View Full Version : Gear weight help
I have put together an Excel spreadsheet of most of our gear and how we'd split it up on the trail and would appreciate any suggestions on how we might reduce it any further. My pack is at 36# and my wife's at 32# - I'd love to get them both under 30, if possible.
:confused: I can't upload the Excel file, any suggestions on how I can get that data here?
As a Word file. Any help with reducing the weight is appreciated.
Alligator
08-31-2006, 09:38
I have put together an Excel spreadsheet of most of our gear and how we'd split it up on the trail and would appreciate any suggestions on how we might reduce it any further. My pack is at 36# and my wife's at 32# - I'd love to get them both under 30, if possible.
:confused: I can't upload the Excel file, any suggestions on how I can get that data here?If you needed it to stay as an Excel file, you could zip it up first.
Alligator
08-31-2006, 09:46
The packs are heavy.
The sleeping pads are car camping size, too heavy.
The stove is heavy.
The pillows are heavy.
The men's t-shirts are 2 oz too heavy.
The 20 oz down vest is way too heavy.
What's the temp rating on the sleeping bags? They seem reasonable.
The packs are heavy.
The sleeping pads are car camping size, too heavy.
The stove is heavy.
The pillows are heavy.
The men's t-shirts are 2 oz too heavy.
The 20 oz down vest is way too heavy.
What's the temp rating on the sleeping bags? They seem reasonable.
The packs will have to do, at least for this trip.
The sleeping pad for my wife is a requirement for her participation, mine can be replaced with something smaller/lighter.
What stove/weight would you recommend?
The down vest shouldn't even be on the list, it's definitely not an option.
The sleeping bags are rated @ 20 and 25 degrees.
Thanks for your input, Alligator.
(Thanks for the tip on the zip file.)
Alligator
08-31-2006, 10:38
The packs will have to do, at least for this trip.
The sleeping pad for my wife is a requirement for her participation, mine can be replaced with something smaller/lighter.
What stove/weight would you recommend?
The down vest shouldn't even be on the list, it's definitely not an option.
The sleeping bags are rated @ 20 and 25 degrees.
Thanks for your input, Alligator.
(Thanks for the tip on the zip file.)If committed to white gas, a simmerlite. A cartridge stove, pocket rocket or similar, can get you lower. An alcohol stove even less, brasslite, ion stove, pepsi can stove etc. It will depend on your cooking style. What stove do you have that is 15.5 oz? Is it a Peak 1? There's a cheap Walmart cartridge stove with decent ratings. The cartridge stoves are usually around 3-4 ozs I think and I don't know if a windscreen is needed. My Brasslite >3 oz and about 1-1.5 oz on the windscreen. I haven't weighed the screen though.
Twenty and 25 degree bags are plenty for most three season use on the AT.
On the one hand, to encourage your wife's participation, you should carry extra gear. On the other hand, if she wants to sleep on a big kahuna pad, that ought to go in her pack:sun . Unless medically necessary.
Some folks bring pillows. Some stuff clothes in the sleeping bag stuff sack. I sewed a pillow pocket in my bag, then stuff clothes in. Some folks use water wings as pillows.
What type of trip are you planning? Where, when, how long?
What stove do you have that is 15.5 oz?
Some folks bring pillows. Some stuff clothes in the sleeping bag stuff sack. I sewed a pillow pocket in my bag, then stuff clothes in. Some folks use water wings as pillows.
What type of trip are you planning? Where, when, how long?
I've got the Brunton Optimus Nova - it's a multi-fuel stove.
I may eliminate the pillows - I'll have to try out the stuff sack filled with clothes option to see how comfortable that is - I had neck surgery about 15 years ago for some bad discs so that's pretty important.
We will be out for 1 or 2 nights only. Probably GSMNP in mid-Oct.
Alligator
08-31-2006, 12:24
You won't need all that fuel for 1-2 days. The burn rate on that stove is the same as the simmerlite. On 2 night 3 day trips we use less than 22 oz. for two people. And the two of us cook a lot. Tea, coffee, hot drinks, two dinners/person etc. I always come home with fuel too. A single overnight and I would bring the 11 oz. for two.
If by chance you have never used the stove, I'd suggest returning it.
I thought I'd add that you appear to be frugal in the clothes department. You might want to add in Long johns (full set) and definitely hats for both. Skip the shorts you have conv. pants.
