View Full Version : Pack Weight Gear Question....Sleeping Pad??
Ladyofthewoods
02-22-2012, 19:30
I'm dialing down my gear and not happy with 36 lbs weight (all gear, 2 litres water, 3/days food)
Deuter ACT 50/15- 3 lbs. 6 oz
REI Halo 25 Down Sleeping Bag- 31 oz
Marmot Eos1 Tent- 2 lbs 15 oz.
Primus Etapack Lite Stove System- 21 oz.
Exped Down 7 sleeping pad- 31 ounces.
I've heard all the hype about the NEOAir Xlite. 12 oz sounds great, but I know it's noisy, but also that it can puncture easily. Are there any testimonies out there for it or any other? The weight difference for me would be a pound!
Yeah I would get a lighter pad, prolite seems to be popular, I personally just use a ridgerest foam pad. Also that stove system just seems way to heavy. Is there a reason you need such a heavy stove? There are plenty of good canister stoves that weigh about 2.5-4 oz, pair it with a 6 oz pot and your good to go and youll save another 11-13 oz. The rest of your items listed seem reasonable. I would also just you through your gear and pull out anything redundant. Then see how many of these redundant items you can hike with out.
ric2hunt
02-22-2012, 20:16
Thermorest neo air at about 19 oz. Best I have sleep on and I have tried a lot. A good night's sleep is worth a little weight especially when looking at a long day hiking.
kayak karl
02-22-2012, 20:37
that's the pad i have, but just for very cold winter and kayaking. these ground people can help you. what are the coldest temps you expect?
Well, my its been awhile since i have done math, but in my head it looks like all your listed comes up to about 9 pounds.... what else are you carryin to make 36 ??? i mean even if you buy that sleeping pad, your talking lossing a pound... so 36 to 35.... you either carryin something else thats WAYY to heavy or wayy to much of something.
Ladyofthewoods
02-22-2012, 21:24
Well, my its been awhile since i have done math, but in my head it looks like all your listed comes up to about 9 pounds.... what else are you carryin to make 36 ??? i mean even if you buy that sleeping pad, your talking lossing a pound... so 36 to 35.... you either carryin something else thats WAYY to heavy or wayy to much of something.
Clothes Weight- (Smartwool longjohns, top, Marmot rain paints, rain jacket, 2 socks, 1 xtra underwear, Marmot lite vest,) other clothes I wear I don't count- 2 lbs.
Hygiene items, including medicine, and stuff sack altogether weigh- 9oz
3 days food- 6.2 lbs
tent footprint- 4oz
water- 4 lbs.
Misc. items- fuel canister, yak tracks, camp sandals, exped pillow, Platypus water bag, aquamira liquid drops
skinewmexico
02-22-2012, 22:44
It would be simple to knock 1# off each your major items. But like others had said, your other gear is adding up big time.
Ditch the yak tracks, more for crossing rocks covered in ice. There is still about 15 lbs unaccounted for what other items do you have.
Chubbs4U
02-22-2012, 23:47
Kind of off subject but do you have a hard time "hand pumping" your exped?
I pretty much agree with everyone else....
Item # 1: Each of the 5 items that you have listed in your initial post is heavier than it needs to be. Examples: My own pack weighs 26 ounces--and many people would call that pack HEAVY. My NeoAir pad weighs roughly 14 oz. (LOTS of sleeping pads weigh under 24 ounces--with some in the 9-14 ounce range). Your Stove system seems a bit heavy. (My alcohol stove, plus 4 days of fuel, and my cooking pot/cover weighs roughly 12 ounces. Some people would call that too heavy). Many forms of shelter weigh less than your 2 lbs 15 oz tent. The five items mentioned in your original post weigh just over 12 lbs. (My similar 5 items weigh 7 lbs when I carry a heavy load--and around 5 lbs when I go "lighter").
Item # 2: The biggest problem (if you are really worried about gear weight) is probably the 24 lbs of other "stuff" which you are carrying. You have 10.2 lbs for food and water--that is not unrealistic (but some people will do it lighter). However, that means that you still have roughly 14 lbs of other stuff in your pack. (Heck, some rare ultralight hikers have a TOTAL gear weight that is less than that 14 lbs--and your "EXTRAS" weigh that much!). If you want to reduce your gear weight, you clearly need to reduce the number of other items that you are bringing--and/or reduce the weight of each of the items which you do bring with you.
