View Full Version : Just about at 20lbs!
One Half
03-29-2017, 22:23
Fully loaded backpack with 7 days food is at 20.5lbs! And when I figure out that I don't need a backup canister of fuel, it should drop under 20 lbs!
Woo hoo! Looking forward to my trip in 2 weeks!
One Half
03-29-2017, 22:24
and now that my load is light I can upgrade next year to a UL backpack and shave at least 21 ounces off!
Well done! Was watching a video of a guy who proudly stated at the beginning of the hike that fully loaded he was 13 pounds. The first night he slept in his tent. The second night he spent 2 days in town. Then he was back in his tent and ordering pizza. The next day he had run out of food.
4eyedbuzzard
03-29-2017, 22:32
What temperatures are you carrying gear for?
What is your actual food weight for 7 days?
Does 20.5 lbs include water carried?
Maineiac64
03-29-2017, 22:44
Gear list?
One Half
03-29-2017, 23:50
Well done! Was watching a video of a guy who proudly stated at the beginning of the hike that fully loaded he was 13 pounds. The first night he slept in his tent. The second night he spent 2 days in town. Then he was back in his tent and ordering pizza. The next day he had run out of food.
won't be me! I don't eat pizza.
One Half
03-29-2017, 23:51
What temperatures are you carrying gear for?
What is your actual food weight for 7 days?
Does 20.5 lbs include water carried?
My bag is rated at 40. I can go a little below that and still be snug.
My food weight is just under 7 lbs. I freeze dry all my own. see the thread in my signature.
Does not include water. Mostly I hike with 1 liter, depends on sources.
One Half
03-29-2017, 23:52
Gear list?
It's late now but maybe I will get to it tomorrow?
4eyedbuzzard
03-30-2017, 02:06
My bag is rated at 40. I can go a little below that and still be snug...Hopefully that's a conservative WM, or other quality bag with a true to temp rating - and you have extra insulation to add to it if you hit a couple of really cold nights. It's not summer yet in the mountains. Average lows in GSMNP in early May is around 40°. But daily deviations from that average can be substantial - like lows in the 20's. Pack weight is only meaningful when environmental conditions, and hence gear required, is known. It's nice to have a lighter pack. It's even nicer to be warm.
ImAfraidOfBears
03-30-2017, 04:32
How is that even possible, I eat over two pounds of food a day.
You don't eat much, do you?
Girls dont eat as much. Girls dont need to eat as much. Of course, that may change once shes on the trail.
bigcranky
03-30-2017, 06:55
Yeah, I eat two pounds per day and I'm always hungry. One pound per day and I wouldn't be able to hike. :)
A twenty pound pack is a joy on one's back. So there's that, anyway.
Wolf - 23000
03-30-2017, 07:05
and now that my load is light I can upgrade next year to a UL backpack and shave at least 21 ounces off!
Why wait? Years ago when I first started backpacking in 1989 and throughout the 1990s, I used a book bag that cost $10 - $20. Nothing fancy, just something kids used for school. It wasn't as light as light today's UL packs but depending on which pack I found weight in around 8 oz for not a lot of money. It going a little old school but it still works. Just an option.
Wolf
One Half
03-30-2017, 18:29
Hopefully that's a conservative WM, or other quality bag with a true to temp rating - and you have extra insulation to add to it if you hit a couple of really cold nights. It's not summer yet in the mountains. Average lows in GSMNP in early May is around 40°. But daily deviations from that average can be substantial - like lows in the 20's. Pack weight is only meaningful when environmental conditions, and hence gear required, is known. It's nice to have a lighter pack. It's even nicer to be warm.
I am well aware of mountains. Been in the Whites many a time. I have a zpacks 40 degree bag, a silk liner, silk long johns (these things add like 10 degrees to ME) plus shorts and shirt for sleeping. A long sleeve and my puffy jacket that I used to wear exclusively in MA and NH in terrible temps and my head buff. I will be quite comfy down into the 30s and high 20's. Low 20's may be a little uncomfortable, maybe.
One Half
03-30-2017, 18:30
How is that even possible, I eat over two pounds of food a day.
You don't eat much, do you?
I freeze dry all my own meals. I figured out the other day that 1 lb of food equates to about 3 or possibly 4 lbs per day reconstituted.
One Half
03-30-2017, 18:31
Why wait? Years ago when I first started backpacking in 1989 and throughout the 1990s, I used a book bag that cost $10 - $20. Nothing fancy, just something kids used for school. It wasn't as light as light today's UL packs but depending on which pack I found weight in around 8 oz for not a lot of money. It going a little old school but it still works. Just an option.
Wolf
My pack is 2 lbs 8 oz. I can't really get much less than that unless I go to one of the new fabrics. And since my husband and I already bought me a new tent and sleeping bag from zpacks this year, a new backpack will have to wait until next year.
colorado_rob
03-30-2017, 18:40
I freeze dry all my own meals. I figured out the other day that 1 lb of food equates to about 3 or possibly 4 lbs per day reconstituted.Completely water free (dried, like your food), most male hikers consume at least 1.5 pounds per day, many 2 or more. I'm a 1.75 pound/day eater on the trail and I don't lose weight. My very petite wife can go slightly under 1.5 pounds.
You have a light pack, like BC said, a joy to carry, but I'd add a bit more food up to about 1.5 per day, you're going to be hungry at only 1 pounds per day.
One Half
03-30-2017, 18:59
Completely water free (dried, like your food), most male hikers consume at least 1.5 pounds per day, many 2 or more. I'm a 1.75 pound/day eater on the trail and I don't lose weight. My very petite wife can go slightly under 1.5 pounds.
You have a light pack, like BC said, a joy to carry, but I'd add a bit more food up to about 1.5 per day, you're going to be hungry at only 1 pounds per day.
well if that happens I will get my resupply quicker and end up hiking fewer days. I think though we also have to eat at what people actually eat. Ramen is no match for my moroccan chicken. and forget about poptarts for breakfast I am having 3 scrambled eggs with breakfast sausage, various veggies and sometimes jalapenos and cheese. I think quality of calories is very important. And if I can find a decent steak along the way I'll be stopping for 2 or 3 of those too!
colorado_rob
03-30-2017, 19:12
well if that happens I will get my resupply quicker and end up hiking fewer days. I think though we also have to eat at what people actually eat. Ramen is no match for my moroccan chicken. and forget about poptarts for breakfast I am having 3 scrambled eggs with breakfast sausage, various veggies and sometimes jalapenos and cheese. I think quality of calories is very important. And if I can find a decent steak along the way I'll be stopping for 2 or 3 of those too!Fair enough, you'll settle in on what you need! At least you're not over carrying food... lots of folks do, somehow afraid they are in danger if they get a wee bit hungry. I consider it a complete success if I'm walking into the next resupply town completely empty of food and a slight bit hungry.
One Half
03-30-2017, 19:22
Fair enough, you'll settle in on what you need! At least you're not over carrying food... lots of folks do, somehow afraid they are in danger if they get a wee bit hungry. I consider it a complete success if I'm walking into the next resupply town completely empty of food and a slight bit hungry.
LOL yes done that many more times than I wish to remember - too much food. I am actually thinking about adding a few things - freeze dried berries and maybe some more FDed bananas, and some guacamole. But not likely more than another pound for a week. But seriously 12 oz of chicken and veggies besides seems like a pretty large meal. And I have been doing as much hiking as I can. Even with my pack. The toughest is getting ready for elevation as my best challenge is climbing stairs in parking garages but the wee bits of elevation at the local nature preserve are much more fun. I leave in 11 days and the "training" is ramping up.
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The heavier your pack, the more energy that will be required to carry it, and the more food that needs to be consumed. Sorta a Catch 22 situation. However 7 pounds of food for 7 days might be cutting it fine. Having said that, I bought some protein powder that provides the equivalent of 5 eggs in one spoonful, Chia seeds that will fill you up in no time, and 32g tree nut spread sachets that contain 837 calories of energy. On the other hand I could eat 30 pounds of lettuce and starve to death. I too don't eat pizza :)
You can get barley grass that's better than spinach, carob powder that's natural and loaded with carbs, and kale chips. If you do manage to starve to death you will at least look very healthy
4eyedbuzzard
03-30-2017, 19:39
I am well aware of mountains. Been in the Whites many a time. I have a zpacks 40 degree bag, a silk liner, silk long johns (these things add like 10 degrees to ME) plus shorts and shirt for sleeping. A long sleeve and my puffy jacket that I used to wear exclusively in MA and NH in terrible temps and my head buff. I will be quite comfy down into the 30s and high 20's. Low 20's may be a little uncomfortable, maybe.Sorry to second guess you. Just concerned a bit as our northern blood thins out a bit after being in TX for a while ;) Sounds like you got it covered. Have a great hike!
