Proposed Gear List for Ultralight Newbie

[Troy Ammons]

Well there are a lot of ways to skin a cat, and as we all know, some people on the internet argue issues and some dont. I also could have brought up well, why not carry a 2 oz cookset and save 6 ounces while gram counting other items I like to carry but it all comes down to personal preference. I probably have 6 cook pots and only really like 2 of them while all along avoiding the grease pot – LOL.

FYI I just bought a Jam 70 after arguing with you about your Jam 50 – LOL. Caught one new for $65 so too cheap to pass up. The Jam II I have now had about 8 oz stripped out of it so I figure I can also strip that much weight out of a jam 70. Besides $65 new and 70L shipped was too good to pass up. Should end up at about 23 oz.

A few years ago, when campmor was selling their budget down bags for cheap, you could put together a 12# pack with a down bag for pretty cheap.

Now things are a little more expensive but you can still buy a solo big 4 under 6# and less than $400 if you buy used and MYOG so here is another buying scenario.

Recently I bought a used GG miraposa for $120, 20oz, a used contrail for $110, 28oz, and combine that with a walmart $10 pad, and a used 30dF Montbell sleeping bag for $200, 22oz and you end up at 4.875# and $450.

Build a MYOG M50 5XP 25-30dF quilt that cost about $90 in materials and weighs 18oz and you knock off $110 and 4 oz and are at $340 and 4.675#.
With 5# of additional stuff that would put you at about 10# base.

Thats about as cheap as you can go UL big 4.

With your additional $410 you saved, buy your stoic down jacket and a used double rainbow or other cheaper 2 person tent and piece together the rest of your gear CHEAP
like at the swap shop, salvation army etc.

There are several cheaper sub 4# 2 person tents that have full mesh for around $150, like the spitfire 2. Just saw a spitfire 2 on sale for $145. On those Eureka tents you have to replace the factory steel stakes with titanium and that shaves a lot of weight.

4# sounds like a lot but the spitfire is full mesh and full rainfly with a heavy floor and you can split the weight with the GF so 2# each and save some $. No Vestibule though.

There are others also.

I think my favorite 2 person tent I had was a Sierra designs Velox 2. A lot of netting, 2 doors, free standing, decent vestibule, bullet proof materials, heavy floor and weighed about 4#. I think I bought it on close out for $175 or so. Not made any more though.

Their new version seems to be the Sierra Designs Sirius 2 Person tent that weighs 4# also. Its was on sale for about $120 but everybody is out of stock.

You might want to look around at spadout. Lots of gear deals right now.

[I’m Joe]

Nice find on the 70l Jam. Those are the kind of deals I'm hoping to run across to keep my costs down.

So after doing some more thinking and a brief discussion with my gf I think I'm going to ditch the 2 person tent idea. She would at most do an over nighter by the sounds of things. So that starts a whole new conversation. I saw the zpacks tent it's light but has no tub floor. Yeah you can add one but that adds weight and cost. I also saw the SMD Lunar Solo and it seems pretty nice. Tarptent also has a few good options. Am I missing any that I should give some attention?

Thanks for the heads up on spadout. Never knew about the site.

[Troy Ammons]

Found it over on Whiteblaze.

That makes it easier and lighter and just buy a cheap 2 person tent.

Overnight you wont have much stuff anyway. If she decides she is into it you can ebay the old tent and upgrade to a SUL 2 person tent later. You can find quite a few quality 5# 2 person tents on spadout at around $100.

Actually now just solo, you might want to look a lighter smaller pack in the 20oz range or so but you need to watch your equipment volume or you could strip out you Jam to amke it lighter but I would try to find a jam used personally.

My Jam 2 that was stripped out was used but basically like new and $50.

At any rate you can buy all your stuff then buy a pack it will fit into, or buy a pack then dont buy anything that wont fit.

Synthetics are more bulky than down and the main reason I just bought a 70L pack.
I cant get all my winter gear into 3000 CI, and a jam 70 is a lot lighter than my old Kelty Alpine pack at 3.5#.

That said Loner hiked the entire AT with a 20L pack and budget gear and you have watched that gear video I am sure. That video is a good lesson on what you can do as a gram counter on a budget.

Here is another one. I know you are not into walmart pots, but this is a 1.3qt cup with handle for $3 and weighs 3.6 oz.

The small cup is .7qts and cost $2 and weighs 2.6oz – LOL.
Cant hardly argue with $2 or $3 either way and it has a nice non drip lip.
I might try to come up with a folding handle for it or you could just add a SS wire bail handle.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/IMUSA-Aluminum-Mug/15040696

Thats a nice tent but takes a hiking pole to set it up so you would need to add a tent pole. Also depending on how tall you are, you might not fit. Also a lot of other tents are in that category, Contrail, Hexamid etc.

