Gear List Questions

[Twang]

Items I have so far....
Osprey Exos 46 - 1lb 14oz
Therm-a-Rest Prolite Sleeping Pad - 1lb
Big Agness Fly Creek UL1 - 1lb 14oz
Leki Thermolite Aergon AS - 1lb 2oz (pair)
Salomon Synapse Hiking Shoes - 12oz
Marmot Atom << Biggest dilemma. Would like to buy a nice 3 season bag that could be used during NOBO AT thru-hike as well as during hot summer nights at lower elevations (read Tennessee in July/August). Looking at Marmot Plasma 30 or Western Mountaineering Summerlite. Not sure if it's realistic to find one bag that will satisfy my requirements or if I should just accept that I will need two, possibly keep the Atom and pick up a 15F bag?

Items to purchase...
UltraSil Ultra-light Compression Sacks << Are these the best/lightest?
Frogg Toggs DriDucks Dura-Lite3 Rainsuit - 12oz
Crocs - 12oz.
MSR Titan Titanium Kettle - 4.2oz
Stove << Currently looking at Soto MicroRegulator Stove w/ built in striker 2.6oz or Snow Peak LiteMax - 2oz. Not much research here.
Filter << No research here. MSR Sweetwater?
Pack Rain Cover << Lightest ones?
Sleeping Clothes << Looking for something lightweight, breathable, pants and top.
Sleeping Bag Liner << Any recommendations, lightweight of course.
Digital Camera << Lightest waterproof, Canon D10?

[Spokes]

Compare yours to this tried and true thru hike cold weather list. It yields a 16-18 lb. base weight. Tweak it for summer and go even lighter. Fleece cap and gloves are givens. Add a trash compactor bag for a liner. Don't waste your money on a bunch of crap gear you don't need.

Ditch the compression sacks. they rob space instead of save it inside the pack. Better to pack loose so it molds inside every crevice.

Ditch the filter and get what most thru hikers use for water- AquaMira drops.

Lessons learned.......

Got some extra time? Watch Andrew Skurka's talk on gear he gave at Google HQ (little over 1 hr). You'll find the list link i provided is basically the same one he promotes in his book. heheheheheeeee



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGQTcQhL08A


Cheers!

[Odd Man Out]

For your bag, have you considered a WM Sycamore? Stranger is selling one. I have eyed this for a while but not ready to buy yet. It is a semi rectangular bag that can be opened up and used like a quilt in summer. But may be a bit too heavy for you?

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...re-MF-for-sale

For the filter, search the recent threads on the Sawyer Squeeze. Lots of happy campers. Only 3 oz, easily cleaned in the field, filter rated for 1 million gallons (i.e. lifetime), no moving parts to break. MSR Sweetwater filter rated for 750 liters, twice the price, 3.5 times the weight.

Sleeping clothes / Bag Liner = Silk - I would think one or the other. Both may not be necessary. Silk pajamas are a bit more versatile as you can wear them around camp. I suppose you could hop around in a bag liner too, but that would be weird.

[Twang]

Thanks Odd Man Out! I will definitely check out the Sawyer Squeeze, I've not heard of those before. If you have a specific model in mind do tell! Also, darn it...I read silk before but forgot, and yes just one or the other...agreed PJs more versatile, although no sack races. As for the bag, again thanks I've not looked at the Sycamore... I'm a stomach sleeper too still not sure about the hoods like Stranger points out. 2lbs is more than I would like but that may be what it takes to have a good 3 season. I wish I could see how the WMs compress compared to the Marmots for example. Oh well, thank you again for the recommendations!

[Odd Man Out]

Thanks Odd Man Out! I will definitely check out the Sawyer Squeeze, I've not heard of those before. If you have a specific model in mind do tell!... !

Disclaimer - I have not yet gotten my hands on the Sawyer Squeeze but will soon. I have just been following the discussion here and elsewhere. It's been well reviewed.

