Summer list, suggestions wanted

[coss]

I'm a Whiteblaze newbie, who is a moderately experienced short-trip backpacker who has gotten his summer base weight from about 30 lbs down to about 6 lbs in the past several years. I make a lot of my own gear, both for the enjoyment of it, and so I can get exactly what I want. The following list is designed for one-season, summer-only AT section hikes of about two weeks. I've used these items on about a dozen 2-4 day trips in the Adirondacks and on the AT in Mass and CT, and haven't felt underequipped so far. However, I don't have enough experience to know if this is too much or too little for longer excursions. I am aware that another insulating layer will be needed for the higher elevations in NH (I grew up there). Please let me know what you think.

Clothes:
Wind shirt, Thru-hiker.com Liberty ridge 2.0 oz
Wind pants, Green Pepper pattern 2.2
Long sleeve shirt, EMS techwick, 100 wt 6.7
Long john bottoms, Campmor polypro 5.3
Fleece hat 1.2
Socks, basic running socks 1.4
Propore O2 rainshield jacket 5.5
Subtotal clothes 24.3

Sleeping:
Down quilt, Thru-hiker.com kit, 2 in. loft 17.2
Pad, 18 x 42 in. closed cell 4.7
Subtotal sleeping 21.9

Shelter:
Tarp, silnylon, copy of a tent rainfly 10.6
Stakes, cut down alum gutter nails, 8 3.8
Ground cloth, cut down space blanket 2.0
Stuff sack 0.4
Subtotal shelter 16.8

Pack:
Thru-hiker.com LAB pack, modified to delete the lid 10.1
pocket, hip belt, water bladder pocket, with a rolled
top, two side pockets, and a hold-down strap,
approx. 2100 overall volume
Trash compactor liner 2.5
Subtotal pack 12.6

Cooking:
Grease pot, rolled edge ground off 2.3
Lid, foil 0.4
Wind screen, foil 0.4
Pot stand, chicken wire 0.5
Children's medicine measuring cup and paper clip 0.1
Pepsi-G alcohol stove 0.4
Spoon, Lexan, tablespoon size 0.4
Fuel bottle, 8 oz. soda bottle 0.5
Subtotal cooking 5.0

Water:
1 liter soda bottles (2) 2.6
Iodine, weight included in Utility section

Utility: 12.8
TP, first aid, fire, iodine, hygiene, light/compass/
whistle/thermometer combo, ear plugs, DEET, sunscreen,
etc, in stuff sack

Total: an even six pounds 96.0

Disclaimer: I'm not a person in pursuit of any particular base weight as a mission or personal record. Instead, lighter seems better up to the point where it compromises safety or utility, in which case it's time to add back some mass. For example, I sometimes add an Ursack TKO and an Army field jacket liner for the costs of 6.9 and 12.7 oz, respectively. I made a 4.4 oz pack once and didn't find it comfortable, so traded it out. I will occasionally delete the long john bottoms on short trips in warm temps. I could probably save about 8 oz if I made a new tarp out of lighter materials, spent some money on titanium stakes, and got some of the lead out of my utility bag, but I'm not sure I'd bother unless I were planning a full thru hike.

Thanks for the advice.

Coss

[take-a-knee]

Dude, I would ADD some weight. You need a full-length foam pad, a Zee Rest or Ridgerest, that is ten ounces of warmth, not a luxury. I would trash the space blanket and get a piece of tyvek. Since I'm a hammock convert, I'd suggest a Hennessy hyperlite, that down quilt of yours is made for a hammock. If you are interested in hammocks, there is stuff here at WB and over at Hammock Forums. There are better stoves (that use less fuel) than a pepsi stove, see the homemade gear forums. I didn't see any rainpaints, I spent a windy March day in the driving rain one time, didn't want to pack rain pants (too heavy), it was low forties, never again. Since I had sense enough to pack a goretex jacket, I didn't get hypothermic, I was just miserable as hell. I haven't used my Precip stuff enough to testify to its durability, but I will say that it breathes a lot better than the old goretex, so well in fact that it doesn't have to be raining cats and dogs to wear it. Maybe this new paclite stuff is the heat, I don't know. I'm going to spring for that uber lite goretex that OR sells one day.

