Camping and Backpacking GEAR thread

Clothes used to be one of my big weight downfalls back in the day. For some reason, I thought I needed fresh clothes for every day, just like I was at home. Once you embrace the dirtbag side of your soul, you'll trim that down quite a bit. It will save not only weight, but a ton of pack space.

I carry a flexible 7W solar panel with a USB port. It has a mesh zippered pouch sewn to the back of it, and a grommet on each of the 4 corners. It measures about 7"x12", but it's very lightweight and easily attaches to the top backside of my pack. I stopped carrying the 9000mAh battery I used to charge, as it was heavier than the solar panel. That little 7W panel can keep my phone topped off every day, and my phone is now the only item I need to charge in the field. However, my phone has an integrated case/extended battery that gives me just over 7000mAh of phone life, which in airplane mode and running full GPS and using it as my primary camera leads to at least 3 full days of use before it needs a top-off. On my last trip, at the end of a short day 3, I was still at 50% power and was able to get it back to 100% in an afternoon of just being set up at camp on a sunny day.

Those battery packs that have a solar panel on them are useless. They charge so slow that it would take 2 full days to fill it back up even in direct sunlight. The solar panel I carry is very lightweight and catches more sun due to its surface area, and it attaches so well to the top of my pack that I can charge things on the move.

Depending on your fitness level, you can suck it up and haul 40#. You'll be feeling it, that's for sure, but you'll live. The trails in and out of the GC are tedious but they are well-used and maintained and there are lots of switchbacks so you're not exactly climbing a stairmaster. But, 9-10 miles with a pack that heavy will be letting your legs and back know it.

Don't go cutting back on food to save weight, but be reasonable about what you will want to eat and what you NEED to eat. Make sure you're getting consistent calories throughout your hike so you don't bonk. Those little things like hot chocolate are some of the best morale boosters on a cool evening/morning, too. They are a lightweight treat and taste great while warming you up. Trail mix is one of those convenient necessities that gives you that consistent fat energy and protein, but don't make it part of your entire day's diet. Mix it up. Be sure to take lightweight foods that you would also enjoy at home, otherwise your appetite when your body is under duress won't be there for you to crave them and you won't intake the proper calories.

 

You know, Seabass, I like the way you think. Fortunately, the trail down is only 7 miles, and I know enough to take breaks along the way. Back up on a different trail is a different story, but we're breaking that up into 2 days.

 

7 miles of all downhill can be brutal in its own way. If you have bad knees like me, it's a good pounding. Bring those hiking poles!

 

Best thing about packing extra food is your pack gets lighter as time goes. 35lbs is a reasonable pack weight for most men. Before upgrading, my packs where in the 40-45lb range and then I dropped a bunch at camp and walk around with <25lbs. Unlike most people, I enjoy a heavier pack. 1.) It feels good to load the legs up. Keeps me feeling firmly planted on the ground. 2.) Getting to the top of the mountain is far more rewarding when you have to suck a bit to do it.

The biggest thing is transferring the weight to your hips and not your shoulders.

 

Holy shit. 45lbs? I will do 3-5 days in the 22-25lbs range and an over night in the 10-12lb range. Nothing sucks more than a heavy pack.

 

Heavy gear, plus heavy camera gear, plus fishing gear, and dog food (before he carried his own). This was before I had a water filter so I carried enough water for myself and extra for my dog in case we ended up away from a water source.

I didn't have the money to drop on light gear so this is what I had to work with. Considering I was in the Army at the time and my bags never weighed less than 45lbs, this was actually a delight.

 

I hear ya man, at least you're getting out there that's the important part and I'm a pretty fit guy too but I just can't stand hiking with a heavy pack. If I had to carry a 45lb pack I probably wouldn't hike nearly as much as I do. I also think that most people can shave a lot of weight off their pack without even having to buy expensive light weight stuff. Most people tend to bring more than they need I think.

 

Cutting pack weight is easier and cheaper than just buying expensive UL gear.

One of my faves, and I still do this from time to time, is a post hike gear sort.

Pile 1. Stuff I MUST take (shelter, bag, stove...)

Pile 2. Stuff I took, and USED. (Clothing, pad...)

Pile 3. Stuff I took, but NEVER used. Now, if your first aid, rain gear-safety items are here, be thankful! but move them to Pile 1.

Assess what else is in Pile 3. Did you really need it?

 

Also used gear stores or gear sales/swap meets.

There's one in Bishop CA that has some screaming deals on gear. I've sold lots of my own stuff there (for store credit) for pennies on the dollar.

 

I could have downsize some things. I had a huge pack to fit everything I needed it to vs buying 3 different packs. So lots of extra fabric. I didn't need to carry a fanny pack for fishing but it was nice to drop the pack and have my gear in one place. I packed extra water since I went out alone and didn't want to get stuck in a bad situation.

Learned a lot from those days though. I only pack what I need and I know where to cut weight and where I shouldn't. I have a perfect set up where everything fits snug in my new pack with a little room to spare. Still heavier than you folks would like but I tend to have a heavier pair of binoculars with me now for some birding/mammal id/scouting.

 

Regarding chargers, I use this one. I bought it on sale for about $23 IIRC. It weighs 10 ounces with storage sack and charge cable according to my LighterPack list.