The squeeze filter has threaded fittings to connect to bladders and water bottles (some brands fit better than others).
This is the basic system that most people talk about.

http://www.sawyer.com/sawyersaves/products-squeeze.html
http://www.rei.com/product/837824/sa...e-water-filter

REI seems to be selling this filter with some other adapters as the "all in one" system too. They also sell adaptors to connect hoses if you want to expand your options.

A couple of very similar filters are made with different connections (quick connect or barbed hose fittings) for an in-line, gravity, or hydration pack systems. They are also packaged a variety of ways (various size bladders, tubes, etc).

They also have a "point zero two" filter that will also filter viruses, but with a smaller pore size, it it heavier and has slower flow rates.

[Spokes]

I too want to evaluate the Sawyer system.

I tried the AquaMira Frontier Pro last year on the LT and was utterly disappointed. Aggravating, hardly any flow, and a constant tendency to lock up under vacuum pressure.

[Twang]

Thanks Spokes, picked up a few tips. The part where he talks about shoe soles has several hilarious innuendos.

[Zippy Morocco]

For stuff sacks cuben fiber is your lightest choice. Check out zpacks.com. I choose to use a pack liner rather than a cover. The nylofume one I have is 1 oz. Some people use trash compactor bags. As far as covers go. Cube fiber is the lightest zpacks may have those too.

I am not affiliated with zpacks, there are other people that sell similar products. I personally make my own cuben gear which is not too hard when it comes to stuff sacks.

[Zippy Morocco]

I enjoy using a smartwool or Ibex top and icebreaker bottoms. There are probably lighter synthetics but wool is so nice

[Pumba]

Why a trash compactor bag vs. a regular trash bag?

[Zippy Morocco]

Because they are talking, skinny, and durable. If you use them get the closest size to your pack size. Otherwise you could end up with a lot of extra bag.

[Zippy Morocco]

http://litetrail.com/shop/litetrail-...rier-packliner I like these much better than trash compactor bags.

[Whack-a-mole]

I don't like loose things in my pack. They always seem to gravitate to the bottom, and I have to dig around to find them. I use the OR mesh bags for my little stuff. It does not pack as well, but everything is so much more organized and easy to find. My small toilet articles go in one little bag, and I have another little bag for my camp goodies. Small little pocket knife, headlamp, compass etc...

[Twang]

Interesting stuff thanks Zippy - too bad there are not any WATERPROOF compression sacks, I guess that's kind of hard considering the need for the end caps.

[theinfamousj]

Disclaimer - I have not yet gotten my hands on the Sawyer Squeeze but will soon. I have just been following the discussion here and elsewhere. It's been well reviewed.

I don't have the Sawyer Squeeze, but I do have a Sawyer filter that I got from Amazon a few years ago. It came with a variety of connectors to be used as an inline filter on a hydration tube set-up, as well as a sink adapter for backflushing the filter. I use a drinking tube attached to platypi that I keep in pack. I spliced the Sawyer filter into the middle of the tube and have never been happier. A solid product, that, and if I recall correctly, much lighter, cheaper, and less prone to part failure (those baggies can become victims of an overly eager raccoon or mouse) than the Squeeze.

... {moments pass } ...

Found it!

http://www.amazon.com/Sawyer-SP121-D...=3BB7F8DQ0SGE6 or short link http://amzn.com/B001C4C7KE

[Bucho]

I use a drinking tube attached to platypi that I keep in pack. I spliced the Sawyer filter into the middle of the tube and have never been happier.

+1 to inline filters.

[Bucho]

Marmot Atom << Biggest dilemma. Would like to buy a nice 3 season bag that could be used during NOBO AT thru-hike as well as during hot summer nights at lower elevations (read Tennessee in July/August). Looking at Marmot Plasma 30 or Western Mountaineering Summerlite. Not sure if it's realistic to find one bag that will satisfy my requirements or if I should just accept that I will need two, possibly keep the Atom and pick up a 15F bag?

I was freezing in my girlfriends North Face cats meow +20 at the beginning and end and hot in a Lafuma +45 during the middle. I suspect that if you compromise you'll be cold at the beginning and end and hot and heavy for the rest.

[poloaa009]

I'm going to have to think about that one.