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Conductor
01-05-2006, 11:44
Everybody's got em. Nobody want's to admit it. Somebody will point it out. What do you have in your pack that you've been waivering on? One day you'll say you can live without it, the next day you'lll put it back in.

For me, its a book to read. Do I really need it? Nope. Do I really want to part with it, Nope. Is it unnecessary weight, Yup. Is it in my pack as I write this, Nope, but it'll probably be there by tomorrow. Figuratively speaking of course.

So, is every single item in your pack necessary? Fess up.

Disclaimer: Intended as a stimulation for scrutinizing your kit, just for fun.

MisterSweetie
01-05-2006, 12:05
Crazy Creek chair. I waffle on that one big time. Last week long trip, it went with me. Next time, who knows. I do like having it around, and I justify it by using it as extra padding under my sleeping bag. :)

vipahman
01-05-2006, 12:20
At 35+ lbs summer weight including food and water for 2 days, there was a lot of crap in my pack. It's now under 14 lbs after joining this forum, the most I could reduce is 2 pounds at significant more cost. I'll do that next year. Oh yeah, my core weight is 4 1/2 lbs.

Lone Wolf
01-05-2006, 12:22
Everything I carry I want and need. No waivering here.

The Solemates
01-05-2006, 12:31
I always carry a digital camera and a book to read. But to me that is considered part of my gear.

Conductor
01-05-2006, 13:27
Everything I carry I want and need. No waivering here.

And you've done what? 5 thru hikes LW. C'mon now, here is a chance to give us a tip. What did you find in your pack on that first hike that was "vital" and that you later determined to be unncessary?

Lone Wolf
01-05-2006, 13:40
OK. First hike I had 2 quarts of white gas. Didn't know about Neel Gap. Also had a 2.5 gallon collapseable heavy plastic water carrier. Had the guide books. Had heavy leather lug soled Fabiano boots.

Conductor
01-05-2006, 13:44
At 35+ lbs summer weight including food and water for 2 days, there was a lot of crap in my pack. It's now under 14 lbs after joining this forum, the most I could reduce is 2 pounds at significant more cost. I'll do that next year. Oh yeah, my core weight is 4 1/2 lbs.

That's cool vipahman :cool: So what did you find to throw out?

And TY to LW for that contribution! I tossed my water bag out too.

Seeker
01-05-2006, 13:56
a worn and battered copy of "The Hobbit" (it's my all time favorite trail book) and a not so worn and battered walking stick (i cut it when i was about 12, and have had it ever since.) i've also got a dogtag chain that has 'meaning' and goes along for the ride most times. i don't NEED the book, the staff is heavier than a replacement i could use, and the chain, well, like i said, that's got it's own reason for going. but no, i don't NEED it either.

met a guy on another site who uses a child's silver spoon instead of the normal lexan/titanium one most of us use. it's totally out of place, but a source of humor/irony in being so out of place. and i think it was horace kephart who carried a small china tea cup.

Wonder
01-05-2006, 14:05
I hae a homemade, felt backgammon set.....weighs next to nothing, but I always have it......playing that game is like a piece of home. I also get a small paperback, and on my thru this year, I will tear it into sections that can be put in my mail drops and thrown out as I finish them

max patch
01-05-2006, 14:06
I always carry a couple of books which some people find as overkill.

As far as "waffling", I always start off on long hikes with a water filter. And I always mail it home before I'm finished.

I think you'll find that most every LD hiker carries "something" that most everyone else thinks is excess weight. I've seen chairs and pink yard flamingos carried. And some people are so insecure that they actually carry a gun with them.

Lone Wolf
01-05-2006, 14:08
Crime is on the rise on the AT. Everybody should carry concealed.

burger
01-05-2006, 14:34
Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. It weights about a pound, so I'm sure ultralighters will spontaneously combust when they see me pull this out, but I can't imagine being out in the woods without it. The only time I don't hike with it is in the winter or when I'm someplace where I know all the flowers.

vipahman
01-05-2006, 15:05
That's cool vipahman :cool: So what did you find to throw out?
The weight loss wasn't much from throwing things out as from buying $$$ worth of UL stuff. My big 4 consists of :
- Jam Pack - 20.65 oz
- Lunar Solo E Tent - 30.05 oz with stakes & groundsheet.
- Highlite Bag - 17.35 oz
- Nightlite Torso Pad - 3.7 oz
for a total of 71.75 oz or just under 4 1/2 lbs compared to my previous core total of 26 lbs (expedition crap - don't ask).

I used to carry too much food and water. Lost about 5 lbs there. Heavy pants were replaced with lightweight water repellant jogging pants. AT guide was photocopied for the skinny saving 1/4 lb. Lantern was chucked away saving 1/4 lb. Replaced my Katahdyn water filter with Aqua Mira treatment saving 3/4 lb. Alcohol stove replaced Whisperlite saving 2 lbs with bottle. And so on and so forth, the ounces became 1/4 lb and the 1/4 lbs became pounds.

