Pack Shakedown Pls

[Christy M]

Looking for suggestions to get my base weight down a bit more without breaking the bank. TIA :)

https://lighterpack.com/r/1klt8j

[Matthew / BPL]

What conditions do you want to be prepared for? What seasons? Where? I think you will get better advice if you tell us a little more.

[Matthew / BPL]

That said, consider losing the Crocs, switch to a nylofume pack liner and no need for the compression sack.

[Ken Thompson]

Since you’re carrying a power bank why not ditch the battery dependent headlamp and get one that is rechargeable?

[Christy M]

Canada – Northern Ontario. Occasional dip below zero C and damp/rainy weather in spring & fall. Summer daytime hot & humid but nights can be chilly.

thanks guys

[Christy M]

Definitely

[Lester Moore]

What is your gear budget? You can very easily save 4 lbs with a new pack and quilt/sleeping bag. After that there are several things you could replace that are on the heavy side, such as the trekking poles, cook pot, food cord and biner, etc.

[Christy M]

I can’t replace my big 3 right now, but I can work on replacing some of the other items. Or eliminating redundancies/unnecessary items. (Like my beloved camp shoes LOL)

[David Thomas]

You’ve already gots lots of things dialed in very well. You know the Big 3 can be improved but that takes money. Except maybe the tent. Ask a friend in construction for 8’x10’ of Tyvek and give it a try. Maybe there’s a tarp in your future. Moving on . . .

An ounce of compass is a lot since you already have GPS and compass in your phone.  I just bring a button compass at about 5 grams for frequent reference in thick fog.

Skip the tourniquet. Improvise if needed. Add a few each Benadryl, Imodium, Iboprofen, and Aspirin.

Vasoline cotton balls are messy. A square of wax paper is not.

There are 2.8 ounce pillows, not 7 oz.

A Victorinox Classic is under an ounce and $5 for a TSA-seized one and is enough knife to butcher a black bear with.

[David Thomas]

I like my Petzl Bindi headlamp at 35 grams (versus 123 grams for yours plus batteries). It starts every trip fully charged, your battery bank could top it off if needed (it won’t be) and your phone is a backup light.

[Christy M]

Thanks David. I love the simplicity of a tarp…I just wish I could get over the idea of  unwanted critters spooning me at night. Never heard the wax paper trick…cool. Great suggestions – appreciate it.

[David P]

Hi christy, le nord de l’Ontario! That looks like a fun region to saunter around in! I live in northern Maine USA which is north of 75% of Canada’s population believe it or not.

It seems you’re pretty dialed-in already. David Thomas caught similar suggestions I would make. Great david’s think alike, sometimes! Thanks for the wax paper tip David! I bring a tampon as emergency fire starter, don’t tell my partner I stole one… i prefer no fire at all when camping, the smoke, the smell, the hazard, the tiny burnt holes in DCF tent from stray embers, the trees are branch-less eight feet up from stripping for fire food at some sites here… fuggly! I just enjoy the sunset and go to bed or stay up and enjoy the darkness…

Pillow- I use a big sky international inflatable. It weighs 1.4 ozs.  You can multipurpose your Buff as the pillow case so you don’t have to buy the extra pillow case.  Personally I use a zpacks medium plus pillow dry bag. I keep my sleeping stuff/ warm hat in the bag while traveling and then I blow up the pillow inside the dry bag at bedtime. I attach it to my pad with a couple loop patches and toggles. I never have enough extra clothes to stuff into a pillow and I find the big sky to be very comfortable as a side sleeper…

Head lamp and batteries- even if you keep your tikka the spares are probably unnecessary. I use a Photon II Light which weighs .7 oz. but i rarely hike after dark. It has served me well, I put it in a tiny DCF ditty bag and hang it as a lantern. I consider my phone and my small Jackery battery charger(which has a little light function) my spares.

Backpack-  if you get creative with a pair of scissors and a lighter you can probably trim your pack weight down 8 ozs. Think excess webbing, compression straps, loops, doodads… I had an Osprey kestrel which I replaced the entire hipbelt and saved 4 oz just on that one modification. As we all know ounces add up…

Knife- lots of ULers roll with the Vic classic like david Thomas suggests. It’s tried and true. I bring along a Leatherman Squirt. It weighs exactly 2 oz  it has knife, scissors, a couple flathead sizes for glasses and prying/cleaning and stout mini pliers(repairs, porcupine quills…)

Crocs- boohoo, poor crocs! Poor beloved camp shoes… but 3/4 of a pound off your back is always nice. Some folks use pieces of 3/8” closed cell foam pad material fashioned into a pair sandals complete with toe protection for like an ounce… sometimes I bring along a pair of neoprene “sand socks” to tool around campsite to keep debris and dirt off my feet while staying breathable enough to let my feet air out. Usually I just don’t bring anything extra for footwear…

Deuce2- I know it probably only weighs half an ounce but how big are your tent stakes? Or a stick, or your hiking pole tips? Another item you can leave behind to simplify, if you’re not totally attached to it…

seems like you could easily trim a pound or two without having to replace your big 3 and spending les than $50!  Hoping you have a great season wherever you saunter!

[Christy M]

Nirthern sauntering…yes! Aren’t we fortunate to have such amazing areas to enjoy?

Great feedback & creative tips thx :)

[David P]

Yes ! Such a kaleidoscope of terrain and wilderness… its nice to be close to the ocean here too… Have you ever been to the Gaspe in Quebec? Been a handful of times in different seasons to les Monts du Chic Choc… breathtaking. Had a very close encounter there in winter with a mother bear in the backcountry emerging from her den in an explosion of snow… Apparently Chic Choc is an Indigenous word for “Only crazy people go up there”

do you have polar bears in northern Ontario? :)

 

[Christy M]

Well I’ll be damned. 3.1 oz just in straps & buckles that I don’t use cut off! What else can I cut off LOL (I’m worried this will be addictive).

[Matthew / BPL]

Ha! Nice. :)

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