Colorado Trail – July/August 2016

[John B]

Hi everyone,

I’ll be doing my first thru hike starting July 15th and was hoping for some feedback!  I’m not looking to shave every last gram, but would love any suggestions, cheap replacements, or obvious redundancies that I’ve overlooked.  I’m planning on averaging 20-25 miles a day.  I do still have some spare funds left for small(ish) replacements, but an not looking to completely overhaul too much.  A couple of specific questions:

Shelter: I’ve used the tarp and bivy a lot and like it, but wasn’t sure how well this would fare above treeline.  Will this be enough coverage in the San Juans?

Packed Clothes: I’m still unsure about insulating and long-sleeve baselayers.  I’m between the MH Ghost Whisperer (~7 oz) and a Patagonia Nano Air (~14 oz) that I have for running/skiing.  My thinking was that this would be mostly for warmth in camp at night and in the morning, so the breath ability of the Patagonia might be less necessary.  I was also considering picking up a thinner long-sleeve baselayer to hike in to replace the Cap 3.

Rain Stuff: As for the rain shell the PreCip is a bit heavy, but I already have it, like it, and have read that DriDucks jackets tend to have durability issues.  How true is this?  I was also considering ordering a pair of MLD rain mitts.  Would this be worth the $45?

Stove: I have an old Whiperlite that I am thinking of replacing with a small canister or alcohol stove to save weight.  I’ve read that alcohol stoves either are or have been banned on parts of the trail in the past, and was planning on going the canister route.  Still on the fence though.  How easy is canister resupply along the trail?

Misc: 1.9 lbs feels heavy for this category, but I’m not sure how to cut weight here.  Would love some feedback!

List: https://lighterpack.com/r/6131eb

[Lester Moore]

John – looks like overall a good workable list. Longer-time tarp users will have to chime in, but if you pick your sites well, a tarp plus a water repellent bivy should provide good protection from rain and hold up to moderate winds.

You could save a pound or two by omitting a few items and replacing lots of little things with lighter options, some at little cost. 5 examples that add up to 1 pound: replace soft Nalgene for Smartwater bottle (2.5 oz saved), 900 mL Ti Pot for Toaks 0.55 mug with no lid (3 oz saved), and Princeton Tec for Petzl eLight (3 oz saved), the Ursack for 50″ of bear line and micro biner (5.5 oz saved) and omit the extra carried shirt (2.7 oz saved).

[Shawn Bearden]

In addition to Lester’s input, just some possibilities:

Pack. I have read about how well the Circuit carries but there are many lighter packs that will carry your weight very well.

Sleeping pad. Obviously, you could cut weight here with CCF…even torso length, etc. But, comfort should come first. CCF only if you know it will work just as well for you as the Neoair, which seems to be only a small percentage of people on BPL.

Cooking. I’ve gotten some input that the CT may have been wet enough this year that burn bans might be avoided but you can never predict this well. Certainly safe to go with canister. You can save weight here by going no-cook and taking high calorie density foods (i.e., fat).

Shelter. With the duo tarp for just yourself, many people think you could do without the bivy. Of course, that depends on your tolerance for bugs. A mosquito net for your head might be in order if you went this direction.

Clothing. To me, it seems the Ghost Whisperer and your wind shirt should be sufficient. You can always wrap up in your EE Revelation in camp though that is obviously a bit sloppy. I received input last year to take a fleece in addition to my Ex Lite. I did but wasn’t able to put it to the test as I didn’t get to the San Juans last year. I’m debating this very issue this year as I’ll be starting on July 13th (my list is linked in my post on this gear list forum page). You could get a lighter rain shell but will likely be happy with the robustness of you current choice if you hike in heavy rain. Generally speaking, an extra shirt shouldn’t be necessary – really a comfort and flexibility decision.

Misc. If you are staying on the CT, the compass is not needed.

[Pete M]

Lester – just a question (don’t want to derail the thread) if you’re advising he swaps out the 900ml pot for a 550ml, will that still be big enough for cooking? Just ask because I’m considering a similar switch (900ml to a 600ml).

[John B]

Thanks for the thoughtful responses!

Lester, I’m thinking I will indeed switch out the nalgene for plastic bottles, and your lighter pot recommendation looks quite tempting. As for the ursack, I would just feel too bad if a bear got to anything, so I’m planning on keeping it for piece of mind.

Shawn, thanks for the insight on the stoves. I think I’ll stick with the canister to be safe. As for the pack, I’m still debating whether it would be worth it to spring for something lighter. I’ve been looking at the mld prophet as an option. I guess if I somehow stumble upon $180 in the next few weeks I’ll know where it’s going!

[Lester Moore]

Test out the 550mL pot – for my simple cooking needs 550 is just big enough. Coming from a 900mL pot, it takes a little getting used to. I only cook 1 meal per day (if that) – it’s usually a small home-made dehydrated meal of some sort with noodle or rice base. Just boil water, turn stove off, add ingredients to water, cover with foil and wait 15 minutes. If you need to heat up more than 450 mL of water at a time for your cooking style, then a 900 may be a better size.

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