Made big gear adjustments - anymore suggestions to shake weight?

[lilbear]

Sounds like you're on it, well done! I agree on the lack of need for a footprint, though with a dog, that might change things a bit. maybe a small piece of Tyvek for IN the tent to protect the floor from the pooch-paws/nails? I used my BA fly creek sans-footprint for a half an AT and at least that many other nights in Colorado, my floor is still just fine (no holes or even bag wear spots). I've never, ever used a footprint on any of my tents over 50 years of backpacking, zero issues. Footprints are extraneous weight and cost, more marketing than anything else. If you MUST use one, get a sheet of polycro for 6 bucks and 2 ounces, cut to size.

Not to be too picky cmoulder, but the 100-ish gram canisters I've bought (some are 110 grams) are anywhere from 7 to 7.5 ounces, not over 8. But certainly greater than 6. Good point on falsely quoted weights. The only companies I've run into that were perfectly honest are ULA and zpacks. Even Big Agnes and Osprey fudge a tad low in their specs.

I personally like both a pack liner and pack cover, realizing that the pack cover isn't enough, though if you choose only one, the liner is better. I like the "first line" of protection, and it also keeps the pack fabric mostly dry, which saves the weight of the wet pack fabric. I did a test on my ULA OHM, and this amounted to 6 saved ounces on rainy days, at the cost of carrying a 1.5 cuben fiber pack cover all the time. trade-offs!

Finally, I only backflush my sawyer about once a week, I see no need to backflush more often. I don't even carry the syringe; I backflush by holding the filter backwards against a sink faucet (in towns) and let that pressure flush it out. Prepare to get a tad wet until you learn how to hold it tight enough....

I've toyed with just getting a small piece of tyvek or something to put just near the entry way and under his bag to help with claws. I keep his nails short and he's usually tired enough that he just passes out... maybe I'll revisit that idea though. Good to know how long and resilient your BA has been!

[cmoulder]

Not to be too picky cmoulder, but the 100-ish gram canisters I've bought (some are 110 grams) are anywhere from 7 to 7.5 ounces, not over 8. But certainly greater than 6. Good point on falsely quoted weights. The only companies I've run into that were perfectly honest are ULA and zpacks. Even Big Agnes and Osprey fudge a tad low in their specs.

You are correct. I just weighed one and it's 7.2oz.

canister weight.jpg

[ScareBear]

Sounds like you're on it, well done! I agree on the lack of need for a footprint, though with a dog, that might change things a bit. maybe a small piece of Tyvek for IN the tent to protect the floor from the pooch-paws/nails? I used my BA fly creek sans-footprint for a half an AT and at least that many other nights in Colorado, my floor is still just fine (no holes or even bag wear spots). I've never, ever used a footprint on any of my tents over 50 years of backpacking, zero issues. Footprints are extraneous weight and cost, more marketing than anything else. If you MUST use one, get a sheet of polycro for 6 bucks and 2 ounces, cut to size.

Not to be too picky cmoulder, but the 100-ish gram canisters I've bought (some are 110 grams) are anywhere from 7 to 7.5 ounces, not over 8. But certainly greater than 6. Good point on falsely quoted weights. The only companies I've run into that were perfectly honest are ULA and zpacks. Even Big Agnes and Osprey fudge a tad low in their specs.

I personally like both a pack liner and pack cover, realizing that the pack cover isn't enough, though if you choose only one, the liner is better. I like the "first line" of protection, and it also keeps the pack fabric mostly dry, which saves the weight of the wet pack fabric. I did a test on my ULA OHM, and this amounted to 6 saved ounces on rainy days, at the cost of carrying a 1.5 cuben fiber pack cover all the time. trade-offs!

Finally, I only backflush my sawyer about once a week, I see no need to backflush more often. I don't even carry the syringe; I backflush by holding the filter backwards against a sink faucet (in towns) and let that pressure flush it out. Prepare to get a tad wet until you learn how to hold it tight enough....

My Sawyer slowed down after only 80 litres, or so. I only backflushed....maybe....every 12 litres? This was from some silty water, but still....
The Sawyer still works, but it is too slow to carry now. I read up on about 100 reviews and a significant amount had the same complaint. The Sawyer Mini got even worse reviews about the need to flush after every use.

