equipment list
Back in July, I mentioned I took off backpacking into the West Elk Wilderness with a 36 pound pack. Since I had about 10-11 pounds of food and water, that left about 25 pounds of gear, which seemed like a lot. Really, it shouldn't be too hard to be at a 20 pound base weight and much smaller weights are not too outrageous. I didn't have time to analyze it then, but I do have time now. So, here is a gear list which will show where it is and where it could be. Weights in bold were in the pack.
So, what's in the pack and why does it weight that much? What could it weight and leave me still happy to be out hiking?
Big 3/4
The pack is a Gregory Jade 63 from when Gregory decided they were going to reduce the weight of their packs a lot. I've got a 50L pack from just before they cut the weight which comes in over 4 pounds and carries a lot more weight more comfortably. This one is fairly straight and tends to slip down. However, it does come in at 1650g (58.2oz). So... not that great. It can be less by removing the rain cover it came with. I've also noticed (on my second day in the Winds) that the left shoulder strap has begun to tear out, but it's stayed steady over three more trips and is the sort of thing Gregory would repair for the price of shipping. There's a thick trash bag liner for the inside which is 54g (1.9oz).
There's some much lighter stuff going on now. The current fabric of choice is Ultra, which is lighter and stronger and more abrasion resistant than the nylon. No idea what I would get, but the Durston Kakwa 40 checks a lot of boxes for me. It is framed, which I require. The 40L size should be enough to squeeze in my gear if not dealing with a bear can, based on most of it getting into my 33L when I try hard enough. (A note on sizes: This is a 40L pack plus pockets. In my opinion, the honest way to do it. A lot of companies give their sizes including the pockets. Zpacks 50L is a similar sized pack and ULA is even worse with the 60L being the similar pack since it has more pockets standard.) It has S shaped straps and a belt that pulls the top and bottom differently. Unfortunately, I suspect the padding isn't long enough to get around the front of my hips. Large is 810g (28.6oz) for $250 when it becomes available again. Zpacks Arc Haul Ultra 50L, medium belt, medium back, with at least a couple added pockets is also interesting. Just the pack is 606g (21.4oz) for $400. Zpacks also has a pack with a zippered front pocket, but it also comes with a big zipper to get into the main compartment (like that Gregory has, used it twice) which I don't want. Both of these should be comfortable to haul, but I've never tried either on. So it's easy, but expensive, to save 2 pounds right there.
The tent I had with me is a Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL2 mtnGLO. I wanted it without the stupid lights, but this is the one that was cheap. Thankfully, that fad has run out. This tent is 1107g (39oz) with poles, stakes, and stuff sacks. I've also gone out on some trips with the "little roof" and bivy. The roof is a Nemo Hunker 2, which gives enough room for two very close people sitting and weighs 307g (10.8oz) including required stakes. The bivy is a Mountain Hardwear Conduit SL which is 431g (15.2oz). when it is buggy, I add in the bug veil at 53g (1.9oz). Whichever system I take, I also take some Tyvek to go under. The piece here is Tyvek 1443r and weighs 150g (5.3oz) but it lets water through. Tyvek Home Wrap is much preferred as it does not let water through at about the same weight.
This could be lighter. I think I would be happier with a similar tarp that has a bit more room. Zpacks has a Hexamid Pocket Tarp with Doors that weighs 172g (6.1oz) and costs $349. It needs 6+ (8 recommended) stakes at 6.2-11g each for the better options they offer. Call it 88g (3.1oz) of stakes. Another option is one by Wildgear Designs, but the fellow might have stopped offering it now. It used to be found here. Typically one pairs a tarp with a bivy. Mine has a zipper that attaches to a standard sleeping bag as well as the second to keep out the elements. I've never used the inner zipper. I guess that means I could cut it out and save a lot of weight. Under a full tarp, I can also go with something lighter than that and breaths better like a Katabatic Piñon Bivy. The wide 6' is $129 and weighs 7.8oz (221g). However, it might tend to give me a locked in feeling just as tents do. A better option might be the bathtub floor Zpacks offers which is $135 and weighs 99g (3.5oz), but I want to modify it by adding some extra wind breaks that can fold up. For bugs, I do really like my bug veil. Not only can I sleep away from bugs, I can eat and hike away from bugs in my face. I would modify it to snap to my hat and attach in some easy way to the tarp.
For tarps, I should get out a flat one and play with it in the yard. As much as I liked lashing once upon a time, I'd probably like playing with a flat tarp. Anyway, there's a little weight savings to be found here.
