18 lbs

[10-K]

Well, Lord willing this time next week I'll be camping somewhere on the BMT.

To get in the spirit I decided to get all my gear together and put it in my pack and see how much I'll be carrying.

Got everything packed and including food and water for 3 days comes in at 18 lbs on the nose.

I was shooting for 15 lbs but considering it'll be mid-April when I get to GSMNP I'm taking some warmer clothing and real rain gear (pants and jacket). I'm carrying a heavier quilt than I originally intended. I'm also packing 19 oz of maps, guides and errata on the BMT.

Bottom line, given the time of year I'm willing to carry 3 more lbs as insurance against hypothermia and sleeping cold. As it is, I will have no problem staying warm, dry and full down to about 20*.

My base weigh minus food and water (but including stove, fuel, containers, etc) is 12.5 lbs. This really includes everything - toilet paper, GPS, all the little things and I didn't play any shell games by carrying something in my pocket to keep the weight down. This is "ready to hike" loaded.

So.... I guess I'm still not officially in the UL category for an early spring hike but that's cool. 18 lbs is a heck of a lot better than the 30-35 I was carrying this time last year.

[Joey C]

Sounds good to me. What pack are you taking... the Blast 32, one of your many Golites, or...I forgot what else you've picked up recently.

[harryfred]

Have a good trip still trying to get my gear in the 20's but it is what it is till next year and we see what the budget will allow.

[10-K]

Sounds good to me. What pack are you taking... the Blast 32, one of your many Golites, or...I forgot what else you've picked up recently.

Blast 32.

[Joey C]

Blast 32.

As I'm still waiting on my Blast 32, I'm much looking forward to your trip report and review.

When's your projected start/finish dates?

[pafarmboy]

I'd really appreciate a list of what you changed/upgraded to shave so much weight. My big four is at 5 lb. 9 oz and I know I could easily get rid of a pound worth of luxuries if I had to, but I am still only a hair under 16 pounds for my full base weight.

I guess the reason I'm asking is because I was at 29 lbs last year fully loaded and would now be down to 25 (with 3 days worth of food/water). I thought I was doing awesome shaving 4 pounds, but hearing you shave 10+ make me wonder what I missed.

You sound like a reasonable dude and not one of those UL whackos. Help a Cuben Lightheart Solo brother out!

Thanks.

[pafarmboy]

Okay the Blast 32 would get me down to 14.5.....but no way am I giving up my Circuit.

[10-K]

Let's see....I bet I can remember it all....

Blast 32 w/ cuben pack liner)
Golite 40* quilt
Neoair short
LH Solo cuben tent including stakes

.5 L Evernew pot
caldera cone
lucky titanium spoon
gram cracker esbit stove
5 esbit tabs
2 mini-bics
20 oz coke bottle with top cut off (drinking cup, caldera cone carrier)
1 32 oz nalgene cantene
1 32 oz gatorade bottle (empty)

2 single edge razor blades
toothbrush (cut down)
small tube of toothpaste (don't like powder)
bandana
10 ibuprofen
2 safety pins (my clothesline)
toilet paper
travel size hand sanitizer
3 imitrex (migraine meds)
5 large band aids
1 small tube neosporin
50' of cordage (forget the name, lighter than paracord)
16 aqua mira tablets

golite rain jacket
golite rain pants

golite shirt
1 mont bell thermawrap
1 capilene 1 bottoms
1 buff
1 pair socks
1 pair goosefeet
1 blackrock down hat
1 pair mittens
1 pair MLD eVent mitts

Petzl headlamp
Garmin eTrex vista /w extra set of lithium batteries
Phone w/ extra battery and charger

Nat Geo maps 777, 781, 229
compass
Sgt Rocks Guide
TN/NC guide to BMT
BMT databook
that $1 map of GSMNP

That's it besides food and water.

I might add that this all fits in the Blast 32 with lots of space left. I'm sure it'd go in a Blast 26 actually.

[10-K]

As I'm still waiting on my Blast 32, I'm much looking forward to your trip report and review.

When's your projected start/finish dates?

