We reached the end of this little series, which I enjoyed writing a lot as it also helped me to reevaluate and think about my gear. The most interest received the article about the Big 3. I guess looking at big shiny equipment is what the majority likes =) Nevertheless, the clothing and footwear article highlighted that there are also significant possibilities to save weight with the clothes you wear and the shoes on your feet. Yesterday I looked at the kitchen and miscellaneous little items which we always carry with us, and what good lightweight options there are for these.
So lets combine the whole package, and see the total. I used Numbers to make a nice packing list (Credit to The Other Face who sent me his German version, and which I changed to suit my needs). Lets have a look:
We got the backpack, stuff sacks and a rain cover there, 834 g in total, not bad. There are lighter options for both rain cover and stuff sacks out there, and I guess I'll get some from Mountain Laurel Design which make fantastic UL gear.
Sleeping system and the shelter weight 2426 g. My GoLite Ultra 20° will keep me toasty, and the NeoAir is so comfortable that I will not switch to a CCF mat - which means I might not be able to rise at 5 o'clock in the morning to snap photos of the dawn. For the winter I need to look for a new sleeping bag/ quilt which will push that likely a bit up, except I win in the lottery and can afford one of the amazing Nunatak quilts. There are lighter options for tents available, but I love my Scarp 1 thus will happily carry the few hundred gram extra.
My kitchen weights a respectable 395 g, I will add a little 100 ml bottle of alcohol to fire up the MYOG top burner for when I'm too tired to look for wood for my BushBuddy Ultra. An Inferno + Ti-Tri stove from Trail Designs will find its way to me soon, so there even are slight possibilities of me decreasing the weight further and remaining a fire devil!
My worn clothes weigh 1604 g, there are some possibilities to shave some further grams off there, for example by getting lighter shoes and pants (The Shelby Koruoma pant is a project I will be working on during the winter). The clothes in my backpack are light at 1211 g, and will protect me from rain and cold efficiently. I forgot to add my Trekmates Amphibian GoreTex socks, which weigh 73 g and also should keep my feet dry as a desert.
Those various items are the heaviest piece on the list, with 2810 g - but that's due to the EOS 50D and the LowePro Toploader I carry. Dave, The Armchair Adventurer, made himself a very nice camera bag, which I might try to reproduce. That should make it slightly lighter, but having witnessed the difference between point and click and the power of a DSLR my decision was made easy: the DSLR comes along! The towel can be replaced by a small & light UL version, probably saving some 100 g.
Food and water, well, 700 g per day might be a bit much, but its important to have sufficient energy on the trail for me. If I would switch from Ramen and Pasta to Real Turmat I could save some weight per day, and it should definitely taste better.
So, for a weekend out, from Friday afternoon till Sunday early evening I would start with a pack weight of 11505 g. Ideally that will mean I come home with a backpack which weights 7755 g as I eat and drink away my consumables. I like it. Going light means I can walk more kilometers, take extras like the DSLR which I wouldn't carry if I go "normal" and climb higher. Its natural.
I thank you for reading and inspiring me, I had interesting conversations with some readers in the comments - join us if you like! Going light was a very good experience for me, and hopefully this little series has shown that it is not difficult to lose some weight and still be safe and comfortable on the trail!
We reached the end of this little series, which I enjoyed writing a lot as it also helped me to reevaluate and think about my gear. The most interest received the article about the Big 3. I guess looking at big shiny equipment is what the majority likes =) Nevertheless, the clothing and footwear article highlighted that there are also significant possibilities to save weight with the clothes you wear and the shoes on your feet. Yesterday I looked at the kitchen and miscellaneous little items which we always carry with us, and what good lightweight options there are for these.
So lets combine the whole package, and see the total. I used Numbers to make a nice packing list (Credit to The Other Face who sent me his German version, and which I changed to suit my needs). Lets have a look:
We got the backpack, stuff sacks and a rain cover there, 834 g in total, not bad. There are lighter options for both rain cover and stuff sacks out there, and I guess I'll get some from Mountain Laurel Design which make fantastic UL gear.
Sleeping system and the shelter weight 2426 g. My GoLite Ultra 20° will keep me toasty, and the NeoAir is so comfortable that I will not switch to a CCF mat - which means I might not be able to rise at 5 o'clock in the morning to snap photos of the dawn. For the winter I need to look for a new sleeping bag/ quilt which will push that likely a bit up, except I win in the lottery and can afford one of the amazing Nunatak quilts. There are lighter options for tents available, but I love my Scarp 1 thus will happily carry the few hundred gram extra.
