Ultralight Gear List – Ideas/Help?

Welcome to BPL! I am confident you can get a lot of information here; sort of like drinking from a firehose.

To start, please post the weights of each of these items, and describe your backpacking goal. For example, "Overnight trips, expecting rain and temps down to -5C" I assume you are in Australia from looking at your gear list?

Where are you going to be using this? When are you going to be using this? These two quesions make a world of difference. For example, my 3-season pack would probably be suicidal for Alaskan winters.

One thing I see right off is that there aren't any clothes listed like insulating layers of any kind. Granted, some places in summer don't actually NEED insulating layers, but without the first two questions answered, I won't know that ;)

Tom

You may try some lighter options for the gear you have:

1200 – Roman 'Snowy' Pack [30L]
1000 – Outer Limits MS90 Bag [+5'C]
0600 – Outer Limits Hiker Fly [350cm x 210cm]
0200 – Fuel Canister [96ml/3.8oz] – replace with a soda bottle for Alcohol or Esbit tabs
0265 – First Aid kit
0250 – Use Treking poles as Tarp Poles
0200 – Fly pegs and cording
0165 – 3 x 700ml bottles – Switch to platypus bladders
0150 – Gas Stove – try a tea light alcohol stove, Heiniken can pot, and coat hanger wire pot stand – whole setup under 2 oz.
0130 – 800ml Aluminum Pot [with lid] – Beercan pot
0100 – Toilet Paper roll – really a consumable …
0050 – Toilet Trowel – Use a tent stake or a Ti potty trowel instead of one of your tent stakes.
0010 – Lighting [2 x LED keyrings]

Thanks for the feedback guys! And sorry about the pretty-much-double post. I'm wanting to use this for 3 season use [with the outer seasons I would take an MS225J bag [20'F/-5'C], weight of 1800g], including some alpine terrains, rain and temps to -5'C. At the most I'd be taking a thermal top, some long socks, and a poncho as weather-gear for spring and autumn. If it really closed in I'd just set up my tarp in the arrowhead form and cook tea early! And yes, I'm from Australia :P

Now, a lighter stove isnt on the cards at the moment because of cost reasons, and I do not wanting to join the 'semi-disposable' crowd and use lightweight improvised items. I just want gear that will work no matter what. Being able to be crushed flat defintely rules it out as an inclusion in my books. No offence – its just my viewpoint, I have nothing against them other than the durability. One option I'm considering is the Mini Trangia – 320g including pot, frying pan, handle, pot stand, and burner! I've also heard good things about the Coleman F1 firestorm

For the same reasons stated above, theres no way I'm using a beer can pot. Not to mention I'm 6'2"/180lb and want a decent hot meal after a long day hiking [a '4 serve side-dish' freeze-dried satay rice pack from the local supermarket mixed with a small can of john west lemon pepper tuna is a favorite of mine]. A 375ml pot rules that out. Again, it may be a good option for some, but I just don't think it'd work too well for me – I love being able to cook decent-sized meals in one hit…and don't mind making some quasi-gormet stuff haha. And before somone asks how much all that food weighs…well I've worked a 30,000kJ menu for 3 to 4 days [the latter with heavy carbo-loading – aka McD's] out and it comes in at circa 2000g.

Ti, Ti, Ti….everyone is sold on that sh#t! Like…my 800ml aluminum billy with lid and bail handle that weighs only ~15g more than the MSR titanium equivalent of the same capacity. Also, it doesnt scorch my food. ALSO, it cost no more than a few Mars Bars :D

Onto the toilet trowel…ever tried digging a good-sized toilet hole in a hurry with a tent stake? Just not gonna happen. As for the Ti shovel…read the above. Expense and similar weight make it redundant. Well, might it break you reasonably ask? Uh…if it does then I'd need a pick for the ground anyway. As for toilet paper, why wipe your behind with a leaf? And what if there arent leaved trees around? Pine needles? No thanks, haha. And yeah, a full roll isnt necessary. Hey – pocket tissues would probably do.

Poles…I dont use trekking poles because they generally give me the sh#ts. Its a personal thing…I just dont particularly like them, I'd prefer to have my hands free.

One more consideration that I'm posing…with a total pack weight of 20lb or less, why try and skimp on things? What have done is found a weight that is comfortable for me…and crammed as many things into that weight as possible, starting with nessecities first and 'luxuries' dead last. I think more people should try this approach instead of just trying to skimp on everything – you might even enjoy it more!