Just Jeff
08-31-2006, 12:54
Skip the shorts you have conv. pants.
Or just bring shorts and rainpants. No need to carry pants AND rainpants, and a pair of shorts is probably lighter than the convertible pants.
I would suggest 3 areas for cutting weight (in addition to the ones already mentioned: The Tent, Your Mess Kit, and the Air Mattresses.
Your tent and footprint currently total 6 lbs 7.5 oz. - I realize that a tent is a big ticket item, but you might look at www.tarptents.com for two person alternatives under 3 lbs and less than $250.
Your mess kit (and I am not entirely certain what that includes or what your planning on cooking) weighs in at 1 lb 11 oz. I would suggest reducing that in any number of ways:
- SnowPeak Titanium 3 piece Cookset, 7.1 oz $34.95 at REI OR
- SnowPeak Trek1400 Titanium 2 pc, 6.6 oz $39.95 at BackCountryGear OR
- Aluminum Grease Pot at Walmart or Kmart for less than $10 and @ 5oz
(I personally carry one titanium pot used almost exclusively for boiling water and then cook my food with the ziplock freezer bag method.)
+
2 titanium sporks or spoons. .5 oz each @ less than $10 each
+
2 - 12 oz Plastic Insulated Mugs with Lids, 4 oz each ** These are the kind that you can buy at any gas station mini mart for coffee. They are inexpensive, readily available, lightweight, and a necessity for cocoa, coffee, etc. in colder weather camping.
Total Weight - Depending on your choices, 1 lb or less.
Finally, the Air Mattresses, if you want to stick with the air mattresses for comfort (and quite frankly I do), might I suggest the Insul Mat Max Thermo. It is 2.5 inches thick, includes insulation so it is warmer than a standard air mattress, and it weighs just 1 lb 6 oz. They are available at REI and lots of other places for @ $55.
Also, I would leave the shorts and short sleeve t-shirts at home for mid October hiking in the GSMNP.
:rolleyes:
Alligator
08-31-2006, 15:01
Or just bring shorts and rainpants. No need to carry pants AND rainpants, and a pair of shorts is probably lighter than the convertible pants.I hike in shorts most of the year, so that is sort of what I do. But I wasn't sure about how warm he hikes.
I would be in shorts and long sleeve polypro that time of year. I could also do conv. pants and short sleeves.
I have shorts and light fleece pants that weigh less than my convertibles, so I never bring the convertibles. I don't like relying constantly on my rain pains (but will if needed) because I don't want them to wear out. I don't regard them as very warm either. Thus the fleece pants.
I try not to fine tune too much on people's clothes because people are variable in hiking and sitting comfort zones and all the clothes become a system. Definitely shorts or conv pants though:) .
Didn't look at the mess kit. If you are considering actually frying in the frypan portion of any combo kit, I'd go nonstick.
A single overnight and I would bring the 11 oz. for two.
If by chance you have never used the stove, I'd suggest returning it.
I thought I'd add that you appear to be frugal in the clothes department. You might want to add in Long johns (full set) and definitely hats for both. Skip the shorts you have conv. pants.
Thanks. I'll leave a fuel tank behind. Why the suggestion to return the stove? Weight? It was rated well by a lot of hiker sites, and my REI guy. I will also leave the shorts and take the long johns.
Thanks again.
I would suggest 3 areas for cutting weight (in addition to the ones already mentioned: The Tent, Your Mess Kit, and the Air Mattresses.
www.tarptents.com (http://www.tarptents.com)
Your mess kit (and I am not entirely certain what that includes or what your planning on cooking) weighs in at 1 lb 11 oz. I would suggest reducing that in any number of ways:
- SnowPeak Titanium 3 piece Cookset, 7.1 oz $34.95 at REI OR
- SnowPeak Trek1400 Titanium 2 pc, 6.6 oz $39.95 at BackCountryGear OR
- Aluminum Grease Pot at Walmart or Kmart for less than $10 and @ 5oz
(I personally carry one titanium pot used almost exclusively for boiling water and then cook my food with the ziplock freezer bag method.)
+
2 titanium sporks or spoons. .5 oz each @ less than $10 each
+
2 - 12 oz Plastic Insulated Mugs with Lids, 4 oz each ** These are the kind that you can buy at any gas station mini mart for coffee. They are inexpensive, readily available, lightweight, and a necessity for cocoa, coffee, etc. in colder weather camping.