I went back to my FirstNeed XLE Deluxe purifier. I know. It weighs a whole pound. But, it works and handles viruses as well. Great flow rate. It must be backflushed after every use, as well.

There is only one filter/purifier I know of that can handle freezing. And it costs $350!

YMMV!!!!

[colorado_rob]

My Sawyer slowed down after only 80 litres, or so. I only backflushed....maybe....every 12 litres? This was from some silty water, but still....
The Sawyer still works, but it is too slow to carry now. I read up on about 100 reviews and a significant amount had the same complaint. The Sawyer Mini got even worse reviews about the need to flush after every use.

I went back to my FirstNeed XLE Deluxe purifier. I know. It weighs a whole pound. But, it works and handles viruses as well. Great flow rate. It must be backflushed after every use, as well.

There is only one filter/purifier I know of that can handle freezing. And it costs $350!

YMMV!!!!

Yeah, that mini sure doesn't work long before needing to be flushed. I still do carry it for 2-day solo trips. Have you tried using sink water pressure to back flush your regular sawyer to get it flowing better again? One other downfall of using sawyers is letting it sit a long period of time having last cleaned it with tap water. Our tap water is horribly "hard". Take a glass of water and let it evaporate... yikes! Calcium deposits. So, when I do clean my sawyer at home, I always finish up with a couple flushes of distilled water (using the syringe) to flush out city water before letting the filter dry out. Perhaps your sawyer has calcium deposits on the filter element. Maybe a vinegar cleaning would work for it to revive its usefulness.

[The Kisco Kid]

Nice setup. If you're carrying that little weight, a two-pound pack seems heavy. My Gossamer Gear Murmur Hyperlight is 12 oz for instance. Its on sale now for ~$100. I always look to cut weight on the big four first as that's where you're going to find your biggest savings. It holds true in this case.

ZPacks cuben fiber pack cover will save you an additional three ounces, but again you could save a lot more by focusing on the pack itself.

Good luck!

[rocketsocks]

Replace kettle with a aluminum can if your just heating water, something like "Zelph" makes.

[Engine]

Does that mean you don't bear bag? What do you do instead? I'm looking at an ursack minor, but not sure if it's worth the $ or weight.

I do bear bag, we just traded out the paracord for something better suited to the task. I use (quoted from Mountain Laurel Designs website) "50' of SuperGlide Line. 2mm Hi Vis coated spectra line. 975lb test! Smaller and lighter or uncoated lines can cut into tree branches and get stuck and damage trees. This is the lightest Eco Friendly bear bag line available."

[Puddlefish]

I'll second the paracord upgrade to some Z-Line Slick Dyneema Cord if you're using it to hang a bear bag. Packs up into a tiny space, is light, and slips over the bark smoothly without sawing through it. I bought 50 feet of it, and cut off a ten foot section that I used as a clothesline.

I stored my water in Smart Water bottles. Backflushing works best with hard pressure, otherwise you end up just kind of pushing little channels through the dirt in your filter with the remainder of the sludge eventually settling in forever. I ditched the syringe and just kneeled on a full water bottle to backflush as efficiently as possible.

[QiWiz]

Some quick thoughts: it would be free to save 5 oz by leaving footprint at home; it would not cost much to save on fuel/stove weight to switch to alcohol and/or Esbit for cooking; same for using lighter line than paracord; you could for about $25 save 3 oz by going to a light headlamp like the Petzl eLite; for a lot of $$$ you could cut your shelter weight nearly in half with a Zpacks Duplex for you and fido.

And finally: No cathole trowel? What are you thinking? ; )

[garlic08]

...And finally: No cathole trowel? What are you thinking? ; )

Oh, the humanity! (If you're new here or don't get the joke, see QiWiz's signature line.)

[Dogwood]

People love to commonly obsess on saving wt through gear changes. Wow, do we love to obsess about gear, don't we? Many of the suggestions here revolve around saving a few ounces by narrowly focusing on the gear category. What you might want to do is closely examine your consumables wt as that is very often a place where one can save lbs through better approaches. Do NOT ignore, as it all too frequently is, reducing wt hauled in the consumable wt saving category!

