What is your favorite piece of lightweight gear

[foodbag]

I am always looking for new gear items to lighten the load. I'm wondering what everyone's favorite lightweight gear item is. Also, where did you get it and how much did you pay for it?

I'll start out by mentioning my soda can stove made by Tin Man at Anti-Gravity Gear. $12 for a high quality alcohol stove weighing around 1 oz., autographed by Tin Man himself (a nice touch)....

Thanks y'all.

[SGT Rock]

I'll throw out about three:

1. Homeade stove - .6 ounces and free.

2. Hennessy Hammock - luxury on the trail with good shelter. There are some other things that go with this like my Jacks 'R better Quilt and homemade pad that work well as a system.

3. Moonbow Gearskin. One of the most comfortable packs I have ever used.

I have a lot of other lightweight stuf I really like, but these three are the tops.

[smokymtnsteve]

titanium french coffee press

got it @ REI for $49.95

[tlbj6142]

Probably my windshirt. I own a Marmot Chinook (2003 model) and a Montane Aero (a gift). I carry the Montane most of the time. The Chinook has a hood so its nice if I expect lots of bugs or colder temps.

A close 2nd would have to be my Manzella Hat. Its the perfect weight for hiking in the winter and works great to keep you warm during 3-season stuff.

[Jaybird]

my fave LITEweight gear is:

SNOWPEAK Ti 900

dual use as cook-pot, & large coffee mug!
3oz.



i still love my 3-year-old Sierra Designs Wild Bill 2.0 mummy sleeping bag (just under 3 lbs)

[chris]

My ULA P1-X pack and WM Ultralight sleeping bag. Oh, and my beer can stove. I also like my really ratty and decaying MEC T-shirt. The uglier it gets, the more I like it.

[ga>me>ak]

The caption for this thread started, What's your favorite piece...

Very dangerous,I am exercising restraint here

[steve hiker]

Leki Ultralite Ergo Ti poles at 14 oz/pair. My knees love them.

Homemade Sierra Mist (not a pepsi fan) can stove. The thing is so light you can hardly feel any weight when you hold it.

[walkin' wally]

Beverage (PC?) can stove.

[grrickar]

My Optimus Crux stove, 3.1 oz - $50 paid from Ebay new in box

MSR Hubba 1 man tent - 3lbs $160 paid, also from Ebay

Snow Peak Multi Ti cookset - 2 pots, 2 pans (2x as lids) - 11.6 oz if I carry the whole setup (which I never have)

Snow Peak Ti Spork - Good for cooking, eating, stirring, etc very lightweight

[Palmer]

Gotta say I love my ti spork. Of course, I love any kind of spork. Just started using a Hennessy, and that may eventually overtake the spork.

[MOWGLI]

A small radio shack AM FM radio & headphones. At night, I really love to listen to AM radio for about an hour while laying in my sleeping bag. The radio & headphones weigh about half a pound, but I don't know how much exactly.

My balaclava is also pretty stylin' in the winter.

Silk boxers by Patagonia. They help deter chafing.

[bailcor]

Got some of the gear mentioned, so will mention ZYFLEX THERMAL MITTENS.
Weight - 2.8oz Cost - $14.00. Wind resistance and water resistance, and will keep those digitals very warm.

[Youngblood]

I've thought about this post for a while and I'm stuck. I have some home made gear that I really like and some bought gear that has served me well. But as far as 'what is my favorite piece of lightweight gear'. I guess I have a whole backpack full of it and then some, including the backpack and some of it may not even be 'lightweight'. I can't pick just one... I'm thinking that is a good thing.

Youngblood

[Peaks]

Gotta say I love my ti spork. Of course, I love any kind of spork. Just started using a Hennessy, and that may eventually overtake the spork.

I think that a lexan spoon is lighter, and certainly much cheaper.

[tlbj6142]

You are correct. A lexan teaspoon (not the soup spoon) weighs about 7g. Whereas the Vargo Ti Spork comes in at 14g.

[Footslogger]

It's got to be either my Frogg Toggs or my silnylon stuff sacks. Bought them here and there along the trail on my thru last year.

[peter_pan]

MY 2.4 oz, 12x 22 inch pad, cut from a GI issue green sleep pad.

This pad is the removable frame to my backpack. I pull it out in less than a second at virtually all breaks and sit on it. This keeps me from sereous heat loss in the winter, keeps me away from the chiggers and other biters on the ground, and provides a dry spot on wet days. It also provide a comfortable seat on picnic tables and shelter floors.

I set my hot pot on it to reduce heat loss to the ground/ table. I fold it in half to hold a Mountain House or other re-hydration meal ( held closed with a small rock), this lets me allow extra time above the mfg recommendation and still have a piping hot dinner. THIS REALLY INSURES A BETTER DINNER.

If I ever break a limb I plan to use it to pad the split. It can also be cut and formed into a cevical collar.

If the weather become too extreme it can be inserted into a shirt to add considerable insulation and wind block for the body core. Alternatively it can be folded in half, placed over the head, held in place by a thin hood on a 3 oz wind breaker such as a Golite. Thus retarding head heat loss.

It can be inserted between The Nest and my Hennessy, under the hip area, if temperatures unexpectantly drop beyond the Nests protection range.

It restowes and functions as the pack frame in less than three seconds on a loaded pack.

The older I get the more I love the ways that this pad keeps me comfortable and coming back to hike.

[grrickar]

I think that a lexan spoon is lighter, and certainly much cheaper.

My Snow Peak Ti spork weighs in at .6 oz. I'm not sure lexan is lighter or not. What is the lightest lexan spoon/spork?

The reason I went with Ti is because you can wipe it clean, then heat it over your stove to kill any germs. It also stirs hot stuff better than my Tek Lexan eating utensils, because they flex a good bit; even more so when they are hot.

[sierraDoug]

So far (I'm just getting started on lightening up) my favorite light weight "gear" items are my Asics running shoes (not made for trails) which I bought years ago for about $40 for disc golf, and my super light weight button-up short sleeved shirt (hacked the sleeves off) which I got at a discount clothing store (Ross in CA) for about $6 after reading what RJ wears. It's polyester and rayon. Very cool.

I have made a hi-tech Chris style alcohol stove, but haven't tried cooking on it yet. Damn, that flame is invisible. Nearly burnt my hand thinking the HEET hadn't lit.