Again, thanks for the insights and responses all,

Cheers – boingk

Your list looks similar to mine as far as weights. I have more junk.

One thing that I notice is that the sleeping bags seem a little heavy for the temp ratings. Are these synthetic? I think you had 1000g (2.2 lbs) for the 40F and 4lbs for the 20F. I've got a 32F Montbell (1.5lbs) and 15F or 20F Mountain Hardwear synthetic (3.1lbs). The 2nd bag never gets used. Of course real nice down bags are expensive so I wouldn't hurry to get a new bag.

I never thought I would use an alcohol stove, but they are so simple and easy to use. I would encourage you to make a simple homemade stove (instructions are everywhere on the web). Just play around with it at home, if you don't like it don't take it. But they are super cool and super light.

I think the big benefit of titanium vs aluminum pots is durability. But I don't think it matters if you have a dented pot.

I'm not familiar with your pack but 30L capacity for 2.6 lbs seems heavy. I have a 60L pack at around 3lbs, but I'm potentially hauling 4+L of water this summer in addition to a 15lb baseweight and 10lbs of food. Again I'm not familiar with the Roman Snowy pack.

Would it make more sense to bring the thermal top/bottom instead of the sleeping bag liner for 30F temps? You could save some weight and have some added functionality.

I think your 100g of toilet paper can be changed to 20g. An entire roll only weighs 128g.

Where's the camera on the list? I want to see some Australia pics.

In conclusion you have a solid gear list (10lbs is a nice base weight, I'm not that low). I would play around with an alcohol stove for fun and see if you like it. In the future I might consider replacing a sleeping bag or the pack. But these are expensive and it sounds like you like them, so there is no hurry.

Kirk

My GOD! I finally figured out that hitting the 'back' link to remind myself what others have posted while replying makes my final post not register. Great. So here goes! Again…

I intent to use this gear list for all-season use [with the inclusion of items down the bottom], and 3 season use otherwise. Mostly this will be in low-alpine regions [highest point in Australia is only 2228m], coastal bushland, and some highland regions.

I have a revised 3-season gear list:

1250 – Roman 'Snowy' pack
1000 – Outer Limits MS90 [40'F/5'C]
0600 – Outer Limits Hiker Fly [includes guys!]
0180 – Closed cell foam mat [6mm]
0200 – First Aid Kit [extensive]
0165 – Water Bottles [3 x 700ml]
0120 – 4ft shock corded pole
0120 – 6 tent pegs
0100 – Aluminum 'kidney cup'
0050 – Shaped stand/windshield for kidney cup
0050 – Toilet trowel
0020 – 1 x packet of pocket tissues [toilet paper!]
0010 – 2 x LED lights

3865g -Total Base Weight [136.3oz/8.5lb]

The winter/inclement weather gear is probably going to be the same.

Now…tent peg or Ti trowel? a) Ever tried digging a decent toilet hole with a peg when you're in dire need? b) I don't like Ti because of its cost, and if I couldnt dig with the trowel I have I'd need a pick anyway lol.

In response to using a trekking pole, I dont. I find I prefer my hands free unless there is a very steep slope – in which case I just pick up a stick.

And as for a beer-can pot, I think that if you want to use it, go for it! But my reasoning is that I'm 6'1" and 175lb, and want a meal sliiiightly bigger than a 375ml can can contain after a long days hike. Plus, I dont like relying on something that I know I could crush flat with my bare foot.

And yeah, my ultralight stove setup now weighs only 380g including fuel for 5 days. I've converted to a US military setup that uses an aluminum kidney-cup and a specially shaped stand for it, that doubles as a windshield for the Esbit tab underneath. Not super-fantastic-geewhiz light, but light enough for me without spending much cash. BTW, I actually use compressed Hexamine [hexamethylenetetramine from memory] for fuel, its basically just another form of Esbit tab.

Thanks for the comments and considerations everyone – Enoch

EDIT: Good idea on the thermals, definitely doing that one…and as for my larger pack, I think its 4lb and is a 50 + 10L [expander gusset]. Gotta love outer-limits stuff, check out their site; www[dot]outer-limits[dot]com[dot]au

>And as for a beer-can pot…375ml can

Heineken make a 24 oz (700ml) 'keg' can; it's pretty sturdy. It weighs 1.1 oz (30g) including its own lid.