Those Pesky Ounces

[johnnyjohnson2043]

I've been going through my gear for next year's thru-hike attempt and have whittled it all down to a base weight of about 16 lbs. Ultimately I'd love to be under 15 lbs if possible but I'm having a hard time thinking of ways to shave off those last few ounces. I know that I could easily just buy a new tent to save on weight but I love my Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 and would rather not spend the money on something lighter right now. What are the craziest things you've done to cut down on pack weight? I'm willing to try anything. I might even think about cutting down my pack straps for an ounce or two. Thanks!

[DuneElliot]

An itemized gear list would help immensely if you want ideas to cut down on weight. You already have one of the lightest tents out there so you wouldn't be saving much even with a Duplex.

[johnnyjohnson2043]

An itemized gear list would help immensely if you want ideas to cut down on weight. You already have one of the lightest tents out there so you wouldn't be saving much even with a Duplex.

I'll get one written up as soon as I can but as I was looking at my gear I realized that there are some items such as toothpaste and soap that I shouldn't have included in my base weight. That helps a little at least...

[johnnyjohnson2043]

I hope I'm not missing anything but here is the list that I was able to put together...

Equipment (Base)	Specifics	Buy (Y/N)?	Weight (oz)
Backpack (big enough for a bear canister, where mandated)	GoLite Jam	N	26.2
Pack raincover	Etowah Gear	N	3.2
Tent suited to terrain, with guylines and repair sleeve	Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1	N	41.2
Sleeping bag suitable for wet weather and anticipated temperatures	REI Halo 40+	N	24.4
Sleeping pad	Therm-A-Rest Z Lite	N	9
Multifunction watch		N	2
Knife or multi-tool	Gerber	N	1.4
Map(s) and guidebook(s) or route description	AT Data Book	N	3.8
LED headlamp with extra batteries	Petzl Tikka	N	3.4
Water filter and backup treatment system	Katadyn Hiker Pro	N	12.4
Stove	Snow Peak Giga Power	Y*	3
Cookset, dishes, bowls, utensils, cups (measuring/drinking)	Snow Peak Titanium	N	4
Nylon cord (at least 60 feet)	Nylon Cord	N	2.2
Fire starter (for emergency survival fire)	Survival Spark Magnesium Survival Fire Starter with Compass and Whistle and Kindling	N	1.6
Clothing and Footwear
Long-sleeve shirt	Patagonia Long-sleeve shirt	N	9.8
Quick-drying shorts	Brooks Sherpa Shorts	N
Fleece jacket or vest, or insulated jacket or vest	The North Face Men's Denali 2 Jacket	N	22
Waterproof/breathable rain jacket suitable for the conditions	Mountain Hardwear Ghost Lite Jacket	N	3
Waterproof/breathable rain pants suitable for the conditions	REI Rain Paints	N	6
Bandana	Bandana	N	1.4
Winter hat	Beanie	N	3
Gloves or mittens	Mountain Hardwear Gloves	N	1.6
Sandals (for fording streams and relaxing in camp) or water shoes	Merrell Trail Gloves	N	16
Wicking, quick-drying underwear	ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs	Y	2.8
Wicking, quick-drying long underwear	Patagonia Capilene	N	12.4
Sanitation trowel	GSI Products	N	3
First-aid kit (see our First-Aid Checklist)		N	2.5
Quick-drying towel	Sea to Summit Tek-Towel	N	4.8
Camera or video cam and extra memory cards		N	4.3
Cell phone (don’t rely on service) w/charger	Samsung LG G5	N	8
Journal and pen		Y	2
Credit card; cash for layover days and camping fees		N	1
Stuff sack, dry bag or rodent-resistant food sack	20 L Sea-to-Summit Ultra-Sil Nano	Y	1.3
Misc.
Wicking, quick-drying T-shirt	GoLite...		2.6
Carabiner	Black Diamond...		1
Comb	Ace...		0.2
Wicking, quick-drying underwear	ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs	Y	2.8
Wicking, quick-drying long underwear	Patagonia Capilene	N	12.4
Total Weight			261.7

[johnnyjohnson2043]

Ignore the "Buy" section...I forgot to delete that when I posted.

[johnnyjohnson2043]

And I also realized that there are a couple of duplicates...ignore those.