My kitchen weights a respectable 395 g, I will add a little 100 ml bottle of alcohol to fire up the MYOG top burner for when I'm too tired to look for wood for my BushBuddy Ultra. An Inferno + Ti-Tri stove from Trail Designs will find its way to me soon, so there even are slight possibilities of me decreasing the weight further and remaining a fire devil!
My worn clothes weigh 1604 g, there are some possibilities to shave some further grams off there, for example by getting lighter shoes and pants (The Shelby Koruoma pant is a project I will be working on during the winter). The clothes in my backpack are light at 1211 g, and will protect me from rain and cold efficiently. I forgot to add my Trekmates Amphibian GoreTex socks, which weigh 73 g and also should keep my feet dry as a desert.
Those various items are the heaviest piece on the list, with 2810 g - but that's due to the EOS 50D and the LowePro Toploader I carry. Dave, The Armchair Adventurer, made himself a very nice camera bag, which I might try to reproduce. That should make it slightly lighter, but having witnessed the difference between point and click and the power of a DSLR my decision was made easy: the DSLR comes along! The towel can be replaced by a small & light UL version, probably saving some 100 g.
Food and water, well, 700 g per day might be a bit much, but its important to have sufficient energy on the trail for me. If I would switch from Ramen and Pasta to Real Turmat I could save some weight per day, and it should definitely taste better.
So, for a weekend out, from Friday afternoon till Sunday early evening I would start with a pack weight of 11505 g. Ideally that will mean I come home with a backpack which weights 7755 g as I eat and drink away my consumables. I like it. Going light means I can walk more kilometers, take extras like the DSLR which I wouldn't carry if I go "normal" and climb higher. Its natural.
I thank you for reading and inspiring me, I had interesting conversations with some readers in the comments - join us if you like! Going light was a very good experience for me, and hopefully this little series has shown that it is not difficult to lose some weight and still be safe and comfortable on the trail!
UL Beginners Guide: Wrap up & Packing list
Your blog is nice.Thanks for opening this blog. My blog is about
ReplyDeleteOnline Newspaper Site
Hi Hendrik,
ReplyDeleteOn a completely unrelated note: I can't find a link to your RSS feeds?? Do you have one at all?
Thanks,
Andy
(very good blog indeed, btw)
Found it!!
ReplyDeleteBottom of the page...
(blush, blush)
Uh. No. Actually, the link is only to the Comments RSS. Still can't find the RSS for your posts...
ReplyDeleteA.
Andy, I added a subscription option on the right side, just above the blog archive. I don't use RSS myself, so please let me know if that's what you were looking for. If not, then I will need to do some research on RSS feeds and how to install them =)
ReplyDeleteHendrik, thanks for sorting that out!
ReplyDeleteGreat, perfect, exactly what I was after!
That'll make it a lot easier for me to keep abreast of what you get up to!
Cheers,
A.
a good list there Hendrik although I would ditch that nasty heavy camera! :)
ReplyDeleteYour kit list is not looking that much different to mine (sans camera). Thanks again for taking time to do the series of articles as I have found them to be informative and interesting
A great series there. My problem in reducing weight has always been with food. I simply enjoy it too much and am afraid of taking too little! No problem on a weekend trip but on my 6 day coast to coast I really noticed the weight!
ReplyDeleteHave you included meths on your packing list?
Dave, I think the camera stays! Glad to hear that you found the useful. I was discussing with Joe (from Thunder in the Night) already that our packing lists look a lot the same, just different Brand names.
ReplyDeleteJames, Arigato! No meths included. I will write more about food in the future ;) I am quite fine and usually take just enough with me, sometimes even not enough. Then its just a case of walking faster and getting home sooner!
Andy, glad that is sorted out then!
A great series of articles Hendrik, my own list is similar with some items weighing less and some weighing more depending on preference. Like you I prefer to take a DSLR, I tried a compact briefly but while it was fine I decided to stick with the DSLR kit although it adds about 750g.
ReplyDeleteMy base weight varies depending on the season due to a heavier sleeping bag/waterproof clothing and cooking gear etc, do you use the same gear all year?
Thank you Richard! You got a light DSLR then, which one are you using?
