Originally Posted by
Trailbender
I have a Golite quest pack. It is pretty good, haven't really had issues with it. Replaced the framesheet and stays with a section of my sleeping pad, still evaluating this. I had to make a lot of changes after I tore some cartilage in my knee a few months ago on the BMT, was already pretty light, but went at it with a fervor when I got back after getting hurt. I'll hike with a garbage sack and some granola bars if that's what it takes to keep going out in the woods.
I used bleach on my entire thru, no issues. I have a tarptent I heavily modified, weight is probably 20 oz with stakes, it is fully enclosed. People talk about the condensation issue, for that light I just be careful not to touch the walls. Fully enclosed is very important to me, it is bug free and much warmer in the winter, I have camped year round in that tent, so anyone who says you need a winter tent is wrong, just get a warmer bag. I sleep cold, so I use a 0 bag year round, I modified it to a quilt, so it is lighter and more adjustable than a regular bag, learn to sew and use dental floss as thread.
You can dirtbag a lot of the gear you need, use a wal mart grease pot, home made alcohol stove, teaspoon, ect. Gatorade jugs are great for water, I use a 2l one, and have a 2l platy for camp water. I drink a ton of water though, so some people might not be comfortable with the weight of carrying 2l, it's heavy but I have found I do best carrying that much. I'll cut weight in a lot of areas, but plenty of water is one I won't do.