.75oz

-Do you need two pads? nix the Thinlight, just use your backpack. save 2oz.
-Nix the pillow. Save 0.9oz or use the cuben stuff sack as a make shift pillow and save 0.73oz

-nix the swiss army and just use a razor blade. save 0.8oz

-you could replace the 2nd mini-bic with a handfull of strike anywhere matches. save 0.2oz maybe.

Save approx 12.32oz.

I'd leave home:
— Rain cover
— Extra Thinlight pad (unless sleeping in shelter/tent platform)
— Pillow (use extra clothes in stuff sack)

For an emergency fire kit, I just use a Sparklite, and some Tinder Tabs, less than 0.5 ounce.

A Swiss Army Classic would save a little bit of weight on the knife.

There may be some bits of the Caldera Keg system you can leave behind.

A great list for New England…

>>>look into ankle or dress socks for your 2nd pair and save around an ounce.<<<

Are you suggesting use the second pair for sleeping and hike in the same pair every day? Right now my practice is to switch back and forth every day.

>>>A dri-ducks jacket would save you around 2.85oz– a $2 poncho would save you even more and is about as breathable as you can get.<<<

I think a $2 poncho would get shredded, but will consider dri-ducks.

>>>nix the cover. You have a liner. save 0.8oz<<<

I should do this, although I like the reduncy in wet New England. However, I know I can manage with just a liner and the Blast doesn't absorb water like some other packs.

>>>Nix the Caldra keg. Look into a SP 600 (2.8oz), fancy feast stove (0.3oz), MYOG windscreen (0.5oz). Total weight 3.6oz. Save 3.75oz<<<

Half of the keg weight is the caddy. I should probably try to wean myself off the caddy but I'm afraid of crushing the beer can.

>>>Do you need two pads? nix the Thinlight, just use your backpack. save 2oz.<<<

I do need the extra pad for lower body insulation on the cold nights and due to occassional nights spent on tent platforms (when forced to by regualtions) or in shelters (for convenience). Those wood floors are hard!

>>>Nix the pillow. Save 0.9oz or use the cuben stuff sack as a make shift pillow and save 0.73oz<<<

Maybe I'll try the stuff sack method again but in the past I never had enough spare clothes to make a decent pillow. Now, with the cuben vapor barrier quilt, my ul down inner and sometimes my long johns will be available.

Thanks for the good suggestions – and all low cost too!

>>>A Swiss Army Classic would save a little bit of weight on the knife.<<<

I think that's what I have. I keep it on a little bit of cord around my neck so maybe the weight of the cord is what the difference in my weight is.

>>>Extra Thinlight pad (unless sleeping in shelter/tent platform)<<<

Ya – those platforms are hard on the back! Plus in the colder seasons I need the extra insulation for my lower body.

Thanks for the suggestions.

'Are you suggesting use the second pair for sleeping and hike in the same pair every day? Right now my practice is to switch back and forth every day.'

I only ever take two pairs of socks for trips which last less than 20 or 25 days.

My system is that I hike in my main pair and wash them everynight or every other night depending on how I feel. I wear the 2nd pair to sleep in and to wear around camp while my main pair are drying; they usually dry by the morning– hence the reason why I do not need a heavy pair of 2nd hiking socks.

I don't know how it is in the northeast but in the southeast nothing dries by the next day. I use the 3 sock system (wearing 1, drying 2 on the outside of my pack) and often they don't even dry by the time I have to wear them again.

The only way I can dry socks is to either wear them, which only works on dry days with a dry trail, or put them in my quilt with me overnight. I'm not sure how that last method will work in a vapor barrier since I haven't tried it yet but I'm suspecting not well.

With a few changes and about $115 it looks like I can get my standard baseweight to sub-5. Still looking for more suggestions.

Changes:

* O2 Hooded Rainshield Jacket instead of NF DIAD
* Nix rain cover (have pack liner)
* Quart size Ziplock for TP instead of Alosack
* Aircore 2 Guylines instead of Triptease
* 1 liter platypus (2) instead of soda bottles
* Leave Caldera Caddy behind
* 500ml Platy for fuel bottle instead of 130ml plastic bottle (this adds 0.3oz but my friend pointed out the 130ml bottle was only enough fuel for 2 nights)
* Add Photon Freedom to cord with Knife (this adds 0.22oz but provides a backup light source)
* Moved TP weight to Consumables
* Added Black Rock Hat which at 0.9 ounces is slightly heavier than my Turtle Fur Beenie but should be a lot warmer

Maybe cheating by moving the TP weight to consumables??? I've got food, water treatment, water, TP, and fuel under consumables. Everything else is either counted as "worn or carried" or in my base weight. Items in my pocket or around my neck are counted as base weight as if they were in my pack. My watch weight will go in "worn or carried" as that seems like standard practice.

