Gear advice needed

[gregp]

Looking to trim some...



Here's what I have. Some weights may be slightly off but are generally close.




Granite Gear Nimbus Meridian - 3 pounds 8 ounces

Big Agnes Seedhouse 1 with footprint - 4 pounds

Coleman Cloudcroft 20 deg. down bag - 2 pounds 4 ounces

Pacific Outdoors Ether thermo6 long - 1 pound 6 ounces

Jet boil w/fuel canister - 1 pound 3 ounces

Katadyn Vario - 15 ounces

Base weight of pack= 14 pounds

Also included in pic are Leki poles, a small first aid kit which includes hygiene products. A Petzl head lamp, Leatherman blast, compass, permanent marker wrapped in duct tape, spork, waterproof matches, hand sanitizer, and the green stuff sack contains 4 days worth of food (roughly 6 pounds). The empty red stuff sack is for extra clothing, and the little orange bag is a rain cover for the pack.


All items considered less water, this pack comes in well under 25 pounds.

what I have now is very comfortable creature comfort wise, but no so much weight wise. Too much stove? Too much tent? Thoughts?

Thanks in advance.

Greg

[MintakaCat]

You could save 7.5 oz by switching to this:

http://www.ula-equipment.com/amigo.htm

[KMACK]

loose the Leatherman. Are you taking the item w/the folding stock I see in the back ground???

[Reid]

loose the Leatherman. Are you taking the item w/the folding stock I see in the back ground???

Ha. I saw that too. I wouldn't worry about your weights neccessarily. Just don't hemmorage weight on food and water and I don't see any additional clothing there either but you should be fine IMO.

[MintakaCat]

and I don't see any additional clothing there either

I think he said the red stuff sack is for extra clothing.

[gregp]

You could save 7.5 oz by switching to this:

http://www.ula-equipment.com/amigo.htm

That is really cool! I love the idea of having a portable shower. I might need to consider this...

[gregp]

loose the Leatherman. Are you taking the item w/the folding stock I see in the back ground???

You don't think the leatherman may come in handy?

No the folding stock item stays home. I'm not sure how that thing snuck into the picture. I didn't notice it until after the picture was taken. I think it may be there for the subliminal effect.

[gregp]

Ha. I saw that too. I wouldn't worry about your weights neccessarily. Just don't hemmorage weight on food and water and I don't see any additional clothing there either but you should be fine IMO.

The food sack is actually the heaviest item in the pack. I'm sure I'm bringing too much food, but better safe than sorry for a first trek on the trail.

For water, the pack has a bladder and I figured on two plastic 32oz water bottles. With a full water supply, I'm figuring the pack will weigh in at around 30 pounds.

Extra clothing will consist of extra socks, an extra pair of underwear, and an extra Tshirt. I'll be checking the weather right before I leave to see if I may need a warmer layer for the evenings. Also included in the pack which I forgot to mention is a light weight rain poncho.

[bigcranky]

You don't think the leatherman may come in handy?

For what? Seriously. I used to carry one, but then I realized that I didn't have any gear that could be fixed with pliers/saw/bit drivers, etc. If you have items that might need these tools, then it may be useful.

I carry a tiny little SAK with a blade, scissors (the most useful item), tweezers, and a toothpick.

Your overall pack list is pretty light. If you're walking away from the trailhead with <30 pounds with food and water, that's not bad. (And it's about half of what I saw on a lot of starting thru-hikers in March.)

[gregp]

For what? Seriously. I used to carry one, but then I realized that I didn't have any gear that could be fixed with pliers/saw/bit drivers, etc. If you have items that might need these tools, then it may be useful.

I carry a tiny little SAK with a blade, scissors (the most useful item), tweezers, and a toothpick.

Your overall pack list is pretty light. If you're walking away from the trailhead with <30 pounds with food and water, that's not bad. (And it's about half of what I saw on a lot of starting thru-hikers in March.)

You know, now that you say that I now realize that perhaps the leatherman is overkill. I did think the saw might come in handy for firewood but more than likely, I'll only be burning sticks and twigs. I may substitute a pocket knife instead.

As far as gear weight goes, you give me confidence that I'm not terribly overweight.

Thanks Bigcranky, as always your advice is very appreciated.

[garlic08]

You obviously have all the stuff and it all looks like good choices to start with. You can fine-tune as you go, depending on budget and what you see out there that you like. For instance, as nice as the Jetboil is, you may find yourself admiring home-made pepsi can alcohol stoves. Or you may have problems puncturing the pad or burning little holes in it around the crackling campfire, and you'll end up with a closed-cell foam model.

Your water filter may last a while, but many break in the first month or so. A popular lighter and more reliable alternative is AquaMira, a two-part chemical. You may want to have something like that on hand to have shipped to you if the filter doesn't make it. You may find, as some do, that much of the spring water along the trail is really excellent and doesn't need treatment, thereby prolonging the life of your filter or chemicals.

