College Kid Gear Shakedown

[WahooBackpacker]

Hey guys. I've always been into hiking and backpacking so I loved the location of Charlottesville when I came up here from South Florida for school.
I've done a lot of day hikes with a friend who's a climbing and rafting guide with a couple trips out to WV's New River Gorge. I am getting more and more interested in doing looking into doing a thru hike possibly with a fall semester off and trying a south bound starting in Early May when class is out. I'd prefer to do a NOBO but with a May-August summer I think a late start SOBO would limit the amount of school I would miss. Thoughts on if this is a decent proposition?

And my main question is, does this gear list I'm currently using for short over night hikes on the AT plus a couple things make it suitable for a full thru hike? And are there any ways to lower my base pack weight? Below is a list of the gear I had plus a couple things I bought trying to find that golden zone were all looking for between weight, comfort, and of course price. I would love your opinions before I get talked into getting more stuff at Trail Days in a couple days.



The clothes I'll wear are below too but aren't added into the pack weight at the end. And the price of some stuff is included; it was easy for me to throw in excel to see how much money I had already sunk into gear with a couple quick Google searches.














Big 3 System
Weight(Oz.)
Cost


North Face Alteo 50 Pack
56
$219.00


Big Agnes Fly Creek UL2 Tent + Footprint
46
$449.95


ThermARest ProLite Sleeping Pad Large
23.1
$120.00


REI Magma Sleeping Bag Long
45
$299.00


Ounces
170.1
$1,087.95


Pounds
10.63



Cooking Gear




MSR Pocket Rocket
3.2
$40.00


GSI Outdoors Pinnacle Dualist Cookset
16.1
$65.00


Spork
0.3
$2.00


MSR Fuel Canister
13.1
$7.00


DIY Foil Shiled
0
$0.00


Mini 2" Bic Lighter
0.3
$1.50


Toothbrush/toothpaste
1
$0.00


Ounces
34
115.5


Pounds
2.13



Water System




HyperFlow Water Filter
11.3
$99.95


32oz Nalgene w/ DuctTape
6.5
$7.00


CamelBak 2L
6.4
$33.00


Ounces
24.2
139.95


Pounds
1.51



Gear




Petzl Tikka RXP Headlamp
3.9
$94.95


Leatherman Sidekick MultiTool
6.7
$54.00


50ft Paracord
3.9
$0.00


Compass
0.9
$18.00


FoodBag (SeaToSummit Small Stuff Sack)
1.2
$12.00


Harmonica
1.9
$0.00


TP (15 ply facial tissue packets)
0.6
$0.00


Iphone/Headlamp Charger
1.9
$0.00


Chapstick
0.2
$2.00


Headnet
1.3
$10.00


Handsanitizer
2.3
$0.00


Headphones
0.3
$0.00


Pack Cover
0
$0.00


Ounces
25.1
$190.95


Pounds
1.57



Clothes




Patagonia Torrentshell Rain Jacket
12.9
$129.00


Patagonia Down Sweater
12.8
$219.00


OR's Men's PL 150 Gloves Large
1.7
$30.00


Coleman Rain pants
13.8
$20.00


Noble Mount Long Underwear
7.7
$0.00


Duofold Long Sleve Polyester Shirt
5.3
$0.00


Thick SmartWool Socks
0
$0.00


Medium SmartWool Socks
2.6
$0.00


Clothes Stuff Sack
2.2
$0.00


Beanie
2
$0.00


Buff
0
$0.00


Ounces
61
$398.00


Pounds
3.81



Emergency/Medical




1oz Repel 100 Bugspray
1.6
$0.00


UltraSheer DryTouch Sunscreen 3oz
3.9
$0.00


NailClippers
0.6
$0.00


Baby Wipes (20 wipe packet)
2.4
$0.00


Neosporin
0.5
$0.00


Cortisone Anti-Itch Cream (1oz)
1.1
$0.00


Potable Aqua Drops
1
$0.00


Waterproof Matches
0.05
$0.00


Gold Bond Powder
1.6
$0.00


Pills (Immodium,Ibuprofein,Benadryll)
0.7
$0.00


Moleskin (3 sheets)
0.5
$0.00


Butterfly Bandaids (7 ct.)
0.2
$0.00


Gauze
0.4
$4.00


NewSkin Liquid Bandage
1.4
$0.00


Medical Tape
1.4
$0.00


Tweezers
0.2
$0.00


Ounces
17.55
$1,361.85


Pounds
1.10



Wearing




