General 3-Season Alpine/Sub-Alpine List

[Eric Lundquist]

This is my gear list for general 3-season alpine/sub-alpine backpacking. I've been slowly evolving into UL for about 10 years now and this represents what I'm at currently. My locale for trips is the Tahoe Sierra's so that will give you a general sense of the temps, elevations, and weather conditions I usually see. Some of the weights that I've listed are from manufacturer's specs (RED Text) while most are actual weights measured on my digital scale (GREEN Text). I'm hoping to get the list to under 10lbs base weight (Currently 11.2lbs). I know that my sleeping bag and backpack are most likely to get swapped out and I would like to do a MYOG Quilt and perhaps get a ZPacks Blast 32 to cut some significant weight. I could probably do without the silk liner as well and I am seeking alternatives for my insulated mug and would prefer something more durable than a Styrofoam cup. Also, I love my camera and easily justify it's weight. I think I should be able to discount it in my baseweight if I use a neck strap right? :)

A gearlist with thumbnails is available in my profile. I find it's easier to pack when I see the pictures. Otherwise Google Docs has the spreadsheet.

Thanks for the help!

[Andy F]

The thumbnails list is nice!

I use one of these without a lid as my mug (16 oz size, 0.8 oz weight):

Other things you could think about:
– going cookless
– cut back on non-essential small stuff (bandanas, towel, sacks)

Edit: I actually wouldn't cut back too much more, other than maybe a lighter pack and mug. You'll likely end up cutting things out, spending money, and then adding the same things back in later.

[Ben C]

I bet you wont need more volume than the blast 26, even if you keep the rest of your gear. I have the 26 and its a bit more than I usually need.

[Brad Walker]

-Go to a NeoAir short and supplement with your Z sit pad?
-I have one of those REI thermometers and find it pretty worthless, FWIW. Maybe look into getting a watch (or carabiner style piece) with a built in thermo?

[Eric Lundquist]

@Andy F – I'll see if I can find one at my local stores. I've thought about it before and it makes more sense to me now. I usually don't like my drinks piping hot anyway and have to wait a while in the mornings for them to cool down before drinking. I've never gone cookless but it is something I am willing to consider as I could probably lose about 10oz there. Probably only good for an overnight trip which most of my trips are anyway. I have the two bandannas and could probably get rid of the ExOfficio one as the MSR towel performs most of those functions already. I'm too organized with my multiple sacks but will look into consolidating a few of them.

Ben Crocker – I am heading out for an overnight tomorrow with my Virga and will measure how much of the extension collar I actually use. Loaded up most of the pack last night and it's not cresting yet. With a MYOG Quilt I'd have a little more space too.

Brad Walker – I got the NeoAir at an REI Garage Sale and it was in great condition for ~50% off. I'd much rather prefer the short. I just need to convince my dad to purchase a new short and we'll swap! The thermometer is mediocre I agree, and I don't use it's compass feature at all in favor of the Suunto Clipper. I've read about the iButton thermometers but still aren't sure how they work or how to get the data from them.

Thanks again everyone.

[Eric Lundquist]

I went up in the Desolation for an overnight this weekend with a friend and treated it more like a solo trip without shared gear.

Things I Didn't Bring/Won't Bring Next Time:
Balaclava – I brought a wool Buff which I prefer.
Gloves – I didn't use them, will add them back for late-season trips.
ExOfficio Bandana – Didn't bring it and it wasn't missed.
Silk Sleep Sack – Didn't bring it and it wasn't missed.
Thermarest Pillow Stuff Sack – Used a larger silnylon sack for sleeping bag and parka. Less compressing of the down and I used my clothes bag for a pillow.
REI Mug – Bought a pack of 16oz = Ziploc containers per Andy F. Great item and I'll stick with it. I’m going to add a few more measurement markers on the side though.
Platypus Hoser – I brought (2) 1L Platy's instead. Just as easy to use and I'm not concerned about how much I have left as I can always see the water level remaining. Easier to refill while on the trail as well.
Seasoning – I'll probably leave this at home, the food was tasty enough.
REI Thermometer – I didn't bring it but will look more into the iButton.
Spare Platypus Cap – Without the Platypus Hoser this is not required.
‘Kitchen’ Bandana – I might cut the bandana in half. I use it mainly to keep the rattle down and to grab the pot off the stove. A full size one is too much.

Things added (Two steps forward one step back?):
Nikon Lens Pen – Dusty trails makes for an unhappy lens
ND Filter – For longer exposures during daylight hours

Things to think about:
Mosquito Headnet
Better Alcohol Stove – Mine is an old overused MYOG Pepsi can model.
Knob, Rope Loop, or Aluminum Tape as lid grabber for Heinie Pot.

I did not use any portion of the extension collar on the Virga. Anyone know how much ci this adds to the stock pack? On the way out it was well below the top. Every compression strap on the bag was maxed out and I could have compressed my down bag in the bottom more if I needed the extra space. I even packed out someone else’s gallon size trash bag that they left behind a tree. Why people? Why? For an overnight solo trip I think I should look at getting a smaller pack.

I’ll recheck my weights later this week and I have to weigh the Lens Pen and ND Filter and add them to the list. But with these changes I think I’m at 10lbs 0.4oz. Just a hair over 10lbs with my heavier than most camera gear is quite awesome. If I get the new pack and MYOG quilt I could actually hit 9lbs!

[Ben C]

I use a cat can alcohol stove I like a lot. I like it better than the pepsi can because its simpler and acts as its own stand. It works great with a heine can too.
I agree on the smaller volume pack too.

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