Dolly Sods this coming weekend

[Steven Hanlon]

heading out to Dolly Sods this weekend with a buddy who will have entirely too much gear.

based on this weather forecast:

Friday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 5am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. West wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 40%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday
A chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Light north wind becoming west 6 to 11 mph in the morning. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Saturday Night
Mostly cloudy, with a low around 59.

Sunday
Mostly sunny, with a high near 74.

this is what i'm taking:

Dolly Sods in July

any comments would be helpful

[Andy F]

Nice pack! Is it worth the weight?

Do you need the bivvy? (I'm not familiar with the coverage of that tarp.)

No sleeping pad?

[Steven Hanlon]

doh, i forgot to list my sleeping pad. it has been corrected.

the backpack is a guilty pleasure for sure. it scales well from weekend outing to long distance trek. i have thought about a Go-Lite Jam, but i think i would miss some of the features of the McHale. i love the look i get from new hiking partners when i remove the backpack that doubles as a sit pad.

[Kevin Babione]

Your list looks good, but almost 20 pounds without food (you do include a liter of water) seems heavy.

I understand the pack – when you have something you love then you take it. I'll count that as your "Luxury" item…

One place that jumps out that you could do better would be with your sleeping pad. 26 ounces seems pretty heavy – have you ever tried a Ridgerest or Z-Rest? They're not too expensive and would cut 3/4 pound off your weight.

I'm not familiar with your tarp either but 14 ounces (without stakes) should equate to an 8×10 tarp…Given that it's a fairly mild summer weekend do you really need the bivy? A low pitch of your tarp should allow you good rain coverage, even if it's windy. You'd need to add a piece of polycro or some other groundsheet, but that should also cut another 12-14 ounces off your back.

You're buddy is probably bringing a JetBoil or other stove…Can you leave your stove and fuel behind and just drag along the mug? When I go with others I always check to see if they're bringing a stove. If they are then I bring a new one to try out (i.e. a wood burner) or nothing at all.

Have a great trip – please post your route and some photos when you return. The Sods is on my list to do…

[Andy F]

I'll give you some slack on the weight of some items because, in my view, it's ok to take bombproof gear to a place where there are actual bombs. :D

[Steven Hanlon]

"I'll give you some slack on the weight of some items because, in my view, it's ok to take bombproof gear to a place where there are actual bombs. :D"

best comment ever.

i have revised the list and added some weight for things i decided i better bring since the weather forecast is now calling for thunderstorms and heavy rain (yippie!).

i removed the 2 pounds of water so it doesn't look so bad with a pack weight of 13.67 pounds. with food and water i'm well under 20 pounds, not UL, but lightweight.

i used a ridgerest for a year and suffered through the night, the self inflating pad is worth it's weight since it allows me to sleep ;)

[Kevin Babione]

Steve,

Sorry – I hadn't noticed that the list included your clothing worn. Your list looks great and I certainly understand the need for a comfortable pad. My UL kit uses a torso-length pad and I'll admit that I simply don't sleep as well on it.

I was going to suggest you take a backup lighter, but I then saw that your stove has an ignitor built in so the lighter IS your backup.

Have a great trip!

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