Convertible Hiking Pants
10.6
$0.00


Boxers
3.4
$0.00


Hat
2.9
$0.00


Shirt
4.7
$0.00


Socks
1
$0.00


Bandana
0.7
$0.00


Shoes
0
$0.00


Watch
1.3
$0.00


Sunglasses
1.5
$0.00


Ounces
26.1
$0.00


Pounds
1.63









Ounces
Pounds


Pack Weight
331.95
20.75


Cost
$3,294.20







What do you guys think?
Thanks for the help!

[Mobius]

I suspect you will get a lot of responses.

The things that jump out at a first glance are the tent. You can go far lighter AND cheaper with a Tarptent, Lightheart, etc.

Same for the sleeping bag, cook kit, and water filter. All have cheaper, lighter options if you currently acquiring gear.

[QHShowoman]

Your cookset is over a pound -- reduce the components to just the pot. That's easy weight savings right there!
Swap out your extensive multitool for a smaller option like the squirt or CS
Your first aid kit -- at over a pound -- is also excessive. If you're bringing a filter, you won't need potable aqua and vice versa.
Substitute your Nalgene for a collapsible lightweight plastic bottle or even a gatorade bottle.

[Coffee]

From the weight of your fuel canister, I assume that you pack a 200 gram canister rather than the smaller 100 or 110 gram canister. Is this due to the fuel efficiency of your cook system? My Jetboil Sol Aluminum can be used about 8 days with my pattern of boiling about 36-40 ounces of water per day. If switching to the Jetboil is an option for you, that could save significant weight on the cookset itself plus seven ounces more if you can switch to a small canister. No doubt others will suggest going even further with a light alcohol stove setup but I like the ease of use of my Jetboil.

[shakey_snake]

Your big three are 10.5 pounds. That could easily be half that with no comfort loss for the prices you listed if you had instead bought gear from cottage manufacturers.

However, you have lots of cheaper ways to lose pounds, too. And it's mostly just silly stuff. Do you need 5 different ways to take care of cuts/blisters? I bring 3ft of duct tape (doubles for gear repairs, 10g) and a 4g tube of superglue. I carry the same 3 types of pills as you and it weights 9g rather than "0.7oz" where's that extra .5 oz coming from? the boxes? the foil packets? Why bring deet and sunscreen? Wear long sleeves instead. cortozon, neosporin and goldbold can all be replaced by some zinc oxide creme.

You rain suit weights 2 pounds and is probably miserable to use. Get the $20 driducks ultralight suit from walmart and send the pants home when you're out of the snow.

Other things are just simple skills: e.g. Learn how to trim your toenails with a knife.

[WahooBackpacker]

I ran to our CVS today to pick up zinc oxide cream, unfortunately they didn't have any. I've been using zinc oxide for years, I'll grab some from my bathroom when I'm back home, but didn't know it could be used as a replacement for cortisone and neosporin. Is it as effective? I don't want to introduce something thats not an effective antibiotic ointment into a wound or blister?

I switched the bottle my pills were in and I'm down to 9 grams as well now, don't know how I missed that. Thanks.
And I took out my sunscreen and deet and will grab one of my long sleeve columbia pfg button down shirts that work great in the Everglades.
I've had a driducks or similar set before but stuff ripped every time I even got close to a branch. I'll look into that more though, I was just thinking the Patagonia Torrentshell rain jacket is great for wind and snow too. Not a good summer rain jacket I'll admit though.