I definitely agree with leaving the Leatherman behind. And six pounds of food does not sound like too much for four days, depending on how tough those days are.

[gregp]

You obviously have all the stuff and it all looks like good choices to start with. You can fine-tune as you go, depending on budget and what you see out there that you like. For instance, as nice as the Jetboil is, you may find yourself admiring home-made pepsi can alcohol stoves. Or you may have problems puncturing the pad or burning little holes in it around the crackling campfire, and you'll end up with a closed-cell foam model.

Your water filter may last a while, but many break in the first month or so. A popular lighter and more reliable alternative is AquaMira, a two-part chemical. You may want to have something like that on hand to have shipped to you if the filter doesn't make it. You may find, as some do, that much of the spring water along the trail is really excellent and doesn't need treatment, thereby prolonging the life of your filter or chemicals.

I definitely agree with leaving the Leatherman behind. And six pounds of food does not sound like too much for four days, depending on how tough those days are.

garlic08, thanks for the reply and you make a lot of sense.

The only piece of gear in the pic that I have used extensively is the water filter. All of the other gear is brand new replacing my car camping gear. So far the filter has been bullet proof, but sure as I'm posting this reply, it will crap out when I need it most. Just ordered a 24 pack of aquamira tabs from campsaver. Definitely a good back up plan if needed.

You have scared me as far as my sleeping pad purchase as well. I will give it a test drive, but a closed cell mat does seem to make a lot of sense. Probably not as comfortable though and as far as I can tell, will be needed to carry outside the pack. No big deal and thanks for the input there.

Stove wise... those alcohol burners are really cool and light weight. I'll probably try to make one or two. (several how-to videos) on youtube although I'm seriously looking at mini bull designs for one that I'd trust in the field.

Thanks again for the reply, and trust me that your advice has been well received.

Greg

[gregp]

One more question...

Is para chord the right line for bear bags? My reason for asking this is ... It seems rather flimsy as far as abrasions go, and pulling it up and over tree branches has me questioning it's ability to keep my pack safe.

[kayak karl]

One more question...

Is para chord the right line for bear bags? My reason for asking this is ... It seems rather flimsy as far as abrasions go, and pulling it up and over tree branches has me questioning it's ability to keep my pack safe.

i use a hook. i stole this idea from somewhere. its a 5" pc of 3/4" cpvc on a cut off aps 2" pipehanger. i put my pole in it and i can reach a 11.5 ft high branch. pull my pole out and retrieve same way in morn. i got tired of throwing rocks and sting in the dark.
weight 2 oz w/caribiner

[Foyt20]

Dont hang your pack, hang your food. Way easier, and nicer on the equipment.

[gregp]

i use a hook. i stole this idea from somewhere. its a 5" pc of 3/4" cpvc on a cut off aps 2" pipehanger. i put my pole in it and i can reach a 11.5 ft high branch. pull my pole out and retrieve same way in morn. i got tired of throwing rocks and sting in the dark.
weight 2 oz w/caribiner

Karl, I'm not really following you here bro. Are you carrying around a 3 foot piece of pvc pipe?

[garlic08]

One more question...

Is para chord the right line for bear bags? My reason for asking this is ... It seems rather flimsy as far as abrasions go, and pulling it up and over tree branches has me questioning it's ability to keep my pack safe.

50' of paracord is all I've ever used. It doesn't seem to abrade, or harm the tree, from what I've seen. 50' is more than you need to hang well, but it's a good thing to have extra for replacing guy lines, fixing pack straps, etc.

[gregp]

Dont hang your pack, hang your food. Way easier, and nicer on the equipment.

My concern was that the food smell would get all over the pack.

Hanging the food and other smellables sounds a whole lot easier.

[gregp]

50' of paracord is all I've ever used. It doesn't seem to abrade, or harm the tree, from what I've seen. 50' is more than you need to hang well, but it's a good thing to have extra for replacing guy lines, fixing pack straps, etc.

Thanks man. That's pretty much what I needed to know.

I actually bought a hundred feet of the stuff and cut it in half for the trip. As light as it is, I may take the other fifty feet just for back up.

[garlic08]

You have scared me as far as my sleeping pad purchase as well. I will give it a test drive, but a closed cell mat does seem to make a lot of sense. Probably not as comfortable though and as far as I can tell, will be needed to carry outside the pack. No big deal and thanks for the input there.

Didn't mean to scare you about the pad--just a worst-case scenario that has happened to me. On the AT, most inflatable pads last the trail with minimal care and protection, and they are far more comfortable. Most AT hikers wouldn't hike without an inflatable pad, especially those who sleep on the plank floors in shelters and huts.

But personally I agree with Mags--I don't go into the backcountry with equipment for which a repair kit is sold.