One Half
03-30-2017, 20:04
Sorry to second guess you. Just concerned a bit as our northern blood thins out a bit after being in TX for a while ;) Sounds like you got it covered. Have a great hike!
Thank you. I hear that about the blood thinning! And I'm brave enough to admit when I make mistakes so I will post up a trip report when I get back.
AllDownhillFromHere
03-30-2017, 21:30
What foods have more calories per gram than pure fat?
Thank you. I hear that about the blood thinning! And I'm brave enough to admit when I make mistakes so I will post up a trip report when I get back.
If hemoglobin was that important, us high altitude folks would be able to hike the AT on a sack of Snickers.
One Half
03-30-2017, 21:39
If hemoglobin was that important, us high altitude folks would be able to hike the AT on a sack of Snickers.
I think you misunderstood. Blood thinning comment has to do more with the ability to tolerate cold after having lived in a warm climate. You tend to get cold at higher temperatures. I remember visiting a friend who moved from MA to FL. As soon as the sun started going down, any time of year, she would have to put on a jacket. Whereas I am generally walking about with a long sleeve "warmth" layer, short sleeve shirt, my buff on my head and maybe thin gloves in 40 degree weather. And when I get warmed up I can sometimes pull off the warm layer.
TX Aggie
03-30-2017, 21:43
I think you misunderstood. Blood thinning comment has to do more with the ability to tolerate cold after having lived in a warm climate. You tend to get cold at higher temperatures. I remember visiting a friend who moved from MA to FL. As soon as the sun started going down, any time of year, she would have to put on a jacket. Whereas I am generally walking about with a long sleeve "warmth" layer, short sleeve shirt, my buff on my head and maybe thin gloves in 40 degree weather. And when I get warmed up I can sometimes pull off the warm layer.
From personal experience:
It is possible to be so acclimated to the heat that the first night it dips into the low 80's, you pull out your polypropylene.
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One Half
03-30-2017, 21:46
From personal experience:
It is possible to be so acclimated to the heat that the first night it dips into the low 80's, you pull out your polypropylene.
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LOL. I was a little worried this morning when I started my hike and felt "chilly" but really just on my arms. I stopped and pulled on a long sleeve and checked the weather app. I was happy to see it was 54 so grabbing a layer until warming up a bit wasn't too embarrassing. I wore it for about a mile and pulled it off.
4eyedbuzzard
03-30-2017, 21:51
Yeah, I've noticed about a 5° difference in tolerance to the cold since moving to Ft Worth from NH 3 1/2 years ago. I go back up to my place in northern NH and I tend to wear warmer clothes than I used to. Age is also a factor. We elderly folk chill easily. ;) I still tend to wear less in cold weather than TX natives do though. Some are so bundled up they look like Nanook of the North when the mercury dips below 60°. :D
Greenlight
03-30-2017, 21:57
Mah fud fer seven days would weigh 20 lbs.
Fully loaded backpack with 7 days food is at 20.5lbs! And when I figure out that I don't need a backup canister of fuel, it should drop under 20 lbs!
Woo hoo! Looking forward to my trip in 2 weeks!
It's a myth, often promoted by those in warm climates, that living in a warm climate thins the blood. The viscosity of blood is not thinned by living in warm climates.
Wolf - 23000
03-31-2017, 02:18
My pack is 2 lbs 8 oz. I can't really get much less than that unless I go to one of the new fabrics. And since my husband and I already bought me a new tent and sleeping bag from zpacks this year, a new backpack will have to wait until next year.
2 lbs 8 oz. is a lot heavier than the packs that I used for my thru-hikes even back in the 1990s. In K-Mart for example, under kids school supplies are school book bags that are less than a pound. No special fabrics needed just plain nylon. If you keep your total pack weight in the 10 - 15 pound range, it is really all you need.
Wolf
Wolf
It's a myth, often promoted by those in warm climates, that living in a warm climate thins the blood. The viscosity of blood is not thinned by living in warm climates.
Even the so-called "blood thinners" like Eliquis/Warfarin/Pradaxa, do not thin blood. They merely keep the blood from coagulating. Just sayin'.
4eyedbuzzard
03-31-2017, 10:30
It's a myth, often promoted by those in warm climates, that living in a warm climate thins the blood. The viscosity of blood is not thinned by living in warm climates.Yes, I think most of us know that. But people do get acclimated to living in warmer climates. I would guess that there are both physiological and psychological components to how we experience "cold", and how that can change with age, acclimatization, etc.
lwhikerchris
03-31-2017, 10:44
won't be me! I don't eat pizza.
lol you will...
cmoulder
03-31-2017, 10:48
There is such a thing as Hunting Reaction (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunting_reaction), which is an actual, physiological response (vasodilation) to cold, although there is probably wide variation among people from different parts of the world. And I suppose some diseases such as Reynaud's and Diabetes or others that affect circulation probably negate it.
I know that at the end of a winter during which I've been out a lot in very cold and/or sub-zero weather that 20°F feels rather balmy. :p
[QUOTE=Dogwood;2140061]It's a myth, often promoted by those in warm climates, that living in a warm climate thins the blood. The viscosity of blood is not thinned by living in warm climates.[
Agree, I think it's more about a relative tolerance zone of high to low temps and the mind/body's adjustment to it's environment. If you live in Phoenix and tell yourself 115 deg isn't really that hot, it's a dry heat. A low of 80 deg might warrant a puffy.
Conversely, if you live in Boise and wear gym trunks in January to cool down, 65 degs warrants turning the AC on in the truck.
TX Aggie
03-31-2017, 13:41
Blood composition doesn't actually change to any large degree, but what does change is vessel size, and more importantly, which vessels change. In cold climates, the body constricts surface vessels and dilates deeper vessels within the muscles. In cot weather, the reverse.
Also, the "thinning" comes about through more salt and saline being collected in a greater number of sweat glands in hot weather.
One Half
03-31-2017, 16:42
2 lbs 8 oz. is a lot heavier than the packs that I used for my thru-hikes even back in the 1990s. In K-Mart for example, under kids school supplies are school book bags that are less than a pound. No special fabrics needed just plain nylon. If you keep your total pack weight in the 10 - 15 pound range, it is really all you need.
Wolf
Wolf
Thanks. I certainly did pay big bucks for this pack so for now I am happy with it. I got it at an end of season sale at REI for $69 a few years back. It fits very well and is comfortable over all the terrain I have been on. Maybe I will check out the backpacks come "back to school" season and see how they fare for me.
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[QUOTE=Dogwood;2140061]It's a myth, often promoted by those in warm climates, that living in a warm climate thins the blood. The viscosity of blood is not thinned by living in warm climates.[
Agree, I think it's more about a relative tolerance zone of high to low temps and the mind/body's adjustment to it's environment. If you live in Phoenix and tell yourself 115 deg isn't really that hot, it's a dry heat. A low of 80 deg might warrant a puffy.
Conversely, if you live in Boise and wear gym trunks in January to cool down, 65 degs warrants turning the AC on in the truck.
That's why some including myself suggest when preparing for a LD hike/thru-hike to sleep outside in the cold and rain in your trail shelter in your bag/quilt, wearing your trail clothing, eating anticipated trail food, cooking on your trail stove, walking around town and accomplishing errands like grocery shopping using just your backpack, turning the heat off or below 65* in the house, opening windows, reducing electronic connectivity, etc You're prepping yourself by adjusting to your environment, taking on and expanding new comfort ranges, and not expecting the environment to change for us but for us to cooperate with the environment. Think how much better the world would be if we chose cooperation with the environment rather than having basing civilization on the notion humanity is separate and above the environment.
4eyedbuzzard
03-31-2017, 20:44
[QUOTE=Hosh;2140128]
That's why some including myself suggest when preparing for a LD hike/thru-hike to sleep outside in the cold and rain in your trail shelter in your bag/quilt, wearing your trail clothing, eating anticipated trail food, cooking on your trail stove, walking around town and accomplishing errands like grocery shopping using just your backpack, turning the heat off or below 65* in the house, opening windows...Or just wait for the wife to go through menopause. Sorry. Had. To. Do. It. :o :D
[QUOTE=Hosh;2140128]
That's why some including myself suggest when preparing for a LD hike/thru-hike to sleep outside in the cold and rain in your trail shelter in your bag/quilt, wearing your trail clothing, eating anticipated trail food, cooking on your trail stove, walking around town and accomplishing errands like grocery shopping using just your backpack, turning the heat off or below 65* in the house, opening windows, reducing electronic connectivity, etc You're prepping yourself by adjusting to your environment, taking on and expanding new comfort ranges, and not expecting the environment to change for us but for us to cooperate with the environment. Think how much better the world would be if we chose cooperation with the environment rather than having basing civilization on the notion humanity is separate and above the environment.