[WahooBackpacker]

I finally broke down today and bought the snow peak 700ml titanium pot I've been wanting to get. With the 100g canister needed to fit inside it, my full cook set total goes from 34oz to 16 oz! (Oh, that includes my tooth brush and toothpaste I keep in there for convenience) I'm still gonna get a titanium spoon to replace my plastic spork but I'm holding out until I find one of the long handled ones at a store.

I think I cut out the excess and duplicate stuff out of my first aid like the extra medical tape, and potable aqua.
In regards to the nalgene, I'm gonna try to hold onto that since I keep my duct tape on it and it screws in to my water filter and makes that task spill proof. I have a bunch of platypus bottles laying around so I might decide to switch that out though.
My big 3 are unfortunately from last minute buys before hiking Kilimanjaro last summer so I'm gonna try to ride those out. I have a hammock I use for fun but have never done over night in. If i was to go lighter with shelter, would a poncho tarp with a hammock still be less preferable than just doing a tarp tent on the ground?

Thanks again guys, the input is great and I'm trying incorporate all your suggestions to save those ounces.

[scudder]

check out the sawyer mini filter. you'll save almost half a pound for 25 bucks.

[Coffee]

check out the sawyer mini filter. you'll save almost half a pound for 25 bucks.

+1. Just used it on a two week hike and it was great. One of my favorite pieces of new gear.

[Mobius]

Regarding the tent vs hammock I think you'll find it's probably a wash. In my case my tent + sleeping pad (Tarptent Notch + XTherm) end up weighing nearly the same as a hammock + suspension (BIAS weight weenie with whoopie slings), tarp (MYOG), and down under-quilt (MYOG). Each has an advantage but weight savings isn't one of them. Don't be fooled by an 8oz hammock. You'll still need a tarp to cover it and are going to need some sort of underquilt (or pad, but it's weight either way).

Still, your shelter and sleep system could be much lighter (as in nearly half) than they are now for pretty much the same cost. That's not a lot of comfort since you already own it though. Maybe sell them to the next college kid looking to go to Kilimanjaro this summer :)

I agree with scudder on the water filter. I really like the Sawyer Mini. Cheap, light, no batteries, no moving parts, easy to use. Just don't let it freeze. It'll screw into a pepsi bottle or you can run a hose to a hydration bag.

[WahooBackpacker]

Dropped from 21 to 17lbs! Thanks guys!!


As a resource for other people, I made these switches:
-Just the pot of my GSI Pinnacle Dualist cook set to a Snow Peak Titanium 700ml pot. $50 for >10oz savings. I talked myself into getting the titanium since it’ll be nice to have a personal pot for just boiling freezer bag meals.
-Smaller pot meant switching to smaller canisters. Didn’t really cost anything except I’ll have to buy canisters more frequently now. Saved 6oz.
-Got the Sawyer Mini filter. $30 for about 7oz savings. Also means I can just carry 2 platypus bottles or cheap water bottles so I got rid of my 32oz Nalgene that integrates with the old HyperFlow Water Filter, 6.5oz savings.
-I was wandering through Walmart and saw a single bladed $2 1.7oz knife that I’ll replace my 6.7oz leatherman for now.
-Got rid of my pack cover and rain jacket and rain pants and got a Frogg Togg poncho that covers my pack too for 8oz and $10. Lies flat and can use drawstring to tie hood closed incase I ever need a spare tarp. Saved a ton of weight. In cold weather on a thru hike or a cold weekend trip, I’ll wear heavier waterproof outdoor pants and might bring my old rain jacket/wind breaker, but in the summer its a huge savings to just go poncho.


So made a 4lbs change for <$100. Neither of those are huge numbers, but its a 19% drop and I get to put off expensive changes so I’m thrilled.
Thanks again guys!

[scudder]

you won't miss those 4 lbs! There will always be some lighter gear out there. You need to find the spot where you are comfortable with what you carry and what you spend. And at some point it's about what's in your head as much as what is on your back. Lots of research before you buy will save you money in the long run.
I suggest you make a list of all the things you carry on your next several trips , noting what you don't use and seldom use, and consider leaving them at home for the next trip. Less weight for no cost- what's not to like?