[GlazeDog]

Coss--
For future reference, I'm sure your lightweight approach would be more accepted in the ultralight gear forum. People in general gear forums have mixed acceptance of lightweight hiking technique.
That "add some weight" comment is exactly what I'm talking about. But don't let it get to you, no matter how many times or miles the person has hiked the AT. It's your hike.
That said, I thnk the list looks great. I do like tyvek for the ground cloth over space blanket, especially in new england where a space blanket will lose its waterproofness on those rocks in no time. Those ti stakes aren't that expensive, I like the vargo orange painted hook end ones for visibility.

Happy trails
GlazeDog

[Smile]

Nice list Coss, sparse but well thought out. You know it always comes down to you, your hike and what you want to carry.

Tell me about your toothbrush, I don't see one listed. :)

[PJ 2005]

Why carry a windshirt AND a rain jacket? The latter can be used as both...

[LIhikers]

You say you want to do "longer excursions". Depending on exactly how long those trips are I'd add an extra pair of socks, or maybe even two. That way you can have a just washed pair drying on the outside of your pack, a pair on your feet, and a clean pair that're ready to wear.

[Peaks]

Why carry a windshirt AND a rain jacket? The latter can be used as both...

I usually carry both a windshirt and rain jacket.

First, clothing is relatively light.

Second, the windshirt provides a nice light layer of insulation. Just right to put on many times when I get a little cool. But it doesn't keep me dry at all!

[bigcranky]

I too carry both a windshirt and a rain jacket. They serve different purposes, and the windshirt only weighs 3 ounces for a very useful layer when hiking. In summer I often skip the rain shell entirely, but I probably wouldn't do that up north.

take-a-knee, the OP specifically said this was a summer gear list. No need for a full-length pad or warmer clothing. Agreed on the stove, though, my Pepsi-G was fun to make but uses a ton of fuel.

[take-a-knee]

Okay, I stand corrected, I read "summer" but it didn't compute. If I know it'll be shorts and tee shirt but I'm still gonna sweat weather, I'll just take a sil nylon poncho for rain gear, worn over the pack, as long as it's not too breezy (if it is you'll look like a clipper ship) it works great.

[coss]

Thanks for the replies.

Ground cloth: I agree. This is an item for which durability is unimportant on short trips, but essential for longer ones. I have a homemade silnylon ground cloth with pad pockets which weighs 3.5 oz, so with a weight penalty of 1.5 oz, I'm better off.

Socks: I like the wear one pair, carry two idea. Add another 1.4 oz.

Stove/fuel burn rates: I've done a lot of head scratching on this topic. I've made about 10 alcohol stoves of various styles, and only two have a reasonable effeciency, and the rest are flame throwers. There seems to be as much variation between stoves in the same category as there are between the categories themselves. My most efficient stove is a Pepsi-G which will boil two cups of water with 15 ml of fuel. I may try to make another Ion stove in search of better efficiency, but this particular Pepsi-G is pretty good.

Toothbrush: Although it's not listed separately, there is a children's size toothbrush included in the hygiene category of the utility bag. It formerly belonged to my daughter. It weighs 0.3 oz, and I don't plan on drilling holes in it. Real Men pack Little Mermaid toothbrushes.

Coss

[Appalachian Tater]

I'm a Whiteblaze newbie, who is a moderately experienced short-trip backpacker who has gotten his summer base weight from about 30 lbs down to about 6 lbs in the past several years. I make a lot of my own gear, both for the enjoyment of it, and so I can get exactly what I want. The following list is designed for one-season, summer-only AT section hikes of about two weeks. I've used these items on about a dozen 2-4 day trips in the Adirondacks and on the AT in Mass and CT, and haven't felt underequipped so far. However, I don't have enough experience to know if this is too much or too little for longer excursions. I am aware that another insulating layer will be needed for the higher elevations in NH (I grew up there). Please let me know what you think.

Clothes:
Wind shirt, Thru-hiker.com Liberty ridge 2.0 oz
Wind pants, Green Pepper pattern 2.2
Long sleeve shirt, EMS techwick, 100 wt 6.7
Long john bottoms, Campmor polypro 5.3
Fleece hat 1.2
Socks, basic running socks 1.4
Propore O2 rainshield jacket 5.5
Subtotal clothes 24.3

Sleeping:
Down quilt, Thru-hiker.com kit, 2 in. loft 17.2
Pad, 18 x 42 in. closed cell 4.7
Subtotal sleeping 21.9

Shelter:
Tarp, silnylon, copy of a tent rainfly 10.6
Stakes, cut down alum gutter nails, 8 3.8
Ground cloth, cut down space blanket 2.0
Stuff sack 0.4
Subtotal shelter 16.8

