Mild Weather Pack Kit.

[Justin Baker]

I am a newbie to this whole ultralight thing, but I think I did pretty well with the gear that I have. Coming from the bushcrafty world, I get a lot of satisfaction from doing more with less. This is for hiking in mild weather with 50+ degree night time temps. Any suggestions or input would be appreciated.

Pack:
Golite Peak 1 lb 6 ounces (22 oz)

Sleeping Gear:
USGI poncho liner (used as a blanket) 1 lb 5 oz (21 oz)

Shelter:
USGI poncho (mostly used as shelter) 8 oz
50ft line – 3.4oz

Clothing:
Red Sweater Shirt – 8.0z
Extra boxers -2 oz

Tools:
Mora #2 Knife – 3oz
Gerber Slide Saw – 4oz

Fire Kit:
Small Firesteel, REI Stormproof Matches, Fatwood Stick – 1.9 oz

Lights:
Black Diamond Headlamp (w/o batteries) – 1.3 oz
2x AA Batteries- 0.8 oz
Extra Batteries- 0.8 oz

Toiletries:
Toilet Paper – 1oz
Travel Toothbrush – 0.4 oz
Tiny Toothpaste Tube – 0.5 oz

Water Containers:
(1)Nalgene Bottle- 3.7 oz
(2)Nalgene Bottle- 3.7oz

Cook Gear:
Gsi SS cup: 5.1 oz

Msc:
Small First aid kit- 1 oz
Bug Repelant- 1 oz

Total: 92 oz.
5.75 pounds

Notable exceptions:
Fuel/Stove: I just use wood unless I absolutely have to use a stove.
Pad: I guess I am tough. It's not the end of the world for me to sleep on the hardest, most compact campsites with no pad. I usually sleep off trail under a heavier canopy where the ground is plenty soft for me. If I am not overly worried about leaving no trace, I will make a bed of boughs or leaves.

[Cesar Valdez]

I was surprised by the weight, that is pretty low.

How long is this kit for? I am guessing an overnighter or weekend?

First, things I would add:

Soap – buy/find a tiny plastic bottle and get concentrated, biodegradable liquid soap, it does not weigh much at all. I think mine is like 25g (full of soap) and is an recycled hotel shampoo bottle.

Small towel/bandanna – good as pot holder too, also very light.

Lip balm/sunblock – kills two birds with one stone, mine weighs 12g

Whistle – just in case, mine is 10g

Paper/pen/duct tape – you can wrap a bit of duct tape around a free pen you get get from a bank or whatever, and a tiny memo book or just a few pieces of paper in a waterproof bag.

Ground cover – a plastic sheet or a space blanket is very cheap and only around 50-100g

Sleeping mat – I also sleep without a mat on occasion, but it has to be very warm, and I still use natural insulation. But most of the time a mat is a great thing to have, even if you are tough. Mats are a whole complicated choice and many people have several depending on the conditions or occasion. But your standard foam mat is cheap and you can trim it down to 3/4, 2/3, or torso only to save weight and bulk. I have one that I trimmed 2/3 and it is 350g with a strap to keep it rolled up.

Garbage bag – multi-use item (sit mat, water container, leg bivy, etc.) for only around 40-60g.

Compass – I only leave my compass at home when I am going to a place I know like the back of my hand, or if going with a group and someone else is bringing one.

Things I would switch:

Gsi SS cup for either a titanium or aluminum pot/mug. Not only will it be lighter, but you get more volume too, and because you don't list any water purification gear, I am assuming that you are boiling your water. It can be a pain to boil one mug at a time to fill your water bottles. My Ti pot is 700ml, and I usually boil half a liter at a time to re-fill my 1 liter platypus or whatever. Only takes me boiling two loads, and each load (using a good, hot campfire) only takes about 5 min. If money is an issue, get a big beer can, cut the top off, put a wire bail on it, and there you go.

Nalgene bottles for recycled plastic bottles. I have a 1.5 liter recycled ice tea bottle that is only around 65g, and it is the harder type plastic and has lasted me all summer and is still in perfect condition.

Extra boxers for extra socks. You use your feet more than your butt, so they tend to get sweatier. You can also go commando and wash off your boxers in a body of water, then tie em to your pack to dry as you walk.

Hope this helps. I, like you, am into bushcraft too as you know, so I dig what you are trying to do.

[Andy F]

Good list, and suggestions above.

Don't forget a map too. :)

You probably don't need the extra batteries. Just make sure the ones you use are fresh. Lithiums last longer and are better in the cold if your headlamp won't get fried by them. A Photon Freedom is a nice backup, or maybe even replacement.

You probably don't really need the saw. A wood stove which takes small pieces of wood would be a good reason for it.

If you camp away from water or in dry areas, a 3 liter Platypus is light and useful.

[Troy Ammons]

Mild Weather Pack Kit
Nice list but you are missing some items like a pad, bivy bag, pack liner, etc etc and other misc items. Besides that here are some things you can do in the future.

BTW I dont count what goes in my pocket, specifically items like a folding knife etc.

Pack:
Golite ION – 9 oz

Sleeping Gear:
MYOG M90 climashield 2.5 quilt. 14 oz and much warmer. Good to 45dF and easy to make.

Shelter:
Campmor extended sil poncho is USGI poncho (mostly used as shelter) 8 oz
50ft of Kelty triptease – 1.5 oz
Add a MYOG 1.25 oz tyvek bivy – 8oz

Tools:
Although I like Mora knives, IMO the kershaw chill is a better and lighter knife – 2 oz and about $17 on amazon for now.

Like the Gerber slide saw too and own one, but you could just pocket a Swiss army lockblade knife with saw. Been carrying the non lock blade with saw for years and have cut all sorts of wood with one. I used to only cook on a fire and sometimes carried a swiss folding bow saw but a lot of the time just used the swiss army knife. Its amazing what you can cut with that little saw.

