Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Haha, this!

 

Sounds like you've put a lot of thought into the gear needed. What's the expected weight of your pack with everything you're planning to carry?

 

Well the lighter switch lmao you know what I meant!

 

this is the one I had

Coleman Triton+ 2-Burner Propane Camping Stove with Push-Button Instant Ignition, Portable Camping Grill/Stove with Adjustable Burners, Wind Guards, and 22000 Total BTUs of Power

https://www.amazon.com/Coleman-Stov...&qid=1497427376&sr=1-8&keywords=coleman+stove

I guess they do refer to it as an ignition button

 

Edited my post to include weight breakdown

 

The new ones are sweet. I got mine in the 80s when I was a scout and it was mandatory to carry waterproof matches with you everywhere you went. Never know when you were going to be in a survival situation

 

Man, I don't know how you get it that light. I mean, I see the numbers, and lighter equipment is crucial, but I just can't seem to pare the weight down. For my trip down into the canyon last fall, my loaded pack weighed 43 lbs. Granted, I was using a lot of borrowed equipment (which wasn't the lightest), I took too much food, and basically didn't know what I was doing. I have my own equipment now, so for my return trip this fall, I'm hoping to be no more than 35 lbs. (including water). My biggest upgrade was in the pack. I got an Osprey Aether 60, and while it's not the lightest of packs, it is by far the most comfortable backpack I've ever used.

Good luck on your trek. It sounds amazing.

 

One of the standard weight comparisons is a pack, complete but without food, fuel and water or clothes on my back.
Considered to be what is called "Base weight". That way no matter how long the hike, or where you go, the weight is a good point for comparison.

My GC Tonto trip started with 42 pounds, but it was a week of food and fuel, and water for the first 2 days. That's not easy to compare.
I believe my base weight was 19 - 21 lbs. My pack was GG Nimbus Ozone (3 lb), bag was WM Summerlite (1 lb), tent was SMD Lunar Solo (1.5 - 2 lb ???).

 

I like the base weight comparison. Compare apples to apples, not apples and oranges. I edited my post to reflect this, but in summary, I'm looking at under 17 lb base weight.

As I get more experience I'll start getting more precise with my weight, but I can't help to think of years ago when I just threw what I thought I needed into my biggest backpack and started hiking. I'll take experience over numbers on a computer screen every day (empirical over theoretical!) and I know from past hikes what I can carry over long distances day after day, but my legs and back keep trying to convince me to cut ounces. My wallet is fighting back, but lighter packs mean more miles!

 

Lighter may not always mean more miles but it will certainly mean a more enjoyable experience.

Lighter pack for me means that I can stop and take in the scenery, fish, side trails... and still make my daily miles.

 

Every hiker is different. Lighter pack for me always translates to more miles, if only because I set longer goals for myself for every item I can either reduce the weight of or leave out of my pack. Personally, more miles means a more enjoyable experience.

 

Looks like you know what you're doing, and your setup is pretty solid. I made a couple comments in red, but they're minimal. I think you're set! When do you head out for the trail? Obviously conditions up there right now are very snow-covered and water crossings will be dangerous. I assume you've already done your homework on this. Consider traction devices like microspikes or hiking crampons if you're going earlier in the summer (pre-August).

 

Thanks for the advice! I'm starting July 15 and keeping up-to-date on the snow buildup and might take my crampons depending on conditions. I'm driving to the trailhead, so I'll have some options as far as last-minute take-it or leave-its.

The clothes I listed include what I plan on wearing, like you surmised.

Good advice on the meal pouches; five pouches + their waste do build up. I assume add the olive oil as I'm cooking? Not as I transfer to Ziploc bags, right?.

I've always hung my food. I have used my sleeping bag stuff sack in the past, but the TRT website says smell-proofing is required. I still have to get a canister.

I'll still take a few waterproof matches with me in addition to a mini Bic, just for peace of mind; I've heard of the piezo-electric ignition on JetBoils malfunctioning.

Thanks for the venom kit advice; I'll do some research; that thing is pretty bulky.