But the most important thing I ever did was that I bought a kitchen scale, weighed everything and cataloged it in Excel. Now I am obsessed with losing weight.

Conductor
01-05-2006, 16:05
edited for brevity
But the most important thing I ever did was that I bought a kitchen scale, weighed everything and cataloged it in Excel. Now I am obsessed with losing weight.

:D Same here. Wanna know how much a box of dental floss weighs? I would'nt say I'm obsessed, but don't ask the wife. ;)

Seeker
01-05-2006, 18:00
worst case i ever saw is Just Jeff (sorry dude, but i'm still in awe of this feat. i love you, man!)

i asked once how much a certain spoon weighed... he replied almost immediately with not only the weight of the spoon, but that of a long army MRE spoon, the older shorter MRE spoon, the lexan spoon, and the weights of several other spoons from various fast food restuarants... i seem to remember that the DQ long red spoon was lightest... i keep stuff on a spreadsheet, and am pretty much a geek, but even I never took the time to weigh fast food spoons. :D

(seriously, jeff's a great guy and has an awesome website. jeff, thanks for a little humor at your expense. hope you don't mind too much.)

jlb2012
01-05-2006, 19:01
OK Seeker I'm puzzled - I thought it was gardenville that gave the weights of the various spoons in response to your query on the ONE GRAM spoon thread

link: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=125388&highlight=MRE+spoon#post125388

Dreadie
01-05-2006, 19:12
I am so lucky I found you guys (and gals) before I really got into backpacking - or at least buying my gear. I am starting out lightweight. Thank you all for the great info I get here!!!!:sun

Seeker
01-06-2006, 15:04
OK Seeker I'm puzzled - I thought it was gardenville that gave the weights of the various spoons in response to your query on the ONE GRAM spoon thread

link: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?p=125388&highlight=MRE+spoon#post125388

what do you take to have a memory like that?! and can i have some? please?

yes, you are absolulely correct. jeff, my apologies. gardenville, i am still in awe of your knowledge about spoon weights.

Jack Tarlin
01-06-2006, 18:35
I once carried Charles Frazier's novel "Cold Mountain" all the way to Waynesboro before I realized I didn't feel like re-reading it. In retrospect, I should have probably made this decision before carrying it eight hundred miles. Losing it would've brought the pack down to something more reasonable, like 57 pounds.

Lone Wolf's right......carry whatever you want, and whatever you think you need. If you're willing to haul it, that's for YOU to decide. It never ceases to amaze me how much time people spend perusing other people's packs and property. Does anyone spend time in the city analyzing what other folks choose to carry in their wallets or purses? I don't think so, and for good reason: It's nobody's business.

Haul what you like and like what you haul.

Belew
01-06-2006, 19:06
For a few years I carried a full size pillow from home. I've always tried to go light and for some reason had a big pack. You know you have to fill all that extra space with something.

Gravy
01-06-2006, 19:19
I went hardcore ultra light for one section hike. Basically, I hated it! I'm not packing a ton of weight now but I did add some minor things that I love. Starting with my little pillow. Helps me sleep better than a rolled up fleece. Second, a little nipper filled with some liquid meds. A.K.A Scotch
Third, my digital camera. Just for the memories. I understand that the last thing a thru hiker wants to haul is extra weight... But some little things to drag along sometimes make the trip!

Conductor
01-06-2006, 19:21
For a few years I carried a full size pillow from home. I've always tried to go light and for some reason had a big pack. You know you have to fill all that extra space with something.

LOL, I used to hike with a guy back in the 70s that did just that. He slept like a baby though. ;)

Gravy
01-06-2006, 19:25
It helps the knees... Actually, the Pennsylvania rocks made me do it!

Doctari
01-06-2006, 19:31
I hate to admit it, I mean I REALLY HATE to admit it, and I think I have finally stopped carrying the d*** things, I hope! My "white elephant" is a pair of binoculars. carried them for over 200 miles of the AT & hundreds on other trails, number of times used, , , 0, none, nada, never even taken from the pack on the trail. Hopefully I'll never put them back in the pack, but, , , , , ,


Doctari.

Cuffs
01-06-2006, 20:03
I hate to admit it, I mean I REALLY HATE to admit it, and I think I have finally stopped carrying the d*** things, I hope! My "white elephant" is a pair of binoculars. carried them for over 200 miles of the AT & hundreds on other trails, number of times used, , , 0, none, nada, never even taken from the pack on the trail. Hopefully I'll never put them back in the pack, but, , , , , ,


Doctari.

*Note to self, remove binoculars from pack!"

Thanks for that useful bit of info, as I was contemplating taking them!

Mr. Clean
01-07-2006, 07:43
I hate the binoculars too, but at least I do use them for spotting birds or getting a closeup view of distant mtns. I guess it's worth it to me cause I keep bringing them.