I think I agree, but having trouble reading this from my vibrating, roller massage, heated recliner with electro stimulus and built in data port.
Heliotrope
03-31-2017, 21:51
2 lbs 8 oz. is a lot heavier than the packs that I used for my thru-hikes even back in the 1990s. In K-Mart for example, under kids school supplies are school book bags that are less than a pound. No special fabrics needed just plain nylon. If you keep your total pack weight in the 10 - 15 pound range, it is really all you need.
Wolf
Wolf
And you might find one with Dora the Explorer on it. An added bonus ;)
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Wolf - 23000
04-01-2017, 00:30
And you might find one with Dora the Explorer on it. An added bonus ;)
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Well in 1996, I thru-hiked the PCT with a Mikey Mouse book bag. It was a good ice breaker and some people got a good laugh.
Heliotrope
04-01-2017, 08:09
That is hilarious! And quite possibly a record. You might be able to claim an FKT while carrying a Disney pack. ;)
I think photos and a gear list are in order ;)
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My girlfriend and I dehydrate EVERYTHING. We did the Colorado trail this summer on 1.35 lbs of food a day for the whole trip (we weighed everything to the .1 gram hehe). At the beginning of the first few sections we were giving food to others to get rid of it. My GF focused on really nutritious food and high calorie snacks. We've been making our own backpack food for almost 20 years so we have it pretty dialed in. Disclaimer is that we're pretty small...I'm 135 lbs and she weighs a lot less than me. We definitely leaned out on our hike a bit but I only lost a few lbs and I don't think she lost anything. Base weight for the Colorado trail was about 10 lbs for both of us. I was never cold or hungry :)
[QUOTE=Dogwood;2140267]Or just wait for the wife to go through menopause. Sorry. Had. To. Do. It. :o :D
Dont knock sleeping next to a walking furnace until you've tried it! Self cleaning, self fueling bundle of night-time warmth.
MuddyWaters
04-01-2017, 11:15
[QUOTE=Dogwood;2140267]Or just wait for the wife to go through menopause. Sorry. Had. To. Do. It. :o :D
My wife is 52. She keeps the house 65 F I have low bodyfat...Im always freezing. Sometimes I go outside to warm up.
I sleep with electric blanket on my side of the bed year-round.
its not funny
do they ever get PAST it???
colorado_rob
04-01-2017, 11:18
[QUOTE=4eyedbuzzard;2140271]
My wife is 52. She keeps the house 65 F I have low bodyfat...Im always freezing. Sometimes I go outside to warm up.
I sleep with electric blanket on my side of the bed year-round.
its not funny
do they ever get PAST it??? I hear ya, and I would say yes eventually, but my wife (59 yo) is in her 7-8th year of hot flash/night sweats... sorry, might be a while. We negotiated our house to 67.
And you might find one with Dora the Explorer on it. An added bonus ;) ...
Bought one for my niece. Also gave her Dora the Explorer socks. It was so cute when she said "wait Uncle Chuck I have to get on my hiking socks and get my backpack when I told her we we're going for a hike...around the block with the dog.
Don't mess with Dora. I've watched umpteen episodes with my two nieces.
Wolf - 23000
04-01-2017, 20:27
That is hilarious! And quite possibly a record. You might be able to claim an FKT while carrying a Disney pack. ;)
I think photos and a gear list are in order ;)
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It, not the first time I ever used a book bag to thru-hike. That was back in 1989 while doing the AT. 1996 was the first time I used a Disney pack to thru-hike. The picture quality is not the best but here is a scan in photo of me starting off my 1996 PCT thru-hike. Back then there were no digital cameras. You can’t see Mickey on the pack but that me with my full pack starting the PCT.
My point being with my post is if someone is going UL, it maybe a little old school thru-hiking with a kids book bag but it still works. There are packs now that are lighter of course but they are still lighter than a pound.
Wolf
38913
One Half
04-01-2017, 20:31
My girlfriend and I dehydrate EVERYTHING. We did the Colorado trail this summer on 1.35 lbs of food a day for the whole trip (we weighed everything to the .1 gram hehe). At the beginning of the first few sections we were giving food to others to get rid of it. My GF focused on really nutritious food and high calorie snacks. We've been making our own backpack food for almost 20 years so we have it pretty dialed in. Disclaimer is that we're pretty small...I'm 135 lbs and she weighs a lot less than me. We definitely leaned out on our hike a bit but I only lost a few lbs and I don't think she lost anything. Base weight for the Colorado trail was about 10 lbs for both of us. I was never cold or hungry :)
Very nice! I freeze dried kiwi for the first time. WOW! Awesome!
Heliotrope
04-01-2017, 21:33
It, not the first time I ever used a book bag to thru-hike. That was back in 1989 while doing the AT. 1996 was the first time I used a Disney pack to thru-hike. The picture quality is not the best but here is a scan in photo of me starting off my 1996 PCT thru-hike. Back then there were no digital cameras. You can’t see Mickey on the pack but that me with my full pack starting the PCT.
My point being with my post is if someone is going UL, it maybe a little old school thru-hiking with a kids book bag but it still works. There are packs now that are lighter of course but they are still lighter than a pound.
Wolf
38913
That's awesome! Thanks for sharing the photo. And with all the heavy books that kids carry yours was probably lighter ;)
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One Half
04-06-2017, 21:05
Decided to go with 4 days of food to start.
Also scored an Exped Synmat with a pump bag/dry sack. This allowed me to get rid of my compactor bag and CF bag for sleeping bag (had already ditched the "original" S2S e-vent drysack compression bag).
Minus water I am at 18 lbs +/-. I weighed it at 17.5 with poles but without a few items that will be on my body when I am on the dirty dog to get to GA.
Any weight under 20 pounds is awesome.
Wolf - 23000
04-07-2017, 07:02
Any weight under 20 pounds is awesome.
That depend on you. If your 100 pound hiker then 20 pounds is 20% of your body weight. Yes there really are backpackers who weigh only 100 pounds or less. I don't know around you but I don't want to carry 20% of my body weight. You might enjoy it, I don't. I like my pack were I don't even notice it is on my back.
Wolf
AllDownhillFromHere
04-07-2017, 08:07
under 1/4 of your weight is the sweet spot, although I've done 1/3 - all depends on your resupply strategy combined with your calorie and other needs
I don't even notice it is on my back.
Yes! And not that hard to achieve. Less is more.
One Half
04-08-2017, 19:27
Here's my list. It's down to 17.5 lbs!
