Reducing Size
I'm satisfied (sort of, but I'm working on it) with my weight, but does anyone have any tips for reducing size/space requirements of gear?
You have to decide for yourself what you need vs what you want. That's the absolute best way to reduce space/weight.
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Compressor sacks is the obvious answer, but they add weight (a few ounces). But if by using one or two you can use a smaller lighter pack . . . Lots of choices.
High fill power down quilt, (not self) inflatable pad, puffy jacket (or better yet, puffy down vest), no fleece or pile clothing, fewer spare clothes, smallish tent, window film ground sheet or nothing, no cooking gear, minimal electronics.
I prefer pushing gear tightly into my pack and then using its compression system. I don't care for separate compression bags.
You can get it down to where a weekend load with food will fit into a pack like this.
I don't know if I could go with a pack like THAT.Originally Posted by leaftye
I can go with a decent sized day pack for a summer overnight, maybe two nights. The main limitation is how much food I can fit. For a longish hike the smallest pack I can get away with is 45 L, but I might be able to do 40. Any smaller that that and I'll have to start leaving behind stuff I really don't want to leave behind. On a weekend or overnight hike you can skimp on stuff based on expected weather, on a long hike you need more options.
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If you are satisfied with your pack weight, what are your concerns about pack size? I have a cuben fibre tent that is light weight, but does not pack very small. I carry light weight down quilts / sleeping bags, but don't want to over compress them, so typically I up size the stuff sack.
if you have the gear picked out then get a pack that fits it, but i suggest you leave about 10% space so you can add an extra day or two of food if you want.
if your goal is to "look" like an ultra light hiker (not saying it is), cram gear into the smallest pack you can find. put snacks/food in pants pockets and tie your raingear around your waist. when people see you they will know exactly what you are.
I'm so confused, I'm not sure if I lost my horse or found a rope.
About the only way to reduce the amount of space your gear occupies is to either pack it tighter (i.e. compression stuff sacks) or buy new gear.
Beyond that, the only things to add would be to NOT pack all your stuff tightly in individual stuff sack and then try to pack the stuff sacks... the space between the rounded edges of the stuffed sacks will quickly eat up your space.
One specific trick I've used has been to place my sleeping bag in a stuff sack, and then stuff the sleeping bag inside an over-sized dry bag for my cloths. That way, the cloths can fill all the nooks and crannies around the sleeping bag. (Sort of my take on using a water-proof liner inside the back pack... except mine is only just big enough to hold the gear that must stay dry).
Of course the other trick is to see what you can do to pack gear inside itself... for example, trying to pack all your cooking supplies inside your cook pot. I've even specifically purchased eating utensils sized to fit inside my pot (like the Sea-to-Summit Alpha Light Short spoon).
Down is not only lighter but more space-efficient insulation than synthetics. Single layer shelters are generally more compact than double wall. Less spare clothes take up less room than more spare clothes. Nesting cup and stove into pot saves space. Smaller pots take up less room than larger pots. Aqua Mira takes up less room than a pump. Repackage food into zip locks to save on food volume. Stuff attached to outside of pack does not take up inside-pack space.
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Since this is Ultra lite wouldn't using stuff sacks be counter productive?
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I'm so confused, I'm not sure if I lost my horse or found a rope.
A day of food is approximately two 2/3rd's full quart size ziplock bags, although it's easier to go with much less food on weekend trips. You're right about it being easier to bring less on a weekend hike. It's the only type of trip I'll use a poncho tarp as shelter for because I can be fairly certain that I won't need it for protection from rain. I like the stealthy aspect of using a hydration pack because I don't always want to broadcast that I'm a backpacker, or be incorrectly viewed as homeless.
Switch to a quilt over a bag. Down has been mentioned, downsizing pots too. What is your cooking style, what do you need exactly? Consider how bulky is your rain gear, some folks use an umbrella. Reducing shelter material, are willing to go with just a tarp even? What types of containers are you using, are they half empty? Are they 2X too full? What do you normally use that you are coming back with extra of? Are you willing to use a 3/4 size sleeping pad?
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to me, the key is carry fewer items, making each piece of gear perform multiple functions
As many have mentioned:
1. Down bag/quilt rather than synthetic. This eliminates a huge amount of volume.
2. Downsize pot, eliminate cup/bowl/spoon if possible.
3. Rethink what you really need.
4.But if you really need something, take the smallest functional version you can afford.
5. Take multifunction equipment where feasible.
I'd also suggest eliminating hard sided containers (for food, water, alcohol, etc.) wherever possible. Ziplocks and bladders will take less space.
I'm slowly realizing that the organizational and protective benefits of stuff sacks may be more than offset by the ability to squish smaller objects (food bags, spare socks, etc) into random odd shaped spaces.
I also wish someone would make a square Ti pot like this crappy Coleman one from long ago. Round pots leave voids that are hard to fill.
All great suggestions. WRT the pot, when I go on short summer section hikes (ultralight), I carry a Snow Peak 600 mug with a 1 liter Poweraid bottle nestled into it. Both get stored in the side water bottle pocket. The pot takes up zero room and is always available to dip water to fill the bottle.
1st step is to realize you may be carrying more then what you really need.
2nd is if whatever you carry doesn't serve multi purposes you need to switch it out for something that does either the same weight or lighter.
3rd Once you have consolidated everything break out a scale and weight everything. When you see how much some items weight you may realize you really dont need some of them.
4th Slowly transition yourself to smaller packs. Having a smaller pack makes you more concious about what your carrying. Think of it as UL rehab.
5th Remove all excess. Straps, labels, packaging, and so on and really fine tune everything.
6th Chances are just about everything you have there is going to be something comparable but lighter in weight. Start upgrading and beging with your big 4 pack, shelter, quilt, and pad. Figure out which will give your the biggest savings based on weight per cost and go with that.
7th Down is your friend and there are always creative things you can do with your clothing system to function as multi pieces while eliminating the need to carry excess.
For example on long section hikes I wear my hiking clothes in my pack i carry a baselayer which i use for sleeping clothes. If conditions get bad I can layer them with my normal clothes for extra warmth making my shorts into pants or a change of clothes if I really need something dry. My puffy jacket serves as my camp jacket, my pillow at night, and extra insulation if it gets to cold in conjunction with my quilt.
Oh and for those of you who had asked about compression bags I usually stuffy my bulky items at the bottom and heavy items towards the middle so the items are compressed and heavier items towards the middle of my back which helps me carry my loads better. I also use a compactor bag as a liner for waterproofing and for compression I use zpacks role top/ dry cuban bags. Waterproof and just roll them down to compress your items. A quarter of the weight or even lighter then most compression bags. At night if im using my puffy to sleep in I just stuff whatever I have rain jacket, rain kilt, and so on into my dry bag and I use it as a pillow. Using a jacket to suplement you sleeping bag is another way to reduce weight and volume since you can use a lighter bag.
Consider trying a stoveless hike. There are plenty of threads on this site about that, though very few try it. The bulk of a pot and fuel bottle might make enough of a difference to matter. It did for me. I was able to get a smaller pack and shave quite a few more ounces off the load, and that's what finally got me under the ten pound threshold.
"Throw a loaf of bread and a pound of tea in an old sack and jump over the back fence." John Muir on expedition planning
Use gear and clothing that fits you and is not over sized. I am short, so I never buy regular length of anything.
It may only save an ounce or two, but those ounces all add up.
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