My new(er) l.w. Gear

[300winmag]

I've been trying since 2005 to lighten my load a lot but still be comfortable. I think I've done it - finally.

Here's my Light Weight (not UL) gear

PACK> REI Cruise UL 60 (3# 2 0z.)

SLEEPING BAG> Western Mountaineering Megalite (30F.)

MATTRESS> old Thermarest Lite regular (still works OK) 18 oz.

TENT> TarpTent Moment (28 oz. W/ 2 stakes)

STOVES> Vargo Jet-Ti (canister)
Vargo Triad EX base (ESBIT)
Brunton Flex (canister, wider burner flame ring)

WATER TREATMENT> StriPen Adventurer, Micropur tabs

DISCLAIMERS:
I like the comfort of the old Thermarest Lite (actually ret'd a Neo-Air - too many gripes to mention)

Had a Contrail & it's OK but I LOVE the Moment at just 2 oz. more

Alky stove are not for me and my 7 to 10 day trips.

Frameless packs are not comfortable to me, at 25-30 lbs. W/food & water for a long trip.

I'm never going to be a ULer. Like my camp comforts too much.

Been at this hobby/obsession for decades and I researched 'til I found quality L.W. gear - I think.

COMMENTS?

[Wolf - 23000]

If your happy with it, does it really matter what others think about it?

The only thing I would suggest is get rid of the StriPen Adventurer, Micropur tabs. While on the trail, I've head some very bad things about it not work to well after a couple of usage.

Wolf

[tammons]

Does not look bad to me. You just have a couple more # than an UL packer.

[white_russian]

I have that same pack and sleeping bag. They are pretty sweet. I am right there with you about lightening the load while retaining comfort. It is all about value for the weight, not the final number itself.

[srestrepo]

nice looking kit... i've been wanting to get my base weight under a certain amount but i definitely find comfort to be more important. oh and i like my gadgets...

[skinewmexico]

Got the same bag, same tent, had the same pack. Sold it to finance an Exos 58, then sold that to finance a ULA Circuit. Looks like you're doing a good job to me, I just don't understand some people who insist on using heavier gear, when lighter and equal alternatives are available.

[Connie]

The list looks good.

Please tell us the gripes about the NeoAir.

There is a thread started asking for complaints about the NeoAir.

[300winmag]

I posted my gripes on the NEO-AIR complaintthread.

On the topic of water treatment:

1. The SteriPen is for my bike bottle when I need water NOW for mixing electrolyte drink.

2. The MicroPur chlorine dioxide tablets are a backup for my SteriPen but mainly for my hydration bladder and the evening fillup for the next day. Thus it has all night to work on the bad bugs and later it cleans the tube and inner bite valve.. I filter W/ a #1 coffee filter.

Both systems work well and I'll never again carry a pump filter.

[ShelterLeopard]

The tarptent moment is beautiful. If I was going to get a super lightweight shelter and blow $200, that'd be it.

Do you like it?

[taedawood]

The tarptent moment is beautiful. If I was going to get a super lightweight shelter and blow $200, that'd be it.

Do you like it?

I bought one and used it on a recent snowy backpack trip...I love it! I know it would cost more but I kind of wish the sides were made of spinnaker or cuben fiber to lighten the weight but for the price, the silnylon is just fine!

[sbhikes]

25-30lbs for 7-10 days is pretty light. You include food/water, right? I agree that at those weights a heavier pack can really make a positive difference over a frameless one.

[300winmag]

Yeah Piper, I included 2 L. of water too. I use a lot of freezer bag meals which lightens the food load. Commercial freeze-dried meals have waaaay too much sodium for me. Not healthy.

Plus freezer bag meals taste a lot better. Some meals require 7 oz. foil retort pouches of meat like chicken but not a lot of them. And that meat tastes so good on the trail. Usually you can eat 1/2 of a pouch and seal up the remainder in the last meal's
freezer bag for the next meal and it will keep for a day.

On the Moment - I love this cleverly designed tent. A bit too breezy for winter but otherwise just what I like.

I had a TT Contrail for 3 summers and liked it a lot, except in high winds, when it flapped no matter how well I staked it out.

But the Moment had more useable headroom and a much larger, more useful vestibule. And it is even faster to set up than the Contrail! Can't say enough good things about this tent.

Eric

[skinewmexico]

II know it would cost more but I kind of wish the sides were made of spinnaker or cuben fiber to lighten the weight but for the price, the silnylon is just fine!

If I undersood a recent thread on tentmaking on BPL correctly, cuben and spinnaker don't stretch enough to work with the hoop. Would work on the Sublite though.

[STICK]

The Moment and the Megalite are both on my list as well......

[garlic08]

Thanks for your comments about the TT Moment vs. the Contrail. My Contrail doesn't look new anymore and that's a decision that's coming up for me soon.

The Moment looks fantastic. The only reason I'd consider getting another Contrail is that I had a hoop pole failure with a very early TT, the Virga. To me, the genius of the Contrail is that there are no hoops at all, and I'll overlook a minor problem or two to not mess with another pole.

It's good to see someone else in a happy place with his/her gear. It's a nice feeling.

[mtnkngxt]

Moment, Thermarest Neo, and a quilt allow a person to drop quite a bit of weight in spring and summer. The down on the bottom is useless once compressed anyways.