Spend my Money!! Gear list

[Leanthree]

I have $750 saved up for the specific purpose of buying new backpacking gear. I am bad at spending money. Help me spend it!!!

(I know, it should go to a charity or my retirement fund or your thru-hike fund or some better cause. Leave that conversation for another thread.)

A bit about me to help you spend my money:
My current gear has gotten me just over 11% of the way on the AT as part of my 20 year section hike plan. I like it, it has never caused me particular issue, but I wouldn't mind if it were lighter because the nature of how I section hike (stuck for the most part hiking on vacation day-extended weekends, holiday weekends, and the occasional week with a large reliance on public transit as I don't own a car) means I need to get between defined landmarks in a short period of time. I generally hike 2-7 days at a time between April and October on the AT. I am 6'1" 190lbs for what that is worth and I hike from 10-16 mpd depending on terrain and how battered and abused I want to feel at my desk come Monday. While hiking I generally wear a synthetic t-shirt, shorts, low socks and low hiking shoes and use leki poles.


Below is my gear list for my favorite sort of weather forecast 70s during the day, high 30s at night. I wouldn't mind suggestions that would bring make my sleep system a bit warmer as my lower limit is about 30 deg when I bring along the sleeping bag liner. (I leave it home when temps are warmer) That being said, all suggestions are welcome, you have $750 to spend. I am open to all manufacturers whether they are made in some guy's garage, a corporate behemoth or a 6 year old in China as long as they make a quality and lightweight product.

Some weights of smaller items may be inexact. I marked with an asterisk the estimated #s, you are welcome to suggest an oz. scale as part of my spend.

Tent- MSR Carbon Reflex 1 with 2 extra stakes- 39 oz
Pack- Osprey Exos 46- 37 oz
Bag- Marmot Atom Reg- 21 oz
Bag Liner- Sea-to-Summit Reactor 8.1 oz
Pad- Thermarest Neo Air M- 13 oz
Rain Jacket- Some generic EMS thing from 2005, decent but the DWR is pretty bad- 14 oz*
Puff- Montbell ex-light down. 5.7oz (I'll carry a fleece if the forecast is for cold weather)
Pot - GSI Pinnacle Soloist 1L with lid 8 oz*
Base layer upper- Generic REI polyester from 2002 9oz*
Base layer lower- generic REI polyester from 2002 6 oz*
Bear Bag/Rope- Sea-to-summit 13L + 50' paracord 6 oz*
Wool Hat- knock off bought on street for $5 outside a sporting event- 3 oz*
Headlamp + 3 AAA- Petzl, I forget the model 3.95 oz
Groundcloth- Tyvek- 4.6 oz
Knife- Swiss Army with 2 blades, scissors, can/bottle opener and a few other useless things 4oz
Quart Gatorade bottle 2oz
1L Nalgene (water usually but hot drinks at camp, swapped for Gatorade bottle when warmer) 4oz
Extra pair socks 3oz* (on longer or forecast wetter trips, I bring an additional extra pair)
Various plastic bags (includes trash bag as pack liner+ziplocks) 3oz*
Toothbrush/paste 3oz (depending on how empty the travel size tube is at the moment)*
Water treatment- Iodine tablets 2oz
Stove- Alcohol homemade <1oz
Fuel Bottle- 8 fl oz poland springs- 1oz*
Spork- Plastic <1oz
Lighter- 2x Bic 1 oz*
Duct Tape- 1oz*
Bandana-1oz
Glasses, Contacts, money, keys CC/license/medical cards- 4 oz*
Smart Phone 5.5 oz (this kills me, my dumb phone was 3 oz less)
Map, Guide pages- 2 oz
DEET- 3 oz (or so, depends on the season and location of hiking. Note I hike in Conn. in July on occasion)

Total Base Weight 14 lbs 4oz, without bag liner gets me sub-13 lbs which way my original goal 2 years ago when I did my last upgrade cycle.

I also own a wind jacket, rain pants, various unmatched hiking socks, lots of old-style gear such as a 115 liter pack and a 6 lb 3 person tent.

Thanks all for your help. I look forward to your suggestions.

Spend my money!!!

[Offshore]

Fuel Bottle- 8 fl oz poland springs- 1oz*


Just be careful about storing fuel in a water bottle. Its easier than you think to mistakenly take a swig of something nasty from what felt like a water bottle when you grabbed it in the middle of the night.

[MuddyWaters]

Tent and pack are where you would spend money to really reduce weight.
Other stuff, you can cut down on cheaply.