My sleep system starts with a MYOG quilt that weighs 497g (17.5oz). This synthetic quilt is comfortable for me to around 40°F on its own. It is stuffed into a 25g (0.9oz) silnylon stuff sack. I usually pair it with an Exped Ultra 5R pad weighing 784g (27.7oz) including the pump bag. If nights are warm enough, I can use the Big Agnes AXL, 491g (17.3oz) and a 100g (3.5oz) pump bag. The bag isn't the ultralight version, but I aim to never spit into my mats so the pump is required. The Exped has a really nice pump bag but these companies use different valves and they're not compatible. It's often nice to have some down socks. These are just something cheap off Amazon and weigh 82g (2.9oz) for the pair in sack. The fleece balaclava is another cheap off Amazon thing but impressively warm and 80g (2.8oz).
Thermarest has a supposedly super light and warm mat in the NeoAir XTherm, but I never found my Women's NeoAir XLite as warm as they were claiming. The mummy regular wide does claim to be 1oz lighter and warmer than my rectangular regular wide claims. I might save up for it if I believed them. Since I don't, there's nothing I particularly want to change about this.
Clothes
My coat is a Columbia OutDry of some sort which is 329g (11.6oz). That's quite a bit less than the 1.5lbs that it was advertised at but there are lighter coats. The selling point of this one is that it will never wet out. They make that happen by getting rid of the protective face fabric. Since this one has spent a few hours under pack straps, there's been some peeling of a plastic layer off the face. It hasn't left me wet yet, but I'm worried about it. The rain skirt is just something found on Amazon. It's the biggest size and barely big enough for me. I'd really rather a lot longer too. It is 69g (2.4oz). Once or twice, I've also added in tall waterproof gaiters.
As for replacements, some people are really keen on Frogg Toggs Ultralight stuff. They'll usually tell you the pants are useless (not true, they're nice as a somewhat warm layer) because they'll tear quickly. Well, I hike where the vegetation that tears the pants is high enough to get the jacket too. I've had two and torn both within 5 minutes. I won't be wasting any more money on that. I also tried their Toadz Jacket (I think) and returned it after one very soggy use. It wasn't waterproof. Maybe something that doesn't even go under the straps and billows like a traditional poncho or a Packa. The small silnylon Packa is 9oz (255g) for $120. Ponchos can double as a shelter, but that means you can't wear it for a quick run out of your shelter. They have similar weight and generally cheaper. Got to admit, I've generally been satisfied with a poncho when out with one. Just I'd rather have less wet at my knees, too. Anyway, there's not a lot of weight savings to be found here.
My puffy jacket is Pertex Quantum covering Primaloft insulation from Brooks-Range and weighs 489g (17.2oz). That was the big thing in synthetic jackets when I got it. It's still perfect so long as you don't count the left arm. I've nicked that twice and slightly melted it once. My puffy pants (the white ones were along) are just some ski pants and would only have been state of the art when polyester was new. They weigh 499g (17.6oz) now that I've cut out the built in gaiters, but were 535g (18.87oz). I managed to nick them once, too. It's also on the left side. If I expect to be hiking in very cold weather, I'll take the tougher Mountain Hardwear (dark blue) pair which are tougher and have vent zips and weigh 723g (25.5oz, wowza). I rarely even consider leaving my puffy jacket and insist on the puffy pants if it's going to drop below 40°F. Leggings rarely make me feel any warmer at all and having to take clothes off to put on a warm layer is just wrong. Skirt and legging, fine. Shorts and leggings... why? If I sleep in these under my summer quilt (the purple one above), I can be sweating when it's freezing out. This is the reason the winter quilt almost never gets out.
Down can be lighter, but I've just gone and looked at the gathering of it and, well, it says 70% of ethically sourced (not plucked from a living, screaming, pained duck) comes from ducks killed for food, which leaves 30% to be adding my demand to. Meanwhile, Enlightened Equipment have a women's Torrid Jacket that, if I go for the heavier outer fabric and the lighter inner fabric because I seem to insist on snagging on stuff, is 8.91oz (253g) and $185. They also have women's Torrid Pants. The large with heavier outer fabric and lighter inner fabric is 6.80oz (193g) for $150. They're each about 1oz and $10 less if I stick with the standard weight fabric. That would save another pound. If you do want down, then there are any number of jacket companies to choose from, but puffy pants likely come from Montbell.
I don't carry any extra shirt, trousers, or bra. I will carry up to two pairs of socks and underwear. I'm not very good at laundry every day, but I can usually get to it every other day. I also generally carry some gloves. If I dig out my lightest nylon underwear from a six pack, they are 17g (0.6oz) each. Socks are a bit heavier at 60g (2.1oz) each. Add another 5g when they're dirty! The thin neoprene gloves are 56g (2.0oz) and it's still easy to operate the camera with them on. I just use a thick plastic bag for washing well away from water sources. I got a little dropper bottle for soap from Dutchware Gear when I got my quilt materials. It's another 20g (0.71oz).