Total Weight - Depending on your choices, 1 lb or less.
Finally, the Air Mattresses, if you want to stick with the air mattresses for comfort (and quite frankly I do), might I suggest the Insul Mat Max Thermo. It is 2.5 inches thick, includes insulation so it is warmer than a standard air mattress, and it weighs just 1 lb 6 oz. They are available at REI and lots of other places for @ $55.
Also, I would leave the shorts and short sleeve t-shirts at home for mid October hiking in the GSMNP.
:rolleyes:
Thanks BlueSue. The link for tarptents didn't work for me - took me to a site under construction. My cookset is a GSI hard anodized aluminum 5 pc. If I were to only take the 1.5 qt. pot and the handle and sporks, it would weigh 12 oz. We haven't decided yet on how we're going to cook - as we haven't backpacked before, but I like the idea of the ziplock method. If you can point me to a good source for help with that, I'd appreciate it. I will have to check out the mattress you mention. If it's comfortable, the weight savings will be a big help. Thanks again.
Or just bring shorts and rainpants. No need to carry pants AND rainpants, and a pair of shorts is probably lighter than the convertible pants.
That's something to consider. I may leave the shorts, as Alligator suggested, at least on this 1st trip, as I don't know if hanging around camp in rain pants if it's colder will work for me or not. Thanks.
Alligator
08-31-2006, 15:41
Thanks. I'll leave a fuel tank behind. Why the suggestion to return the stove? Weight? It was rated well by a lot of hiker sites, and my REI guy. I will also leave the shorts and take the long johns.
Thanks again.Weight. It weighs 6.6oz more than a simmerlite and costs $45 more per REI. Given that the REI guy sold it to you I would send it back:sun . In the US, white gas is readily available, so no need to worry about alternative fuels.
Also, a good many folks here would recommend not using white gas at all. You can find those discussions by searching the site some.
I hike in shorts most of the year, so that is sort of what I do. But I wasn't sure about how warm he hikes.
I have shorts and light fleece pants that weigh less than my convertibles, so I never bring the convertibles.
I try not to fine tune too much on people's clothes because people are variable in hiking and sitting comfort zones and all the clothes become a system. Definitely shorts or conv pants though:) .
Didn't look at the mess kit. If you are considering actually frying in the frypan portion of any combo kit, I'd go nonstick.
I'll probably bring TOO much in the way of clothes this trip! I do have a pair of fleece pants, but haven't weighed them to see how they would compare to the convertibles, I'll have to do that. Thanks Alligator.
Weight. It weighs 6.6oz more than a simmerlite and costs $45 more per REI. Given that the REI guy sold it to you I would send it back:sun . In the US, white gas is readily available, so no need to worry about alternative fuels.
Thanks again, Alligator. I actually bought it online for $90. My thought was to get the multi-fuel as we, er, I, see us hiking a bit in Europe in the next few years.
Just Jeff
08-31-2006, 16:41
Re: the rain pants, here's what I usually wear/carry for my legs:
- Swimming trunks for hiking (dry quicker, don't need underwear, no chafing, light)
- Silkweight polyester long johns
- Rain pants
If I'm hiking, I'm in shorts. If it gets cold, the rain pants are usually plenty even in winter. If it's really cold, I'll add the long johns under the rain pants. (I bring an extra dry pair for camp if it's that cold.)
That gets me through three seasons. I also have a pair of $7 fleece pants from KMart for winter trips...probably 300wt but it wasn't listed.
Skidsteer
08-31-2006, 17:15
...The link for tarptents didn't work for me - took me to a site under construction...
Give this a try until the site comes back up.
http://www.tarptent.com/about.html
Wow, that looks way too much like my old list. First off, I am so so so glad y'all are doing this. As much as I gripe about the trail being overpopulated, I'm always glad to see newcomers to hiking. That being said I really want you and your wife to enjoy the trip. Enjoying 35lbs on your back is definitely possible, but the weight does make it harder. I don't know that much about the Chicago area, but if there are any trails up there, I definitly suggest going out for a day hike or two before this.
Now for the list...