Anker PowerCore 13000 Portable Charger - Compact 13000mAh 2-Port Ultra Portable Phone Charger Power Bank with PowerIQ and VoltageBoost Technology for iPhone, iPad, Samsung Galaxy (Black) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Z9QVE4Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_8DIdybAR2N6WG

 

I get a kick out of pack training, and watching the looks on the faces of day hikers. Our tallest peak in AZ is at 12,500, and it's a 9.5 mile round trip to the top and back. Everyone on that trail has their little day packs, and I'm huffing up the mountain with 30# in a full pack. About every 5th hiker is laughing saying "why did you bring so much?" but when I tell them I'm pack training for something bigger, they get humbled. Then they get more humbled when I pass them

 

Anker makes good product at great prices. I have a couple of their power packs and I use them for business travel here and there, and on truck camping trips where weight isn't an issue. I haven't found a waterproof Anker pack yet, so I've used the generic Chinese branded 9000mAh waterproof/drop proof ones for about $25 each.

 

I do this when I know I'm going on a hard hike. Think I've only ran into one person on the trail that knew I was training.

 

Truth, they make awesome stuff and have great customer service.

 

I went with my buddies to the Boundary Water in Minnesota for a week. Way over packed, I'm lactose intolerant and my buddy who is also the cook told me to pack all my own breakfasts. Instant oatmeal. So he must take some of the blame. 5 lbs of Trail Mix. Ended up with a pack over over 50lbs. When I was always the last one on portages they asked why. I told them, my best friend told me "your never bringing this much shit again."

 

So I have been messing around on my Lighterpack.com entry, and my base weight hovers around 20 lbs or so. Not bad with a relatively heavy pack (4.5 lb), freestanding tent (4.2 lb for everything, including footprint), and a heavy (9.5 oz) pillow. I can still drop a little weight when I get a smaller, lighter pack, and could leave the tent footprint at home. Could get to about 17 for an overnight if I made a few concessions.

Amazon had the Osprey Exos 48 for like $133 the other day, now it's back at regular price. Should have bought it. Damn!

 

My very first backpack trip, just an over nighter, I could have fed all 6 of us on the food I was carrying!

Now I pack each meal singly. Each day's snacks in their own baggies. No bulk packing of foods for me. (I.e. 3 oatmeal breakfasts in one bag. Each day goes in its own bag.)

I take exactly the meals I need plus one spare and 2 spare snacks.
I've also pared down some of the first day food. I usually don't get to a trailhead til lunch, so I'll grab a Subway, eat half for lunch at the trailhead, then the other half for dinner in camp. Two meals I don't have to carry (far).

 

Don't worry, we've all been there. Every trip I do, even now, is a huge evolution of what I'm taking versus what I want to take. It literally takes me many days to nail it down. My process is very similar to @Cuffs:

• Go through all of the gear you think you'd like to take, and spread it out on a big area (big floor area, big dining table, garage floor) that you can occupy for days. Bring it all out to this area. I even put duplicates in this pile, like 2 different stove kits I can't decide on, 2 different rain gear sets, multiple water carriers, all versions of clothing I think I might need, etc.
• I make 3 piles out of that initial pile:
  1. the absolute must-haves like stove kit, clothing for the weather I'll be in, water filter, the pack I'm taking, etc.
  2. the "options pile" of everything else, including duplicates.
  3. the "reject pile" - things that I have officially ruled out once and for all from the main pile.
• Once you have truly ruled out items and put them in the "reject pile", get them out of your site for good and keep evaluating your "options pile". Rinse and repeat until all you are left with is your final pile.
• I use a food scale for everything. You'd be surprised how much a scale can help you make a decision on taking something, or taking its other option, or rejecting it.
• On my last bigger trip, I had this pile in the works literally for about 3 weeks. I'm glad I did, because almost every time I walked passed it, I replaced a heavier item with a lighter or better option, or I rejected it all together. Sometimes you just need to walk away from the gear and come back to it with fresh eyes and a good night's sleep.
• Evaluate the details. It may feel petty at first, but those little tiny things are ounces that add up to pounds. They're also bulk, taking up valuable pack space and forcing you to have a bigger pack:
  • look at the small things like your tent stakes. Are they the best for the terrain you're going to(think mud, sand, rock)?
  • do you need the 10 extra feet of guyline on the tie-outs of your tent?
  • does everything you carry have to be in a sheath, stuffsack or protective cover or can it go "naked"?
  • does a nylon strap really need to be 2' long when only 1' will do the job?
  • first aid kits - do you really need every ointment and bandage known to man? A small pieces of gauze and some very lightweight kinesiology tape make the best trauma bandages and blister prevention known to man, you can wrap a sore muscle or joint injury, and it's waterproof and can stay on for days. One small zip-loc can pack flat, keep your kit waterproof, and make things easy to spot.
  • etc etc
• Stove and eating utensils
  • do the math to only carry the fuel you need for the amount of boils you have to do. It's so easy to want to take that spare canister
  • don't take the biggest stove you own. 1 liter is more than enough, and can cook for two. Try going half that size, and stay away from steel
  • take a folding spork and nothing else to eat with. I like the long folding titanium ones because they never rust, weigh nothing, and can reach the bottom of the pot to stir your food without getting your fingertips burnt in the hot water
  • skip the spare plates and bowls. Eat right out of your stove pot. Less dishes to do, too
• Does it have multiple purposes?
  • things like your tent aren't necessarily dual purpose, but I keep my tent rainfly out separate at the top of my pack in case a freak rainstorm hits and I need to take shelter fast. I just throw it over me and my pack until I can get my rain gear situated
  • things like stuff sacks can double as your camp pillow when stuffed with your clothing

I could go on and on about how I process my thoughts when prepping for a trip. Be methodical, weigh your gear, and make wise decisions. The less you take, the lighter you are AND the fewer things you'll have to fidget with, pack up, and clean.

 

I love Seabass posts.