Right the Hexamid has a mesh floor that would eventually need some work I am sure.
You use a tub floor inside of it.

The popular 1 person UL tarptent now is the Moment. I have not tried one.

You could also buy a Etowah 6×10 tarp – 9oz $60, then MYOG a bathtub GC and bivy with mesh and that should weigh about 22oz. With Zpacks cord and titanium stakes That would cost a total of about $130 or so.

Personally one day I want to build a 6×10 cat cut cuben tarp at about 5oz and a 5oz cuben M50 bivy, Zpacks cord and titanium stakes – would cost about $300 in materials and would weigh in at about 12oz total.

A spitfire 1 is pretty solid and cheap. You can find them occasionally at around $90-100 but you have to buy titanium stakes then it will weigh about 48 oz. That said it has a full fly and full bug netting.

They also make a Eureka Solitare and there is one in the outlet now for $35-45. Its basically a very small Bivy Tent with poles, but the poles are crap. First thing you have to replace the poles and prebend Alum Dac poles from Quest, and you can not sit up in it and has no exterior vestibule although the screen top does have a zipper in it and it is a long tent. I think it weighs about 38oz with titanium stakes and some trimming. That is also a full net tent with a full rain fly but basically just a tube.
Has a heavy duty floor.

[I’m Joe]

I watched a couple of Loner's videos. Good stuff. I could lose the better part of a day on youtube if I'm not careful.

I checked out the Moment and saw it weighed in at 35oz while the Moment DW was an ounce lighter… I also only found the Moment using your link. It doesn't apear on the product list. Discontinued?

[Troy Ammons]

I hear ya.

When I started following Loner last year he was about on video 90+ and I spent an entire weekend watching every video wishing I was tagging along – LOL.

Not sure on the Moment as I am into hammocks now and have not been following tents much except for a few exotics, like the terra nova laser ultra cuben and a few other exotic tents in that category. I think Terra novas goal was to produce a tent, sleeping bag and pad under 1 kg.

Also lightheart tents. People like them but I never used one. She makes cuben fiber tents also and makes them by hand here in the USA. Think she is taking a break on the cuben tents. They cost around $500 and weigh about 20 oz. You would also need a couple of carbon fiber poles for her tents since no Hiking poles.

http://www.lightheartgear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=7&products_id=15&zenid=a2d712855764f555bd4dd7ae3ae1344b

[I’m Joe]

Ok. I found my answer. The DW is new for 2013. Looks really versatile.

Well there goes 6 oz…

[Troy Ammons]

Doesnt have to.

6×10 Tarp – 9oz, stakes and line 2oz, MYOG M50 bivy 5oz, MYOG polycro bathtub GC 3oz, MYOG Climashield quilt 18oz, Walmart blue pad 10oz, Terra Nova Laser 35 Pack 16oz
Total 4#. Smaller is lighter.
Cost about $375 new.

The lightheart solo std weighs 27 oz. You will most likely end up with hiking poles eventually.

A used Contrail is probably the lightest cheapest way to go for a tent – $125 or so used, but you have to jump on them when they come up for sale. The contrail weighs 28 oz if I remember right and only takes one pole so add 2 oz for a carbon fiber pole.

[Troy Ammons]

Another big 4 to blow your budget – LOL
$710 and 3 pound big 4.
Add another $100+ for a down quilt.
You can do everything else in 3# in 45d weather if you skimp.

Base weight would be about 6#.
With 2 days of skimpy food (1.5# per day) and 2L of H2o – about 13# total.

Zpacks Cuben 6×9 Tarp 5oz, M50 bivy 5oz, 45d climashield quilt 14oz, Neoair small and GG 1/8 pad 11oz, Bathtub polycro GC 3oz, Zpacks Zero Large with 3 pockets 6oz, Titanium Stakes and Zpacks cord 3oz.

[Troy Ammons]

This is a bare bones Summer almost SUL ground setup from gear I have with no cuben or crazy expensive stuff. Think I am missing something on this list, oh yeah the silk covered 9 oz liner quilt that I am working on soon. I have not made that yet but the primaloft is coming. Already have the silk. It will be used in my system quilt.
Have not used this poncho tarp and bivy in a while.