I'm staying at The Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega, GA the 10th, starting the hike on April 11th.

I've got 3 weeks off.

My plan is to hike the BMT in 2 weeks which will leave me time to hike on back to Erwin if I'm in the mood.

I think it would be really cool to start at Springer and walk all the way to my front door....

[ScottP]

Nice. Sounds like you know where you can trim weight, and have decided that it's just not worth it for you.

[Wags]

1 pair of socks?

do you really need the mittens with the mitts? 1 or the other probably will be fine...

trash bag?
water treatement?

[10-K]

1 pair of socks?

do you really need the mittens with the mitts? 1 or the other probably will be fine...

trash bag?
water treatement?

Socks: Wear a pair, have an extra pair.... 2 pair is plenty.

Trashbag: Actually in my food bag and counted with my food weight - forgot to take it out.

Water treatment: 16 Aqua Mira tablets -

The MLD eVent mitts work a lot better when it's cold with a light pair of gloves or mittens. I had them on last weekend when it was in the low 30s and my hands got cold. Added mittens and all was well.

Also, it'd be a lot more comfortable to sleep with a lightweight pair of mittens than a big pair of eVent mitts.

[Wags]

-don't you sleep with your arms in your bag when it's cold? this is an area you could drop weight
-ok on trash
-i missed the tabs
-3 pairs of pants assuming you are not wearing the cap 1s to hike in. another area you could shed some weight. zpacks cloud kilt?

[10-K]

-don't you sleep with your arms in your bag when it's cold? this is an area you could drop weight
-ok on trash
-i missed the tabs
-3 pairs of pants assuming you are not wearing the cap 1s to hike in. another area you could shed some weight. zpacks cloud kilt?

The cap 1's are coming along because it's still early enough in the spring to get pretty cold. I don't like to sleep in rain pants and if my regular pants are wet and/or muddy I don't want to wear them in my bag. My quilt is rated to 40* - if temps get down in the upper 20s/ low 30's the cap 1's will come in handy. (they weigh 5.7 oz..)

I've got a ULA rain skirt but in early April I feel better with full rain pants.

I do sleep with my arms in my bag but if it's in the 20s and all I've got is a 40* quilt and Neoair short I'll be wearing the thermawrap, cap 1 bottoms, hat, goosefeet, buff, and mittens.

Like I said in my first post - I know I could cut some weight but the 3 lb difference is because of the contingencies I'm allowing for in the weather (mainly)... I could put the maps in my drops and lose some weight there too but I'd rather not because I'm not 100% comfortable with where I'm sending them. I can replace lost resupply - replacing maps would be a drag.

Come summertime a lot of this stuff will get left behind for sure.

[Wags]

I understand. Just offering up ideas. It'll be you out there not me Have a good time. I'm waiting on a pack from Joe V. I'm anxious to hear how yours works out...

[Wolf - 23000]

10-K,

Why are you bring up your pack weight? Just go hiking and enjoy it.

Wolf

[Wags]

wolf,

why are you posting about his pack weight in his thread? go hiking and enjoy it.

wags

[Wombat Farm]

I'd say 18 lbs is pretty damn good! But...can you rip out the guidebook pages out of the book (if you haven't already)?

Enjoy the early spring........I'll be enjoying early fall here in Australia in the bush around the same time...

[10-K]

10-K,

Why are you bring up your pack weight? Just go hiking and enjoy it.

Wolf

That's a fair question... I'm just sharing that:

1. As my pack weight goes down, my enjoyment of hiking goes up. The only thing I don't like about backpacking is the backpack.... Love to hike, hate to carry a pack, especially a heavy pack.

2. I've made a lot of progress in lightening my load.

3. I'm not willing to sacrifice some comfort/safety to get even lighter.

4. I still have a ways to go. I would like to further reduce my weight but I'm not there yet.

[mark schofield]

thanks for posting your list. I enjoy looking at what others are doing and incorporating what helps me get the weight down. I personally go with 7 days food because I hate going into town to resupply, although I know that keeps the weight up. I agree about being comfortable. This is supposed to be fun.