ReplyDeleteThis is my 3+ season gear. I reckon I can sleep comfortably warm till about -5°C in the Scarp 1, NeoAir + Ultra 20° + base layer. For the winter I need to look for another sleeping bag. I got a Joutsen sleeping bag, but at close to 2 kg and a huge pack size its just not UL enough. Concerning clothes, I might wear warmer base layers in colder temps (so everything under -10°C), but winter is still a bit off so this is hypothetically speaking. btw, when are you going to do the review about the Trekmate Bamboo longsleeve?
I use an Olympus E-420, bought recently after reading seeing Dave Hanlons E-400. Body + 14-42 lens (28-84 in 35mm terms) is 685g, my additional kit includes spare CF cards x 2, spare batteries x 2, Cokin A filter holder + ND Grad, Polarising Filter and lens cleaning cloth & Pen.
ReplyDeleteAbout Trekmates Bamboo Baselayer, I'll post a review perhaps tomorrow, I want to take some macro shots to illustrate the difference between Bamboo, Merino and Synthetic. There isn't really much to say about it as it works well but I'll try to answer any questions you have.
A good list. You've been busy and made soem good purchases. Just a couple of observations:
ReplyDeleteIf you're using dry bags I'd ditch the rucksack cover. I've never used one and have always been able to keep my kit dry. There's 90g saved right there!
The Z-lite is for under your legs right? Is it also the backpad for your Ohm? If not you might consider ditching it.
Do you realy need spare clothes to sleep in? I know it's realy nice to change into clean/dry clothes at the end of the day but your using a silk liner to protect your bag why not keep your base layer on?
You need an e-lite! You know you do. Go on get one.
Do you need 48g of keys or do you just need one that gets you through the door behind which you've left your other keys?
Stuffsacks. My pet hate. The first think I do with new kit is ditch the stuffsacks taht come with them. For instance, why use a stuffsack for your silk liner, one for your down bag and then stuff them both into a dry bag? These are the sorts of thinks that creep up on you.
Just some thoughts. All in all I would say you don't need to beat yourself up over weight. Under 12kg with food water and 2kg of DSLR you're doing just fine.
Looking forward to the review, Richard. Macro shots will be sweet of the three different materials! And a nice kit you got there, at half the weight of mine!
ReplyDeleteDave, its been a while - I hope the holiday was relaxing! And great that you even have some suggestions on how to improve. let me comment:
- I'll ditch the rucksack cover this weekend and see how it goes. That or ditching the stuff sacks, which I usually carry to have things in one place instead of all over the place.
- Z-lite for under the legs and a backpad for the Ohm, correct. Will try how the NeoAir goes as a backpad this weekend.
- Spare clothes: Weather forecast says rain for both Saturday & Sunday. I might just skip the complete clothes I'm wearing and put on the Smartwool baselayer and the Rab raingear, and sleep in the baselayer. Need to think about that.
- The silk inlet, hmm, I also might just drop it for the moment. Its more of an "In case it gets colder" back-up, but at the moment temperatures don't go under 7°C so I should be fine as I am.
- e-lite will come in time!
- I could just take one key. But I am lazy and don't want to fiddle it of the ring =)
- Stuff sacks. You're right. Need to think about a smarter thing for that. Hmmm... MLD drybags, anyone?
Thanks Dave for your input. I will test some stuff this weekend and see how it goes, reporting back next week!
Nice list. One could shave some weight by leaving some stuff sacks and raincover home. Also the towel is ab it on the conventional side. I use a peace of cotton veil. Works well and is light.
ReplyDeleteI hiked the Herajärven kierros this week. Nice 37km of trail with 1700m of total altitude gained. I think my back was around 12 kilos at the start with 2kg of H2O, a lot of fresh food, some beer, 1kg of camera stuff and my share of the heavy items (I was hiking with two not-so-light-backpackers, but they were still faster than me!) the 1,8kg lean-to-shelter.
I used Golite Jam 2 without raincover and packed everything in Tatonka dry sacks. It rained for whole day and everything stayd dry. The pack hardly absobrs any water so no need for rain cover. Also even though I didn't use my Ridgerest as a virtual frame (I didn't quite fit in with all the heavy and large stuff) the pack was nice to carry around. The pack worked well.
I used Inov-8 Rocklite 315s. Great shoes! I really liked them! The Inov-8 light gaiters are also nice.
I also have the Petzl E-lite. Used it once on a week long autumn trip in Lapland. Not quite enough when you have abotu 10 hours of dark time per day. Now I have Petzl Zipka plus. It's good.
PS. If you are planning to sell your Joutsen sleeping bag or BB Ultra, I might be interested! =)