Total luxury XUL (SUL) is now possible

You didn't specify which stove kit you were using, including the container. I am guessing a gram cracker and a Kmart drip pot with a pot holder to hold it over the esbit? Neat idea tho, sul luxury! :)

Looks pretty good Gary!

What's the difference between total pack weight and base?

@ Kate

The cook system gets a crazy 5:30 boil time. :)

– 2 cup Zelph flat bottom pot + plastic and aluminium lid – fully stiffens it
– DIY efficient esbit holder – a bit like gramcracker, with few differences
– Trail Designs mini sidewinder tri-tri
– full cozy
– sponge
– esbit fuel leak protector
– matches, esbit
– cuben sack

– 2 bike spokes as pot holder – double as tent stakes

Pot is wide enough where you don't need a long spoon. ;)

@ Peter

Total pack is everything – gear + water + food
Base is just gear

Its amazing how far it has come in the last 5 years.

That list pretty much ticks all of the boxes that a hiker is supposed to take. Whats even more fun is making a 12lb luxury list. I get to bring a chair and a golite SL5 along.

Thanks. I was just confused because you listed total pack weight before listing consumables.

Interesting list!

I couldn't find a few essentials:

map
compass
sunglasses
whistle
backup firestarter

He's in New England so might be in the "green tunnel" which means no sunglasses necessary. Map, compass and whistle depend a lot on where you hike also. Backup fire starter always a good idea though.

One question – Polycro groundsheet is 32"x32". Does your bivy have a durable enough bottom to take the abuse in the area not on the groundsheet? At 4.75 ounces I assume your bivy is using sub 1oz materials?

Good job!

Ryan

@ Ryan

The bivy is Argon top and .74 cuben bottom. Enough to be a groundsheet in itself at times. The small poly takes out the main stress points when you lay down.

You're totally right on your other answers. :)

Peoples – really looking for ways to lose an ounce here and there. Can this get lighter?

Gary,

Thanks for the list.

Very helpful.

Re: Lighter options

Only thing jumping out at me is swapping the bivy for a normal sized polycryo ground sheet. I have the Hex Twin, not the solo, but it's been a capable shelter for me in the rain. Only one exception was due to user error. Sleep with a head net on if need be.

I think you're at a point of diminishing returns though.

I'd be interested to hear about your food which is coming in at 135 kcal per oz.

@ Ian

So no bivy at all? What about above treeline when it's rainy and windy?

Re: food – trying to be super efficient and enjoyable here. Pecans, pine nuts, Sahale snacks and freezy dried cranberries – all snack on food that tastes good. Then I got mashed potatoes, spices, and real food like cheese and some cured meat and bread.

"So no bivy at all? What about above treeline when it's rainy and windy?"

The Whites are infamous for their weather. I'll give you that.

My Hexamid is basically untested in windy conditions. The reason being is due to site selection. I seek and take advantage of natural shelter from the wind. As far as rain goes, it hasn't been a problem for me. Cut your ground cloth wide enough so you can lift up the side that is catching splash from the rain.

Again, you're below 6lbs. I get that it's fun to lose weight from your pack but if you feel comfortable in your bivy that you have listed at 5ish ozs, who cares? Just bring it. A couple ozs isn't worth it.

"Map, compass and whistle depend a lot on where you hike"

I think it actually depends on whether one ever faces a situation where these items unexpectedly become critical gear. :)

"He's in New England so might be in the "green tunnel" which means no sunglasses necessary. Map, compass and whistle depend a lot on where you hike also. Backup fire starter always a good idea though."

How is whistle environment dependent?

[edit: talking about a Map] If you know the route well and it's well-marked….But that can be so light, especially if you just print what you need.

Compass, it's plausible to me that you could responsibly forgo this one in NE. Never touched mine in the Catskills.

Car key? Wallet contents?

Whistle is part of the pack belt strap. Compass is not needed in 3 season in the Whites, good to have in winter.

Car key is… meh. :) I guess it counts. I try to stick it around the parking spot. Wallet not needed.

Different clothing options? What about alternate sleeping systems? Bivy is vital – bugs and rain up there.

Gary: when a hobby becomes an obsession, it's fine. Just watch out for when an obsession crosses over into madness.

A whistle, compass and map aren't necessarily environment dependent, they're location dependent. Just like the sunglasses. If I'm hiking on the AT, which is literally the size of a highway, with thousands of hikers on it at any given time, shelters with people every 8 miles, and where help is very close at hand – I'm not bringing any of that stuff.

The down booties and the head net – Maybe you could lose those? The bugs may be worse where you are than in the SE. Most get by without the down booties if the bag is warm enough and they don't have cold feet syndrome. Same with the Cap4 bottoms. I am usually fine down to about 25F in just hiking pants as long as I'm moving. Maybe be ok in 30-40s.

I point these out just as ideas of things u could leave at home. They do provide a certain amount of luxury that may very well be worth the weight to you.

Ryan

Obsession yes, not quite madness, but I hear your point.

Personally, I could live without the booties and the lantern, and use the Petzl E+lite vs the Zebra. I'm happy with the Neoair xlite short (8oz) and REI Flash pillow (1.5oz)

But your base is already so light it is hardly worth the effort.

My base is about 7.5 lb but I have a hexamid Duplex for me and the dog (a gloriously bug-free palace) and I use a Prodigy quilt 40 deg synthetic which weighs 17.7oz and a foam sit pad @4.1 oz.

I could take a few lessons from your list.;-)

Am I wrong in thinking premixed aqua mira is ineffective?
I thought the whole point of their timing window was due to its efficacy having a specific shelf life.

I've been using the pre-mix method all summer and it has worked quite well for me. Three or four times I used it with some seriously manky water (standing, warm, nasty stuff with things visibly moving around in it) and still didn't get sick.

I mix it in the morning in a tiny 3ml dripper bottle, and that's about a day's supply for one person. Of course YMMV depending on personal requirements and conditions.

I've read time and again that as long as it's a bright yellow color it's effective, so I mixed some in the 3ml bottle and left it on my desk. Stayed nice and yellow for a few days. Even so, just to err far on the safe side, when on the trail I dump out any that might be remaining from the previous day and make a fresh mix each morning.

@ Andy F – that's because those are far from essential:

map
compass
sunglasses
whistle
backup firestarter

These things are either useless, or not worth the weight in New England. Over here we have trails that are hard to leave because of the thick woods. And you can't escape people and there are few areas to get epically lost where you wouldn't stumble on more people or trails or roads just by walking in a straight line a few miles. In addition, many of the trails are well marked and easy as hell to memorize. You spend your young life backpacking in the adirondack park and white mountains, and you know most of the trails by heart. whistles have to be the most annoying "essential" that people discuss. I wish they would be left in the pack and that people would stop blowing on them for fun. Fires are not allowed in many parts of the northeast, so not only do we not need a backup fire starter, but we don't need a primary fire-starter either. Sunglasses are nice for the miles above treeline, maybe I'd consider that an essential.