Cookpot is insanely heavy.
3oz is a lot of bug dope for one week
3oz is ridiculous for toothpaste. Try a tiny ziplock with baking soda and small toothbrush
Get a small, light knife under 1oz
Get fleece beanie for under 1oz
Water containers are very heavy. two 1L water bottles is 2oz
Use polycryo or mylar groundcloth, under 2oz
Buy spectra bear cord, 1.2 oz and zpacks blast foodbag 0.85 oz
Get light headlamp. Plenty for under 1oz. Try olite or fenix Ld01 (AAA)that clip to hat brim

You can be in 10lb range easily.

[Chaco Taco]

I have $750 saved up for the specific purpose of buying new backpacking gear. I am bad at spending money. Help me spend it!!!

(I know, it should go to a charity or my retirement fund or your thru-hike fund or some better cause. Leave that conversation for another thread.)

A bit about me to help you spend my money:
My current gear has gotten me just over 11% of the way on the AT as part of my 20 year section hike plan. I like it, it has never caused me particular issue, but I wouldn't mind if it were lighter because the nature of how I section hike (stuck for the most part hiking on vacation day-extended weekends, holiday weekends, and the occasional week with a large reliance on public transit as I don't own a car) means I need to get between defined landmarks in a short period of time. I generally hike 2-7 days at a time between April and October on the AT. I am 6'1" 190lbs for what that is worth and I hike from 10-16 mpd depending on terrain and how battered and abused I want to feel at my desk come Monday. While hiking I generally wear a synthetic t-shirt, shorts, low socks and low hiking shoes and use leki poles.


Below is my gear list for my favorite sort of weather forecast 70s during the day, high 30s at night. I wouldn't mind suggestions that would bring make my sleep system a bit warmer as my lower limit is about 30 deg when I bring along the sleeping bag liner. (I leave it home when temps are warmer) That being said, all suggestions are welcome, you have $750 to spend. I am open to all manufacturers whether they are made in some guy's garage, a corporate behemoth or a 6 year old in China as long as they make a quality and lightweight product.

Some weights of smaller items may be inexact. I marked with an asterisk the estimated #s, you are welcome to suggest an oz. scale as part of my spend.

Tent- MSR Carbon Reflex 1 with 2 extra stakes- 39 oz Tarptent, goes really well with the Catalyst. $250?
Pack- Osprey Exos 46- 37 oz maybe update to a ULA Catalyst. $250
Bag- Marmot Atom Reg- 21 oz Mtn Hardware Ultra lamina 15 is a sweet bag, maybe look at a quilt as
Bag Liner- Sea-to-Summit Reactor 8.1 dump this and go with a contractor grade trashbag
Pad- Thermarest Neo Air M- 13 oz
Rain Jacket- Some generic EMS thing from 2005, decent but the DWR is pretty bad- 14 oz* Marmot Precip's or the Sierra Designs jackets are pretty reasonable. Last about 4 years $99 , sometimes $80
Puff- Montbell ex-light down. 5.7oz (I'll carry a fleece if the forecast is for cold weather)
Pot - GSI Pinnacle Soloist 1L with lid 8 oz MSR Titan Kettle, you will never have to buy another pot $50
Base layer upper- Generic REI polyester from 2002 9oz*
Base layer lower- generic REI polyester from 2002 6 oz*
Bear Bag/Rope- Sea-to-summit 13L + 50' paracord 6 oz*
Wool Hat- knock off bought on street for $5 outside a sporting event- 3 oz* Polartec fleece beanie's are great
Headlamp + 3 AAA- Petzl, I forget the model 3.95 I use a Princeton Tec and it super light and great for night hiking
Groundcloth- Tyvek- 4.6 oz
Knife- Swiss Army with 2 blades, scissors, can/bottle opener and a few other useless things 4oz
Quart Gatorade bottle 2oz
1L Nalgene (water usually but hot drinks at camp, swapped for Gatorade bottle when warmer) 4ozDump this and get a platypus, use a gatorade bottle for extra water
Extra pair socks 3oz* (on longer or forecast wetter trips, I bring an additional extra pair)
Various plastic bags (includes trash bag as pack liner+ziplocks) 3oz* WHY? you have a liner already
Toothbrush/paste 3oz (depending on how empty the travel size tube is at the moment)travel sizes at teh grocery store are great. Health food stores sell small travel sizes of powdered toothpaste
Water treatment- Iodine tablets 2oz, Aqua Mira, my opinion is it leaves less taste than iodine
Stove- Alcohol homemade <1oz
Fuel Bottle- 8 fl oz poland springs- 1oz* for 3 days, too much unless you cook alot
Spork- Plastic <1oz
Lighter- 2x Bic 1 oz*
Duct Tape- 1oz*
Bandana-1oz
Glasses, Contacts, money, keys CC/license/medical cards- 4 oz*
Smart Phone 5.5 oz (this kills me, my dumb phone was 3 oz less)
Map, Guide pages- 2 oz
DEET- 3 oz (or so, depends on the season and location of hiking. Note I hike in Conn. in July on occasion) Herbal Armour

Total Base Weight 14 lbs 4oz, without bag liner gets me sub-13 lbs which way my original goal 2 years ago when I did my last upgrade cycle.

