UL / Backping Noob - Potential Set up

[ljcsov]

Hey everyone,

Can you take a look at my setup and tell you what you think? Some of the gear I have, some I still have to purchase. * = purchased.

::Pack::
*Kelty Courser 40L

::Shelter::
9x9 SilNylon Tarp (Green)
Single Tyvek Sheet
Shock Cord, Aluminum Stakes

::Sleeping Gear::
Slumberjack THermolite 30deg (packs small, not expensive)
RidgeRest - Short

::Kitchen::
*Sapporo kitchen
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...Kitchen-Set-up

::Safety/Survival::
Victorinox Cadet*
Small First Aid Kit*
Lensatic Compass*
Princeton Tec Fuel*
Maybe a fixed blade? Kabar*

::Misc.::
Trowel
Deet "Pen"*

Any input would be helpful. I know this probably isn't the lightest set up, but I was looking more for completeness / adequacy of the items listed. I am sure I missed a few obvious things. Thank you.

[DBRIGGS9]

Hey man, I'm the same guy answering some of your questions on BPL, mostly about hammocks.

Going for a tarp is an excellent way to really lighten your load. But sleeping on the ground, particularly on a Ridgerest will be much less comfortable than a hammock.
As side sleeper, even after a 25-mile day getting decent sleep on a Ridgerest would be difficult for me. But many people do it and sleep through the night...just not side sleepers. I envy those that can get by with only CCF.

Your list is far from complete, however. Here's what you're missing:
Pack cover or liner
Something to set up your tarp (trekking poles or tarp poles)
Bivy sack (most use one with a tarp, lots of mice and bugs/mosquitos on the AT)
Water treatment
Headlamp
Stuff sacks
Food bag and bear line

Leave the fixed blade, trowel, and compass at home.

What are you doing for clothing?
Rain gear? Insulating layer (down jacket)? Base layers?


That's all I can think of at the moment.

[ljcsov]

Oh I did miss some stuff,

Headlamp: Princeton Tec Fuel
Insulating Layer: NorthFace Denali
Raingear: Poncho (might change that)
Pack Cover: Poncho fits over, will pack some garbage bags as well, many uses
Trekking Poles: Kompderdell
Water Treatment: Potable Tablets
Bear set up: bag + 50' 550 cord

Stuff sacks: Was going to pick up that 3 pack of outdoor research ones sold at walmart, for 10 bucks it seemed like a good deal

Bivy: Do not know much about them. Was thinking about a bug net but didn't know about the bivy sack. Any recommendations on a simple one?

[ljcsov]

Was checking out some shelters,

The mesh shelters with floors seem to be pretty nice such as the Golite Shangri-la or the Black Diamond "bug" shelters. Coupled with a tarp you still would be ~3lb. However, the Eureka Zeus II is only around ~3lb. Looks like a nice tent and I can fit two people.

[pyroman53]

Don't like shockcord, if you're using to stake tent. Kinda dangerous when stake slips outta the ground and goes flying, maybe into your eye; or inconvenient when a stake dissappears into the bushes in the middle of the night during a rainstorm. Tarps are great, but my experience, over 40 years using them, is that it takes awhile to learn how to use them, and you state you're a newbie. Having a bivy might take some of the difficulty out of it and gives you more room for error, although I've never owned one. I don't use tarp if worried about skeeters. Then I just take my tarptent, (see discussion above about weight of tarp and bivy, etc) Poncho works to cover your pack, sorta, but not when you want to take off your pack, like when you're setting up camp. Besides, most use redundant systems to keep sleeping bag and clothes dry, so a good pack cover or liner is something I would recommend.

[skinewmexico]

Post some weights for real help. Never though about the dangers of shock cord. I use it to keep silnylon tight, should probably rethink that.

[ljcsov]

The Eureka Zeus II is 3lb 14oz. Doesn't seem too bad for a two person tent.

[DBRIGGS9]

3lb 14oz is very very heavy, in UL terms. Look at Tarptents for lightweight tents.

[10-K]

You don't need a fixed blade knife and a swiss army knife. Really you don't need either one but if I had to pick I'd take the SAK.

You'll be needing some water bottles. Gatorade 32 oz or same size Smart Water bottles are pretty popular.

Liner for your pack and pack cover (varying opinions... I use both).

Toilet paper & hand sanitizer.

If it were me, I'd get a lighter pack and sleeping bag.

And I'd chunk all the tarp stuff and get a UL tent like a TT Rainbow, SMD Skyscape or Lightheart Solo and be done with it.

You might want to add a bandana or something to use as a rag.

[tammons]

Yep ur missing a lot of stuff.

6# big 4 and 6# for everything else will get you started.

Ditch the heavy backpack and the bag and buy or build a quilt.
get something like a used Golite Jam II.

If you are going Tarp, you should have a bivy bag. You can build one (glue) out of
1.25oz tyvek that will weigh about 8oz.

[Trailbender]

A fixed blade is fine, if you have the wilderness survival skills to back it up, if not, it is kind of pointless. Even so, there are still lightweight fixed blade options out there, you don't need a Kabar. Moras are good, and the SEAL pup Elite is fairly light, as far as fixed blades go.

[ljcsov]

Thanks for all the help guys. Maybe I won't be going "ultralight", just light as possible in order to get out there as soon as I can to get myself started.

I just keep on the research to figure out what I want to do for shelter. Tent, Tarp/tent (DIY), or what have you. I will be going with my girlfriend so on the shelter we can split the load, but its nice to have the option if I wanted to go solo where I could still carry it. Mainly I am trying to keep my pack size small (40L).

