Pack weight w/out food/water/fuel?

[sprocket]

Kncats,

As you can probably tell, I''m following this thread very carefully and listening to all the reccomendations (I should I guess, I started it....:-). What 2# tent are you using? I could care less if it's single wall, just "enclosed" for buggi-ness. enough room fo pack n' boots in vestibule...
You also mentioned "...versus other means of making a hot, caffeinated beverage..." Gimme the good news, friend! I NEED coffee in the morning, and I don't think my heart even starts beating until that aroma hits the olfactory senses. And lastly, I've heard lots of peeps mention the Trangia and it's various accoutrements...where, though can I view/get diagrams and directions for making my own GOOD lightweight alcohol stove? with pic's etc?
Thanx all.....

[Dances with Mice]

...like, how much medical kit do I really need? ... And what about the cooking gear? It's a single pot with frypan/lid....Did you second the leaving behind m beloved coffee press... "add hot water and let sit" meals......

I guess what everybody is saying is there are no right answers. It's all a matter of setting priorities, and recognizing that your priorities will probably change. For a medical kit I carry antibacterial ointment, bandaids and sports tape, other people have more elaborate kits, some just rely on duct tape and bandanas. The pot's ok, probably won't use the frypan but then SmokyMtnSteve can't live without his pancakes and fancy coffee. I have the same coffee press as you but it stays in my office and I carry 'Cafe Bustelo' instant and a Campbell's Soup-to-Go cup, but I don't know anyone else who does. Equipment doesn't really matter all that much, within reason, and you can make adjustments as you go.

This guy started with nothing and did pretty well...
http://www.debralauman.com/screamer.shtml

[tlbj6142]

Have you check out the Six Moon Design Lunar Solo while it is a bit "heavy" at 24 oz, you'd be hard pressed to find a "better" solo tent? Ron is a hiker (and a long distance hiker), his designs are well thought out and very usable. And its only $175 now. Not sure what the Waypoint goes for, but I'd guess its more than $175.

And the old stand by of TarpTent Virga isn't a bad option either.

Don't forget you are probably going to spend very little time in your tent of choice. Its just for sleeping. Besides, most hikers end up staying at shelters 80%+ of the time anyway. Especially after the crowds have thinned out a bit. They are just too damn convient.

If you don't have a bag yet, or want to replace it, check out one of the WM bags. Like the Versalight.

You'll want a thinner bag for the warmer months. My brother tried to go with the $30 army poncho liner, but found it was just a bit too cold. And ended up buying the REI Tavel Down Bag. Its a nice summer bag. Full zip, so on hot nights you can use it like a quilt, but on colder nights the hood helps keep out the drafts. Great bag at $99, IMO.

[Frosty]

Dances with Mice said: "If you've decided to make no changes in your choice of backpack, tent, cooking gear, sleeping bag and clothes, how much is left?"

It's not that I won't change any of the "big 4", just looking for feedback on the other things you all do to skimp the weight down.....like, how much medical kit do I really need? I'll pare down the clothes by leavin' the skivvies at home as well as one pr. of socks and liners. And what about the cooking gear? It's a single pot with frypan/lid....Did you second the leaving behind m beloved coffee press ?. The press doubles as an insulated mug for ramen and "add hot water and let sit" meals......<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

You CAN bring two pots and a mug, but you don't NEED them. It's a case of how much comfort do you want?

I think what Dances with Mice meant was not that you COULDN'T reduce pack weight after taking along the big 4 and cooking gear that you want, but how much weight is left to be saved.

I started to shift from the old mindset to ultralight a couple years ago. Being an engineer, I did it logically. I put all my gear in an Excel spreadsheet, gear in one column, weight in ouncecs in another column. Then I sorted on weight, heaviest to lightest.

That shows you where weight savings are possible. The heavier something is, the more you might possibly shave. Just look at each item, see if you CAN (want to) change it, and check it's cost effectiveness. (Cost of changing).

My bag went first. Six and a half pounds was replaced by one and a half pounds. That was easiest.

If you do this, and decide to keep all the things you want to keep (which is fine), you can easily see with the spreadsheet how much savings is left. If your big 4 and cooking gear and clothing weigh a combined 32 pounds, there ain't any way you're going to get to 25 pounds, no matter how much you cut off of that toothbrush handle or how many bandaids you pull out of you first aid kit.

I determined cost effectness of weight savings with three more columns. The weight of the new item, the cost of the new item, and a column where I divided the cost by the difference in weight of the old and new. That gave me a number: dollars per ounce saved. The fewer dollars it cost to save an ounce, the more effective was the purchase.