Electronics
The camera, which is a nice, big superzoom, is 759g (26.8oz). It's extra batteries are 57g (2.0oz). I have two but only had one along. They are often only good for 3 days, so I was a little worried I'd run out. The GPS is 89g (3.1oz) with batteries and extra sets are 27g. I had 4 sets along. I generally bring a set per day, but they often last 1.5 days each. My phone is 275g (9.7oz) and can last 5 days. However, I was worried there might be some heavy navigation required for a day or two plus the trip was 6 days long. I had along my battery pack, 221g (7.8oz). I threw together a little shoulder pouch with stuff I had on hand to hold the phone for 22g (0.78oz). The little Mammut headlamp is 50g (1.76oz). The digital thermometer is 18g (0.63oz).
I'm generally happy with this although I might consider letting the phone track my path. The GPS is so old that whole satellite systems have been decrypted since it was last updated. The phone seems to use about 10% extra per day tracking. It's a toss-up as to which does a better job, but I think the GPS has a slight edge. If I did let the phone do it, I would want a battery to charge it more often. I almost never have one along now and would probably want to replace that. Otherwise, I'm happy with this stuff. Okay, picture quality could be better in low light, but I keep my cameras for at least 3 years and this one is only on year 2.
Water
When I bought a hydration system, Platypus was the only one that didn't put a massive, heavy, stiff plastic lid in the side of a water balloon and instead made something that made sense to me, so that's what I got. The more I hear about the others, the more happy I am with this system. The bag is a little different from the standard ones and I had the 3L (2L pictured) along. The bag is 49g (1.7oz). The tube is 59g (2.0oz). It's a few inches longer than needed and can be shortened (and lightened) by simply cutting it. My clean bags are 40g (1.4oz) and I usually have 2 along. The single dirty bag with a bit of rope added to hang it from a tree is raised to 43g (1.5oz). The Versaflow filter is 71g (2.5oz) in whatever level of wetness it happens to be in now. I don't need anything extra to attach it to my bags the way I want and it doesn't leak on the Platypus bags. I do bring the syringe that came with a Sawyer filter. It makes everything work faster for 31g (1.1oz). I cut one of the bags Sawyer included in half to make a bucket to scoop out water when filling a bag is hard. It's 12g (0.42oz). A ziplock would be even lighter, but the stiffness makes it easier to use.
I wouldn't change a thing. There is quite a large cult of the Smart water bottle, going around chanting lighter weight. Those are 38g for a 1L bottle, almost as heavy as my 2.4L bags which weren't even dry when I measured them. I guess 2 of them are slightly lighter than my 2L Hoser. Barely. If you're that worried about grams, you're actually using another brand of bottle anyway.
Food
I'd rather have some nice, hot food and a separate cup for a nice, hot drink in the morning. The whole thing comes to 321g (11.3oz). The Bear Vault 500 is 1194g (42.1oz).
The cook kit could likely be lightened by replacing the bandana with something as or more useful. Since I never fry in the lid, that could be replaced. It's surprising how much of the weight of the pot is this lid. The bear canister has some options. Not hanging. I did not see one tree in all of Colorado that could give the hang the forests asked for, and they weren't asking as much as Yosemite used to before hanging was finally banned. For a similarly sized can, there is the Bearikade Blazer which is 33oz (940g) and just $384 to save those 9oz! Bearikade makes carbon fiber bear canisters that have an opening similar to the Garcia, except it's much wider. The only con to it versus the Bear Vault is that it is not clear. Compared to the Bear Vault's difficult screw top opening, it is a winner if you can find the cash. Some complain that it "needs a tool" to open. I used my finger nail on the Garcia I rented recently and when that wasn't working, I used a zipper pull. It's not a big drawback. Another option is the Ursack Major which is a bag that will prevent bears getting your food. The catch is that your food may become a well mixed mess of pulverized food and wrappers that you can't actually eat either if a bear goes at it. It's also not allowed in quite as many places as the hard containers. The Major XL is 15L (larger than those cans) of storage in 8.8oz (250g) for $110. It's a very tempting option to me to save 2 pounds. There are a bunch of reviews that lament not getting the heavier AllMitey, which adds in critter resistance. The 10L bag is 9.5oz (270g) and $155. It also comes in 20L and 30L sizes, but not 15L.
miscellaneous
For keeping the teeth clean and hair detangled and sun off and more... Sunscreen was 4oz once, now more like 1.5oz (43g). Sunglasses are 34g (1.2oz). Hair brush is 49g (1.7oz). I've used just the squishy end and it can work at more like 12g. Toothbrush is 8g and there's no toothpaste. Just scrub a little longer. Chapstick generally comes in around 10g (0.35oz). The sit pad was found later and is lighter and better than the plastic bubble wrap mailer I was using at the time, but I don't know what that weighed. This mouse gnawed brand name pad is 61g (2.2oz). When there's a bright moon out, a 9g (0.3oz) sleep mask is nice. My keys are 29g (1.0oz). I probably had a generally useless multitool with scissors along for 41g (1.4oz) wasted. A compass at 51g (1.8oz) too.
