First Attempt: General 3-Season Gearlist

My input:
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72 ounce boots??!?!? Ugh! Get some running shoes!

26 ounce sandals? Yikes, take this weight to zero by simply leaving these behind, and wearing your nice running shoes in camp!

Take a razor blade to the pack, and sneak off a few un-needed ounces!

Why two fuel containers?

No need for extra batteries, the LED headlamp has a LONG amount of time with fresh batteries.

Why are you carrying two liters of water? Where are you hiking where you'll need that much on your back? (especially with a steri pen, your water weight should be ZERO!)

And 3.5 liters of water capacity??? 1.5 should be plenty.

Extra boxers?

An 18 ounce rain jacket? The Dri-Ducks weigh about 6.5 ounces, and they are super cheap.

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– also –

I started a thread titled:
Suggested GEAR LIST ETIQUETTE

– LINK –

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=31018&skip_to_post=262364#262364

I started this thread because there are some key points that really help when you post a gear list.

Mike, thanks for your input.

<72 ounce boots??!?!? Ugh! Get some running shoes!>

First, let me say that I am a big guy. Anywho, during high school I fractured my ankle in 22 places. Then, doctors wanted to fuse it, but I refused. The reason I have 4lbs boots is because I NEED the ankle support. There is nothing on the market that will give me the piece of mind for that bum ankle. If I hurt my ankle, no one is going to be able to lug my butt out and many of the places I go are very secluded, especially when I’m in Ontario, so the boots have to stay.

<26 ounce sandals? Yikes, take this weight to zero by simply leaving these behind, and wearing your nice running shoes in camp!>

With a size 13 (Wide) foot, the boots do get heavy and they are not ideal for camp shoes. So I need something for camp and the Tevas are all I have at this point in time.

Do you have any recommendations for a lightweight camp shoe for someone with a large foot?

Another thing I forgot to mention: I will not take a razor blade to the pack or remove material from any of my gear. Yes, I noticed a lot of BPL’s do this but I’m not feeling you on this one – sorry. I feel I can get light enough by what is available out there. If my pack is too heavy, then I’ll look for another internal framed pack that is lighter, perhaps the gossamer gear Mariposa plus.

The reason for two fuel containers is one; a little redundancy does not hurt – ever hear of not having all your eggs in one basket is a bad idea? Well if one were to leak, I’d be able to continue to cook without issue for the entirety of my trip.

Also, my meals require boiling water 2X a day ( I know, I need to switch to dry meals). However I am able to keep my food levels to 1.5lbs a day with two hot meals. Also, One thing I cannot give up is the fact that I like to have coffee each morning. So that is another 2-3 ounces of fuel required to boil water. So I'm at 9 ounces of required fuel consumption for 3 days. My largest container is 8 ounce. The other is 4.

Makes sense, especially for a 3 day trip. If it were a week-long trip I’d probably need them as I tend to do a lot of night hiking.

Reason is for redundancy. Don’t want only one water container on a trip. A leaky container could lead to problems. Alsio I need a wide-mouth container of some sort for the UV pen. The platy containers don’t work with one another.

creature comforts for bed. Could do without, but these and the Ipod are my “luxury” items…

Dri-Ducks won’t stand up to much bushwhacking from what I have been reading. I’d really like a wind / rain shirt to replace this jacket. Need to find a place that has size “fat” in stock. Teypically I find most gear is too tight across the chest and shoulders. Due to my wide shoulders and large chest (52-54") there inst much out there that fits me as I typically wear an XXL sized everything. Most hikers are at a M – L size and their gear is quite a bit lighter, so keep that in mind.

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<- also –
I started a thread titled:
Suggested GEAR LIST ETIQUETTE

– LINK –
http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=31018&skip_to_post=262364#262364

I started this thread because there are some key points that really help when you post a gear list.>

I saw your thread and updated the above based on your suggested etiquette. Thanks for the response.

Since this is not for any specific location, I do not believe I can follow everything since I won’t know what to expect weather-wise until a couple days before a trip. My intentions from this list were to have everything I needed in any “typical” 3-season situation (i.e. Sun, wind, rain, light snow).

"I NEED the ankle support"

I feel you. I always wear boots when I'm bushwhacking, so matter how light my pack is. If you're in the market though, merril makes a high-top version of the Pulse that it might be worth trying on, just to see.

"Do you have any recommendations for a lightweight camp shoe for someone with a large foot? "

Search camp shoes on this site, and you'll get a million MYOG ideas. If you're only worried about camp shoes and not about fording, some flip flops from the drug store will weigh 1/5 of the tevas. I don't use camp shoes, but I got some 4oz surfer's reef boots for fording. They come in crazy sizes.