REI Flash 50 - 40 oz (bought this a number of years ago, new ones may weigh different)
Exped Synmat 15.5 oz with the pump bag that doubles as my dry sack for clothes and sleeping bag
Zpacks 40 degree sleeping bag slim/medium 11.4oz (manuf. weight)
Zpacks solplex tent with 8 carbon fiber stakes 27.28 oz (manuf weight)
Cocoon Silk mummy liner
Silk long johns top and bottom
shorts and shirt to sleep in (Danskin from Walmart)
EMS Techwick 1/4 zip long sleeve
REI brand puffy jacket
Mountain Hardwear head "buff" - thick
"driving" gloves (I used to wear these on cold mornings when driving before the steering wheel got warmed up)
chap stick and some type of natural nasal "inhaler" to clear nose allergies
carrying 2 pair darn tough socks - 1 sleeping, 1 spare hiking
Hiking poles - Bought these for snow shoeing years back
2 x Sea 2 Summit dry sacks for food bags (my food is VERY lightweight but bulky - I need to work on better packaging technique)
small "carabiner" and bear bag line (2mm reflective cord) - 1 will hold 4+ days of food
spare ex officio underwear
Jetboil MicroMo
110 g fuel canister
lighter (in case)
2 disposable "trash bags" just ordinary twist tie bags for veggies, with twist ties
cozy for FBC (though I use a different bag type made for boiling water) with 2 small binder clips
Ti spoon long handle
small single blade pocket knife
3oz plastic bottle with Himalayan salt
30z plastic bottle with coconut oil
1oz bottle with white pepper
1oz bottle of Dr Bronners
TOOB toothbrush w/paste
1 single use packet of Fructise shampoo&conditioner (for shower stop)
equivalent of 2 lightload towels (I use 4 colors for different uses but only half of a 12"x12") - these get resupplied about every week
comb
sleep mask and ear plugs
spare hair band/tie
Icy Hot (in one of those push style? applicating bottles)
First aid kit - 2 pieces mole skin, 3' gorilla tape, 3' porous tape, 4 bandaids, 1 weeks allergy meds, 2 days diarhea meds, 2 antiseptic wipes)
14 Vitamin I
MIni Sawyer squeeze with a 16oz platypus bag (no back flush tool)
Hydrapak Seeker 3L (for night time/camping and avoiding multiple trips to water source)
2 x Smart water 1L bottles (1 with sport nozzle)
a spare cap for platypus
a cap with holes drilled for salt and pepper "shakers" - 1 for both
P style
Gallon bag w/trowel, TP, and 2 grocery bags for "nasties"
iphone5, charge cord, dual wall charger, pocket juice 4000 and charge cord, ear phones though I plan on very little use of these in a Qt freezer bag
small journal and pen (yes), reading glasses, necessary pages from AWOL and pocket constitution all in a Qt freezer bag
2 bags from limes you buy at the store - I use one for the pstyle and 1 for anything that may need drying (I can hang it outside my pack)
Food - I freeze dry all my own food. When I weighed 7 days in a box to ship it came out to 6 lbs 12 oz, box and all. I am currently carrying 4 days and likely to add an ounce or two more after I freeze dry my 40 kiwis! LOL so food is only about a pound a day, even adding in my nuts and raisins (not FDed) and my other FDed snacks (berries/kiwi/bananas)
I also will have my sunglasses and a baseball cap though I didn't have these when doing the weighing. close enough. I may also wear/bring a pair of gaiters.
Frogg Toggs women's ultralite 2 rain jacket and REI rainpants and energizer headlamp.
DuneElliot
04-08-2017, 20:56
That depend on you. If your 100 pound hiker then 20 pounds is 20% of your body weight. Yes there really are backpackers who weigh only 100 pounds or less. I don't know around you but I don't want to carry 20% of my body weight. You might enjoy it, I don't. I like my pack were I don't even notice it is on my back.
Wolf
Right at 110# so I concur. 25-27# is really pushing the limit for me.
Very organised! :) You might want to read up on the benefits of cayenne pepper.
AllDownhillFromHere
04-08-2017, 23:20
1lb of pure fat is only 3600 calories. 1lb of FD food like kiwis will have substantially less. How do you account for the calorie deficit?
Wolf - 23000
04-09-2017, 05:16
Right at 110# so I concur. 25-27# is really pushing the limit for me.
This is why the whole, "well I carry this much..." or “what do you carry?” is really over blown. At 110# the gear your selection should be cater to someone with a small body frame (no offence intended). Some manufactures are better than others when dealing with smaller sizes. The gear you select should be different compare to someone like me at 225#. We are both different people with different needs backpacking.
Wolf
One Half
04-09-2017, 16:48
1lb of pure fat is only 3600 calories. 1lb of FD food like kiwis will have substantially less. How do you account for the calorie deficit?
I will let you know after 30 days how I fared.
However, I am mostly eating meat - chicken, pork, sausage, beef - and 1 lb of these dehydrated translates into about 4 lbs of meat - and some vegetables, added fat and then raw nuts. 1lb of FDed kiwi would be about 5 lbs kiwi. Kiwi will be a very small part of my total calories.
colorado_rob
04-09-2017, 18:17
I will let you know after 30 days how I fared.
However, I am mostly eating meat - chicken, pork, sausage, beef - and 1 lb of these dehydrated translates into about 4 lbs of meat - and some vegetables, added fat and then raw nuts. 1lb of FDed kiwi would be about 5 lbs kiwi. Kiwi will be a very small part of my total calories.
1lb of pure fat is only 3600 calories. 1lb of FD food like kiwis will have substantially less. How do you account for the calorie deficit?
With due respect PP, some how I think you have it in your head that dehydrating somehow concentrates calories, sorry buddy, it does not, it only removes water weight. ADH's comment meant, I think, the very very best you can do for calories/pound is pure fat at 3600. You dehydrated meat/veggies is at most about half of that, meaning that you'll be carrying at most maybe 2000 calories/day if you carry one pound of food. Not sure what else to say, pretty much all food weights talked about on here are waterless weights, AKA dehydrated. But again, as said well below, you'll figure it all out! And you won't starve.
illabelle
04-09-2017, 18:31
[QUOTE=4eyedbuzzard;2140271]
My wife is 52. She keeps the house 65 F I have low bodyfat...Im always freezing. Sometimes I go outside to warm up.
I sleep with electric blanket on my side of the bed year-round.
its not funny
do they ever get PAST it???
Nope. And the thermostat battle is unending.
I like the house comfy warm during the day. But at night, I want my bed warm, and the air cool, meaning window open. So when I feel a hot flash coming on, I can stick a leg out, or two, or more and feel the instant chill of whatever temperature we're experiencing. Then when it's over just get back under the covers.
But it's not just about hot flashes, because I like the window open in summer too. Not entirely logical I guess.
glassman
04-13-2017, 20:17
Hopefully that's a conservative WM, or other quality bag with a true to temp rating - and you have extra insulation to add to it if you hit a couple of really cold nights. It's not summer yet in the mountains. Average lows in GSMNP in early May is around 40°. But daily deviations from that average can be substantial - like lows in the 20's. Pack weight is only meaningful when environmental conditions, and hence gear required, is known. It's nice to have a lighter pack. It's even nicer to be warm.
My bag is rated to 20°and I plan on bringing a liner too! Being cold is a bummer!
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AllDownhillFromHere
04-14-2017, 08:41
My bag is rated to 20°and I plan on bringing a liner too! Being cold is a bummer!
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I went through the Smokies in March with a 45 degree bag. "Miserable" is the word I would use.
lesliedgray
04-14-2017, 09:05
My girlfriend and I dehydrate EVERYTHING. We did the Colorado trail this summer on 1.35 lbs of food a day for the whole trip (we weighed everything to the .1 gram hehe). At the beginning of the first few sections we were giving food to others to get rid of it. My GF focused on really nutritious food and high calorie snacks. We've been making our own backpack food for almost 20 years so we have it pretty dialed in. Disclaimer is that we're pretty small...I'm 135 lbs and she weighs a lot less than me. We definitely leaned out on our hike a bit but I only lost a few lbs and I don't think she lost anything. Base weight for the Colorado trail was about 10 lbs for both of us. I was never cold or hungry :)
Hipbone, i would love some of your meal ideas and recipes.. a bit of clarification, though, please.. Did you DEHYDRATE everything, or did you FREEZE DRY items? If, indeed you dehydrated, how did you manage meats? I am planning at least a section hike (knee surgery has set my plans back a bit) and i would prefer to bring or mail ahead my own resupplies.. i have to watch my sugar intake and i can foresee a lot of problems from cramming down a box of twinkies or eating a whole container of ice cream or even living off of ramen noodles, like so many of the accounts that i have read.. and, being that my stomach is small, i wont be gorging like i've read of people doing... any thoughts or advice?
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mtngoat01
04-14-2017, 10:16
Hipbone, i would love some of your meal ideas and recipes.. a bit of clarification, though, please.. Did you DEHYDRATE everything, or did you FREEZE DRY items? If, indeed you dehydrated, how did you manage meats? I am planning at least a section hike (knee surgery has set my plans back a bit) and i would prefer to bring or mail ahead my own resupplies.. i have to watch my sugar intake and i can foresee a lot of problems from cramming down a box of twinkies or eating a whole container of ice cream or even living off of ramen noodles, like so many of the accounts that i have read.. and, being that my stomach is small, i wont be gorging like i've read of people doing... any thoughts or advice?
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Hey...MtnGoat here (Hipbone's gf)
I think I can answer some of your questions. Our food is DEHYDRATED. We have a 5 tray Excalibur and it works great, but of course any dehydrator will work.
I HIGHLY recommend the book Backpack Gourmet by Linda Frederick Yaffe. This book has tons of recipes and the best thing about it is all of her meals are one pot meals. I have learned so much from reading that book and it opened my eyes to so many more possibilities with making my own trail food. Her recipes are healthy and filling and she has details like serving sizes, in oz and grams, for each recipe. It's not just a recipe where you are left to figure out how much you need to take. By using the info in her book and experimenting with portion size at home and on trail, we are now well dialed in to how much food we need to take.
