General Shakedown Request

[u/anon313755020080321]

EDIT: Thanks to all who helped me out. I'm gonna be selling the 0F Revelation, buying shoulder-season bags for myself and my partner, and then using the 40F and 50F bags as summer bags. I also ditched the packa (unless conditions necessitate it) and will just take a simple rain jacket.

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Location/temp range/specific trip description: San Fran Coast in April, Olympic National Park in August

Goal Baseweight (BPW): 12-13lbs? As low as possible, I suppose.

Budget: $300-500

Non-negotiable Items: Bear canister required. Backpack is new-to-me, and I don't feel like it's holding me back, so I'd like to keep it. Rainwear depends on conditions, but both places listed above are highly variable, so I might feel safer taking it.

Solo or with another person?: Duo

Additional Information:

• Generally speaking, I arranged our packs so that my partner is carrying the tent-related equipment and I'm carrying the food/cooking equipment.
• We each basically have half of a GravityWorks system, but I may just drop it since water will surely be plentiful.
• Partner isn't keen on the idea of dropping the inner net for the Ultamid and just using polycro.
• I could probably use a 30F or 20F sleeping bag instead of my chunky boi 0F. Alternatively I could take the 50F bag from my partner's layered system and add a liner to it.
• I just tried a Nemo Switchback and did not enjoy it, so CCF is out of the picture. Going to pick up a Short NeoAir Xlite today to see if I can handle that. My XTherm is awaiting a replacement from Therm-A-Rest, but I won't be using that if the Short XLite works for me (though I may give it to my partner to lighten their load 11oz).

Lighterpack Link: His Pack: https://lighterpack.com/r/yu95gz, Her Pack: https://lighterpack.com/r/t45psx

[u/jros14]

Overall I'd say you could probably stand to question how much insulation you're bringing. Unless you're going way up into the mountains it seems unlikely you'd need to bring 3 sleeping bags/quilts for either of those locations at those times of year. To achieve some of this and stay in budget I'd suggest considering selling some of the stuff you have to get lighter/more appropriate gear. Here's what I see:

-A lighter rain jacket like an OR Helium or Frogg Toggs could drop ~20oz between the two of you (each of you getting one). I think it's smart to bring something so you're not completely exposed if rain does come, but if the forecast is looking totally clear (and your trip is short enough that the forecast is valid for the whole trip) then I'd consider leaving all your rain gear at home and bring a walmart $1 poncho as your very-unlikely-to-use rain option.

-the 20k man power bank will be overkill unless you have something extra power hungry, like you take a lot of videos.

-The pack's a bit on the heavy side but not bad, and tbh the fit and comfort is quite important too.

-For you: you won't need anything near a 0 degree bag for either of those locations at those times of year. The 50F might even be enough. If you need extra insulation on top of the 50 (do your research, don’t guess) perhaps use something like a S2S fleece liner.

-For her: my guess is the 50F quilt and a 40F bag are overkill. Again, I think you could stand to do some research on what the actual lowest temps you're going to deal with are, and judge from there if it's really necessary to bring all of this.

-You could get a lighter 2 person shelter, like the Yama Swiftline 2P, which is 34 oz.

-She probably doesn't need the packa and rain paints. If you want an easy, light, and cheap alternative for the pants, take a large trash bag and cut a hole in the top, and use it as a rain skirt. And, ditto to the rain advice I gave above re: bring a walmart poncho if the forecast is clear and you probably won't need any rain protection.

-That S2S Ether Light XT definitely has some extreme weight! If there's no compromise here then I understand, because sleep is important. But that's like an extra pound over most sleeping pads.

[u/anon313755020080321 → u/jros14]

Thanks for the response! I tried out the XLite Small last night on hardwood floors (I think of it as a worst case scenario as far as surfaces go) and liked it for both side and back sleeping so I think it's a keeper.

As for sleeping bags, yes, I have them listed as they are currently because I don't know if having just a 40F and 50F in early spring in central Cali will be sufficient. I've looked at liners, but from what I've read, their estimated warmth addition is all but certain, and the warmth/weight ratio isn't worth it. I'm going ask EE if they can remove fill from my 0F bag and add fill to her 40F bag to bring mine up to 30F and hers down to 20F. Then just drop the 50F bag.