With your first 22+ pounds of gear, you have already covered almost all of the essentials that you will need on your hike. You have a pack, sleep system, shelter, cooking system, food, and water. Thus, I have trouble understanding why you need 14 lbs. of additional things (especially if your goal is to reduce weight).
So, in Item # 1 you could easily cut 5-6 lbs. If you cut the weight of your stuff in Item # 2 in half, you will have saved another 7 lbs (For a total reduction of 12-13 lbs. Your total gear weight would then be 24-25 lbs).
If you wish to reduce gear weight, I say, "GO FOR IT!". (However, your current 36 pounds of gear and supplies is still lighter than what many people carry)
Ladyofthewoods
02-23-2012, 09:14
Kind of off subject but do you have a hard time "hand pumping" your exped?
Chubbs4U, no problem at all. It pumps up very fast and it is soooo comfortable, I hate to give it up, but it all adds up. :-)
Ladyofthewoods
02-23-2012, 09:26
I pretty much agree with everyone else....
Item # 1: Each of the 5 items that you have listed in your initial post is heavier than it needs to be. Examples: My own pack weighs 26 ounces--and many people would call that pack HEAVY. My NeoAir pad weighs roughly 14 oz. (LOTS of sleeping pads weigh under 24 ounces--with some in the 9-14 ounce range). Your Stove system seems a bit heavy. (My alcohol stove, plus 4 days of fuel, and my cooking pot/cover weighs roughly 12 ounces. Some people would call that too heavy). Many forms of shelter weigh less than your 2 lbs 15 oz tent. The five items mentioned in your original post weigh just over 12 lbs. (My similar 5 items weigh 7 lbs when I carry a heavy load--and around 5 lbs when I go "lighter").
Item # 2: The biggest problem (if you are really worried about gear weight) is probably the 24 lbs of other "stuff" which you are carrying. You have 10.2 lbs for food and water--that is not unrealistic (but some people will do it lighter). However, that means that you still have roughly 14 lbs of other stuff in your pack. (Heck, some rare ultralight hikers have a TOTAL gear weight that is less than that 14 lbs--and your "EXTRAS" weigh that much!). If you want to reduce your gear weight, you clearly need to reduce the number of other items that you are bringing--and/or reduce the weight of each of the items which you do bring with you.
With your first 22+ pounds of gear, you have already covered almost all of the essentials that you will need on your hike. You have a pack, sleep system, shelter, cooking system, food, and water. Thus, I have trouble understanding why you need 14 lbs. of additional things (especially if your goal is to reduce weight).
So, in Item # 1 you could easily cut 5-6 lbs. If you cut the weight of your stuff in Item # 2 in half, you will have saved another 7 lbs (For a total reduction of 12-13 lbs. Your total gear weight would then be 24-25 lbs).
If you wish to reduce gear weight, I say, "GO FOR IT!". (However, your current 36 pounds of gear and supplies is still lighter than what many people carry)
Prain4u....I do WISH to reduce weight. ?? Not sure why you insinuated I did not. Why else would I post the question? Anyways, yes, I do recognize those main items can be reduced by going ultralight. However, the only one I'm ready to change out of the main ones is the Exped Mat. It can easily be changed to lose weight. The other miscellaneous items..stove...I may very well change, hygiene items...going thru to reduce as much as possible. Someone mentioned yaktraks...that is only to get thru the Smokeys then they'll be sent home. I have no desire to go ul with 20 pounds. 30 is comfortable and doable. I'm trying to get there! Thanks so much everyone for input.
Drybones
02-23-2012, 09:58
Where you are with your gear is about where I was last year. I replaced the large Exped pad with the Exped UL 7, weighs 19 oz with repair kit. Very expensive at $155 but I really sleep better on it than in my bed, it's quieter than most other pads. I replaced the heavy stove and cook set with a 24 oz beer can pot, and alcohol stove made from a spray can. The pot, stove, wind screen and velcro strap to hold it all together weigh 3 oz. I had a Eureka tent that I liked that weighed a little more than yours but replaced it with a Tarptent Notch that weighs 29 oz. I have the Deuter ACT 65 and it weighs 3,15. I like the pack and carried 42 lbs over 12,000 + peaks with it this spring but it's just too heavy to carry 2100 miles. I finally found a dealer yesterday that had one of the new Granite Gear Crown 60 packs in stock...$199. Unfortunately it's expensive getting your weight down but I want to do everything I can to make my thu hike a memorable one...in a pleasant way. If I was 40 years younger I would not be as concerned with ounces but at 63 I need all the help I can get. Hope your gear quest goes well.