Another good resource is Backpacking Chef. He has a lot of wisdom to share about dehydrating your own food. Plus he has a website with some recipes from his book (which I also have and it's great) as well as submissions from his readers.
We eat about 50-50 vegetarian and meals with either chicken or ground turkey so that is the only meat I can speak to from my experience. With that said there are only a few things you need to remember about using chicken and ground turkey.
For chicken ALWAYS use canned chicken in your meals. It is pressure cooked and it will both dehydrate and rehydrate much better and taste better than fresh chicken. I would go so far as to say you should avoid fresh chicken...maybe someone else has more input but from my experience canned chicken packed in water is the way to go.
For ground turkey cook until well done in the skillet and then put on a paper towel to remove excess fat. I normally try to use the lowest fat percentage possible like 96% and above.
As I mentioned above all of our meals are one pot..what this means is that we fully cook and prepare the entire recipe of whatever meal we are making and then put the finished and combined meal in the dehydrator.
An easy example of a one pot meal is spaghetti with ground turkey marinara. I make up a batch of my favorite homemade marinara sauce. I then cook (with all my seasonings) the ground turkey and let it rest on a paper towel to remove any excess fats. Then add the turkey to the marinara. I mean this is all stuff that I do anyway even if it isn't for a hiking meal. Now you have a nice sauce. The only other step is to cook up the spaghetti noodles. You need to break the noodles up into small pieces, say 1.5" pieces. Or you can use orzo which dehydrates and rehydrates great. Cook your pasta then when it is finished drain it and combine the sauce with the pasta in a big bowl. Once it is well blended just scoop it out and put on the dehydrator.
Once it is good any dry -and according to Linda Frederick Yaffe as well as my own experience- you cannot over dry a meal. But there should be no moisture left. When it's done, weigh it out and package it up in zip locks or vacuum sealed bags and store them in a dark and cool place until you are ready to use.
On trail all you do is add enough water to cover the meal (how much water you use depends on the meal...for example, pasta-based just cover it with water, rice-based add about 1" cover of water). Bring the meal in the pot with water to a boil on your stove then take it off the heat and put in a pot cozy and let it sit for 5-10 minutes more to finish fully rehydrating. Then ENJOY!!
As for loading up on sugar in town...just avoid it if you are concerned. When you get to town go for fruit for sweet and vegetables to fill you up if you are hungry. It is just as easy to find and eat the right things in town as it is the wrong ones. It is no different than being at home in that regard. You are still the one who is buying the food whether you are at home or on trail.
Ok so I know this is a long post and maybe even off the OP topic, but I wanted to answer this fully. Because making your own food is very rewarding in so many ways. YOU control the ingredients and you know what is in it. If eating a hot meal is what you want to do on trail I have every confidence you can do this and you will be far happier with something you have made :)
Happy hiking,
MtnGoat
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lesliedgray
04-14-2017, 10:35
Hey...MtnGoat here (Hipbone's gf)
I think I can answer some of your questions. Our food is DEHYDRATED. We have a 5 tray Excalibur and it works great, but of course any dehydrator will work.
I HIGHLY recommend the book Backpack Gourmet by Linda Frederick Yaffe. This book has tons of recipes and the best thing about it is all of her meals are one pot meals. I have learned so much from reading that book and it opened my eyes to so many more possibilities with making my own trail food. Her recipes are healthy and filling and she has details like serving sizes, in oz and grams, for each recipe. It's not just a recipe where you are left to figure out how much you need to take. By using the info in her book and experimenting with portion size at home and on trail, we are now well dialed in to how much food we need to take.
Another good resource is Backpacking Chef. He has a lot of wisdom to share about dehydrating your own food. Plus he has a website with some recipes from his book (which I also have and it's great) as well as submissions from his readers.
We eat about 50-50 vegetarian and meals with either chicken or ground turkey so that is the only meat I can speak to from my experience. With that said there are only a few things you need to remember about using chicken and ground turkey.
For chicken ALWAYS use canned chicken in your meals. It is pressure cooked and it will both dehydrate and rehydrate much better and taste better than fresh chicken. I would go so far as to say you should avoid fresh chicken...maybe someone else has more input but from my experience canned chicken packed in water is the way to go.
For ground turkey cook until well done in the skillet and then put on a paper towel to remove excess fat. I normally try to use the lowest fat percentage possible like 96% and above.
As I mentioned above all of our meals are one pot..what this means is that we fully cook and prepare the entire recipe of whatever meal we are making and then put the finished and combined meal in the dehydrator.
An easy example of a one pot meal is spaghetti with ground turkey marinara. I make up a batch of my favorite homemade marinara sauce. I then cook (with all my seasonings) the ground turkey and let it rest on a paper towel to remove any excess fats. Then add the turkey to the marinara. I mean this is all stuff that I do anyway even if it isn't for a hiking meal. Now you have a nice sauce. The only other step is to cook up the spaghetti noodles. You need to break the noodles up into small pieces, say 1.5" pieces. Or you can use orzo which dehydrates and rehydrates great. Cook your pasta then when it is finished drain it and combine the sauce with the pasta in a big bowl. Once it is well blended just scoop it out and put on the dehydrator.
Once it is good any dry -and according to Linda Frederick Yaffe as well as my own experience- you cannot over dry a meal. But there should be no moisture left. When it's done, weigh it out and package it up in zip locks or vacuum sealed bags and store them in a dark and cool place until you are ready to use.
On trail all you do is add enough water to cover the meal (how much water you use depends on the meal...for example, pasta-based just cover it with water, rice-based add about 1" cover of water). Bring the meal in the pot with water to a boil on your stove then take it off the heat and put in a pot cozy and let it sit for 5-10 minutes more to finish fully rehydrating. Then ENJOY!!
As for loading up on sugar in town...just avoid it if you are concerned. When you get to town go for fruit for sweet and vegetables to fill you up if you are hungry. It is just as easy to find and eat the right things in town as it is the wrong ones. It is no different than being at home in that regard. You are still the one who is buying the food whether you are at home or on trail.
Ok so I know this is a long post and maybe even off the OP topic, but I wanted to answer this fully. Because making your own food is very rewarding in so many ways. YOU control the ingredients and you know what is in it. If eating a hot meal is what you want to do on trail I have every confidence you can do this and you will be far happier with something you have made :)
Happy hiking,
MtnGoat
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Thanks so much!!!! Your answer is pretty much exactly what i was looking for.. yes, i know it is my choice to buy the junk in town or not ( i love sweets) but my point was that most people are the trail are burning so many calories that they are eating high-caloric junk because it is cheap and tasty... i don't have that " luxury".. and, even though i want a Freeze Dryer, and may eventually get one when possible ( i like having canned/dried foods on hand anyway) i DO have several dehydrators, but hadn't heard of anyone drying meat other than jerky... i will look up that book and website today... Amazon is my best friend... lol! Thanks again.
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I am at around 20lbs pounds as well but I only carry 4 days of food and a liter of water which is around 8 pounds total for 1.5 pounds of food a day. I want to do 2 pounds a day because I am dropping weight out here. Ideally though I would love to only be carrying 15 lbs total with food and water. But that requires a different shelter and lighter sleeping bag. It isn't super hard to be at 20 lbs but it does feel like a chore to keep the weight constantly maintained. One day after a resupply my food bag was over 7 pounds and just felt too heavy and bulky. You really don't need a week's worth but five days may be better.
Eat your heavy food first.
Fair enough, you'll settle in on what you need! At least you're not over carrying food... lots of folks do, somehow afraid they are in danger if they get a wee bit hungry. I consider it a complete success if I'm walking into the next resupply town completely empty of food and a slight bit hungry.
It is strange that so many people do not plan to eat enough a day, but carry too much food overall.
I dropped twenty pounds from my base weight by losing twenty between section hikes.
Then I've shaved some more off by carrying less extra Corning. And some lighter equipment.
I'm hoping not to carry quite so much water on this section hike I'm about to do. Glad the droughts are over for now.
But I'm learning each section and by observing others.
lesliedgray
04-17-2017, 12:20
[QUOTE=mtngoat01;2143410]Hey...MtnGoat here (Hipbone's gf)
I think I can answer some of your questions. Our food is DEHYDRATED. We have a 5 tray Excalibur and it works great, but of course any dehydrator will work.
I HIGHLY recommend the book Backpack Gourmet by Linda Frederick Yaffe. This book has tons of recipes and the best thing about it is all of her meals are one pot meals. I have learned so much from reading that book and it opened my eyes to so many more possibilities with making my own trail food. Her recipes are healthy and filling and she has details like serving sizes, in oz and grams, for each recipe. It's not just a recipe where you are left to figure out how much you need to take. By using the info in her book and experimenting with portion size at home and on trail, we are now well dialed in to how much food we need to take.
