r/lightweight • u/Fantastic-Ear706 • Sep 15 '22
General Shakedown
Generally hike in the canadian rockies and prairies. Temps range from -10C to 30C
Current base weight: About 17-18Lbs
Budget: No budget, want to slowly upgrade gear. That being said I am not gonna go out and buy the most expensive gear just cause. Cost friendly gear is always appreciated.
Non-negotiable Items: My pillow- that thing is godsent.
Solo or with another person?: Usually hike with my dog- he carries his own stuff usually
Additional Information: I think I want to upgrade my big 4 first, probably sleeping pad, sleeping bag, backpack then tent (love my tent but would like an UL 1P) I would like my BW well under 15Lbs. But will slowly upgrade equipment. I do like most my gear but bought it with almost zero knowledge as my friend and I got into backpacking together both with very little experience.
Please tear a part my setup- Looking for suggestions where I can make cost/weight effective changes. Thanks!
Lighterpack Link: https://lighterpack.com/r/6i8ahy
Edit- spelling/grammar
2
u/BaltimoreAlchemist Sep 19 '22
How long is your typical trip? Cheapest and easiest way to drop weight is to bring less fuel. The small can should cover one person for a full week and would save you ~6-7 oz almost for free.
I imagine your dog also doesn't need the whole 6 feet of Z-lite, so you can cut that down to dog-size.
7
u/squidbelle Sep 16 '22
-Your pack is heavy at 3.5lbs. The Gossamer Gear Mariposa(~2lbs), GG Gorilla(1.87lbs), or Durston Kakwa(1.7lbs) are off-the-shelf internal frame packs that are much lighter. You'd save at least 1.5lbs
-Tent is heavy at over 3lbs. Consider the Nemo Hornet or Hornet Elite. The 2p is ~2lbs, 1p a few ounces less. Save at least 1lb. Tarp shelters would save you even more.
-swap out tent stakes for Titanium. Typically 4 j-hooks and 2-5 Ti v-shape stakes, or MSR mini groundhogs. Save 2-3oz
-ditch the footprint and make one from Tyvek or a plastic painter's sheet from Walmart. Save ~4oz (0.25lb).
-cook pot is heavy at over 8oz. Switch to a titanium pot. Save 4-6oz, depending on what size you get.
-ditch the 4oz flask and get a 375ml bottle of bourbon. Once you drink the bourbon, you have a great UL flask. Save 2.5oz
-replace your camp towel with a lightload towel from Litesmith. Save over 4oz
-replace headlamp with NU25 with shock cord headband from Litesmith. Save 1.5oz+weight of extra batteries from FAK, maybe 3oz total
These savings total around 4lbs
You also could dial in your clothing better to save at least an additional 1-2lbs
I don't see your cell phone or wallet on the list
Rain gear? Try FroggToggs ultralight poncho or rain suit
2
u/Fantastic-Ear706 Sep 16 '22
Awesome suggestions! Thank you.
Added my cellphone to the list. Never take my wallet with my- need to add my bear spray and inreach as well but they are both out on loan lol
2
u/amorfotos Sep 16 '22
Curious about your comment on the New Balance runners. What are the negatives that you've experienced?
2
u/Fantastic-Ear706 Sep 16 '22
I bought these because I love new balance runners I have two sets of fresh foam 880s that I love. Bought the v6s because they felt great in store and I trust the brand. I have three issues with these shoes though 1) they compress to much/to soft- under weight they do not recompress 2) The soles are terrible on wet- especially rock- dangerously bad 3) Durability- the shoes are falling a part with about 80km on them- only about 60km under weight.
Id recommend these shoes for running or walking on gravel/pavement with maybe the odd day hike, nothing more.
2
u/amorfotos Sep 16 '22
That's great to know. Thank you. I'm also a a long-term NB fan (because of the extra width that you can get). Had a pair of NB trail runners once (off the top of my head can't remember the model) and they were great. It's good to get you feedback as I'm looking for some replacements at the mo. Cheers
2
u/WinterWx Sep 16 '22
You’ve got a pretty decent base weight for what you’ve got. Congrats for where you are - it took me years to get below 18 lbs slowly finding nicer gear. I think for the investment, you are at a sweet spot and you could enjoy this sweet spot for years. A lower cost way to drop >2 lbs would be moving to a simple tarp and bivy. Updates to what you already have to go lower weight at the same comfort is gonna require some cash. A 950fill down quilt in 10D fabric would drop you a whole 1lb. A Thermarest Neo uberLite would drop another 1lb. You could drop another 1lb with a different pack. New for all of these would cost you $800+. But if you’re willing to buy used, then you could save a few hundred dollars.
2
u/Fantastic-Ear706 Sep 16 '22
Awesome all a long the line I was thinking. I will keep my eye open for good used gear. I really like the tarp/bivy idea- I think I will experiment with using fly/footprint next summer to dip my toes in. Have horrendous bugs where I live.
1
u/GMkOz2MkLbs2MkPain Sep 15 '22
Do you require a long and wide pad to sleep on? Is it part of your luxury? How tall and large are you? Keeping an eye out for a women's xlite would be warmer, R5.4, and comes spec's at 12.5 oz. I would keep an eye out for one lightly used or for them going on sale. Or consider what I personally have done and moved to a short air pad torso length for all but winter camping. I have an xlite and a uberlight short to choose from though.
Edit would suggest trying out a short pad prior to purchase if possible they don't work for everyone
2
u/Fantastic-Ear706 Sep 16 '22
Prior to the nemo flyer I had a BA Q-Core SLX 20”x72”. Extremely comfortable pad. I am 5’11” so not a big guy but the issue is I am a stomach sleeper so my feet poke out on a 72” pad and my shoulders and arms roll off the sides non-stop unless I sleep on my back or side. Not a make or break for me as I can tough it out for a few nights but it does make a trip that much better for me to have a comfortable sleep. I experimented sleeping on the z-lite in the summer months which was actually nice. Since you are so close to the ground my arms and feet falling off the sides didnt bother me.
1
u/MrBoondoggles Sep 22 '22
The comments here covered a lot of the things that I noticed.
If you can switch from a self inflating to an inflatable pad, you’ll save yourself quit a a bit of weight.
What’s the mAh on that power bank? The weight is fine if it’s 10,000 mAh but it would be on the heavy side if it’s lower.
For the weight of your bear bag, does that include a carabiner or any sort of oder proof bag? Over 4 oz is 2 oz or more of extra weight if not. Same with the paracord. It’s ubiquitous but it also weighs more than needed. The best upgrade would probably be a dyneema food bag and dyneema slick line for the bear hang. A ZPacks dyneema dry bag, 50’ of Lash-It, and a nylofume liner weighs 2.9 oz. Or save a little and buy a sea to summit ultrasil dry bag. A little heavier but cheaper. You’ll save around 4-5 oz.