OK....a little bored, so I want you to rate my gear!!

[dan8794]

Hey guys. I am still kind of new at backpacking and I bought a bunch of gear a while back, and I just want you guys to rate it....give me some ideas as to what to change, what not to use, what else to buy...etc....etc.

Anyways, here goes!

Pack: Gregory Z55 (3lbs 5 oz)
Sleeping Bag: Marmot Trestles 30* Long (I am a very warm sleeper) (3lbs 7oz)
Pad: Therm-A-Rest Trail Light (2lbs)
Tent: Mountain Hardwear Lightwedge 2 (6.19lbs)
Headlamp: Black Diamond Gizmo (2.8oz with batteries)
MSR Pocketrocket Stove (3 oz without canister)
Snow Peak Trek 900 Cookset (6.2 oz)
Light my Fire Spork (0.36oz)
Hyperflow Water Purifier (7.4 oz)

Clothing:

Nike Boxer-Briefs
Terramar silk weight base layer
Smartwool/Thorlo Socks (wool/synthetic respectively)
AFTCO shorts
Patagonia Synchilla Fleece
North Face Windstopper Jacket
North Face HyVent Rain Jacket
Chaco Strata Trail runner shoes
Birkenstock Clogs for camp (for now of course, quite heavy!)
North Face Bones Beanie
Gordini Lavawool Gloves

I think that's it...whaddaya think?

This isn't necessarily for a thru-hike...I won't be doing one of those until 2010...right now, I'm just getting into hiking, hitting the trail for 20-100 mile section hikes whenever I'm not doing school work!

[Reid]

I'd lose the tent and go with a tarp.

[Lyle]

I agree with the above. First thing should be the tent. 6# is way heavier than it needs to be. Look at a tarp, or at least a tarptent. Can get down to around 2# easily.

Next to replace would be your sleeping bag. 3.5# is a lot for a 30* bag. Should be able to get under 2# with some cash, or around 2.5# with less cash.

Stove cookware sounds good unless you go to a home made alcohol, would save a few oz there.

Clothes look pretty good. Windstopper and rain jacket a bit redundant. Replace sandles with $6 Dollar General crock knock-offs - very comfortable and durable, lighter than real crocks. Sme kind of long pants? Most men loose the briefs.

What you have will work for warm weather hikes if you are short on cash. May not be a bad idea to use it for a few hikes till you find out what you like or don't like. After that start with what you learn here and start modifying. The most important thing is to get out and get some experience - You can then judge for yourself where you want to make changes.

Good luck - be safe.

[coldspring]

Put that dang Trestles bag and Mountain Hardwear tent on eBay. They have to go! You could problaby get enough out of the tent to go a good ways on a slightly used Tarptent, like was mentioned. Shouldn't cost a lot to save a pound on the bag either.

[hnryclay]

Packs heavy, Pad is a little heavy and probably hard to pack, tent is REAL heavy,clogs are heavy as you said, and why do you have the fleece and the wind breaker? Not that you don't need both I am just curious. All your gear is nice though, and if it works for you and is comfortable then keep using it IMO.