Another good resource is Backpacking Chef. He has a lot of wisdom to share about dehydrating your own food. Plus he has a website with some recipes from his book (which I also have and it's great) as well as submissions from his readers.
We eat about 50-50 vegetarian and meals with either chicken or ground turkey so that is the only meat I can speak to from my experience. With that said there are only a few things you need to remember about using chicken and ground turkey.
For chicken ALWAYS use canned chicken in your meals. It is pressure cooked and it will both dehydrate and rehydrate much better and taste better than fresh chicken. I would go so far as to say you should avoid fresh chicken...maybe someone else has more input but from my experience canned chicken packed in water is the way to go.
For ground turkey cook until well done in the skillet and then put on a paper towel to remove excess fat. I normally try to use the lowest fat percentage possible like 96% and above.
As I mentioned above all of our meals are one pot..what this means is that we fully cook and prepare the entire recipe of whatever meal we are making and then put the finished and combined meal in the dehydrator.
An easy example of a one pot meal is spaghetti with ground turkey marinara. I make up a batch of my favorite homemade marinara sauce. I then cook (with all my seasonings) the ground turkey and let it rest on a paper towel to remove any excess fats. Then add the turkey to the marinara. I mean this is all stuff that I do anyway even if it isn't for a hiking meal. Now you have a nice sauce. The only other step is to cook up the spaghetti noodles. You need to break the noodles up into small pieces, say 1.5" pieces. Or you can use orzo which dehydrates and rehydrates great. Cook your pasta then when it is finished drain it and combine the sauce with the pasta in a big bowl. Once it is well blended just scoop it out and put on the dehydrator.
Once it is good any dry -and according to Linda Frederick Yaffe as well as my own experience- you cannot over dry a meal. But there should be no moisture left. When it's done, weigh it out and package it up in zip locks or vacuum sealed bags and store them in a dark and cool place until you are ready to use.
On trail all you do is add enough water to cover the meal (how much water you use depends on the meal...for example, pasta-based just cover it with water, rice-based add about 1" cover of water). Bring the meal in the pot with water to a boil on your stove then take it off the heat and put in a pot cozy and let it sit for 5-10 minutes more to finish fully rehydrating. Then ENJOY!!
As for loading up on sugar in town...just avoid it if you are concerned. When you get to town go for fruit for sweet and vegetables to fill you up if you are hungry. It is just as easy to find and eat the right things in town as it is the wrong ones. It is no different than being at home in that regard. You are still the one who is buying the food whether you are at home or on trail.
Ok so I know this is a long post and maybe even off the OP topic, but I wanted to answer this fully. Because making your own food is very rewarding in so many ways. YOU control the ingredients and you know what is in it. If eating a hot meal is what you want to do on trail I have every confidence you can do this and you will be far happier with something you have made :)
Happy hiking,
MtnGoat
got it!!! I ordered it Friday from Amazon Prime and it came yesterday.... EASTER SUNDAY... i am reading it now and FIRED UP!!! I have already dehydrated some veggies that needed using up, have herbs in there now and am already planning some meals.. next to go in will be this mornings leftover oatmeal... then, leftover taco meat with rice.... i love to dehydrate and this gives me a definite goal, rather than just saving up for " someday"... i hadnt realized that you could dehydrate meats and MEALS, other than jerky, of course... https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170417/bc98db47edb8c197872d218c741d0201.jpg
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mtngoat01
04-18-2017, 09:49
lesliedgray
AWESOME!! I have been telling anyone and everyone about this book for years now.
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One Half
04-24-2017, 11:27
I told y'all I would report when I got back about how my food measured up. I ended up only hiking 5 days and going home because I missed my husband too much. Yes, it's true, I'm a mush. I've spent more than half my life with him and while the hiking was great, the views were great, the people were great - I wanted him with me to share it.
But on to the food!
I left the Hiker Hostel with just 22.5 lbs including 4 days food, 1 liter water and my trekking poles included. The food was fantastic and I was well fed. I did not make myself stop and make lunch every day and I should have as the weather was fantastic and I had the time. I found I flagged after "lunch time" but only ate nuts and raisins while hiking. When I do this again I will stop and make lunch every day. I truly believe if I had stopped and eaten my lunch and extended my hike, I would have continued to have good success hiking. As it was I averaged just over 10 miles per day for the 5 days I was hiking. A very short sample, yes.
DuneElliot
04-24-2017, 12:11
I very much like to stop at lunch and cook food vs doing it at night. I like the energy boost it gives me for the afternoon, especially if there is a big climb, and it forces me to take a good break which I have a hard time making myself do. I really don't like having to cook at camp as I'm usually pretty tired.
Without a gear list it's hard to tell if you are a genius or a fool.
cmoulder
04-24-2017, 15:49
Without a gear list it's hard to tell if you are a genius or a fool.
For somebody who has made the effort to learn UL concepts and put together a halfway decent kit, it is simple common sense... nothing extreme about it nowadays.:)
If you gotta have a gear list, HERE is mine (https://www.geargrams.com/list?id=41149) for this past weekend, rainy and 55°F Saturday, 42°F overnight, glorious sunshine Sunday, with total comfort... and yes, I did use almost everything I carried. Total pack weight with food (about 1.5 lb) and 20 oz of water was a bit under 11 lb.
Wolf - 23000
04-25-2017, 06:03
Without a gear list it's hard to tell if you are a genius or a fool.
How is hiking with 20 pound pack requiring anyone to be a genius??? Do tell? Does a woman name Grandma Gatewood ring a bell? She hiked in the 1950s - 1960s with 17 pounds backpack. Surely you don't think with all the improvement in lightweight gear and done previously some 60+ years ago, it now requires someone to be a "genius" to achieve.
Gear list don't mean anything. The gear a hiker uses depends primary on how knowable and experiences of the hiker that is using the gear.
Wolf
gracebowen
04-25-2017, 10:05
I just did an overnight without the "proper" gear. The low was in the low 40's. I used a 5 by 7 tarp to cover a piknik table and one to lay on. I attached the tarp to the table with zip ties. I used a small throw to cover with and slept on the ground. I slept in pants and a skirt a t shirt and a light long sleeve shirt. I was only a little cold for 2 hours. I could have fixed it but it was raining and I couldnt get to my other shirt without getting wet.
I took too much food and ended up carrying out about 3 lbs of food. My pack weighed about 12 lbs.
I didnt have socks or a hat. I should have taken those. I also should have had at least a cheap walmart foam pad. Those would have added a lb or less. Food for 4 more days would add lets say 8 lbs. I
So without the "right" gear and without freeze drying or dehydrating food i could achieve a 25 lb pack. I affed 5 lbs to account for at guidebook cook pot feul and incidentals for a long distance hike not just an overnight
One Half
04-25-2017, 10:29
Without a gear list it's hard to tell if you are a genius or a fool.
My list is pretty extensive.