Caveat: I am not the voice of thruhiking experience, as my hike is next year. But I have been working at paring weight and trip testing it with one and two day backpacks.

[MileMonster]

Sounds like you're happy with your gear list as it is. It also sounds like you've carried it without complaints before. If so then don't sweat it. If you want to make changes as you hike then you will. You mentioned "heading into the woods for months at a time." I understand your anxiety. I felt it, too. Don't worry too much, though. It's not exactly that dramatic. Yes, the whole hike takes a while, but think of it more like a series of 4-6 day trips. Plenty of opportunity to make changes.

Now, if you want to make changes before you go, here are my answers to some of your questions:

In my first-aid kit. A few band-aids, blister care, sunscreen, bug repellant (after it warms up), vitamin I (ibuprofin), antacids, anti-bacterial hand gel, a few wet-ones wipes. That's about it. All carried in a plastic zip-lock bag.

A single 1 liter pot worked well for me, and I cooked for two. My "cooking" only involved boiling water, though. I used a piece of reynolds wrap for the pot lid and for a windscreen. I added new reynolds wrap for replacements in my maildrops as I knew the pieces would get tattered after a while. I NEVER had a need for a fry pan.

Another fresh coffee alternative are the coffee singles. Bad coffee, but it has caffein.

Alki stove directions (one version) - http://www.pcthiker.com/pages/gear/p...instruct.shtml
If you don't want to build one, the Brasslite Turbo-F is on sale, $20. It's lighter than my home made set-up. -
http://www.brasslite.com/products.html

Some light-weight tents -

Hilleberg Akto - http://www.hilleberg.com/Catalog/ten...6_products.htm
I hiked alot with Felix this year. He carried this tent and liked it alot. He pitched it just about every night, even if he was at a shelter.

Montbell - https://www2.montbell.com/america/as...n.asp?cat=1204

Stephenson's Warmlite - http://www.warmlite.com/tents_In.htm

Henry Shires Tarptent - with bathtub floor and bug netting, it's not just a tarp.
http://www.tarptent.com

Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo - new, no reviews.
http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/

Wanderlust Nomad Lite or 2-4-2 - http://www.wanderlustgear.com/

MSR Micro-Zoid - I've seen many of these but not on the AT. Not much room once you're in it, but it has a vestibule.
http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/microzoid.asp

[kncats]

The tent we are using is a Tacoma-For-2 shelter from Dancing Light Gear. Look in the Links section for Trailquest.net. But again, that's a huge tent for one person. It has them but you won't need the vestibules for your pack and boots, it'll all fit inside. The tent's a little quirky but we like it. I did a review on it in the Gear Review forum. Brawny also makes some other tarp tents that are lighter and smaller that still have a floor and bug protection.

As far as the coffee goes unfortunately I've only been able to come up with "acceptable" substitutes, not its equal. I drink coffee 24/7 and only the real thing is right. I've tried instant but it's not the same. I may try the Bustelo instant, their ground coffee is very good. Right now we're using tea bags. It's not as good as having a good cup of coffee but it's real and you can make it plenty strong.

Look in the Links area for Stovestomper's and the Wings web pages for info on making your own alky burner. SGT Rock's HikingHQ also has a wealth of stuff on it. If you look at the Trangia you don't need all the accoutrements like pot and pan sets. Just the burner (with lid and simmer ring) and stand are all you want. We use the windscreen from our MSR Whisperlight.

[sprocket]

Sweet! great link for the stove, MileMonster. I was thinking bout the Akto and and the Six moon design tents, but I went with the MH Airjet cause it was a stand alone and didn't REQUIRE guyin' out....But the Atko was my first choice and might be better all things considered. I know shelters are convenient, but I'll probably be using my tent nightly as opposed to being crammed in w/ a dozen + others in the first couple hundred miles....Tea is allright with me, too. Self contained packaging and can bounce in my supplies. Good.

What about this for a minimal first aid kit: few band-aides, 3M medi tape roll, moleskin, Ibuprophen, Potassium Permanganate (multi useful for treating water/anti fungicide read:athletes foot) couple sewing needles/nylon thread and a condom (emergengy water bottle.....or whatever )

[grrickar]

I'd throw some iodine and duct tape in that first aid kit. The med tape might work better but duct tape serves a double purpose of repairing gear. Carry plenty of Vitamin "I". I took six a day for aches and pains, and maybe even some bee sting swabs. I saw a nasty yellowjacket nest right in the trail near Brown Fork Gap, and some posts here have indictaed that they have been really aggressive lately. One group we met had one of their hikers stung 5 times.