"I will not take a razor blade to the pack or remove material from any of my gear."

I used to feel that way until one day I noticed that all the straps on my pack were ridiculously long. I lost a quarter of a pound just trimming the straps, and with a hotel sewing kit, I folded the ends over, good as new. If I did it with a sewing machine you wouldn't even be able to tell. Not sure what your issue is with this, but if you're worried about resale, the crazies around here will buy your old pack with mods :-)

"The reason for two fuel containers is one; a little redundancy does not hurt – ever hear of not having all your eggs in one basket is a bad idea? Well if one were to leak, I’d be able to continue to cook without issue for the entirety of my trip."

Part of going UL is relying on skill as much as or more than gear. Choosing the right equipment- even containers- eliminates a lot of the redundancy associated with traditional backpacking technique (this is a HUGE part of UL mentality). A plastic bottle from REI can hold as much volume as the bottle you pick and they're quite butch. Besides, even if you did have a leak, the dryer lint in your first aid kit will serve you to start a fire for emergency heat. You'll live without outmeal til you can make it back to civilization.

"Don’t want only one water container on a trip. A leaky container could lead to problems."

See above. I suppose you COULD break a flexible nalgene bottle, but seriously? You can drink out of your pot. Besides, if the platy doesn't mate with the steripen, how does it serve as a backup? 2 wide mouth gatorade bottles weigh less than 3 oz. Speaking of redundancy, you might want to toss in a day's worth of micropur or other water purification tabs, just in case the steripen goes awry.

"Dri-Ducks won’t stand up to much bushwhacking from what I have been reading"

That depends on the user. It might be worth it to try a set out for yourself, even with a backup trash bag-poncho it would be a huge weight savings.

"Need to find a place that has size “fat” in stock"

Keep your eyes peeled on the clearance racks at REI, EMS, etc. I have a frugal eye, and I see a lot of good stuff in XXL there. There are a couple of Marmot windshirts on clearance size XXL in my local REI store right now, there may be in Ohio, too.

Nice list, good luck!

I hear you on the boots issue. I have narrow feet which makes it hard to find something that fits, and I've had a lot of foot problems. I don't like heavy footwear, but my feet take such a beating if I wear trail runners. Particularly for off trail stuff, my feet hurt for days afterwards.

Re batteries, perhaps get a battery tester. Just check your batteries before you head out on a 2 – 3 day trip. If the batteries are good, there's no need for a backup with an LED light on a three season trip. For a four season trip, backups might be more important. I'm not sure. Can a Petzl Tikka Plus handle lithium batteries? You might want to check on that. I know some of the Petzl's should not be used with lithium batteries.

I don't bring camp shoes. Too much weight. I just loosen up my boots in camp. I think someone mentioned it, but if you really want camp shoes, head over to the dollar store and pick up a pair of cheap flip flops. For creek crossings, I use a pair of aqua socks which are basically just a nylon mesh with a plastic sole on the bottom. Not as good as diver's booties, but super light, very compact, and very fast drying.

HJ

I finally attacked my GoLite Pinnacle with the blade this weekend. I hesitated for a long time. I know how you feel, becase you can't undo it once you cut. I finall realized that I have been on a dozen hikes and have never needed the hydration/pad sleeve or the extra strap length. I cut nearly 4oz off.

Some things just didn't make sense like the closure cord for the top hung out about 8 inches when the bag was fully open. The extra cord served no function. The strap that secured the rolltop hung an extra 10in with the colar all the way up, it too had to go.

If you are paying 50 bucks for a Ti pot to shave 1oz off your kit, it does not make any sense to carry around a quarter pound of pack material which serves no purpose.

About water containers. I have been using the same Gatoraid bottle for 2 years. It's been dropped many many times and seems virtually indistructable. I am using lighter 1 liter soda bottles as well that are bomb proof. I can only see them failing if punctured with a knife or something. I would say 2 water containers at best (2 x 1L). Unless like me you need an extra pint bottle for some of grand daddy's cough syrup.

About boots. I have rolled both ancles several times and broken both. I too need a mid-boot. I have some nice Merrill bots that come in at about 10-11oz each. I know you have a big foot but I bet you could find a lighter option. I know with lighter footwear I am less likely to misstep as I have more control over my feet.

oooh ya, I forgot my 2c on camp shoes. I ditched them a long time ago. Wear your boots or go barefoot. I personally enjoy bare feet unless it is very cold out.