Drybones
02-23-2012, 10:05
As long as I know where water is available I never carry over 16 oz. I hydrate well when I start and hydrate at the next water hole. I normally drink the 16 Oz I carry between water holes to reduce weight and not because I'm thirsty. A lot of the people I hike with carry the large bladders and suck on them all day but I believe your better off to drink a volume of water at a time to get your system hydrated well rather than sip all day.
swjohnsey
02-23-2012, 11:31
Yep, camel up! I carry a quart. Never pass up easy water.
Lone Wolf
02-23-2012, 11:36
I'm dialing down my gear and not happy with 36 lbs weight (all gear, 2 litres water, 3/days food)
Deuter ACT 50/15- 3 lbs. 6 oz
REI Halo 25 Down Sleeping Bag- 31 oz
Marmot Eos1 Tent- 2 lbs 15 oz.
Primus Etapack Lite Stove System- 21 oz.
Exped Down 7 sleeping pad- 31 ounces.
I've heard all the hype about the NEOAir Xlite. 12 oz sounds great, but I know it's noisy, but also that it can puncture easily. Are there any testimonies out there for it or any other? The weight difference for me would be a pound!
Ridgerest. it's all i ever use. blow up pads are too heavy, expensive and pop easily
Ditch the yak tracks, more for crossing rocks covered in ice. There is still about 15 lbs unaccounted for what other items do you have.
They are horrible for ice on inclined rocks.
Ridgerest. it's all i ever use. blow up pads are too heavy, expensive and pop easily
Used one on my Ga. section hike. Fine for tent (used all but one night) torture on shelter floor (for me, at least).
Heavy and deflation prone are definite downsides to any inflatable pad, and an insulated inflatable is worse, because once it goes down, you not only lose your insulation, but you lose the comfort you have gotten so used to.
For comfort and protection, when I sleep on the ground I take a Big Agnes Air core pad and put a 3/8" closed cell pad on top. Still heavy, but comfortable until I get a flat (never have, but I loaned out my pad last year and someone else did :mad:), and if then, the warmth of the back-up pad is still there.
I'd suggest using your ground sheet (Tyvek or other) anytime you use an inflatable pad, even in a shelter. Just as an extra bit of protection. I used a Prolite Plus on my thru and never had any issues. Next time I'll use a RidgeRest.
Yep, camel up! I carry a quart. Never pass up easy water.
Agreed. As they say "the best way to carry water is in your stomach"
skinewmexico
02-23-2012, 12:46
I have no desire to go ul with 20 pounds. 30 is comfortable and doable. I'm trying to get there! Thanks so much everyone for input.
20# isn't UL. But if you want specifics, weigh every single item in your pack, and post the detailed list.
And the number I see thrown around for food most often is 1.2# per day, so you've got about 5 days of food.
swjohnsey
02-23-2012, 12:57
The old style Neoair is on sale at Campmor, short $80. It is one ounce heavier and R 2.5 instead of 3.2 but fifty bucks cheaper than the Neoair Xlite.
http://reviews.rei.com/review/783670/Primus-EtaPack-Lite-Stove-System
You might want to rethink this one. For less weight you could use a PocketRocket stove and a titanium pot and spoon or spork and a plastic (or titanium) cup.
Looks like a good system, but the highest cost is in weight.
You might want to experiment with an alcohol stove or esbit, too. There are few convenient alcohol stoves on the market and fewer that simmer, and none that are as hot as blended canister fuel, but availability is good (it's possible, though not likely that the outfitter you are depending upon to have canisters runs out due to high demand) whereas you can get yellow Heet in most automitive centers and convienience stores). It's also a pain trying to keep track of fuel usage with a canister. You might think you have just enough for that last meal before hitting town and not have quite enough, leaving a partially rehydrated meal in your pot. Esbit tabs are very handy for these occasions, as well as for starting fires, and, yes, I have used them for both. :)
Just for comparison, my complete cookset (including Supercat alcohol stove and simmer ring, 1300 ml. pot, spoon, windscreen, foil scorch pad for under stove (doubles as a mouse baffle when needed) a 750ml. pot/cup,a small piece of stainless scouring pad and coffe filter) weighs exactly 10 oz. minus fuel). I can boil 2 cups of water with a minimum of 1/2 oz. and a max of 1 oz of fuel (but there is a learning curve involved).
They are horrible for ice on inclined rocks.
Ok in that case they have been downgraded to completely useless, I have used microspikes from kathoolas and they are great on ice.