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On my quest to continually lighten my load to a more manageable level, I want to look into a lighter pack. Currently I have the super comfortable but heavy Gregory Baltoro 65. I want to get lighter, but still want to pack in enough comfort items on my 2-5 day trips (current level), though I plan on making longer trips in the future.
What would be the pack recommendations to lighten my load at this point?
Thanks in advance!
Curious is the 65 too big? I’ve been kicking around pack ideas for my wife, too. Fortunately we are also packing for 2 kids too.
The best approach to this would be to lighten all of your other gear first and THEN look for a pack that is the right size for your new load. It will save you a bunch of money if you can do it that way. I migrated from an Arc’teryx Bora 80 (about 7.5 pounds empty) to a SMD Starlight to a GG Murmur. I now carry a ZPacks Arc Zip. Save yourself the bucks and do everything else first!
Paul, there are a hundred answers to your question. It might help to know how much weight you’ll likely be carrying, what you other gear is, whether you carry a frameless pack well, etc. Popular options are Zpacks, ULA, MLD, Six Moons Designs, HMG, Zimmer, McHale (pricey), Osprey, etc.
How much weight and bulk are you currently carrying? Usually people change out their pack after they have lightened their load so that you know what size(how many liters)and how much weight will your pack need to carry.
you might find a lot of useful info in the following articles videos and websites I have linked below, and welcome to BPL:
Mike Clelland(NOLs instructor and author, his books are very good),he has some greatfree videos on lightening up be sure to watch(his clothing system,the entire contents of his pack,water treatment and part 1 and 2 on the dinky stuff for ideas).This is pmags Lightweight Backpacking 101 and The Frugal Backpacker – The $300 Gear Challenge andBackpacking: A Beginners Primer .These are some other articles and videos for you to check out
Backpacking for Cheap: Gear for the Gearless
Backpacking Checklist (Gear List): 3-Season, 3-Day
Lightweight Backpacking 101: An Introductory Manual for Lightening Your Load Today (1st Edition – August 2001)
Oregon Field Guide: Ultralight Hiking
Lightweight Testimony: Lighter, Farther, Faster
Jamie Shortt talks about his progression and shows his gear list for each stage,
Lightweight Testimony: My Journey into Lightweight Backpacking
Clever Hiker’s whole website is very nice, but here are a couple to look at
CleverHiker Light weight Basic
Andrew Skurka has a very good website with trips and gear lists and blog for you to check out
here is a talk he gave at google
Ultimate Hiking Gear & Skills Clinic
His book is worth checking out also
The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide: Tools & Techniques to Hit the Trail
You can get little repackaging containers (like the ones you see in Mike Clelland uses in his videos) many places including your local stores and pharmacy but here are some examples
You could make toothpaste dots like Mike C. shows or there are Archtek Toothpaste Tablets so only bring exactly what you need in a snack size bag for any given trip instead of a whole tube and these are good for little things like pills, toothpaste, tablets ect. so you are not packing a whole bottle(you can also get these small repackaging bags very cheap at most pharmacies or craft stores ect)
Knowing where and when you go and what gear you are carrying already are also useful to people throwing answers at you. You could post a gear list here or use something like Geargrams, etc. and post a link in your profile.
Paul – for what it’s worth, I also wanted to lighten my load but did not want to wait a year to buy all the new lighter gear I had planned, so I opted for a cheap, functional interim light weight pack until I sorted out all the other gear. I got an REI Flash 45 on sale ($85 I think) and have been happy with it after making a few adjustments and modifications. Now several months later, the gear replacement process is still ongoing, but in the mean time the Flash 45 is functional, comfortably and only weighs 28 oz (stripped down). Long term plan is to get a Zpacks Arc Blast (or maybe a GG Gorilla other light framed pack) and small Zpacks Zero frameless pack.
Hey Lester,
What did you do to trim down your Flash 45 weight? I tried removing the flimsy frame but it wouldn’t hold its shape well enough. I also tried it without the lid but find I need the additional volume at times.
it’s a myth that you have to spend a lot of money to drop a lot of weight, you can of course buy the some very nice expensive new gear but most people can lose a lot of weight by leaving lots of stuff they don’t use or need at home,repackaging many items into smaller packaging(toothpaste, deet,sunscreen ect.) or finding lighter cheaper alternatives, like tarps instead of tents a homemade alcohol stove instead of a canister(some people are not comfortable with tarps ect. but their are many ways to save weight and still carry a tent that is cheaper than mainstream heavier alternatives) ect.There are links to ideas in my post above but here are some more in this thread MY 11 LB GEAR LIST FOR $207 TOTAL
The best approach to this would be to lighten all of your other gear first and THEN look for a pack that is the right size for your new load.
^This. UL packs aren’t made to carry heavy loads, so until you get the weight of your gear down you’ll just be straining a lightweight pack. Plus, in general it’s advisable to buy the pack last because you don’t know what size you need until you have a sense of your gear’s volume.
Thanks for the help so far. Here is my quick gear list:
https://www.geargrams.com/list?id=30054
With food I’m a little over 40 lbs. I’m not sure I would bring all of this, but do enjoy my luxuries in camp. Looking to cut weight without breaking bank on too expensive gear, but unsure whether I would be willing to dump luxury items. Yet want to start planning future updates.
40 pounds for a 4 night trip including food and water. Probably best to keep the pack you have.
Work on lightening what goes inside the pack, then revisit the new pack subject.
As others have said, not many UL packs are designed for >40lbs. Your gear list looks incomplete as I didn’t see a pad or eating utensils, any tools or a light, etc. The best advice I got from here is to weigh and list EVERYTHING. Then you can really start to see ways to cut weight without losing function.
Even with a chair and other comforts, you should be able to get under 30 lbs all in for 4 days without spending a ton. Post your complete gear list, and I’m sure you can get some specific advice.
Oh, and I use a Gossamer Gear Mariposa and usually carry a chair.
Where do you hike and camp? What season/weather?
I’m curious why you need to carry 6L of water.
I second gator paddlers observation that if you are making a gear list for weight, it needs to include everything. Your list includes what you ma you think are the big items but the little items will add weight fast.
So, it would be very helpful to have a complete list.
Other than that, the question of why carry so much water comes up. 6L seems like you are dry camping.
Also, your sleeping bag is listed at 43oz. That’s as much as a 3 person tent. If you got something from Enlightened Equipment, you could cut that weight by more than half. That and the 12oz Stanley coffe mug seems super heavy. Why carry this weight? If it is an insulated mug, you can make your own insulated mug with some neoprene or closed cell foam for maybe 2oz. Cheap way to save 10oz.
As the articles in link will talk about. Saving oz really will save pounds and the last thing you want is a 7oz backpack with a 40lb load.
Peace
to be blunt if your going to carry 6L of water keep the pack you have …. thats 13 lb of water weight alone … add in say a few lbs of food and youre at ~30 lbs even with UL gear …
are you hiking in the desert? …
to a decent degree going lighter means giving up some (not all) luxuries … do you really need a stanley mug, or a chair AND a hammock AND a tent,
you have 2 options
in other words using skill and judgement to make up for gear … or buying more and lighter gear to make up for skill and to replace heavier gear
spend the time to learn the hard way and make sacrifices … or pull out the credit card and go CHA CHING !!!
the choice is yours
;)
Can your slimmed down gear be carried comfortably in a frameless pack (try a bigger daypack) or will a lightweight framed pack be needed?
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