Toiletries tend not to be very heavy. There's probably about 2oz (57g) for a bag for the clean toilet paper and another for the dirty and what they carry. I tend to just use whatever small, opaque bag has been emptied. The trawl is 16g (0.6oz) including the tape because they reviews are correct, this trawl is particularly sharp along the edge. The FUD is 50g (1.8oz) including the case. Everything else didn't come on that trip.
The little silnylon ditty bag of emergency gear hardly ever gets opened. When it does, I usually just dig out the athletic tape. It's good to see that the contents are roughly what I thought. The bag is 9g (0.3oz). The emergency blanket is 54g (1.9oz). The string, 100feet of 300lbs break nylon stuff, is 15g (0.53oz). The tape is currently 38g (1.3oz) and is what I use on hot spots in the rare instance there are any. I also have some foot pain that is better when wrapped, but this isn't constant either. Sewing kit doesn't register. The Super Patch is 4g (0.1oz) including the container. This is a bike tube patch, but is a really cheap and light patch for inflatable mats too. Metal tweezers are 7g (0.2oz). The small amount of waterproof first aid tape doesn't register. It is good for patching a Platypus, or was when I let a full one fall from the top of my pack onto a sharp rock. Hopefully I don't do that again. There's 11g (0.38oz) of a random assortment of band aides. There should be some alcohol wipes. Triple Antibiotic Ointment in the tube is currently 12g (0.42oz) and the Hydrocortisone is currently 16g (0.56oz). Floss is 6g (0.2oz) but doesn't actually have a purpose. It is a terrible thread since spinning makes thread strong and floss is not spun. Also, the sewing kit is much lighter. The packaged hand wipe is 3g (0.1oz). Blue pills are 5g (0.2oz) of naproxen sodium. I find it slightly better against pain over ibuprofen. Pink pills are 1g of Benadryl. White are 2g (0.1oz) of caffeinated aspirin that's going to be trashed. It is often recommended to have Imodium and Pepto Bismol, but I don't even have these in the medicine cabinet. I could see adding in antacid. The whole thing weighs 191g (6.74oz).
Summary
I've put all that into a LighterPack list to add it up:
I notice I didn't find 25-26 pounds and it's the bear canister that put it over 20 pounds. Also, this should put to rest any idea that I'm ultralight. I've never made any claim that I was, but at least one person has assumed it. If you're writing about hiking you're ultralight? Not so.
Now, on to the weight I could save.
| owned item | weight | proposed replacement | weight | savings | spendings |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gregory J63 | 1650g | Durston Kakwa 40 | 810g | 840g | $250 |
| BA Fly Creek HVUL2 | 1107g | Zpacks Hexamid Tarp +bathtub+stakes |
172g +99g+88g |
748g | $349 +$139+$20 |
| Brooks Range jacket | 489g | EE Torrid Jacket | 253g | 236g | $185 |
| Rawik puffy pant | 499g | EE Torrid Pants | 193g | 306g | $150 |
| Bear Vault 500 | 1194g | Ursack Major XL | 250g | 944g | $110 |
| total: | 4939g | 1865g | 3074g | $1203 |
That's nearly 6.8 pounds that could be shaved off my load, and for "only" $1200 plus tax and shipping! Now I've just got to sort out what's important enough since that money is always already earmarked for gas and food. I wanted to sort out what is there and what everything weighs and what I might replace it with in time for the yearly sales. Now back to writing up the second half of the 2.5 month backlog I've been working on.
©2022 Valerie Norton
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So I've gone ahead and put in an order to Enlightened Equipment. This is partly because my jacket left sleeve is so ripped up even if it is otherwise perfectly good. Another part is how heavy my pants are. I got in on a 12-14 week wait time toward the end of their 20% off sale and they charge the order immediately, which is disconcerting. One gets used to getting charged when things ship. They probably don't even have the material they'll use in the shop yet.
Meanwhile, the Durston pack is now available for preorder. They've addressed "sizing issues with the hip belt" in this latest one, plus there's a 50L version that allows a horizontal carry of a bear keg and weighs 29oz. I would like to know more, especially about the hip belt. I'm not feeling pressured to get in on the preorder since they'll be available for normal order for a month or two once out. That's how the tents were, anyway.