You can leave the compass at home. There is definitly no need for it. If you want to know what town your looking at off in the distance or something, just look at the sun and know know that it's gonna rise about 5deg south of east and set 10deg south of west. Ok, so you're 3 ounces lighter already.
Second, check into returning the stove. Maybe you will go backpacking in Europe next year and maybe you wont. Either way, you shouldn't have any trouble finding fuel for a cannister stove. Each country calls it something different, but it's a pretty globally availible product. (There's a list online somewhere of each country and what they call it that I'll try to find.) Right now through Monday, REI has the MSR pocketrocket stove on sale for $30. I highly recommend it. That with a 110g snow peak cannister for ~$3 will drop your 48oz stove/fuel/fuel bottle weight on the list down to 10oz. If you decide to go to Europe next year and just don't think you can possibly find fuel for it, you're only "out" $30 which pales in comparison to plane tickets for 2. Not to mention you can sell it any day of the week on here for $20.
Ok, now we're down 41oz or just over 2.5 lbs. Take that out of your wife's pack and you've got her under 30 lbs.
If you think this is something that you want to continue doing, seriously consider taking another couple of lbs out of your wife's pack and putting them in yours unless she is an olympic powerlifter. I'd leave her overweight air mattress in hers (so that someday she might realize she doesn't have to carry that much weight), but i'd estimate that for avg height people, ~30lbs for a lady is about the same as ~40 for a man.
I don't know if you've already bought the air mattresses or not, but there's a reason people keep saying they're too big. Since you said you can replace yours with a smaller one, go ahead and do that. Not necessarily thinner, but not as long/wide. Then ask your wife to try it out and see what she thinks. The deal is that when you lay down (especially on your back) your legs just don't hardly touch the ground. Think about it, when was the last time you woke up with a sore calf because your bed is too hard? As big/heavy as your packs are, you can easily put one of those under your feet to keep them from getting cold.
I highly recommend the freezerbag cooking. It's fast, easy, no dishes to clean, and will also lighten up your pack. Click here (http://freezerbagcooking.com/) for a great site for all sorts of recipes. Marrakesh Express brand Mango Salsa Couscous with some sort of meat pouch (tuna) is one of my favorite freezerbag meals. There's also some pretty good versions of thai food that just require boiling water. Keep in mind that pretty much anything that needs water + microwave will work with boiling water + 10 mins. I also reccommend Emer-gen-C (http://www.vitadigest.com/alacer-emergen-c.html?gclid=CPq8yvr0iocCFSWRSgodhGBL3g) to add to your water. You can find it at walmart in the pharmacy/nutrition section or most health food stores.
Don't scrimp on clothes (trust me, your list has plenty already) or food (definitly don't want to run out of this one) until you learn your needs. Anything else I can help you with, feel free to pm or email me. :D speedy
Edit: Oh yeah, and take penty of powerbars/cliffbars/trail snacks. You will be amazed how much you get hungry when your burning 2-3x as many calories in a day.
it should have been www.tarptent.com
:cool:
Enjoying 35lbs on your back is definitely possible, but the weight does make it harder.
Now for the list...
Right now through Monday, REI has the MSR pocketrocket stove on sale for $30. I highly recommend it. That with a 110g snow peak cannister for ~$3 will drop your 48oz stove/fuel/fuel bottle weight on the list down to 10oz.
Ok, now we're down 41oz or just over 2.5 lbs. Take that out of your wife's pack and you've got her under 30 lbs.
The deal is that when you lay down (especially on your back) your legs just don't hardly touch the ground. Think about it, when was the last time you woke up with a sore calf because your bed is too hard?
I highly recommend the freezerbag cooking. It's fast, easy, no dishes to clean, and will also lighten up your pack. Click here (http://freezerbagcooking.com/) for a great site for all sorts of recipes. Marrakesh Express brand Mango Salsa Couscous with some sort of meat pouch (tuna) is one of my favorite freezerbag meals.
:D speedy
Edit: Oh yeah, and take penty of powerbars/cliffbars/trail snacks. You will be amazed how much you get hungry when your burning 2-3x as many calories in a day.