[johnnyjohnson2043]

In fact, here's a cleaner one

Equipment (Base)	Specifics	Weight (oz)
Backpack (big enough for a bear canister, where mandated)	GoLite Jam	26.2
Pack raincover	Etowah Gear	3.2
Tent suited to terrain, with guylines and repair sleeve	Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1	41.2
Sleeping bag suitable for wet weather and anticipated temperatures	REI Halo 40+	24.4
Sleeping pad	Therm-A-Rest Z Lite	9
Multifunction watch		2
Knife or multi-tool	Gerber	1.4
Map(s) and guidebook(s) or route description	AT Data Book	3.8
LED headlamp with extra batteries	Petzl Tikka	3.4
Water filter and backup treatment system	Katadyn Hiker Pro	12.4
Stove	Snow Peak Giga Power	3
Cookset, dishes, bowls, utensils, cups (measuring/drinking)	Snow Peak Titanium	4
Nylon cord (at least 60 feet)	Nylon Cord	2.2
Fire starter (for emergency survival fire)	Survival Spark Magnesium Survival Fire Starter with Compass and Whistle and Kindling	1.6
Credit card; cash for layover days and camping fees		1
Carabiner	Black Diamond...	1
Comb	Ace...	0.2
Camera or video cam and extra memory cards		4.3
Cell phone (don’t rely on service) w/charger	Samsung LG G5	8
Journal and pen		2
Quick-drying towel	Sea to Summit Tek-Towel	4.8
Sanitation trowel	GSI Products	3
First-aid kit (see our First-Aid Checklist)		2.5
Long-sleeve shirt	Patagonia Long-sleeve shirt	9.8
Quick-drying shorts	Brooks Sherpa Shorts
Fleece jacket or vest, or insulated jacket or vest	The North Face Men's Denali 2 Jacket	22
Waterproof/breathable rain jacket suitable for the conditions	Mountain Hardwear Ghost Lite Jacket	3
Waterproof/breathable rain pants suitable for the conditions	REI Rain Paints	6
Bandana	Bandana	1.4
Winter hat	Beanie	3
Gloves or mittens	Mountain Hardwear Gloves	1.6
Sandals (for fording streams and relaxing in camp) or water shoes	Merrell Trail Gloves	16
Wicking, quick-drying underwear	ExOfficio Give-N-Go Boxer Briefs	2.8
Wicking, quick-drying long underwear	Patagonia Capilene	12.4
Wicking, quick-drying T-shirt	GoLite...	2.6
Total		245.2

[Sarcasm the elf]

Suggestions/Low hang fruit I see on the list:

- Consider Ditching the Merrill Trail Gloves, not everyone carries camp shoes and it’s an easy 16oz saved.
- Consider a Deuce of Spades” backpacker trowel instead, it weighs 0.6oz.
- Does your phone take good enough photos to make the separate camera unnecessary?
- A sawyer squeeze filter is considerably lighter than the Hiker Pro you have, though the Hiker pro is nice to have at smaller watee sources due to it’s hose and pump.
- While the Denali jacket is perfectly fine, a UL down jacket like the Mountain Hardware Ghost Whisperer can weigh as little as 7oz. This is an expensive item, but if you happen to see one on clearance (mine was around $115), consider snagging it.

- Personal preference, but I prefer using a dish sponge over a backpacker towel, it’s cheaper and hardly weighs anything.

[Burrhead]

I don't know when you plan on leaving or what direction you are going in but the 40 degree sleeping bag is going to be rough until about the middle of May on a NOBO hike.

[fiddlehead]

My pack weight is around 12 lbs.
Some things that you carry that I don't: Headlamp (I only carry a small PhotonII light and it's all I've needed for the last few thru's)
Thermo-rest: I only use a lightweight foam pad (those blow-up mattresses are heavy)
Knife; I used to only carry a razor blade but now have one of those smallest swiss army knives with the little scissors on them
Your cookit says you have a bowl? For what?
journal pen? (you have a phone, get an app that let's you make notes)
video camera? (again you have a phone)
water filter. I just carry tablets and rarely use them
trowel: I use a rock and/or stick
sandals or camp shoes (I don't spend a lot of time in camp and don't remember any fords until Maine anyway).
dishes, bowls, utensils, cups : what is this? Get a styrofoam coffee cup and the lightest weight spoon you can find. cooking pot is my dish/bowl
quick drying towel: ???