My only real concerns with the proposed list are 1) the durability of the 02 Rainshield Jacket, 2) and the durability of the Caldera Keg without the protection of the Caddy…

Standard Base Weight After Changes Currently 4.96 Pounds

Worn or Carried

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BPL UL Merino Wool LS Top: 5.15oz
Prana Shorts: 10oz
REI Nylon Hat: 2oz
REI Peak UL Trecking Poles: 12.4oz
Inov-8 Roclite 295: 20.05 (need to weigh and add my inserts since I stopped using superfeet)
Ultimax Socks: 1.9oz
Watch: ??? (Need to get new watch my altimeter watch died)

Clothing Carried

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Montbell Down Inner: 7.6oz
*** Sub in 02 Hooded Rainshield: 5.5oz (~ $25 ) ***
Polypro Glove Liners: 1oz
Patagonia Cap 2 Long Johns: 5.3oz
*** Black Rock Hat: 0.9oz ( $65 ) ***
Z-Packs Cuben Rain Wrap: 0.8oz
Ultimax Socks: 1.9oz

Packing System

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Z-Packs Blast 18: 6.1oz
BPL Medium Liner: 1.3oz
Small-plus cuben stuff sack for clothes: 0.17oz
PCT Bear Bag system: 1.54oz
*** Quart Size Ziplock for TP: 0.15oz ***

Sleep System

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enLIGHTened Equipment Quilt: 10.4oz
3/8" GG CCF Pad cut to 35": 2.95oz
1/8" GG Thinlight: 2oz
KookaBay Pillow: 0.9oz

Shelter System

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Z-Packs Cuben Tarp: 3.3oz
*** Sub Aircore 2 Guylines (40 feet): 0.4oz ($18.99) ***
Micro Line-Locs(8): 0.16oz
Vargo Titanium Stakes (8) in Z-Packs Stuff Sack: 2.4oz
MLD Bug Bivy: 6.35oz
Terra Novva 2g Skewers (4): 0.29

Hydration

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*** Sub in 1 Liter Platy with Push Pull Spout (2): 2.5oz (already own) ***
Water Scoop (cut 1 liter platy): 0.5oz

Cooking

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*** Caldera Keg (nix caddy): 3.3oz ***
*** Sub 500ml Platy with Red Pour Spout for fuel: 0.9oz ***
TiWare Folding Spork: 0.54oz
Mini Bic Lighter: 0.4oz

Toiletries/Personal

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Suncsreen in mini balm container: 0.55oz
Deet in dropper bottle: 0.4oz
Bag Balm in mini balm container: 0.55oz
Alcohol Hand Gel: 0.7oz
Hygene Kit in ziplock (tooth brush, foot and tooth powder): 1.25oz
Paper Towels for TP (6) in Alosak: 1.43oz

Emergency/Misc

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Petzel e+Light: 1oz
Emergency Fire Kit in Alosak (tinder, mini bic, candle): 0.85oz
*** Swiss Army Knife and Photon Freedom on cord: 1.3oz ***
First Aid Kit (custom) in ziplock: 2.1oz
Compass: 1oz

Consumables

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Water Treatment (5 to 7 Aquimara tabs per day): varies according to trip length + season + local water
Food (on average 1.5 pounds per day): varies according to trip length
Water: carry zero to 2 liters depending on situation
Fuel: 125 ml before having to switch to different container
*** TP: 1 Square Paper Towel per Day ***

Great list… one suggestion – how about replacing the Montbel Inner with an insulated vest – shave 2ozs… I have a BPL Caccoon UL-60 vest which I love for summer night toastiness. Enjoy!

I tried that at one point with the WM Flash Vest but I ended up selling it. I liked the vest but I almost always picked the Down Inner when packing.

I just made 2 more changes to my edited list. My friend said his O2 jacket in medium weighs 5.5oz so I changed that. I also orderd a Black Rock hat which will weigh slightly more than my turtle fur beanie but a lot less than the alternative fleece beenie I already own.

Now looking into the ideas about replacing my knife with a razor blade, and the alternative emergency fire kit (sparklite and tinder).