UL REI STYLE – Yes it CAN Be Done

Hey Larry, (and anyone else),

I've never used trekking poles, ever, and I keep hearing the REI juniors you referred to come up many times. I'll go compare them on the REI site with their others, but I was wondering: I'm thru-hiking the PCT next May, and hopefully using some type of shelter that will use trekking poles as support. Would these REI Juniors be too short? Also, I'm 6', 195# now (180 by Tahoe), would you recommend these in your opinion?

I am definitely not an expert when it comes to these things….

Thanks! :)

I'm no expert when it comes to these. There's a picture of them being used in the Review section on REI's website that has a guy using them to hop down a boulder with a rather large pack on and I think he was happy with them. YMMV of course. IIRC they only extend to around 46" max and that's a little short according to some sources for us guys around the 6' mark.

My one complaint when I looked at them in store (other than their adjustment range) was the hard plastic handles. I much prefer the cork handles on my $20 off brand poles from Sports Authority (which aren't even holding up well).

If you decide to go with them then test them first. You should have plenty of time between now and May. They aren't something I'd want to start such an epic hike with without knowing how they perform first.

EDIT: And I envy you're ability to have time to do such a hike. I can only dream at the moment but, nevertheless, I wish you luck in your endeavor.

I've had great luck with REI's Jr. trekking poles. Light, somewhat comfortable, durable, and inexpensive!

They fit well for someone up to around 5'8 – 5'9 (I'm 5'7)

We paid $25.00 when they were on sale, they're lighter than the REI UL carbons, ours came in weighing just about 12oz for a pair.

IMO I think they're tougher and simpler as well, a two piece unit made out of aluminum.

The twist lock is quite decent, and slippage is minimal. In fact sometimes it's hard to collapse the poles after long trips!

At first the plastic grips seem like a drawback, but they're actually pretty ergonomic, and can take a beating, which is nice!

Really highly recommend them!

And thanks for the words on the trip, Larry. I actually spoke with my boss yesterday over a game of frisbee golf (thats a new one for me!) and explained the whole situation, and I'll apparently even have a job when I get back. I'm definitely not taking this opportunity for granted. I know there's many folks who would love to do it now, but can't. My best friend has 14 years to wait until he retires, and we're going to do it then, if I'm able, as well. But again, thanks! :)

Well'p I think I'm going to take your guys' recommendations and lighten up my stove.

This whole MSR XGK EX thing is great at base camps but its way overkill for boiling water on an alpine backpack trip.

Any reason's to choose Soto OD-1R over the pocket rocket? Or should I get the Vargo Triad? I bought one for a friend a few months ago but I haven't had a chance to use it.

"Any reason's to choose Soto OD-1R over the pocket rocket? Or should I get the Vargo Triad? I bought one for a friend a few months ago but I haven't had a chance to use it."

While you're in evaluation mode, you might want to take a look at the Primus Micron Ti. It's in the same ball park, weight wise and gets excellent "gas mileage". REI has a matrix of stoves it sells listing various attributes, one of which is fuel efficiency. The Primus Micron is right at the top of the list, which correlates with my field experience.

The Snowpeak Gigapower (GS100 or GST100 in Ti) has the lowest carbon monoxide output of anything you're looking at. The Pocket Rocket is the one of the worst tested by BPL. The Primus Micron has over 4X the monoxide output of the Snowpeak. That was my reason for choosing it over other small canister stoves- some of the lowest monoxide emissions of any canister on the market. A consideration if you're doing a lot of cooking in a tent in bad weather…

Check out the test results overview chart here:
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/stoves_tents_carbon_monoxide_pt_3.html

Cheers.

EDIT: OOOPS. My bad. Judging from Alex's other post on the jacket thread, the correct answer on lightening his stove system would've been to get in better shape, hit the weights more, and forget about stove weight.
Please dismiss my Snowpeak recommendation Alex.
The P90X workout system is good though. So is ultrarunning.

@ Tom – Thanks! I'll have to check out the Micron Ti. Anything titanium is cool and adds like 200 horse power.

@ Craig – DOH! My "M" lapsed I'll have to get that taken care of and read the reviews again.

@ Craig – …ouch feel free to twist that knife you left in my back :)

I like P90X, I like to do it right before bed it relaxes me after a hard day of drinking.

"The Primus Micron has over 4X the monoxide output of the Snowpeak. That was my reason for choosing it over other small canister stoves- some of the lowest monoxide emissions of any canister on the market. A consideration if you're doing a lot of cooking in a tent in bad weather…"

Good point. My recommendation comes from a background of never cooking in my tent for exactly that reason, but also to avoid getting food smells in my gear. If you do cook in your tent, the Micron would not be the best choice, for sure.

