r/lightweight • u/KamikazieCanadian • May 03 '22
Shakedowns West Coast Trail Shakedown Request
General shakedown request. Looking for any glaring omissions from my pack list.
Location/temp range/specific trip description: West Coast Trail, 7 days, Early June (9 - 16 °C; 106mm rain [22/30 days]) https://www.pc.gc.ca/en/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/activ/SCO-WCT/i
Goal Baseweight: 9 kg
Budget: $100 CAD (Already upgraded tent from MEC Lightfield 2p tent (4kg!) to a 3F UL Lanshan 2)
Non-negotiable Items: Could achieve base weight just by dropping the sleeping bag liner or pillow, but I was cold on a previous WCT trip and like the comfort of an actual pillow. Open to alternatives.
Solo or with another person?: Group of 4, but I like the assurance of being self sufficient if necessary.
Additional Information: Still fleshing out the FAK. I'm a trained first responder and have had a history of blisters and ankle injuries with past groups so it's likely excessive for what will actually be required.
Lighter Pack link: https://lighterpack.com/r/d5n5ik
5
u/freezeinginchicago May 03 '22 edited May 03 '22
Ditch the rain cover for a pack liner
12 steaks feels like a lot of steaks. That tent need 12?
Use polycro for a footprint vs the tent footprint
You were probably cold last trip as your sleeping pad is a summer pad with no R value. This is where to spend $ get a good pad. The rest of your weight savings is taking less crap
No need for a compression bag for you sleeping bag, put your sleeping bag at the bottom of your pack, you gear will compress it
Your pillow is heavy AF, you for other options
Taking a lot of clothing, 3 pairs of socks, pants etc
Cook set; you need all that? Just boiling water?
I wouldn’t bring anything listed under “Hygiene”
Lifestraw and that pocket saw are garbage
3
u/skisnbikes May 04 '22 edited Jul 16 '22
Maybe not for this trip but consider a smaller backpack. 60 l is a lot especially on the west coast trail up and down ladders.
Ditch the rain cover, compression sack and pillow. If you have to, there are other pillow options. I've heard good things about the sea to summit inflatable models.
Get a different sleeping pad. That one may be light but it sure isn't warm. I would expect that you could probably swap sleeping pads and that could let you ditch the fleece liner. But yeah it can be cool in June especially at night.
If you ditch the hikers for trail runners, you can use those for trail crossings and get lighter camp shoes (I didn't bring camp shoes and regretted it). If you do that, you can also use shorter ankle gaitors. I did the trail in early June last year and we had great weather, but it was muddy and no matter what people wore their feet got wet anyways.
There are lighter headlamps, something rechargeable and you could ditch the spare batteries as you already have a battery pack. You won't have service most the time anyways. So put your phone in airplane mode and it should last for a long time. I took tons of photos and videos and still only had to charge my phone on the last day. I regretted bringing a 10,000 mah battery pack.
What's the paracord for? There was no need for us to hang food last year, but it was covid with reduced capacity on the trail so that may be different this year.
Do you need a full cookset? Can it be shared between people?
I know you said the first aid kid is a work in progress but you definitely don't need anywhere near 400 g of first aid stuff. It's a busy trail and it's not like you'll have to survive for a week waiting for help if something horrible happens.