If you make it all the way, chances are you'll probably get rid of at least half of that stuff anyway.

[Lone Wolf]

I've been going through my gear for next year's thru-hike attempt and have whittled it all down to a base weight of about 16 lbs. Ultimately I'd love to be under 15 lbs if possible but I'm having a hard time thinking of ways to shave off those last few ounces. I know that I could easily just buy a new tent to save on weight but I love my Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1 and would rather not spend the money on something lighter right now. What are the craziest things you've done to cut down on pack weight? I'm willing to try anything. I might even think about cutting down my pack straps for an ounce or two. Thanks!

folks try to slackpack all the way. most don't make it. it ain't about pack weight for success. your mental strength is what's gonna get you there

[chknfngrs]

Sawyer squeeze is 3 oz

[Venchka]

I'll get one written up as soon as I can but as I was looking at my gear I realized that there are some items such as toothpaste and soap that I shouldn't have included in my base weight. That helps a little at least...

Toothpaste and soap aren’t going to carry themselves.
Skin out. Everything. Food and the containers holding the food. Same for water. You’re going to start with more food than you need and eventually not carry as much as you need.
Your all up on the trail weight has to be carried up the approach trail and eventually to main. What list you put things in won’t get you to Maine any easier.
Here’s a Stone Age tip that is still true today:
“Don’t carry more clothes than you can wear all at once to sleep in on the coldest night you anticipate.” Colin Fletcher.
Good luck!
Wayne

[cmoulder]

Whether or not somebody wants to play the gram-counting game matters not to me, but the "pesky ounces" in the title suggests the OP does.

So, as a certified gram weenie, those numbers don't look kosher to me — nothing weighs exactly 6 oz.

Get a good scale (accurate to at least 1 g), use an app like Geargrams or Lighterpack, and come up with a complete list, not this rough draft that's missing a lot of stuff.

Then get out and do some actual 2- or 3-night 'shakedown cruises' with this kit to become familar with it.

[chknfngrs]

B o o m ! !

whether or not somebody wants to play the gram-counting game matters not to me, but the "pesky ounces" in the title suggests the op does.

So, as a certified gram weenie, those numbers don't look kosher to me — nothing weighs exactly 6 oz.

Get a good scale (accurate to at least 1 g), use an app like geargrams or lighterpack, and come up with a complete list, not this rough draft that's missing a lot of stuff.

Then get out and do some actual 2- or 3-night 'shakedown cruises' with this kit to become familar with it.

[cmoulder]

Reality check.

[Gambit McCrae]

Ditch the filter and get a sawyer, easy oz to lose there. This pack weight I am assuming is for a march 1st start(may have already been mentioned), so look forward to dropping some serious lbs when sending winter stuff home

[bamboo bob]

You can easily get a much lighter tent from Lightheart or Tarptent also a Sawyer is much lighter than any pump. Don't get sucked into a MIni , get a regular size, the Mini takes a longtime to fill a bottle.

[Kaptainkriz]

What he said...

Whether or not somebody wants to play the gram-counting game matters not to me, but the "pesky ounces" in the title suggests the OP does.

So, as a certified gram weenie, those numbers don't look kosher to me — nothing weighs exactly 6 oz.

Get a good scale (accurate to at least 1 g), use an app like Geargrams or Lighterpack, and come up with a complete list, not this rough draft that's missing a lot of stuff.

Then get out and do some actual 2- or 3-night 'shakedown cruises' with this kit to become familar with it.

[BowGal]

Hope I don’t sabotage the OP’s post, but I too plan to hike next year...and am looking for ways to reduce weight.
I always hear that ones tent can be replaced with the popular ultra-light tents and save weight. My tent setup (Marmot 2P UL) plus footprint and 4 tent pegs comes in at 3.5lbs. I’ve looked at other tents like TarpTent...and just can’t justify spending $500 to save maybe 1 lb. I’ve wanted to go the hammock route...but again, when you factor in top quilt, underquilt, pad, all the rope plus the hammock...it surely is over 3 lbs.
I think where I’m going to cut weight is clothing...but I’m planning a March 1 start date...and would rather have too much at the start than not enough. I can always send clothes home as I progress.