REI Flash 50 - 40 oz (bought this a number of years ago, new ones may weigh different)
Exped Synmat 15.5 oz with the pump bag that doubles as my dry sack for clothes and sleeping bag
Zpacks 40 degree sleeping bag slim/medium 11.4oz (manuf. weight)
Zpacks solplex tent with 8 carbon fiber stakes 27.28 oz (manuf weight)
Cocoon Silk mummy liner
Silk long johns top and bottom
shorts and shirt to sleep in (Danskin from Walmart)
EMS Techwick 1/4 zip long sleeve
REI brand puffy jacket
Mountain Hardwear head "buff" - thick
"driving" gloves (I used to wear these on cold mornings when driving before the steering wheel got warmed up)
chap stick and some type of natural nasal "inhaler" to clear nose allergies
carrying 2 pair darn tough socks - 1 sleeping, 1 spare hiking
Hiking poles - Bought these for snow shoeing years back
2 x Sea 2 Summit dry sacks for food bags (my food is VERY lightweight but bulky - I need to work on better packaging technique)
small "carabiner" and bear bag line (2mm reflective cord) - 1 will hold 4+ days of food
spare ex officio underwear
Jetboil MicroMo
110 g fuel canister
lighter (in case)
2 disposable "trash bags" just ordinary twist tie bags for veggies, with twist ties
cozy for FBC (though I use a different bag type made for boiling water) with 2 small binder clips
Ti spoon long handle
small single blade pocket knife
3oz plastic bottle with Himalayan salt
30z plastic bottle with coconut oil
1oz bottle with white pepper
1oz bottle of Dr Bronners
TOOB toothbrush w/paste
1 single use packet of Fructise shampoo&conditioner (for shower stop)
equivalent of 2 lightload towels (I use 4 colors for different uses but only half of a 12"x12") - these get resupplied about every week
comb
sleep mask and ear plugs
spare hair band/tie
Icy Hot (in one of those push style? applicating bottles)
First aid kit - 2 pieces mole skin, 3' gorilla tape, 3' porous tape, 4 bandaids, 1 weeks allergy meds, 2 days diarhea meds, 2 antiseptic wipes)
14 Vitamin I
MIni Sawyer squeeze with a 16oz platypus bag (no back flush tool)
Hydrapak Seeker 3L (for night time/camping and avoiding multiple trips to water source)
2 x Smart water 1L bottles (1 with sport nozzle)
a spare cap for platypus
a cap with holes drilled for salt and pepper "shakers" - 1 for both
P style
Gallon bag w/trowel, TP, and 2 grocery bags for "nasties"
iphone5, charge cord, dual wall charger, pocket juice 4000 and charge cord, ear phones though I plan on very little use of these in a Qt freezer bag
small journal and pen (yes), reading glasses, necessary pages from AWOL and pocket constitution all in a Qt freezer bag
2 bags from limes you buy at the store - I use one for the pstyle and 1 for anything that may need drying (I can hang it outside my pack)
Food - I freeze dry all my own food. When I weighed 7 days in a box to ship it came out to 6 lbs 12 oz, box and all. I am currently carrying 4 days and likely to add an ounce or two more after I freeze dry my 40 kiwis! LOL so food is only about a pound a day, even adding in my nuts and raisins (not FDed) and my other FDed snacks (berries/kiwi/bananas)
I also will have my sunglasses and a baseball cap though I didn't have these when doing the weighing. close enough. I may also wear/bring a pair of gaiters.
Frogg Toggs women's ultralite 2 rain jacket and REI rainpants and energizer headlamp. (I said I was doing this off the top of my head!)
AllDownhillFromHere
04-25-2017, 15:28
exTENsive? or exPENsive?
How many calories are in that 6lbs/12oz of food?
Old Hiker
04-25-2017, 15:45
My list is pretty extensive.
REI Flash 50 - 40 oz (bought this a number of years ago, new ones may weigh different)
Exped Synmat 15.5 oz with the pump bag that doubles as my dry sack for clothes and sleeping bag
Zpacks 40 degree sleeping bag slim/medium 11.4oz (manuf. weight)
Zpacks solplex tent with 8 carbon fiber stakes 27.28 oz (manuf weight)
Cocoon Silk mummy liner
Silk long johns top and bottom
shorts and shirt to sleep in (Danskin from Walmart)
EMS Techwick 1/4 zip long sleeve
REI brand puffy jacket
Mountain Hardwear head "buff" - thick
"driving" gloves (I used to wear these on cold mornings when driving before the steering wheel got warmed up)
chap stick and some type of natural nasal "inhaler" to clear nose allergies
carrying 2 pair darn tough socks - 1 sleeping, 1 spare hiking
Hiking poles - Bought these for snow shoeing years back
2 x Sea 2 Summit dry sacks for food bags (my food is VERY lightweight but bulky - I need to work on better packaging technique)
small "carabiner" and bear bag line (2mm reflective cord) - 1 will hold 4+ days of food
spare ex officio underwear
Jetboil MicroMo
110 g fuel canister
lighter (in case)
2 disposable "trash bags" just ordinary twist tie bags for veggies, with twist ties
cozy for FBC (though I use a different bag type made for boiling water) with 2 small binder clips
Ti spoon long handle
small single blade pocket knife
3oz plastic bottle with Himalayan salt
30z plastic bottle with coconut oil
1oz bottle with white pepper
1oz bottle of Dr Bronners
TOOB toothbrush w/paste
1 single use packet of Fructise shampoo&conditioner (for shower stop)
equivalent of 2 lightload towels (I use 4 colors for different uses but only half of a 12"x12") - these get resupplied about every week
comb
sleep mask and ear plugs
spare hair band/tie
Icy Hot (in one of those push style? applicating bottles)
First aid kit - 2 pieces mole skin, 3' gorilla tape, 3' porous tape, 4 bandaids, 1 weeks allergy meds, 2 days diarhea meds, 2 antiseptic wipes)
14 Vitamin I
MIni Sawyer squeeze with a 16oz platypus bag (no back flush tool)
Hydrapak Seeker 3L (for night time/camping and avoiding multiple trips to water source)
2 x Smart water 1L bottles (1 with sport nozzle)
a spare cap for platypus
a cap with holes drilled for salt and pepper "shakers" - 1 for both
P style
Gallon bag w/trowel, TP, and 2 grocery bags for "nasties"
iphone5, charge cord, dual wall charger, pocket juice 4000 and charge cord, ear phones though I plan on very little use of these in a Qt freezer bag
small journal and pen (yes), reading glasses, necessary pages from AWOL and pocket constitution all in a Qt freezer bag
2 bags from limes you buy at the store - I use one for the pstyle and 1 for anything that may need drying (I can hang it outside my pack)
Food - I freeze dry all my own food. When I weighed 7 days in a box to ship it came out to 6 lbs 12 oz, box and all. I am currently carrying 4 days and likely to add an ounce or two more after I freeze dry my 40 kiwis! LOL so food is only about a pound a day, even adding in my nuts and raisins (not FDed) and my other FDed snacks (berries/kiwi/bananas)
I also will have my sunglasses and a baseball cap though I didn't have these when doing the weighing. close enough. I may also wear/bring a pair of gaiters.
Frogg Toggs women's ultralite 2 rain jacket and REI rainpants and energizer headlamp. (I said I was doing this off the top of my head!)
Sorry - I must be dense. I've added up ONLY what the GIVEN weights are and come up with about 20 pounds. Where are the weights of everything else? What am I missing?
Gear lists and grams and calories per ounce and lets argue and throw our fellows under the bus because their stuff/ food/way is not ours. It's fine to do something different if it works for you. HYOH!
pennypincher said she had a great time. Nuff said
cmoulder
04-25-2017, 17:00
Good enough, sure, but this IS the Gram Weenie Forum! :D
Sometimes it is fun to produce a gear list for naysayers because it demonstrates that UL is easily within reach of the average backpacker. It is also useful to me because it helps me keep "weight creep" in check by constantly evaluating what I'm carrying and why I'm carrying it.
Believe it or not, there are some UL folks who would question my carrying both the poncho and the Versalite, and both the down jacket and the fleece! But I know me and I'm the only one I have to answer to. :)
Good enough, sure, but this IS the Gram Weenie Forum! :D
Sometimes it is fun to produce a gear list for naysayers because it demonstrates that UL is easily within reach of the average backpacker. It is also useful to me because it helps me keep "weight creep" in check by constantly evaluating what I'm carrying and why I'm carrying it.
Believe it or not, there are some UL folks who would question my carrying both the poncho and the Versalite, and both the down jacket and the fleece! But I know me and I'm the only one I have to answer to. :)
Made a list for the average hiker wanting to cut weight. All items are from the REI website and easily accessible to everyone. If I owned the product I used it's actual weight. If I did not own it I used the stated weight. This is a really solid list for 3 season hiking. I feel like anyone would be comfortable in the woods with this list. Base weight is 13 lbs. and could be dramatically reduced with a few items from cottage vendors.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1et-wkopPTWoe1UO24Ev-AyZcTNkIQAUSQ_c1X_jjH7Q/edit?usp=sharing
AllDownhillFromHere
04-25-2017, 22:49
Except HYOH does not mean "be intentionally misleading about pack weight, in the context of a discussion specifically ABOUT pack weight".
I mentioned this in another thread, but the problem is not how one could possibly have light gear (it's easy, google it), but that when not starting from scratch, you end up justifying paying 100s of dollars to shave ounces. For instance, if someone already owns raingear which is heavier than the Helium II, it's a sunk cost, spending $200+ to go from say ~22 oz to ~11 oz just isn't feasible in a lot of cases. Just because there exists a product lighter than the one in use, doesn't mean that it's realistic to switch to it.
Under 20#s with a week of food and using a canister stove too. what have you got in your pockets? :) (I'm assuming that's a 7 day week) Seriously though - you can't just leave out water and the container(s) and claim under 20 lbs. "Under 20 lbs" means "Under 20 lbs".