I also own a wind jacket, rain pants, various unmatched hiking socks, lots of old-style gear such as a 115 liter pack and a 6 lb 3 person tent.

Thanks all for your help. I look forward to your suggestions.

Spend my money!!!
If you are set on spending money, Id go for the tent, pack and sleeping bag. That should take up most of it.

[swjohnsey]

ULA Ohm 2.0 would save you about 10 oz. Big Agnes Flycreek UL1 another 10 oz. Ditch the ground sheet. Petzl E-Lite. Western Mountaineering bag to fit your temp requirements. Titanium pot. You can save a little by using titanium wire stakes and reducing the number to 6.

For cold weather I would go for a wind/waterproof shell top and bottom. Marmot Precip works but you can go lighter, even Driducks. Hat/balacava, mittens, and a light (100/200) fleece top, fleece pants, poly T-shirt and shorts. You can sleep in the fleece to stetch the range of your sleeping bag. Once it warms up ditch the fleece.

[slbirdnerd]

Chaco, I think this: "Bag Liner- Sea-to-Summit Reactor 8.1" dump this and go with a contractor grade trashbag, is actually his sleeping bag liner, his pack liner is farther down.

This actually brings me to a question I have, where to get trash compactor bags at the store. Keep looking, either they don't have them or I'm looking in the wrong place.

[Leanthree]

Thanks all for your feedback.

I think my 3oz of toothpaste is inaccurate more than that I take 3 oz of toothpaste. More like 1 oz likely. DEET is accurate because I wish death on all mosquitos (though it is probably just killing me...). I can probabally downsize there.

The other ideas are super helpful especially the polycro ground cloth, new rain jacket and OHM 2.0.

I like the taste of Iodine, I associate it with backpacking which makes me happy.

[Venchka]

1. Swap the Marmot bag & funky liner for a Western Mountaineering Summerlite bag.
Weight loss = 10 oz. Comfort gain = Baffled bag. Western Mountaineering's quality. Under appreciated benefit: No side block baffle. Down can be shifted to top or bottom as the season's dictate.
$355. Reduce that figure a bit by selling your bag & liner.
Balance to play with: $395. More with the gear sale.
I'll be back.

Wayne

[Chaco Taco]

Chaco, I think this: "Bag Liner- Sea-to-Summit Reactor 8.1" dump this and go with a contractor grade trashbag, is actually his sleeping bag liner, his pack liner is farther down.

This actually brings me to a question I have, where to get trash compactor bags at the store. Keep looking, either they don't have them or I'm looking in the wrong place.

Haha gotcha. Only contractor grades I get are the huge boxes at the Hardware store

[Swordpen]

Get a Lightheart Solo, big tent, 28 oz seam sealed. Around $280. This is a huge tent, see my previous posts.

[Firefighter503]

Well you mention being able to get a little warmer sleeping system, and bringing a fleece sometimes when its 'cold.' You have an excellent puffy jacket, and shouldn't need more than that in most instances with your base layer and hat (and sleeping bag).

Were I in your situation, here is what I would do:

Tent: Check out some tarptent style tents. Tarpent Contrail or similar comes to mind. $200 new, maybe $150 used. Saves 15oz. If you want to spend more, check out Zpacks.com and save another 10+ oz for a couple hundred more.

Sleeping Bag: How warm would you like to get? Western Mountaineering Summerlite 32* (19 oz) or Alpinelite 20* (31 oz) or similar. $355-435 depending on which you prefer. These are hard to find used (with good reason). With the Summerlite, you save 2 oz, and gain 10+ degrees of warmth. With the Alpinelite you gain more versatility (IMO - because you have a 40* bag), but will gain 10 oz and 20+ degrees of warmth.

Thats 17 oz and 10-15* added warmth for about $500-555 right there (with the Summerlite). You could definitely downsize to an Ohm 2.0 or something similar for another $200 (maybe $150 used) and save another 10-11 oz if you wanted, and putting you in the 11.5 lb range (no need for sleeping bag liner with warmer bag for same conditions).