Great points, speedy. It now seems possible that my wife's pack could get down to about 25 lbs. or so, which will make a huge difference. How long, on average, will a 110g cannister last? Should 1 be fine for 2 or 3 days for 2 people? I'll check out the freezerbag cooking site, too. Thanks again.
it should have been www.tarptent.com (http://www.tarptent.com)
:cool:
Thanks BlueSue, those are some nice setups. Either the Squall2 or the Cloudburst 2 look like they'd work well for our needs. Do you use either of these?
http://www.backpacking.net/27-pound.html
Finally, the Air Mattresses, if you want to stick with the air mattresses for comfort (and quite frankly I do), might I suggest the Insul Mat Max Thermo. It is 2.5 inches thick, includes insulation so it is warmer than a standard air mattress, and it weighs just 1 lb 6 oz. They are available at REI and lots of other places for @ $55.
:rolleyes:
BlueSue, is this a self-inflating mattress? How does it seem to hold up in use? Thanks.
http://www.backpacking.net/27-pound.html
Thanks Rambler, that's a bit lighter than I can make it with my current gear, but there are some specific things there I can take advantage of for this trip. And some great Christmas present suggestions...
As has been stated, the big places to save weight are the packs, the tent, the sleeping pads and the stove. You don't have to do it all tomorrow; this will give you something to work on over time.
Packs: Granite gear makes very supportive packs such as the Nimbus Ozone at 3800 cubic inches for 3 pounds. There are lightweight packs such as GoLite's Jam pack (new Jam2 coming out in January) that weighs half of that but you must get your overall weight down first or you will overload that type of frameless pack. There are even ultralite packs that weigh a few ounces but are really for the expert gram weenies (more power to them).
The Insulmat Max Thermo sleeping pad was mentioned. This is my one luxury I take and it weighs far less than your pads and I'd be willing to bet that it is just as comfortable sleeping and definitley more comfortable on your back!
Unless you are winter camping, an pepsi can alcohol stove will take care of all your freezer bag meals for you. For my winter jaunts into the White Mountains of New Hampshire, I take a MSR Windpro canister and turn the canister upside down. That weighs less than 7 ounces plus canister but is only needed well below freezing.
The tarptents suggested are great! If for some reason you or yours don't like the idea of not being "all buttoned up", try something like the GoLite Hex3 or Black Diamond Beta Mid Lightweight. These are both pyramid tents that weigh around 2 pounds. Add your own Tyvek floor for a few more ounces.
After you take care of the big items, you can worry about cutting of half your toothbrush handle to save more weight!
And, don't forget to have fun!
Great points, speedy. It now seems possible that my wife's pack could get down to about 25 lbs. or so, which will make a huge difference. How long, on average, will a 110g cannister last? Should 1 be fine for 2 or 3 days for 2 people? I'll check out the freezerbag cooking site, too. Thanks again.
You're right, 32.5 lbs to 25 lbs is an unbelievable difference. 110g cannister will be plenty for your trip. Here's a good article (http://www.thru-hiker.com/articles.asp?subcat=2&cid=42) of how much you can boil with it. He was boiling a pint at a time and brining it up to full boil. For freezerbag cooking you don't have to bring it up quite that high, just throw it in a jacket or something to keep it warm for 10 mins while you set up/tear down the tent (those last 10-20deg make a huge difference in fuel consumption), and for hot cocoa you really don't.
There's one more thing that I absolutely can't believe I forgot. :datz Get trekking poles. They make such a huge difference. I've got a friend that I usually hike with. We're about even now, but he used to be in way better shape than I was. Neither of us used them. First time I had them and he didn't I kept having to stop for him to rest. I was completely amazed. I was always the one holding us up before. Next trip out he had some. I use these (http://www.gossamergear.com/cgi-bin/gossamergear/Lightrek-Trekking-Poles.html) and can't reccomend them enough, but realize the price is really steep (I can't even imagine having to buy 2 of everything). I'd get some inexpensive ones from wal-mart or target or something like that for the time being. They'll serve the same purpose and will let you sort of test drive trekking poles without breaking the bank. Other than the obvious part of them being an added boost for uphills and easing the joint/knee shock of going down, I've found they really help me walk more upright (insert neanderthal joke here) which reduces back pain and neck strain. I've got a friend who just uses a single one and loves it. I've found that if I do this, after the second day my knee opposite the hand I use the pole with will start to hurt on the downhills. :D speedy
Thanks speedy, I got a couple pairs of REI poles on Ebay a couple months ago for not much money. Thanks also for the link to the stove info.