Good on you for getting the weight down. I've watched a lot of thrus go through Erwin this year with 40 lb+ packs and it blows my mind.
cmoulder
04-26-2017, 08:35
Under 20#s with a week of food and using a canister stove too. what have you got in your pockets? :) (I'm assuming that's a 7 day week)
Actually, now that I have seen the list it occurs that there might be some fudge baked into it. ;)
I have done many 4- and 5-day trips with typically 1.5lb food per day and with all-UL kit (and 1 liter of water carried) the 3-season TWP is bit under or over 20 lbs on the first day. I see a few things on PP's list that I am fairly certain would blow the 20lb weight budget right out of the starting gate, such as the 40oz pack and the 15.5oz sleep mat and (approx? with fuel) 20oz stove.
A good digital scale and a spreadsheet are essential for this exercise. And a digital hanging scale that is used to weigh the pack right at the trailhead is the acid test... it will find all those little last-minute things that didn't make it onto the spreadsheet :D
All said and done, you carry what you need (and want, and can afford, and are willing to schlep) and it weighs what it weighs and some people really couldn't care less. But I agree with AllDownhill that in a discussion about pack weight—and in the UL forum—it is fair to ask "really?"
DuneElliot
04-26-2017, 09:03
Three season gear and 6 days of food for me comes in at around 26# including water.
cmoulder
04-26-2017, 09:20
Made a list for the average hiker wanting to cut weight. All items are from the REI website and easily accessible to everyone. If I owned the product I used it's actual weight. If I did not own it I used the stated weight. This is a really solid list for 3 season hiking. I feel like anyone would be comfortable in the woods with this list. Base weight is 13 lbs. and could be dramatically reduced with a few items from cottage vendors.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1et-wkopPTWoe1UO24Ev-AyZcTNkIQAUSQ_c1X_jjH7Q/edit?usp=sharing
Excellent example!
And and example of how 'going cottage' would be lighter AND cheaper, with the shelter, BA tent/footprint @36.5oz... a solo hiker could easily use a Tarptent Protrail (https://www.tarptent.com/protrail.html) with polycryo ground sheet @27oz (and $225) and save almost 10 oz AND about $150.
One Half
04-26-2017, 09:38
Except HYOH does not mean "be intentionally misleading about pack weight, in the context of a discussion specifically ABOUT pack weight".
I mentioned this in another thread, but the problem is not how one could possibly have light gear (it's easy, google it), but that when not starting from scratch, you end up justifying paying 100s of dollars to shave ounces. For instance, if someone already owns raingear which is heavier than the Helium II, it's a sunk cost, spending $200+ to go from say ~22 oz to ~11 oz just isn't feasible in a lot of cases. Just because there exists a product lighter than the one in use, doesn't mean that it's realistic to switch to it.
I am not being dishonest. I mentioned the weight of 1 weeks food but stated I was carrying 4 days. I measured the total weight before leaving the Hiker Hostel with their digital scale. It included 1 liter of water. The only thing that was likely in my pockets was my cell phone. Even my money/ID/credit card was in the pack.
One Half
04-26-2017, 09:40
Actually, now that I have seen the list it occurs that there might be some fudge baked into it. ;)
I have done many 4- and 5-day trips with typically 1.5lb food per day and with all-UL kit (and 1 liter of water carried) the 3-season TWP is bit under or over 20 lbs on the first day. I see a few things on PP's list that I am fairly certain would blow the 20lb weight budget right out of the starting gate, such as the 40oz pack and the 15.5oz sleep mat and (approx? with fuel) 20oz stove.
A good digital scale and a spreadsheet are essential for this exercise. And a digital hanging scale that is used to weigh the pack right at the trailhead is the acid test... it will find all those little last-minute things that didn't make it onto the spreadsheet :D
All said and done, you carry what you need (and want, and can afford, and are willing to schlep) and it weighs what it weighs and some people really couldn't care less. But I agree with AllDownhill that in a discussion about pack weight—and in the UL forum—it is fair to ask "really?"
See my last reply regarding the fact that I did weigh the pack at the Hiker Hostel and it came in at 22.5lbs.
cmoulder
04-26-2017, 09:43
See my last reply regarding the fact that I did weigh the pack at the Hiker Hostel and it came in at 22.5lbs.
Fair enough! :sun
That's good stuff right there!
Saprogenic
05-06-2017, 15:52
I mentioned the weight of 1 weeks food but stated I was carrying 4 days. ....
to be fair, in your original post, you said "Fully loaded backpack with 7 days food is at 20.5lbs" . Kudos regardless of the nitpicking.
One Half
05-06-2017, 22:33
to be fair, in your original post, you said "Fully loaded backpack with 7 days food is at 20.5lbs" . Kudos regardless of the nitpicking.
Yep and it was according to my bathroom scale. After that I switched sleeping mats, dumped a couple things and then added a couple things. Also, the original weight did not include any water or my hiking poles. The 22.5 was with 1 Liter of water and the poles plus a few extra snacks leftover from my travel to GA.
Billiard Yeti
10-30-2018, 14:19
I freeze dry all my own meals. I figured out the other day that 1 lb of food equates to about 3 or possibly 4 lbs per day reconstituted.
You have access to a Freeze Dryer? Wow, that's AWESOME...
Dang! I have only been able to get down to 24 # total with backpack, water for one day, food for five days, and everything that I have on or carry (meaning my shoes, socks, hiking poles, etc. .. skin out)
One Half
02-05-2020, 21:15
Glad I found this thread again. I learned a lot and have experienced a lot since then, personally and with my family.
In the next 20 months I plan on completing my first marathon and hiking the AT.
I haven't run in years (about 6) as I got injured and had a lot of other stuff going on. I was a personal trainer for 20 years and running used to be my sanctuary for many years. I have never been fast. Don't need to be fast. My goal is to complete a marathon. I have trained others for marathons. I'm back to running on Tuesday most likely. Tuesday has always been the first running day of the week for me. Monday is a rest day and the last day of my running week is Sunday as a recovery run from my distance run on Saturdays. Obviously my runs to start will be just base building. But that's the plan.
After completing a marathon I will have built a really good endurance base and then will switch over to training to thru hike in 2021 - adding a backpack, hiking consecutive days, and adding elevation training (which is difficult here as it's flat). There are a number of things that could prevent me from hiking in 2021 and no way I can thru hike in 2020. One issue is that I really wanted my husband with me last time and that was only supposed to be 30 days and he couldn't be with me. But there were other things going on also which added to the need to be with him. Like I said, a few things need to be taken care of for me to get on trail and then missing him would be my biggest hurdle to staying on trail. But I think we can work on that. He should be able to make several trips to meet up with me if I want him to.
There's some gear I will likely upgrade and some that simply needs replacing - like the puffy that's a bit long in the tooth and not as puffy as it once was (and not as warm). But there will be plenty of time for gear replacement.
The other thing is that I have been eating OMAD and studying about endurance athletes who eat the way we do - exercising in the fasted state, etc. And no, I am not planning on starving myself and eating just OMAD while thru hiking.
BongoTheOneEyed
03-27-2020, 21:41
im still building an UL pack, alot of great ideas in this thread
One Half
01-30-2022, 09:50
1lb of pure fat is only 3600 calories. 1lb of FD food like kiwis will have substantially less. How do you account for the calorie deficit?
just rereading this thread and saw this. thought I would do some math here
1 lb = 453.5 grams
90g of olive oil has 810 calories https://freecaloriechart.uk/calories-in-olive-oil/
453.5 grams/ 90 g = 5
5 x 810 calories = 4050 calories in 1 pound of olive oil
I think the poster is conflating how many excess calories it takes to build 1 pound of body fat with the actual calorie composition of 1lb of fat we consume.
The other aspect is that while 1lb of kiwis (as mentioned in post) will freeze dry down to just a couple of ounces, perhaps less. 100g of kiwi has only 61 calories so a pound would have about 270 calories. But if you freeze dry that 1lb you will end up with just a couple ounces. Let's call it 2oz. So now 1 lb of freeze dried kiwi has 2160 calories (not using a calculator here). Not bad when you think about it. Plus kiwi has a ton of other healthy things in it. Same can be said for other fruits, veggies, and berries to make the meals more nutritious than a poptart or snickers bar and keep from getting bored with your food.
So how much weight does it cost you to carry 270 calories? Sounds about like what you would get from a snickers bar. That weighs more than 2 oz I am sure.
Also, somewhere in here or my freeze dryer thread I posted the actual FD weights vs pre FD weight for meats, eggs, etc. I want to say those foods ended up about 1/4 the weight of pre freeze drying.