How much is an ounce worth to you?

[DownEaster]

I'm obviously a cheapskate. I swapped my wool blend shirt (intended as a mid-layer for the late winter start of my through-hike) for a used PrimaLoft (polyester fill) vest. When I adjusted from short-sleeve wicking tees underneath to long-sleeve, my winter clothing total was 5 oz. less for $20 spent ($4 per ounce saved).

Details are important here. While ZPacks packs are light, their cost model quickly ruins your savings unless you really want a plain bag. Here's what it would cost to have the same features as my $159.49 Granite Gear Crown 2 in a ZPacks Arc Haul: $299 base price + $45 belt pouches + $10 ice axe loops + $10 roll-top closure straps + $10 v top strap + $15 lumbar pad + $45 spare belt + $10 shock cord lashing = $444: that's roughly 3X what I paid. (Plus ZPacks only makes their belt pouches in black, which is a stupid choice. Who wants their chocolate snacks melted in the sun?) The ZPacks configuration would be 6 oz. lighter for that $284.51 price difference ($47 per ounce saved).

Of the included standard features of the Crown 2 pack, I'll be using all of them on the AT except for the ice axe loops. (And those may come in handy later on the PCT. )

So an ounce is definitely worth $4 to me, and definitely not worth $47.

[JC13]

I'm obviously a cheapskate. I swapped my wool blend shirt (intended as a mid-layer for the late winter start of my through-hike) for a used PrimaLoft (polyester fill) vest. When I adjusted from short-sleeve wicking tees underneath to long-sleeve, my winter clothing total was 5 oz. less for $20 spent ($4 per ounce saved).

Details are important here. While ZPacks packs are light, their cost model quickly ruins your savings unless you really want a plain bag. Here's what it would cost to have the same features as my $159.49 Granite Gear Crown 2 in a ZPacks Arc Haul: $299 base price + $45 belt pouches + $10 ice axe loops + $10 roll-top closure straps + $10 v top strap + $15 lumbar pad + $45 spare belt + $10 shock cord lashing = $444: that's roughly 3X what I paid. (Plus ZPacks only makes their belt pouches in black, which is a stupid choice. Who wants their chocolate snacks melted in the sun?) The ZPacks configuration would be 6 oz. lighter for that $284.51 price difference ($47 per ounce saved).

Of the included standard features of the Crown 2 pack, I'll be using all of them on the AT except for the ice axe loops. (And those may come in handy later on the PCT. )

So an ounce is definitely worth $4 to me, and definitely not worth $47.

I hate chocolate and like the pack because I can get it in all black DCF. Your Crown 2 also doesn't have the back ventilation of the Zpacks so another strike against it in my intended use. Specced out, my Arc Blast will be $430 and 24.1 oz. I currently use a GG Virga 2 that weighs 19 oz with no back ventilation, no hip pockets and no shoulder pouches; payed $90.

We all make choices based on what is important to us at the time. For 2019, I plan on buying a Zpacks Triplex, $715 for 26.5 oz. I payed $200 for my Six Moon Lunar Duo Explorer used, 42.9 oz. The additional 16 oz dropped is now worth it as I have pretty much nowhere else to drop weight. Big 3/4 will be 5.15 lbs for summer backpacking down to 40*.

[DownEaster]

I hate chocolate and ...

I'm sorry; you lost me there. I'm having a comprehension failure. A hiker who hates chocolate? My world view just imploded.

[AllDownhillFromHere]

"I wish I could afford an elephant."
"Why would you buy an elephant?"
"I wouldn't, I just wish I had that much money."

[LDog]

So, I started to wonder: What the going rate is for a one ounce reduction in weight? I'd be very interested in hearing some thoughts.

As I was going thru the process of lightening my load, I found most stuff hovered around $25/oz. Buy a 5.85 oz lighter mattress pad for $160? $27.35/oz. The caveat was that if it had the name Cuben Fiber in the name, it was $50/oz

I actually found it to be a useful tool for finding the biggest bang for my buck.

Of course it costs $0.00/oz to just take stuff one doesn't really need out of one's pack ...

http://www.laughingdog.com/2013/02/r...-big-four.html

[MuddyWaters]

When you start replacing gear, to get lighter gear, is when the price skyrockets.
And yep, $50/oz isnt out of question, $30/oz average maybe, $10 is cheap

But often weight isnt only reason for change, but part of it.

[LDog]

Certainly replacement of what one has hurts the wallet more than, well, making the right decision the first time.

But then not everyone is ready to accept paradigm shifts like heading out with a quilt instead of a bag ...

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

[cmoulder]

The problem is you can spend a lot of money and still not get the "right" thing. Some items like packs and shelters might have characteristics that you eventually find annoying but don't discover until you've used them for a while.

However, it is much easier to sell lightly-used, quality gear than cheap crap, as has surely been mentioned previously in this thread.