Fire Kit:
I am a Fatwood fan too. Mother nature at its finist.
A lighter in your pocket is a good thing to have.

At Ace hardware they sell what is called charcoal grill starter cubes. They are the same thing as wet tinder firestarters and will burn floating on water. Half a cube will boil a cup of water.
Shave them and they will catch a spark.
Only down side is they will smoke your pot.
They are non toxic and I am 99% sure they are partially made from highly refined Biodiesel type fuel

Water Containers:
Would use something lighter personally. 1L water bottle from the grocery or platy bottles.
About 1 oz each.

Cook Gear:
Gsi SS cup: 5.1 oz
Oh that is the one that fits over a nalgene bottle or over the 40oz SS bottles.
Have one and like it.

[Justin Baker]

Thanks for all the input. Unfortunatley I don't have a lot of funds right now, but over time I bet I can get the wight real down.
The poncho goes completely over the pack and would keep it dry.
I don't know about the folder… sometimes I baton with the mora if I really need to (split wood fire in wet weather or knocking down a branch).
The poncho liner is actually a little heavier because it is oversize as a blanket. I would cut it down but it would be iffy for me to try and sew it back up. I could probably drop it under 1lb.
I actually use the saw A LOT. Very general purpose item. Mostly cutting tarp stakes to length, knocking off a small branch for a pot hook, separating a log so I can drag it back to camp. It's also kind of my failsafe. It helps me get a fire going in wet weather (crosscut before splitting). Also helps in building a shelter. At 4 ounces I think it's just right. The gerber slide saw is junk though… I am going to get a different brand at a similar wieght.
I have considered getting a cheaper/lighter plastic bottle, but need one that nests in my ss cup!

[Troy Ammons]

A pack liner is a last chance item to make sure sleep gear and spare clothing stays dry even if you fall in a stream or river. Well worth it for a couple of OZ. Compactor bag works.
I bought 5 nylon drybags from China for something like $15.

The folder has a fairly long blade. I have never tried it for batoning wood but it would probably work.

Has a 3" blade but it is big on quality. Its my favorite knife right now mostly due to weight. Quality vs price vs weight its about as good as it gets for a folder.
I am even considering buying another one while they are cheap just as a backup.
http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=514&brand=kershaw

I also have a Becker necker that is really a stout 4 oz fixed thick blade knife and really holds an edge. Great steel. 3 1/4" blade Drop point.
https://www.kabar.com/product/productDetail.do?productNumber=BK11

As far as Moras, I have 2 and they are also nice. Longer 4" blade. I like them too, its just they have a tang handle.

I have a poncho liner, but I ended up never using it. I would not cut it down though, just when you have funds make a climasheild quilt.

Understand on the saw. I have one in my hunting pack.
Great saw and if you build fires a lot well worth it.

Which alternate brand of saw are you going to buy ??
I might be interested in another one.

The 1L bottles will nest but not tight like the nalgene bottles. Take it to the grocery store and you will probably find something that is a tight fit.
People will look at you like you are nuts.

Also a Clean Kanteen 40oz bottle will nest in it tight if you are into SS bottles.

[Justin Baker]

I plan on getting the equipment/learning how to make quilts and I am probably going make several at different temperature ratings. So that should work well.
I am thinking about getting the bacho laplander. A little heavier at 6.5 oz, but maybe that's the price for sturdiness. I keep feeling like the slide saw is going to snap on me. I consider the saw a necessity at times considering how skimpy a poncho shelter can be. I have thrown up a natural shelter more than once, a thermal a-frame helps with warmth too. I could carry just a saw blade, however making a bow handle every time could be tedious. However I would have a tool powerful enough to gather a nights worth of standing deadwood for very little weight.
I will definitley look into the kershaw though. 2oz is surprisingly light for a folder! I am probably going to pic up the necker as a neck knife edc soon and add some kind of firesteel attachment to the sheath.
The liner makes a lot of sense and wouldn't weigh much.
Thanks.

[Troy Ammons]

2 quilts is enough. One 2.5 oz is good for 45df and one 5 oz good for 25dF. Nest together should be good for 10-15dF.

That combo of climashield and Momentum 55 or 90 (cheaper) is a good one. Moisture just wicks through it and it never wets out like down will after several days to a week of say heavy foggy weather with constant rain and no sun. Thinking mostly east coast.

I have always preferred down, but now I am a climashield convert.
If it ever loses its loft just rip the closure seam flip it inside out, take out the old insul and put in new.

With climashield you only have to sew around the edges.

It is roughly equivalent to about 550 down weight to warmth.

I think this is the exact saw I have owned for like 25 years.
It mysteriously disappeared 2 years ago and I think my bro in law snagged it.
Great saw and if you saw a lot of wood, I mean a lot, it is well worth the weight.

Out for 2-3 days a few extra ounces is no big deal.

http://www.svensaw.com/features.htm

[Cesar Valdez]

Today I got bored with a rare moment of free time, and I decided to play around with my gear. I re-weighed some stuff and updated some other stuff and my geargrams library.

Anyhow, for fun I decided to put together a gear list that has no fancy gear (okay, a titanium pot is kinda fancy, but mine was only 40 bucks which is not too bad especially with how tough titanium is) and my goal was to get as close to SUL (under 5lbs) as possible, but I knew I would probably not make it that low. I got pretty close, actually, at 2398g or 5.28lbs.

This is for an overnighter or weekend in warmer weather with a low chance of rain using campfire to cook and purify water. I did leave out a few luxury items (spare socks, bug repellent) that I could throw in and only bump it up maybe another 120-130g.

Check it out: http://www.geargrams.com/list?id=4109

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