[sbhikes]

I have found that getting one of the single-wall ultralight tents is the easiest way to deal with shelter. I've done the poncho tarp/bivy thing, I've sewn my own mosquito net tent, I've got a big 8x10 silnylon tarp yadda yadda. I've done everything but the hammock thing and the cuben fiber thing.

When it comes down to a long distance hike where you can have rain one day and mosquitoes the next and desert for part of the way and rain forest for part of the way, it's just easier to bring one of the ultralight tents because it'll do everything you need well enough. Even in a high wind situation where the tent won't stay up, it'll at least make a bag to sleep in unlike my tarp which just blows away...

If my trip is shorter, then I might play with my other options.

[flemdawg1]

Hey everyone,

Can you take a look at my setup and tell you what you think? Some of the gear I have, some I still have to purchase. * = purchased.

::Pack::
*Kelty Courser 40L 1st of all, will all your stuff fit in this? 2300cu in of dang small for a 3# pack.

::Shelter::
9x9 SilNylon Tarp (Green) Another vote for a tarptent. I love my Contrail.
Single Tyvek Sheet
Shock Cord, Aluminum Stakes Get some Triptease or glowire. I use mason's twine, but I prefer something that I can see and not trip over in the dark. Hiking Poles?

::Sleeping Gear::
Slumberjack THermolite 30deg (packs small, not expensive) Don't scrimp on the sleeping bag. You can sometimes get a Golite quilt for around $150.
RidgeRest - Short Have you tried sleeping on a CCF pad? Most people find it way too hard.

::Kitchen::
*Sapporo kitchen
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...Kitchen-Set-up

::Safety/Survival::
Victorinox Cadet*
Small First Aid Kit*
Lensatic Compass* Get a baseplate style compass, You won't be seeing enough distant peaks to use the lensatic functions.
Princeton Tec Fuel*
Maybe a fixed blade? Kabar* Dump it you have a knife.

::Misc.::
Trowel Dump it, sticks on ground and hiking poles are good enough for digging catholes.
Deet "Pen"*

Any input would be helpful. I know this probably isn't the lightest set up, but I was looking more for completeness / adequacy of the items listed. I am sure I missed a few obvious things. Thank you.

Going UL is more about developing a skill set rather than a gear list. Learn to be confortable in the wild, beofre stripping down your kit past what you can competently handle.

[Trailbender]

Going UL is more about developing a skill set rather than a gear list. Learn to be confortable in the wild, beofre stripping down your kit past what you can competently handle.

Exactly, which is why I recommend he keep the fixed blade knife. Having done wilderness survival skills for years, I can do a lot with a fixed blade knife, and is one of the things I would not want to be without. I don't go into the woods without one. I can get fire, shelter, ect from that knife. I do carry lightweight gear, but at around 3oz for a Mora, and 5oz for that SEAL Pup, the utility you get far exceeds its meager weight. I have batoned some pretty stout wood with that Mora without it breaking, so I trust it for a survival situation. My current kit is pretty stripped down. Not much besides rain gear, some warm clothing, tent, sleeping bag, ground pad, food, water treatment, and a knife.

To each their own, though. I don't carry a first aid kit, compass, or maps. I can navigate by the sun and stars if needed, and I was a combat medic. Most medical stuff is improvisation and skills. A small first aid kit in your pack isn't big enough to treat anything major, and anything small enough to use it can be ignored, or fixed with toilet paper and duct tape. I have replaced those 3 pieces of gear with skills.

[ljcsov]

Pretty cool stuff Trailbender.

I do dig the survival knife. There is just so many uses for it and it is one item that gives me a good sense of a security in the woods. Not really from people, but just knowing that I can get a lot done with it if need be.

I am going to get "as light as I can" instead of ultra light.

Can you guys recommend any tents around the price range of a Kelty Grand Mesa or Teton 2? I found the Teton 2 for $75. I get confused with size as many people complain 2 man tents won't fit two people. This would be for me and my gf mostly or just me at times. We are pretty average sized.

[topshelf]

You should try working your way into ultralight if you're a noob, as you stated. I don't know what your definition is. Try loading your pack up and taking some day hikes with increasingly heavier loads each time you go. Get a weight you feel you would be comfortable carrying while still making it enjoyable. That will give you a number to shoot for when buying stuff to go into your pack. You might feel you feel great carrying enough weight where you could afford carrying a 4 lb tent.

[STICK]

If you are taking a shelter for two, I would suggest looking at the Six Moon Designs Haven. You have to buy the tarp and the inner net separate, but this way you end up with a very versatile (double wall) shelter, plus this shelter system makes it super easy for the both of you to share the weight. The tarp weighs 18 oz and the inner net weighs 14 oz. So, each of you can carry roughly 1 pound of shelter (however, you can carry the tarp which is 4 oz heavier... ), but if you ever go it alone, you will still only be carrying 2 pounds of shelter.

[Wags]

i think a top priority from your list is swapping out your insulating layer of TNF denali. That fleece is SOOO heavy and bulky. Check out something down by montbell.

http://www.prolitegear.com/site/xdpy...6%20Vests.html is having some of their stuff for sale right now.

[tammons]

Basically most all of your gear is way too heavy.
If you shop it and MYOG some of it you can put together a SUL kit for pretty cheap.

The more double duty gear you carry the lighter, IE pocho tarp etc.

Here is a link to one of my very minimal gear lists. 5# base weight.
Add 12# for 5days food, consumables and 2L of h20 and you are at 17# total.

If you go with a full size MYOG hammock, full size cuben tarp, driducks, UQ, you would add on about 2#.
Add a thermawrap parka add 1#