At any rate this is a 6# base weight pack for everything. Summer only though.
A 25dF quilt would push it up to 6.5#. To break the 5# barrier I would have to go with a Zpacks zero, a cuben tarp and a M50/cuben bivy more cuben and a few other odds and ends. Still the difference between 5# and 6# or even 7# is nil really. Over on the SUL forum someone just commented the difference between 5# and 7# is just a good mornings dump.

Cost is about $680 for everything.

PACK
Terra Nova Laser 20 11.5oz $70.00
Dry Bag 1oz $3.00

SHELTER
Campmor Poncho Tarp 5×10 9oz $70.00

Titanium Stakes 2 oz $20.00
Zpacks Cord 1oz $26.00
1.25oz Tyvek bivy 8oz $30.00
Bathtub polycro GC 2-3oz $10.00

SLEEPING
SILK 1.8 Primaloft silk liner quilt 9oz $50.00
GG 1/8 pad 3oz $20.00
prolite pad 8oz $60.00

COOK AND WATER
Fosters cook kit 2.5oz $10.00
Ursak minor 2.5oz $50.00
(2) 1L platy 2oz $20.00
Poly cone filter and bottle 1oz $12
Aquamira tablets .5oz $20.00

PACKED CLOTHES
Shirt 4oz $5.00
Fleece Beanie 1.1oz $5.00
Fleece mitts 1.2oz $5.00
Spare socks pair 2.2oz $15.00
Montbell UL down jacket 9 oz $125.00
M50 2.5 apex hood 1.5oz $20.00
Frogg Toggs Emergency Poncho 2.8oz $7.00
UTILITY AND EVERYDAY 4oz $20
MEDICAL 2oz $10
EMER Tube 1.4oz $??

Edit: The old Terra Nova Laser 20 is the one that Loner used on his thru just in case you are interested. It is a top loader and on sale at campsaver for $44, just enough not to qualify for free shipping. It weighs 7.5 oz. They also make a cuben fiber version that cost about $135 that weighs 3.5 oz.

[Piney]

I still contend that the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo LE is by far your best bang for the buck. But for more money/less weight check out their Skyscape Trekker. 2011 Lunar Solo's with the lightweight floor go for about $150 and come up for sale frequently, that also gets you into the 24oz range.

[I’m Joe]

While the SMD tents look nice, the cost and weight savings aren't as good when you consider you need trekking poles and stakes still. Since I don't use trekking poles it doesn't make as much sense. With that said they do make a carbon fiber pole that you can buy separately. They're on my list to consider. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Troy Ammons]

The Terra Nova Laser Competition 1 Tent is on sale.
http://www.campsaver.com/laser-competition-1-tent-1-person-3-season#ReviewHeader

[Piney]

The carbon poles are pricey and only save about half an ounce. I have a new 2.5 ounce 48" aluminum front pole from Tarptent that I could sell you for $10 shipped if you end up going with the Lunar Solo.

[Piney]

The Stoic Somnus 30 just went on sale for $179. It's a hell of a bag for the money:

http://www.backcountry.com/stoic-somnus-sz-30-sleeping-bag-30-degree-down?ti=U2VhcmNoIFJlc3VsdHM6c29tbnVzOjA6MA

[Troy Ammons]

Edit, My Contrail weighed 27oz sealed.
A single CF pole 2oz will cost about $20 depending.

I think the Tarptent Stratospire is interesting. 1 or a tight 2, big, 2 vestibules, 2 entries, double wall, full mesh interior, removable mesh interior tent so in the winter just use a bath tub GC and save some weight, 33oz +4oz for poles. More expensive though.

If they made a cuben fly this would be a great super light and expensive tent.

That said unfortunately none of these are long enough for me.

[I’m Joe]

Wow! That Tera Nova Laser Comp 1 on sale looks very tempting. I'm not quite ready to start making purchases but if I was that might have been an impulse buy.

[Thomas Rayl]

If you consider going the Zpacks Hexamid route, look at their cuben poncho as well… It is sized to also use as the ground cloth in the tent, so you get 2-for-1 in weight, usage. Since their design has the ground cloth inside the tent, you don't have a set-up-in-the-rain issue: set up the tent wearing the poncho then move inside & convert it to groundcloth mode.

[Troy Ammons]

Its supposed to be a good tent and way mark down.
I have not used one.

or if you want to spend your entire budget on 1# 1oz
http://www.campsaver.com/laser-ultra-1-tent-1-person-3-season

For a totally bomb proof one man tent one of the gotos is the Hilleberg Akto which is in a totally different class. IE Terra Nova more SUL fast pace gear, Hilleberg bombproof.

http://www.campsaver.com/hilleberg-akto1-tent

[Troy Ammons]

Here you go….
19 oz and $190

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=80513

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