Electronics and weight

Neither. Only electronics is a photon II and sometimes a camera.

Hi,

If you are generally just hiking trails, you have safety overkill for sure.

Find a headlamp or flashlight that is less than 2 oz. I think there may be some on sale right now at Campsaver, REI Outlet, etc. (Photon is also sufficient light for camp, but I don't find it easy to replace the battery, so what I carry is a bright, 1-oz. flashlight. On a long trip, an extra flashlight battery or the Photon is my backup.)

Phone: Google/ask ahead about the area you'll be in, does it really have cell reception? 95% of the places I hike don't seem to have reception once you get 1-2 miles from the trailhead.

If you *do* get cell phone reception, and you want to bring it: Leave your camera behind, and use your phone to take pictures.

GPS units are very heavy. Learn to read topo maps instead; bring your map/compass. Or, download a GPS program onto your phone (I admit I don't know much about this) and use it only in emergencies, to preserve the phone battery.

PLB: I would consider carrying one of those, but only if I was doing a very long cross-country hike by myself. Consider, instead, just giving your emergency information and a detailed itinerary to a trusted person who will call for a search if you do not return by x day. If you are staying on trails, it's very unlikely that nobody will happen along to help you within the day; and if you are hiking x-country with a hiking buddy who has good skills, that person can go out for help if you get hurt.

– Elizabeth

Yep, I carry a tiny Princeton Tec Scout headlamp, a Garmin Colorado GPS, a Panasonic Lumix digital camera and a Steripen. They are all "light" but all add up.

Plus I carry the following spare batteries:
1. Scout batteries> 4 lithium coin size
2. GPS batteries> 2 lithium AA
3. Steripen> one CR123 rechargable or lithium (for cold weather)

The camera dosen't need a spare battery – so far.

So if ya want the conveniance of electronics ya gotta pay the weight "price". Or, as others may say, pay the freight.

But I like to think of it like this: The headlamp is less than half the weight of the Quad lamp that I used to carry. The Steripen is SO much lighter than a filter. The GPS and a topo reprint is a safety item. And really, the Lumix digital camera and maybe an extra SD card are so, SO much lighter than my old waterproof 35 mm viewfinder camera and film rolls.

But next will likely be a SPOT PLB… and its spare barrery. :o) Guess I'll have to buy some Unobtainum hiking poles to offset that weight.

No PLB or GPS and usually no cell. The only time I carry a cell phone is when I'm doing a point-to-point hike and have an arrangement to call my pick-up from the destination trailhead. I'm not really carrying it for emergencies. I wouldn't think I'd get a signal where I hike anyway.

That said, electronics are heavy. I usually have my Kindle (7.5 oz or so, if I remember right) and a digital point-and-shoot camera (a whopping 13 oz!)

Neither. Steripen and headlamp both use CR123 batteries. Camera.

On a solo overnighter, I carry none of the above exept a two ounce headlamp and either a cell phone if the hike will mostly be in cell range, or the PLB if it will not.

On a solo trek, I also carry the cell, which has proven extremely useful, the PLB, the camera, the spare batteries, and am seriously considering carrying a 3 oz. Foretrex GPS. BLAST!
Only hope is for lighter PLB's and cameras. At my age the PLB is mandatory, and I really want the camera to remember some of the most awesome sights. I'm hooked.

"GPS units are very heavy."

…except for the ones that are not heavy.

Mine weighs 3.2 ounces with batteries.

–B.G.–

Garmin Foretrex weighs 2.26 ounces. Use lithium cells. Gives you everything important from a GPS as long as you can read your paper map.

If low level hiking will just carry my mobile which has GPS and mapping and a Petzl Elite, if Solo or high level in Scotland or Winter I will carry Sat Phone and a brighter head torch

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=49825

A thread I made a while ago. To summarize, my smart phone saves me a lot of weight with all the electronics I no longer need to carry.

Generally just a mobile (and, like others, a headlamp and sometimes a camera). When I'm really feeling crazy, I also carry a movie projector that hooks into my mobile.

Would that be a pico projector Douglas? If so, what brand do you use, and what is your experience with it? I've considered buying an Optoma PK201 for turning a side of the tent into a theater. =)