As a new person to the site and to UL I must say that the errr thread quality is really quite good — the disagreement — to an outsider about using UL for say an extended trip versus a weekend; or even the comments on cottage brands is all interesting as it's all new to me — while I have seen some of the brands, getting the personal perspective and understanding the dynamic of the argument around the gear is much more informative than just seeing a gear list…great thread — super useful maybe in some unintended ways as well

Had some time on my hand so I took a crack on putting together an Ultralight Gearlist from items at REI. The list is under 10 lbs and still uses a tent. As REI stock is ever changing I didn’t confirm each item was still available, but nearly all should be found on the REI’s current website. I tried to update costs too. Generally I used the manufacturers listed weight unless I have a weight from the actual item.

LytW8 Gear Lists

If I went away from a tent to a tarp or silshelter there is additional weight to be saved. I think REI can also special order a Granite Gear Virga pack that would save weight from Golite new heavier Jam.

Jamie

Nice work Jamie. I had a look at the list. Here's a few comments:

1) The North Face Triumph Rain Jacket weighs ~5.5oz, not 10oz so your list is actually lighter than calculated.

2) This gear list should easily fit into a GoLite Peak (rather than the Jam) which would save 5oz and $25.

3) You can nix the whistle because you've already got one on the GoLite backpack saving .2oz and $10.

4) A GoLite 1+ Season quilt would save 6oz and $100 off this list. It doesn't seem to currently be available at REI but it seems like it was in the past. Maybe they're just between seasons on the GoLite quilts?

With the few changes mentioned above the buyer would save a full pound and $135.

Dan, You and I are thinking alike. I already updated the triumph to 7.0 oz since that is what is shown on REI website. I thought its actual weight was below 6 oz, so probably need another update. I too was considering the peak, but wasn't sure about fitting everything. I'm with you it should work…I will change it out. I've used a hydrogen to 20 degrees just fine so I'll probably stick with it for now.

Thanks for checking it out. Looks like the list is down to 9.17 lbs, all from REI (few home items) and still includes a tent and a canister stove so no special skills really needed.

Keep the suggestions coming.

Jamie

+1 on the list, Jamie

That's a great list — All it takes is a little bit of effort, and you can come up with a UL kit from REI even a novice backpacker would be comfortable with.

I was going to suggest the Snow Peak LiteMax stove, but it doesn't look like it's currently available at REI…

Dan, I updated the triumph weight to 5.9 oz (weight from backcountry.com), I went with a Golite Peak Pack, and nixed the whistle since the peak has one.

See lastest list…

LytW8 Gear Lists

John, Thanks and we too are thinking alike. I actually have the LiteMax (not the Giga). I’m pretty sure I bought it from REI. I like the stove and could save an oz with it, but didnt find it available so went with the tried and true Giga.

One note on skills….for Mike C. I purposefully left off TP. So this list would require the Non-TP bathroom skill or add 1/2 oz.

One note on comfort. I did go with a short foam pad. Yeah many people prefer better sleeping arrangements, but I’ve always done well with a foam pad and figured they are getting a tent.

Some people may question a few things like the length of cord I’ve listed for bear bagging or the extremely light first aid, but this is actually what I use without trouble.

Jamie

Looking good. It would be interesting to see if this list could be kept under 10lbs and $1000 since cost is such a big obstacle for people. You'd probably have to switch out the tent for a tarp to save that kind of money and then go with a cheaper bag and rain jkt. That would get you close.

Dan, I agree with the $1000 barrier would be nice to break. I will say that the prices listed were retail, I always buy on sale if possible. The NF Triumph is currently $125.00 on sale not the $179.00 I listed.

I also agree with tarping help drive down the shelter cost significantly. ID siltarp is only ~$75. Add a plastic ground sheet and you are good for under $100.

One thing that is interesting is that my advanced list (4.8 lb base weight)which has some high end cottage gear …nunatak quilt, mld pack, mld bivy, cuben poncho tarp, etc… is only $115 more than the 9 lb REI. Its not really fair to compare the two because the skill level needed for the advanced kit far exceeds that of the REI kit. But it does go to show that extreme ultra light isn't really any more expensive than traditional backpacking gear.

Jamie

I’ve refined this list about as far as I can go. It is pretty much all REI and has a base weight of 8.99 lbs. It still has a double wall tent, canister stove, and will get you through a 20 degree night if need be.

LytW8 Gear Lists

I do have an email into REI to see if they can order a GG Virga Pack. If so then I will switch out the Golite Peak for the Virga saving a few more ounces.

Jamie

Jamie,

I really dig the list. You put a lot of thought in to that one. Personally, I would take your 1P tent and go with the 2P just because for $50 bucks more and only 7oz it gives a person more ability justify costs and gives one more bang for the buck. You can sleep 2 people in there instead of just one so it would be a much easier sell to a guy who's wife/gf may be coming along or may be not so cool with the spending.

At that point you just tell her to bring her clothes and throw the tent in her pack and you've pretty much trimmed both your weights down to 7lbs a person.

Interesting. If you bought everything new, your sub 5 lb gear list is actually cheaper than the REI sub 10 lb gear list.

@ Rich – Well duh you pay for it by the pound at REI ;)

It kind of opened my eyes a little bit. But not enough to abandoned my buy only what I need lifestyle.