Pack:
Thru-hiker.com LAB pack, modified to delete the lid 10.1
pocket, hip belt, water bladder pocket, with a rolled
top, two side pockets, and a hold-down strap,
approx. 2100 overall volume
Trash compactor liner 2.5
Subtotal pack 12.6

Cooking:
Grease pot, rolled edge ground off 2.3
Lid, foil 0.4
Wind screen, foil 0.4
Pot stand, chicken wire 0.5
Children's medicine measuring cup and paper clip 0.1
Pepsi-G alcohol stove 0.4
Spoon, Lexan, tablespoon size 0.4
Fuel bottle, 8 oz. soda bottle 0.5
Subtotal cooking 5.0

Water:
1 liter soda bottles (2) 2.6
Iodine, weight included in Utility section

Utility: 12.8
TP, first aid, fire, iodine, hygiene, light/compass/
whistle/thermometer combo, ear plugs, DEET, sunscreen,
etc, in stuff sack

Total: an even six pounds 96.0

Disclaimer: I'm not a person in pursuit of any particular base weight as a mission or personal record. Instead, lighter seems better up to the point where it compromises safety or utility, in which case it's time to add back some mass. For example, I sometimes add an Ursack TKO and an Army field jacket liner for the costs of 6.9 and 12.7 oz, respectively. I made a 4.4 oz pack once and didn't find it comfortable, so traded it out. I will occasionally delete the long john bottoms on short trips in warm temps. I could probably save about 8 oz if I made a new tarp out of lighter materials, spent some money on titanium stakes, and got some of the lead out of my utility bag, but I'm not sure I'd bother unless I were planning a full thru hike.

Thanks for the advice.

Coss

I think you could shave some weight off the soda bottles by getting a couple of one liter Platypuses (or even one larger one) if you're willing to spend the big bucks.

[LIhikers]

Toothbrush: Although it's not listed separately, there is a children's size toothbrush included in the hygiene category of the utility bag. It formerly belonged to my daughter. It weighs 0.3 oz, and I don't plan on drilling holes in it. Real Men pack Little Mermaid toothbrushes.

Coss

Be a sport, give your daughter her toothbrush back and buy your own..lol:D

[rafe]

I think you could shave some weight off the soda bottles by getting a couple of one liter Platypuses (or even one larger one) if you're willing to spend the big bucks.

Save a fraction of an ounce, if that. This is where gram-counting really gets a bit ridiculous. (And the cost per ounce saved starts approaching that of gold.)

Now if coss had told us he were carrying Nalgene bottles, you'd have a strong case. But he's not. He's already a certified gram-weenie. :D

[SGT Rock]

If this is a summer list I imagine you will be hiking when bugs are out. I didn't see any bug protection.

[Flush2wice]

He has DEET on the list.

[SGT Rock]

Well I mean for sleeping in. Deet is nice, but in buggy weather it may keep them from biting you, but not from swarming you and driving you nuts.

[Smile]

Agree on that one. How about some sort of netting plans? Without good sleep one can get pretty miserable out there, the heat can be a pain, but add that to bugs and it's a combination for a miserable time. :)

[coss]

Thanks for the continued replies.

Toothbrush: My daughter is now at the age when a kiddie toothbrush isn't cool anymore, and the fact that I now use it gives her another excuse to perfect her eye-rolling technique over something harmless, such as the degree to which her father is such a hopeless geek. It looks like the Little Mermaid toothbrush is all mine forever more.

Platypus/Gram Weenie: The platy is one instance where this ultralighter has decided to carry a small amount of weight in return for utility. I have a 2.4 liter platy that weighs only 1.3 oz, and takes up very little volume when empty. I sometimes use it as a water carrier in camp. While hiking, it is a bit too bulky and heavy to be convenient in a pack. It also stains brown from iodine and needs to be bleached clear again upon returning home. It dries very slowly as well, and can grow mold unless you pay some attention to getting it dry. I haven't tried the 1 liter size, and might save a bit less than an ounce if I switched, and haven't decided if it's worth it.
As far as weeniness goes, my digital postal scale weighs down to 0.1 oz only, not grams. I couldn't possibly be as OCD as the actual gram counters, just ask my wife...

Bug Protection: So far, I've gotten by with DEET, perhaps because my high frequency hearing loss is sufficient for me to not notice whining bugs. I may try a bug net one of these days, if the DEET doesn't give me leukemia first.

Coss