 

Since we're talking about trip prep, I did a full kit load yesterday for fitment testing of gear in the Zpacks. Happily, everything fit very well in the pack, leaving me a little bit of extra space outside of my bear canister for the first day's food. I've already properly fit the pack to my body and everything rides very well and balanced. Since I'm using a full cuben fiber pack liner, and the pack is almost completely waterproof, I ditched the dry bag for my quilt and just stuffed it into the bottom of the pack. The bear canister rides on top of the quilt, centering the weight much better and filling the small voids around the canister. The only things riding outside of the pack are my 2 water bottles, my rain jacket, rain kilt, and inReach. Snacks, phone and multitool in the hip pockets.

For anyone interested, here's my full gear breakdown on LighterPack (still need to decide on and weigh some tiny items like toothbrush, Carmex, etc.)

https://lighterpack.com/r/7hygqn

A couple of things are on the chopping block like the carbon fiber tent poles which I'm carrying in case one/both of my trekking poles breaks. My current base weight, including bear canister and fuel, is 17.2 lbs for an 18 day trip. My heaviest food is in the first 7 days, but resupplies after that are for 4 or 3 days. With food and water, I'll add no more than 13 lbs (current food weight already measured before repackaging) so I'll never go over 30lbs at any time. 28lbs is my goal. After day 3, I'll never go heavier than 25lbs.

Here it is with everything I'm planning to put inside/on the pack. I'm very happy with how compact and trim it will be. I haven't decided if I'm bringing the heavier but better crampons, or if I'll just take the microspikes (will save me a good half pound). That will be based on late July snow condition firsthand reports.



This pic makes the front look bulged, but it's just the light jacket and rain kilt in the mesh that pokes out. Crampons stick out the furthest, but they are spikes-in to the pad so they won't snag me or anyone else.

 

Meal pouches are not only really bulky, but heavy. 5 meals worth of just packaging adds up fast! Bring a small plastic leak-proof bottle of olive oil and just squeeze some into your food and stir it in while it is rehydrating. Nice calorie boost and it adds flavor and texture.

You never can be too careful with ways to light a fire or your stove. The piezos on the JetBoils can be touchy, but I've yet to have an issue with mine on 2 different stoves over many years. As long as you don't break the little wire or the tip of the piezo itself, you should be good. I lit my JetBoil on the top of Mt. Whitney (14,500') with the piezo to prove that they do work at those altitudes. If your piezo gets squirrely, make sure the metal tip has the right gap to get a hot enough spark. Too close to the burner and it's not hot enough. Too far, and it won't arc. Just like a spark plug.

Opsak bags are great for scent barriers, but aren't going to save your food like an Ursack. If you're hanging food, consider getting one of those. Bear canisters are bulky but they sure are convenient. As you consume food, use the void for trash and other small gear items. It makes a great camp stool, too, and no more throwing rocks on ropes over the right trees for an optimal hang.

My pics above show my pack with my Bearikade custom 9" bear can already inside. It can hold 7 days of food for me at 3500 calories per day. Snacks for the day stay in my hip belt pockets and dinner comes out of the canister when I set up camp.

 

Wow. Thanks for sharing your breakdown. Very helpful. That lighterpack site seems like a good tool for making a checklist.

 

Less weight vs more stuff.
I believe each trip and each person may vary that depending on the trip. Sometimes a bit of comfort at camp is worth a bit of weight in the pack.

 

Think I'm gonna solo hike the zaleski loops in the next weekend or so

 

Speaking of light gear... This is just insane!

Enlightened Equipment Revelation 10 degree bag/quilt at 22oz.

 

It's a no-brainer. I LOVE my EE Revelation 20 degree bag. I got the biggest model that they make (xwide xlong) with the 850 fill and it weighs 25.35oz actual weight. It keeps me warm in shorts and a t shirt on nights down into the mid 20's. It's so wide that it never gets drafty and covers me even when I'm turning over. It's long enough to pull completely over my head, and I'm 6'1".