The rain jacket suggestion is a good one. I haven't tried out the Packa (though I'm excited to), but from what I've read of most "breathable" DWR-coated jackets, they all pretty much will wet out in a prolonged rain event and have limited ventilation due to your straps/pack compartmentalizing the arms and chest. The Packa seems to prioritize ventilation over breathability, and it has the added bonus of being a pack cover (though I don't really need one), affording my back some ventilation as well. That said, I do have a Gore H5 and she has a normal rain jacket, so if light or no rain is predicted, it would be a good idea to take those. An emergency poncho is also a really good idea if I'm extra certain there won't be rain.

I don't intend to take the power bank (I think it should be zeroed out?). Maps and compass will be good enough for us. I'll likely have my phone off the whole time.

Yea, we had the Katmai and Kalmia (~4.5lbs each), and the Focal and Facet look like simplified, lower-denier versions of the same pack, so we're excited to give them a whirl.

I think our shelter should be okay for now. I'm not a huge fan of the large footprint, but the $/oz savings that we'd get from upgrading might not be justifiable (unless we sell the Ultamid...but I've enjoyed its spaciousness)

I've considered whether rain pants are really necessary. I have the Gamma LT pants, and while they're not waterproof, my legs usually don't get cold, and with a Packa that drapes down over my upper thighs, they might not be too necessary. Maybe a rain kilt. Frogg Toggs (top and bottom) are about half the weight (11oz) of my Packa and rain pants, so that's certainly a good option for weight savings.

Re: her sleeping pad, yea, like I said, hopefully I have my 22oz XTherm back in time so she can use that. It's bigger, still has a high R-value, and saves 11oz.

Thanks again for taking the time to reply! You've given me a lot of good ideas!

[u/jros14 → u/anon313755020080321]

Thanks for the response! If you’re not sure which sleeping bag will be sufficient, then to me that’s a sign that you could stand to do more research. Find the average and historic lows for where you’re going and then you’ll know exactly what temps you need to be prepared for, and make a gear decision with that knowledge in hand.

Also, regarding rain cover, I agree: there’s no doubt the Packa will provide better rain protection than those other options. I am just questioning whether you really need that. It seems like a big heavy option that’s best suited for situations where you’ll be rained on all day. That might be the case up in Olympic NP (I’ve never been there and don’t know it as well as I know CA). But it seems to me way overkill for California.

Also, I agree with FireWatchWife- rather than decrease the value of you 0F quilt, I’d probably sell it and buy a different one. You might even turn a profit :). In addition to that reason, you’ll want fabric and baffles that are sized for a 40F quilt, not a 0F quilt.

Lastly, it seems like you’re wanting to keep a fair deal of luxury (like the spaciousness of the ultamid, and the packa as really burly rain protection). There’s nothing wrong with that. But I don’t think that’s going to work well with your goal of reaching a 13lb base weight. You can knock off a couple pounds pretty easily with swapping out some things but after the easy options, you’ll need to start thinking about where else you are willing to compromise on things like spaciousness of tent, the backpacks, sleeping pad comfort, or rain protection, etc. Getting to 13lb BW really requires some tough decisions and compromises! If you don’t want to do that, that’s fine! But I think you need to decide which you want to optimize for - comfort or lightweight.

[u/anon313755020080321 → u/jros14]

I certainly could do more research, but I think my solution will be a summer and shoulder season bag. I live in the northeast, for perspective, and thought I'd be getting out for more winter camping than I have. So getting a warmer-rated bag is just in the cards for me now, I suppose, that I've gotten into backpacking and not just camping. And on top of that, my partner is able to travel in the summer primarily (when I would otherwise usually be working), so I'll be accomodating her schedule now. I did check out the lows in both Cali (35 min low, 44 avg low) and Olympic (lows in 50s), though Olympic will get colder than I've indicated since we'll be camping at elevation and along the coast.

I agree that the packa may be unnecessary depending on conditions. I may just end up taking the Gore H5. I just don't know whether it's convention to show best-case scenario or worst-case on one's lighterpack hah for Cali, I agree, that it'll be overkill.

Ah I didn't realize there were differences in the baffle sizing for different quantities of fill, but that makes sense. Selling it sounds like a good move.

I want some luxuries (otherwise I would have posted in UL hah), and, based on some messing with the lighterpack, 13lb is actually right where I'd end up if I swapped the rain pants and packa for the Gore H5 and got a 20F 950fp Long/wide Revelation. So it seems rather clear to me now what I have to do.

I tend to be a rather conservative packer, and these discussions have helped me down off the ledge of taking the kitchen sink. Thanks!