Consider, saving 3, 4, to 6 or 8 oz on gear is offset by carrying one too many extra uneaten dinners, 2 or maybe 3 energy bars, two extra uneaten handfuls of trail mix, unnecessarily carrying an extra 1/2 Liter(1.1 lb) of H2O, taking along a 8 oz compressed fuel canister when a 4 oz gets the job done(note this doesn't include the wt of the can just the product inside the can!), or the lightest wt new fangled DIY achy stove design that saves 3/4 oz. And, yet over and over and over wt saving is narrowly focused on the gear category as we endlessly obsess over and proudly herald our wt saving efforts regarding Ti cookware, a damn spork, carbon fiber trekking poles verse Al ones, the flimsiest lightest wt trail runners, Dyneema composite(Cuben Fiber), 1/4 oz lighter specialty fabric stuff sacks, wt of the groundsheet material, wt of the lightest tent stakes, wt of cordage/line, the 3 oz saved using a UL quilt....etc

How many, - HOW MANY - get to their next water supply or resupply location still carrying unnecessary food or water weight? How many arrive at their destination THs at the completion of their hikes carrying unused food or water or fuel?


Seems quite a few are obsessing over saving pennies while they're wiping their arses with Andrew Jacksons and Harriet Tubmans.

[Hikingjim]

How many, - HOW MANY - get to their next water supply or resupply location still carrying unnecessary food or water weight? How many arrive at their destination THs at the completion of their hikes carrying unused food or water or fuel?


Seems quite a few are obsessing over saving pennies while they're wiping their arses with Andrew Jacksons and Harriet Tubmans.

Much of this is just learned while you walk (assuming common sense) and doesn't require great preparation. You bought too much food for your first 3 days... so you buy less the next time. You notice the plentiful streams makes your 2l of water on your back seem silly.... you carry less.
I typically arrive with no food & almost no water, but it depends on the variables. AT... not that many variables

It's harder to correct stupid gear selections once you get to the trail. Or at least it's more expensive!
I agree people obsess over every ounce, but when it adds up and you're carrying it for 6 months, it's worth inquiry (but not always worth big $$$)

[Dogwood]

Consumable wt saving considerations and approaches do NOT have to be learned as one experiences backpacking for oneself just as gear wt saving considerations and approaches are often initiated well before a person ever camps or carries a kit. Learning and success doesn't have to always occur as result of personal trail and error experiences. They can occur if one is observant of the success and failures of others. This fast tracks successful consumable wt saving strategies.

[TSWisla]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but can someone explain the pack liner idea to me? Is it as simple as putting a garbage bag in an empty backpack and then filling it up?

[Sandy of PA]

yes, when everything that has to stay dry is in there, you twist the top into an elephant trunk and tuck it down inside. Good to go!

[RockDoc]

That's a lighweight kit. The only thing it is lacking is something fun. OK, maybe the Kindle...

I made my pack light to compensate for my ham radio and Hasselblad SWC.

[Patrickjd9]

One of my winter tasks will be a full listing and weighing of my gear, basically doing full packing for a trip.

I'm lpoking to carry less weight, but am not finding a pack I want to use under 3 1/2 pounds.

[lilbear]

One of my winter tasks will be a full listing and weighing of my gear, basically doing full packing for a trip.

I'm lpoking to carry less weight, but am not finding a pack I want to use under 3 1/2 pounds.

I just ordered a pack from Superior Wilderness Designs. They were able to make some small customization to it for minimal add on pricing (base is $200 or $250 for the 50L packs, depending on which fabric options you choose, and are 24 and 26oz respectively). I'm don't have pack in hand yet, but the customer service was stellar. May be worth checking out.

[One Half]

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but can someone explain the pack liner idea to me? Is it as simple as putting a garbage bag in an empty backpack and then filling it up?

a compactor bag is preferred or a contractors bag cut down a bit as they are rather large would work. not your ordinary kitchen garbage bag, they rip too easy.

[cmoulder]

Another kind of pack liner bag that is light, durable and transparent is the Nylofume. These are a bit on the expensive side, but cheap as backpacking products go. The linked website is one that sells them in smaller quantities.