Conductor
01-07-2006, 14:11
Yup, carried binoculars for years myself. I've got a great pair too, nice and small with great optics. Wife bought em for me for Christmas one year. But I'm leaving them home for this one.

I might have her bring them to Baxter though :-?

Tin Man
01-07-2006, 15:32
I once carried Charles Frazier's novel "Cold Mountain" all the way to Waynesboro before I realized I didn't feel like re-reading it. In retrospect, I should have probably made this decision before carrying it eight hundred miles. Losing it would've brought the pack down to something more reasonable, like 57 pounds.

Lone Wolf's right......carry whatever you want, and whatever you think you need. If you're willing to haul it, that's for YOU to decide. It never ceases to amaze me how much time people spend perusing other people's packs and property. Does anyone spend time in the city analyzing what other folks choose to carry in their wallets or purses? I don't think so, and for good reason: It's nobody's business.

Haul what you like and like what you haul.

So Jack, are you saying we should not discuss ways to enhance our hiking experience? Do you feel asking someone how much their pack weighs is akin to asking them how much THEY weigh? One can always respond, "it weighs just right" or "I have just what I need" if they don't want to talk about it. I think we can learn a lot from one another by discussing what we carry. Even LW, whom you referenced mentions carrying a firearm. Some are interested in reducing the load and some might be interested in carry that little extra something, both of which can make the hike more enjoyable.

Jack Tarlin
01-07-2006, 17:15
Geez, Tin Man, lighten up a bit. Of course it's OK to be curious about what other folks are carrying; you can learn a lot from discussions like this, and also have a few laughs as this thread proves.

But I think there are some folks who obsess over pack weight, both their own and others, and I've repeatedly seen hikers teased and admonished by hikers who don't "approve" of what they're carrying.

My point was that people should carry whatever they like, and folks that have pathological interest in what other folks are packing would probably do better to concentrate on their own journeys and not somebody else's. Everyone carries something that most folks would question or doubt the need for, and everyone has the right to carry and use----or not use----whatever they wish.

Speaking purely for myself, I can't count how many hundreds of folks have commented on my pack, its size, or its weight. And their comments don't bother me a bit, I've gotten fairly thick-skinned over the years, and let's face it......if you're carrying a 7200 cubic inch backpack out there, it almost invites questions and comments.

Of course, I might take more of these comments and cracks seriously if more of the people making them made it to Maine.

And of course, most of them don't.

Carry whatever you want out there, and to your own self be true.

Tin Man
01-07-2006, 18:05
Jack,

LOL. And I thought it was you who needed to lighten up. I took your comments to mean that we shouldn't discuss this. I stand corrected. I think the ultra lighters have their way way, the he-men have their way, and I have my way - somewhere in between. I think we agree that there is not just one way.

RockyTrail
01-07-2006, 19:43
A small 1x2 ft U.S. Flag and a signal mirror.

Always carried it since I was a kid.

Conductor
01-07-2006, 23:59
Easy to see why this is such a dead forum. Too bad, because there are several very good articles. My hat's off to those contributors.

I've got better things to do with my time than getting trashed for starting a thread.

Lost Soul
01-08-2006, 01:35
Books... I always had some book, (or piece of a book) along for the hike. I started with the pieces of a large paperback I'd been meaning to read and then just started getting wahtever book a could track down. Nothing like taking a zero day in a shelter because of the rain and finishing Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. That and "One flew over the cuckoo's nest." It just seemed to fit for the craziness that is a thru-hike.

Papa Razzi
01-08-2006, 11:12
Here's a few things that went with me for long distances, but were rarely used, if ever.
- Two packets of oatmeal, 250 miles. Ended up in a hiker box.
- Tea packets, even longer. I kept telling myself they'd be great for a chilly evening. During July, that chilly evening never came.
- Slinky, 500 miles? Seemed like a good idea at the time.
- Hacky sack, 1070 miles. I was with a crowd that hacked a lot, but eventually lost them and just couldn't bring myself to admit it. Even with them, we more often than not used somebody else's hacky sack. In the end, I left it in the hiker box at The Cabin in Andover. When I went to the Carratunk White Blaze fest, my jaw dropped when I joined a hack circle and somebody tossed out a very familiar looking hacky sack. "Yeah, I found this in a hiker box somewhere..."

Tin Man
01-08-2006, 13:43
Easy to see why this is such a dead forum. Too bad, because there are several very good articles. My hat's off to those contributors.

I've got better things to do with my time than getting trashed for starting a thread.

Easy there. Many threads have some dissent and I really don't see much here. If some want to keep their pack contents to themselves, let them. Your thread was for those who care to share - which is a good thing. So don't bail on us for the sake of a little "discussion", just like you don't bail on a hike when you start to ache. As far as my pack goes, the first thing in is the scotch and the means for making a campfire! Everything else is extra. :cool: